Bri had gotten out of work early today, seeing as he had no more appointments and Shirley had no need for him to stay. It was time for the weekend. At least, for him. He only works Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday you see, while the other girl works Friday, Saturday, and Monday. Like every shop that is owned by a very Catholic woman, the Spa is closed on Sunday, so he get a full three day weekend. Wonderful. It's a simple day spa; 'Balancing Point', located indoor with massage rooms (his and Christy's), and rooms for the facials, waxing, body treatments, and skin exfoliation. It is a nice place, one some awards, and has a steady stream of customers ranging from old men and women to young ladies. Though he took pride in doing good in his job, he had done seven full body massages today and believe it or not, that can take a lot out of a person. Yesterday he had /ten/, and these massages last a full hour. He not only had to get up at 5 a.m. to prepare for work, he had to be there by 6:45 a.m. Then it was 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. with only short breaks in between each appointment. Sometimes, he's sure Shirley is out to kill him. So enough about the shop!

He had some shopping to do.

Seymour was looking a little...droopy as of it. It was worrying him. Surely he gave the cactus everything it needed, he'd do a little difference in the food, so it would always get nutrients, and wouldn't be bored with the food he was giving it. And he'd used this food before, once or twice, and there was nothing wrong with it. Seymour was just...droopy. The young man wondered absently if Seymour was lonely...can plants get lonely? Surely, they must...maybe he needs a friend, but at the same time, Seymour has never been very outgoing, poking everyone who touched him. Sometimes he'd even poke Bri if he watered him even a minute late! So Bri was now in an herb/plant shop that not only sold plants, but food, and vitamins for them. He had explained his problem to a woman who had smiled, hobbled over to the large counters and pointed out a packet that he was able to reach. With a large smile he bought them, thanking the woman for her time. The woman seemed charmed, was it his accent? People up here either looked at him funny, or gushed about his accent. Anyways, now that he had the remedy for his ailing cactus, he needed to go buy some fruit.

Preferably nectarines, ah ye gods how he adored nectarines, and peaches too. A little taste of the South that he loved. He was out in the street, contemplating if one of these odd shops that had everything would have fresh fruit. The grocery store would no doubt have some, but they were ridiculously expensive! Mind you, he did have a decent sum of money, but that was for bills and such, not things he wanted. 'Wanting isn't needing' was what Mima had always told him as a child, when he wanted some material item. Sometimes she would indulge him, sometimes not. It was something he believed in strongly, now.

He had changed out of his work clothes; loose, comfy sweats, no shoes, and a button up top with the sleeves rolled up. A mixture of classy and comfy. Now, he was dressed in clothing proper for the outside, for the city. Some stylish faded jeans, a little tight, these ones, that were held up by a studded belt, as all of his jeans did, they had holes in the knees. A button-up dress shirt, just 'cause he liked them, it was striped, light green and white, and the sleeves were - as usual - rolled up. His Mima's necklace and a pair of Rainbows completed his rather preppy look for the day. Even after living here for the past two years, he still couldn't believe it could be cool at this time of year. Momma had called and told him not only was it 90 degrees, and it was as humid as always, but that they were also in the middle of a drought, so send any rain down there.

As if he had control of the weather! He had visited Momma last summer, when he was able to take a very short vacation, but he isn't sure if he can even visit this summer. It's slightly disappointing, he loves visiting, but he knows, work before play. He was sort of just standing on the side walk, a small bag in hand, shaggy hair slightly in his eyes, the sun covered behind floating clouds.

...Now where the hell can he find some nectarines?

And as Bri is standing there, contemplating this, an orange rolls by his feet.

...Well, it's not a nectarine, but it's a fruit nonetheless.

So is the apple that comes to a wobbly halt near him, too, but that can of coffee beans...and that mayonnaise jar...

Looks like somebody's groceries are on the run.

Said somebody is very annoyed with himself about it, too, enough to start spouting a mesh of English and Mandarin swear words. Oh, and he's crawling around on the sidewalk on all fours, snatching up the runaway food and earning a few odd looks.

"Sonuvabitch...Excuse me, sorr-Gàn! Bruised..." grouses Shen in a low groan while he moodily examines the brown, soft spot on the apple - the one that had been conveniently near the were-dog.

Normally, Shen is a much more graceful person, but everyone has their moments. Today, he had conveniently missed that curb, thanks to the brown paper bag in his arms, obscuring much of his vision. And that's how he had ended up being sprawled on the pavement with the bag's contents strewn out around him.

He'll kill his mother later for making him do her goddamn errands. (...Okay, maybe not kill, because this is his mother we're talking about.)

((: freaks out: /Totally/ awesome! x33 Poor Shen, he's so cute!))

It was a shame he hadn't caught the other or his groceries before they hit the ground, but he had only seen the other just as he hit the ground. Bri had winced, knowing full well the unpleasantness of hitting hard, solid ground. But enough thinking, more action.

His large foot had stopped the renegade coffee and mayonnaise, and he had already bent over to grab the orange. Collecting those items in his arm, he started picking up any other rebel groceries that the owner didn't grab yet. After scanning the vicinity and not seeing anything else (not that he really knew what to look for), he walked back over to the other man.

"Ya'llright, sir?"

Some people take offense nowadays at being called sir and ma'am, something Bri doesn't understand, after all it's respect. A few told him it made them feel old. Well then, what would they rather him call them - since he didn't know their names? Heavens forbid something the younguns called each other.

"Tha' there wuz one impressive fall, if yew don' mind mah sayin' so."

Thick southern accent coming from a smiling, but not mocking, mouth. He's just being friendly, as he learned before, some male's egos can be quite sensitive after taking a fall in public.

"'Ere we go, now..." He shifted the groceries in his arms. "Ah grabbed these for yah, jus' so they don' go offter somewhere, lahk say, the middle of th' street there. Ah personally don' lahk th' thought'er runnin' through traffic after some can o' coffee."

Shen had been sourly eyeing a fallen egg carton, which is now leaking yellow yolk in its demise, when he hears the friendly, southern-accented voice commenting to him. He lifts his head to blink up at the tall, smiling man holding his groceries, then takes a moment to process what the hell he had just said - man, that's one thick accent. Once he gets the gist of it, though, he nods warily and rises, wincing as he finally feels the ache in his shins and knees.

"Yeah, me neither..." But knowing him, he would've gone and risked life and limb for that dumb "can o' coffee". He's just that stubborn(ly idiotic). He tries to ignore the fact that someone had actually seen his magnificent descent to the concrete in action, though it's obvious that his ego now is bruised by the fall, just like his apple. However, this guy is at least making himself useful, so Shen holds back any snippy remarks.

He examines the armload Bri's carrying to see what items had managed to survive the crash, then heaves a sigh as he takes them to be placed in the slightly torn bag.

"Well, thanks, ah...sir," he continues, addressing him politely as well for lack of a name. Well, it's better than being called 'kid' or 'sport' or something equally juvenile. He's twenty, damn it, not twelve. "But it looks like I'm making a second trip to the grocery store-ah, shit, I'm bleeding..." He lifts up his bare elbow to reveal a patch of bleeding, scraped skin, flinching again at the stinging sensation.

Great. Just great. Like salt to the wounded pride.

If his tail had been out, it would have been sagging, such a shame, poor ol' eggs and their owner. Of course, if he had been in dog form, he'd have already been licking them up. Because in dog form he can get away with that, human form? Not quite so. He likes eggs a lot, in fact, cooked, boiled, raw...Mm mm, just another reminder of the farm. God he felt like such a country bumpkin in comparison to all these city folk. He shifted, handing the items to the man to make things a little easier.

"No prob'm, jus' call meh Bri."

Like the beginning of Brian, not like Brianna. He didn't ask for the other's name, just for the sake of politeness. He did looked at the other's wound and pursed his lip.

"I was 'bout to head thur m'self, jus' t' see if thur wuz some nect'rines on sale or sommat lahk that. Hrm...Yew need a bandaid or sommat? Ah onleh have this 'ere kerchief..."

He offered it with a slightly dubious look. The kerchief was clean and pressed, a light green in color. He didn't mind the other using it at all for his wound. The dubious look was because he had been wondering if Shirley was still at the Spa, but he had glanced at his watch, and nope, she'd be gone by then and she never gave anyone else a key to the Spa. Dern. He smiled again, all traces of the previous look gone.

"I would've offered ter take yew to where Ah werk to get some, bu' Shirley'dbe gone by now, sorreh."

He did look honestly sorry about that, kind of sheepish too, despite the fact he couldn't really do much about it. He should carry band-aids in his wallet from now on. Yea, he'd remember to do that.

Shen stares down at the offered handkerchief for a moment, then reaches out to take it, almost tentatively.

"Thanks for the offer...Bri," he replies quietly, testing this new acquaintance's name. He presses the clean, green fabric to his wound and bites back a small hiss of pain. Well, he hasn't met a guy this nice in a while...or who carries a kerchief. Or maybe that's just him. "I'll just buy some band-aids at the store."

Once the scrape had clotted, he wipes the excess blood off, then, after another moment of blank staring at it, uncertainly holds the stained cloth out for Bri.

"Thanks, er...My name's Shen, by the way." He never likes introducing himself by his given name, and he likes giving his name out even less, but he's getting no bad vibes from the other.

Actually, for some reason, this guy reminds him of Tory, his aunt's retriever: sweet, kinda goofy, very expressive...

Weird. Comparing some stranger to a dog...

(( !!! And this young man hasn't felt his butt either! XDD ))

"No prob'm, and it's a nice ter meet ya, Shen."

Bri has reminded more than a few people of dogs they had, or someone they know had. Whether it is simple mindedness, his friendly personality, or the fact he runs after anything that goes flying in the air, they don't know. No one knows, yet, of his secret, and he doesn't plan on anyone knowing unless they have a secret to offer in return for his, something that matches the level of his. Equality is important when it comes to payment, another thing his Mima taught him.

He took the napkin, and refolded it so the blood was on the inside, and slipped it back into his pocket. He chewed on his lip a little, pondering something, head cocked, before looking back down at the other.

"Well, Ah wuz on mah way thur, m'self, mahnd if I join ya on yer way? Ah'm lookin' fer some nect'rines...Ah promise Ah don't bite."

He grinned there, an inside joke of course, his canines were a little sharp, but not crazy sharp. The twins were the biters, actually, little kidlings would run around your ankles in their puppy forms and bite your ankles. Not being violent by nature, and not one to get angry quickly at all, Bri only locked them in a pen when they got that way. He had turned his tall frame in the direction of the store, hoping the fruit he was looking for was there.

The bag crunched slightly in his hands and he lifted it up, peering into it before closing it, folding it, and sticking it in his other back pocket. He couldn't dally too long, Seymour'd be unhappy with him.

( Yes. He has that going for him, at least. XD )

"Likewise," Shen replies, then realizes that the one corner of his mouth is lifting now in a small half-smile for Bri. (He doesn't smile often, if you haven't noticed, so when he does, he becomes pretty aware of it.)

"Well...yeah, I guess you can," he affirms, a tad bit unsure. Not because he minds him, but because the latter actually wants to stay in his company. He doesn't think of himself as the warmest of companions, after all. A little too distant and foul-mouthed for some.

He also faces himself towards the store and begins to take a few leisurable steps forward, glancing back to the were-dog.

"I could you show you where the fruits are, since I need to replenish mine...and other things..." He casts a distateful, pointed look down to his bag of damaged goods.

"Wund'ful!"

The other's grin broadened into a pleased smile. This is what'd happen in town, you'd run into someone and if you guys were going in at least the same direction, you'd walk together. Difference was that everyone knew everyone. That's the kind of environment Bri is used to, really. Here it's different, unless you're a regular at a store, people don't know you, or seem to care to get to know you. Bri likes making friends, so Bri's friendly.

He's only distant in the physical way, knowing full well what it was like when someone invaded it. He only hugged friends, friends meaning people's he's known for a while if they don't normally like it, or people he knows if they do like hugs. He likes hugs himself, but only from people he knows. Strangers...well, sometimes that can be reeeeaaally awkward.

He catches up with Shen so the other doesn't have to stop, longer legs taking him farther, but he walks slower, in time with the other.

"Yew would? Thanks a muchleh, don' think Ah've been to 'er groc'reh store down in this 'ere arear...Didn' know thur evan wuz one..."

But Bri is very happy the other offered to show him. He was either going to try to ind a store down here, in this area, or go to the real expensive one. One down here'd probably be a bit cheaper.

"It's not a big store, nor is it very obvious, which is prob'ly why you missed it," Shen answers with a casual shrug of the shoulders as they stroll across the street. "It's decently stocked and priced, though, unlike some of these more touristy shops around here that like to jack up their prices. It's really only known by the natives."

He's not used to making small talk, so bear with him. He reclines his head to the side and back to study the taller of the two.

"And I'm assuming from this and the heavy accent that you're new around here?"

Bri listened politely as the other explained, made sense, and he usually didn't have time or he just didn't feel like, finding places to shop for cheaper groceries. A nod and his mouth formed an 'Oh'. "Ah see, mm, been livin' 'ere fer 'bout...two mebbe thuree years, now?"

Quick calculation in his head; starting college at 18 years, got his degree in two years...yup, that adds up. He nodded again, smiling and gave a toss of his shaggy head in an attempt to get the hair out of his eyes.

"Yup, 'bout thuree years, now...Moved on up from North Carolina... He pronounces it as Care-o-line-a, but more put together, ya see?

"Ah'm a massage ther'pist. A fuhrend o' Momma owns tha' there spa, Balancin' Point, down the road, an' she offer'd a job."

He shrugged, smile softer now.

"Iz nahce up hur, bu' Ah miss th' heat sometahms..."

There, he gave a bark like laugh, strong frame shaking slightly, as his lopsided grin returned.

He nods in understanding, lips tugging back a little farther in an unconscious response to the infectious grin on Bri's countenance.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Summers here are just like in Beijing - er, where I was born. But a lot drier. The winters, though...I've lived here almost all of my life, and I'm still not used to them." He shakes his head. "I wouldn't mind being in the south when January comes around..."

He pauses for a second, glancing past the were-dog to their surroundings - he had almost missed the grocery mart himself. The building, which has a rather plain, less-than-eyecatching front in the first place, is cramped in between a much flashier herbal shop and a much larger hardware store.

"Ah, here it is." As they step inside, courtesy of the automatic sliding doors, it's obvious to most that the place's interior is as about as dull as its exterior, with only a few hanging posters indicating sales. "Doesn't look like much, but it carries the necessities at least." Shen reaches for one of the store baskets off to the side.

"A massage therapist, huh?" he muses aloud, eyebrow cocked. "Too touchy-feely for me, but that's cool..."

So the other was also from out of country? He had noticed the other's ethnicity, but didn't really give it a second thought. Bri scratched the back of his neck, and had stopped when the other did. It pays to pay attention to someone. He could have bowled that poor older woman right in his path if he hadn't been.

"So this's it? Ah can see whatya mean 'bout non-nat'ves missing it...Ah've passed by thees here store and Ah hadn't a clue tha' it'sa groc'ry store."

He followed the other into the story, taking a peak around as he did so. It was one of the smaller places, actually reminded him of the grocery store in their little town. He was looking around, noting a sign that could mean well for him.

"Well, uh...tha' there sign says tha' thur's a fruit sale. Ah hope nect'rines are counted as fruit. Ah dun know why theys a wudn't be, but yew nev'ah know..."

His mouth pursed slightly, before he chuckled, amused at the thought. Imagine, a nectarine not being counted as a fruit! What an odd thought. Smiling about that, he waiting for the other, to lead him to the fruits section - sine he said he would, after all.

"Well, I would think so, too, unless they're being taken into consideration in the fruit-vegetable controversy," Shen concurs amusedly as he takes the lead for Bri and begins to trek down past the aisles of canned soups and dental hygiene. He even breathes a faint, dry chuckle that sounds a little rusty from neglect, but it's a chuckle nonetheless.

(See? He does have a sense of humor, albeit a crappy one.)

"Anyway, here it is." And, sure enough, he shows them down to the far right of the grocery store to the produce section, which is a few degrees cooler in temperature to accomodate its stock. He approaches the fruit-designated area, skimming it with his gaze.

"Lessee...Aha, nectarines - there you go, right next to the peaches, of course..."

"Well thankee, ver' much. Yer help wuz ver' much apprec'ated."

Bri nodded to the other then paused, reaching into his back pocket quickly, pulling out a nice leather wallet, opening it - don't mind the money - and pulling out a pale blue card with his name, work number, shop number, and where he works.

"Mah business card'll hafta do. If you ever change your mind about massages - I'll get Ashley ter do it or sommat. Iunno, jus' call if ya ever wanna hang out or sommat."

His smile flashed into a grin, head cocking to the side, two thumbs hooked into his belt loops before he nodded to the other. His hands unhooked and they went to grab a bag and examine the nectarines, mm, some good ones. He was an expert, after having a few trees back home, at finding good ones by just feeling - not looking - at them. He had grabbed a total of five.

"Ah'd prob'bly stay ter talk longer, but mah cactus is droopin' on me an' Ah don't really feel lahk havin' a dead plant on mah hands, espec'lly after buyin' this here expensive plant medicine."

Another bark-like laugh, then with a nod to the other, he was off, paying at the registers, and then out the door again, glad to have met someone new.

Shen, who had been giving the apples a look-over for any undamaged, ripe ones, examines the business card he is given with interest, flipping it over in his palm.

"...I'll remember that. Thanks for your help, too." He tries another half-smile as he pockets it and offers his own nod.

"Well, good luck with that cactus, then, Bri. See you." He flicks his hand in a terse fairwell salute, watching the other man depart with his nectarines in hand.

Then, curiously, he shuffles over to where said fruit are piled high and selects one for himself, placing it in his basket with the quirk still curling his lips.

It hadn't been on his mom's grocery list, but some pleasant things can be unlooked-for, you know?