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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 3, 2009 23:08:36 GMT -5
[OOC: Tagging Chloe for now.] ----------------------------- Golden Week came and went with minimum trouble. Camillia spent most of the holidays drafting out plans and proposal for the Student Council, finding the committee members were very creative and innovative when it came to idea brainstorming. She was doing the paperwork only, mostly; she couldn’t make any sound suggestions yet, considering she was still adapting to the school’s proceedings. Then there was homework, but it wasn’t to the stage that it was unbearable yet.
It wasn’t like she had anything else to do besides all that.
Sliding on the bicycle down the streets, the redhead stared at the next address written on the parcel. Sweat beaded on her forehead and drenched part of her baseball cap (sewn with the name of the courier company she’s part timing for), she couldn’t help but do idle calculations on her current commissions earned from the start of the month. It wasn’t much yet, considering it was still the first week of May; but she covered her meals pretty well thus far with cheaper food—like pre-packed goods found in Junes.
At least she didn’t have to pedal much. Camillia was glad for her side expertise for a moment there, getting a battery-powered motor to do the chain-driving for her. She took in a deep breath, she murmured and hoped that the weather would stay this way. It was definitely better than being under the evening sun, which could get really annoying when one’s on the road. The redhead silently applauded the Meteorological Department for having high accuracy rates for their weather forecasting.
Whether it was out of fatigue or too deep in thought, she wasn’t entirely paying attention to the road…
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 4, 2009 5:23:16 GMT -5
A troubled gaze peered silently into an equally troubled sky. So... it was cloudy again today. With clouds usually came rain and with rain... usually came misfortune. With a grunt, Chloe ceased looking at the sky and continued on her way through the alleyway she was currently traversing.
Though fairly new to town, the German had the basic knowledge of where everything was. She did not leave her home much... in fact, she only really ever left her home when she had to go to school, or when she had to go to work. Today the reason was a little of both; school had begun that day, and work also happened to fall on the same day. Why did she work when she had school and an alright family situation? She couldn't just let her foster family pay for everything... she wasn't completely useless, and they also didn't exactly have the most money in the world either; she had to pull her weight and, in some cases, more than her own. They had been kind enough to take her in... the least she could do was help earn them some extra cash.
So where did she work? The first place that had caught her attention was the courier companies in town. Those positions seemed to fill up fast, however, and soon there were no openings. The second, however, was a rather obscure job that not many people even knew about. There was a small and formal cafe that had opened recently in Inaba, and they were looking for cooks and waiters and the like. Chloe guessed that the cafe was more for businessmen and similar occupations, but it wasn't unheard of to see younger folk there too. The dress-code was semi-formal, and.... Chloe had to admit that the pay wasn't that bad either. Considering she already owned formal wear and could already cook... she had applied and, surprising even herself, she had been accepted. Her main job was a waitress; she took orders and passed it on to the cooks, bringing the meal when it was finished and serving it to the guests. Even so, she sometimes was able to help out in the kitchen and cook... she enjoyed those days.
And thus, this was the reason why the 5'10" foreigner in a tuxedo was traversing alleyways. Her shift was over and she was returning home... it had been busy at the cafe, and she was actually kind of tired. This was rare for her; she could usually take a lot more before becoming tired... perhaps it was this reason that she was paying more attention to the disturbing clouds, tiredly gazing up into their rain-promising depths as she walked. She didn't even notice when she neared the exit of the alleyway she was walking down, leading towards the slightly busier main streets and roads. She didn't notice... until she heard it. The German looked to the right when she had stepped out onto the street.
Only to see someone on a bike heading straight for her. The bike was too close; she wouldn't be able to dodge as the bike was almost completely upon her. 'This is going to hurt and you deserve it for spacing out.' she thought weakly. She only hoped that the person riding the bike had enough sense to brake...
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 4, 2009 5:32:23 GMT -5
Because only one hand was holding the handlebars (the other occupied with the parcel), she looked up only in time to brake one of the wheels--and, much to her dismay, it was the right brake. The front wheel. Her mind calmly made the observation and prediction that the motor will drive the back wheel upwards and allow Camillia to have a good view of the world upside-down with a few flying parcels and hopefully not landing head-first.
If she was watching this from far away, she would be resisting the urge to burst out in laughter, what with a tall blonde in formal wear and a delivery biker crashing into each other as if it was part of a comedy show. But the half-Russian wasn't. She was one of the actors. So as it happened, the only thing that went through her mind was-
compensation, money, loss, fired from job, loss of commissions-
And she landed onto... Something. Camillia couldn't tell.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 4, 2009 5:46:57 GMT -5
Chloe watched as, in surprise, the person on the bike only managed to hit the right brake. Ironically, this was the entirely wrong brake to hit. The back wheel lifted almost defiantly, bucking the poor biker from it like an angry horse rearing and dismounting a cowboy. The bike, amazingly, didn't actually hit her.
Instinctively, the tall girl attempted to catch the biker, to steady them. Having been completely thrown from the bike, the biker was completely airborne. Almost as if it were a natural occurrence that happened every day, the biker landed neatly in Chloe's capable arms, bridal style. It was now that Chloe got a good look at them. The biker was actually a female, shorter than her, with amazing crimson hair and equally crimson eyes to match. She wore the usual attire of a courier. This meant that there were probably--
Chloe looked up in time to be hit square in the face by the parcel that had gone flying with the courier girl when she somersaulted. The force and the actual surprise of it sent her staggering backwards slightly, but she managed to keep her balance, the girl still held in her arms. The parcel, having bounced off her face, landed neatly and gently in the arms of the girl whom she was holding. Chloe's nose hurt from the parcel-assault, and it was slightly red now.
After a few moments, Chloe looked down to look into the face of the courier she had caught, a bewildered look on her own face. What could she do? The situation was... a rather awkward one, and she felt herself freezing up. There was a few more moments of awkward and bewildered silence before...
"Uh... are you hurt?"
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 4, 2009 5:58:40 GMT -5
There was a crash of her bicycle falling sideways, and the parcel miraculously hitting the taller girl by the nose and Camillia surprisingly escaped unscathed. Her mind was slightly disoriented, but she pulled up a normal front as usual, blinking a few times and assuming her professional tone... And groggily got out of the blonde's grip. It was only then that she realized that the blonde was much, much taller.
"I apologize greatly for the trouble and injury-- I shall do my part in the compensation if you wish for it. You have all rights to make an official complaint to my superiors, but I hope we can settle this out of court-" she blurted in her awkward mastery of the language, not really wanting to get involved in trouble so quickly into her current job... Warning letters, pay cuts, loss of privilege to benefits, lowered commission rates-- and she would have to survive on pre-packed onigiris again until she could find another job.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 5, 2009 1:54:54 GMT -5
Chloe assisted the girl in her efforts of getting her feet planted firmly on the ground again, easing her down gently. Once she was safely on the ground... she began to spout words in an overly formal manner. It was rather ironic that she was the one more formally dressed, yet it was the female courier that spoke more eloquently than she.
"It's alright."
Chloe said bluntly. Take this to court? File a complaint? Why on Earth would she do that? It had been her own fault, after all; she had not been paying attention, and because of that she had put both she and another in danger. If anything, it should be the courier taking HER to court. With one hand, she gingerly touched her nose as if inspecting it; there was no real damage besides it being sore. The German bent down slightly, picking up the courier's fallen bike from the ground and propping it up. Chloe's eyes scanned over the courier once more; had she really been able to escape that completely unscathed?
"You're sure you're okay?"
She asked, quirking a brow. Her own safety wasn't really an issue here; she hadn't been the one violently tossed off of their bike. It was actually very lucky that she had been able to catch the smaller girl; that pretty crimson head of her's had been on a clear collision course with the cement.
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 5, 2009 3:38:05 GMT -5
Camillia was about to fish out her wallet and offer compensation when the blonde said it was alright.
She must be either a saint, or really weird. In fact, the woman was helping her picking up her bike, which was crooked in some ways from the fall (it was a second-hand she bought cheap from the bike shop, though she couldn't tell if she could repair the damage). The redhead also found out that she would need to manually pedal it back, not wanting to risk her life on a possibly faulty motor.
"Yes, yes I am, and I really apologize for the trouble caused--" at that, she shoved a name card into the blonde's palms that stated the courier's office and contacts, just in case she really needed it. If Camillia made a mistake, she always made sure that she would be held responsible for it. Realizing that she must be holding up the other person's time, she took the bike from the tall woman's grip, the parcel once again safe in the bag secured tightly behind the seat.
It soon became apparent to her that she was going to make a slower pace to complete her job and head home for a quick dinner. She wasn't about to complain, though; it was her fault not to pay attention on the road, after all. "If you need anything, look for me when you dial the number; they will contact me if I am out or on the job," she provided helpfully, knowing that it would be plain foolish if she just furnished the woman directly her own personal cell number and address. Even if she was apologetic, there were lines that one shouldn't cross beyond strangers.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 7, 2009 0:20:25 GMT -5
Before she could protest, the shorter girl was pushing a card into hands. Chloe took a quick and uninterested glance at the card before pocketing it; she doubted she'd ever use it. Now her gaze fell to the bike that the red-head had taken back from her... it looked damaged. She didn't have enough knowledge about bikes, but it looked to her that it was damaged... and that was her fault. Chloe frowned before looking distractedly up at the sky. It was an odd thing to do, considering she was in mid-conversation with the courier, but the German looked back at the bike, and then to the sky again...
It looked like it might decide to rain. Could the courier really complete her route before that happened on a damaged bike? It had been her fault that the bike was damaged to begin with. The least she could do was help her deliver the remaining packages, right?
"Let me help you." She stated more than actually asked. "It might rain soon, and your bike seems damaged. It's faster with two people."
She offered. Her way of speaking was... rather blunt. She didn't actually like associating with other people... but she knew that this was her fault, and would own up to that fact. Crossing her arms, she looked at the shorter girl, avoiding eye contact with her. Instead, her ice-blue eyes remained fixed on the courier service name tag on the girl's cap. It didn't look like she would take no as an answer...
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 7, 2009 2:44:22 GMT -5
There was an unsettling squeaking sound from where the brake pads were screeching against the rim even without pressing the brakes. Camillia looked up at the taller girl. "... But that is against protocol-- and how could I ask any more favors from someone I almost crashed into?" It was sort of absurd, and despite how it was logically more efficient to accept the offer, it was not morally correct. When the half-Russian caught the gaze the other was wearing, she just sighed in defeat. The least she could do now was to remember this incident and repay the favor later.
"... Very well," she huffed, digging into the giant pack for the very parcel that flew with her. The address printed on the receipt showed that it wasn't that far off from here; but it was the nearest of the remaining few packages she had to deliver. Camillia handed it to the blonde, feeling the familiarity of meeting with tall, Western counterparts back at her homeland rushing back to her, if only for a brief moment. It was something that she appreciated, as part of the memories she could keep from her abandoned past.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 7, 2009 6:28:02 GMT -5
Well... that hadn't taken much. Perhaps she caught a glimpse of her eyes... most people were intimidated by her eyes, especially since there weren't that many bright-eyed Asians running around Inaba. If the height didn't give her away as a foreigner, her brilliant blonde hair and ice-blue eyes did. When the red-head handed her the parcel, Chloe nodded her head politely before looking at the address; she wasn't too familiar with the area yet, but she would manage for just a single parcel. She remembered to take a pen and the signing sheet with her; it would ensure the red-head wouldn't get in trouble.
With a last glance at the shorter girl, Chloe was off. Across the street, down a bit, look at the sign, take a right, continue forward, take a left... and yes, there it was. As she had suspected, it hadn't been that far away. Taking a deep breath, Chloe knocked on the door. An old woman answered the door, looking at her oddly before asking what she wanted; Chloe didn't really blame the woman for looking at her strangely. Considering what she was wearing, anyone would gaze upon her with confusion.
"Your parcel, ma'am."
Chloe said flatly, holding it out to her. She accepted it and, when Chloe prompted, she signed the piece of paper required when delivery of the parcel was successful. When everything was said and done, Chloe nodded politely before heading off. She could feel the woman's gaze on her as she walked away from the home...
With as slightly lazy gait, the German made her way back to the scene of the "crash". Or at least,"would-be Crash" was a better term.
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 7, 2009 6:52:14 GMT -5
"Back already? It must be a useful advantage to have long legs," Camillia called out, walking the bicycle to the blonde. There were a few more parcels, but she didn't want to trouble the lady any longer; if not, she'll feel even more indebted to her. "I really need to repay you for this-- first I almost crashed into you, second that you helped me out with my work-- I really have nothing much to offer. But at least allow me to treat you to dinner another day," well, that came out suddenly from her mouth that she couldn't stop it in time.
Well, so much for controlling her speech. But she felt oddly obligated...
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 7, 2009 7:04:15 GMT -5
Long legs? ... She supposed that must've been it then; she had been walking rather lazily, not even a brisk pace. When the red-head began to spew more words of how she owed her, about how she had to repay her, Chloe merely shook her head.
"Don't worry about it."
Her tone was low as usual, but even, almost as if she were used to saying such things. the shorter girl had almost crashed into HER? That was a lie... it had been her, Chloe's fault, that they had almost collided. If she had been paying more attention to her surroundings, they wouldn't have been in this situation to begin with. It was also her fault that the girl's bike was damaged.... if anything it was SHE who owed the girl, not the other way around.
"You owe me nothing."
Came her blunt reply as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes fell on the other parcels... she had more to deliver? Chloe looked at the sky again... it would be dark soon. Would she be able to get it finished in time.
"Almost dark out." she pointed out, "Any more parcels?"
When Chloe messed up, she made sure fixed the problem.
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 7, 2009 10:56:39 GMT -5
"No, that was all," Camillia lied easily, seeing that it was no use; they were both going to engage in an infinite loop of apology if it continued. The half-Russian might as well be the jerk and cut off the repetitive cycle. Mentally she was mapping out the next location for the two remaining parcels, one which was thankfully near her residence. She should be able to manage it before dinner time. Camillia saw the darkening sky, as well; it wouldn't be good for a girl to stay out at night, especially not when Inaba had a serial murderer lurking about.
"You should head home soon, too, madam," she offered, changing the subject. "The streets pose a danger at night in Inaba." And with that, she was off, heaving herself over the seat and manually pedalled it to her next destination.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 10, 2009 2:45:52 GMT -5
Chloe merely nodded as she watched the other girl begin biking away. That bike had appeared damaged to her... but she was riding it, so perhaps it wasn't as badly damaged as she had first thought? That was a comforting thought at least; the courier could now finish her route on time. Hopefully. After a few moments, Chloe walked down the street for a few feet before taking an alleyway; it was a faster route home.
Today had been a strenuous and now rather weird day. Work had been a drag, seeming to carry on for ages... and now this chance encounter. She really did feel bad about the girl's bike... perhaps they would meet again one day? Maybe. Maybe not. Only time would tell. But the other looked to be in her age range... older of course; Chloe appeared older than she was because of her height. The combination of hair colour and eye colour, as well as her complexion, told her that she was a foreigner like herself. If that didn't give her away, her manner of speaking Japanese did. It was similar to her own; slightly off because of it not being her native tongue. It was.... comforting to know that there were others in Inaba, others like herself. She was inwardly wondering why the courier would be in such a place as Inaba... her own reasons were less than pleasant. She hoped the other's reason wasn't a bad one.
As Chloe walked, it was apparent that she was lost in thought. This didn't usually happen often, as she was usually alert and at the ready. But every so often, there would be a time that she would simply become lost in the barrage of thoughts and images in her mind. She couldn't have picked a worse time to do so as in the middle of a darkening alleyway with night approaching quickly...
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 10, 2009 3:34:12 GMT -5
A man stifled a yawn, just as he noticed a tall woman in some high-class outfit that people wore to balls. Tch, but at least that would mean that she would at least have a hefty sum of cash somewhere underneath all that black. He couldn't care less if she was a foreigner, like, all idiots were the same under a knife's influence.
Waiting for the woman to pass him (and he was sitting comfortably, conveniently, behind a trash can), he sneered at the woman just as he let his knife poke at her back, his free hand resting on her shoulder. "Why hello there, woman. Here for a walk?"
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 10, 2009 4:11:58 GMT -5
Chloe froze as soon as she felt the cold steel of the knife pressing lightly into her back. Her first reaction was to retaliate, to lash out, to hurt this man as much as possible... but she knew that she couldn't risk it what with the knife at her back. What would she do then...?
The man's voice only made her want to ensure that he would never be able to speak again. Chloe didn't move a muscle; instead, the tall German spoke back at the man who was holding her at knife-point.
"I have nothing on me."
She said, her voice laced with ice. She couldn't be held responsible for what happened if the man decided that he didn't believe her... she was actually telling the truth. She walked to work so she needed no money for the bus. She made her own lunches so she didn't have to buy them... and she hadn't been paid yet. She, quite literally, had no money on her at the moment. It wasn't like the mugger would believe an excuse like that, however... especially considering how she was dressed.
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 10, 2009 8:54:33 GMT -5
... The man himself was tall, but now that he looked at the woman upclose, he saw that there was a great difference in height. "Doncha lie now, sweets. There's no way a pretty like you to be walkin' around with no cash, no?" At that, he gave a low-toned chuckle and lifted the blade slightly, trailing the back of the woman. Tall or short, they're all the same, he mused inwardly.
"Or perhaps that pretty face of yours can fetch a sum. Whaddya say?" he hissed, the arm moving from her shoulders to the forearm, gripping it tightly.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 11, 2009 4:10:54 GMT -5
Sweets? Pretty thing? Chloe had never seen herself as attractive. She was perhaps average at best; he was probably referring to her formal wear. As the blade traveled up her back, she gave a slight shudder. She could have suppressed it, yes... but if she could lull the mugger into a false sense of security, believed that she was frightened, then it could prove an advantage to her.
As the man grabbed her forearm, Chloe inhaled sharply. He was chuckling... he was ENJOYING this. Chloe managed to hold back the growl that was forming in the back of her throat. She knew that she couldn't repeat that she had nothing to give him... he would not accept such an answer. After a few moments, Chloe made up her mind.
Waiting for a few moments, she waited until she felt the man's grip loosen slightly. As soon as it slacked even the littlest bit, she struck. Her hand flew up to grab the hand that was on her forearm; her vice-like grip tightened on his hand, wrenching it from her forearm whilst spinning to face the man. Hopefully the shock hadn't worn off yet; grasping his hand firmly in both of her own hands, her thumbs situated at the back of his hand, she violently pushed the hand backwards towards the wrist. She could break his wrist if she truly wished to, but the force behind it wasn't quite that strong; she wouldn't use that much force unless it was necessary. The flaring pain would bring the man to his knees, hopefully; her training had taught her that even the largest and strongest opponents could be taken down with this move.
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 11, 2009 23:44:32 GMT -5
The man yelped when his hand was twisted, instincts making him stomp repeatedly on the ground as he tried to assess the situation. Now, this was surprising, he thought, wincing; maybe it was just his luck. He risked the situation by thrusting his knife (which was retracted from the woman's back from the sudden counterattack) at the woman, aiming to decapacitate her while he made a run for it. While it was risky, but by then he would have moved out of this crap of a small town already. So it was all good.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 12, 2009 0:54:07 GMT -5
What she had been hoping for didn't appear to be happening. In fact, it pretty much backfired, as it gave him a clear shot at her more vital areas. From the corner of her eye, she saw that his knife-hand was moving.
Shit.
She didn't have enough time to let go of the man's wrist and leap back, so she did the only thing she could think of. Chloe charged forwards in a tackle, hunching her shoulders in order to protect her head and neck should the blade actually make contact. This accomplished two things.
One, it threw off the man's aim as they tumbled backwards; the garbage cans were behind them and they tumbled into them with a loud crash. Inwardly, Chloe couldn't help but think 'at least the trashcans are empty...' it wouldn't do to get trash all over her tux, considering it was her work uniform...
and two, the blade missed her head, hitting her elsewhere. Due to the combination of the tackle throwing off his aim and the fact that she had hunched her shoulders, the blade instead sunk into the flesh of her right arm, slightly below the shoulder. The German let out a low hiss of pain as a trickle of blood began to meander down her arm. She couldn't even reach over to pull the blade from her flesh; she was to preoccupied trying to pin the man so he could do her no more harm. She needed to find a way to end this quickly, or one of them could very well wind up seriously hurt.
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 13, 2009 7:07:44 GMT -5
Camillia stopped. There was the distinctive sound of crashing from the alleys, which prompted her to stop pedalling...
---
He was taken fully surprised by the blonde, now; his back colliding into the trashcan and landing roughly on the alley floor. The knife embedded in the woman's shoulder was an appealing sight, however. He just grinned and gave another punch in her face with a free fist. Of course, he was about to, until he heard the screeching of brakes on rims.
A courier on bicycle-- shitheads still used bicycles?--was apparently casting their shadow into the alley, with whatever dying light the evening sun offered. The backlight revealed nothing but the silhouette of the obviously baseball-capped courier. So what's he gonna do, run him through with a bike?
Camillia just smiled, despite knowing that they wouldn't be able to see it. Her fists tightened on the two handlebars, her foot on the pedal threateningly tempted to drive the chain. She just waited patiently for the blonde to move aside before she did her part, that was obviously not written in her job description.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 13, 2009 7:28:27 GMT -5
She saw the man's fist raise as if he was going to punch her.... but the follow-through never came. Instead, there was a sound from the end of the alleyway. Even Chloe was taken aback, and she too stole a peek at what it was making the noise. She could make out a familiar shape... and it seemed as if she were going to...
"Don't tell me..." The blonde muttered under her breath before deciding that if she were correct, she'd rather not be...where she happened to be at the moment. "Scheiße!"
Chloe unceremoniously propelled herself backwards, stumbling and falling against the other wall of the alleyway in her haste to get the hell out of the way.
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 13, 2009 8:38:25 GMT -5
Crooked rim on the loose, it only took a few seconds of pedalling for the bicycle to pick up speed. Camillia wasn't in the mood to accidentally kill people, so she had settled for just riding the wheels through the man's legs, trying hard to keep her balance as she did. There was a loud shout of pain from the man before she saw that he was crawling off. The redhead didn't bother, throwing herself off the bicycle and running to the taller woman. "We have to get this knife out," she said, biting her lip. It was a bad practice-- she made a mental note to eliminate it along with all her other bad habits.
If it was one thing surprising about Camillia, it was that she seemed unfazed by the blood. Just a bit worried about her paycheck and the welfare of the injured blonde. "Uh-- I would have to inquire the directions for the hospital, if that is okay," Camillia said sheepishly, eyeing the knife still embedded. She didn't know what she was supposed to do, however-- other than to send her to the hospital. Even then, it was hard because she wouldn't be able to manage...
She took out her cell, about to call for the ambulance.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 14, 2009 7:34:24 GMT -5
Chloe visibly winced when the girl collided with the mugger; that had to have hurt...She was rather surprised at the haste the other girl was making in rushing to her side; she almost seemed to /fling/ herself off of the bike. Surely she wasn't THAT worried.
As the courier began to fret about her condition Chloe blinked. What was...? At the mention of a knife, Chloe looked dumbly at her arm. Ooooh, right. That.... she had completely forgotten about it in the heat of what had been happening. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the redhead was pulling out her phone and mentioning the hospital. Chloe... surprisingly flinched, and before she knew it, she had the other girl's wrist in her grasp, preventing her from dialing.
"..."
As if realizing what she had done, Chloe retracted her hand, looking away awkwardly.
"I'm fine..."
She said in a low tone. There was no need for ambulances, no need for hospitals. Looking at her shoulder, she made up her mind. Before the other could stop her, she reached up with her left hand. Grasping the blade, she wrenched it from her with a small squelching noise. There was a moment where, if minimally, her expression showed signs of being in pain, but it was quickly washed away by her usual stare. Chloe tossed the knife to the side as if discarding it. Her left hand quickly pressed over the minor wound, putting pressure on it as blood trickled slightly through her fingers.
"Thanks..." she blurted out suddenly, "...for helping me. I appreciate it."
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 14, 2009 9:39:58 GMT -5
"What are you sayi--" Camillia was about to retort, just when the blonde pulled the knife out on her own accord. If the half-Russian wasn't a trained individual, she would have had her jaws dropped the moment she saw that happening. With the exception of one other, she had never seen anyone capable of enduring such a wound as quietly as the taller girl before her did. Her eyes narrowed, unsure of what to do next.
"At least allow me to escort you home," she offered immediately, seeing it as a chance to fix her own error and return any favors if needed. But it soon became apparent that she was not going to keep her job, with two more unsent parcels still in the canvas bag she tied to her broken bicycle. "Is it far from here?"
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 14, 2009 11:00:47 GMT -5
Chloe was already getting to her feet by the time the redhead had finished speaking. Escort her home? That was unnecessary... sure, it was uncomfortable and annoying, but it was nothing. She could deal with it until she returned home to dress the wound; she didn't need someone to hold her hand to do that.
"No need." Chloe said flatly, taking her slightly bloodied hand away from the wound to inspect it for a moment before re-applying pressure. "I'm fine...It's a light wound."
Inwardly, Chloe began to wonder. Why was this girl so adamant about helping her? Was it because she felt guilty about nearly running her down with her bike earlier? Did she actually show this much compassion toward strangers she knew not the names of? Perhaps it was a matter of money and the fear that she still might sue her...? Chloe wasn't sure. Whatever the case, she sure was adamant about it.
"You should get back," she said, nodding her head to the bike, "or you'll be late."
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 16, 2009 3:26:18 GMT -5
It's already too late,the part-timer thought grimly even as she bent to pick up the bloody dagger by the handle (covered by her own handkerchief; it was apparent that she was going to disown it). Seeing that the blonde was doing well on her own, Camillia didn't offer her a hand just as she threw the knife and cloth into another upright trash can. Security reasons or no, she didn't want to risk leaving her fingerprints to be found by anyone.
Heaving up her broken bicycle once more, she proceeded to walk beside the taller girl. At the very least, she should escort this girl home so that she could argue with her logical mind for losing her job. Though that should not be the case; she'll just skip dinner and finish delivering the parcels. At least most people will be home by then, and Camillia won't have to leave behind notes about the recipient's absence.
"It is getting late. I can finish work after you reach home safely and got your wounds tended to, at the least," Camillia insisted, not hearing anymore excuses from the blonde as she just continued to follow.
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 16, 2009 5:36:34 GMT -5
"Seriously," the taller girl said, "you'll lose your job. I'm fine, I can make it home on my own..."
She said, trailing off. She did not trail off because she was doubting her ability to make it home in one piece, no... her voice faltered because she wasn't used to people being nice to her, people worrying about her. It was a strange taste on her tongue, and she didn't know if she liked it.
She began walking and, much to her dismay and annoyance, the courier simply followed her. What was with this girl? She then realized... wouldn't she have done the same thing? If someone had been injured, she'd probably offer to escort them home as well. And if they said they were alright? Well... she was a hypocrite, because she'd probably follow them too, just to make sure they actually were okay and not just bluffing. Well... she had just completely derailed her own argument.
As she walked, Chloe kept a firm grip over her injured shoulder. Every once in a while she would grimace, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had come. Applying pressure was the most important part, even if it did hurt to do it. Blood dribbled through her fingers, staining the now bloodied arm of her Tuxedo jacket. 'Great,' she thought, 'ripped and full of blood...' Inwardly, Chloe thought about her foster family's reaction to her coming home in this condition. After a moment or two, she realized something; no one would be home. Akiko mentioned a sleepover with her friend, her foster father was away on a business trip, and her foster mother decided that tonight would be a good night for Girl's Night Out with some of her friends. She would be completely alone when she got home... she was used to it by now.
"Thanks."
Chloe mumbled suddenly, looking away from the Courier. She didn't have to help her like she had... she knew some people that would just walk right by if they saw a mugging in progress, but this young redhead had stepped up to the challenge and had actually come to help her. She must've heard the crashing of the trash bins and decided to help... Chloe sighed. Not even an entire month in town and already she was causing grief for people...
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Post by Camillia Hidetoshi on Apr 16, 2009 21:10:17 GMT -5
"Logically speaking, I may have already lost my job due to the delays, ma'am, so it does not make a difference now," Camillia said flatly, which was only a half-truth. Delayed or not, she still had to deliver the parcel-- it was a small company, and they wouldn't really fire people unless it was a grave mistake. The worst case scenario was a pay cut, which she could handle if she skipped meals.
The redhead blinked, then, when the blonde looked away as she mumbled her thanks, as if embarrassed. There was something awkward between their conversation, and Camillia suspected that it extended beyond the language barrier. "It is alright," she shrugged, smiling. "Just did what I thought was right."
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Post by Chloe Abendroth on Apr 16, 2009 23:34:46 GMT -5
"Chloe." She said suddenly. "My name is Chloe."
It felt awkward, hearing someone call her Ma'am, and she wasn't sure if she liked it. Besides... this girl had helped her out, was STILL insisting on helping her out; the least she could do was tell her her name, right?
"..."
A pang of guilt traveled as a shiver up Chloe's spine, reaching up it until hitting her brain with an 'It's my fault...' explosion. If the girl lost her job, it would most definitely be her fault, she thought; inwardly, Chloe cursed herself. If she had been paying attention instead of daydreaming....
Chloe was distracted by the other's tone of voice. She could practically HEAR the smile in her words. Looking over at the girl, her face was set in a mask of confusion. She was... smiling? She was probably going to lose her job because of her, Chloe's, incompetence, and yet she had helped her out and was now SMILING about helping her? She was just doing what she thought was right... well, that meant that they at least had one thing in common.
Chloe opened her mouth to say something but instead winced; she hadn't realized that her grip had increased on her shoulder. After a moment of readjusting how she held herself, Chloe spoke.
"It's not far from here now... I'll be fine on my own."
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