Anonymous
May 28, 2012 6:38:00 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on May 28, 2012 6:38:00 GMT -6
"We are gathered here, in a collective spirit of remembrance, to honor the memory of someone dear to each of us. Tenoko Nagishima, proud warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, renowned captain, brave mother, and dear friend." A woman was saying, standing in front of pictures of Tenoko, in the middle of flowers.
So many people gathered. Mostly people from the Water Tribes, and also a number of sailors affiliated with this and that nation, or none. Such a gathering was not your everyday scenery, especially since sailors were known to only hang out among themselves, either in bars or on the docks... or on their ships. But what was most striking was the way they seemed calm and emotional about being here. They obviously weren't going to crumble into tears any second - although one of them looked like he might - but... they seemed touched.
And then, there was Kim Cuong and her family. Two Earthbenders, two Firebenders and a non-bender. Quite the stain on this canvas, in Kim's opinion. She had no idea what they were doing here with people they didn't know, honoring the memory of someone they didn't know, but she did not voice her opinion. It would make things even more awkward. Besides, it didn't feel like they were unwanted here. In fact, Kim was surprised to see that her mother Chan Kinh felt deeply concerned by this ceremony, and by the words that were being spoken.
She looked at the rest of her family. Her father Daen was holding Chan Kinh as if trying to relieve her of some of her grief, and prevent her from crying. Both her older sisters were very calm and attentive, only looking at the painting of Tenoko's face. At some point, her second eldest sibling glanced at her with her golden eyes, and noticing the distracted look on Kim's face, she gave her a glare that said "Show some respect !". It was a big demand for the 22 year old, who felt very out of place standing in that cemetery and couldn't just focus on the words of that woman. Her intent wasn't to disrespect.
But knowing that her sister might light her butt up later on, Kim looked at Tenoko's pictures. There were many of her and her children, but there were also some paintings of her younger years, with some of the faces that were here now. It was very impressive, there was here evidence of a rich life that Kim could only admire. The face she was making on that last picture was very expressing the life she had had, it was almost telling a story. It was impressive to see a figure like that, and it was a good thing that it was a photograph and not a painting. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.
Eventually, the speech was over and everybody hugged each other. Even Chan went to see the woman who had spoken and hugged like a long time friend. Kim still did not understand very well how her own mother knew those Water Tribesmen... But then her attention was caught by one particular painting. It was a fairly old picture, of two women that she recognized almost instantly upon a closer look, standing in the middle of a road with mountainous background. One was Tenoko, obviously. And the other was Hinh, Kim's grandmother.
Anonymous
May 31, 2012 14:11:15 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on May 31, 2012 14:11:15 GMT -6
[OOC--I apologize. I admit to being very lazy.]
[and I assume that this is an anniversary or something of her death. she'd be over 100 if this was her actual funeral, so I think this is just a larger-scale version of what Iroh did for Lu Ten at Ba Sing Se. if I'm wrong, let me know.]
Fukui's life hadn't been perfect, even if it hadn't been incredibly tragic. One thing she did often regret, as she was reminded by events such as this one, was not getting to know people well enough. In this case, it was her grandmother. She had heard countless tales from her mother, who would always sit her and her siblings down to tell the tales of gran-gran Tenoko and the rich, eventful life she had lived. it made Fukui almost feel inadequate, as if her life, and even her mother's life, were boring in comparison. "definitely in comparison... Fukui mused, "although I suppose that the definition of boring varies from person to person."
Fukui's parents, particularly her mother, were too absorbed in the ceremony to be bothered, and it seemed that her father was holding her mother to comfort her grief. This was her mother's mother, and while she may have come off as indifferent about it (and most things) Fukiu knew that there was no way she'd be 'indifferent' about losing her own beloved mother, even if it was her time to go. Living a full life would bring her some solace, but the death of a loved one was always difficult. even the anniversary of a loved one's death was hard to handle, but they deserved the respect such ceremonies provided.
Looking around at the crowds, it surprised her to see just how many people knew or talked about her grandmother. there were some rugged old sailors, probably smaller children back in Tenoko's day, and a few of them, as well as a few other Waterbenders who were not part of Tenoko's direct family, also had children (and sometimes even grandchildren) with them. Tenoko's accomplishments were clearly noteworthy.
Fukui sighed. She dreamed of that kind of fame--mostly because she felt that her mother and grandmother watched her the closest. she had the largest resemblance to the Tenoko Nagishima that this ceremony was honoring, anyways. She knew that she did not have to dedicate her life to trying to emulate Tenoko's, but there was a mental complex that had developed over the couple of decades that she had been alive.
she also took interest in the other strangers here. perhaps they were familiar with the yellow Earthbender woman that was with Tenoko in several images. they looked much less rugged than the sailor-type people that were best associated with "Captain Dragmire". There was nothing wrong with their appearance (or even the looks of some of the grizzled old seafarers); it was just that to Fukui, they stood out.
she sort of ambled her way towards them, particularly a girl about her age who seemed a bit disconnected like she was, except perhaps for different reasons. she didn't say anything just yet, as she felt it would be rude to be whispering during a respectful ceremony. however, she'd catch her when it concluded, at the very least.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jun 1, 2012 4:20:43 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2012 4:20:43 GMT -6
OOC: Yeah, that's what I intended. It was going to be too sad otherwise, and I would have had trouble making the setting right for the opening post. *bows*
It was... surprising, to say the least, to find out that her grandmother used to be so friends with a Waterbender. Kim hadn't known her very long in her childhood, but the few memories she had of Hinh were that she was not a very warm person. Although she wasn't cold either, it never felt to the then-little girl like she was the kind that could make lasting friends from another nation. Once again, appearances were deceiving. There were other pictures of the pair, in different places and also at different ages.
That was why her mother knew Water Tribe people, she had probably met them when Hinh brought her along to meet Tenoko. As she turned around to glance at her mother's warm embraces, she couldn't help the bit of jealousy that popped up at the sight. Chan was surrounded by so many long time friends and acquaintances, and sharing their emotions in this ceremony. It was like adding something very special to an existing painting in order to make the colors even brighter to the eye. She'd never seen her mother in this light... Though she felt less guilty to be thinking of her as a study ice queen now.
She looked back at the pictures, more specifically at Hinh. It pleased to see that she'd always loved to wear yellow, Kim now felt proud for having inherited that trait. But that was the only thing she had in common with her grandmother, sadly. She had brown hair, a bit darker than Hinh's and dyed gold at the tips, unlike Hinh who's tips were sticking out like shards of hair. She had golden eyes, whereas Hinh's were green, despite both of them being Earthbenders. She wasn't as pale, she didn't look as strong, she did not have that aura... and she was flatter.
Feeling ashamed by her differences, Kim turned around and walked away from the pictures and from the crowd. But the most teary-eyed sailor came towards her by surprise and hugged her tightly... before breaking into tears. While it was rather unwelcome, the young Earthbender didn't feel like rejecting the man, even though his grip on her yellow dress felt like it was going to rip a hole. She just patted him on the back, each tap gradually decreasing her hope that it was making him feel better. It was impossible to understand anything he said at this point, but he'd begun with "She was such a wonderful captain !!" so she had a good guess.
"There, there. It's okay." She began saying "Take pride in the fact that you are part of this great painting she made during her life, and left to the world in her death. It is most beautiful." The young girl was certain it didn't comfort him as much as it creeped him out, but at the very least his crying was replaced by mere sobbing. A small victory. He let go of her with a weak smile and then walked away past her.
Less than a minute later, she could hear him shout "Oh my god !! You look so much like her !!" and crumble into tears again. When she turned around to look at the guy again, she was almost shocked to see a very resembling younger version of Tenoko. It felt a bit like looking at a ghost, but Kim knew very well that ghosts were benevolent... and that this one was human. As the crying sailor was escorted away by his mates, Kim walked closer to the young woman. She seemed to be around her age, too. "You look so much like her..." For some reason, those were the only words she could say. But there was a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Anonymous
Jun 4, 2012 21:29:40 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2012 21:29:40 GMT -6
Fukui felt awkward as more and more attention got drawn to her for her looks. her resemblance to Tenoko only reminded her of her own inadequacy. She was certainly no Tenoko--no colorful history, no amazing stories to tell, no amazing friends to chat with... just... Fukui. She didn't know how to live this down... unless she was somehow supposed to travel the world, become a pirate, and somehow find a set of children that she didn't know were still alive.
...and of course there were the hardships--the loss of her husband, her children... being captured and branded by the Fire Nation. Fukui ruled that out as impossible because the Fire Nation was no longer aggressively waging war against the world. Granted, ruling something like that out wasn't exactly a bad thing.
the attention she continued getting though... she swore she had to comfort and console at least 4 or 5 different people, a feat which she wasn't exactly good at. It wasn't to say that she was cold; just that she was a bit awkward since she didn't know them the way her grandmother had.
Then she was approached by someone who, while sharing the same words so many others shared, except not as a mourner--this was clearly one of Hinh's friends or family. her words... or more like, her tone... took Fukui's interest.
"...I wish I was so much like her," she replied, "she did so much, touched so many... oh what I would give to be able to do that. to be remembered by so many different people from all around the world... my resemblance makes me feel... well, inadequate."
normally this was one of her own rants she'd give to herself, but if this stranger would listen, she wouldn't mind.
well, she could also at least have the courtesy to introduce herself.
"name's Fukui, by the way." she said, in a politer tone.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jun 8, 2012 15:13:34 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2012 15:13:34 GMT -6
At first glance, when she approached the young woman, Kim expected her to reply that it was a real blessing, that she was loving her resemblance with her grandmother so much and that it made her special... anything that would sound like she was showing off - anything that would make the Earthbender really jealous. But it was not that way. This girl seemed to care a lot about what Tenoko's image meant, and that was something that moved Kim a lot. The look in her golden eyes turned into some sort of compassion, or maybe kinship. Those words she was saying were very similar to the way she herself was feeling. Except that it was the other way around.
Her eyes went down and she crossed her arms, feeling in turmoil for a moment. It almost made her feel bad about being jealous, just now. She didn't think it could be so awkward. "I... sort of understand how you're feeling." She said in a weaker voice, feeling slightly uncomfortable about admitting it. But before she could run away or anything, the woman introduced herself. It made her chuckle a little to hear Fukui's name, because for a split second she expected her to have the same name as her grandmother. "My name is Kim Cuong." She said. Though she felt like rectifying a tiny detail, since only her parents and older sisters called her that, and only when it was because of something serious. "I'm pleased to meet you. Kim is my name." And then she bowed, a little clumsily. "I guess that makes me the first of the different people you... touched."
The young woman then looked back at the ground. "I feel the same about my own grandma. I wish we had more in common... or just something, really anything." She just said with sadness. Her right hand then gently grabbed some strands of hair from the left side of her head, and pushed it back in dismay. It was probably the first time she had ever felt so bad about her own appearance. Something like questioning herself had never ever crossed her mind, not even during her time with her master. It had to take a memorial, and pictures of her grandmother with someone else.
"Inadequate is just the right word... For me, I mean." She said, trying not to be offensive. Her eyes glanced at Fukui's entire appearance once again, and then looked back down in jealousy, starting to blush. "Maybe you're not painted with the same hand, but at least you have the same image. Your life is just not as colorful yet, but I'm jealous of that, for sure." It felt to her like something she wished someone could say to her, but to be saying that to somebody else was... slashing a bad painting with a rainbow - the bad painting being herself.
She turned around in slight shame. "I'm sorry, I... didn't mean to make it about me. I just... sounded weird."
Anonymous
Jun 9, 2012 4:03:59 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2012 4:03:59 GMT -6
Fukui chuckled at Kim's remarks, and it made her feel a little bit better in fact.
"well," she smiled, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Kim... although even with one person touched... I still have many more to go before I can match my grandmother." She said this with a chuckle, to indicate that she was trying to be lighthearted about it, but she was also being sincere and honest. Her resemblance to her grandmother to her meant that she had a name and a reputation to live up to. She was a Nagishima, even if she had not been named Tenoko.
She heard Kim out, and was pleased to find that she had a sense of inadequacy for her own grandmother as well. She did not feel this to belittle her, but rather, that it was something they might be able to bond over.
"I'm not sure how much of a blessing or curse my appearance is yet." she confessed, "while it does almost make me a celebrity among many people here, I also feel like I have to continue her legacy... I look too much like her for me not to..."
she shrugged, chuckling. "that'd be like you and I going on some world adventure or something... kinda like Tenoko and Hinh did... heh."
it was stupid, and the whole 'saying something like it would never happen and then it happens anyways' scheme was for storybooks.
"sorry." she chuckled. "I... well, I guess I'm a dreamer, as if it weren't obvious... still... I'm glad I could have met you, Kim."
this was not goodbye; just a "pleased to meet you" again.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jun 9, 2012 11:00:36 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2012 11:00:36 GMT -6
Kim smiled when Fukui talked about legacy. It pleased her, at least she was not considering it a burden, which meant the Earthbender's words had not felt more awkward than they sounded. Seeing all the people gathered here, it really did sound like something great to try and live up to. A bit like fame and celebrity, but not as shallow. Kim was glad they both felt serious about that. She also wanted to uphold whatever legacy Hinh could have left them.
It made her laugh when Fukui spoke about going on a world adventure like their grandmothers. It also gave her a bit more warmth and cheerfulness. "Hah... I doubt it would be as adventurous as during their time. But I can't say I wouldn't follow." The young woman stated, trying to imagine what kind of piece of art would best represent an adventure like that. Painting would be fine for key moments, like with Hinh and Tenoko. Something like a statue could commemorate the end of the journey. A book or a song would be able to tell the whole thing, but she found books to have a way of twisting the reality, and music to be too ephemeral... although both respectable forms of art. Her sisters were more into them.
Yes, she would rather draw those moments. So that she'd one day be able to do the same thing that was happening here, and display the past... photographs aside. The young woman rubbed her nose with a smile at Fukui's words. "It's okay to dream. It makes reality even more beautiful in my opinion. Especially when dreams come true." She replied. To say that was a bit idealistic, but at least if they did end up going on an adventure together, it would make one dream come true.
Kim then took a glance behind her, looking at her sisters. They were talking with some of the sailors back there. These two looked a lot more like Hinh than she did, yet they weren't the first to meet with Fukui, that was kind of funny to her. "I wonder if our grandmothers ever imagined that our families would meet like this, and that their grandchildren would bond over... them." She voiced her thought. The fact that sh was the one to bond first meant that perhaps she had more in common with Hinh than she thought.
"Say..." Kim began saying a bit shyly "Did you ever know your grandmother ? I mean... did she ever pass anything on to you directly ?"
Anonymous
Jun 10, 2012 22:39:11 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2012 22:39:11 GMT -6
Fukui chuckled along with Kim at her own remark. "I admit that I am not going to extinguish the idea... the world may not be the same as it was during her day, but it's still just as big, and with more larger cities that have appeared in recent times... maybe there is enough room for some adventures of our own. perhaps it was her foray into the unknown so many times that made her tales sound so exciting... or something like that."
Fukui's own travels were only slightly below what an average person might do at her her age, but Tenoko... Tenoko's travels were well above and beyond any average or median. Fukui had a lot of catching up to do in the next 12 years if she wanted to do as much as Tenoko did by the time she was 34... and that wasn't even when her adventures ended. that was just the time she had met Hinh. From there, there were still plenty of other years where she had touched many other people... it was quite a legacy to live up to.
so... the fact that the grandchild of Hinh and the grandchild of Tenoko were here already, at Fukui's age of 23... meant that she had a head start. Kim's words of 'its okay to dream'... really hit home to her as well. she smiled, and it made her dreams seem that much closer to reality.
"heh," she remarked, "just goes to show how prominent they were... touching others in so many ways... even after their deaths."
she paused when Kim had asked the question though. "I... I did... just vaguely though. I was a little girl when I saw her last... and she..."
Fukui put her hands to her neck for a moment, before producing a necklace from it. "this was her necklace... I don't know how seriously she meant it, but she gave it to me, and with her hearty chuckle, she said "you'll live my legacy, won'tcha, girl?"
I was never able to take it anything short of absolute seriousness." she remarked, "and so here I am."
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jun 11, 2012 15:12:35 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2012 15:12:35 GMT -6
There was an admirative smile on Kim's face as she listened to Fukui's response. She had asked because she was certain Water Tribe people never missed a chance to interact with their kin regardless of what for, unlike those from the Earth Kingdom. She had actually found out first hand, since her grandfather on her mother's side was a Waterbender. Her smile pretty much told about how much she was interested to hear even one bit of story. It didn't occur to her that it might be too personal to share, but this memorial felt like the perfect place to share a story like that.
Her golden eyes were fixated on the necklace her friend was holding. Her mouth opened a little in kind-of amazement when she was told about it, there was such a warm feeling coming out of it just by looking at it, now. Unlike before, it didn't make Kim jealous. Only a tad sad, or perhaps disappointed about herself. "I think that's great." She said while looking back into Fukui's eyes. "I didn't really get to know Hinh, she died before I was... old enough to get a good impression. I learned about her from my sisters."
Her hand ran through the side of her hair, as if trying to bring back the most distant memories she had of her sisters talking about her grandma. "I was seeing pictures of our family, and wondered who that person was. They told me it was our grandmother, but then I said 'No it's not. We went to grandma's last week and she gave me fireflakes for breakfast.' They laughed at me so hard... then explained who she was... How she was the one who suggested my name and first sung me to sleep just moments after my birth."
A tear almost appeared in her left eye, but she looked away and batted her eyes before it had a chance to fall. "But I don't remember any of that, so..." She rose a finger to stop her thought, remembering something "Well no, there is one thing I remember perfectly. The very first time I saw Earthbending, I couldn't have been more than four years old and someone was making noise outside. When I went there to see, she was practicing in our garden. I actually never saw exactly who it was, but I'm sure it was Hinh. She was dressed in yellow and holding something shiny. It... it just impressed me that much."
Kim let out a sigh. That was really the only clear memory she had of her grandma, and it wasn't even clear. But she let out a chuckle, gently slapping her face for how ridiculous she felt. "Your story's more moving than mine !... I'm feeling so emotional now, we should start talking about lively stuff. Say, how old are you ?"
Anonymous
Jun 12, 2012 18:28:42 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2012 18:28:42 GMT -6
[OOC--short... sorry bout that.]
Fukui frowned when Kim explained that she had not gotten to know Hinh. then again, even if they were the same age, which it appeared they were, Hinh had been a decade older than Tenoko. while Fukui didn't know which one died first, she safely assumed that her grandmother had outlived Hinh's--or had at least lived to a later year because of her younger age.
"I almost wish I could have gotten to know about your grandmother," she confessed, "or at least more stories of my grandmother's travels with her. Tenoko attributed her increase in spirituality to Hinh... before that... well, I don't think she was very spiritual either. she was apparently a lot like I am now."
she listened some more, and almost felt bad that Kim did not know her grandmother as well as Fukui knew hers. perhaps she was supposed to count her blessings. it did mean a bit that she had a relic of her mother's, and she refastened her necklace around her neck.
"fair enough," she responded at the end, "I am 23, myself. how about you?"
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jun 13, 2012 8:20:45 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2012 8:20:45 GMT -6
It felt really nice to hear that said about her grandmother. Maybe it was just because of how sad she'd made her story sound, but it cheered her up more than anyone would know. It also made her wish she'd known more about how exactly the friendship between their two grandmothers had started... and also how it got to the point where their children knew each other.
They would never know, now, would they ? In any case, thinking on it was still in the sad category, so she focused back on what she was about to say. There was a reason she'd asked about Fukui's age. "Oh cool ! I just turned 22 years old, we're almost the same age !" She rejoiced. Being younger than Fukui even made her happy, it felt like having a cool big sister from another world - Kim did not, and would not, acknowledge the coolness of her real siblings, except if referring to their coldness.
The young woman giggled a little. "We're both old enough to do whatever we want, right ?" She pointed out "And I know so little about the world. My mother taught us that we should embrace the world, but all I know is... well, Ba Sing Se in the Earth Kingdom and Ro Ma in the United Republic where my parents live now..." Then there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Though I moved to Republic city a while ago. But it's still not much of the world."
Getting a bit excited, she put a hand on Fukui's shoulder. "What about you ? How much of the world have you seen, so far ? If we're to ever go on an adventure, I need to be more prepared than I am now..." It was true, she never even drank alcohol. Her master was not the drinking type at all, so she never thought about trying... She wasn't the type to spontaneously try it out either, though.
Anonymous
Jun 13, 2012 17:18:20 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2012 17:18:20 GMT -6
"Charmed then." Fukui grinned. she figured that Kim had to be close to her age, and was right when she announced that she was only a year younger--maybe slightly more, given that she had just had her birthday this year. Whatever the case, Fukui wasn't really bothered by age, or even age differences. her mother had not been, and her grandmother certainly had not been. there was a decade's difference in years between their two grandmothers, and they were apparently best friends, or pretty close to such.
"I'd personally say we are." she nodded in response to the earthbender's question, "my mother would say to wait a year or two more, but my grandmother... she started at 17... she kind of had to."
Tenoko had been a mother at a very young age due to a little fun between lovers that had gone too far. Tenoko had always fondly laughed at the story, which had meant it had ended well. the man who fathered the children had stayed with Tenoko until death separated the two... but that was not something Fukui wished to think about.
"well, I grew up in the Southern Water Tribe, and so to be all the way up here, means that I've seen a lot of the southern hemisphere... I haven't spent enough time in the United Republic yet though... I suppose that and the rest of the world will come in time... I hear the drinks are good anyways."
she reached for her hip flask and took a shot. her grandmother would have lauded her for how well she could put booze away, although her own parents might not have approved. Fukui was more liberal-minded like her grandmother, who was more than happy to drink someone under the table for nothing more than bragging rights--even if it meant that her stomach would reject anything and everything for the next 2 days.
"Well," she raised an eyebrow, "how did you wish to prepare?" it was presented in a curious manner. Fukui had interpretted these remarks as the start of an adventure, and, wishing to live up to the legacy of her grandmother, as well as a personal lust for more exploration of the world, she was willing to jump at the idea. "to be honest," she continued, "I think travelling together would be fun."
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jun 15, 2012 16:29:21 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2012 16:29:21 GMT -6
By the sound of it, Fukui had still seen more of the world than Kim had. Everything that latter knew about it was either taught to hear, read in a book or told by someone - mostly by her sisters and her father's mother. Although Ba Sing Se was pretty large, probably as much as most countries, so she probably knew about more than she thought. But whatever was between the great city and Ro Ma, she didn't know. Even if she'd seen something of interest, she was too young to remember it... She wondered what the south was like, being a Northerner herself in almost every sense of the term. There was also a bit of curiosity for the East and West, for that matter. Not to mention the other continents.
"That must have been nice. I heard the Southern Earth Kingdom has different cities." She commented "Like the one called Omashu, my mother told me it was built from a mountain and has this crazy delivery system that makes stuff slide down the whole city... That can't be true though, can it ? I mean, I'd love to see it for myself if it exists." It did sound kind of unbelievable, she found it hard to imagine how a city could be just built into the mountain. But at the same time, she had seen the farmers in Ba Sing Se living in houses that had been built into the Outer Wall, so if farmers could do it, why not for a whole city ?
The young Earthbender then crossed her arms and put a finger to her chin, her gaze wandering a little as she asked herself the question as well. "How I wished to prepare... I don't know, I didn't really give it thought. I mean I figured that I had a general idea of what was out there, so I shouldn't be at a total loss, and so I only need to... be able to handle it, I guess ? I don't know how to say it..." She replied. It was tough for her to make sense of her plan, because she did not really have one. There was no use trying to plan things, they were supposed to just happen... However, they had to occur properly and not be missed. Afterall, they couldn't be represented if they weren't witnessed in the right light.
She tried to put it another way. "You could say that I wasn't planning on starting my canvas with set colors in my hands. I would know more or less what colors are out there, and gather them as I paint my artwork. But... I suppose I don't want any of them out of my reach, in which case I need to be able to recognize and grab them." That was most definitely the exact words to tell how she felt about her life, her emancipation, as it were - she hadn't left her master's side for long, so it was really her first time with nobody watching over her - but it was probably clearer the way she said it earlier.
"There are three of these 'colors' in particular I don't want to succumb to. Money, Alcohol and... Boys." Kim stated. It sounded a bit out of the blue, but at the same time she was only mentioning them. It's not like she could get a lesson on how to handle those three in one's life - plus she made them sound like a bad thing.
Anonymous
Jun 19, 2012 4:29:58 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2012 4:29:58 GMT -6
Fukui chuckled. Kim had heard about Omashu! She had been there, actually.
"It's true." she smiled, "all of it--the delivery system, the city being built into a mountain, the deep gorge below it, and perhaps anything else in between."
it was truly a remarkable place to visit, especially if the tales of Tenoko and her exploits there were true. apparently she had gone in when it was still controlled by the Fire Nation, and had more or less cosplayed a Fire Nation girl. given that the Fire Nation no longer controlled it, Fukui wouldn't do that, but at the same time, the vivid styles of Fire Nation clothing were not out of possibility either, a visit to the islands might help her in that way.
whatever the case, it was time to worry about the now.
"well," she smiled, "in the words of my grandmother, sometimes, the best way to get things done is to make them up as you go. fate will lead you where you're supposed to be."
she paused for a moment. Tenoko had been a firm, deep, devoted believer in fate. she wondered if she should mention that. after a moments' thinking, she decided to.
"my..." she stammered, "err... my grandmother always believed in fate like that, anyways."
awkward. well... she had tried.
it took her a moment to get Kim's color analogy, but after she mentioned Boys, money, and alcohol she understood what the earthbender met.
"Well," she chuckled, "I don't have any boyfriends or anything... I just keep enough money for my needs."
she paused for the last one. that was one of her old vices, just like her grandmother, and her mother for that matter.
"alcohol on the other hand... well, guilty as charged. don't worry though, I'm not gonna try and pressure you into having some."
she wouldn't want to share anyways. she did take a swig from her hip flask after saying this though.
"I hope it's not a problem if I do, or anything." she added.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jun 21, 2012 3:13:35 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2012 3:13:35 GMT -6
Fate ? That was a peculiar way of thinking, in Kim Cuong's opinion. It wasn't a foreign notion to her, on the contrary it was similar to the way her own mother had brought them up. Which led her to believe that her mother's upbringing had been influenced by Tenoko. But what she found peculiar was that fate was something you could still believe in during those troubled times of war. It felt... strong, she was admiring Tenoko for always sticking to her belief. If only she could say something like that about Hinh... well, maybe her sisters could, but it would make her feel even sadder.
"Yes, well... I'm not the sister who likes to have everything planned and under control. So, nothing to worry about on that side." She replied with a light chuckle. In fact, the young artist was the most carefree of the three and probably the most unpredictable as well. But apparently, she was also the luckiest right now, being able to talk with Fukui like this and exchanging experiences - or lack thereof.
Alcohol... "I'm-I don't really want to try it." She hurriedly corrected herself "I was just making a mention. Mentions, yes, I was just mentioning those three because they're... you know, the most.... awkward stuff to deal with." It made her a bit embarrassed to have to talk about those, she barely really gave them a thought at all. And there had been no reason to feel concerned with things that are not part of her daily life.
And yet, when she saw Fukui taking a sip from her own flask, there was this huge curiosity pulling her eyes towards the scene, much like a toddler stared at the things he was discovering for the first time. But she quickly averted her eyes and started blushing. "It's alright, I don-won't mind." She replied, still with embarrassment in her voice. It was ridiculous to stare at someone drinking, but it also kind of made her want to try. She'd never really talked about alcohol with anyone, way too absorbed by her art, but the overall impression she'd gathered was that she should stay away from it if she could help it.
Her hand in front of her mouth, she coughed a little to regain her composure. It was hard to find another subject, now. It felt like everything she talked about was eventually going to lead her to being all... flustered or sad, or just plain sensitive about it. But the only thing that would really make her excited to talk about is painting. Unfortunately, there weren't many people who found it exciting to talk about painting - or at least, not with her. Even more so since she pretty much made analogies with it all the time. It would be more interesting to compare crafts with another artist...
Still, she was an Earthbender and Fukui a Waterbender, so that was something they could... maybe not compare, but simply talk about. "So, you're a Waterbender aren't you ?" Kim asked. It was the most obvious guess, seeing how she looked exactly like Tenoko. The resemblance couldn't just stop at appearances. "Tell me, how did you learn Waterbending ? Someone taught you, or you practiced on your own ?"
Anonymous
Jun 23, 2012 21:57:18 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2012 21:57:18 GMT -6
[OOC--I totally had this written yesterday, but my browser closed for no reason whatsoever, and it ate my post, and I kinda lost the will to re-write it after that. I apologize. *bows*]
"well," Fukui chuckled, "I suppose it all works out then. It seems to run in my family that we just make things up as we go. water follows the path of least resistance, and fate is an easy guiding agent that will push us along that path. it's possible to alter one's fate just as one can alter the course of a river with enough effort, but at most times, it is easiest simply to go with its flow."
It was the philosophy of her grandmother, and she had gotten along wonderfully. It was an appealing path for the lazy, or perhaps for those who simply did not wish to see elaborately constructed plans come crashing down when something else interfered. Fukui disliked being organized simply because order was so fragile compared to the art of chaos, the random, and the unknown. When the time comes... just act. It was how she liked to live.
Fukui smiled in a way that looked a little more friendly rather than playful, but took another swig nonetheless. "don''t worry, Kim." she reassured, "I'm not gonna force you to have any or anything, some like it, others don't, and I don't exactly share the stuff I get. addictions.... err, it... kinda runs in the family.."
she was an addict just like her mother, and her mother's mother. if alcoholism didn't run in the family, it ran in the women of the family at least.
It was getting awkward though, and Fukui didn't want to turn it into such. hopefully, she could change the subject but it seemed that her newfound friend had done that for her.
"So, you're a Waterbender aren't you ? Tell me, how did you learn Waterbending ? Someone taught you, or you practiced on your own ?"
"some of it's generational stuff..." Fukui replied, "some stuff my parents learned from my grandparents, and passed on to me. my mother taught me a lot, a little bit more, I taught myself. So in truth, it's a healthy mix of the two. How about yourself? are you an earthbender like your grandmother?"
bending was an easy topic to relate for those who had it, even if they were of different disciplines. if Kim was not... well, that'd be tricky.
[OOC2--I am not sure if Kim has revealed to Fukui that she's an earthbender or not, so I assumed she didn't. if this is the case, it's a matter of me knowing something that my character didn't know.]
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jun 26, 2012 16:01:43 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2012 16:01:43 GMT -6
OOC: Kim didn't, but I guess it could have been implied when she talked about seeing Hinh Earthbending for the first time.
Her golden eyes stared at the flask intently for two seconds. And then he tore her gaze from it and looked away embarrassed. But the lingering curiosity was such that her eyes slowly made their way back to its sight, staring kind of intently. The young artist was not even doing it on purpose, it was a color she really wated to try applying onto the canvas of her existence... Fukui was saying her family got addicted to it, which led Kim to believe that it was addictive enough. That it had to taste good in one way or another, otherwise people wouldn't stay on it. But at the same time, she'd never been taught that it was good or anything, and she'd never witnessed anyone drinking to be able to make her opinion... It was a real head-scratcher.
In the end, she let out a long sigh and looked away from it for good. "Just forget that I mentioned it." She said, starting to blush again. That was her way of effectively striking a long line of paint over this frame. It would be taken care of when the time came, if it ever did - if she ever let it.
From the sound of it, the Negishima had a way of traditional Waterbending. It was refreshing to hear this, Kim was afraid that this whole trend of coming up with innovative forms for the bending disciplines had reached even the Water Tribes, the nation with the most interesting, mesmerizing and graceful moves. In truth, she admired them so much that some of the ones her master had described were sort of permanently stuck in her mind. She didn't know how to perform them - yet - but she wasn't going to forget any time soon.
"That's terrific ! I'm so glad you guys keep traditions alive, even if it's a few bending moves. Those are things that could disappear from the world if we're not careful." She stated with a proud smile, shaking a fist in front of her. It should have been pretty obvious that she really disliked the prevalence of the so-called modernization over customs. The world was beautiful enough before, no need to keep wanting to change it... Unless it was to make it even more beautiful, of course.
Kim crossed her arms and looked at her sisters when the question was asked at her. "Yeah, I'm an Earthbender. My sisters are non-bender and Firebender." She said, her face warming up with glee. "Mother used to train me when I was very little, while my sister learned from our father. It was some time after I watched Earthbending for the first time, I think... And she'd learnt from Hinh too." Remembering her bending times as a child was a cruel effort. She would much rather count every single sketch she had ever drawn - exactly seventy-two, counting the three redraws of the Agni Kai.
"However, at some point when I became more interested in art, my mother sent me to live and train with a master. He taught me and took care of me. I learned a lot of Earthbending from him too, but it was less fundamental than my mother's teachings. She was teaching me the manipulation of Earth in all its forms, but he focused more on the use of the bending I knew... like landscaping, sculpting, building, and all of that." The memory of her last moments with him made her laugh "A while ago, I made him a statue as a present. It was magnificent, but it kind of destroyed his entire courtyard. So he thanked me, and kicked me out..." To think she'd lived with him for so many years, and learned so much. She was going to miss him, for sure.
Anonymous
Jun 30, 2012 5:17:47 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2012 5:17:47 GMT -6
[OOC--I keep getting this and staring at it and hitting blanks, and then at the most unexpected times I finally strike inspiration. whatever the case... I apologize for keeping taking so long. >.<
,,,and okie. Fukui was just assuming she was an earthbender anyways--kind of a guess, so to speak.]
Fukui suddenly felt bad--like she had offended the woman. "sorry if I did something that bothered you." she replied. she didn't want to lose a friend. one thing her mother had been skilled at was keeping her own friends. Her biggest problem was that she never shared her problems, keeping them bottled up to herself. "are you sure it's not going to bother you?"
Was she trying too hard? did she sound stupid? Damn it, why couldn't she think like Tenoko would in this situation? She had never been ashamed of who she was, or even her shortcomings, such as the alcoholism that ran in the women of the Nagishima family. Fukui sighed mentally. She was glad when the subject eased up.
"The Water Tribes are a people of tradition," she replied, "some I agree with, some I do not, but Southern Waterbenders have many nice traditions, even with bending. I'm not against this industrial revolution so much, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it--that was a favorite line of my mothers, that my grandmother stole from her." she chuckled at the thought. it seemed that the two had always bickered because of disagreements. It was never anything large, but trivial matters made an amusing argument between a mother and grandmother for a child to watch. Fukui remembered giggling at her bickering old grandmother.
Fukui chuckled, "well... everything comes at a price, I suppose." she remarked in reference to her sculpting and landscaping 'incident'. "so were your mother or grandmother women of tradition? were their movements similar to the traditional earthbending styles?"
she paused. "as you probably figured, traditional waterbending ran in our family very close.y my mother had several moves of her own that she created, and my grandmother had a slew of them, many based off of other traditional earthbending and firebending moves. bending was one of her many ways of expressing herself. I always liked that notion... how about you?"
She said she had become more interested in art at one point, so she would not be surprised if Kim said no, but bending was certainly more than just a combat or show-off mechanism. there was an art to it as well. Nonetheless, it would make sense if Kim had switched over and preferred to express herself through her art. if this was the case, Fukui would become curious to see her work sooner or later.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jul 1, 2012 21:32:22 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2012 21:32:22 GMT -6
Kim shook her head. It wasn't going to bother her at all, not right now anyway. And even if it did, she wouldn't blame Fukui for it over her own stubbornness... or maybe sensitivity, for that matter. But one thing was sure, she didn't want to talk about it. If her sisters got wind of her apparent temptation, they would rub her nose in it in a way that would probably not be easy to forget. Besides, it was rather commendable that Fukui shared this kind of taste with her kin.
She lent a careful ear at what Fukui said about the Water Tribes. In all honesty to herself, she admitted the feelings of disappointment that were born fromt hat response. If it had been a perfect world, she would have loved for Fukui to be a hardcore traditionalist who enjoyed all the ancestral customs of her nation and agreed with every cultural rules they had... But she couldn't imagine how she'd react to someone like that, it most definitely wouldn't suit Tenoko's descendance according to what she'd heard of the woman. Letting out a bit of a smile, the young Earthbender took comfort in the fact that, at the very least, Fukui did not hate her traditions.
But the Water Tribes had been the most culture imbued nation for decades, maybe even centuries. Kim would love to spend some time at the poles and get a good feeling of how it is to live their way. Maybe she would, someday....
The topic went back to bending. And this one was a rather tricky question. She had never actually given a thought on how to describe it. She couldn't really say that it was all traditional Earthbending, but it was not any innovative way to do it either. "Well... I guess I'm kind of like your grandmother." She replied with a light chuckle. Looking backwards to see if anyone was watching them, she motioned for Fukui to follow as she walked a bit further from anyone's gazes.
Then she sank into a horse stance with her legs, and put her arms into a Waterbending stance. "Most of the bending I do is either for drawing or for sculpting. Basic moves. But... When I Earthbend, I like to do it for performance. For the pure sense of expression." She explained while making flowing motions with her arms, imagining a stream of water between them. Then, still in horse stance, she moved her arms into the Earthbending crane stance, her arms at either side of her body. "My grandmother was a woman of tradition. And of religion. I don't know much, or anything at all, about her life, but I know her bending style, the one she taught my mother was rather special. Kind of... beyond traditional." She explained as her arms made horizontal pulls and vertical jabs.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she brought her hands around her stomach and started inhaling deeply. She was remembering her Firebending sister's moves. "My mother never fully committed to the bending she learnt, though. She lived in a different time, with different ideals. The way she was growing up didn't lead her the same way as Hinh... And I think they were both okay with that." She said, blindly sweeping the air. Her golden eyes opened again, and she went back into a normal standing position. "At least, that's what I've been told... And I don't think my mother is bothered by the way I feel about bending either. All she told me when I left to live with- no, that's not quite right... When she sent me to live with my master, is that I should have respect for the styles I used." So far, Kim had pretty much nailed that rule.
Anonymous
Jul 4, 2012 23:49:08 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2012 23:49:08 GMT -6
Fukui liked who she was, but only as long as Tenoko was not involved. that was where she started feeling inadequate, as if she was supposed to be the Tenoko of this generation or something. She knew that she wasn't about to suffer some eternity of punishment if she wasn't the woman Tenoko was... but still, she was such an honorable woman. Fukui wasn't dishonorable... but her wall of fame was far from full like her grandmother's had been.
Kim seemed to be more a woman of tradition, which surely would have made her like Tenoko. she had her creativity, no doubt, but her grandmother was more traditional than Fukui, or Malak, Fukui's mother. it was not so much that they had abandoned old traditions, just that they had added their own styles alongside. the traditions existed, and then there were motions that would become tradition as the generations passed perhaps. that was how Fukui saw it anyways.
the waterbender nodded and watched Kim's bending style. aye, Malak and Tenoko would definitely appreciate that style. bending was more than just combat, or even practical use. her mother in particular had been a firm believer in bending being an art. Fukui liked that thought as well.
"bending as an art has been something my mother in particular believed," she smiled, "Tenoko believed it too, but my mother believed it even moreso. extending your passion for art into bending is to extend your bending itself as well. it's a good thought, anyways. I certainly like it."
~Fukui~
