A (Hungry) Sheep in the Big City

A few weeks had already passed since Mei-Li had first arrived in Tokyo, the home of the AFW, and, to put it lightly, she was still awestruck. Her poor backwater town had barely anything past two stories high, yet every building here looked like they could be at least fifty. Even the grandiose stadium, which she had visited almost every day, seemed like to could house her entire town, and probably a few of the neighboring villages as well. Of course she had seen pictures and heard stories of the capital, Beijing, often growing up, but actually experiencing it first-hand was overwhelming.

Despite not having been scheduled for any fight yet, she had been given a small stipend and an advance (basically a fortune to her) to manage her living expenses. Even her small apartment was like a luxury suite to her, getting her own room with a bed and everything, as opposed to the cramped sleeping area she normally shared with her parents. Her somewhat unreliable-looking manager had taken her to purchase new clothing, mostly simple things like the green tank top and denim shorts she was currently wearing, but as busy as he claimed to be, he hadn't had much time to help her with much else. For instance; places to eat. Mei was adept at cooking, but basically only Chinese dishes, and she craved a taste of the local cuisine, as well as whatever other foreign foods there might be. She had tasted Japanese ramen and katsudon at some small shops, and even had her first hamburger at McDonalds, but as wonderful as those things were, it was her understanding they were simply cheap meals, and there were even more amazing things to be found. For lack of other 'necessities' like a cell phone or a laptop (things she honestly had no clue how to use), and being completely used to a low-maintenance lifestyle, her funds were actually quite sufficient, and so Mei had set out to indulge herself in something truly delicious.

The problem, however, was that she had not one clue where to look. Tokyo was staggeringly vast, and sans use of thing like the internet, her knowledge of the local area was still lacking even after all the time she had spent here. It was only the other day she even figured out how to take the trains by herself. And so, Mei-Li pretty much blindly wandered about, hoping she might stumble upon some promising lead. Starting to feel lost, and even more hungry, she was about to give up hope and go back to the nearby McDonalds, when she noticed a tattooed woman walking about in a black cheongsam. Her Japanese was still quite rusty, but a fellow countrywoman would (hopefully) understand her dialect and make things easier for her. Rushing up to the woman quite abruptly, she eagerly asked in her native tongue, <"Excuse me, are you familiar with this area?">

Jocelyn didn't have to be in the gym today, but she was headed for the AFW building. She was dressed in a stunning black cheongsam and her hair was spiked perfectly as to make a natural erratic look. Her make up was subtle and immaculate and she received stares from many of the people she passed by.

She knew she looked good and lately she'd been doing her best to make sure everyone else knew it too. Even when she worked out, she came in looking good and when she left, she dolled herself up again. Only when she was doing her training did she not look her utmost. Even in matches, which she still wore her track pants and a tank top.

She had come to like it. Allison had certainly been rubbing off on her.

However, as Mei-Li approached, she wasn;t expecting the kind of attention she received. The blur of Chinese in her face wasn't something she had happen to her in quite some time. Whoever the girl was, she certainly looked Chinese. Did the girl know Jocelyn? Was she taunting her?

The Chistralian's hands began to slowly tighten into fists and her sharp eyebrow started to twitch. However, before she opened her mouth, she paused and looked over the girl. Even Jocelyn knew she couldn't just yell at every stranger and as far as this girl was concerned, it didn't seem like there was any kind of recognition other than as a potential fellow countryman.

After a quick battle in her head, Jocelyn sighed and forced a polite smile. <I live in this area.> She spoke back in Chinese. Her first instinct was to ask if the girl knew Japanese or English, but she dismissed those thoughts. Aside from Jocelyn not wanting the girl to hear her Australian accent, if she was desperately shouting Chinese to strangers, she probably didn't.

<How can I help you?> Jocelyn asked.

Mei immediately noticed the woman tense up, likely taken aback by her sudden approach. For a brief moment, it seemed almost as if she was about to lash out and Mei instinctively began to reedy herself, but things quickly cooled down. Realizing her rudeness, Mei quickly took a step back, bowing her head slightly with an embarrassed look on her face. < "S-s-sorry! I got a little excited" >

Based on the woman's reaction, Mei-Li surmised she was likely also a fighter here for the AFW. Her body most certainly had the look of it. Meeting a fellow martial artist was very exciting to her and she wanted to ask so many questions, but first there was a much more pressing issue at hand: her empty stomach.

< "I'm umm... I recently moved here and do not know this area very well. I was searching for a nice restaurant to experience some of the Japanese food here, but... I do not know where to look and I am a little lost." > Mei-Li explained, blushing a little sheepishly. < "I cannot speak the language here well yet, and so... I saw your attire and hoped you might be able to assist me. Please!"

'I guess ya got lucky then, mate.'

Is what Jocelyn normally would have said but she bit her lip and had to remember not to speak English in front of this girl. She found the woman to be a bit of a curious thing. Maybe the girl never had to actually know she wasn't a pure blooded Chinese girl. Why did that still nag at her? Jocelyn sucked it up and nodded.

<Oh? Have you moved from Zhongguo?> Jocelyn asked. <There are all sorts of restaurants around here. What suits your tastes?> She continued. Jocelyn then smiled. <Though, I'm afraid I won't be able to follow you until you become acclimated.> She joked.

< "Ah! Yes, I used to live close to the Capital, though I am very unaccustomed to cities like this." > Mei-Li explained. < I do not know very much about Japanese food, but I am very curious about it and want to know more!" > she continued on, with a rather hungry look in her eyes.

Jocelyn's attempt at humor was lost on her, however, causing Mei to grab her wrist and look at her pleadingly. < "Please, come with me!" > Making new acquaintances was quite difficult when she couldn't speak the local language very well, and Mei-Li was almost as eager to make a friend she could speak to as she was to eat. < "I will pay for your food as well!" >

"Eh!?"

Jocelyn felt the girl tug her abruptly. She stumbled and was about to protest when she suddenly covered her mouth. She looked at the way the girl looked and flush washed over her.

"Tch!" She said as her face seemed to form into its normal scowl. However, as her eyes met Mei-Li's, she realized that the girl really was just some lost foreigner, desperately looking for help. Jocelyn searched herself for some reason, any reason at all to get angry at this girl. She found it very difficult and her head drooped in defeat.

<Fine, fine...>Jocelyn said and nodded to Mei-Li <There's a nimono restaurant just down the road.> She said and pointed to a sign barely visible down the street. <That should be fine, ok? There's no need to trouble yourself with the check though. If you're the arriving guest, then I'll pay.> Even though Jocelyn wasn't Japanese either.

<But, before we go, you should introduce yourself.> She said, frowning at Me-Li's discourteous attitude. Something that made Jocelyn cringe inwardly. The irony of her telling someone else not to be rude was not lost on her one bit.

Mei's face brightened as Jocelyn resigned herself to her pleas, happy she might have actually found a friend. < "Ah, sorry!" > she blushed, taking a step back and bowing her head down again. Growing up in the slums didn't really leave one with a good sense of manners. Even her master had been quite... informal with her over the course of her training. < "My name is Mei-Li Zhu. I have come here to compete in this thing called the AFW." >

Raising her head, she hoped to see Jocelyn's reaction, curious whether or not it might confirm Mei's suspicions about her. She certainly appeared as though she could be a martial artist, though Mei realized that didn't mean she was a part of the AFW as well.

Jocelyn's eyes widened again when Mei-Li said she was in the AFW. Her fists clenched and once again she felt like she needed to snap at the girl. Maybe she should just beat the shit out of her right here an now in the streets of Tokyo!

Where WERE all these bitches coming from, anyway?

Jocelyn bit her lip hard and then shook her head. No, it was better not to engage. Though... now it was going to be tough to be this girl's friend when she would most likely be beating the shit out of her at some point. It was just inevitable and Jocelyn hated it. She didn't want to be a good girl and she didn't mind kicking this girl's face in when the time came but for now?

<My name is Lu Jiao j-> She paused. She couldn't give her full name. <Lu Jiao.> She said. That would suffice. <That is a very big thing here. I've heard lots of people sign up for it, but not very many people make it big... Good luck to you!> Jocelyn encouraged and forced a smile.

She then took the girl by the arm and eased her towards the direction of the restaurant. <Come, it's this way. We'll have plenty of time to talk once we're inside.>

Lu Jiao seemed to have a strange reaction to Mei's mention of the AFW, though by the sounds of it she didn't seem to be a part of it too. The girl still seemed to carry herself like a fellow martial artist, however, and even if they would not face in the arena, Mei-Li hoped she might at least ask to spar with her some time.

It also seemed a bit off that Lu Jiao had not given her last name, but that and any other doubts were quickly pushed aside by the thought of food for her hungry stomach. < "Ah, th-thank you!" > she replied, eagerly following her new friend down the street.

Jocelyn led Mei-Li the few blocks down to the restaurant silently and when they arrived, stopped as though they would part. She glanced at the taller girl and then pushed her way inside where they were seated quickly.

Jocelyn began to carefully scrutinize the woman, trying not to make it obvious she was doing so. Unlike her current roommate, Mei-Li was a much more classically Chinese girl. However, she was quite well endowed.

<This place is known for stews and boiled dishes.> She said, glancing passingly at the menu. She wasn't sure if she was hungry or not. The whole meeting felt surreal to her, really. Mei-Li seemed to be happy to have found Jocelyn. Maybe the only person in the world. Yi Lan had tried, but...

<So, you're a wrestler?> Jocelyn asked, raising a genuinely curious eyebrow. <Isn't that a bit daring?>