Sept 16, 2012 19:57:25 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 16, 2012 19:57:25 GMT -6
She perused the Fleshbender novel with a keen, almost scholarly interest, glossing over some of the racier passages. Not, exactly, that she wasn't interested in reading those too; it was just something she thought might not be appropriate. Hangetsu was laughing, not unkindly, at her mention of Omoi Tenoh. She blushed, laughing just a little too. What a strange, strange night.
In his laughter, something dropped from under the metalbender's coat. Instinctively, Ren stooped to help him pick it up. Hangetsu, on the other hand, froze, his laugh — that had just moments ago been so pleasant — coming out in awkward gasps. He called it a 'gag gift' from his sister, but Ren just looked at him quietly, an eyebrow arched. He crumbled under the weight of his own falsehood, though, and admitted to ownership.
Um... it's mine. Uh, how much money or how many books will it take to make you forget you saw that?
Making a thoughtful face, Ren picked up the book and made a show of studying it closely. Chief Bei Fong couldn't have posed for these; she admired the artist's rendition of the woman, however. Looking up at Hangetsu playfully, Ren shook her head.
"I don't know, dear," she told him in mock-seriousness, flipping through the pages as if taking stock of its contents once more. "This is such a shock! Maybe I'll need a dozen new books. Or twenty!" She landed on a particularly risqué image. "I take that back. I need a hundred books!" Dramatically, she pushed the paintings back into Hangetsu's arms, then rested the back of her hand on her forehead. "Oh dear, oh dear."
But she couldn't hide her mirth for long; her husky, wood-smoke laugh filled the small flat as she put her arm around Hangetsu and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. Here in his flat, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, Ren felt more at ease and safe. She didn't have to worry anymore.
Tucking a loose strand of her grey hair behind her ear, she waved at the collection of pictures. "It's okay, really," she tried to reassure the metalbender. While she didn't exactly do 'that' sort of thing herself (there was just no enjoyment, considering that she was at odds with her physical form), it wasn't any of her business what Hangetsu did to take care of that for himself.
"Really, I understand. Don't worry about it." Smiling, she moved back to the book case and knelt in front of it, mouthing the titles written on the spines. Understanding Hangetsu's discomfort, she changed the subject back to the Festival.
"Maybe we can go on a bison ride," she said, thinking it would be lovely to see the City from the sky. "I hear there is also a costume party being held somewhere in the City."
Sept 16, 2012 17:07:57 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 16, 2012 17:07:57 GMT -6
OOC: I have a moment, so here's a quick post. Sorry it isn't much more, but with all the preparations for the Carnival + all my other threads updating seemingly simultaneously, I'm kind of swamped. Thanks for understanding!
—
Airi said he didn't owe her anything. Well, that was just fine and dandy, but Bolin made a mental note to treat her for something for 'no reason'. He tried to finish his noodles quickly so they could get something for Airi to eat — a difficult task, as the noodles were still piping hot. As soon as they had finished and Airi had paid (Bolin felt another pang of guilt), they made their way to a store Airi knew, and she picked up some curry for herself. Bolin enjoyed the smell of curry, but it wasn't exactly his favourite dish. Fire Nation food was just too spicy for him, most of the time.
The afternoon passed by quickly. Airi showed him parts of the City he'd only vaguely remembered, and they eventually found their way to Central Park. The firebender seemed to stiffen at the sight of the turtleducks — maybe she was afraid? — but she handled the situation with grace, and the two of them spent the afternoon just hanging out and enjoying each others' company.
Bolin couldn't remember when he'd had so much fun just because; he constantly tried to impress people because everyone compared him to Mako, so it was nice to just have someone who didn't know who he was. Mako was a pretty great guy, though, but he needed to leave something for the rest of them. The day was over much too quickly, and Bolin felt both happiness and apprehension at the thought of calling it 'over'.
They found their way back to Central Square; the train station was a lot less crowded at night. Lungs and his bandmates were already gone, and only a handful of street kids were hanging around. They lay with their backs to the ground, looking up at the night sky as the stars began to twinkle to life. It was a little hard to see, what with the street lights near by and Republic City's light pollution as a whole, but it wasn't impossible.
Airi waxed poetical about fire, and firebending, and Bolin found himself agreeing. "Mako," he reminded her. "And yeah, I totally get you. I think a lot of people forget that fire lights this place up, gives it this electricity, lets everyone do what they want without fear of darkness."
Suddenly, Bolin sat up. "Mako!" he exclaimed, remembering. "Oh my gosh. I told him I'd be back hours ago." He looked up at the sky, then looked around the Square. "Maybe... maybe we can go back before he realises." The earthbender was loathe to leave, but he didn't want his brother on his case, either. He knew that Mako was just looking out for him, like he always did; it was nice, but sometimes frustrating. He wouldn't put it past his older brother to be out looking for him right now.
Sept 16, 2012 16:16:40 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 16, 2012 16:16:40 GMT -6
A third girl joined the table; Rohana noted the uneven numbers with a small, barely perceptible smile. What was it about the Equalists that inspired so many women to join? She had seen a lot of women over the course of her time with the Equalists, trained so many how to fight and defend. It was empowering, she supposed. Historically, only a handful of non-bending women were considered 'great'; one of Avatar Aang's friends, for instance. She couldn't even remember her name, either, just that she had been a Kyoshi warrior and after the war briefly associated with Fire Lord Zuko. It was hard for a seemingly powerless person to be noticed or respected, and for some reason especially when that person was perceived as female.
How many times had she received letters from women who didn't know how to stand up for themselves, who were afraid of being thought of as 'rude' for telling someone they were uncomfortable or upset? She always wrote back in the warmest of ways, encouraging them to find inner strength and be vocal when they felt it necessary. She hoped very much that it helped.
The new girl sat in an empty seat, looking at her with a slightly terrified expression. Rohana waved a hand to dismiss the interruption. "It is good of you to join us," she said evenly, wondering if the young man with the briefcase would ever get the meeting under way. At the very least, he should tell them how many more they were expecting.
With little ceremony, the older woman slid her cup of sake to the newcomer, who had been eyeing the bottles hopefully. It wasn't like she was going to drink it, so might as well not waste.
"Do you have news of our friend?" Rohana repeated the question from earlier. What would Amon have them do? Was it time?
While she hadn't attended the rally that the Avatar had managed to infiltrate, she had heard about Amon's power. Rohana wondered what her grandparents would think; probably that he had been blessed by Koh, the patron spirit of the Galgori people. She had her reservations of nearly deifying a mischievous, occasionally malicious face-stealing spirit, but Koh had always guided her people to success. Even now, though their people had passed into legend, he blessed them. Living at the heart of Avatar Aang's paradise...! Koh was a gracious patron to his people, even if Rohana was personally glad her chances of encountering him were next to nothing.
Imagine, the power to take away someone's bending! There had been rumours of such an ability, but she had never believed it herself; Avatar Aang was rumoured to have such a power, as well, but even Galgori information was frustratingly vague and uncertain. Amon, on the other hand — who was she to argue with the eyewitness accounts of at least a hundred people? Amon had also claimed to have been visited by the spirits, who granted him the ability. It was enough for Rohana; the spirit must have been Koh. Who else could it be?
The Galgori studied her companions silently, her dark brown eyes moving from one to another after just the briefest of pauses. When she reached the new girl, the one who interrupted her, Rohana felt a lurch in her stomach. Galgori, a small voice whispered to her. She wasn't sure, but there was something about the girl; her air, small tell-tale signs of a Galgori upbringing. She met the girl's dark eyes, lingering for just a moment longer than she did with the others.
In her years in Republic City, she had yet to meet another Galgori. Granted, it wasn't like they went around with it stamped to their foreheads. On closer inspection, Rohana surmised that if her hunch was correct, this girl was not trained as she had been, that her education had been diluted. Such a shame.
She made a mental note to try and talk to her after the meeting, and offered the girl a rare smile.
Sept 16, 2012 5:18:03 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 16, 2012 5:18:03 GMT -6
oh my gosh, ahahahahaha. that's amazing. x']
Sept 15, 2012 5:51:42 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 15, 2012 5:51:42 GMT -6
OOC: Stargazing is fine, but by my estimate it's like... barely noon / afternoon. The thread opened in the early morning, and they've only practised a bit, popped over to the bakery & the square, and then they are just starting lunch. I can't imagine that being more than six hours in length, so we have to fill time until nightfall — unless you want to just gloss over the rest of their day?
———
Maybe noodles weren't a good idea. He watched a little helplessly as Airi choked on them, coughing and insisting that she were fine. Pabu nudged at Airi's glass with his nose, slowly pushing it closer to the firebender. Good ferret.
Airi apologised, but Bolin wasn't entirely sure what she was apologising for. He shrugged it off, waving his hands in dismissal. "Don't worry about it!" Whatever it was. Maybe she had forgotten again. He didn't feel sorry for Airi, exactly — it was so rude, he thought, to feel sorry for someone who didn't feel sorry for themselves — but he wished he could help her remember things a little better. He wanted to be friends with her, but it wouldn't do if she didn't remember him! The earthbender just wasn't sure how to go about asking without sounding like a big jerk.
She stroked a pretend beard, making him laugh, as she encouraged him once again to ask Korra on a date. Pretending to twirl a fake moustache, he agreed. "Hm, yes, quite, I see the wisdom in your words, my good sir." Airi was a lot of fun; he thought with some interest that she and Korra would get along too. Both girls were a lot of fun, didn't mind being goofy, and smiled million-yuan-smiles. He didn't know if Korra had any friends outside of him and Mako. The Airbending family didn't count, if you thought about it; technically they were related, since Korra was also (once?) Avatar Aang. Whoa, weird. So... that made her Tenzin's ... dad?
... Ow. His head hurt. Avatars were confusing things.
Sorry, I don't like it. I think I'll stick with Fire Nation food and bread.
Okay, he wasn't expecting that. Bolin was stunned — Stunned!— that someone didn't like Narook's famous noodles. Now he was disappointed, and felt a little guilty to boot. He made her pay for something she wound up not liking.
"Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
Sept 15, 2012 1:20:35 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 15, 2012 1:20:35 GMT -6
Smiling warmly, Hoshi nodded. "I'll put that in a box for you then, before you go." She was more than happy to share, especially since Sohee seemed like such a nice girl.
Her smile widened as Sohee enthusiastically agreed to chat about probending. "Oh, yes, that's absolutely fine. I don't really have any plans tonight, and it's so hard for me to find people who are interested in probending." Most of that was her fault, not socialising beyond Jin Ho and her customers, but Hoshi kept that tidbit to herself.
Excusing herself for the briefest of moments, Hoshi removed the tray with the tea supplies, setting them in the sink to do in the morning. She returned with two glasses of water, and set one within arm's reach of Sohee. "Just in case you're still thirsty."
Reaching over to the table with her purse, she pulled out the magazine from earlier and set it on the table facing Sohee. This issue of Probending Digest not only had a full-length interview with Tahno, but a small roster of each of the teams playing this season. Her green eyes wandered back over to the Semi-Finals poster, and she made up her mind to see her favourite player in action. Maybe she could ask Sohee to go with her! — after she asked her parents, of course. Hoshi was suddenly acutely aware of their age difference, and hoped the young girl's parents did not see any budding friendship as inappropriate.
"Do you have a favourite team yet?" the woman asked hopefully, dearly wishing for Yes, the Wolf Bats! to come out of the girl's mouth. It was a futile wish, seeing as Sohee hadn't recognised Tahno on her flyer, but some small part (okay, large part) of her hoped that was due to the girl having trouble remembering faces.
She couldn't believe she had missed so many matches in the past couple of weeks; with the whole trouble with Amon on top of the issues with Mizu and Jin Ho, the days had simultaneously stretched to eternity and sped by like lightning. If the semi finals had arrived, then she had at the very least missed three game broadcasts! She wondered how the other teams fared, wondering briefly if the Avatar's team had made the semi-finals too.
Studying the flyer more closely, she re-read the name of the opposing team: Armadillo-Wolves. Hoshi thought for a moment, then remembered being impressed that their earthbender was handicapped — one-armed. Though, could it really be called a handicap? Clearly, they were able to not only participate in competitive sport but were able to make it far enough to challenge the reigning champions in one of the last matches in the season. That was impressive enough by itself, so it was apparent that the lack of an arm didn't affect the game.
"Did you know that the earthbender for this team--" she pointed to the printed "Armadillo-Wolves" on the flyer, "only has one arm?" The admiration was apparent in her voice. "I've been trained as an earthbender; it's a difficult element to control with two hands, nevermind one." Hoshi paused, then cautiously broached the subject.
"It would be nice to see their match, wouldn't it?"
Sept 15, 2012 0:52:25 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 15, 2012 0:52:25 GMT -6
So the quiet one decided to join them, which confirmed her suspicions. Rohana nodded solemnly. "Please, have a seat. I am glad you made it." She kept her face relatively neutral, with only perhaps the faintest whispers of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. It wasn't that she was unhappy, but Rohana wasn't exactly one to smile unless there was a very good cause. She gestured to the open space next to her, inviting the young woman to sit. The sepia-eyed Galgori noted that she looked uncomfortable, and entirely out of place. That alarmed her; a nervous person at a secret meeting? It was a recipe for disaster. She turned her attention to the meeting head, hoping that he would have enough knowledge despite his age to see the potential albatross sitting at their table. It wasn't that Rohana had anything against the girl, but she knew through experience that nervous tongues were loose tongues. If the young man with the briefcase did not have the prudence to remove the girl from the meeting if she began to falter, she would.
The man gestured to a cup of sake, and Rohana grasped the ceramic delicately with her fingertips and pulled it closer. She made no move to drink, instead eyeing them all silently, studying them. She wondered if any of the three had any fighting experience; they seemed somewhat trained, but green. Fiddling with a ruffle on her blouse collar, the brunette cleared her throat. "It was not out of the way for me, at the very least." It was either here, or a training centre on the other side of the City. Either way was just a cab fare's distance, and was no problem for the middle-aged woman, being fairly comfortable in terms of finances.
She looked down at her beverage, arching an eyebrow at it as if doing so would change the contents of her cup. While it was common for many people to drink, at least socially, Rohana preferred just water. It was pure, it was refreshing, and it was healthy. Other drinks, she found, interfered with the effectiveness of her training and work outs. She turned the cup slowly with the tips of her fingers, only barely aware of the warmth.
This meeting was out of sorts for her; normally, Rohana was not expected to attend such gatherings due to the necessity of training new recruits. She supposed, however, that things had changed now. The City had known about Amon for a very long time, but now he had been made — as he called it — Public Enemy Number One. Whatever he had planned, he was beginning to move forward, meaning all Equalists needed to be on the same page.
"It is good that we are able to gather," she said softly, her voice crisp and deliberate. "It has been a difficult time for many." Rohana was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with whomever chose this location for a secret meeting. While there was merit in the idea of meeting in a public, noise-filled place to avoid being overheard, they had secret bases all over the City. Why did they not meet there? If there was any logic behind this, it escaped her. Tip-toeing around the subject using vague phrases and euphemisms was an incredibly ineffective way of conducting a meeting of any sort.
Flagging down a server, Rohana asked for a glass of water with ice, then dismissed them coolly with nothing but a turn of her head. She met the young man's eyes, one eyebrow lifted ever so slightly. What message could he have been charged to bring?
"Is our dear friend doing well?" she inquired politely, her impatience for plain-speaking rising. "Do you have news of his business ventures?"
Sept 14, 2012 19:40:23 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 14, 2012 19:40:23 GMT -6
OOC: I'm thinking that after this they go back to the Arena and get Mako. Thoughts? And sorry it's so short, again, I'm not really sure where to go from here.
————-
"A memory problem, huh?" That explained a lot, like her confusion with her team's name. Bolin pointed at himself. "I'm Bolin," he repeated, then looked up as their food arrived: two steaming bowls of seaweed noodles. He grinned as they were set down, and picked up his chopsticks eagerly. "You gotta be sure to slurp them," he instructed her. "It helps with the flavour." To demonstrate, he took a large mouthful.
A bad idea. "AH HAH, IH' HAHHH!" He fanned his mouth futilely with his hands, his eyes watering as he tried to work through it. With difficulty, he managed to choke down the noodles.
"That was HOT," he gasped, desperately flagging down a server for a drink. "Sorry about that. Don't do it like that. But slurp."
The water arrived, and Bolin took a huge glup, smacking his lips in satisfaction. "Ugh, that is better." He tried to eat again, carefully this time, and demonstrated how to properly slurp up the noodles with a loud shhhlllllllllllllllllllp. The noodles, as always, were perfect: just the right amount balance between tender and firm, and slightly chewy. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if Narook's suddenly disappeared or something.
"So, your parents are earth- and fire-benders?" He grinned. "I don't really remember if my parents were benders or not. I was only six when... when they died. But they were at least descended from benders, seeing as I am an earthbender and Mako — my brother, in case you don't remember-- is a firebender." He took another few mouthfuls, mulling over what she said about Korra.
"You really think I should ask?" he repeated, clearly anxious about the choice. "I guess I won't ever know if I don't ask, right?" Yeah. He'd ask. He'd ask her as soon as he saw her again — whenever that was. She was so busy lately helping Tarrlok with his taskforce that she never came to practice anymore. A terrible, terrible shame.
He smiled at Airi, pointing at her bowl with his chopsticks. "How you liking Southern Water Tribe food?" he asked.
Sept 14, 2012 2:35:13 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 14, 2012 2:35:13 GMT -6
Sohee seemed nervous, deferring to her parents, so Hoshi scaled it back a bit. She held up her hand. "Forgive me, I'm being too forward." She smiled, and tried to reel her excitement in. "Of course you have to ask your parents. Of course." Hoshi sipped her tea, trying to figure out where to go next. Well, when in doubt...
"So how did you like the tea?" she asked, feeling acutely aware how impersonal this sounded. She tried to be more personable. "Do you have a favourite from the ones you've tasted? I can send home a small bag of whatever you liked the most, as a thank you for coming and letting me ramble at you." Hoshi took another bite of cake, remembering they were just going to make more the next day. They still had almost half a cake left, and that was more than Hoshi would eat (out of self control, mind). So, she did the only thing she found sensible.
"Want to split the rest of the cake?" She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the counter, drawing attention to the glass case housing the three-layer confection. "There's about half left, and I live alone so I wouldn't be able to eat it all." A small lie. "You can share it with your family."
Finishing her tea --the cups were relatively small, after all-- she began returning the used dishes to the tray. "Has your thirst been satisfied? Do you want another cup of tea, or some water?" She glanced at the clock. It was about fifteen minutes past the official closing time. "If you can stay a little longer, maybe we can talk a bit more about probending?" Hoshi was hopeful.
Sept 14, 2012 2:11:24 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 14, 2012 2:11:24 GMT -6
Not everyone values family the way you do. Surely this isn't the first time you've realised that?
Ling opened and shut her mouth like a fish. What could she say? Yes, actually, I had no idea that people don't value their children or families? The only thing that would accomplish is to make her look like an even bigger cowpig arse than she already did. She listened quietly, fidgeting uncomfortably as Hyuk-jae muttered about how his parents were resentful about his existence and his condition. Her mind was reeling. She knew there were all kinds of people in the world but people who didn't love their children? It was at best incomprehensible, at worst downright ludicrous.
Mei offered Hyuk-jae their "spare room" and Ling snapped her head to look at her older sister, her mouth slightly agape in disbelief. But.. that was Ma-ma's room. She clenched her jaw as Mei offered it, freely, selflessly, and bit her lip to keep from saying something mean, like, well you sure got over THAT fast. Mei didn't deserve, and would never deserve (by her estimate) the brutal side of Ling's nature. That much she had promised herself.
But, as she suspected, Hyuk-jae turned her down. Ling gripped her sister's hand to keep her silent as the young man snapped at her.
I don't need anything from you.
Clearly, now was not the time to offer. By now, she was starting to understand that Hyuk-jae didn't take kindly to offers of help. The more she thought of it, the more it made sense to give Hyuk-jae the ... spare room. It wasn't cost effective to rent the flat with three rooms if only two were occupied.
Not to mention that Hyuk-jae was probably so mad at them he could spit. How could she explain that she had intruded on his personal life to benefit her own investigation? Like that would make everything okay. "Never mind, Hyuk-jae," she said smoothly. "Mei didn't mean anything by it." She exchanged a Look with her sister that said we'll talk later. She had to explain Hyuk-jae's attitude; she didn't think Mei was able to get the subtle hints the "healer" left about making sure Hyuk-jae never had children.
The food finally arrived, and Ling was very, very glad for the interruption. She shovelled food in her mouth eagerly, hungry as ever. Struggling to swallow her over-zealous mouthful, she addressed the two men across from them, speaking around the food. "Look, we di mee ay arm." The freckled woman swallowed. "We didn't mean any harm," she repeated. "I know it's too little to late, but we are sorry." She took another drink of water.
Now was probably not a good time to broach the topic of friendship, so Ling left that alone. Instead, she turned her grey-blue gaze to Lee and arched an eyebrow expectantly.
"What now?"
Sept 14, 2012 0:15:37 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 14, 2012 0:15:37 GMT -6
"You're not late," Hoshi reassured him with a smile. She stood at his arrival, setting down her magazine on end-table and returning his hug before serving him tea. Jin Ho sat down, and looked at her with a little suspicious look. Her conscience nagged at her, and Hoshi served her self tea as he spoke.
I think you have some explaining to do, don't you?
Time for the truth. Hoshi took a deep breath, then sat down, keeping her hands busy with arranging the plates and putting some meat on the hot plate to start cooking as she spoke. "I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner," she apologised again. "Meeting him wasn't something I went out of my way to do." She plopped down some more meat on the grill, the slightly fatty slices sizzling as it hit the hot metal. "He ... came into the shop. I didn't know it was him at first."
Using some jeo fiddle with the meat, Hoshi sighed. "Sweetheart, he came in drunk." Jin Ho would know the little patience she had for her drunk patrons; she almost wished they didn't stock restorative teas, since the shop became a magnet for people looking to "cure" their self-induced ailments. She looked up from her cooking to meet his eyes, and her face was a little sad. "It wasn't fated to be a good meeting, in any case, from that alone." She flipped the meat over, then set the jeo down on a small metal resting bar. Folding her hand in front of her, Hoshi gave a little shrug.
"I think he would have left without me discovering his identity if Umma hadn't come in to check up on me," Hoshi admitted. "He was so ... surly and ill-tempered that I wouldn't have guessed he was your ..." She trailed off. What WERE they? "... your Mizu."
The first round of meat was done, and Hoshi put some on Jin Ho's plate first, and then her own, before adding a few more slices to the grill. "He did not make a good impression on me." Her mouth tightened into a thin line, remembering his rudeness. "And he was playing games. Asking me what I had heard about him." Hoshi jabbed at the grilling meat a little viciously. Hoshi didn't gossip; things had a way of coming back to you. She resented, a little, Mizu asking her instead of Jin Ho what had been said.
Looking up, Hoshi forced herself to look Jin Ho in the eyes. "I told him he was messing up with you," she said bluntly, then held up her free hand to stop him from speaking. "I want nothing more than your happiness, you know that. But I saw that he was hurting you, and that it was not going well. I told him to show his love, without you having to ask him to do." The woman looked up, her eyes misting over a little. She was regretting her brashness, now. Maybe she made a mistake.
"I did not think that he had listened to me," she confessed, looking back down at the food. "When you told me that you had a nightmare when Sweeper... left us... and that he did nothing, I was so angry, and so hurt for you."
Sept 13, 2012 23:49:58 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 13, 2012 23:49:58 GMT -6
@ Airi: I agree with Sashu. 'Incest' is really more a social term when it denotes relation. Inbreeding would probably be closer, but I honestly doubt you could make yourself pregnant like that. It's not in your biological best interest to self-procreate as a non-asexual species (and by asexual I mean reproductively, not sexual orientation), so I don't think that it'd... "take".
—
suddenly, sleepy.
Sept 13, 2012 3:11:54 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 13, 2012 3:11:54 GMT -6
With an alarmed look on her face, Hoshi stood and leaned over the table, patting the girl's back in an attempt to help. "Take a deep breath, deep breath, that's a good girl." Her caretaker instincts kicked in and she shushed the coughing girl in a calming voice. "We breathing okay? Have a very careful sip of tea. Small sips, there you go."
Once she was certain that Sohee wasn't going to suddenly asphyxiate on her products, she sat back down and studied the girl with interest. "You clearly enjoy what you're tasting, yes? I need someone young, someone who wants to learn, and who shows an interest in tea. You can't learn those things, but you can learn everything else." She began to prepare the fourth and final cup of tea, speaking all the while. "Are you interested?" She tried to speak lightly, but her heart was hammering in her chest. Was she doing this right? She hadn't yet consulted with Umma about hiring help, but... it was going to be her store anyway, right? Surely Umma wouldn't mind. Hoshi forged ahead, sounding a lot more confident than she felt.
"You wouldn't start off with a tea tasting, first of all," she tried to reassure the younger girl. "I mainly need help taking orders. This shop, at its busiest, is only run by myself and my mother. Having only two people working when all the tables are full-—" here Hoshi gestured to the twenty-some-odd tables in the shop, "— it's really hectic." She thought back to earlier that day; one person taking and delivering orders, and one person prepping tea was not an efficient way to run the shop — especially with just two employees, Hoshi very rarely got a day off.
The tea finished steeping, and Hoshi put that strainer on the wooden plate as well. "This tea is a black tea, and has been aged relatively well. The orange blossom flavour is actually taken from an oil extract, so the orange notes should be stronger here. I advice eating this one with the chocolate cake, as it will be an amazing symphony of taste." Hoshi did so herself, demonstrating by taking a bite of the cake first (Oh gosh, this is delicious! Good job, Umma!) and then washing it down with the tea. Chocolate and citrus flavours burst in her mouth like fireworks, and she once again marvelled at the complexity of something like tasting food. Such a simple, every day task but when you found the right two combinations (or more!) of flavours, it was if your mouth sang for joy.
Finishing her mouthful, she addressed Sohee again. "I know this isn't want you came in here for, but there has to be a reason you did! I mean, I am looking for an employee, and you are looking for work. It has to be serendipity. Or... or some sort of karma. Or something."
Sept 13, 2012 2:49:46 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 13, 2012 2:49:46 GMT -6
It wasn't until two nights after Mizu's costume party that Hoshi and Jin Ho were able to have their long-needed talk. Feeling a little guilty over the whole situation, Hoshi had invited the metalbender to her flat, promising a lovely meal and the whole story out in the open. They agreed to meet for dinner, and Hoshi's workday flew by at the prospect of spending time with Jin Ho - the first 'alone' time they had gotten in weeks. She begged her mother to let her leave early, and explaining the situation Mrs. Jeon readily agreed, practically shooing her out of the store. Umma didn't like Mizu for "stealing" her "son-in-law", so she was more than happy to let Hoshi go talk about his second trip to the Lotus Café.
She arrived home with almost an hour to spare; they had agreed to meet for a dinner at seven PM, and it was now six-oh-five. Hoshi quickly showered and dressed, taking care to put her hair in curlers as she did her makeup and prepared for the meal. For simplicity's sake, she had decided on samgyeopsal, so preparations were minimal: prepare the tea, cut the cowpig belly meat and vegetables, put out chili paste, and (because she just hated eating protein alone) cook an averaged-sized clay pot of rice. She also prepared the metal hotplate, to be used for grilling the meat to their liking as they ate.
Removing the curlers from her hair and just quickly fluffing out the resulting waves, Hoshi looked around at her flat in approval. Everything was clean and in the right place, just as she liked it. Glancing at the clock, she was surprised to see that she had only ten minutes before Jin Ho arrived. She looked at her outfit, a very conservative drop-waist skirt and blouse, and decided to change. Shuffling through her closet, she found a vibrant, olive-green pleated skirt she hadn't worn in months. Luckily, it fit, and Hoshi noted with pleasure that it brought out her eyes. She changed into a slightly ruffled cream blouse, and pinned her hair back with a faux-emerald-adorned bobby pin. Deciding to go the extra mile, she added small, studded earrings, also featuring one faux emerald stone a piece.
Feeling satisfied with her appearance, Hoshi made her way back into the living room and picked up the latest issue of Probending Digest, flipping with interest through the biographies of teams who were participating this season: The Dragon-Hawks, The Flying Koi, the Armadillo-Wolves, The Purple Pentapusses...
The knock at the door startled her, but she quickly recognised the familiar rap. "It's open!" she called out.
Sept 13, 2012 1:34:27 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Sept 13, 2012 1:34:27 GMT -6
"Seventeen?" Hoshi echoed. That was almost a decade difference. "You seem older." Not much older, but Hoshi often found that younger people had the collective intellect of a teaspoon. Not necessarily because they were stupid, but because they just did not have a need to care about anything and so were too wrapped up in their own lives to have a decent, respectful conversation. Or, at least, those were the kinds of teenagers that came into her shop, usually dragged along by their parents and with no appreciation for a good tea. She wished there was a brew to treat brattiness.
She moved to the next bit of tea. "This is a heavier sort of tea," she began. "It's called 'oolong'. I guess you can call it between green and black. Not quite light, but not quite as heavy, either. This is also relatively young, and has jasmine petals added for a slight sweetener. It shouldn't be too overpowering though."
As she repeated the ritual, Sohee told her about being homeschooled, and her desire for a higher education. She smiled as the younger girl took a sip of the orange-and-cinnamon, looking quite content. So far, so good! "I think it's wonderful that you want to keep learning!" the earthbender chimed in, waiting for the third tea to steep.
I think she's almost out of things to teach me, so I've been thinking about loking for some sort of job soon, even though the thought terrifies me.
... No way. No way. This was way too good to be true. Happenstance? Was there someone looking out for her? She had thought about hiring someone... and now..
She finished steeping the tea, and gestured to Sohee to take a sip. "So, uh... wow. I know this is going to sound really weird, but I was just thinking about hiring some help here at the shop." Hoshi paused, letting the words sink in. It seemed almost too good to be true. "I... wow." Serendipity!
