Log:A Pickpocket in Chinatown, Scene 1

A Pickpocket in Chinatown 2010/10/28 	 Jian Lorelei Kuroko Trick (unseen) Ernst and Unger 1

Ming Street, shortly after Gridlock day

Chen is standing behind the counter of her grandfather's market stall helping the old man with customers and chatting cheerfully to anyone willing to stop for a few minutes.

Lorelei has come to Chinatown to visit an old school friend - and also check to see how the place is now the stress of the Gridlock is over. Ironically, it was about the calmest place in the city during the crisis, having so many metas who could, and largely did, help out!

Lorelei threads her way through the stalls, keeping an eye out - both for trouble and for anything interesting.

Chen is just passing time helping her beloved grandfather and the busy marketplace is a lively place to be. Harkers are shouting their prices and latest offers.

Chen is standing behind the counter of her grandfather's market stall helping the old man with customers and chatting cheerfully to anyone willing to stop for a few minutes.She is just passing time helping her beloved grandfather and the busy marketplace is a lively place to be. Harkers are shouting their prices and latest offers. Lorelei is walking through the area on her way to visit an old school friend.

Kuroko strolls over to Chen's stall and looks over the offerings silently.

Chen gives Kuroko a smile as she steps up and points at a jar with fresh ginger in it. "Just in," She says in Mandarin. "Very strong. Good for lazy man, make him hot."

Lorelei happens to make her way toward Chen's grandfathers's stall, too.

Kuroko looks at the jar and inclines her head slightly, "Please forgive me, but I do not speak Chinese."

Chen nods grinning, "I said this is fresh ginger root, just arrived from China. It's very hot, very spicey. Gives lots of energy." She winks, "Especially for a man who is not energetic enough."

Kuroko inclines her head again, "Ah. I see. I find that I am not presently in need of an energetic man. Do you perhaps have any unoiled sweet bean paste?"

Chen nods again, "Yes. Black bean or yellow bean?"

Kuroko hmms and touched her index finger to her chin, "Do you perhaps have red? I was thinking azuki beans."

Lorelei pauses and frowns, looking in her handbag, then looks about in all directions.

Chen says, "I'll ask." Turning to the old man also behind the counter of the market stall she speaks in Mandarin, "Grandfather, do you have unoiled sweet red bean paste?""

Kuroko nods, "Domo."

The man answers in the same language, and pulls out a bag which he hands to Chen. She nods to him and turns back to tell Kuroko, "Grandfather has sweet red beans. The paste doesn't store well, so I'll grind some into a paste for you. How many do you want?"

Lorelei snaps, "idiot!" at herself. She looks about the crowd againm then sighs despairingly.

Kuroko thinks, "Ah, thank you. I will take half a kilogram, please. There is no need to grind them. I will have to boil them first to make proper paste, I think."

Chen nods to Kuroko and measures out a half kilo of the bean on an old fashioned dual pan scale. The beans get bagged and offered to Kuroko, "That's three dollars, sixty cents, please."

Kuroko nods then seems to have a thought, "Ah, please forgive me. Do you perhaps have any almond cookies?"

Lorelei's eyes come to rest on Chen, and she looks surprised enough to shock her out of whatever was wrong. . o O ( No, it can't be.... )

Chen looks behind Kuroko and grins, "Hello." She calls out to Lorelei.

Lorelei replies, "Hello," uncertainly. It *can't* be the dead girl, can it? A twin, or just someone who looks similar. But then why the familiar greeting? Or is that just on seeing someone famous?

Kuroko steps slightly to the side with a small bow to allow Lorelei to step up to the counter.

Lorelei approaches but decideds to let Chen speak next for fear of putting her foot in it.

Chen says, "You look a bit pale. I advise powdered chita bark. Here," Chen dips a small spoon into a jar and tips the powder on the spoon into a small paper bag. "Dip the tip of your tongue into the powder. It will do you a world of good."

Lorelei feels she owes an explanation. "You... forgive me. You remind me of someone I say killed."

Chen nods, "That was me. But then I got better."

Lorelei says, "Oh.... oh!"

Lorelei brightens up considerably. "In fact case I don't feel so bad about misplacing your body!"

Chen grins and picking up a chopstick hurls it blindingly fast at Ernst. The bodyguard swats the projectile out of the air in the direction of the ground, "Hi, Ernst, Unger." Chen says to the bodyguards.

Lorelei thinks. o O (What the heck?)

Kuroko watches with interest, a faint smile on her lips.

Lorelei says, "You know them?!"

The two bodyguards smile, "So what trouble did you get into this time, Chen Li?" Ernst asks admusedly.

Unger tells Lorelei, "She is the daughter of the Baron's senior protection operative. Chen stayed at the Baron's castle for the last couple of years."

Chen grins, "Honestly not my fault... this time." she protests. "Tell him, Lorelei. Did I start it?"

[To Chen] Lorelei says, "And you just *happened* to die in front of my eyes a couple of days back?"

Lorelei says to Unger, "It really wasn't. It happened when she was trying to rescue someone from an idiot biker, when everything was gridlocked." She sighs. "I really regret helping that guy afterwards, and I don't often say that. With any luck I made a mess of his leg."

Chen says, "Well I could have leaped out of the way but I knew it wouldn't harm me, while the girl from school would have been hurt. So I pushed her clear instead. I didn't know the bikes were coming. I was kind of distracted. That gorgeous music busker."

Lorelei says, "Marcus. He has that effect on people."

Chen nods smiling a little dreamily.

Chen says, "Yes."

Lorelei grins at Chen's reaction.

Kuroko coughs quietly.

Lorelei says, "So... Chen Li, is it?"

Chen looks over at Kuroko, "I'll bet Marcus doesn't need fresh ginger green tea." She says with a wink. The she nods to Lorelei, "Yes. Chen Li."

Lorelei says, "Pleased to meet you. Do you know Jennifer and Jessica, too?"

Chen nods, "Yes. Not very well but they came to see the Baron a couple of times while I was staying there."

Lorelei nods, and her mind is called back to the other business. "I don't suppose you know anything about pickpockets around here?" She looks in her bag once more.

Chen grins, "Well I don't usually, but if there's someone you want to have their pocket picked I'll give it a shot."

Kuroko actually has to stiffle a chuckle with her hand.

Lorelei sighs. "Not really. Unless it's whoever just got my wallet and PDA, to get it back." She says to Unger and Ernst, "I'm assuming you saw nothing or you would have said."

Kuroko smiles faintly, "If you would permit me to be chivalrous, if you would like to purchase something from this jou-chan, you might perhaps add it to my own order?"

The two bodyguards look a bit rattled. "I didn't see it happen. I should have done. My aplogy."

Lorelei says, "I thought I was being alert too. Whoever it is must be good at it..."

Chen says, "I only came to Colonail a few days ago so I don't know the people here well. But my grandfather has been here since the Earth cooled. Let me ask him." Chen turns to the old man and asks him, in Mandarin, if there are any pickpockets working in the market at the moment.

Chen listens to her grandfather's reply. Translates for Lorelei, "Grandfather says there has been several such incidents recently. But nobody has noticed who, and he is sure it isn't any of the regular pickpockets who work in the market.

Lorelei says, "Hm. Just my luck."

Chen looks at Kuroko. "Do you have a phone connected to the local city network? If you do, why don't you ask Lorelei for her number and call her missing phone. We can listen and watch for anyone who reacts."

Kuroko nods, "Indeed I do." She pulls out her PDA, "If, of course, Lorelei-sama would be willing to give a person such as myself her phone number."

Lorelei gives her number.

Chen listens intently for the sound of ringing, but even more for the faint sound a muted phone set on vibrate makes. While watching to see if anyone reacts visible.

Kuroko bows her head slightly and smiles as she dials the number.

Lorelei looks about too. But the PDA appears to be turned off.

Lorelei says, "I suppose that would have been too easy."

Kuroko taps her PDA, saving the number, "Ah, a pity. It was a good idea, jou-chan."

Lorelei nods.

Lorelei says, "Nuisance. Now I'll have to cancel everything..."

Chen smiles at the praise. And is deflated a little, but only a little, when Enrst adds, "Yes. A good idea. It had to happen sometime."

Chen sees a queue has formed waiting on her grandfather to serve them. She tells Kuroko and Lorelei, "I must go and help my grandfather."

Lorelei nods. "And I'd best see about cancelling my cards. Ugh."

Kuroko takes her package, "Thank you jou-chan. I wish you luck with that Lorelei-sama."