[tag: Zombi]

Takeo led the way into Narook’s, smiling slightly as a wave of noise and the scent of noodles assaulted him. He’d been to Narook’s many times before since coming to the city, and always enjoyed whatever he ate there. The food reminded him of home, which would be especially comforting now given what had just happened. Jin Ho had suggested that he try something new, but as tantalizing an offer as that was, Takeo had declined, explaining that he’d had more than enough excitement for one day. So, Narook’s it was.

As he held the door open for the cop, Takeo couldn’t help noticing how different the man looked when not in uniform. He knew police officers had to have lives outside of their work, but it was still kind of strange to see one dressed in normal clothes. He wondered if cops could easily recognize each other when not in uniform. Maybe he’d ask Jin Ho about that once they had gotten settled.

There were a few people waiting ahead of them for tables, so at the moment there was little else to do but wait patiently. As they waited, Takeo tried not to attack the policeman with questions, tapping his finger on his arm to keep him focused on something other than bugging the man. Finally, though, he couldn’t help himself, and he opened the floodgates.

”I’m sorry if this bugs you, but I wanted to ask…when cops aren’t in uniform, do you guys still recognize each other? I mean, I figure you would, seeing as you work together and all, but the outfits are pretty noticeable. And are you a Metalbender? I heard pretty much all cops are. What’s that like? Can you make anything you want out of metal? What’s your favorite part of being a police officer?”

[tag: Tenshio]

Jin Ho liked Narook's just fine. The food wasn't quite spicy enough for his taste, but it was a nice change from normal. Jin Ho's family tended to make very hot foods at home! Takeo's statement about wanting to eat familiar food after a trying situation made him laugh. It was true!

Once inside the restaurant the two men were told they had to wait for a table. That didn't bother him too much — the place was really popular, after all! Waiting patiently, Jin Ho watched Takeo fidget and waited for the surely-coming onslaught of questions. It didn't take long at all!

”I’m sorry if this bugs you, but I wanted to ask…when cops aren’t in uniform, do you guys still recognize each other? I mean, I figure you would, seeing as you work together and all, but the outfits are pretty noticeable."

Laughing, the policeman nodded. "Yes," he said, "I know who my co-workers are outside of the uniform. I recognize them." They had a locker room at work, he explained, and he had had to go through the police academy like everyone else. Of course he knew them!

"And are you a Metalbender? I heard pretty much all cops are. What’s that like? Can you make anything you want out of metal? What’s your favorite part of being a police officer?”

"Yes, I'm a Metalbender." Jin Ho smiled. "Are you a Waterbender?" When Takeo asked what it was like and if he could make anything, Jin Ho just laughed again. "It's just normal to me, I guess," he said. "My dad was a police force Metalbender, too, so I grew up seeing it and he taught me. I can make some things, I guess. I have never just sat around and tried to make stuff, though!" He looked over as they were told they could have a table and followed the waiter to a corner.

"My favourite part," Jin Ho said as he sat down, "is knowing that the work I do keeps other people safe." He smiled and ordered his usual bowl of seaweed noodles and hot tea. He didn't come all that often, but he came often enough that he knew very well what he liked best. While waiting for food, he leaned his chin in his hand. "So, my turn," he started, "you don't seem like you're from around here. Is that right? Where are you from?" It was obvious from the man's predicament in the train station that he wasn't used to big city life.

"Did no one talk to you about the train station?" Jin Ho asked. The waiter set their food on the table and he thanked him for his trouble before starting to eat. In between bites, he continued the conversation, asking if Takeo wasn't aware that it wasn't a very good idea to carry a lot of money on one's person, especially not in the train station.

[tag: Zombi]

Jin Ho was certainly different from most people Takeo had met; he seemed gifted with an extraordinary amount of patience. First he’d had to deal with the whole mess of Takeo being robbed, and now they were getting food together and he was being attacked by the Waterbender’s probably silly questions. And yet, he hadn’t yet snapped or told Takeo to go away. That was impressive, and endeared him to the Waterbender. Unfortunately for the cop, that probably meant yet more questions would be coming his way.

The officer’s answer to his first question made him realize just how stupid of a query it had been, and his face reddened a bit. But still, he had gotten an answer, so that bit of curiosity was now sated, which was worth a little embarrassment. There were more answers to come, though, and surely he’d think of more things to ask as this encounter continued. There was so much he didn’t know, and the best way to gain knowledge was to ask questions…or so he’d been told. He did seem to ask more than most people, though.

Not wanting to distract Jin Ho from responding to his favorite set of inquiries, about Metalbending, Takeo just nodded when asked about his bending, focusing on what else the policeman had to say. It was exciting to hear that the man’s father had also been in the police, and that he was able to craft some things with his bending. That was something Takeo had always wanted to do, but blobs of water were a lot harder to shape than pieces of metal. And besides, making things took a large amount of concentration—not one of his strong suits. Nodding his understanding of Jin Ho’s answers, the Waterbender followed to their table.

After ordering the same thing as the other man—he wasn’t in the mood to experiment today—it was his turn to be interrogated. Takeo smiled when asked about his origins. ”I’m from a small town on the coast to the…” He paused as he tried to remember which direction his home town was in. ”The east! I’ve only lived in the city for a few months.”

As their food arrived and they began to eat, the conversation turned to the train station, making the Waterbender laugh as his coworker’s repeated warnings echoed in his head. ”Yeah, my coworker Jin is always telling me to be careful around the station and not to carry a lot of money around. And usually I listen! It’s just that I’d just gotten paid, and I was thinking of buying a pet, and I wanted to find out how much that would be, so I brought a bunch of money with me just in case I made any kind of decision. But then I got to the station and started watching the trains…I’m not really all that good at concentrating for a long time on anything, but that I can do for a while, and I guess I just wasn’t paying attention to anything else when I should have been.”

[tag: Tenshio]

The policeman didn't mind questions, he really didn't. It was nice to spend time with someone he wasn't related to or in an awkward demi-romantic relationship with or worked with. It was refreshing. He needed it, and it made him happy. The food helped, too — it was delicious! Narook's was always a great place. Takeo seemed to be enjoying his as well. The feeling of doing something nice for someone else was one Jin Ho treasured, and he smiled.

”I’m from a small town on the coast to the… The east! I’ve only lived in the city for a few months.”

Jin Ho nodded, his suspicions confirmed. It was obvious that Takeo was new in town! The young man seemed very interested in things and curious about everything, not to mention talkative... and not very familiar with personal safety in a big city. "I can tell," he said. "Small town people stand out a little when they first move here." Leaning his chin in his hand, Jin Ho shrugged. "Maybe you should get a different type of wallet or consider a safer way to carry your money," he suggested. "Inside your shirt, perhaps?"

"It’s just that I’d just gotten paid, and I was thinking of buying a pet, and I wanted to find out how much that would be, so I brought a bunch of money with me just in case I made any kind of decision. But then I got to the station and started watching the trains…"

Oh! A pet! That seemed like a great idea. Jin Ho deeply missed his own dog, Sweeper, who had recently died. He wasn't ready for a new pet, not yet, but he knew he would get one. "Really? What kind of animal were you thinking of getting?" he asked, twirling noodles about and eating them with relish. "I used to have a dog. Well, I had him for a long time, but he died recently." The policeman paused, looking sad. He knew if he thought about Sweeper for very long, he'd get very upset. It was better to change the subject. Clearing his throat, he swirled some of the noodles around, bringing them up to his mouth and asking:

"So where do you work?"

... before eating them and being quiet to chew.

"I’m not really all that good at concentrating for a long time on anything, but that I can do for a while, and I guess I just wasn’t paying attention to anything else when I should have been.”

Sounded somewhat familiar. Jin Ho knew several people who had problems with their attention spans. It seemed like maybe Takeo hadn't learned any coping mechanisms to help him deal with life and learn to navigate his attention span. "Has that always been a thing for you?" he asked. "I know several people who can't keep their minds on anything for long." He laughed. "I can be pretty one-track, myself!"

[tag: Zombi]

Takeo always appreciated helpful advice, even if he wasn’t that great at following it all the time. An enthusiastic nod of his head showed that he would attempt what Jin Ho suggested. The man was a police officer; his advice must be the best of the best. The Waterbender would try keeping his money in his shirt the next time he went out…that is, if he could remember to do so. He wished he had something to write on, or one of the many lists he kept pinned to the walls of his apartment. Lists were the only way he’d found to regulate his behavior. There was one to remind him when he had to go to work on which days, another to remind him what thoughts were best kept in his head—not that that one was all that successful—and many more. Every time two or more related important thoughts entered his head, he made a new list. The walls of his home were practically covered. It was chaotic, but somehow in all that chaos he found some semblance of order.

Takeo had some noodles on the way to his mouth, but let them fall back into the bowl when Jin Ho asked him what kind of pet he was thinking of getting. That was something he had hoped the other man wouldn’t ask, since it was the question that he’d been agonizing over for quite a while now. But the cop had been polite and answered all of his questions, so he deserved the same. The Waterbender mussed up his already wild hair as he thought.

”Um…I like cat owls. They’re really cool. But I don’t think my landlady would like that, ya know, since they fly away and can be kinda mean. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’d want a mean animal around either…” Well, one possibility shot down. His face lit up as he thought of another. ”Oooh, do you know if purple pentapusses make good pets? I’ve always thought those were cute, and I don’t think they take much looking after. But then, I think they have to live in sewers, and I don’t want to live in a sewer.” He sighed. ”I don’t know. It would have to be something that didn’t need a ton of attention or was really complicated to take care of.”

The Waterbender wasn’t sure how to react when Jin Ho mentioned his recently deceased dog. ”Sorry,” was all he could muster, but it seemed like that was all that was needed since the policeman quickly moved on, asking about his job. Takeo smiled. ”I work at a hotel by the docks. I help people with their luggage and stuff like that. It’s really fun, and I get to meet some really nice people, too!” Of course, there was the occasional not-so-nice person that he had to deal with, but he never let those people bother him too much. Everyone had bad days; maybe if he provided good service, the grumpy people would cheer up. That was always his goal, to make people happy.

Swallowing the bunch of noodles that was in his mouth, he nodded in response to Jin Ho’s question about his attention span issues. ”Yep, always. I think it might have gotten worse since I got here, though. Maybe ‘cause the city’s so big and there’s so much to see. I have lists all over my apartment to remind me of important stuff, but it doesn’t always help.” He couldn’t help but laugh at himself. ”You’re a cop, so you must have to stay pretty focused. How do you do it?”

[tag: Tenshio]

Jin Ho laughed a little as Takeo let his noodles drop out of his mouth. The man was certainly... interesting! He seemed a little scattered. Idly, the policeman wondered what the man's apartment looked like.

"I'm not sure how good a pet a catowl would make." The police officer sounded unsure. "They don't seem very cuddly. I don't know how easy really any pet is — they're not really like toys, you know, you have to put a lot of effort into taking care of them." To the metalbender, a pet should be something a body could cuddle. Of course, he'd always let his dog sleep with him, so it was natural that he felt that way! He didn't think a catowl would be a good choice, and a pentapuss seemed like it might be a lot of work. What kind of environment did those even live in?

"Oh, it's good you like your job," Jin Ho said as the young man excitedly told him that he met neat people working at a hotel. He seemed quite optimistic! That was wonderful to see. "You seem very personable," the policeman added, "and easy to get along with. I'm sure customer service comes naturally to you! Not everyone is so lucky." He grinned. There was truly a place for everyone.

”Yep, always. I think it might have gotten worse since I got here, though. Maybe ‘cause the city’s so big and there’s so much to see. I have lists all over my apartment to remind me of important stuff, but it doesn’t always help. You’re a cop, so you must have to stay pretty focused. How do you do it?”

"Well, um," Jin Ho shifted in his seat, "being focused is pretty natural for me. I don't think I have any great advice except to remind yourself of your goals really often. That's what I do." He ate some more of his food and thought about it for a moment. "Oh, and I go running every day." Jin Ho nodded. "Exercise and a healthy diet helps maintain focus. That's what my dad always told me!" Jin Ho's father was a very dedicated person, even in his retirement he got up and ran in the mornings and kept a busy, active schedule. The former policeman volunteered regularly, even, and was involved with book clubs and other interests. "I think I just learned early how to do those kinds of things. Maybe you should try only doing one thing at a time, or always doing things in the same order?" It seemed like that might help.

Jin Ho's bowl was sadly empty all of a sudden. He could scarcely believe it! He'd eaten so quickly — it was likely due to the fact that he'd skipped a few meals recently. The police force was awful busy. "Tell me," he said, deciding to sip some tea and let the noodles settle, "how much of the city have you seen?"