Tea for two, and two for tea [Kami]

kaitokatashi

Jul 15, 2012 23:09:17 GMT -6

What the hell is wrong with me?

Mizu had stumbled out of his apartment, hungover as a dog, and found no liquid in the bottle he'd taken to bed with him last night. He wanted to blame it on the bottle spilling while he was asleep, but he knew better. He'd drunk the whole thing, and now he was going to get some tea for his head.

People gave the Waterbender a few looks as he staggered down the sidewalk, and more than a few jumped out of his way the couple of times he lurched and stumbled. Was he still drunk? Probably. It didn't feel like it, though.

His bleary eyes caught sight of a tea shop; more specifically, it was the one he and Jin Ho had been to on one of their earlier "dates." He groaned at the prospect of having to deal with Mrs. Jeon again, but maybe the woman wouldn't be there. She already knew that Jin Ho and the bartender were linked by more than friendship, but he couldn't bear a grilling right now. He just couldn't.

As he crossed the street, a satomobile flew by just in front of him, and he roared a word not suitable for mixed company, earning a few more looks before the people went back to doing whatever it was that they were doing. Muttering under his breath, he walked into the tea shop and took a seat at a table facing the counter. His eyes darted around, looking for any evidence that the older woman was there, but they rested on someone else: a woman, about his age, who was apparently a worker in the shop. She was pretty, but a feeling in the pit of his stomach said that he needed to keep his eye on her. He didn't know why, but his gut feeling wasn't usually wrong.

This user is a guest

A Long Display Name Here

Jul 16, 2012 4:18:31 GMT -6

Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, Hoshi loaded up a tray with tea cups and tea pots filled with hot water; it was mid-morning, one of the busier times for the Lotus Café as most of the elderly people enjoyed their morning tea somewhere between breakfast and lunch. Unlike during slower times, the café did not offer a tea-tasting service, meaning the tea was served on-order from menus, brought in a small pot still in its dried-leaf state to each table with empty handle-less teacups and a pot full of hot water.

Putting on her "million-yuan smile", as Jin Ho would put it, she bustled about, dropping off an order here, picking up a cheque there. She smiled, made chit-chat, keeping a running commentary in her head as she went through very routine motions. She addressed the customers familiarly, putting faces to names in her subconscious. She smiled, laughed, dipped, twirled and delivered orders with perfection only a skilled and practiced hand could bring.

Mrs. Jeon, her mother, had taken the day off; she was hoping to prepare her one and only daughter to take over the family business. While it was assumed that Hoshi would one day take on an employee or two, the expectation was she would be able to handle the shop by herself. After all, employees were only helpers: it was her responsibility, entirely. Her father, before he passed, had put so much work into getting the tea shop to succeed. It was the least she could do in his memory. Besides, it wasn't a bad job, and while so much of it was automatic by this point it was still something she could enjoy if she had time to take it slow.

A man stumbled into the café, clearly unwell. Hoshi gave a brief glance in his direction and plastered a smile on her face. "Welcome!" she said brightly as the man crossed over to a table that faced the counter and sat expectantly, looking at her. She smiled, mouthed One moment, please, before turning around and finishing up with the elderly couple at table six. She jotted down their order, then moved behind the counter, facing away from the guests, as she put water to boil for them. She pursed her lips, her face and expression hidden from view. She hated when drunkards came in to the shop, hungover, generally rude, and expectant of pleasant service when they were surly as could be.

Putting on her best, and most pleasant hostess face, she brought over a menu to the obviously hung-over man, tucking a strand of bobbed hair behind her ear as she slid the list of goods along the table. She smiled, her teeth bared and the corners of her mouth upturned, her green eyes critical as she eyed the man. "Good morning," Hoshi forced herself to say as brightly as possible. "Welcome to the Lotus Café. My name is Jeon Hoshi and I will be taking care of you today."

Inwardly, she scoffed. Of course she would. Not that she'd enjoy it.

"Today's special is the Orange blossom, jasmine, and chamomile relaxation blend coupled with a freshly baked cheese biscuit and a side of grapes. If you're feeling under the weather-—" here, Hoshi couldn't help but arch an eyebrow, "—-might I recommend the ginger, lemon, and honey blend?" She had been generic with her words, but the specific blend she suggested was a home remedy for hangovers. People feeling the after effects of a night of drunken debauchery were not an uncommon occurrence for the shop (as much as Hoshi disliked having them) so the Jeon family kept plenty on stock.

The short woman shifted her weight to one foot, jutting her hip out as she made herself more comfortable. Her knee-length green pencil skirt shifted along with her, and she hitched back one of her long sleeves to allow herself more room to write; her pen was poised over a pad of paper, ready to scribble down whatever babble of words came out of the man's mouth.

This user is Mod

Last edit: Jul 16, 2012 4:19:34 GMT -6

kaitokatashi

Jul 16, 2012 12:23:30 GMT -6

He monitored the server's movements in his periphery, all the while trying to prevent his head from doing him in. He hated hangovers, but once he got something in him, he was usually fine. There was still the matter of that woman...why did she seem so...out of the ordinary?

Good morning. Welcome to the Lotus Café. My name is Jeon Hoshi and I will be taking care of you today.

"I could use some taking care of." The reply came under his breath, more directed at the slight shame he felt for dragging himself out in public while he was feeling like this. How he'd managed to open the curtains in his apartment was a wonder. It didn't help that he could tell, despite her cheery exterior, that she had a distaste for him. He'd seen that look before, from more than a few people.

Forcing yourself to be nice to me ain't gonna get you yuan, sweetie. The bitter diatribe ran through his head, but it vanished quickly.

Then it hit him. Looking at the table, his eyes went wide when the server said her name: Jeon Hoshi. Jeon.

Ice flooded his veins while she listed off the daily specials. For the love of Yue, this had to happen now?! His breath quickened before he drew a breath in to temporarily compose himself.

"I'll take the ginger-lemon-honey, please." He caught her jade gaze for only a second before looking back at the table. Why here? Why now? Well, the "here" made sense, but the "now" most certainly did not.

He waited until she walked away. What would Jin Ho think of him? Surely the cop would have wanted to be the one to introduce them, no? Well, there was absolutely nothing anybody could do short of him getting up and walking out, but he'd already ordered. Oh well.

Suddenly, all the tension in his chest went away; he knew who she was, but did she know who he was? He hoped against hope that the answer to that question was "no." It would make things a lot easier.

This user is a guest

A Long Display Name Here

Jul 19, 2012 13:29:27 GMT -6

She smiled coolly, jotting down his order in shorthand. He seemed uncomfortable, and he was avoiding her gaze. Her brows knitted together in slight confusion. O...kay... "Excellent selection. I'll be back in just a bit," she told him, making her way back behind the counter and setting some water to boil. The water for table six was just about ready, so she set up their tray: a small porcelain serving bowl full of dried tea leaves — the green tea, lavander, and mint blend — along with two cups, a matching porcelain teapot, and two plates of the cheese biscuits. She poured in the hot water and delivered the tray to the table, making small talk and laughing merrily as they told an anecdote about their pet. Skilfully, she excused herself from the table, picking up cheques and tips and sorting out change. Two more customers came in; she seated them, slid over some menus, then returned to the serving area just as the water boiled for the drunk at table eleven.

She put together a tray for him, adding in a complementary rice cake with his order. The rice cake was soft, somewhat sweet, but just the right amount of "plain" to soothe a rebellious stomach. As much as Hoshi hated hung over people in her shop, she was still their hostess and she meant it when she said she would take care of them.

Setting the tray down at his table, Hoshi began to remove the items one at a time, explaining concisely how to properly mete out the tea leaves for a serving, strain them, and how best to eat the cake with the hot beverage. "Please enjoy," she said with a small bow, and made her way back to the counter, where her mother was signalling furiously.

"Yes?" she murmured under her breath, trying to be discreet. Her mother, however, had other ideas, yanking her down to whisper in her ear. Hoshi's eyes went wide and flicked over to the drunk.

No. No! No way. She looked back at her mother, who was nodding sombrely. Something in the pit of the earthbender's stomach dropped, down to her toes. Her hands shook as she grabbed her pad and pen and took a few orders, trying hard to smile and ignore the elephant koi in the room. What was he doing here? Hoshi had planned to meet him, eventually, when they were properly introduced. But why now?

She made her way back to the counter on instinct, oblivious to the customary chatter of the shop. Her mother gave her a sympathetic look, extracting the order pad out of her hands and telling her to take a break. Mrs. Jeon tilted her head in his direction. "Maybe you can go keep him company," Hoshi heard her mother say. Numbly, she nodded, helping herself to a few rice cakes and a small serving of plain jasmine green tea.

"Mind if I sit here?" she asked, her voice terse. She sat, without waiting for an answer. It was her shop afterall, she rationalised. Hoshi crossed her ankles, leaning forward in her seat, her hands clasped together casually. "So. Mizu. Nice to meet you." The woman tried to keep her voice light, thinking of Jin Ho's happiness. For whatever reason, this — this! — was the man Jin Ho picked. She had to be on her best behaviour. Maybe there was something about him that she couldn't see yet, something that would explain her best friend — and love of her life — falling for a guy like this. "Jin Ho is a... friend of mine."

This user is Mod

kaitokatashi

Jul 21, 2012 8:53:16 GMT -6

The Waterbender put his face in his hands as she walked away post-taking his order; why was this happening to him? So much had happened between him and the Metalbender in such a short period of time, and now, to cap it all off, he was meeting the one woman he probably shouldn't be? Great. Just great.

Out of nowhere, she reappeared at his table with a tray, laden with goodies. Hoshi explained exactly how to make the tea; the entire time, he was thinking And what are you going to do about it if I don't? Perhaps that was his inner orneriness, perhaps it was because he plain didn't like the idea of existing in the same space as her at the moment, but he seriously entertained the notion of purposely messing with the tea process.

"Thank you." When she left, he used the small spoon to scoop up a precise amount of tea, then put it in the water to steep for a few minutes. His eyes flicked over to where Hoshi now stood, which would have been fine had she been standing by herself. Mrs. Jeon was there; the same Mrs. Jeon who had seen him in the shop with Jin Ho, of all people.

Oh, f--

He finished the curse in his head, and stirred the hot water in his cup as he saw her and her mother talking. Why, why, WHY?! The bartender took a deep breath in and braced himself as she began to walk toward him; though he wasn't clairvoyant, he knew without a doubt that she was coming back to his table.

Mind if I sit here?

Do I have a choice? The reply didn't escape his thoughts. "Go ahead." The actual reply seemed futile; she'd already sat down before the words came out.

So. Mizu. Nice to meet you.

"So you're Hoshi?" He stirred his tea again and took a sip; still too weak. "I've heard so much about you." Those words reminded him of his childhood; his parents would drag him to small get-togethers, and the people there often had secrets that were less than savory. Saying something like that to one of them usually meant that you knew about their indiscretions. He didn't have Hoshi figured for that kind of woman, but you never knew. She and Jin Ho had a history together.

"I didn't think we'd be meeting like this, honestly. I thought Jin Ho would at least be here..." He took another sip of tea; he could feel the concoction going to work on his hangover. "What have you heard about me?" A chill went through him as he asked the question. He wasn't too keen on hearing the answer.

This user is a guest

Last edit by kaitokatashi: Jul 30, 2012 14:21:45 GMT -6

A Long Display Name Here

Aug 29, 2012 11:24:07 GMT -6

She arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and brought her hands to her chin, resting her weight slightly on her elbows. Whatever he was, Mizu was at least forward-speaking enough to ask what was on his mind. Still drunk? Likely. A small smile played around her lips; she had the upper hand, now. Hoshi was entirely unconcerned about what Jin Ho may have told Mizu about her. Jin Ho would never say a cross word about her — he had no reason to.

"What have I heard?" she echoed, her voice sounding more relaxed, even to herself. The earthbender allowed herself to smile a little. "Enough to know that you're starting to blow it."

Green eyes were critical as she leaned back in her seat and folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know if I like you, Mizu," Hoshi said frankly, "but I will let you in on what you've apparently been missing. Jin Ho is new at this. At everything. Romance. Dating men. He's not going to be forward about anything; he's insecure, uncertain, and very scared."

She paused for dramatic effect. "But he also seems to have some budding affection for you; you're going to have to nurture that. You can't be selfish about anything. You have to be the one to instigate. He's worried you don't like him. If you do — and if you genuinely, honestly do — then you need to show him. Kiss him of your own accord. Shower his dog with affection, if you meet him; Sweeper is almost everything to Jin Ho. Invite him to dinner. Call him for no reason. Just show him, somehow, that you care. Don't assume that he knows. If you can't do that, then you will lose him."

Hoshi stopped, letting her words sink in. She had promised Jin Ho that she would support him; the two had another date coming up, she knew, so if her words had no effect then it would be their last. Because she loved Jin Ho, she had to do this for him. She had to give Mizu a push. If he failed after that... if he somehow dropped the ball even after all of this... then she had done what she could. It was a good thing, she reflected, that Jin Ho wasn't here — he'd be mortified.

This is for his happiness.

The young woman stood suddenly and smoothed her skirt. There was really very little left to say. She had a business to run, and she couldn't spend valuable customer time trying to coach this drunkard on how to date her best friend. "I do hope you don't mess this up," she told Mizu, looking down at him. "If you do, you'll break his heart. If you break his heart..." Hoshi leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I'll make sure you'll regret it."

She straightened, and smiled at him, baring all of her teeth. "You enjoy your tea, now," she said politely, before turning on her heel and walking calmly to another table, her 'hostess' glow in full radiance.

This user is Mod

Last edit: Aug 29, 2012 11:27:06 GMT -6

The Avatar RP

Previously, on Avatar...

The Moderation Team

Latest TARP News