Can I Keep Him? [tag: Zombi, Airi]

Anonymous

Sept 20, 2012 21:41:33 GMT -6

"Let him live with me?" Lee repeated, staring at Ling in disbelief. She had to be kidding right? He'd been asking Hyuk-jae to move in with him for months! The young man refused, saying something about how he wanted them to be at some sort of level in a relationship or something — in any case, it certainly wasn't up to Lee.
"No," said Hyuk-jae adamantly, despite his teary state. Sure, he might be clinging to the man for dear life at that moment, but he still knew how he felt about that. He wanted them to be in a Real Relationship before they moved in together. He wanted to do something right. Lee knew that.
He shrank from Mei when she entered into the room, and Lee absently patted his shoulder.

It took until the next day, but Hyuk-jae agreed to rent the room. He promised not to be any trouble, as much as he could. He didn't have many things, so moving in was easy. In the doorway of the girls' mother's old room, he stared at the bed. He hadn't had an actual bed in years. He was still ridiculously tired, worn out from the large seizure and emotional ups and downs of the previous day. After Ling left the room and closed the door, he sat on the bed, still holding the red bag.

Everything felt confusing and sad.

After two weeks, it seemed that the Yao sisters and Hyuk-jae might have settled into a routine. He hid from Mei when they were both at home, curling up in the bedroom with a book borrowed from Lee. Hyuk-jae cleaned furniture and dishes religiously, trying his best to make it worth their while for him to stay. He washed clothing, cooked meals, cleaned the bathroom, and tidied in general. He repaired a broken watch of Mei's and left it for her to find, mostly because he didn't want to talk to her. The paperboy worked all of his shifts after begging not to be fired for missing work, but he didn't take any jobs at night. At night he either spent time with Lee at the Wooden Eye or slept. Hyuk-jae seemed to need a lot of sleep.

He was jumpy and unsure, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. After two weeks, it was obvious when the absence seizures occurred — he'd stop doing something right in the middle for just a moment, and then start back up without realizing time had passed. Sometimes it was in the middle of a sentence, but usually it was while doing a task. He broke one plate and apologized no less than ten times, fearful of consequences. After all, he had lived in a closet in both apartments before this! It was such a new and unusual situation. He hardly felt like he deserved it. Hyuk-jae tried to be friendly to Ling, but he wasn't very good at it. He seemed not to know how to socialize with people he lived with. Instead, he tried mostly to stay out of their way.

Lee did not seem interested in further socializing with the girls. He did not issue any invitations to Ling to come gamble at the Eye, and he did not offer any more information. To Hyuk-jae he gave a strict warning not to tell them anything he heard at the Eye. Business was business and their business was concluded, in Lee's eyes, and he needed to keep his own safe. Hyuk-jae was tight-lipped about his nights out, most especially about the rather frequent ones in which he did not come home.

It was an easy guess, of course, to assume he stayed with Lee.

((OOC: Airi, don't worry. You're doing fine!))

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Last edit by Deleted: Sept 20, 2012 21:43:17 GMT -6

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 22, 2012 16:57:27 GMT -6

OOC: Yes, Airi. :] I know you're struggling a bit, but it's OK! You're doing better than I would expect most people to be able to do, after adopting a character that's not their own and has already been in-use, with some pre-planning in regards to plot. I don't think you're doing badly at all! <3 Also, holy jeez this post is long. >.> Sorry! D:

Note: I am also going to draw up a map of the girls' apartment, just for reference, and PM it to the both of you.

——————

Ling nodded at Mei's words, noting that Hyuk-jae still shrank back from her sister's presence. After hearing what that other so-called "healer" had to say about his condition, the freckled woman really didn't blame him. How was he to know that Mei wouldn't do something like that? Still, it frustrated her. Mei was the nicest, sweetest person anyone could meet, and the young man just couldn't see it.

She jammed her hands in her pockets and extended the offer from a couple of weeks prior. "Our mo-- our spare room is still available, if you want it," she said casually, trying not to make a big deal of the situation. For the average person, being evicted was embarrassing enough; for Hyuk-jae, who knew? He looked so lost and so scared, and Ling wanted to hug him.

But she didn't.

Lee patted his shoulder instead, and Ling was glad she had called him. He seemed to care deeply about Hyuk-jae, more than he let on. She thought absently that she had an advantage over the older man; an interesting concept, but one the woman was not willing to pursue. She had no quarrel with Lee, and didn't want to make the entirety of the Wooden Eye her enemy. She had already experienced what it was like to live in fear of being hunted, and it wasn't an experience she was willing to repeat. Or drag Mei into. After all, she had her deal with Iluak.

"There's no rush," she added when Hyuk-jae's reply didn't come. "Just think about it, for now." She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from her pocket — she was never without them these days — and jotted down their home number, handing it to Lee to give to the young man. "Our home number, just in case you don't have it with you." Tactfully, Ling skirted around his eviction with the vaguest of terms. "Just give us a call when you make your decision."

Mouthing a 'thank you' to Lee and giving him a little bow, she turned to Mei and handed her the now-cold lunch. "It's probably not all that great, since I made it AND it's cold," she said by way of apology. "I'll be back at sundown to pick you up." She kissed her sister sweetly on the cheek. "Love you. And don't worry about him, okay? He probably just needs to get used to you being a healer, you know?" She gave Mei an encouraging smile. "Hopefully he'll accept."

—

And he did. It was the next morning when Hyuk-jae contacted them. They agreed on a small, minimal amount of rent payment. There was no way Hyuk-jae would take charity, Ling thought to herself, and rattled off the smallest number of yuans it would take to help with bills.

Before he arrived, Ling stood in the doorway of her mother's room. It was going to be Hyuk-jae's room soon, and Ling took it upon herself to make it ready. There was no way she was going to ask Mei to help; the loss of their mother was hitting her harder than anything, so apparent by the way her eyes had a perpetually tired look from lack of sleep.

The door opened with a groan, complaining of disuse, and she was somewhat surprised (why, she didn't know) to see that nothing had changed; like it was just waiting for Ma-ma to come back home at any moment, her silver hair flashing in the sunlight and her silver eyes mischievous as her daughters begged her to tell them where she had been all this time. The room was a little musty, but still smelled like her — the clean smell of talcum powder and fresh linens, with just a hint of lilies. The room itself was small, only slightly bigger than the rooms each of the girls occupied, having room for a small table that also served as a vanity, as well as a wooden armoire for clothes. With a heavy heart, Ling emptied out the armoire first, gently folding the clothes into a paperboard box. There weren't a lot of clothes, but each piece brought vivid memories of Shi'ren wearing them. The white, floral-print dress, for instance. Something reserved for the most special occasions, like the anniversary of Father's death.

After she had finished putting away clothes, Ling aired out the bedclothes, hanging them over the small clothesline and securing them with clothes pins. They fluttered in the slight breeze, bouncing the line as they moved. How many times had she watched Ma-ma do the same? Ling clenched her jaw and went back inside. She passed Mei on the way, who looked like she hadn't slept in a hundred years, resting her head on the kitchen table. A steaming cup of tea sat next to her, and Ling moved it away from her sister's head. Wordlessly, she patted the waterbender's back as she passed, more than happy to take on cleaning out Ma-ma's room. Mei looked so tired, so broken. Yet again, Ling remembered coming home that dreadful day. There were little details that bugged her, like that feeling you get when you know something is out of it's proper place, and you just don't know what. They said she had died of exhaustion, but Ling couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was more to the story. She wondered if Mei felt the same, but didn't know how to approach the topic.

Going back into the bedroom, Ling finally made her way to the vanity. A photo of the Yao family sat in a wooden frame next to Ma-ma's hairbrush. She picked it up, grinning at the slightly cross-eyed look she had given, much to her mother's mild annoyance. You're an adult, Ling! Shi'ren had told her, trying to hide her amusement. When are you going to take things seriously? Then nineteen-year-old Ling had grinned up at her and shrugged. Never! It was the last photo they took before Father passed. Ling went to go put it in the box, then thought better of it, and put it in her room. Eventually she'd put it on the small memorial shrine in the living room, next to Father's photo.

After removing the dainty lace covering Shi'ren had crocheted herself, Ling emptied the rest of the vanity, placing all the small nicknacks into the same box with the clothes. She sealed the box with some packing tape, wrote "Ma-ma's Things" on the side in her scrawling script, then slid the box into her room, squeezing it under her bed. It barely fit, but there was no room otherwise. Maybe one day, the agency would make enough money so they could move into a larger flat, and give their parents the memorial shrine they deserved.

—

Hyuk-jae arrived with little fanfare, just as Ling was tucking the freshly-aired sheets back around the mattress. He looked so small, and so sad and scared. The freckled woman smiled as brightly as possible, and let him into the house and giving him a brief tour. The living room and kitchen kind of blended together, though there was enough space for a small, four-person kitchen table as well as a sofa, one arm chair, and a small coffee table. "Feel free to listen to the radio if you want," Ling said, gesturing to the device. "The phone's also there for you to use if you need it, but sometimes we get wrong-calls meant for the shopkeep downstairs."

She lead the way down the narrow hallway, passing Mei at the kitchen table. "This is my room," she said, pointing to the first door on the left. "This is Mei's room," she pointed to the next door, also on the left. "And this..." she stopped at the end of the hallway, and opened the door on the right, "is your room." Ling smiled in what she hoped was an encouraging manner. "Make yourself at home. The armoire is for your things, as well as the vanity. If you need more blankets, let me know. The bathroom is the door right across the hall here." She paused, then said softly. "We're glad you're here. We hope this can become your 'home', in time."

Ling closed the door, giving Hyuk-jae some privacy.

—

The next couple of weeks were a learning experience for her. Hyuk-jae seemed afraid of them, at first, but they soon fell into an easy routine. The three of them all worked, and soon Hyuk-jae was busying himself around the house as well. It wasn't long after that the girls began including him into the meal-making / house-cleaning rota, alternating who did what on a daily basis.

She could tell that he was still afraid, and she had to wonder to herself how bad his last place was, and how his parents treated him, for him to be so skittish. Ling tried to ignore it as best as possible, and let him acclimate in his own time. It was a difficult task; patience outside of gambling and fighting weren't exactly her strong points. Hyuk-jae apologised a lot, for starters, like when he had accidentally broken a plate. He looked so terrified, and kept apologising even after Ling had swept up the broken pieces and told him that it was okay. She commanded herself not to snap; instead, she smiled a little, and bit the inside of her lip to keep from making a smart-arse remark. "It's fine, Hyuk-jae," Ling repeated for the hundredth time. "I'd rather have a broken dish than an unused one." Something Ma-ma had said to her when she was learning how to set the table.

Ling didn't hear from Lee again, which was just fine with her. The Wooden Eye was not a place she'd want to frequent, and the young woman was more than happy to stick with playing games at the Fan. Hyuk-jae occasionally disappeared at night, so Ling assumed he was with Lee. She wondered what, exactly, the relationship between those two were. She had thought originally that Lee was one of Hyuk-jae's "clients", but was beginning to reconsider in light of how close they seemed to be.

One night, when the three managed to get together for dinner (it was usually just a dinner for two, either Ling and Hyuk-jae or Ling and Mei, seeing as Hyuk-jae avoided the older Yao sister), Ling decided to broach the subject of Hyuk-jae's illness. She had noticed that he had little fits like when they first met — he'd blank out for a moment, freezing in the middle of whatever he was doing. She noticed it right before he broke the plate, and at various other times in the past two weeks.

"Is there anything we need to know?" she asked Hyuk-jae, serving him some pan-fried meat. It had been her turn for dinner, and she had made sure to only give him very small portions of rice. She found it strange, but she had recalled him saying something about needing to do so for his condition. "What would we do if you had a..." she tried to remember the word, but couldn't. "...an episode?"

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Anonymous

Sept 25, 2012 15:33:01 GMT -6

Mei felt horrible about not helping Ling clean their mother's room, but the waterbender couldn't even manage to bring herself to touch the door to the room, much less go in to move around her stuff. Still, she could tell herself, at least it won't be empty and unused. The rent helped a bit with payments, but it didn't lighten her work schedule. She wasn't an idiot; she noticed how uncomfortable she made Hyuk-jae feel and couldn't blame him and busied herself at work both at the restaurant and clinic, not to mention going around and looking for new cases for their private investigative agency. Besides, the extra money would come in handy in the event of an accident or simply to put away for the future.

One day, when their new roommate broke a dish, profusely apologizing for it, she kept her mouth shut knowing anything she said would be taken the wrong way, or she would simply say the wrong thing. All she felt safe offering was a sympathetic smile upon her sister's words. Their mother's words... In a moment of weakness, thinking about the deceased, as she passed by Hyuk-jae she reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder but snatching it back and going back to her business. There was no way that he would ever accept a behavior like that from her. Ling, maybe, but not her.

Work at the clinic went fine, but it managed to keep her longer than she wanted to, dealing with a younger child that somehow burned the better portion of his leg, keeping her from returning home at the same time she usually did to eat dinner early so that Hyuk-jae could eat with Ling. It had felt like the better thing to do rather than come in to dinner while the other two were eating and him leaving because of her presence. He deserved better and his past hadn't given it to him. It was the least she could do.

Coming home, Ling surprised her by getting Hyuk-jae to the table and to stay when she took a seat. Still, she remained silent while they were served their food and her younger sibling addressed his condition. Mei bit her bottom lip, restraining herself from adding anything. It didn't work. "It would help us," she said, "knowing if we could do anything to help."

[/color] [/blockquote]

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Anonymous

Sept 25, 2012 23:53:42 GMT -6

The whole time he was there, Hyuk-jae never once used the telephone. He had no one to call, not really.

"Is there anything we need to know? What would we do if you had a ...an episode?"

Hyuk-jae stared at the girls, feeling too hot all of a sudden. The room seemed somehow too small, and he felt trapped and a little bit sick. He would have given anything to avoid this conversation with them. He knew that as soon as the word 'firebender' escaped his lips, he'd see it in their faces — the fear. And they had every right to be afraid. A firebender who couldn't control his bending could easily hurt, even kill, someone. He could burn the house down. It wouldn't even matter if he meant to or not. It never did.

"It would help us, knowing if we could do anything to help."

The young man swallowed, pushing his food away. "Um," he said. "I, um. Most of the fits are absence seizures." His voice turned into a monotone, speaking a litany of things he'd memorized, things he had to tell people over and over. "I often can't remember them and don't realize they have happened unless I'm in a conversation with someone. I blank out anywhere from a few seconds to 20 seconds at a time." Those were the brief episodes of staring that Ling had noticed, moments where he just looked off into space at nothing and then continued, moments later, as if nothing had happened. They didn't bother him that much, not really. "Those can happen any time, many times per day, whatever."

"In the morning, I get these 'jumps.' My arms fly up for a second, and I often spill my drink or drop what I'm holding. Now and then my mouth may shut for a split second. Sometimes I get a few jumps in a row. Once I've been up for a few hours, the jumps stop." He took a deep breath, getting to the more difficult part. "Um... the big ones don't happen very often. Usually it's just if I messed up my diet, but sometimes if I've been really stressed or I haven't slept regularly, it happens. They only last a minute or two but it seems like an eternity, I guess. I'm not aware of them but people watching tell me that it's scary." Hyuk-jae swallowed. "Lee says he can often tell I'm going to have one because I get... cranky and out of sorts. I can tell sometimes because I smell something burning but nothing is really burning." He shrugged. "I know I fall down and my teeth clench and sometimes I stop breathing and bite my tongue and all the muscles in my body move by themselves. And, um. I..." the young man looked down at his hands. He didn't want to tell them.

But he owed it to them now, right?

"I'm a Firebender," he said, voice a rush of words, "I can't control it and it... it comes out when I have a big fit. It's not my fault. I can't make it stop or go. But I, sometimes I catch things on fire." Would they kick him out, now? Tell him they just couldn't deal with it? The room was so nice, it would be a shame to ruin it. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "After a fit I usually feel really... sad, or angry, or irritated. My emotions kind of go all over the place and Lee says I am mean. But I'm not mean on purpose." Biting his lip, Hyuk-jae looked back up, waiting for the reaction.

Though Ling had asked what they should do, there wasn't much he could tell. Mei seemed to know to put him on his side, and he'd just told them he needed to sleep a lot after. The smaller fits didn't require anything from anyone. There wasn't any medical intervention that could be done anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. They didn't really need to do anything.

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Last edit by Deleted: Sept 26, 2012 13:32:15 GMT -6

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 26, 2012 15:15:00 GMT -6

Ling nodded, listening carefully as she ate. Hyuk-jae seemed reluctant to talk about his illness, then spoke with a sort of monotone that felt like a rehearsed speech. She wondered if there was a cure for his condition, but figured there probably wasn't, or he'd have been cured already. At the very least, it seemed like an inconvenient illness; but the more Hyuk-jae talked about it, the more terrifying it seemed. Teeth clenching, and tongue-biting, and he stopped breathing? Ling shot a glance at her sister. She'd have to brush up on her emergency help lessons, it seemed. She could dress a wound well enough, but this was an ostrich-horse of a different colour.

The young man broke off, trailing into silence and looking down at his hands. She waited. This was obviously a difficult speech.

I'm a Firebender. I can't control it and it... it comes out when I have a big fit. it's not my fault. I can't make it stop or go. But I, sometimes I catch things on fire."

The freckled woman arched an eyebrow. A firebender? She would have never guessed. He seemed untrained, and entirely repulsed by his abilities. And he seemed to think that they would be repulsed too.

For her part, she wasn't. So she told him so, with a wave of her hand. "It's just stuff," Ling said dismissively. "Accidents happen. If you can't control it, then what's the point in getting angry over it?" She shrugged. Aside from the two photos on the memorial shrine and Mei's records, Ling didn't really have any particular attachment to their things. Her thoughts wandered over to the box of Ma-ma's clothes under her bed, but after a moment's reflection she decided those, too, were unimportant. Sure, sentimental value, but no fire would ever destroy her memories.

Unless she died in one. Hah.

Ling realised she was smiling, so she rearranged her face into something more sombre. "Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you." She set down her utensils and folded her hands together, looking at Hyuk-jae more seriously. "It's really not a big deal. We can start keeping some buckets of water in every room, just in case. If Mei's home when something catches fire, she is a waterbender, after all." Like he needed reminding.

She paused, glancing around the compact, but cosy flat. If there was a fire, they did have a stove - they could always blame it on Ling' and faulty cooking. Or wiring issues. They did have electricity, after all. Whatever the case, there seemed to be some sort of warning, however small. If one of them were home, they could make a space, at least, and wait it out with him.

"What about when you stop breathing, though?" It was more concerning to Ling than the firebending. "And bite your tongue? I've heard of people dying by biting their tongue off." She was blunt, straight-to-the-point. She didn't want Hyuk-jae dying. Not only because of personal fondness for the young man, but also because she doubted that Mei would be able to take another death.

"You should tell us if you smell something burning, though," the young woman added as an after thought.

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Anonymous

Sept 27, 2012 19:28:23 GMT -6

The waterbender listened carefully to Hyuk-jae's words, knowing there was a small chance they'd ever be repeated again seeing his discomfort on the issue. Each word that came from his mouth, she tried to memorize, thinking that if it ever happened here, in their home, she could find some way to help him, if there was any way to. She doubted there was a way she'd be able to fix his condition, but helping the episodes could be something if she could figure it out. "Those sound frightening,"

[/color] she managed to comment on his situation. It was no wonder why his previous roommates wanted him out, being a bystander to that and feeling completely helpless to, well, help, sounded stressful. Still, the two siblings could accommodate for him easily.

"Thanks for telling us. As for your diet, I'll make sure to keep up on stock of proteins. Do you have a particular favorite?"[/color] Mei asked. High in proteins and low on cards, right? In the back of her head, she wondered how that could prevent the big episodes. In any case, he was apart of their little family they had left, buying food he liked would be a start to getting him more used to a waterbender in the room. Was she trying too hard to be friendly? It was obvious he hadn't liked her from the start, but the selfless woman rarely sat by while others were uncomfortable. It was an involuntary need to make sure people were happy and well off. It was the reason she kept up so many jobs after their father died.

Firebending? The simple word hooked her attention quickly and she looked over Hyuk-jae. He never struck her as a firebender, though his heritage wouldn't indicate him being anything else, but from what he told the two, she felt okay about it all. As Ling said, if he couldn't control it, why be stressed for not being able to? She nodded in agreement. "It won't be a problem,"[/color] she tried to console. Stop talking, she reminded herself. All she said were repeats of what her sister already spoke, rendering all she said moot.

The food in front of her looked well done by her standards, so the progress of which it was eaten was not a reflection of her sister's cooking but rather that she still had a small appetite for anything at all. Slowly, she picked at the rice as Ling discussed his other symptoms of his episodes. "Ling, I've seen Iluak put strips of leather in their mouths to keep them from biting their tongues. We could apply the same practice, if we can manage?"[/color] Finally! Something valuable to offer to this topic. But the only fault with that suggestion was the fact he clenched his teeth as well. It would be hard to get something in his mouth then and trying to do it before would always be guesswork.

Mei accidentally let out a snicker at Ling's spoken thought, only to catch herself, her posture straightening and her lips pursed. "Sorry about that. I was thinking we might frighten ourselves if you say you smell something burning and it ended up being Ling's cooking."[/color] Her sister wasn't the greatest cook, neither the worst, but some things did end up burnt from time to time. Still, the older sister would finish the meals regardless. Not recently, but she was sure she'd get her appetite back. Eventually. [/blockquote]

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Anonymous

Sept 29, 2012 1:32:40 GMT -6

It was strange, Hyuk-jae realized, how much more comforting Mei seemed in that moment than her sister. Normally it was the other way around. But while Ling focused on the details of the fits and what he'd said, Mei focused on his feelings. He'd never really felt like a healer — or anyone, really, except Lee — had ever focused on how something made him feel before. It was validating and reassuring, and his face reflected that gentle surprise.

"Thanks for telling us. As for your diet, I'll make sure to keep up on stock of proteins. Do you have a particular favorite?"

Relieved, Hyuk-jae just stared at Mei for a moment. He felt so... so overwhelmed, and thankful, and surprised. He'd never had expected this kind of reaction. It almost didn't seem real. "I'll eat anything," he said. "Really. It's not — I don't know if I even have a favourite." Thinking about it, the young Firebender realized he didn't know what kinds of food he liked best. He hadn't really been able to choose it in so long. It was hard to remember what he liked in the face of what he could afford. Things like taste and preference often went out the window when one was poor.

"We can start keeping some buckets of water in every room, just in case."

"Oh, no," Hyuk-jae said quickly, "please don't do that. I really don't have them all that often. There's no need to do something so... drastic." It was embarrassing, thinking about having buckets of water sitting around just in case. A constant reminder of what mind go wrong — he didn't need that. Rubbing at the back of his neck, he flushed a little.

"What about when you stop breathing, though? And bite your tongue? I've heard of people dying by biting their tongue off."
"Ling, I've seen Iluak put strips of leather in their mouths to keep them from biting their tongues. We could apply the same practice, if we can manage"

Alarm spread through the young man's orange-y eyed. "No!" he interjected. "Please don't go around — stuffing things in my mouth. Seriously. It's fine, it's really not a big deal. I always start breathing again anyway and I have never bitten my tongue off. I'm sure I'll be fine. Please don't worry about and don't... don't stick things anywhere." That feeling of alarm was coming back, a little. He didn't want them to think of him as a walking emergency. He liked it better when they focused on what they'd eat and how to share chores. It was a little taste of the normal life he'd always, always wanted.

He laughed when Mei explained her own laughter, suddenly feeling at ease. How had that happened? The Waterbender had managed to take the focus back off of him and put it on Ling, leaving Hyuk-jae free to feel more comfortable. He smiled at her, a pretty, warm, genuine smile. "Thank you," he said. "I mean it. Thank you both." Pulling his plate back towards him, he fiddled around with some of his food. Not wanting to keep the topic of his disease circulating, Hyuk-jae cleared his throat.

"Um, how do you feel about me... babysitting?" he asked, glancing up carefully from his plate. "I, um. I mean someone leaving their kids here with me for a while and then picking them back up. Would that be okay?"

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A Long Display Name Here

Sept 29, 2012 11:29:58 GMT -6

No! Please don't go around — stuffing things in my mouth.

Despite herself, Ling snorted. She waved it off. "Sorry, sorry. Again, not you... I'm just... dumb." She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing harder. Heh. Gross.

She noted with a bit of pleasure that Hyuk-jae seemed a little more at ease around Mei. That's good. Her sister was clearly the more sensitve of the two remaining Yao; Ling never knew what to say in serious matters, either making light of the situation (often inappropriately), or just being completely dumbfounded. It wasn't usually an issue, but either she would have to learn how to speak in a less flippant manner, or... well, there wasn't really an "or", now, was there?

Sorry about that. I was thinking we might frighten ourselves if you say you smell something burning and it ended up being Ling's cooking.

"Hey!"

Ling nudged her sister playfully, her voice taking on mock-hurt tone. "I'm not that bad! Okay, sometimes I burn things but I'm getting better!" She wasn't the greatest cook in the world. She didn't mind making food, but usually her meals were simple: rice, maybe some steamed vegetables (Maybe. Probably a lot more now that Hyuk-jae joined them), and something pan-fried. More complicated dishes that required preparation and/or longer cook-times were beyond her scope - not for lack of ability, but lack of interest. Mei was usually the one that did that sort of thing, with Ma-ma.

Hyuk-jae finally smiled, and Ling was a little surprised. He was a very pretty young man, wasn't he? Not that she had any interest whatsoever, but she wondered what some good, proper-fitting clothes would do for him.

"Psh. Whatever!" With an exaggerated sigh, she threw up her hands. "Make fun of my cooking! And you always wonder why I buy your lunches!" She stuck her tongue out at Mei, then laughed again.

The young man thanked them, and Ling grinned at him, the gap in her two front teeth evident. "Don't worry about it," she said. She didn't know what else to say. "You're welcome sounded too condescending. She didn't want to sy Any time, either, because it didn't make sense. And not anything about making this his "home" either, that would come on his own terms, if he wanted it. So the young woman just took another bite of food.

And almost choked on it. Hyuk-jae was looking nervous again, glancing between her and Mei, as he asked if it was okay to babysit. She coughed, waving her hand in dismissal. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" she gasped out.

Now, that was a question she wasn't expecting. Hyuk-jae knew someone with kids? She couldn't figure this guy out. Ling took a drink and leaned back in her seat, draping an arm over the back of her chair casually. "I don't care," she said. "Kids are pretty cute, usually, but I'm generally what parents consider to be a bad influence." She shrugged. "But I'll try not to be around, much, if you have kids over, if their parents object." Ling was a little notorious if anyone knew about The Golden Fan Saloon.

"What do you think, Mei?"

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Last edit: Sept 29, 2012 11:31:14 GMT -6

Anonymous

Sept 29, 2012 16:55:28 GMT -6

It seemed as if she was finding out so many things she had not previously imagined. Not knowing what you liked to eat was one thing, but as her mind continued to ponder on the idea, it made sense. Hyuk-jae for a while had been on his own. A choice in foods would not make a difference when the issue was getting food in the first place. She nodded upon understanding his comment. "Then I'll leave it to you to let me know if you've developed a preference." She would give him time on the matter, but her habit had always been to make sure others came first. It almost felt wrong to get the things she wanted and leaving others to simply indulge in only what she liked.

Once more Mei nodded when their roommate said that the buckets were unnecessary and to put things in his mouth was a big no. Both precautions, despite the sisters' concerns, she understood could be seen as constant reminders of his handicap. Thinking of his condition as a, well, condition, helped her see things more sympathetically, as she was when treating people as a healer. Still, she would prefer not to see him only as a patient.

His laugher shocked her, causing the woman to climb with her dining utensils, almost having dropped them. She had not expected that kind of reaction from him. With his prejudice for healers, she expected a remark about not to laugh at his condition or not to make fun of it. In return, she managed a smile and couldn't help but feel a bit proud of herself. He definitely seemed less nervous at that moment around her. Then came Ling's backfire at her joke, retorting with that's the reason she bought all of Mei's lunches.

"I never said they were bad!"

[/color]She replied playfully. Ling had in no way, in the past, made a dish that tasted bad, to say. "But, Ling, I would rather have your cooking for lunch and put away the extra money for a rainy day,"[/color] Mei naggingly added, returning the nudge before returning to the food in front of her.

Oddly enough, her appetite came back.

As she picked apart her meal, she took in to consideration Hyuk-jae's permission to babysit. "I see no problem with it. Is there anything you'd need to do it? Snacks?"[/color] Sure, it concerned her a tid bit to the outcome.if he had an episode or started to have his jumps around children. She decided not to bring up a topic of that sort and to leave it for another day, if possible.

She made a mental note to work a few more hours at the restaurant to buy any supplies they would need for the future.
[/blockquote]

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Anonymous

Oct 7, 2012 20:47:40 GMT -6

The idea of certain parents finding Ling a bad influence was funny. Hyuk-jae laughed. The rest of their meal was pleasant enough — no more heavy topics, just talking about days and making fun of Ling's cooking. The paperboy was relieved to hear that the girls didn't mind him babysitting. He enjoyed it, oddly enough, and felt it would be a nice change of pace.

Not three days passed before Hyuk-jae informed the Yao sisters that he would be babysitting that night. Two girls, he said, not to worry. They wouldn't be any trouble at all. He went to pick them up from school himself, leaving their parents a mystery to his roommates. It was late afternoon when he returned to the apartment with two small children in tow — one wearing the navy and red uniform of a very expensive private school, the other in a pink dress with the most enormous hairbow he'd ever seen. Both had sparkling green eyes and the quite dark skin that suggested Water Tribe heritage. The schoolgirl was pulling on Hyuk-jae's hand as they came through the door.

"Daddy said we could have a sweetie while he was out," she was saying in a very convincing tone of voice. The smaller child in pink, balanced on Hyuk-jae's hip, nodded emphatically. The slender young man laughed loudly.
"Oh, did he?"
"Yes! And I did good on my spelling test! So I deserve it," said the schoolgirl.
"Well," Hyuk-jae correctly absently, shutting the door behind them, "you did well, Sooyoung. And your daddy already told me you can't have any sweets, and not to listen to you when you try to convince me otherwise." He sat the small girl in pink on the floor, where she toddled about attempting to get into things.
"But if you're hungry I'll make you something. What do you think, Chae-rin? Are you hungry?"
Pulling on her pink bow, the child ignored him. Hyuk-jae proceeded to put together cut-up vegetables and rice for the girls, seating them at the table as they ate.

Hours passed, in which Hyuk-jae played with the girls and read a story to Chae-rin, who snuggled onto his lap as if he were her father himself. Sooyoung did homework at the table with Hyuk-jae helping her, and then played hide and seek with him and her sister in the house. Hyuk-jae had to chase her back of Ling's room at one point, and childish laughter filled the apartment. It was a cheerful, comfortable atmosphere. Hyuk-jae had one moment of absence while reading, to which Sooyoung brought everyone's attention but then promptly forgot about.

By the time night fell, both girls were curled up on the sofa with the lanky young man, listening to him read in one case and sleeping carelessly on his leg in another. An hour more and they were all asleep, snuggled up in a blanket. A soft knock at the door heralded the arrival of the parents. When the door opened it revealed Lee in a very smart suit, looking exhausted.

"Ah," he said, stepping inside. "Sorry it's so late." He cast fond eyes on the sofa at the pile of sleeping people. Lips curving into a sweet smile, the gangster leaned on the arm of the furniture and just... looked at them for a while. He didn't want to disturb them when they all looked so... sweet.

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Last edit by Deleted: Oct 8, 2012 0:47:44 GMT -6

A Long Display Name Here

Oct 8, 2012 20:18:23 GMT -6

When Hyuk-jae told them he'd be babysitting so soon after bringing it up, Ling made a mental note to be gone most of the day.

Of course, when one intends to spend as much time away as possible, time always seems to move as slowly as a ... a really slow thing. She spent the better part of her day bored in the office, writing up some reports on a surveillance on a "shady" husband. Detective work wasn't nearly as glamourous as she'd thought it'd be. The hours dragged by, and it wasn't even late afternoon when she closed up shop and headed over to the Golden Fan for Happy Hour.

Not that she was there to get drunk. She couldn't imagine it'd be a good impression on whoever if she came home staggering to a house with children in it. So instead, she hustled some tables playing cards and dice, and an occasional arm wrestle. She got bored of it though, and left the 'Fan not after more than an hour, heading to the Clinic to see if Mei was there. She was, and the two sisters walked home together, wondering who these children could be.

What they were, was adorable. Ling grinned as they stepped into the house, just as Hyuk-jae and the girls were playing hide-and-seek. She was tempted to join in, but decided not to, instead shutting herself up in her room for a moment and putting all her knives and weaponry out of reach.

Eventually, the kids tired themselves out and curled up around Hyuk-jae, all three sleeping. Ling was at the table, eating slices of fruit with Mei when someone knocked on the door.

"That must be their parents, I'll get it."

Ah. Sorry it's so late.

'Flabbergasted' might have been an appropriate word to describe Ling's facial expression. Lee stood in front of her, like it was a completely natural thing to do. "You're their dad?" she sputtered, not bothering to hide her incredulity. "Really?"

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Anonymous

Oct 9, 2012 12:11:51 GMT -6

Perhaps no one was more surprised than her that the table of three went well, Hyuk-jae looking comfortable around her and joining in on the joking of Ling's cooking. Things were starting to look up a bit as their new little family just got a little closer. Plus, with Hyuk-jae wanting to babysit, a little more revenue was added to the pot.

The detective work picked up on its own rather quickly, people coming in wanting to leave with more answers than questions. Their fees ranged all over the place to accommodate their clients and the sisters' expenses. There was now no need for Mei to stay away from the house to keep him comfortable and now there wasn't even the need for her to go around, scavenging for new clients. She was even allowed the nice pleasure of walking home with Ling and coming through the door to see two girls curled up on the young man's lap.

"How cute," said the waterbender softly, following her sister to the kitchen for an after work snack if fruit. It was nice to have fresh food at their disposal. In the past, with all Mei's money going towards utilities and so on, as she had stated so many times in the past, those kinds of pleasantries were a rare treat. Somehow... had their mother's death made her life easier?

Nonsense. She would rather have her mother any day instead of a few nice things.

A knock sounded at the door, Mei jumped up, ready to push Ling off to another room. Like ling had said, she wasn't all that great of an influence to young children. Why risk Hyuk-jae's small job with it? But the person that walked in caught her in her motions, her mouth slide agape.

"Welcome," Mei found herself saying, dipping into a small bow. "Would you like a cup of tea?" The offer was true but her intentions naught. She even found herself with a small scowl creasing her face, remembering the time at the Eye. Even after having them track down Hyuk-jae's parents for the information had not softened her idea of the sneaky man.

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Last edit: Oct 9, 2012 17:41:28 GMT -6

Anonymous

Nov 14, 2012 20:07:08 GMT -6

Lee seemed a bit offended by Ling's response, leaning back up off the sofa. "Yes," he said curtly, "I'm their father." Clearly Hyuk-jae hadn't bothered explaining anything to anyone. Sooyoung's school uniform suggested that Lee was paying an outrageous amount for her schooling, and Chae-rin's dress was no cheap affair, either. Clearly, Lee worked hard for the girls. Or did he?

The other sister offered him tea and he glanced at her before smirking a little. "Yeah," he said, shutting the door behind him. "Sure, why not?" The sound of the door jerked Hyuk-jae awake and he carefully moved Chae-rin off of his lap. Sooyoung in her private school uniform cracked open an eye, her father's voice having awakened her.
"Daddy," she said, sleepily.
"Go back to sleep, sweetie," said Lee. "We'll go home in a little bit."

Hyuk-jae got up off the sofa but evaded a hug from the gangster, instead blinking owlishly and looking at the clock. "Spirits," he said, "you're a bit late, aren't you?"
Rubbing the back of his head, Lee had the grace to look embarrassed. "I know, I know," he said. "But I was —"
"Held up," said Hyuk-jae.
"I'm sorry," said Lee.
"Whatever, it happens." Hyuk-jae went to make tea with Mei, leaving Lee to stare at Ling uncomfortably. The children had already curled back up on the sofa, a bit worn out from all the playing.

Once the tea was on the table, the lanky young man sat next to his... whatever-their-relationship-was... sliding a hand over his thigh. "It's fine. We just played, you know. I fed them. No sweets, like you said."
Lee draped an arm around Hyuk-jae's chair in an almost challenging way. "Did she try to get you to give her candy?"
Hyuk-jae snickered. "Yeah, told me she did well on a spelling test."
Lee's green eyes warmed a little. "She probably did," he said. "She's brilliant. They both are."
"Of course." Hyuk-jae looked across the table at Ling. "You know, the girls here wanted me to keep buckets of water around in case I set your kids on fire."

The gangster nearly choked on his tea. "W-- they what?" He stared, incredulously. Of all the insensitive — how could he live with these people?

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A Long Display Name Here

Nov 15, 2012 7:20:03 GMT -6

She could here the offence in Lee's voice, and Ling could've kicked herself. No, you idiot, he's not their father. He's just running around picking up little children from the houses of people he happens to know because he's a creeper. Of course that's it. Good detective skills, Ling. How's that business of yours doing? Dummy.

Interestingly enough, Hyuk-jae and Lee looked like a domestic scene. She smiled a little, then bit her lip after seeing Lee staring at her. What, did she have something on her face? Self consciously, she rubbed her face, trying to avoid his gaze.

You know, the girls here wanted me to keep buckets of water around in case I set your kids on fire.

Ling felt her jaw drop. Lee was sputtering with indignation, and she was left standing there looking like a train could pass through her mouth. Was... was Hyuk-jae teasing her? She didn't know how to react, so she jammed her hands awkwardly in her pocket, a strained smile on her face.

"Er..." The best she could manage. She stared at Hyuk-jae uncertainly. That's not what she had meant by the buckets! They cleared that up at dinner, didn't they? Please be joking, Hyuk-jae she thought silently, feeling Lee's green gaze boring into her skull. I don't need to feel the fury of Lee's wrath.

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Anonymous

Nov 15, 2012 14:13:12 GMT -6

Though Mei hadn't the need of any help making tea, she let Hyuk-jae help. She still felt like she wanted him to be apart of their family, now, but what about Lee? It was obvious Mei hadn't particularity enjoyed Lee's company and especially not in her home. It almost felt obtrusive to have the man there, waiting for the tea she offered. Perhaps she shouldn't have offered, then the man could have gone home with his two children. If they were his, biologically. It was hard for Mei to imagine any woman sticking to someone like him or at least willing to carry his children as the mere presence of the man made her nervous.

Calm down, she told herself. You're the one with the advantage here. You have water. Plus he wouldn't try anything with his children around. Would he? She passed a nervous glance towards her sister as she and Hyuk-jae set out the finished tea. "Oolong tea,"

[/color] she quickly described, taking the seat she deemed to have the most space between herself and the gangster, letting the couple talk for a bit. In an attempt to calm herself down, Mei began to drink her tea. It help some, but her nerves weren't completely gone yet.

Her attention was snapped back to what was at hand when Hyuk-jae said something- the worst thing possible, putting a bad light on the sisters. The waterbender looked over to her sister, waiting for her to say something smooth to get them out of an odd situation. No such thing happened.

"You misunderstand,"[/color] she said, trying to keep her voice steady, setting down her teacup. One wrong word and she could make an even bigger mess of things. Her pale blue eyes darted from both men slowly. "We have never dealt with a situation like this before. Ling and I were only asking what would help, but we never doubted that Hyuk-jae would 'accidentally set your kids on fire',"[/color] she said, using her fingers to put emphasis on the quote. "The bucket idea was in case something happened to the house, but we dismissed that idea,"[/color] she said, sending their new house-mate a subtle look, begging for help.

Mei-zhen cleared her throat. "Anyhow, is there anything else you need?"[/color] she asked, trying to be polite while changing the subject elsewhere. [/blockquote]

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Anonymous

Nov 16, 2012 13:26:17 GMT -6

Lee was offended. He loved those children. They were his whole world. He would do anything for them. Of course, he knew that they looked more like their mother than they did like him — her dark skin, her hair, her bone structure. But they had his eyes. They were his children. And ever since she left, he'd been the only one there for him. Having them love Hyuk-jae and having him love them back was like a dream come true.

He could hardly believe his ears when Hyuk-jae said the girls wanted to keep buckets of water around. It was insensitive, even to the gangster — until he noticed the smirk on the epileptic's face. "Ah," said Lee.
Hyuk-jae grinned sharply at Ling, pleased to have finally gotten her speechless.
"Oh, I love oolong," said Lee. He seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere now too, at least, now that he'd figured out that Hyuk-jae had been joking.
When Mei spoke, it was apparent that both girls weren't familiar enough with the newspaper boy to tell when he was playing.

"We have never dealt with a situation like this before. Ling and I were only asking what would help, but we never doubted that Hyuk-jae would 'accidentally set your kids on fire'."

"Oh," said Lee.
"I was kidding," said Hyuk-jae.

Chae-rin unwound herself from her sister and toddled over to the table, pulling on Lee's trousers to get herself up into his lap. He made room for her instantly and pushed his hot teacup out of her reach. Her large pink bow was askew and he fixed it, smiling. "Have a nice day?"
She was sleeping playing with the buttons on his coat. "I pet a bunny," Chae-rin said.
"Was it soft?" Lee smoothed her hair.
"Mmm." The child put her arms inside Lee's suit jacket where it was warm and pressed her face against his chest, clearly still tired and wanting to go back to sleep.
"All right." He shifted her to a position that was comfortable for him before picking up his teacup.
"I wore them out playing," said Hyuk-jae. "Ling didn't want to help. She had to guard her knives or something."

Lee drank the tea quickly from his cup. "Will you get Sooyoung?" he asked Hyuk-jae.
"Yeah." The slender young man got up while Lee slowly got himself — and his now-sleeping child — out of his chair and headed for the door. "Thanks for your hospitality girls," he said, looking at them over Chae-rin's head, "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again. Unless, of course, you refuse." He opened the door and went out, Hyuk-jae following him with a complaining and sleepy Sooyoung. Once they were all in the Satomobile and Hyuk-jae and Lee said a private goodbye, the boy came back alone, shutting the door behind him.

"So," he said, turning around and leaning against the door. Those women were staring at him. "Uh. I'm sure you have questions..."

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A Long Display Name Here

Nov 20, 2012 0:33:48 GMT -6

Kidding! She laughed out loud, both with relief and amusement. Okay, maybe Hyuk-jae's sense of humour wasn't exactly what she was expecting, but now that she had gotten over the shock it was definitely right up her alley.

I wore them out playing. Ling didn't want to help. She had to guard her knives or something.

She grinned sheepishly. "I wasn't about to take any chances of an accident, or something. We haven't had kids around here for a very long time. They were well behaved, though."

Lee finished his tea pretty quickly, and Hyuk-jae helped the girls get ready to go. She waved at them, offering a little smile. They were really cute. Kind of reminded her of herself and Mei at that age.

I'm sure I'll be seeing you again. Unless, of course, you refuse.

Ling opened her mouth to retort, but Lee had already left, Hyuk-jae on his heels. Wow. That was a harrowing experience. She glanced at Mei, raising an eyebrow. "Were... were you expecting that?" she asked, pretty sure she already knew the answer. Ling jammed her hands in her pockets, waiting for Hyuk-jae to come back. The young man returned a little later, looking a little sheepish. No, that wasn't the word... maybe a little jumpy? She wasn't sure.

So... Uh. I'm sure you have questions.

She grinned, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "Maybe a little," she said, grinning. She flumped down on the couch, putting her feet up on the living room table. "Why didn't you tell us they were Lee's girls? ... Or do you babysit for other people as well?" There was an idea. She rubbed her chin, vaguely remembering a book about some teen girls who started up a baby sitting service.

Ling looked back up at Hyuk-jae, all smiles. "It's okay though. They're sweet girls. Aren't they, Mei?"

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Anonymous

Nov 21, 2012 1:57:58 GMT -6

Ooc; gah, I don't like this post D;

Mei felt like the equivalent of a fool, sitting at the table with her warm tea cup in her hands as Hyuk-jae explained that he was joking. She wanted to ask him how he thought making them look bad was a joke, but she held her tongue, knowing no good would come from it to be harsh especially with children near by. And not just anyone's children- Lee's children. Once more, the thought of who bore those two young girls send a shiver down her spine that she refused to let show. Instead, she let her lips turn in a slight upwards fashion.

The elder sister rose from her seat as a courtesy when Lee stood as well. "You are welcome here when you have reason to,"

[/color] she said, faintly implying that if he were to come here, it would be when Hyuk-jae was around. Or hiring them for another job. The waterbender was not very keen on knowing the apparent father would stop by for social visits just to talk to the two Yao sisters.

Mei cleaned the table of the tea cups, doing a quick wipe down of the table with a damp cloth as if the mere presence of the man were to dirty their kitchen. Such irrational, arrogant and harmful thoughts were not common in her mind, but something about the man just made her want to feel bitter towards him, or maybe she truly did dislike his company. In any event, she could tolerate Lee so long as Hyuk-jae wanted him around since she saw no reason as why Ling would invite him over.

Now with Lee gone, she felt as though a weight was lifted from her shoulders and she stood near the sink with her tea, sipping at it carefully while Hyuk-jae came back in, thinking they had questions. Ling, of course, voiced hers quickly while Mei continued to drink her beverage. When finished, she set down the cup and took a few strides towards her sister and resting a hand on her shoulder. "They did seem very nice,"[/color] she agreed. "But, Hyuk-jae, you did ask us if you could baby sit and we agreed."[/color] The next comment was meant for Ling and despite the wording, it was not intended to be snide. "We did agree for you to babysit; who you work for isn't much of a concern for us."[/color]

She had no expectations that the young man would tell them everything or assume that they knew nothing, not to be belittling but to be honest. She did not expect him to tell her before she left who he was going to babysit for, how long or anything of those concerns. During their original discussion, she had made it clear she was there to help if he needed anything and that's where she stood. She didn't need much more from him other than to be honest about what he needed.

"Though,"[/color] she begins, returning to her seat at the table, "I would be interested in knowing how often you'll babysit."[/color] Perhaps Ling would as well, knowing when to put her knives away somewhere very safe, or when she could be home. [/blockquote]

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Anonymous

Nov 21, 2012 16:38:19 GMT -6

"Why didn't you tell us they were Lee's girls? ... Or do you babysit for other people as well?"

Hyuk-jae shrugged. "You didn't ask," he pointed out. As for whether or not he kept other people's children... the young man shook his head, dark hair getting into his eyes. "I haven't thought about babysitting for anyone else. I guess I could." It sure beat other ways to earn money... "But I've only ever kept the girls."

"We did agree for you to babysit; who you work for isn't much of a concern for us."

Yeah, no surprise. Hyuk-jae felt like Mei was being just a little self-righteous. Hadn't Lee helped them get their detective agency? Hadn't Hyuk-jae? But she was acting like seeing the man was the worst thing that had happened to her all day. He wondered idly how she'd react if he said that Lee was his boyfriend and he wanted him to stay over...

Not that he was. His boyfriend, of course. But Lee had asked and Hyuk-jae continued to evade giving an answer.

When Ling said the girls were sweet, Hyuk-jae smiled a pretty, satisfied smile. "They are sweet," he said. "Lee spoils them, but they're coming out all right all the same." He sat down on the sofa, sighing and tilting his head back. "Their mom uh, skipped town about three years ago. Right after Chae-rin was born. She doesn't remember her, but Sooyoung still does." Lacing his fingers together, Hyuk-jae brought his arms up and settled his hands behind his head. His face was thoughtful. "She and Lee never meant to stay together, anyway. It was kind of an accident they had Sooyoung, and he felt like he ought to marry her because, well, you know. But they were never very happy." From all accounts, Lee was still married to her, but it didn't matter because she was long gone.

"I think Chae-rin's going to end up a Waterbender, like her," said Hyuk-jae softly.

I would be interested in knowing how often you'll babysit."

The young man let out a disgruntled sigh. "Well I don't know," he said. "It's not a planned thing. I keep them when he needs me to. It's not a big deal. We don't schedule it." Hyuk-jae crossed his arms. He felt tired, and out of sorts. He hadn't had a big fit since the one that had gotten him thrown out of his old flat, and he knew it would happen eventually. Was Mei worried that he would hurt Lee's children? Did Mei even care? After all, they were Lee's children — and her distaste for him was obvious. Hyuk-jae wasn't sure why he cared so much. The answer was probably obvious...

((OOC note: y'all are gonna have to advance the plot next. I've done it for a while now, so it's on you. Take your time

))

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A Long Display Name Here

Dec 2, 2012 18:07:36 GMT -6

OOC; All right, moving forward! Airi, if you could PM me before you post, we've got some things to talk about re this upcoming plot. :]] I'm going to time-skip a little bit, so we can be "current" with the timeline.
—————-

Ling waved her hand to diffuse the tension. "Whenever is fine, I'm sure." She glanced at Mei, feeling instinctively that Lee frazzled her sister. She wasn't going to lie, it was like that for her too. But Hyuk-jae didn't have anyone else in his life but the three of them, and at the very least Lee's girls made the young man happy. She yawned and stretched, looking up at the clock. "It's late," she said to no one in particular. "I think I'll head to bed."

She walked over to the kitchen and gave Mei a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Good night," she said, then murmured in her sister's ear, "Don't worry about Lee. If anything happens, I'll look out for you."

Tweaking her sister's nose, Ling made her way to her room, waving at Hyuk-jae as she passed him.

Once in her room, she quickly changed from her "day clothes" to some comfortable nightwear; it was one of the last things Ma-ma had given her, and while it wasn't particularly her style, she had taken to wearing it in remembrance of her mother. With a nudge of her foot, she moved her regular clothes out of the way and flopped into her bed, falling fast asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

——

The next few weeks went by in a blur. The fall festival came and went, and Yao sisters saw an influx of new visitors to the office in the wake of Amon's appearance and takeover at the Probending Arena. Unfortunately, these new visitors never actually wound up being clients — Ling's reputation seemed to have preceded them, and the people lined up outside their door were looking for a body-guards-for-hire. She shooed them away, feeling terrible. She understood their fear, but she just didn't have the time to guard anyone and still keep Mei safe.

Business was steady, though; people were starting to pay more attention to disappearances. The police were overflowing with requests, and a majority of the girls' work came from the bulletins and wanted posters tacked up at Headquarters.

So on a weekend when Ling was relaxing at home, it didn't strike her as a surprise to see a uniformed officer walking up the metal stairs to their flat. There was a sharp rap at the door; Ling stood, waving off Mei, who was at the table, and Hyuk-jae, who was in the armchair. "I've got it."

Pulling the door open, she hooked her thumb through the loop in her pants and leaned up against the door jamb casually. "Yes?"

"Is this the Yao residence?" asked the officer.

Ling nodded. "Yeah, it is. I'm Ling. Can I help you?"

The officer bowed, then showed her his badge. "I was sent from headquarters to tell you that there is a possible suspect in your Mother's death," he said in a low voice.

At first, the words didn't register properly. She stared at the officer with a blank expression for a few moments before realising just what he said. When it clicked, her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?" she whispered, not believing her ears. "I thought the police said her death was of natural causes." Her throat felt dry; a little voice in her head was telling her to get Mei, but she silenced it. There was no way, she thought, though that little nagging voice came back, reminding her about all the inconsistencies at the scene.

Once the officer had relayed his information, he gave her a small bow and handed her his card. "We're aware that you and your sister run a Private Investigator agency," he said. "Remember not to interfere with official police investigation. If you remember anything that could help us, please give me a call."

He left, but Ling stood in the doorway, staring into space. A suspect! Ma-ma was... murdered? It was unbelievable. Who would want to murder her mother?

Slowly, Ling turned around and closed the door, walking woodenly to the kitchen table where Mei sat.

"Mei, I..." she swallowed, and handed her sister the business card with shaking hands. "The police said they... that they think that Ma-ma... that Ma-ma didn't die naturally." She tried to soften the blow; their mother's death had hit Mei incredibly hard. She could barely process the thought her self.

Feeling her legs go weak, she sat heavily in her customary place at the table. "I... I don't know what to think," she said dully. "They said they had a suspect."

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