Description: Rose runs into Sagat shortly after Sagat was eliminated from the recent World Warrior Tournament. Grant's victory over Sagat has left Sagat in thought about his past, his present and what path to take for the future. Rose unknowingly helps Sagat sort through his thoughts.
Bangkok is a bustling town. Very busy. Very populated. Very active. Sagat finds himself often coming to this town, either involved in fund raisers or simply needing to step away from his training. Today he finds himself in the big city to step away from his training. The sudden change in surroundings and pace is refreshing for the Thai Legend. The Thai Tiger has recently been eliminated from the tournament he helped to create. This has damaged his ego. This has made him question some things. He's contimplating his current situation while sitting quietly at a cafe. He sips at a cup full of steaming hot black tea.
Rose has many clients in many places, and she has a standing practice with some, in which she may 'drop in' when they are in need. "Need," of course, is defined by her, but when she does, she works for free. This does give her plenty of excuse to travel the world.
She doesn't like Thailand; she knows what waits in the jungles. She hopes it can't follow her -- but perhaps it can.
She steps into the small cafe, wearing her scarf - for once - for its intended purpose; it wraps over her head, like a shawl. She closes the door behind her, turns her head, and raises her eyebrows.
Sagat stands out, of course. She steps towards his seat, saying nothing immediately. Her lips purse in concern; perhaps this is an unfortunate encounter, but his posture does not speak of waiting in ambush. Once she comes to perhaps a yard away, she says, quietly, "Hullo."
Sagat's posture is perfect, as always. He's sitting upright, but his head is downcast slightly. A thoughtful scowl as crossed the aging Legend's face. A hand has been raised to rub at his chin. It is clear the man is in thought when Rose speaks. After Rose speaks, Sagat does not immediately respond or even move to respond. He quietly keeps this posture and expression for several moments after Rose's greeting. Finally the Thai Tiger will look up and towards Rose. He intones a greeting with his gravelly voice, "Good day."
Rose waits a moment. Her stance is not conventionally guarded, but perhaps she wants to give Sagat a moment in case there is some hidden agenda.
The moment passes, and she asks as she reaches down to undo the shawl and shake her hair out, "It's unusual to meet you here. Would you mind if I sat?" Her tone has no real fear in it, although it too is slightly guarded. Sagat may be used to that, if only from his raw size looming over his countrymen.
The Thai Legend is definately used to others acting in such a way around him. The big man will nod his head once as an affirmative to Rose's question. He then casts his one-eyed gaze towards a chair and gestures to it with a nod. Sagat says, "By all means." Sagat's gravelly voice would seem muted to someone who interacts with him often. Rose, however, would probably pick up the emotion in Sagat's voice. He slowly moves his hand away from his chin and uses it to push the pot of tea towards Rose, "Help yourself."
Rose settles down in the indicated chair, and reaches for the teapot. She fills one of the handleless china cups, setting the pot down afterwards and wrapping both slim hands around the cup. She doesn't sip from it, immediately.
She sits in companionable silence for a moment, before asking, "The incident in the tournament... that was rather peculiar, wasn't it? Why did he seek you out?"
Sagat's weathered brow raises a bit at what Rose says eventually. The Thai Legend leans back in his chair and simply observe the woman before him. A gentle nod is given by the Thai Tiger and he replies, "Indeed." A pause is given before Sagat continues, "I have been too stubburn to listen to him. In the past he tried to convey a messege to me." He looks down slowly. His gaze has shifted to the tea cup in front of him, "I suppose he felt the only way to get his messege across to me was to do what he did."
Rose sips her tea, finally, now that it's a bit cooler. She swallows the delicately flavored liquid and then says, quietly, "What did he want to say, that was so urgent? Interference with a tournament... I suppose in some cases, it is encouraged, but it is rarely a way to win the acclaim of others."
She leans back in the chair after saying this, letting her scarf drape over one shoulder.
"Acclaim is not what this man seeks." Sagat corrects her after a brief pause. During the pause Sagat had lifted his own cup of tea. As he spoke, the cup hovered over his lips. Sagat then sips at the liquid, which is much cooler than what's in the pot. Sagat places the beverage down and shifts his attention back to Rose, "He's trying to beat a point into me. And apparently this time he quite literally attempted it." Sagat releases a great sigh and looks at Rose, "I am a fan of this establishment's tea. I hope you approve?"
"It's very good," Rose says, looking down towards the cup. "It's black, isn't it? I find it's informative, to drink the tea the locals also try." She smiles faintly as she looks up to meet Sagat's eye again. "After all, some places will give you canned Nestea, no matter where you are!"
She breathes in, then out. "Has he succeeded?" she asks, looking back up towards Sagat's face. "I admit that I have not seen recordings. Watching television gives me a headache."
A half amused smile falls upon the Thai Man's face as he breaks his gaze from Rose. Her comments about Nestea being mildly amusing. However that smile fades quickly as he ponders the question the woman poses to him. The Thai Legend keeps his gaze broken from Rose's as he replies, "That is what I am attempting to figure out, to be honest." He finally looks back up, cutting his eye upwards to meet Rose's. Sagat intones, "I am beginning to see his point, which shames me."
"Why should it shame you, to understand what someone else says?" Rose says, with a quirked eyebrow. She takes another sip of her tea, before continuing, "One can understand another's stance without agreement. I suppose that you could say I am familiar with that perspective."
She then changes the topic, briefly: "Would you mind terribly if I ordered a bit to eat? I have missed lunch. I shall pay, of course." Perhaps this is some subtle action; perhaps, also, it is a simple and natural desire for spring rolls.
Sagat will answer Rose's last question first. He utters, "Go ahead, I do not mind." His head then drops and his gaze focuses on the table before him. Sagat grumbles, "I am shamed because of the length it took me to start to even consider what Grant has been trying to tell me. I feel shame because I am realizing that I have been feeling ashamed for one thing and blaming another for a long... long time." He looks up to Rose, "It's a shame I have brought upon myself through my own ego. His involvement in my match during the tournament was an effort to drill that into my head." Sagat is saying all this in a stream of consciousness. He's talking out his own thoughts.
Rose raises a fingertip to the waiter and murmurs to him when he passes by, speaking more or less in his language. (When you can gently suggest what you're trying to say in other ways, your orders are much less often misheard.)
After this, she listens to Sagat's words; her lips purse slightly as she tries to put the pieces together in her head, but for the most part, she simply listens. When he pauses, she says, "The small thing, left to itself, can grow to loom large, can't it?"
The Thai Tiger sets his face into a scowl as he listens to Rose's question. The scowl is not out of anger... more of an expression of seriousness from the Thai Mountain. He nods at what she says eventually, "Indeed..." He says slowly as if drifting into some thoughts. Sagat turns his gaze back towards Rose, "And that small thing has grown into such a large... obstruction. I've attempted all the wrong ways to overcome the hurdles... blaming all the wrong reasons..." Sagat sets his face into a scowl again as he reaches for his tea cup.
"Mm," Rose murmurs. "But," she says, "not all steps are in vain, after all. If you change the direction you've walked, your feet may be weary, but..."
She pauses, for a moment, and takes a last sip of her tea. She admits, "I don't quite see where I was going with that metaphor. However, you feel that you have made mistakes?" She wonders inwardly: /which/ are mistakes, but she does not voice that question. It's a pleasant enough encounter, and there's no reason to touch directly on a sore point.
The Mountain of a man will nod his head, "I am beginning to think that." Sagat will glance over to the side and his weathered brow will furrow. Deep crevices form on his bald head with the raising of his brow. An intense look appears on the Thai Legend's face as he looks off to the side at nothing in particular, "There is much that I need to sort out." Sagat swiftly turns his head to regard the woman, "There is much I need to meditate on. The right path will show itself to me. I need only search for it, rather than hinder myself by going down the wrong path."
Rose's spring rolls arrive, and she dips one in the peanut sauce, not looking away from Sagat as he speaks. She smiles, faintly. "I suppose that I have come in at the end of a long period of reflection, then? It is almost a shame; but, I am glad if I was of help."
She takes a small bite, then washes it down with tea. "I confess that I do wish I could do more. Do you think that a reading might guide you?" She smiles again, almost sheepishly, after she makes the offer.
Sagat pauses and actually seems to be considering Rose's offer. The pause is a long one and a thoughtful expression does fall upon Sagat's face. He nods his head to her, "Though typically I would not be one to seek such counsel, perhaps I should open myself to such an offer." Sagat will slide his chair back with a push of his powerful and legendary legs. Sagat says, "However not now. Sometime soon, however, would be best."
Rose smiles, faintly, and reaches into her dress lightly. She tugs out a small card, holding it out between index and middle fingers; it has a phone number, but no address. "Then you may feel free to call me," she says, "whenever you wish. I may not be available at any given moment, but I shall, of course, attend as soon as I can."
She then tilts her head. "Are you leaving? If so, be safe." Probably a gratuitous statement, considering Sagat's incredible power, but the feeling is what counts.
Sagat reaches out and takes the offered card between his middle and fore fingers. He nods and glances at it. His single eye darts up from the card to Rose. A slight smile crosses the Thai Legend's face, "Thank you for listening to my meaningless bantor. And I will call you when I think it is time to try your reading." Sagat stands from the table, "And I will be safe, thank you." He will say this and bow his head to Rose, "Good to see you again. Good day." Sagat turns away from her and allows her to focus more on her food.
Log created by Sagat, and last modified on 00:58:00 05/05/2007.