After the unusual encounter with the "20 year old granny" as Aeri liked to dub her, everything... well, stayed the same for the most part. Nothing was different, she'd help Nainai out during the nights, and then during the day she'd be at her normal job at the senior center, helping set up special services and activities for the elderly. Today was a karaoke day, having a cute little stage set up and everything. Seeing them getting up on stage and reliving their younger days always warmed Aeri's heart, so she made time during her break to stand near the mahjong tables and watch the little show.

Naiani was once again, playing with her small group of friends at the mahjong tables, with a familiar but not seen enough face at the senior center watching the game with a detailed eye.

      "Grandpa Lee! How are you?" Aeri smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair from her bun back in place. The old man looked up, adjusting his glasses so he could see her better, and smiled when he recongized the blue hair and face.

"Aeri! I'm well, thank you. How are you?" He returned the greeting. Aeri opened to respond with "Very well," when another old woman sat down to be dealt in at the table., and Aeri uttered a quiet, "Excuse me." and got out of her way as she settled in. Grandpa Lee chuckled.

    "Always the respectful one, aren't we?" He asked her, a twinkle in his crinkled eye smile. Aer smiled back, and was about to respond again when Nainai's voice called her over. Aeri excused herself from Grandpa Lee before going over.

"Yes Nainai?" Aeri leaned over her grandmother's shoulder so she could hear better, glancing at her tiles as well. She had two bamboo tiles, so she'd probably need to get rid of one and get a lotus tile in order to further her position so she could win.

    "Could you fetch my purse from the car? Someone over there," She huffed crossly at one of the older men across the table who was concentrating on his tiles and his turn, "Thinks I don't have the money to play in this round. I don't want to leave in case of cheating." Aeri laughed lightly, nodding.

"Of course, Nainai. I'll be right back." She bowed a little before hurrying over to the door, noticing a slight change from the weather this morning.

     "Really?" She sighed, looking out at the decent drizzle happening outside. "Ah well, it's just water. I'll only be out for a couple of minutes." She reasoned with herself, before pushing the door open and hurrying towards the car to retrieve the purse.

After stuffing the purse underneath her shirt for it not to get wet, Aeri headed back across the parking lot, only to have to stop as she felt the purse slip out of it's hiding place. While adjusting the bag, the rain suddenly stopped... until Aeri looked up and saw an umbrella over her head.

    "Fen Lan, you could get sick!" A voice scolded her, and she turned to see the owner of the umbrella was none other than the young woman from last night. 

"Oh, thank you!" Aeri said first, thankful that she did get out of the rain sooner than expected. The water was cold and Aeri was known for getting colds easily. It wouldn't be good if she fell sick just because of some water.

    The woman, however, shook her head, waving off the thanks, "Now what are you going out here? Answer your granny!" Granny tapped her foot, as if waiting for an explanation.

"My..." Aeri was still processing that this woman still wanted to be called granny, "Nainai left her purse in the car," She held up the bag for the woman to see, who nodded in approval, "I went to get it for her."

    "Without an umbrella?" Granny tsked, shaking her head and pulling Aeri closer to her under the umbrella, "How terrible. Come come, let's get back into the building where it's dry, then you'll come with me."

"What? Why?"

     Granny pursed her lips, "Because I'd like to speak with you about something."

Aeri raised her eyebrows, "And why me?" 

    "No offense, but you look like you'd know more about it than anyone," She lightly gestured to Aeri's appearance, "And Hannie is useless to try and reason with."

"Okay...?" Aeri had no clue what she was talking about, and who this 'Hannie' was, but it looked like that this woman was more stubborn than her own nainai, so reason would have to be made. "But I'm working."

   They entered the building, and Granny shook her umbrella off before strutting off somewhere, leaving Aeri a little confused. She quickly shook it off, however, and went to give Nainai her purse. The new woman's appearance didn't go unnoticed by the old woman, either.

"Who was that lovely young lady?" She asked, looking over the heads of people to get another glimpse of the woman who came back in with Aeri.

     It then occured to Aeri that... "Uhm, I... Actually don't know her name, Nainai."

Nainai looked offended when she admitted so. "Why that's so rude! Child, you should have asked." She scolded, and Aeri couldn't help but feel like she had been scolded more than she should have been in the past fifteen minutes. 

   "Nainai I--" Aeri stopped herself before talking back, it wasn't polite and it was Nainai, "Yes ma'am. I'll ask when she comes back over."

With that, Nainai resumed her mahjong game, purse in hand and Aeri stood by, occasionally glancing over at the general direction that Granny had disappeared to. Eventually, though, Aeri got caught up with the game that she jumped a bit when a hand tapped her shoulder.

   "I'm back!" Granny grinned at her, her hair bouncing as she set herself up on the other side of Nainai. Aeri smiled before following her grandmother's instructions.

"Oh, my name is Lijun. How rude of me to not tell you the other night, I'm so sorry." Lijun apologized. "I just prefer being called Granny, it's all Hannie and everyone else calls me, since apparently I act like one." She rolled her eyes, and Aeri bit her tongue not to comment on how she really did look like how her own grandmother looked in older pictures of her youth that she was shown a while back. Her speech was also akin to her own grandmother's as well.

    "Okay Fen lan, now that that's out of the way, I want you to sing with me." A hand flew to her wrist, tugging Aeri away from the mahjong table slightly. Aeri's eyes got really wide at the sudden suggestion.

"W-what??"

    Lijun raised an eyebrow, "You heard me. I'm sure you can."

Nainai piped in, having overheard the nickname, "Fen lan, Oh that suits you so well!" 

   Aeri looked over, "Nainai, please--"

"Oh this is your nainai?" Lijun interrupted, "Does she know that you didn't use an umbrella to get her purse?"

    "Aeri, is this true?"

"But Nainai I just forgot--" Aeri attempted to explain herself, but was cut off once more by her own grandmother.

   "Don't give me excuses, next time ask me for mine, we can't have you getting sick--"

Another comment by Lijun, "Such a lovely grandmother you have. Such luck."

    With all the noise and comments going overtop of each other, and Aeri not getting any opinion or explanation in, she snapped, "Am I going to get a word in here???" The two women looked at her curiously, and that's when Aeri realized she had just lost her temper not only at her new aquiantance, but her own grandmother. 

   "I---I'm sorry it's just you both were being very overwhelming and I just needed to think--" She started, but was once again cut off by Lijun, only it was much gentler and a soothing hand rubbing her back instead of just an interjection and comment.

"Don't apologize, Fen lan, I'm sorry we overwhelmed you." Lijun apologized, smiling at her. Aeri managed a weak smile back. 

   "Thanks... Should I call you Granny or Lijun?" She asked, getting the conversation back onto someone else besides her.

"Oh," Lijun blinks, like the choice had never occured to her before, "I answer to both, but I like you, so Granny will do quite nicely."

    "Oh... okay." Aeri nodded, still seeing how calling a young woman "Granny" would ever mean that she liked you, but she didn't question it. 

Lijun nodded, "Yes. Oh, yes, I had business with you." She turned to catch sight of Grandpa Lee, "Oh! Grandpa Lee!" She got sidetracked, it soon being revealed that it was Lijun who was the new tenant in his apartment. "After all, my daughter was so picky, but Lijun here is very persuasive." Grandpa Lee laughed, making both Aeri and Lijun smile.

"Please, Fen lan," Lijun turned her attention back to her, "Before we go, sing with me."

"I.... Okay... Fine." Aeri relented, feeling like it was just going to kept being asked if she didn't give up. So how she found herself on stage with Lijun shouldn't have surprised her. 

"Fen lan?"

  "Hm?" She answered, turning to her new friend.

"Pick your song, I'll sing whatever you'd like." Lijun smiled brightly.

"O...okay."

So... yes. I finally have returned to actually writing stories TT^TT I've just been so busy with other priorities (like university oh myGOD it's slowly murdering me) that unfortunately my stories have been taking a back burner ;;; Hopefully, with this upcoming break, I'll get some things done. Thanks guys, I hope you enjoyed!
>>Dannie