~*Rounds Square Shopping Mall.*~
The four girls piled into Li's black car and headed to do some shopping. And shopped they did, some for themselves, some for her new lieutenants. Li took out some money from the ATM and handed it to Ren for safekeeping, then officially hungry all stopped at Freckle Bitches for food. Sitting in one booth, Li continued to dissuade Ren from wanting to be in a gang.
"At thirteen, my paternal uncle asked me if I wanted to head the family business, Thir-teen, One… Three. Very well organized, and many properties. I know now, it's for the people. So, when I came back here, the massive turf war threw me into a situation where walking up the streets almost killed me." She wanted the girl to understand just how idiotic Julius was for considering, even though at the same time he saved her life that night. "Dude, you think it would be hella cool, or bangin'… what do kids say now, bangin' or da bomb?"
Shaundi nodded. "Yeah, da bomb."
Ren snorted and quickly apologized, covering her mouth. She couldn't help but laugh.
Aisha chuckled, nodding. "I didn't know you were that young. You looked older than when we first met. Hold up, you told me you had training, then why didn't you fight off the guys who were shooting?"
Li nodded. Then tried to figure the best way to explain the situation. "See, it's… I'm not allowed to start a fight just because I know how. Staring down the barrel of a gun is still jarring, no matter the situation." Li turned back to Ren. "I didn't kill anybody until I was… uh… shit… like fifteen. Me, a kid killing grown men and women who were trying to kill me. Kill me dead. But I had help... My boys. Dex, I need to call him. Hell, even Troy's lying ass… and Gat, you need a Gat!" Li stated firmly. They all agreed, then Li started laughing. "Ish, speaking of have I ever told you how I put Johnny on his ass? Flat on his ass."
"No shit, you put Johnny Gat on his ass?" Shaundi coughed. "I have to hear this one."
Li held her hands up. "Word, it happened after I took up Julius's offer, more to thank them cause you don't have your life saved every day. Anyway." The other agreed and sat listening to Li tell her tale of the meeting, as Gat says. 'Canonizing.'
~*The Churchyard, March of 94'*~
Li walked over to the church to thank the men that saved her the other night. She walked up to see some rally of sorts and the two men who saved her with a sea of other purple clad companions.
Standing and listening for a while to Julius Little, the obvious leader and the crowd, cheered when a man eyed her then called up to Julius. "Yo, who the fuck is this?" the two-toned haired man pointed at her as she was making her way to the front of the crowd.
Gat noticed her and rolled his eyes.
Troy noticed her with a smile. He wanted to see her again. Then it dawned on him Julius had the aim of keeping her in the Saints.
She braided her hair in a single braid and wore a cream and blue oversized sweatshirt and a pair of baggy jeans. But what struck him, her eyes, almond-shaped like a cat's, lined with long, thick black lashes, hazel, almost the color of honey, and more stunning against her cinnamon skin.
Li looked over at the man who called her out. She looked him up and down. He wore rectangular shades, a small gold hoop in his ear, a white wife beater and a purple dress shirt, loose black jeans, and polished black boots.
His hair caught her attention instantly–the tips of his hair were frosted white and the rest a jet black, this amazing tattoo peaking close to his Adam's apple, then his face, handsome sharp features, still boyish and strong jaw small cleft in his chin, but he kept his eyes hidden by the rectangular shades he wore. Li caught herself as she felt her cheeks fever, her mouth twisted while assessing the man that slightly insulted her. Shaking her thoughts from how cute he is to... "Oshiri." she glared at him in irritation.
"Fuck you, just say to me?"
Julius raised his hands to quiet the both of them down. "She is someone Troy and I saved last night. Figured she would roll with us." The Leader stated.
Troy whipped around. She looks like she never fought a day in her life. But because this was Julius's show, he knew well enough to keep his mouth shut.
The 'skunk' looked between the man and herself. "You know as well as any, those who roll wit us need to get canonized." He punched his fist into his hand with a pleased grin on his face.
Li soon found herself surrounded by the men and women that were just a few moments ago listening to their leader. Looking around, Li groaned, 'Shit, Ky, what did you get yourself into?'
Li's eyes darted about, then she closed them, prepared for the onslaught. A series of kicks and punches flew at her from various directions, and she shields her face with her arms crouched low, protecting her face. Taking hits, she hurt from the sixteen people out there, most hits came from the insulter himself.
Julius called it quits when she received a blow to the back, "Alright, alright, that's enough." Li slowly opened her eyes, her face felt hot, she pulled a small mirror from her pocket.
"Not my face… shit." She murmured slowly, poking at the tender spot.
Troy helped her to her feet. "Sorry, everyone has to go through it." Looking at her cheek, it was red and swelling. "I think we have some ice inside."
The insulter leaned in close to her ear. "Blood in, blood out. That," He pointed to her face, "Was from me."
Li balled her fist and dropped to the ground, sweeping her leg out. Catching him off guard, taking his feet from under him, she placed a foot on his chest. The duo toned haired man forced to look up at her. Gat growled, hitting her leg. Li politely moved her foot and squatted next to his head. "Oshiri-kun, that was from me." She said in her natural accent with false enthusiasm.
He watched as the girl walked away with Julius and Troy, wondering where a little girl learned how to fight like that. Several of the members stood laughing at the fact that Gat got owned by the newcomer.
"Fuck ya'll, I'll get you back for that. Just wait." He hollered after them. She promptly gave him the finger as her response.
~*S.R.1*~
~*A booth at Company of Gyros.*~
They all hollered. Shaundi was holding her sides. "Li took Gat down some pegs."
"But he hits so hard!" Li wiped some tears from her eyes. She was laughing too hard. "I shit you not. He never let me live that down. Every chance he took, he was picking with me."
Aisha snorted. "I remember once, when he said Julius let this 'Stray Cat.' in. But look at you two now, old married couple. I, for one, am glad Julius recruited you. I wouldn't have met you and we wouldn't be friends." Aisha smiled brightly at her joke.
~*November of 97'*~
The tightest of friendships came from that day Li got canonized. Ever since Gat goaded her about everything; her driving, her shooting, he went as far as tripping her in the middle of a gunfight with some bangers from the Vice Kings just to see how she'd handled it.
Li got a handle on how things operated within the Saints. Her advancement was on the rise, quickly. Johnny's goading was fuel for her - if he can piss her off enough to hit him, he picked at her about that. In return, she pushed Gat's buttons to make him draw his gun on her.
Over the years, people started pointing out how similar they are, even when not in the same room they mirrored each other. Li didn't notice it. Johnny claimed it was cause Julius had them running around. They had spent a lot of time together.
But when they said Gat was always stopping guys from talking to her or taking her attention by having things for her to do. They claimed it was coincidence.
When Aisha watched them together, even she tried to draw it to their attention to how oddly in sync they are. "You two know you just answered me at the same time?"
They responded. "No, we didn't." In the same tone.
"Y-you just did it again." Aisha tilted her head. How could they not notice?
Gat and Li raised the same eyebrow. They looked at each other, shrugged, and went about their business.
"Ok, that's just creepy as fuck." Aisha gave up. They were inseparable.
~*S.R.1*~
~*Company of Gyros, R.S.S.M*~
"Oh, no.. You.. Don't go there. That's not even remotely funny or cute, you are not cute! Ya'll been together too long for me to come between you." Li stuck her tongue out, making them all burst out in another fit of laughter. "I blame him for several crazy shit happenings I tried to talk him out of and I don't think that's entirely true. I worked at Glitz. Is it still around, or did they move? The owner was Reno?"
Shaundi nodded and raised a finger as her mouth was full of food. "Pussies now."
"Serious?" Li shocked. "Glitz was a much better name."
Aisha added after taking a drink. "You know, like I know, things changed after you… You know. Reno didn't have his famous Songbird, so he changed the name, building still standing, dropping the theme just by keeping the nightclub under a new name."
Li nodded. She couldn't argue. Lots had changed. She remembers the buildings just being built. Now they stood upright. Her old stomping grounds were gone.
"FYI, I can say, even though I have been out of commission, you and Gat. You two are the soul reason I am cleaning up these streets, and when the hell am I going to be an aunt?"
Aisha teared a bit with Li's admission, then pursed her lips, swerved her neck. "No." turning her back to Li.
Li gasped. "Why, ya'll would make some pretty babies. Gimmie one baby, I don't care what it is, just one, please!" Li was pulling on Aisha's arm. Shaundi and Ren laughed as Aisha steadily shook her head no.
"Not unless you wipe out everything wrong in Stilwater, or you give me a niece or nephew first!"
Li pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "Be easier to ask for a million. Think you'll get Johnny to settle down?" she propped her chin on her hand, snorting. She's never thought much about having children. Troy doused that after she found out he had been lying to her for years. She'd rather spoil them.
Aisha thought about it. She and Johnny never talked about children, let alone marriage. Johnny's lifestyle has always differed from hers, and they are together, yes but, Aisha knows how much Li means to him. "Maybe one day, if not, you can have a dog as your niece or nephew." She leaned in, bumping Li's shoulder.
Li sucked her teeth. "Tsk, man, I wanna real one, not a pet." Li looked at Ren. Her eyebrows rose and a wicked grin spread across the Saints leader's face. Ren wasn't sure if she did something wrong, but the looks Li gave her made her think otherwise. "Can I be your aunt?"
Shaundi burst out laughing. "That's not how that works."
"Yeahuh, it does, all the time where I come from." Looking back to Ren, "So can I?" she bit her bottom lip.
"Sure, I guess, but…. Can I…"
Li groaned. "No!" she whined out. Ren laughed, and the others joined in. Li shook her head. "Alright, how's this? You keep Aisha company when Gat and I are busy, which will be all the time." Her phone rang, her smile faded slightly. "I have something to do. You can come with me, then I'll drop you off to talk to your mom, yeah?"
Ren nodded. "Where are we going?"
"Visiting my Obachan." Li smiled at cleaning up the booth.
"We have to stop and bring flowers." Aisha added, getting up cause she was finished. Li nodded, picking up her tray.
Ren sat as the outsider, looking to absorb it all. The history of Aisha and Li, with Johnny, was an unbroken bond. It was amazing.
Li made it seem bad to be in a gang, but what she was looking at was a set of friends who have been together for the longest time. Ren wanted that, too. "Your Obachan, where does she live?"
Li smiled softly. "Mourning Wood."