Night life

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A night in town, or namely the mall. Jean decided to take some time out of the office and just acquainted with the other areas of the domain. To be honest he hadn’t been out of the office in such a long time since he was busy dealing with various affairs at HQ and even some personal issues as well. But tonight was different, he wanted to have a night in town, and possibly get some gift ideas for the near future. As he entered the mall in Gradia he was fascinated by all the night-lights that had lit up due to it being nighttime.

People all around him were enjoying the nightlife and doing shopping with their families or even with their significant others if they had one. Seeing couples together made him blush but at the same time smile. It was rude to stare at other people so he just got hold of himself and went on his way. As he walked around the mall he saw lots of fascinating displays of products in their respective glass cases, but one product in particular caught his eye. He had been asked by various individuals at HQ what he wanted for his birthday, but whenever he got asked that question he couldn’t’ answer it since he felt awkward. He isn’t the type to be showered with gifts, but if there was really one material thing he wanted it was a mug with a nice saying on the front of it.

Since he does drink a lot of coffee on a daily basis since he does work into the night very often, a mug would be the most suitable choice since he would use it. He’s the type if he had a choice in gifts he would pick the gifts that he could make use of, instead of ones that would collect dust, and not be touched. He wrote it down on a piece of paper and continued walking. Up ahead he saw an old lady that seemed like she needed assistance in wrapping up gifts for individuals and for all sorts of occasions. Some customers were even rude to the old woman, who was indeed trying her best to get things wrapped up in a timely manner.

Seeing this Jean couldn’t stand by and watch this madness continue. He ran over to her and told her that he would take over her shift, and there is no charge needed, since when you do something nice for someone else it isn’t expected, but it comes from your heart. And when you do things from your heart it doesn’t cost a thing. It just makes people feel good and smile. As a bounty hunter he is always helping people, mostly from behind his desk but it was still helping nonetheless.

He stood behind the counter and as each person came up to him to get their gifts wrapped up, he greeted them with a smile, and started to wrap each present with ease.

“Now this is how people should be, it’s really not nice to disrespect your elders. I sure hope you are alright miss. Now then…. That bow goes there, this is tied there.. and that’s how you do it. Thank you come again!~”

Jean called out as the first customer left.

Eventually Jean saw the line up of people get longer and longer, it was as if he had this hidden charm to attract people as soon as he showed up, and he definitely wasn’t expecting the line to get this huge. And because the line was so huge he felt his eyes wanting to pop out, because he was surprised at how fast the lined formed.

[OPEN]

[Kieru]

Kieru and Drea landed at the outskirts of Gradia and Kieru quickly dismounted. Take a rest here." Kieru said, looking back at her large black dragon. "I'm going to go look around." She finished, then headed into the city.

Her wardrobe probably looked a little out of place, seeing as she tends to go for old fashioned kimono styles rather than dress up in more modern outfits. Caring nothing of the strange looks she was starting to get from many of the very fashionable people in Gradia, Kieru walked on and eventually entered into what she found out was called a mall.

With a blank expression continuously on her face, she passed by everyone's weird looks and explored this mall. It was a rather enormous building with what appeared to be thousands of shops. People walked around with friends, family, lovers and almost everyone had a shopping bag with something or other in it.

As she walked, she came across a store where she noticed an old woman trying hard to wrap gifts. It was apparent that she was getting frustrated with herself especially due to the fact that the people in the line were beginning to get mad at her for taking so long.

Kieru's eyebrows furrowed a bit in disgust at those people and, just as she was about to go in to help the woman, she saw a man step into place beside her and take over her job. Kieru paused with a slightly surprised look on her face as she stared at the man then noticed he wasn't wearing any uniform for that store.

Did he have the same idea I did? She thought to herself then smiled ever so slightly. After watching how he wrapped the first gift and then noticing the line building up even more, Kieru headed towards him with her faint smile.

"A noble thing you did there." She said to him as she reached the counter. "Need a hand?" Her faint smile lifted a little bit more as she offered her help. Coming from a background where helping others was the most important thing, she still often found that helping those in need was the thing that actually made her the most happy, although she didn't often realize that.

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The sound of a woman’s voice passed through his ears, and slowly Jean turned around and smiled at the woman who had offered to help him out. Jean was glad that someone like her was willing to spend some of her time in helping others, and not be selfish.

What Jean had seen through the people’s impatience was selfishness and truly forgetting that at one point in each of their lives they will be elderly, and in the need of help. He chuckled light heartily at the young woman’s response about how his act was noble.

“Hahaha, I just did what was right. Young people these days take their good health for granted, and they forget that at some point, they will be elderly too. Unfortunately chivalry isn’t what it used to be in the olden times, well based on books I read. You miss have a kind heart, for taking your time to help out like this.

You deserve credit as well my dear, even though just got here, your offer to help has said a lot. Now since we will be working together, I need to know the name of my partner in gift-wrapping, I just can’t keep referring you as the young woman now can I? That is no way to treat a lady.”

“I’m Jean. Jean Cross. Chief bounty hunter of Veyyard. I know once I mention this title, I get a lot of worried looks, but I can assure you that my team protects innocent people and makes sure they get the justice they deserve. We would never hurt innocent people. But if there is an injustice then we must deal with it. Alright, enough of the ramblings of an old man, we don’t want this crowd to get rowdy.”

Jean spoke in a formal manner, but you can tell there was a friendliness and gentleness in his voice as he spoke to this young woman, and that friendliness shown in his eyes too. Once he introduced himself, the crowd started to get louder and louder, much to his dismay and some even started to yell at the old woman. The chief sighed once the old lady ran behind both the young woman and Jean. He then turned to his gift wrapping partner and the old woman, who was now shaking since she felt like she did something wrong.

The chief sensed that this woman was scared that she was going to be harmed just because of the great impatience that this crowd had. He was going to calm this crowd down once and for all.

“Excuse me for a moment ladies, this crowd is acting ridiculous, and it’s unacceptable, especially since there are innocent children here.”

Jean stood in front of the crowd and looked at them each seriously.

“You all came here for a purpose right? THEN respect this wonderful lady. She is doing her best for you all, and the way you are all acting, and yelling at her is childish behavior. YOU will get your gifts wrapped but first I want everyone to form TWO lines. One line goes to my partner here, and one line goes to me. Is that clear?”

The crowd settled down after a while, after they realized who Jean was.

“Good. Well done.”

Jean went back behind the counter, and checked to make sure the old woman was alright and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?”

[NPC: Female]

The old woman was overjoyed, at Jean’s actions to handle the crowd. She even thanked the young woman, who had offered to help wrap presents as well. Though when the old woman heard the word partner, she ended up being completely off base, and when she spoke her voice sounded shaky and soft due to her age.

“Aww so is this young lady here your wife? Oh she must be! By the way she came to assist you Jean, it was as if you two were in sync since you came first and she came minutes later! I.. may be old and not as strong as I used to be, but I know a connection when I see one~”

[Deleted]

Jean blushed.

“Oh no no. It’s not like that, she is a kind-hearted person who just offered to help out, there is nothing going on between us! I mean yes I am unmarried; I am more married to my job which is to protect innocent people like yourself. Heck I even work myself to the bone that I feel my hair is getting greyer by the minute!”

He laughed while turning redder and redder in his cheeks.


"Besides I know the young woman can do better then me, I mean I do have a crush on someone, but I AM a wimp. I haven't made a move and I don't think I ever will this young woman deserves a man that is not a wimp."

[Kieru]

Kieru caught herself smiling slightly as she listened to him speak about it being what's right. A slight hint of pink grew on her face and her smile fell as he began to praise her right back for taking her time to help out. She wanted to give an excuse for herself to not be praised for offering her help, but she was unable to because he moved on quickly to ask for her name.

After a short pause, Kieru allowed a very small smile to form on her lips again. "My name is Kieru. Yourself?" When he introduced himself as a bounty hunter, her eyes widened slightly in curiosity then relaxed again as he immediately began to explain his line of work.

Kieru smiled again at Jean as she felt a sort of connection in the manner of wishing justice for those who have been wronged and wanting only to help others. It seemed as though too few people really understood the meaning of lending a hand or standing up for those in need nowadays. This man in front of her obviously understood this very well and the similarity between the two of them made her feel a little more relaxed than how on guard she usually tends to be.

As the crowd began to get angry and shout, Kieru's expression dropped to one of annoyance as she looked over this harsh mob of people on the other side of the counter. She was glad, right now, that there was a counter to separate them. She turned back to the frightened old woman and her expression softened again and she allowed a faint smile to return again.

"You have nothing to fear. We'll take care of this for you for now." As Jean went to face the crowd and talk to them, she looked at him with a straight face and listened as well. As he explained the lines to the crowd, she stood more at attention, facing the crowd with her expressionless face.

As she heard the voice of the old woman behind her ask Jean if Kieru was his wife, her face instantly flushed and her eyes opened wide. It seemed like it had been such a long time since she had heard the word "wife" and much less ever considered the idea of being close enough to another person to reach anywhere near that sort of connection.

Her eyes lowered to the ground a moment later as she recalled a boy from her village who was only a year older than her and with whom she had grown up. He was to be her husband on her eighteenth birthday. Her eyes glossed over in sadness as she thought about him, until Jean's voice denying that sort of connection to the woman shook her back to her senses.

She looked back over at Jean and the old woman with an unreadable expression. A tiny hint of pink threatened to break onto her cheeks as he claimed marriage to his job of helping others, which was something she considered rather similar to herself as well, the idea of the main thing in her life being to help others.

'He doesn't look old at all, yet he makes claims of having grey hair...' She thought, slightly amused and tempted to bring it up but he had already continued on.

Kieru smiled slightly again as he commented on himself being a wimp and looked for a moment before back up at him again. "I do not think you are truly a wimp." She said in a very straightforward voice. "Those that help others without regard for themselves... Those people are not wimps. They are brave and strong."

After a moment, Kieru turned back towards the crowd that was growing annoyed again. "Perhaps, Jean... We should focus for now on dealing with these customers." She said finally as she stood at the counter and called the first person in her line up towards her.

[Deleted]

Jean cleared his throat as a way to get back his composure after that question that the old lady, had asked because in truth that had caught him off guard. No one really asks him about his personal life, and while there are those that ask him if he’s married or has a girlfriend in all honesty he truly doesn’t have the time to date. Yes he is experiencing his first crush right now, but because of timing and his personal feelings it may not progress into something more.

IF love does come his way when he least expects it then he is a package deal --- that means the woman that he falls in love with, has to accept the fact that he is an adoptive father. In some dating situations there are people that don’t accept those with kids. While his adoptive daughter wasn’t a child physically speaking but a grown woman in her early twenties, in Jean’s eyes from the day he adopted her that was the day he was blessed with his little girl.

He had chosen to adopt this young woman as his own because she needed a fatherly figure, and Jean could no longer sit back and do nothing—he had welcomed Mitsuko into his life as a daughter with open arms. Jean doesn’t regret this decision as every person deserves a loving parent, and him being an adoptive father at the age of 29 wasn’t a bad thing, in fact him being a father and protecting people enriched his life and was worth more then the money he earned as chief of the bounty hunters.

As Jean looked at the line and heard Kieru’s comment about focusing on the customers he chuckled.

“Yes of course Kieru, but be warned that these customers will test one’s patience, but I am your gift wrapping partner so we’ll get through this.”

He smiled and nodded at her assuringly and started to once again wrap up presents for his line of customers.

“I was thinking after we finish up wrapping up these presents, I can take you out for something to eat—I mean it would be improper for me to not thank you properly for helping me out today… I would find it rude to just leave you right after wrapping up presents, and an act of kindness never goes unpaid. In fact it would leave a bad taste in my mouth so please think on it and let me know okay?”

Jean blushed a bit as the way he asked her, (his tone of voice) could be mistaken as a date invitation, especially since the old lady was still there. As he was about to say something else his phone began ringing and since he had to take every call that came his way Jean had to multitask and wrap presents as he spoke on the phone. He wasn’t going to leave Kieru or the old lady high and dry to take a phone call so multi tasking was the way to go.

He answered the phone in a professional manner.

“Cross.”

“Yes if you look on the left side of my desk you should see a file folder with all the information that you need, but please don’t stress yourself out. No problem.”

The caller was a fellow bounty hunter who is working on a case and needed Jean to help direct him to a file that contained information, that he needed to get started. When Jean hung up his cellphone he sighed a little bit but apologized for taking the call in the middle of his gift-wrapping session, but as a bounty hunter it was advised to try and not miss a call, as you never know if someone needs help, or if you will get the piece of information that you need to break a certain case.

Each case file contained vital information from the suspects, to the place where the incident occurred, the charges that are pending, and even victim information—needless to say there was a lot of filing that had to be done every single day. So Jean was grateful for this little break that he had.

[Kieru]

As Kieru was handed the first present to wrap, she was caught off guard by Jean's sudden invite to dinner after this deed. She looked over at him with slightly wide eyes and was about to decline with her usual explanation of why she does not wish to receive thanks or a treat for simply helping out, but he did not give her a chance to respond. He continued on until he had finished his full convincing spiel that would leave anyone feeling guilty should they refuse his kindness. This brought the tiniest hint of pink to her cheeks and she immediately returned to wrapping the gift in front of her and handed it to the customer.

She was just about to accept his offer, then, when she was cut off by the sound of his phone. As she began wrapping the next present, she noticed him actually answer it and talk on the phone while wrapping the presents that were placed in front of him. She continued wrapping the presents brought to her in silence while he finished his phone call, feeling even more impressed at the person next to her.

The existence of such phones themselves were also a rather new discovery for her. Actually, she didn't even know they existed until today. Being from a more traditional persuasion, also being a dragon rider with no real reason to keep in touch with someone else through any kind of device like that, the very idea of it had never crossed her mind. So, it came as quite a shock to her when she suddenly saw people around this city and in this mall talking apparently to no one. She finally had someone who sold those little phones explain to her what they were all about.

Kieru continued wrapping presents in silence even after Jean had gotten off the phone and apologized for taking the call. She stared at the gifts that were handed to her. Almost all of them were things she had never heard of, much less seen before today. This very city was something completely different for her. She had grown up in a small village and after that, spent her years in a boarding school and has since been traveling with a dragon. She pondered over her life versus the lives of the people in front of them. They suddenly began to seem very foreign to her. She was surprised to see that the style of wrapping she was accustomed to was so similar to the style Jean used. Although there was nothing high-tech in her village, they would wrap various home-made gifts or food items to give to others around the village or to bring to those outside of the village. The wrapping was not such a pretty paper as this but usually just various hides from animals.

"I will go eat with you after this." She finally said between customers, not looking over at Jean as the faintest colour entered her cheeks. It felt a little difficult to accept his offer of gratitude, but it would feel wrong to her after his speech to refuse. "I am very grateful for your offer of thanks." She added after finishing another present.