Crouching Leaf, Hidden Bean (KOORI'S WUXIA CAFE RIVALRY RP)

First the guy was looking away from her, then he found her, then he started looking away again. All J could do was raise an eyebrow before trying to maintain the same cheery morning-person-happy-to-be-here-employee tone as before. "All right sir that will be 2.50. Can I get anything else for you this morning?" She asked as she went to the glass display counter, pulling out a danish and slipping it into a white paper back, smoothly sliding back to the counter and getting ready to ring him up.

The guy is blind, she figured, so as she waited she shook her right hand, while it was the Attacking hand, screwdrivers weren't a common target. The fingers that had actually done the hitting were starting to ache, while the others weren't. It was distracting and eroding at her cheery morning-person-happy-to-be-here-employee facade.
 
"Fried! Brother, you got it. We got some of the best dumplings this, uh, side of the street, you can find!" It was truer than even Zhao knew-- their dumplings actually tasted way better than most others for blocks. But they were also priced higher than others. You could get three orders for the price of two at the Dancing Horse, which unfortunately had many not order them.

The coffee was, however, so damn good that most anyone would pay any price. That is, if they ever bothered to drink it!

Zhao realized suddenly he had forgotten a stirring stick for the customer's coffee. He idly wondered if he should just shove his finger into the cup and stir it for him when he realized the man's chi kung maneuver. Impressive, Zhao thought as he began to turn for the back counter where they did all of their food prep. It was then he caught a glimpse of something he had grown quite familiar with since he had resettled in Hong Kong...

... A flash of colour, that familiar-odd shape spinning in perfectly balanced symmetry. A parasol, tilting this way and that, disguising and hypnotizing and drawing away and to, all at once. Then he saw it, the tilt of the parasol and an opposing tilt of the face of the woman holding it. She was beautiful, yes, and sinisterly dangerous! Her serenely beautiful lips quirked into a smirk.

"A SMIRK!" He found himself bellowing, vibrations felt all through the coffee shop. He couldn't contain his annoyance, and turned to the customer.

"Did you see that?! She smirked today! SMIRKED! Yesterday she winked, the day before she just gave me some old-bat-withering-eye-thing, but smirked, today?! It's like she knows something I don't! Guh! That woman! I'll show her!"

Zhao grumbled and paced away to get those dumplings. They were ready in a jiffy, and brought up for the customer.

"So what's your name, brother?" Zhao asked, pulling up a chair. The other employees were nowhere to be seen, along with no other customers. It wasn't that it was early in the day, but most morning customers liked to wait for Zhao to go into the back to tend to other things, and not their needs.


 
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Amira Koh


“Come here Ah Li,” Amira beckoned as she was already wrapping and typing an apron around Li’s waist. It seemed that garment after garment poured from the old woman just as garment after garment was put upon Li’s body. After a minute, Li was wearing the My Lovely emblazoned apron, delivery jacket, the oxford shirt with Han Li’s name embroidered on the left breast and the plaid bow just to make Han Li professional looking. All in all it was an absolutely adorable looking delivery uniform.


Dusting her hands again, Amira reached out and patted off a small bit of flour from Han Li’s shoulder before leading her to the giant refrigerator that housed the freshly made wedding cake. “Here Ah Li, this is the delivery you’ll be making today. Take extra care when you transfer onto the water way, those flowers took an hour and ten minutes to make. Each.


Amira carefully wheeled it to the small loading dock, motioning for Han Li to bring one of the delivery bikes around to take the load trailer that will carry the cake.

 
Li squirmed and complained as her mother dressed her. She hated the uniform, and her scowling didn't make it look much better. Why'd she have to wear it, anyways? It's not like she spent her time in the store...

Her heart sank as Amira brought out the food to be delivered. It was for a wedding, which meant that she'd have to fly slow and close to the ground for the entire distance, and that even the slightest mistake would earn her Amira's undying hatred.

And she just knew that the bikers would mess with her. She hooked up one of the workhorse bikes, and started slowly heading down the street.
 
"Maybe she knows where the other staff went and is holding out on you." Chin suggested. "Or just likes messing with you for some reason..." he took another sip of coffee before setting the mug down and picking up a dumpling and breaking it in half stuffing it into his mouth and savoring the taste. They would go well on the menu. An appetizer or an accompaniment, with a sauce. "Do you make these in house?" He asked breaking up another and eating it. "Chin." he offered between mouthfuls. "Here on business but that does not mean I can't sample the local flavour, though if you hear of a blind drunk wondering around tell him to meet me at the car."

He stood and mug in hand drained the last of the coffee, the caffeine rush sending a shiver down his spine as he straitlaced his suit and made for the door the jingle of the bell sounding as without looking back or paying he stepped through the door.
 
Was that music on the wind? For Ping-Lin it certainly was. She finished crossing the bridge and soon was walking down the other side of the river to the bakery. Closing her parasol, she opened the door and walked in. The bell at the door let the employees there know that another patron had stepped inside.

Ping-Lin took three steps inside when it happened. She had just started to raise her hand in greeting too. There was a loose latch on the upper portion of the fourth window and a strong breeze had just pushed it open. The wind made a harsh whistling sound as loose strands of Ping-Lin's hair and ribbon danced with it.

Sniffing the air gently once, Ping-Lin's eyes grew large. Her hand came down.

"The shop!" she announced softly, but audibly for those in the front of the bakery. She took three steps backwards. Opening the door, and then closing it once she was outside in front of her.

With a now steely glint, Ping-Lin jumped once onto the hand rail, then again onto the roof of My Lovely. On cat like feet she ran in a blur, then with a great leap she was no longer on the roof of the bakery, but in air, landing a moment later on the young branch of one of the large deciduous trees in the district. A few more leaps and she was at the top, tip toeing steps and she was now crossing a banner, which she would at some later date pause and reflect on the announcement that was on it, and with a trampoline like bounce she was launched for door of the Falcon & Pine.

At the last moment Ping-Lin opened her parasol, holding it with her right arm, and it reduced her speed so that she was now in a striking crouch less then a meter from the intruder, pointing at him with her left hand. "You break in to this establishment and then proceed to ruin even our cheapest tea? Pay and leave, or I shall make you pay for your leaves!"
 
Sho Li had just sat down with the cup of tea when Ping-Lin showed up. He took a sip before throwing a single coin on the table. "That's all you deserve when I have to make the tea myself, but I won't leave until I'm done drinking my tea."

Sho Li took another sip of his tea. He then stood up and poured the tea out. "Never mind," He said, "This tea isn't fit for beggars."

He simply grabbed his jacket and walked towards the door after this. Keeping Ping-Lin in the corner of his eye he made one final remark, "I should have expected this from a tea house that can't even afford dependable employees."
 
Xifeng's bike slid to a smooth stop outside the teahouse. She was a bit early for her shift but that didn't really bother her, she was still creeped out by the pervert she had to fend off earlier.

"Aaaaah~ I hope it's a nice relaxing shift today!" She said loudly as if announcing it to the heavens would make it true, of course she was quite aware that the heavens always liked to test those that fought to wuxia master as their station.

She threw open the door and nearly barreled over Sho Li, what kind of crazy person even stood right in the doorway like that? But Xifeng had to be respectful of customers, after all she was on duty.

"I apologize sir, if you would like I can help you find a seat with a good bit of lighting so that you may enjoy the beautiful day?" She offered, raising her voice to her "service voice." It was then she noticed the lady of the house, Ping-Lin crouching, it looked like the customer before her was having a "discussion" with the lady.

"Um, Madame? Is there something you require my help with?"
 
Tseon dodges Aiai's attack in the last milisecond, returns with a kick to her lower-back, not hard enough to injure her, but enough to make her loose her balance and wobble a little.

"Impressive!" He smirks before he jumps into the apartment, grabs the two plastic-bags he's placed neatly on a table and jumps further in, dumps one bag into the fish-tank while still holding on to it, catching a koi-fish elegantly on the first try, then follows up with the exact same motion, ties them and jumps back out.

"You may enjoy the porch, but you will never! NEVER! Enter the Sifu's temple!" He says while pointing back at the apartment.

Tseon follows up by throwing one of the bags gently to wards Aiai. "Catch, my dear! Heehee!" Does he really care for the fishies? Before she is able to take the load, Tseon is already leaping back down, spinning and swirling as he finds a new route to get him safely down to the tea house's backyard.

"HAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAA!! HAVEN'T HAD AS MUCH FUN SI-" He doesn't finish his sentence. His face turning from a smile to a more suspicious expression.

'Is that smell.......what I think it is.....'

Tseon kicks the backdoor in, still holding the bag with his fish in one hand, pointing his finger with his other at Xifeng. Tseon's furious!

"DID SOMEONE SPILL TEA.....IN MY HOUSE?!"
 
Ping-Lin in a fluid motion stood. Her eyes still on the man. "If you would, please retrieve my apron." She then closed her parasol.

"Stranger, do not mistake your impatience for the fault of others..." Ping-Lin might have had more to say, but then the door burst open yet again.

Ping-Lin pointed her parasol at Sho Li. "I'd be more upset with the fact the he put boiling water on the leaves and caused them to burn." She then looked over at the old man. "Sifu." Inclining her head, Ping-Lin then went over to run some water. After all there was tea that needed to be made and she would need to make sure that Xifeng stayed on task too of course.
 
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Ai-ai Tiongson


Aiai’s face scrunched disgustedly when she felt her vertebrae crack a little after the old man shoved her with his foot but somehow she now felt… better aligned? Despite that, Aiai felt perfectly comfortable about the old man taking the first hit. The petals were dissipating into the four winds now that the challenge had been met.


"Impressive!"


The small girl from Singapore beamed happily up after the old man. Aiai followed him onto his balcony, seating herself on the edge, bouncing her heels off the side while Sifu Tseon retrieved his pet fish. She was getting back into the details of how to arrange the cups when the tea master reappeared with his fishes in plastic bags.

"You may enjoy the porch, but you will never! NEVER! Enter the Sifu's temple!"


“Yes, Sifu Tseon!” chirped Aiai, dusting her bottom off neatly. She stumbled slightly, taken by surprise that the old man had actually tossed one of the bags containing his precious fish before shooting her arms forward to cradle catch the sloshing bag. Her nostrils flared exasperatedly since the old man was already taking off before she secured the fish in the large Tupperware she had brought along. She was strapping it onto her back, almost tuning him out before noticing that he had cut off mid-sentence. It was a mad dash back to the tea house, Aiai losing momentum every large leap between rooftops and walls. By the time she had caught up and entered the tea house, the atmosphere was unbelievably tense. Aiai’s eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets from seeing the small puddle of tea on the floor, her tea master, the Lady of Falcon & Pine and her friend Xifeng fixing some stranger with the fiercest glares she’s seen from them ever since starting. Gulping, she slowly backed away into the kitchen area to unload the koi fish and place it in the staff breakroom. Aiai hurriedly returned to peer into the now highly pressurized serving area, a small curdling feeling in her stomach was starting to form.


She thought to say something before her face brightened up and in the same instance she scurried back into the preparation room, the faint sounds of tinkling ceramics coming from it.
 
Sho Li gave a grunt before he attacked, but it was enough that Ping-Lin was able to block it. The next three punches were aimed at her, and were also blocked. The last punch caught her off guard, barely being able to dodge it as it flew past her head.

Sho Li jumped back, releasing a locket of Ping-Lin's hair from his hand. "You presume to lecture a customer? You step beyond your station," Sho Li remarked. After which he took a fighting stance similar to Muay Thai Boxing, doing his best to keep aware of all the occupants of the shop.
 
"Oh, I know where my staff is. They off being lazy good-for-nothings, that's where they went! But she... oh, that woman there, she just loves to torment me. Want to know the best part? She thinks her kung-fu is better than mine. Better! Maybe, just maybe, just as good, but definitely not better." Zhao grumbled to himself, wiping the counter and setting aside fresh-done pots of coffee in specially-crafted metal-lined clay-pots with intricate designs done around them. They were beautiful; an off-white, almost cream colour, with jade-inlay writing that read 'dark' on one pot and 'light' on another. One pot even said 'special'.

"A few are done up in-house, but we get the sweets from a bakery not too far from here.
My Lovely is the place-- great stuff, they do over there." Zhao nodded, wiping down the counter as he feasted on a sweet-dumpling he had just procured. Hey, he ran this place-- he'd be damned if he wasn't going to cash in on all the benefits of being in charge!

Zhao turned his back to pour himself a cup of the dark roast, no milk or sugar, when he heard the jingling of the door behind him. He turned to see what it was, and was surprised to find the coffee bar empty.
Why didn't I feel him leave? Zhao mused to himself, when suddenly he realized something-- the table he sat at was devoid of money!

"HE DIDN'T PAY!" Zhao roared, and leaped over the counter (before gently setting down the fine ceramic mug. Those were expensive, and not worth dropping or breaking, even in surprised anger). The doors swung open with an explosion of qikung, and Zhao stepped out, several paces behind the business man who had just ran out without paying!


"YOU! You owe me
double for just walking out like that! OR, an ass-beating, if you're so inclined!"
 
Xifeng was silent as the other workers in the teahouse seemed to accuse the man she had offered assistance to of theft. Suddenly he was on the lady of the house and without another thought she slid over in front of the door to block his way out.

This doesn't look good... Xifeng thought as she dug her heels into the ground in front of the door. Soon she was sure that the tea mistress would call upon her as a warrior to defend the teahouse. Now if she only could run him over with her hoverbike she'd be set.
 
"I see no customer," Ping-Lin said one hand's fingers lightly touching the ground as she looked at the man. "You speak big," her other hand went to her hair, and an eyebrow raised as she saw the hair fall out of the villain's fist. "Especially for one that pulls pranks like a school girl."

Ping-Lin seemed to go directly for the young man before her, but it was a feign and she was soon to his side and then up in the rafter, for it seemed almost all buildings in this part of town were designed with open rafters. A quirk of some long dead architect for sure.

Between one blink and the next she was once more on the ground, but now behind him and with a quick thrust, she'd hit him in the small of the back with the end of her folded parasol.

Even while he went forward from the force of the attack, Ping-Lin moved backwards and then opened the parasol behind her.
 
Yelling at me like a dog and threatening me.... just as planned. He'll be perfect.

"Be happy to give you that 'ass-beating' yokel." his voice felled with menace as he stopped and turned, legs spread apart.

"Show me how well you can fight for your shop."

his hand grabbed his suit collar as every muscle tensed, the stitching beginning to tear out of the seams along his arms before he pulled.

The entire suit flew apart from tie to socks to reveal his fighting costume. A second before his face was hidden by the hood he smirked and started running at Zhao.