A (Hungry) Sheep in the Big City

Mei-Li looked around excitedly, brimming with curiosity at this foreign (to her anyway) restaurant.  Taking her seat, she studied the menu intently.  Fortunately, the Japanese Kanji was mostly legible to her, and so she had a rough idea of what each dish was.  So caught up in deciding what she wanted to eat, she almost completely missed Jocelyn's question.

"Ah, um...  Not exactly?  I'm a martial artist, though I do know some wrestling moves as well...  Master Asia- I mean, that's what Master called herself, I don't think it was her actual name, but...  Anyway, Master used a freestyle art, so she taught me all sorts of different things!" Mei-Li explained, eager to try and endear herself to her new friend, I used to fight in one of those sketchy underground leagues, but this AFW seems so much more exciting!  I can't wait to meet other fighters from all around the world!"

Jocelyn balked at Mei-Li's words. She did her best to control her self and not tell the girl how dumb she was. She took a breath and raised an eyebrow. <YOU fought in an underground league?> The Chistralian questioned. <Martial arts, I could buy. You don't look like THAT sort of girl though.> She explained.

<AFW is way different though.> Jocelyn said without thinking. Before she could even explain, the server was at their table and Jocelyn quickly ordered. Jocelyn hoped that maybe quickly addressing the girl might make Mei-Li forget.

< "Haha, I actually get that a lot... Even Master said I didn't really look cut out for it..." > Mei-Li chuckled sheepishly, < "I was doing really well though! It was kind of a small league though, so it was getting kind of boring..." >

Her train of thought was interrupted as the waitress arrived, instantly taking up Mei-Li attention and causing her to overlook Jocelyn's small slip up. With a lot of pointing, animated hand gestures, and nodding, she managed to convey her (rather substantial) order to the girl, before thanking her in some broken Japanese.

< "Oooohhhh, I'm starved! I can't wait for our food to come!" > Mei-Li grinned happily at Jocelyn, quite excited to be trying new foods, and with some company for once.

<I can't imagine any kind of place like that being very big.> Jocelyn commented back. She sized up Mei-Li again once more. Now she wondered if she could take the girl. Mei-Li was taller, but she didn't look much bigger outside of the chest area. Jocelyn was feeling pretty confident and settled back in as Mei-Li declared her hunger.

<How long have you been here? How have you managed so far?> Jocelyn asked. <Was there nothing in Zhongguo?> Jocelyn asked, raising an eyebrow at Mei-Li.

< "About a few weeks. I've settled in to my apartment, but I'm still trying to adapt to being in such a big city..." > Mei-Li explained, pretty much completely at ease around her new friend. She continued on earnestly, < "I think I got lucky I just so happened to catch the notice of one of the talent scouts one day while fighting. My family was always quite poor, so I never really thought about leaving until that man gave me the offer. It was such a big opportunity to do something to really support my parents, so I couldn't pass it up!" >

Jocelyn listened carefully to Mei-Li's words. Poverty was something that was quite rampant in China, that was for sure. However, Jocelyn never knew that sort of plight. Her father was one of the few who had succeeded in the populous country and Jocelyn never wanted for food... or much of anything, now that she was thinking of it.

Jocelyn's fingers dug into the table and she had to force herself not to visibly sneer at the girl. Why did everyone she meet have to spit in her face? And she really had nothing personal with Mei-Li. In fact, she was hard pressed to find something wrong with the girl and she was certainly trying.

Well, Jocelyn always had one bullet she could fire, but she kept it in the chamber for now.

<Do you send money back to your family?> Jocelyn asked. She was mildly interested, curious enough to ask, but not really looking for anything but words to pass the time while she chewed on her latest social predicament.

The server returned bringing some water and a small appetizer. Jocelyn immediately turned and looked at her. <Sake. For the both of us. A lot.> She said in Japanese motioning between herself and Mei-Li.

< "Yes, I did send my parents some of the advance pay they gave me. I hope to send them even more once I start fighting again!" Mei-Li answered.

As the waitress came by to deliver some miso soup, she eagerly picked up the tiny bowl and started to blow on the steaming contents, hoping to cool it down so she might drink it. She didn't even notice Jocelyn's motioning or ordering of sake, not that she would have understood the words well anyway.

Jocelyn let her soup steam and leaned back in her chair, slouching a bit. She wasn't exactly sure how Allison maintained her prim and proper look at all times. No matter how hard she tried, there was always going to be a a part of that laid back Australian in her that just liked to do things her own way.

Jocelyn gave a perfunctory grunt at Mei-Li's response and looked past her to the rest of the crowd. Her mind was beginning to churn with esoteric thoughts. This normal conversation seemed tainted and surreal. Mei-Li was a stranger. She was not even a thought in Jocelyn's mind until she came barging into her life and here she was having dinner with her.

The odd part was, as surreal as it was, it didn't feel unnatural. Kismet seemed to swirl around her once more. She could connect with this girl on more than one level, the same way she could with Yi Lan or Zhou Yi before her. But, she didn't like those girls. They reflected an ugliness back at her and the one thing Jocelyn hated more than anything in the world was looking in the mirror.

<How is the soup?> She commented as she turned her eyes at hot broth.

Taking a long, loud slurp of the broth, Mei-Li looked up at Jocelyn with a warm smile, very much content to finally have something in her belly (meager as it was by her standards). < "It's delicious! Much better than the Yoshinoya place." > she replied, referencing the cheap Japanese fast-food chain.

She noticed Jocelyn looked a bit uncomfortable, but she could quite tell why. In hindsight, maybe dragging her in to eating dinner may have been a bit forceful. She had been talking about herself alot, and she didn't really learn anything about her new friend yet. < "So um... what brought you to Japan, Lu Jiao? Are you here for work as well?" >

Jocelyn watched Mei-Li slurp down her soup. The Chistralian dunked her spoon into her bowl and swirled around the mixture, starting to get lost in thought until Mei-Li spoke up.

"Eh?"

<Brought me here?> She repeated and turned her head, blushing a bit. That was rather complicated. <Yes, I do work here.> Jocelyn decided that was good enough, but if Mei-Li asked her what she did? What could she say? Jocelyn blushed a bit more. The girl was so formal.

Thankfully, the sake arrived just in time and Jocelyn looked at it with eager eyes. Sake wasn't her favorite thing to drink, but Mei-Li wanted the full Japanese treatment. She began to pour. One for herself and one for Mei-Li.

<We should toast to your new arrival.> Jocelyn said, offering the smallest smile she could manage to try and not make it any more awkward.