Anonymous
Dec 14, 2013 1:21:59 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2013 1:21:59 GMT -6
Hangetsu found his blood marring the first snows of the season but he took some solace in the fact that he wasn't the only one adding a touch of red to winter. For the first time in ages he had wounded his greatest nemesis with a metal-bended piano wire making contact with a shoulder.
The question was who got first blood.
The metal bender and the horror who wielded a bladed three-sectional staff turned to a man with a top knot who could only gape at the battle he had just witnessed.
"Tie?"
The fighters, both with winces of pain, threw their wounded arms up in frustration.
"A tie? I can't believe I date you. You're sleeping alone tonight."
Hangetsu let out something that was part grimace and part smirk. "I can't believe he dates you, Zubi." He turned to his sister's top-knotted boyfriend while trying to hold his own blood inside.
"Blink twice if she has your real girlfriend held hostage."
That earned Hangetsu a punch to his wounded shoulder.
Once inside the warmth of the house he grew up in Hangetsu stripped off his black overcoat with it's new tear in the sleeve and looked at the shallow but bleeding wound across his left shoulder. Izumi and her boyfriend were in another room tending to her wound.
The fight had to happen sooner rather than later. If the ground froze the siblings' injuries would be compounded by slipping while holding weapons. Specifically, it had to happen before Ren arrived. Neither combatant had a desire to cause the air acolyte any worry or more importantly face a lecture by said acolyte. While they fought often there was a great amount of solidarity between the brother and sister. If asked Hangetsu slipped and fell onto a sharp rock and in the course of trying to help him Izumi fell onto the same rock.
Shirtless in front of the lit fireplace Hangetsu held a strip of gauze to his wound and hoped that it would be some time before Ren arrived. Maybe she was temporarily lost. Not dangerously lost like running into Red Monsoon territory but just a little turned around and aided by kind strangers. Cutely lost.
When he heard a knock at the door Hangetsu assumed the worst.That Ren wasn't cutely lost, she was adorably punctual.
He opened the door without thinking about his naked torso and the gauze sticking to his the congealing blood of his wound.
"Ren! You made it! How about this weather? Cold, huh?"
Dec 26, 2013 1:46:54 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Dec 26, 2013 1:46:54 GMT -6
ooc; sorry for the delay, got wrapped up in holiday stuff and lost track of my threads x-x
Summer dissolved into nothing far too quickly. Ren had never been a fan of winter's harshness this far north and was loathe to see the warm summer months go. While she very much enjoyed watching winter — preferably from the safety of a nice warm room with a cup of hot tea in hand — she detested having to walk in it.
Chalking it up to an exercise in learning control and being harmonious with her surroundings, as per the Air Nomad teachings, Ren steeled herself to face the cold journey.
Her heart pounding, Ren timidly knocked at the door of the address Hangetsu had given her over the telephone. She was very worried about making a good impression on his family, and had stressed for many hours about the state of disrepair on her patchwork winter robes. The older lady acolytes were able to make it presentable, however, by embroidering decorative designs over the patch lines. It had snowed the night before solstice, so Ren walked through crunching snow, feeling grateful that they had managed to find a pair of winter boots in her size.
The door opened. "Hello, Hangets — "
The greeting died on her lips. Hangetsu stood in front of her, shirtless (not a bad thing!) and bloody. A bandage was already wrapped around his wound, but it was very obviously fresh and very obviously bleeding.
"Oh my gosh!" she squeaked, her eyes widening and her glasses slipping down her nose. She stooped over to inspect the wound, her hand gently touching the cleanest bit of gauze. "What happened?" She looked up at him, her hazel eyes full of concern. "Why are you hurt?"
Anonymous
Dec 28, 2013 22:01:21 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2013 22:01:21 GMT -6
Since having his bending taken away Hangetsu had learned how to lie and considered himself a talented beginner. He thought he had kept his emotions over losing his bending inside and not a burden to others and only let out said emotions around Ren.
Ren was the anti-thesis to untruth. Hangetsu could not tell a lie in her presence.
"Training. Zubi. I got her too."
The shock of seeing Ren's shock made Hangetsu less coherent.
"I was training with Zubi. We cut each other. It's our first tie."
Having Ren fuss over a wound made Hangetsu forget all about the pain in his arm. It was the most macho a man could feel after being wounded by his big sister.
The gauze refused to stay on his left arm forcing Hangetsu to keep it there with his opposite hand. Martial arts training with his sister was one of those things Hangetsu knew Ren put up with rather than loved about him.
Eager to take some attention away from his wound Hangetsu zeroed in on a pretty new addition to Ren's wardrobe.
"That is some pretty embroidery. Did you do that? It makes your robe look like a dress." Lately perverse thoughts of his girlfriend parading around in full length gowns and dresses preoccupied him. A slightly altered Air Acolyte's robe was no clingy evening gown but it was a nice change.
"Did I mention that you look like a goddess with snowflakes in your hair? If I didn't...you certainly do. Would you like some tea?"
Tea wasn't Hangetsu's best drink even on days he could use both arms without pain. That day, it seemed like an impossible task. Dried leaves and blood fell to the floor along with Hangetsu's spirits. Suddenly he didn't feel so macho, being unable to make a pot of tea for the person he loved.
He glanced at Ren and his mood elevated. If he could somehow convince a woman that wonderful to spend time with him and his odd family then Hangetsu Ye Seul Tsukishima was truly capable of anything. He would not only make tea, he would do it well. He would be the Avatar of steeping tea.
"It's done, he declared with a note of victory in his voice while he gestured to an wooden table in the kitchen where there were chairs and a box wrapped in baby blue paper.
"Also, some guy that loves you left that for you."
Jan 3, 2014 7:20:28 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Jan 3, 2014 7:20:28 GMT -6
"Oh, training." Ren followed Hangetsu in, breathing a sigh of relief. One never knew with the police; sometimes Ren worried that she'd never hear from Hangetsu again, and instead read about his demise in the paper. It had come close to that when Amon took him and the others hostage. Her concern about his safety on the job had only increased since then.
She sat on the nearest available seating apparatus and accepted the offer of tea with a smile, brushing her hand gently over her hair. "I can't embroider," she replied. "But I'm learning. The other acolytes did it for me." She held up the hem of her robe just above her ankle. "The winter robes were a bit short for me, so we had to patch them up with spare cloth. We did it to make the stitch marks less noticeable." Lying about it or hiding the truth never even occurred to her.
Hangetsu gestured to the table. Ren glanced at his sister and the man with her momentarily, a little confused, before looking at what Hangetsu was pointing out.
"Also, some guy that loves you left that for you."
The tall woman stood up and walked to the brightly wrapped box. "Well tell that guy, whomever he is, that I said thank you." Gently, she ran her fingers over the baby blue paper before carefully dismantling the wrap job and folding the paper neatly and setting it aside. Under the paper was a white box. She lifted the lid and gasped.
"Oh, it's beautiful," she breathed, reaching in and pulling out a beautiful woman's winter coat of a beautiful navy blue. She put it on instantly, happily surprised to find the length of the coat and the sleeves literally perfect. She couldn't remember the last time she had an article of clothing that didn't need to be tailored and get the seams let out. Navy blue was her favourite colour; she thought it brought out the grey in her hazel eyes.
She looked up at the earthbender, her face wreathed in smiles. "How did you know I needed a coat?"
Anonymous
Jan 4, 2014 0:01:28 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2014 0:01:28 GMT -6
Ren's reaction was everything Hangetsu hoped for right down to the gasp. When she put on the coat Hangetsu let out a tiny gasp of his own.
Suppressing a smile when Ren asked how he knew she needed a coat turned out to be an impossible task. It was even more of a relief that she didn't ask how he knew her measurements so well.
"Second best detective in Republic City, remember?" For a moment Hangetsu's mind wandered off to other detectives in town and wondered where he truly ranked.
Holding the tea pot with his injured left arm and a cup and saucer with his uninjured right Hangetsu brought both items to the table and carefully poured Ren a cup of tea. Jasmine tea with a red tea base served in a black lacquered tea cup imprinted with gliding lemurs. It was high time Ren had her own tea cup, he decided one day when the set caught his eye.
Hangetsu sat down across from the air acolyte and adjusted the poorly tied bandage on his left arm.
"Thank you for helping me shop for Zubi's present." He recalled going to several bookstores trying to assemble the entire collection of the young adult series catering to action-oriented teenaged girls 'Dao-Ming Wei: Two Fisted Babysitter'.
An annoyed groan escaped Hangetsu's mouth as he tried to keep his bandage on. He was sure Izumi was hogging the rest of the badages and he had no intention of going into the other room to catch his sister and her boyfriend playing healer.
"Are you nervous about meeting my mother? Don't be. She's going to love you like I do. You'll get along. She's a bookworm like you and Izumi."
Like an evil spirit summoned by her own name Izumi appeared with her boyfriend whose hair now hung loosely to the sides instead of in a top-knot. Hangetsu was then positive that not going in for bandages was the right thing to do.
Izumi introduced her shy boyfriend who eked out a hello as he bowed. She began to talk about her boyfriend's job and pointedly mentioned that good looking single men worked there. "Just in case you're looking to trade up, Ren-egade."
Hangetsu glanced at Ren and nearly expected her to leave once it was revealed that making bad puns of her name was a genetic trait. He then made a waving gesture with his hand and Izumi got the point.
"I'll be back in half an hour. Half. An. Hour," Izumi said in a stilted manner to make sure her point was clear.
A few things came to mind to do in that half hour alone with Ren but so did the idea of his sister or mother knocking on the door and interrupting.
Jan 12, 2014 20:10:42 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Jan 12, 2014 20:10:42 GMT -6
ooc; sorry for the slight god-mode, but I needed to be able to move the plot along a little. let me know if I need to change it.
"Ren-egade," the acolyte repeated with a giggle. Unlike many people she knew, Ren was a fan of the poorly executed, over-the-top joke. Silly puns, the much-too-obvious pickup line... they were too absurd to get upset about.
Izumi excused herself and her boyfriend; Ren stood hastily and bowed at their departure. "It's — it was nice to meet you," she murmured shyly to the slightly disheveled looking boyfriend. She knew that look — well, she knew that look now, anyway. After they left, Ren sank back into her seat.
"I'm worried about meeting your mother," she said, her husky voice dropping to a whisper and quavering slightly. "What — what if she doesn't like me?" Ren reached over and gripped Hangetsu's hand tightly, her grey eyes wide and slightly panicked. "I mean — I'm not — you know...!" She tugged at the front of her robe. "You know..."
Her eyes welled up when Hangetsu confessed that his mother already knew about it. "And — and she's... she's okay with it?" she asked, incredulous. "Are you sure?"
Hangetsu reassured her that he was, in fact, sure. With a heavy sigh, she leaned back in her seat, staring up at the ceiling; her glasses slipped down closer to her eyes, smudging as it touched skin. She tried to calm her nerves, breathing in through her nose and exhaling slowly through her mouth, like she was taught in meditation.
When Hangetsu's mother arrived, Ren had done a good job (to her knowledge, at least; opinions might have varied) of hiding the fact she was a nervous wreck. Gender and presentation aside, she was meeting her boyfriend's mother. His mother! Ren played with her braid absently. Mothers, in her experience, were incredibly hard to please.
Hangetsu's mother was a tall woman, albeit shorter than Ren. She introduced herself as Goze Tsukushima; Ren gently placed her hand over her heart and bowed in respect.
"It's so n-nice to m-meet you, ma'am," Ren managed to squeak out, her voice shaking noticeably. "I'm Ren."
Anonymous
Jan 12, 2014 22:34:25 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 22:34:25 GMT -6
It took quite a bit of convincing on Hangetsu's part to sway his mother away from the dry, ironic humor that made it a drain introducing people to her.
Goze adjusted her thick, oval glasses with the heel of her palm as her son often did and squinted her green eyes at the nervous air acolyte.
"You are so very pretty and have a charmingly polite demeanor for a young lady." A crooked grin and slight twinkle in Goze's eyes flashed momentarily. "But...should you call me 'ma'am or any permutation of such you can expect a blood fued the likes of which would tear this world asunder. It is 'Goze' if you must, 'mother' if you are willing."
Three large brown shopping bags fell to the floor as Goze adjusted the black strap to the bag containing the shamisen on her back.
"Mom...please."
Hangetsu took two of the bags and disappeared into the kitchen silently praying his mother would resist any more urges to tease their guest.
After she hung up her gray overcoat and exposed the blue kimono underneath decorated with tidal waves Goze sat on the couch and patted the seat beside her. She had intended to make the acolyte squirm a bit by playing the cold mother but had too many vivid memories of trying hard to impress her own mother-in-law Han Ye Seul.
If Goze had not heard her son go on and on about the divine qualities of Ren it would have been enough to hear that the woman her son loved was an avid reader.
Goze talked about her job translating books into braile and asked specific, technical questions of Ren's job with the air acolytes. After some time the older woman paused and grinned her mischievous grin. She tilted her head toward the kitchen where there was the sound of cooking ringing through a doorway.
"Look over there. Have you noticed how he periodically stops cooking in order to steal a look at you? At first I thought he was checking on his embarrassing mother but his eyes always shift towards you."
She lifted a cup of tea Hangestu set out on one of his earlier trips outside of the kitchen and took a small sip. "That boy loves you dearly. That look is why you are here and Izumi's flavor of the month is not. Our Winter Solstice get-togethers are family only. As honors go, it's rather dubious but there you are."
Hangetsu exited the kitchen sweating shortly after his sister entered the house holding the arm her brother wounded earlier and sporting both a large bottle of sake and a bruise near her left eye. Fighting the solstice crowd took on too literal of a meaning for Izumi.
"One of my mother's...eccentricities is the need to have a brand new bottle of Kyoshi Island sake every solstice," Hangetsu said with an apologetic tone.
A circle of dishes was placed on the table by Hangetsu and his elder sister while having a good-natured argument over who had it rougher. Dishes of vegetable lo mein, vegetable tempura, grilled eel and takoyaki served first as an appetizer.
At the table Hangestu shared the good news of finally being at work again full time and no longer being required to talk to a counselor about his mental state after his attack by the Equalists. Goze spoke of the the latest Omoi Tenoh novel which she knew would get on her daughter's nerves who claimed not have read the the book in question, though everyone knew she had. Izumi spoke of ways to tone down her stories to make them more likely to be adapted to radio or movers.
"Okay, Ren. We've bored you long enough. Tell us something good that happened to you or what you look forward to," Hangetsu said before he stuck a piece of eel into his mouth.
Food and special rice wine aside, it was a holiday stripped of most of it's refinements which was the point. It was a day in which even a family as strained as the Tsukishima's enjoyed one another's company and even more rarely, invited an outsider into.
