X marks the spot?
who: ki and lily
where: the park
when: afternoon
It was still not very nice outside. Ki had wandered to the park with her brightly colored umbrella, following the instructions of the strange note she'd woken up to. It had been tacked to the inside of her door, and no one seemed to know what it was all about. After much debate, she'd been allowed to go, though under strict orders not to do anything or say anything that could be traced back to her 'employer'.
Really, Ki thought they were expecting her not to come back, so she'd taken a little insurance with her. It was tucked into the pocket of her coat as she walked, spinning her umbrella to make the rain fly off in a spiral pattern. She looked up at the creepy statue of the founder of the city...the guy no one could remember the name of. Now all she had to do was find an X. Because according to her note, X marked the spot.
Lily was unsure what to do
Lily was unsure what to do with the first day off she'd taken in... well... it was a lot longer than she could clearly remember. The rain had lessened up some and she was taking advantage of the reprieve to sit in the park but there was this girl...
Tucking her dark red jacket closer around herself, Lily put her book back in her purse and hesitantly headed over to the young woman.
"Excuse me?" she asked with a smile when she neared the girl. "Have you lost something?" Lily didn't recognize the girl, with her bright umbrella and something crushed in her hand.
.
Ki glanced over as the woman approached, and she smiled. "I'm unsure!" she said brightly. "I'm meant to be looking for an X, I think. That's what this note says!" she announced, holding up the paper said note was written on. "I don't see one yet though." she added, tilting her head to the side as she surveyed the area. Let me know if you see one? I need to be back to work soon."
Lily frowned, leaning
Lily frowned, leaning forward to look at the paper. "An X, huh?" She moved away from the young girl and started walking around the base of the statue. Oh, it was cold. "And it said by the statue?" Why would anyone put an X by the statue? And what's more, why would someone be forced to go searching outside for something in this weather?
.
Ki looked at her note again. "X marks the spot near the forgotten founder." she read. "This should be him, yes?" she asked. "Unless I've made a mistake?" She didn't think she had. She was pretty sure this was the statue of the guy who founded the city but no one could really remember who he was or anything of the kind. There was no plaque with it that explained, either. It was just a statue in poor repair that looked vaguely creepy.
..
"This would be it," Lily confirmed. She took a few steps back from the statue to look around the wider perimeter, but she couldn't seem to find any Xs. "Who gave you the letter anyway? Are you on a scavenger hunt?" She smiled brightly at the girl and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. The child -- she couldn't be more than 15 at most -- didn't seemed perturbed by the chilly weather and Lily tried to not to think about how unnerving it was, instead just try to help the girl.
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"I don't know who gave it to me, I woke up and it was on my door." Ki explained. "I'm not sure what I'm looking for, or what I'll find." It was just a strange note, and she'd decided to follow it. She smiled. "Perhaps it's a game!" she suggested brightly. "One that I'm meant to be playing but don't know yet?" she circled around the statue again, trying to look for X's. "You don't have to help, if you don't want to." she added, spinning her umbrella again as she walked.
.
"Are you sure it's a good idea then?" Lily wasn't exactly sure what to do here. Not many kids she knew or even made acquaintance with looked upon such things with such optimism. "It could be something dangerous. Did you tell your parents about getting it?" The [likely] possibility of no parents in the picture didn't cross her mind, so much as Oh no, this girl shouldn't be running around outside on her own.
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"I got permission from my boss." Ki said with a firm nod. She didn't have parents. Or, more, she did, but she didn't remember them. Not even in the slightest, she'd been given away when she'd still been a baby. "And it could be something good!" she said. "It could be something nice, or shiny, or pretty, or all kinds of things. Not everything in the world's bad or dangerous!" she insisted with a little laugh, as if she thought Lily was a bit silly for assuming that it might not be good. Truthfully, Ki was an optimisitc sort of girl. That didn't mean she didn't have an explosive in her pocket just in case.
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At the bright declaration, Lily couldn't help but chuckle along with her. "You're absolutely right. It could be something exciting." Permission from her boss... while Lily didn't know much (or really anything) about the darker sides of her home, she knew this girl was one who would try to take what she could get and Lily found it admirable (even if it was unnerving) that she had such a sunny disposition. "Well, I sure hope that person didn't bury it under the walkway here." She looked down at the old, chipped granite walkway that wound its way around the statue in attempts to create a nice area. Lily squinted a little, tilting her head to the side. Could the X be made from the stone?
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"I hope that as well, it would be a little difficult to get to it." She'd need a little better explosives than she had, and she didn't have time to go back and get more. So, she hoped it was easier! As she walked around the base of the statue again, she stopped, and leaned closer, then she dropped her umbrella down and climbed up onto the base of the thing. Squatting down by his feet, in the darker shadows there, she reached out and pulled out a little wooden box with a red X painted on it's side. "X marks the spot!" she called happily, holding it up so the girl could see.
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Lily's eyes widened in surprised and she gave a small, startled laugh. How unexpected. But she felt a little nervous as to what it could be. "Maybe..." Well, if it was something valuable, if her boss opened it, he would probably take it away from her. "Do... do you think it's safe?" Lily was nervous, ideas of severed fingers and snakes in a can coming to mind at the idea of opening the small box.
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Ki took a moment to shake the box, and there was rattling, but not loud rattling. Finally, she smiled and opened up the box. Music started to play, a tinny sort of sound, and it was a lullaby she believed. Something not from her home, but more from here. There was also a note written in Japanese that she read. "Your time grows shorter." she said, putting the note back down. Then she took out what had made the rattling sound, which was a smaller box. Opening that up, she found a necklace. The pendant was fashioned into the shape of a rose, and diamonds, emeralds and rubies glittered from it's silver setting. She blinked, and held it up, surprised.
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Lily wouldn't admit to holding her breath when the girl opened up the box, but she was absolutely relieved when it turned out to be a regular music box. But the necklace... She stared openly at it, her jaw even dropping. "Wow," she breathed and came closer to get a better look. "You were right. This is nice!" She grinned down at her.
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Ki paused, then put the necklace on--or she tried to. "Can you help me?" she asked, getting down from the statue and she put her back to the woman, holding her hair up. She didn't think that she'd be able to keep the necklace, but she would like to wear it before it got snatched away, anyhow. Maybe she'd wear it beneath her shirt... hm. She could get into trouble for it. But at the same time, it was hers, wasn't it?
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"Sure," Lily said with a smile and carefully took the necklace. It really was lovely, the jewels catching the little rays of light that it could. It was clearly custom made and hand crafted with care and Lily turned it over to see if there was a craftsman seal on it, but she couldn't find anything. "Alright, be careful with your hair," she warned, draping it across the front of her and carefully clasping the delicate chain. "There. Would you like to see?" she asked, already reaching into her bag for the small pocket mirror she carried.
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"Oh! Yes please!" Ki said, excited. She picked her umbrella up again, and looked down at the pendant. It was beautiful, she really loved it. The more she was thinking about it the more she was considering hiding it. It was something she would keep for herself. She didn't have much, and this was a gift. sure, she didn't know who from, but still! "Does it look nice on me?" she asked hesitantly.
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"See for yourself," she said, handing over the opened compact, not at all nervous about it being snatched away as she wold feel with someone else. "I think it looks lovely. It makes your eyes sparkle." Her heart ached at the idea of that beautiful necklace being stolen away and for all she knew, it was stolen to begin with. It also made her so very nervous, someone that this girl didn't know giving her this gift.
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Ki took the compact, and smiled brightly when she saw herself. "I love it!" she said. "Thank you for helping!" she added, handing the compact back. She then just beamed happily, quite clearly pleased with the whole thing. Ki wasn't a difficult girl to keep happy by any means, that was for certain, but at the moment she lit up entirely, like her own mini-happy-sun. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, have I forgotten to ask your name?" she asked, suddenly latching onto that.
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"Lily," she said, suddenly straightening her shoulders and acting very "adult like" and even put out her hand, but there was a smile on her face. "You don't have to call me ma'am. It makes me feel old." It did. She thought of her grandmother, having to address her in such a way. "In fact, never call me ma'am again. You can call me Lily and if you don't like that, Miss Mayfair. What's you're name?"
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Ki wasn't used to calling anyone by their given name. It wasn't respectful. She also wasn't used to shaking hands, but she gave it a shot, the gesture obivously awkward. So she bowed afterwards. "I apologize for my rudeness, Miss Mayfair." she said sincerely. "I am pleased to meet you." she added. "My name is Ki. I appreciate all of the help you have given me today!"
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Oh dear, Lily thought, feeling her entire face flame up in embarrassment, unsure if it was from making the girl uncomfortable or if being addressed more formally than she had been in a long time and with with seemed like genuine respect. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Ki, and I'm glad I was able to help you." This girl was so polite and sweet. There weren't enough people like her in this city. Not ones that could be believed, any way, and Ki was very believable. Genuine. She suddenly felt at a loss of what else to say and fell back on habit. "Is there anything else I could help you with?" So, it wasn't the library, but maybe there was something else she could do. "Have you eaten today? Maybe we could go to Briton's," she suggested, referring to the small sandwich shop nearby. "Get out of the cold here."
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"I believe I've gotten everything here I need." Ki said, retrieving the box as well. "And...I'm sorry, Miss Mayfair, but I don't have any money." she explained. She didn't. Leaving anywhere with cash only really happened when she was bringing it to someone else specifically. Other than that all of her food and lodgings were provided. She rarely got any spending money, and certainly hadn't today to chase down some mystery note.
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Lily cringed inwardly, hoping that Ki didn't pick up on the embarrassment she felt. "Well, I don't mind paying." She offered a hesitant smile. "Do you like hot chocolate? Tea?" She should've thought first before opening her mouth. Of course this girl didn't have any spending money.
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Ki's eyes widened. "You couldn't do that, Miss Mayfair!" she said. "I couldn't possibly impose like that. It wouldn't be right at all. You already helped me find my box, and put on my necklace, I couldn't ever presume to accept you paying for anything like that. Thank you very much for the thought, but I couldn't possibly." she insisted, flailing a little with the suggestion at all.
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Lily had half the desire to flail around herself, but instead just clutched her handbag tighter. "Are you sure?" she asked again. "I really don't mind." The wide eyes on the child was adorable and Lily wanted to wrap her up in her coat, but she had a feeling that would be both inappropriate and creepy and possible serve to send Ki into a full on fit.
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"I'm sure. My boss wouldn't find it proper at all, and I would have no way of repaying your kindness." Ki said sadly. "Thank you again for the offer, but I would feel awful not having any way of giving you returns. I should probably be on my way as it is." she said, thinking that she probably should. She wasn't meant to be gone very long.
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Lily's shoulders drooped, visibly deflating and still flustered. "Well... that's alright, I guess," she said, smiling a little. "But if you ever need anything, Ki, you can find me at the public library and I'll do anything I can to help you." The best idea? Perhaps not, especially if she didn't want to get in trouble with the girl's bosses, but Lily didn't think that way. The thought didn't even cross her mind. "Anything you need."
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Ki smiled again and bowed once more. "Thank you very much for everything you have done, Miss Mayfair. I hope you have a wonderful day and that my sidetracking you hasn't caused you any inconvenience." she said genuinely. "I hope to see you again sometime!" She didn't know if she'd be allowed to go to the library, but she would have to ask, just in case.
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"It wasn't a problem at all." She was almost about to tag on a sweetie at the end, but caught herself. "You just... just be careful and take care of that necklace. I've never seen a prettier one than that and I've seen a lot of fancy jewelry." She didn't want to let the girl go back, but there wasn't anything else she could do. If she kept her any longer, she'd probably end up getting Ki into more trouble than what a sandwich was worth. But if she was this bright and optimistic, either maybe she wasn't treated badly or she was new. Lily had never heard enough about those types of dealings to actually know, and maybe that in itself was a blessing.
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"I will!" Ki promised. Then she waved, and started off with her box, notes and necklace, wondering what her note was meant to imply. It could have been a lot of things, really, and warranted more thought. But first she needed to get back, and see about making sure no one saw the necklace on her. She wanted to keep the box, too, but that would be more difficult to keep hidden. But she'd try!
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Lily watched her go, a troubled frown on her face. She was nervous, worried, but Lily told herself there wasn't any use. It wasn't her place to intervene in anything. Ki looked relatively healthy and taken care of and it wasn't her business.
But it did seem that it was going to start to rain soon and perhaps best to get inside somewhere so Lily pulled the hood of her red coat up and turned away, leaving in the opposite direction.