Post by krista on Dec 3, 2010 10:28:09 GMT -7
I love my father, I really do, but even if he doesn’t realize it that little man brings way more trouble my way than it’s worth, sometimes.
Hopefully it’s all worth it in the end.
That job Father had set up for us, the “puppy” one, had turned out to be a disaster. The greedy hacker had been able to grab the credstick, sure, but certain other…. complications had turned out to be more trouble than a couple thousand nuyen were worth. Not to mention that that fragging, lowlife, humanis loving orc O’Neil seemed to be involved somehow.
Everything seemed to be coming together in one way or another, and admittedly, I was a bit worried that trouble would make its way back to Father somehow, and so I’d been checking back up on him a bit more frequently. It didn’t hurt either that I didn’t want to be in that apartment to look that hacker in the face, doing nothing while an orc and troll baby were drained of their life by some psychotic Policlub member, and then lying about it.
But I digress. The night after the Humanis Policlub meeting, I headed down to the international district to check up on dad. Maybe help him clean up the place, whatever. Parking around back like I usually do, I walked down the alley to circle around and enter the store from the front. I haven’t been able to scale the rickety fire escape to the second floor in years.
Just as I was rounding the corner I bumped into some shrimpy kid, shrimpy for a human, I mean. Not very tall, sorta skinny, not the type of person I’d really pay close attention to in any situation. Growling slightly, I was in a bad mood after all, I lifted my arm and aimed to walk around me to continue on my way to see my father, when the kid actually spoke.
“Excuse me, are you Guai?”
Stopping, I exhaled roughly, looking just to stare the kid into running away. But something stopped me, this kid looking hauntingly familiar. His eyes, just…. shone with something I hadn’t seen in years.
“Yeah…” I said slowly, not looking any happier than
before. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m your half brother… Steve.”
Shit. Are you kidding me….?
“Yeah, and I’m an elf. Don’t waste my time.” Raising a large hand, I gently shoved him to the side and continued walking down the street.
“I think your mother is in Seattle.”
That stopped me in my tracks.
Turning around, I just snarled, trying to decide whether to shove him up against the brick wall of the nearest building, or to just toss him into the path of an oncoming car.
He apparently sensed the hostility, and shook his head, eyes widened. “No, no Guai, I’m serious. I need your help. I want to find her, she’s my mother too. Please.”
Relaxing somewhat, I looked Steve up and down. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, nowhere to hide any weapons, didn’t look like he had any muscle on him, had to be a few years younger than me. Even if he had any cyber mods, I figured he wouldn’t post too much of a threat if he became violent.
And if he was telling the truth….
“Fine.” I said, walking past him back towards my car. “Follow me, we need to talk.”
It wasn't a long drive, but it certainly was an awkward one.
I needed a place to talk to his kid that was quiet. Sally's was out, didn't even know if he was legal and he seemed jumpy enough as it was (But I suppose having a grumpy troll with mommy issues ready to snap you in two didn't really help that). The apartment in the barrens was out too, the "puppy" wasn't exactly welcoming, and I'd probably get a bad joke from Norsk or Shade about keeping private lives and buisness seperate. Didn't want him anywhere near my father, I didn't quite know how he'd react to knowing his wife still may be alive, and not across an ocean. That only left one place I could think of.... Master Shao's place.
He wasn't far either, maybe 10 minutes from where I picked up the kid, just on the edge of the International District. Parking in a lot behind the dojo, I motioned for the him to follow. He did, dutifully.
Pushing open the door to the dojo with one hand, I shoved him through with the other. Without a sound, Master Shao suddenly appeared and smiled with what some people might take as senility.
"Guai! Hello! Who is your friend?" He blinked and tipped his head like an animal, watching the boy.
"Erm... I'm not really sure." I said, with an awkward half-smile. Never could get anything past this old coot, no use in lying. "We need a quiet place to talk. Do you mind?"
"Not at all my child!" Shao grinned and ushered us through the training room into the small, traditional Asian kitchen off the other side. "Would you like some tea?"
I looked at the kid and raised an eyebrow. He swallowed, and shook his head. "Just for me please." I said to Master Shao.
Pushing the kit to the floor, I seated myself on the other side of the pit, and gratefully hung the pot over the hot coals to boil. "Who the hell are you, really? You don't really look Cantonese" I said casually, while fidding with the pot. "And yeah, I'm aware of the shit you told me earlier."
"I just didn't want to say too much before was all. You never know who is listening." Steve smiled nervously, although he was begining to calm down, and sighed.
"My father, a caucasian businessman from Hong Kong, "bought" your mother from the slave trade 20 years ago...."
I growled, narrowing my eyes at Steve.
"...and I came along 1 year and a bit after that. I never met her, I've never even seen her except in pictures I've discovered since I've started look. Since after my father died a few months ago. He never really encouraged me to find out about where I came from.
From what I've found out since he died, your mother had been captured and sold into the slave trade just before my father purchased her...."
I had to concentrate to stop my face from twitching. 20 years. 20 years was a horrible number.
"Guai?"
We had been in Seattle.... 20 years. That meant she was sold into slavery when we left... when we... abandoned her...?
"Guai...?"
I clenched my hamfists and shoved them into my lap, with enough force to break human bone.
"Guai! Are you listening to me?" Steve asked, looking genuinely concerned.
"Yes, I'm fucking listening!" I snapped, fire hissing as I spat on it in rage. I actually hadn't been listening, but Steve seemed wise enough not to press the point.
"Apparently, our mother eventually escaped Hong Kong, and attempted to come over to North America on a refugee boat. It was seized by Lonestar just off the Seattle coastline, however, and the refugees were sent to prison." Steve sighed, and stared into the fire. "That's... all I know."
Snarling absentmindedly, I lifted the kettle from over the fire and poured hot water into the one troll sized cup Master Shao owned. "So how did you find this all out?" I fought to keep my head in the current conversation, instead of letting my thoughts drift to what I knew of my mother as I watched little bits of green tea leaf swirl around in my cup. "How did you find out about me?"
"He had some documents on Mom's 'previous life' before he met her, she did have a SIN after all, and it probably wasn't too hard to get someone from Wuxing in your pocket, for the right price." Steve watched me carefully as I glanced up to him at the mention of Wuxing. "I knew she had a husband and a goblinized troll daughter that had fled to Seattle. After that, it was just a matter of bribing the right people to track you down. There aren't a ton of female Cantonese trolls running the shadows."
I snorted, and look a large gulp of tea.
He typed something into his comlink, and an address suddenly popped up on mine. "This is all I was able to find in regards to what happened to her. Not sure where it is, what it's about... But I hope it can help us."
I glanced at him, eyebrow quirked. That's ALL he had? An address? Probably didn't have a ton of money to bribe people with, as much as he claimed to, if his father only died a few months ago. For a 19 year old rich boy I suppose he's done pretty good so far.
"How do I know you aren't BSing me, kid?" I asked, clearing my throat. Dunno what Shao put in this tea, but it always had a strange kick to it.
Steve, apparently prepared for that question, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden charm, in the shape of a lotus, on a string of small, delicate glass beads.
Not even asking, I extended my arm around the side of the fire, palm up. He obediently put the charm in my hand. I was bombarded with images of my mother wearing this, a gift from my own father on an anniversary.
"Yeah... ok." I mumbled. I considered keeping it, but Steve looked anxious. My freedom was my gift from my mother, as this necklace was his. At least I had my father, this kid had no one. I returned it, slowly. "You take good care of that."
"I will." He nodded solemly.
"Yeah, ok, I'll check this address out." I exchanged comlink information with him. Setting down the empty cup on the floor next to me, I looked at him with sudden seriousness. "But if you come near my dad's shop again..... I'll kill you."
Steve nodded nervously. "Yeah, of course... let me know when you find something out, huh?"
"I'll let you know when I let you know." I remarked, standing, after making sure the coals in the pit were on their way to dying. "If you run into any trouble while you are in Seattle... call me."
**to be continuted**
Hopefully it’s all worth it in the end.
That job Father had set up for us, the “puppy” one, had turned out to be a disaster. The greedy hacker had been able to grab the credstick, sure, but certain other…. complications had turned out to be more trouble than a couple thousand nuyen were worth. Not to mention that that fragging, lowlife, humanis loving orc O’Neil seemed to be involved somehow.
Everything seemed to be coming together in one way or another, and admittedly, I was a bit worried that trouble would make its way back to Father somehow, and so I’d been checking back up on him a bit more frequently. It didn’t hurt either that I didn’t want to be in that apartment to look that hacker in the face, doing nothing while an orc and troll baby were drained of their life by some psychotic Policlub member, and then lying about it.
But I digress. The night after the Humanis Policlub meeting, I headed down to the international district to check up on dad. Maybe help him clean up the place, whatever. Parking around back like I usually do, I walked down the alley to circle around and enter the store from the front. I haven’t been able to scale the rickety fire escape to the second floor in years.
Just as I was rounding the corner I bumped into some shrimpy kid, shrimpy for a human, I mean. Not very tall, sorta skinny, not the type of person I’d really pay close attention to in any situation. Growling slightly, I was in a bad mood after all, I lifted my arm and aimed to walk around me to continue on my way to see my father, when the kid actually spoke.
“Excuse me, are you Guai?”
Stopping, I exhaled roughly, looking just to stare the kid into running away. But something stopped me, this kid looking hauntingly familiar. His eyes, just…. shone with something I hadn’t seen in years.
“Yeah…” I said slowly, not looking any happier than
before. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m your half brother… Steve.”
Shit. Are you kidding me….?
“Yeah, and I’m an elf. Don’t waste my time.” Raising a large hand, I gently shoved him to the side and continued walking down the street.
“I think your mother is in Seattle.”
That stopped me in my tracks.
Turning around, I just snarled, trying to decide whether to shove him up against the brick wall of the nearest building, or to just toss him into the path of an oncoming car.
He apparently sensed the hostility, and shook his head, eyes widened. “No, no Guai, I’m serious. I need your help. I want to find her, she’s my mother too. Please.”
Relaxing somewhat, I looked Steve up and down. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, nowhere to hide any weapons, didn’t look like he had any muscle on him, had to be a few years younger than me. Even if he had any cyber mods, I figured he wouldn’t post too much of a threat if he became violent.
And if he was telling the truth….
“Fine.” I said, walking past him back towards my car. “Follow me, we need to talk.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It wasn't a long drive, but it certainly was an awkward one.
I needed a place to talk to his kid that was quiet. Sally's was out, didn't even know if he was legal and he seemed jumpy enough as it was (But I suppose having a grumpy troll with mommy issues ready to snap you in two didn't really help that). The apartment in the barrens was out too, the "puppy" wasn't exactly welcoming, and I'd probably get a bad joke from Norsk or Shade about keeping private lives and buisness seperate. Didn't want him anywhere near my father, I didn't quite know how he'd react to knowing his wife still may be alive, and not across an ocean. That only left one place I could think of.... Master Shao's place.
He wasn't far either, maybe 10 minutes from where I picked up the kid, just on the edge of the International District. Parking in a lot behind the dojo, I motioned for the him to follow. He did, dutifully.
Pushing open the door to the dojo with one hand, I shoved him through with the other. Without a sound, Master Shao suddenly appeared and smiled with what some people might take as senility.
"Guai! Hello! Who is your friend?" He blinked and tipped his head like an animal, watching the boy.
"Erm... I'm not really sure." I said, with an awkward half-smile. Never could get anything past this old coot, no use in lying. "We need a quiet place to talk. Do you mind?"
"Not at all my child!" Shao grinned and ushered us through the training room into the small, traditional Asian kitchen off the other side. "Would you like some tea?"
I looked at the kid and raised an eyebrow. He swallowed, and shook his head. "Just for me please." I said to Master Shao.
Pushing the kit to the floor, I seated myself on the other side of the pit, and gratefully hung the pot over the hot coals to boil. "Who the hell are you, really? You don't really look Cantonese" I said casually, while fidding with the pot. "And yeah, I'm aware of the shit you told me earlier."
"I just didn't want to say too much before was all. You never know who is listening." Steve smiled nervously, although he was begining to calm down, and sighed.
"My father, a caucasian businessman from Hong Kong, "bought" your mother from the slave trade 20 years ago...."
I growled, narrowing my eyes at Steve.
"...and I came along 1 year and a bit after that. I never met her, I've never even seen her except in pictures I've discovered since I've started look. Since after my father died a few months ago. He never really encouraged me to find out about where I came from.
From what I've found out since he died, your mother had been captured and sold into the slave trade just before my father purchased her...."
I had to concentrate to stop my face from twitching. 20 years. 20 years was a horrible number.
"Guai?"
We had been in Seattle.... 20 years. That meant she was sold into slavery when we left... when we... abandoned her...?
"Guai...?"
I clenched my hamfists and shoved them into my lap, with enough force to break human bone.
"Guai! Are you listening to me?" Steve asked, looking genuinely concerned.
"Yes, I'm fucking listening!" I snapped, fire hissing as I spat on it in rage. I actually hadn't been listening, but Steve seemed wise enough not to press the point.
"Apparently, our mother eventually escaped Hong Kong, and attempted to come over to North America on a refugee boat. It was seized by Lonestar just off the Seattle coastline, however, and the refugees were sent to prison." Steve sighed, and stared into the fire. "That's... all I know."
Snarling absentmindedly, I lifted the kettle from over the fire and poured hot water into the one troll sized cup Master Shao owned. "So how did you find this all out?" I fought to keep my head in the current conversation, instead of letting my thoughts drift to what I knew of my mother as I watched little bits of green tea leaf swirl around in my cup. "How did you find out about me?"
"He had some documents on Mom's 'previous life' before he met her, she did have a SIN after all, and it probably wasn't too hard to get someone from Wuxing in your pocket, for the right price." Steve watched me carefully as I glanced up to him at the mention of Wuxing. "I knew she had a husband and a goblinized troll daughter that had fled to Seattle. After that, it was just a matter of bribing the right people to track you down. There aren't a ton of female Cantonese trolls running the shadows."
I snorted, and look a large gulp of tea.
He typed something into his comlink, and an address suddenly popped up on mine. "This is all I was able to find in regards to what happened to her. Not sure where it is, what it's about... But I hope it can help us."
I glanced at him, eyebrow quirked. That's ALL he had? An address? Probably didn't have a ton of money to bribe people with, as much as he claimed to, if his father only died a few months ago. For a 19 year old rich boy I suppose he's done pretty good so far.
"How do I know you aren't BSing me, kid?" I asked, clearing my throat. Dunno what Shao put in this tea, but it always had a strange kick to it.
Steve, apparently prepared for that question, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden charm, in the shape of a lotus, on a string of small, delicate glass beads.
Not even asking, I extended my arm around the side of the fire, palm up. He obediently put the charm in my hand. I was bombarded with images of my mother wearing this, a gift from my own father on an anniversary.
"Yeah... ok." I mumbled. I considered keeping it, but Steve looked anxious. My freedom was my gift from my mother, as this necklace was his. At least I had my father, this kid had no one. I returned it, slowly. "You take good care of that."
"I will." He nodded solemly.
"Yeah, ok, I'll check this address out." I exchanged comlink information with him. Setting down the empty cup on the floor next to me, I looked at him with sudden seriousness. "But if you come near my dad's shop again..... I'll kill you."
Steve nodded nervously. "Yeah, of course... let me know when you find something out, huh?"
"I'll let you know when I let you know." I remarked, standing, after making sure the coals in the pit were on their way to dying. "If you run into any trouble while you are in Seattle... call me."
**to be continuted**