A freindly invitation

Posted on Fri Mar 5th, 2021 @ 1:45am by Plexie Zane Ryan & Civilian Xiulan Song & Black Market Arturo Rosso

Mission: This Week's Special
Location: Xiulan's Dojo
Timeline: After Riders on the Storm

Zane limped his way into the Dojo. He used a crutch, but he was starting to get used to his prosthetic leg and could stumble forward on it with increasing duration. A class had apparently just completed as several students were exiting the dojo while a few others were still talking or practicing along the wall. Zane looked for Xiulan, but didn't see her at the moment. The big latin fellow was moving a mat around following the class. Zane made his way over.

"Hey Arturo, is Xiulan around? I had a question for her." he said trying to sound casual and cool, at least as best as a teenager getting over a major trauma could act cool.

"She's in the back," Arturo said. "I'll go an get her for you. Wait here."

Arturo went into the back office and entered it. "Orchidea?" he said. "Zane is here. He has a question to ask you. I have no idea what it is."

Xiulan was organizing some of their extra equipment and mats when Arturo came to get her. Hearing that it was Zane who wished to speak with her, she was all too happy to drop what she was doing to go talk. Already, she knew her new dojo well, and walked out without the need for her cane to 'see'.

"Zane?" Xiulan called out as she headed towards the sound of his prosthetic; she could hear it every time he put some weight on it. "You had a question for me?"

"Uh yeah. Its like a question... sorta. My mom wanted to thank you for you know like everything you been doing for me. So she wanted me to invite you and Mack to dinner tonight at the restaurant she works at. Ya know if you like want to." he related awkwardly.

"I'm always game for a free meal," Xiulan replied with a grin that quickly faded. "But why do you sound like you don't want me to come?" she asked in return.

Zane looked sheepish but answered, "I feel bad taking up your time, and well, like it's my mom, and its liable to be embarrassing... not that you would be embarrassing, more to do with my mom, but like I just kinda feel weird you know asking you to dinner." he shot an eye back to Arturo "I mean, I don't mean anything it. I mean other than, you know, it'd be cool if you came. Mom kinda wants to corner Mack, but she is grateful to both of you."

From where Zane couldn't see him, Arturo smirked. "Actually, Zane," he said. "I have a shift at the Lucky 38 this evening. I need to get back to my apartment and clean up. I would be in your debt if you would be so kind as to be Xiulan's escort this evening for dinner." Arturo hoped Xiulan was picking up that he was trying to make Zane feel more comfortable... and maybe having a little fun at the boy's expense... and not implying that Xiulan required an escort or that Xiulan needed Arturo's permission to go to dinner with anyone other than Arturo himself.

Zane tried to keep himself from smiling at the change of fortune. He respected Arturo greatly, but he feared him equally. In truth he feared Xiulan too, but for completely different reasons. She could break him in half at any moment, but more importantly she was cute, and since Natalya had effectively placed him in exile over the whole Cat and Jessica thing, Xiulan was the only girl that paid him any attention. "Uh... I guess I could... uh escort...." he made an odd face at the very formal sounding title. "Yeah I'd love to hang with you. Not like love love you know, just it would be cool. Cause you know. you are cool." he mumbled out.

Xiulan chuckled, grinning wide. "Ya know, you don't need no excuse to come hang out here; we can do a lesson or meditate or just talk anytime you need to," she informed the recovering teen; it was kind of adorable how attached he was becoming to her, like she had a second shadow chasing after her. "As for the invite, I'll be there, but don't worry about your mom embarrassing you; all teens go through a stage where their parents are the most embarrassing beings in the 'Verse, so it's probably not as bad as you think."

Zane grimaced a little. "You don't know my mom, she can get... weird, so I apologize for whatever she says now. I'm going to go try to find Mack. Reminder her if you talk to her, cause Mom really wants her there tonight. Yah know at like 6, if that's ok with you. Clay Pigeons on 3. It's kind of tucked back behind Al's Pancake World. IF you get lost ask a kid, they all know where it is."

Zane's tone hinted at the seriousness of his apology, which had Xiulan curious; well, guess she would find out tonight! "I'll probably come with Mack, so I'll make sure she knows where it is. Now, was that all you needed or did you maybe want to run through some leg exercises before you go?"

Zach looked sheepishly at Xiulan. "Uh, I would love to, but I kind of promised my mom I would help her get things ready for tonight. She's got something special in mind. I see y'all later." He skipped the formal bow to his sensei and waved to Arturo and Xiulan, then made his way back out of the Dojo and into the station.

After Zane left, a smirk formed on Arturo's face, and carried over into his voice. "Should I be jealous, Orchidea?"

"Jealous? Of a kid? Surely you're joking," Xiulan replied, genuinely oblivious to how Zane felt.

"He's 17," Arturo said. "And you're a gorgeous, slightly older but still 'cool' woman who is being nice to him when he's reeling from the loss of his leg, the loss of Natalya, and the loss of the Plexies, since they clearly hate him. He is probably feeling very confused and it would be easy for him to misinterpret your kindness as something else entirely. I am certain not saying don't be kind to him. Just be aware of his state of mind."

"Right..." Xiulan replied with a slight nod of her head. Be aware...