Jia was in a strange mood. She knew what day it was—how could she not? Reminders of the New Year were everywhere she looked. Every shop bore red decorations and signs wishing their customers good fortune in the year to come. Even her apartment did not escape the tidal wave of festivity. Lanterns hung from several spots in the ceiling, courtesy of her roommate. Republic City was welcoming The Year of the Rooster in style.

And yet, Jia was not feeling very festive. Her roommate was off visiting family, so here she was, with the day off and the apartment to herself. Problem was, she had no idea what to do. Normally she'd go find a bar and get drunk, but today that didn't seem appropriate. She'd thought of visiting her parents, but they lived too far away for her to just get up and go. If she'd wanted to do that, she should've planed in advance, given herself adequate time. She had called, at least, and had managed to pull her mother away from cooking long enough to wish the both of them a happy new year. But that had been the extent of it, and now here she sat, bored and feeling like she was missing out.

Dressed only in her underwear, Jia wandered around her apartment, hoping to spot something to amuse her. She didn't find anything of the sort. What she did fid, however, was several days' worth of accumulated mess, mostly clothing she'd repeatedly forgotten to put away. She looked at the piles of clothing strewn around her room, then shrugged. "Not like you have anything better to do," she muttered. So, she got to work.

About a solid half hour of cleaning later, Jia threw herself on the living room couch to rest "Great idea, Jia," she said to the empty room. "You get the day off from lifting things, and you decide to spend part of it lifting things. You're a genius." Resting her head on an armrest, she let her gaze wander. Something on the coffee table caught her eye: a small scrap of paper. Determined not to sit up unless absolutely necessary, she stretched out an arm and grabbed for the paper. Her arm would not quite reach, so she wriggled closer, then closer again, fingers scrabbling against the table's surface, paper just out reach. Finally, she grasped it. She threw her arm up in triumph…and promptly slid off the couch and onto the floor, banging her knee into the table on the way down.

"Ow…" Jia moaned, rubbing her bruised knee and cursing her laziness. She waited for the pain to abate before glancing at her prize, hoping it was worth the effort. As it happened, it was. She stared at a set of numbers. It took her moment to recognize them as forming a telephone number, and another moment to remember where they'd come from. She'd exchanged numbers with a cute woman she'd met in the Golden Fan some time ago. She'd been meaning to call, but incoming shipments at the docks had picked up in anticipation of the city's many New Year's celebrations, and she hadn't had time to do much of anything but sleep.

Now, though, was her chance to fix that. The woman—Ling, Jia was pretty sure her name was—had been great company, and given the chance, Jia would happily spend more time with her. Might as well give her a ring, see what she was up to. Chances were she was busy, like everyone but Jia, but it was still worth a try. Settling back on the couch, Jia reached behind her head and fumbled for the phone, which sat on an end table just behind her. She sighed as she was forced to roll over onto her stomach in order to see the rotary dial. It was not easy, manipulating the tiny dial holes with her large fingers, but she managed—or at least, she thought she did. If she got the wrong number, well, at least she'd be able to talk to someone new. Always a silver lining.

"Hullo, Yao residence."

Okay, good start. Jia struggled to push herself into a seated position, and cleared her throat. "Yeah, hi. I'm trying to reach…I think her name is Ling? My name is Jia. We met in a bar a little while ago and exchanged numbers. So, uh, she there?"

Ling inhaled sharply when the caller introduced themself. Unfortunately for her, she still had a bit of saigo and tofu in her mouth. Luckily, due to the nature of the saigo and silky tofu there was nothing to choke on; unluckily, the shock of accidentally swallowing still caused a coughing fit.

"Erm — yes, yes, this is Ling," she said, eyes watering, once the fit had subsided. "Jia! I wasn't — I didn't think — "

Her normally golden tongue tied itself in a knot. When she wasn't the one to initiate a social encounter, she often found herself wrongfooted and flustered. It was different when she lied to get out of something; it wasn't a social encounter, and propriety wasn't the primary goal.

Ling fumbled a little with her magazine, setting it down next to the glass of taho. Mei-zhen glanced at her, half puzzled, half bemused. She frantically waved for her sister to leave the room; Ling's sharp eyes didn't miss the smile Mei-zhen hid behind her hand as she complied.

Sisters.

"Happy New Year," she said in the traditional way, feeling foolish. She had no idea what to say. Usually, she was the one making a follow up phone call. And, usually, it ended in a flustered woman on the other end demanding to be left alone.

After Ling had declined her invitation at the Fan to slip away for a tryst, she was certain that Jia wouldn't call her again. After all, they were both heady from the alcohol and in Ling's experience that always lead to regret the next morning.

"How, uh.. how have you been?"

The first thing she heard after speaking was a sharp intake of breath. Then came…coughing? That was unexpected. And it was hard to figure out what that was supposed to mean. A sigh would have been easy; she was used to those. She had been told more than once that she tended to come on too strong. She was trying to change that, though. That fact that she'd waited this long to call Ling was proof of that. It certainly wasn't because she'd forgotten where she'd set down the paper with Ling's number on it. No, never that.

It took longer than expected for the coughing to subside, but just the fact that she'd made it through the whole thing without hearing the telltale "click" of a dropped call was an encouraging sign. When Ling finally did speak, though, what she said didn't make much sense. She tripped over her own words, a far cry from the woman Jia had met in the Golden Fan. Maybe she just hadn't been expecting the call on today of all days. It was the New Year, after all. Not really a day for calls from random women you'd only met once.

"You okay?"

Ling didn't answer her question. Instead, the woman wished her a happy new year. That was…not unappreciated, but it didn't exactly fill her with confidence. "Uh…same to you," Jia replied, a bit caught off-guard. So far this was not going how she had planned. Though, to be fair, her plan had amounted to little more than just, "ask her out." Jia was not good at coming up with plans.

Then Ling asked how she'd been. That was an easy one. "I've been good," Jia said. "Working mostly—New Year's means everyone and their mother is shipping things in and out of the city, which keeps us dock workers busy. But anyway, I'm mostly calling because I'm alone and bored on New Year's and I did have a good time with you in the Golden Fan. Did you want to go out some time? Not today, necessarily, since you're probably busy with family things, but whenever you're free?"

That was what she did best: the direct approach.

The question caught Ling off guard.

She stared at the receiver for a few seconds before it occurred to her that Jia would be waiting for a response. "R-really?" she asked in shock. "I — wow, yes, um. That would be great, I'd really like that."

Embarrassed at her inability to be coherent, Ling ran a hand through her black hair. "I — sorry, I just." She laughed nervously. "I've never actually, you know, gotten a call back before. I wasn't expecting it, I mean. Usually I'm the oe calling back. They don't always answer, if you get me." She tugged on her earlobe, an old habit.

"Let me try that again, so I don't sound like such an ostrich horse's butt. I would love to go out with you sometime. When are you..." Ling trailed off again as something Jia said finally clicked.

"What do you mean you're alone on New Year's?" she asked. Ling glanced over at her mother, who was in the kitchen pretending not to eavesdrop as she nibbled on a fried dumpling. Shi'ren looked at her from the corner of her eye and nodded.

"Why wait?" she asked brightly. "There's food enough here for an army, and it's just mother, my sister, and myself. Why don't you come over?"    

Silence followed her question. That was unsettling. Jia was not fond of silence; it was boring. She preferred to fill silence by whatever means necessary. Whether she put on music, went for a walk on a crowded street, or just talked to herself, there was always something she could do to stave off the quiet.

And this was the worst kind of silence to endure. She wished Ling would just respond already. If the answer was no, so be it. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been rejected, and would certainly not be the last. But this not knowing was irritating.

Then, the answer came. It wasn't emphatic at first, but then resolved itself into a solid yes. Jia took a moment to quietly celebrate, pumping her fist in the air. She'd asked a woman out on a date, and gotten a positive answer. Been a while since that had happened. And, Ling had already seen her drunk and riding high off of a good fight. If that hadn't scared her off, things could only improve from here.

Jia couldn't help but laugh as Ling explained her surprise. "I get you. It's hard sometimes to find people who'll stick around." She might have said more, but then Ling spoke again, apparently trying to move past her initial surprise. She trailed off, though, and Jia wondered why. Was she reconsidering?

Nope. Absolutely not. In fact, she was going in the other direction, further than Jia had expected. Now it was her turn to stumble over her words. "Your mother and sister? Um, that's…" she chuckled. "A bit early in our relationship to be meeting the family, don't you think? I mean, we danced together once, and I wasn't even that good at it."

Truth be told, the thought of seeing Ling along and meeting her mother and her sister all at once was more than a little scary. As long as she didn't get drunk, she should be able to control what came out of her mouth, but there was always the chance that she'd say something crude. If it was just Ling that might be fine, but with her mother there too…

But what else was she going to do today? Lie here in her underwear all day trying to think of something to do? She had an invitation to go somewhere with a woman she wanted to see more of, and food. What more could she ask for?

That was her mind made up, then. "You know what? Sure, I'll come. Where am I going and when should I be there? Should I bring anything?"

Ling swore. "That's not what I was trying to imply," she stammered, her neck feeling hot. She pointedly ignored Mei-zhen and Shi'ren shaking from laughter. "I just — you know, it's the New Year and —-"


"You know what? Sure, I'll come. Where am I going and when should I be there? Should I bring anything?"


She sighed in relief. "Great! Any time is fine, there's a mountain of food and no end in sight. Dinner will likely be around six in the evening." She quickly rattled off their address in the Dragon Flats district, noting that their apartment was located above a shop.

"And you don't have to bring anything either just —" Ling paused. She had been about to say 'just your cute self' but it seemed awkward with her family in the other room. "— just yourself," she finished blandly, wincing at how very uncharming she sounded. Once Jia agreed on a time, Ling said good bye and hung up. She turned from the phone, grinning from ear to ear. Mei-zhen burst out laughing.

"Shut up," Ling said good naturedly, hurling a pillow at her sister before rushing off to the bathroom to fix herself up.


—-


Nervously, Ling waited for Jia to arrive. She had changed out of her regular clothes to something a little nicer; Shi'ren and Mei-zhen always dressed nicely, but Ling's go-to outfit was a pair of slacks and a button up shirt. Now, however, she wore a somewhat form-fitting qi pao, in a dark blue to offset her eyes. The qi pao was loose enough to fight in, if necessary, but didn't look like she had decided to wear a burlap sack.

Instead of her custom ponytail, Mei-zhen had insisted on styling it. There wasn't much to do with shoulder-length hair, but Mei-zhen set it in cute curls at the bottom and used bobby pins to keep the hair out of her face.

When a knock finally came at the door, Ling took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves before opening the door.

"Hi," she said with her brightest smile. "Thanks for coming."

Jia chuckled as Ling stammered out an explanation. The invitation had caught her off guard, but this she was more used to. She'd always been a shameless flirt, unable to resist the allure of a pretty woman. She knew she should get it all out now, though; it would be difficult to flirt with Ling in front of her mother and sister. She had committed to going over, and she would, but she was viewing the whole situation with good-natured bemusement. This would definitely be interesting.

Dinner at six, she could be there whenever, and she didn't need to bring anything. "Sounds good," she said. "It'll take me a little time to get ready, but I don't live too far from the Dragon Flats district. I should be there in…let's say a couple hours. See you then?" She waited for Ling to confirm, then hung up. She sat there for a moment as a smile grew on her face. "Happy New Year to me."

Well, if she was going out, she needed to get ready. First up was a shower, during which she tried to think of what to wear. That went nowhere, and she came out of the shower, towel around her waist, and stood in front of her closet, waiting for something to come to her. She was going out for New Year's, and meeting Ling's family too, so she knew she should try to look good. Problem was, she didn't own much fancy clothing; she didn't go out often. Most of her closet space was taken up by practical clothing: tank tops, pants, that sort of thing. She did have a couple dresses, though, that hadn't ever seen much use. Maybe one of those would do. Nothing was red, so she wouldn't be dressed for the occasion, exactly, but that wouldn't be an issue. She'd just have to make do.

She'd never get anywhere, though, if she didn't make up her mind. Finally, Jia grabbed something, a green dress that went with her eyes. It had had sleeves when she'd bought it, but she'd ripped them off. She'd always thought that her arms, muscular as they were, were her best features, and figured she might as well show them off. She pulled the dress on, and paired it with a pair of simple black shoes.

Then it was on to the next battle: what should she do with her face? Her hair was easy; she kept it the same as it always was, gelled up in a multitude of spikes. As for makeup…that took her some time. Working on the docks didn't offer many opportunities to figure out what makeup looked best on her. She wasn't about to spend all day debating, though, so she settled on black eye liner and dark red lipstick. A look in the mirror told her she didn't look like a mess, and that was enough for her to be satisfied. She headed out, eager to see what the day had in store for her.

_____

It didn't take her too long to get to the Dragon Flats district. She had a bit of trouble remembering the exact number of the address Ling had given her, but Ling's note that she lived above a shop helped Jia figure it out. She glanced down at herself as she approached the door, and shrugged. It was what it was. She raised a fist and knocked.

As the door opened, Jia was immediately taken aback by Ling's appearance. It was the same person she'd met in the Golden Fan—she recognized the gap-toothed smile—but this version of Ling didn't look anything like the type to spend her evenings drinking and gambling in a saloon. "Thanks for inviting me." Jia gave Ling a once-over, letting out a low whistle. "You clean up nice," she commented, smirking.

ooc: i actually have some pics of mei-zhen and a comparison of ling with shi'ren, if you want them for reference; let me know and i'll PM you

Jia whistled at her appearance. Ling laughed and moved aside to usher her in. "Thanks," she said, feeling a little more relaxed than she was when Jia had called. "You look great, yourself," she added. Jia had decided to wear a sleeveless green dress that brought out the greens of her eyes. They look like jewels.

Closing the door behind her guest, Ling gestured to the other two figures in the living room. "This is my sister, Mei-zhen." Mei-zhen resembled her sister decently; enough, at least, to show they were family. Mei-zhen's hair was cut short, a bob that stopped right at her neck. Tonight, it had been set in fingerwaves. Unlike her sister, Mei-zhen had no freckles, and sported the bright blue eyes of a waterbender.

"And this," said Ling, "is my mother, Shi'ren."

It was obvious which parent Ling favoured. Shi'ren was older, but both had the same grey eyes, the same jawline. If it hadn't been for the lack of freckles, it was like staring at a vision of Ling far into the future. Shi'ren's grey hair was pulled into a tight bun, but she had the same side-fringe of hair falling diagonally across her forehead as her youngest daughter.

"And this," added Ling a little more softly, "is my father."

She gestured to a small altar across the room. A bowl of rice and a lit stick of incense had been placed in front of a sepia-hued photograph of a smiling, bearded man that looked quite like Mei-zhen.

"And this," she said brightly, steering Jia into the kitchen-and-dining area, "is our New Year's feast."

The kitchen table was piled high with all sorts of good food. In addition to all Ling had cooked before, the longevity noodles were on the stove, boiling away. "The noodles will be done soon," she said, "but grab a plate and get some snacks. We were just about to sit and tell our favourite stories of last year."

Jia beamed at Ling's compliment. She knew she looked good—with her body, how could she not?—but it was nice to hear that sentiment from someone else. She stepped into the apartment, and immediately saw two other people, who she assumed to be the mother and sister Ling had spoken of on the phone. This was confirmed, and Jia bowed to each in turn with small smiles. "Thank you for allowing me into your home," she told Shi'ren.

Looking at the three women of the Yao family, it was clear to see their relation. It appeared that striking eyes ran in the family. Shi'ren shared Ling's grey eyes, but Mei-hen, interestingly enough, had blue eyes. Jia wondered if she was a Waterbender. It had always seemed funny to her, how you could usually guess someone's bending ability just by their eye color. Were there benders whose eye color didn't match their ability? Like, could you be a Firebender with blue eyes? It was amusing to think about.

The introduction of Ling's father was a slightly somber affair. The dead deserved just as much respect as the living, so Jia bowed to the altar as well before allowing Ling to guide her toward the food. Her eyes widened at the sheer amount of food Ling had managed to fit on the table. Jia's stomach growled at the sight of it all, reminding her that she hadn't yet eaten that day. She'd meant to, but had been feeling so unlike herself that she hadn't bothered. Now, though, she was glad she hadn't, since it left plenty of room for the many options now in front of her.

She needed no encouragement from Ling to grab some food. It took some difficulty, but she managed to restrain herself from piling the plate high. She'd never been all that good at remembering her manners, but now she could hear her mother's voice in her head, telling not to look like a pig in someone else's home. As she started eating, she processed what Ling had said. Favorite stories? Jia glanced first at Ling, then at her mother and sister. She had several in mind, and had it been just the two of them, she wouldn't have had any trouble sharing. But most of her stories were not suitable for polite company. She would have to think of something more appropriate. For the time being, she busied herself with her food. She didn't quite catch Ling's eye as she responded.

"Um, why don't you go first?"

ooc: i wasn't sure where you sat, so please excuse the godmoding ;x

Ling piled a mountain of food onto her plate, balancing the mess delicately as she navigated towards the living room. Once they were all seated around the coffee table (for her part, she plopped down on the floor), they began telling their stories. Jia — nervously, it seemed — deferred to her.

She grinned. "All right, let's see...

"Last year there was a little incident at the Fan. I had just dropped off meimei off at the clinic and stopped in for a little pick-me-up. It had been a long day; we had tailed some lady's husband to a local brothel and sat in surveillance for ages and I needed a stiff drink. This absolutely waifish man drunkenly comes up to me and challenges me to a card game. I don't know who told him I played, but I accepted the challenge.

"Well, he wanted to up the stakes, you see. He wanted it to be one of those games where the loser removes an article of clothing. He looked too drunk to play properly so I agreed."

Mei-zhen was turning red in an effort not to laugh. Ling waved her hand. "Just wait, it gets better.

"So obviously, due to a bit of luck and dexterity, after a few hands I have a mountain of clothes sitting next to me and the man is shivering in his seat with only his socks, shoes, and smallclothes left. A crowd has formed around us, to watch the action. The pot at the centre of the table was piling up higher and higher, when he decides that I've cheated.

"I mean, I have, of course. There isn't a soul in the Fan who doesn't cheat. But be damned if anyone can actually prove any cheating is going on. So, innocently, I hold up my hands and deny it. He springs up in his seat to accuse me further, but his small clothes had gotten caught on the edge of the table. As soon as he jumped up, they just slid right down, exposing his pasty backside — and frontside.

"But he didn't notice! I can't imagine how. So he's yelling at me, his frontside swinging around wildly as he gesticulated. The entire crowd is roaring with laughter at this point and he assumes the laughter is due to everyone being 'in' on my cheating` so he whips around to tell the crowd off."

Mei-zhen and Shi'ren had dissolved into a fit of giggles by now, and Ling was having a hard time telling the story with a straight face.

"When he turns, obviously his smallclothes are still stuck to the table! He gets halfway turned before they rip and his momentum sends him flying, bare-bottomed, onto another table.

"To his credit, he's noticed he's completely unclothed at this point and I suppose he was so embarrassed that all reason left him and he just bolted out of the fan and left his clothes behind.

"I don't know how he made it home, but this clothes are still sitting in the Fan's lost and found box as we speak."

Jia kept a close eye on her plate as she followed the Yao family back into the living room. She didn't have as much to balance as Ling did—it was honestly impressive—but she didn't want to lose any of it. Much to her relief, Ling acquiesced to her request for more time to think about what story to tell. Jia settled in as Ling began her tale, munching happily on the food. It was delicious. Ling was pretty, fun, and she could cook. Jia was pretty sure she was falling in love.

And what a storyteller! Ling's story was hilarious. As she mentioned how quickly her opponent had lost most of his clothing, Jia was glad she'd never tried to play anything with such high stakes. She'd always been terrible at anything involving deception. The concept of the poker face was entirely lost on her. If she had a good hand, she boasted about it. If she had a bad hand, she bitterly bemoaned her luck. She couldn't help herself. Hiding her emotions took way too much effort, and was far less fun than just saying how she felt. She felt bad for Ling's victim, just a little.

Jia had to laugh when Ling admitted to cheating so casually. That laughter grew in intensity and volume as Ling continued, and by the end of the story Jia was practically roaring, clutching her sides. "That…was incredible," she managed to finally gasp out, wiping her eyes. "I'll have to remember never to play cards at the Fan."

She took another moment to catch her breath, realizing that now it was probably her turn to tell a story. She'd been so caught up in Ling's amazing tale, she hadn't given too much thought to what she would do when she reached this point. "Not sure how to follow that up…" she said, wracking her brain. "But I remember, this one time down at the docks—I work there, loading and unloading shipments," she explained to Mei-zhen and Shi'ren. "Now, technically, people aren't supposed to ship animals—at least, not in large quantities without the proper permits and clearance. But people do it anyway, and just hope they don't get caught." She shook her head. "Doesn't usually work. RCPD is too sharp.

"So anyway, one night a boat comes in with…ten barrels, I think. We're not sure exactly what's in them—all we know is that when we pick them up, we can hear liquid sloshing around. The captain of the boat claims they're bringing in pickled plums from the Northern Water Tribe, but a couple of the dock workers are from there, and they definitely don't smell any plums. But, you know, it's not really our business to question things, and we're not about to get in trouble if these people are shipping something they're not supposed to. So we just go with it, start moving the barrels.

"So we're stacking the barrels in a warehouse, one on top of another…really, it was a pretty bad way to do things, but it was late and we just wanted to get it done and go home. Of course, that came back around to bite us in the butts. One guys is handing the last barrel up to another when his grip slips. The barrel falls, hits the ground, and bam!" Jia clapped her hands together for emphasis. "Splits open. And instead of pickled plums, it was packed full of purple pentapuses." She frowned slightly, her nose crinkling. "Pentapuses? Pentapii? Whatever, doesn't matter. Anyway, there's a ton of the things in that one barrel, and now that they're free, they start moving. They start making for the warehouse doors. There's no way we can just let them go, so we run after them, falling over ourselves trying to grab them all.

"But those buggers are slippery, and fast when they want to be. It's hard to grab hold of them. But then, when we do, we find out about their suckers. Those things latch on, and no matter how hard we pull, they're not coming off. So there we are, a bunch of big, burly dock workers covered in tiny purple animals that probably don't even know what we are." She chuckled at the memory, remembering the feel of a multitude of suckers on her skin.

"We're all running around, hollering for a good couple minutes. Finally, one guy remembers that you can get a pentapus to let go if you kind of…tickle its head a bit. We thought he was just pulling our legs, but then he proved it. We sat there for…I'm pretty sure it was a solid hour we spent, just helping each other get the pentapuses off." Jia absentmindedly scratched her stomach as she spoke. "The spots their suckers left behind lasted for a whole day. When our foreman asked what had happened to us, we told him we'd all eaten something bad, all come down with the same sickness. Don't think he believed us, but he knew better than to question it. As for the pentapuses…not sure where they ended up once they left the warehouse. Probably in the sewers somewhere." She shrugged.

Ling squealed as Jia told her story, involuntarily drawing her legs and arms in closer to her body. The thought of hundreds — thousands? Would such creatures breed? — of squirmy, squishy, tentacled things just crawling over you was enough to make anyone squirm.

"They're in the sewers?" she repeated, shuddering. What if they all came out during the rain or something?!

Mei-zhen laughed, gesturing that it was her turn to tell a story. She spoke of a man who had gone to the clinic, worried he had been cursed by his neighbour as a red ring had appeared around delicate areas. With all the skill of their father, the older Yao sister kept an entirely straight face as she described the man's conditions, and her discovery that this mysterious affliction was none other than very bright lipstick.

Ling positively howled. "Did he never wash?" she said, wiping her eyes.

Shi'ren's story was about the local fishmonger, who had long accused a local stray cat of eating his wares, to the point that he told anyone and everyone how he would very cleverly set a trap for the cat. When the fated day arrived, lo! In his trap was not the cat, but his own young child, who had been stealing fish in order to lure more cats to the property.

When the laughter died down, Ling excused herself to the kitchen, followed by Mei-zhen. They returned bearing bowls of longevity noodles and a family plate of catfish. As per local custom, anything on the family plate was to be taken at will rather than formally served, leaving a small amount as offering for a plentiful new year.

As they ate, Shi'ren switched on the radio so that the New Year's drama special played. Mei-zhen and Shi'ren were enraptured, and Ling was grateful for the added noise. Scooting a little closer to Jia, she spoke in an undertone.

"So, I know it wasn't exactly a smooth move inviting you to meet my family on what should have been a first date," Ling could feel her cheeks get hotter as she spoke, "but I hope this isn't too bad. And I promise I'll make it up to you next time — that is, if you'd like there to be a next time."
    

Jia noticed Ling's reaction to her story. When Ling voiced her fear of pentapuses crawling up from the sewers, she laughed. "Don't think you need to be worried, she reassured Ling. "If you see one coming for you, just remember to tickle it and you'll be fine." It was highly amusing to imagine a swarm of the tiny, adorable creatures in the streets of Republic City. They were harmless, as far as she knew, but that would certainly be a bother.

Mei-zhen and Shi'ren told their tales, and proved that excellent storytelling was a family trait. Mei-zhen's story in particular had Jia practically crying with laughter. Her breath came in gasps as she held her aching stomach. Shi'ren's story was funny in its own right, though thankfully not quite as much of a strain. "Sounds like we all had a great year," Jia proclaimed as Shi'ren finished her tale. "Hopefully this year will be just as hilarious."

Jia watched, curious, as Ling and Mei-zhen exited toward the kitchen. Her eyes lit up when they returned with the longevity noodles and fish. She was a simple woman, was Jia, easily pleased. And while the easiest way to her heart might not always be her stomach, it was definitely in the running. She happily herself to both noodles and fish—not too much of each, mindful to leave enough for everyone else—and muttered her praise for the food in between mouthfuls. So far, this unexpected kind of not really a date had been enjoyable.

Jia looked over as Ling scooted closer, offering her a grin. "You're really cute when you blush, you know," she remarked, her tone matter-of-fact. "And don't worry about it—I've had a great time. This beats sitting in my apartment by myself, that' s for sure. I'm definitely up for a second date…or would it be a more typical first one?" She shrugged. "Either way, it's a yes." She winked.

Ling grinned back. "Great!" she replied enthusiastically. "I've... I've had a pretty great time having you here too." If possible, her cheeks got hotter. If her mother and sister noticed anything, they had the decency to ignore it.

The hours passed as they listened to the radio drama about two ladies separated by war, reunited at long last and living happily ever after. As the clock ticked down to midnight, Shi'ren yawned and excused herself for bed, saying her old bones weren't up to staying up any later. Ling kissed her on the cheek. "G'night mother," she said. Shi'ren bowed to Jia and kissed Mei-zhen as well before disappearing into the hall. They could hear the running water in the bathroom for a few moments before it stopped, followed by the tell-tale click of a door closing.

The phone rang just then, which Mei-zhen answered. After a few moments, she hung up and pulled on her coat, saying that there was an emergency at the clinic and she'd be catching a cab out. Ling looked after her, alarmed, but Mei-zhen promised she'd ring once she arrived safely. Reluctantly, the freckled Yao sister stepped aside to let her pass.

Then it was just her and Jia. The apartment was silent, but the dull hum of celebratory noises from surrounding buildings could be heard, muffled, through the walls. Ling turned to her date and grinned, tugging a little nervously on her ear. "Looks like it's just us," she said. Snow had started falling again, very lightly. "Too bad it's snowing," she added. "Or I'd invite you up to the rooftop to watch the fireworks."

Jia's grin grew as Ling's cheek became even redder. It was fun seeing Ling like this; she'd seemed so sure of herself when they'd first met in the Golden Fan. It was understandable, though. She wasn't sure she'd be her usual self if the situation were reversed and they were with her parents. And, confident though she was in her ability to make a good impression, it was reassuring to hear that Ling was not regretting inviting her over. Truthfully, when she'd first arrived, she'd felt like she was intruding on what was meant to be a family thing. But Shi'ren and Mei-zhen had been nothing but welcoming so far. That certainly made things easier.

Time passed, the radio drama keeping them all entertained—well, at least it seemed to be working its magic on Shi'ren and Mei-zen. For Jia's part, she only half-focused on radio. Radio dramas had never been her thing. She'd tried to listen to them a few times in the past—her father was a big fan, and had hoped to share this love with his daughter—but Jia had never been able to keep enough of her attention on them. Somewhere around the hour mark or so, she lost the plot of whatever she was listening to, and then there was really no point in carrying on.

So, while she caught every other sentence of the radio's story, Jia let her mind wander. Given her surroundings and the purpose for her visit, it was only natural that her thoughts turned to the new year. She'd never set much store by tradition or ritual. She understood that there were certain actions performed, certain food eaten, in an attempt to make the coming year bring good luck. But then, Jia wasn't a big believer in luck. As far as she was concerned, success and prosperity were achieved through hard work and the development of skill. But, she wouldn't begrudge people their superstitions. If they wanted to go through the motions, so be it. Given how delicious the food Ling had made was, Jia wasn't about to complain.

As midnight approached, Shi'ren departed. Then Mei-zhen answered a phone call, and dashed out the door. And just like that, Ling and Jia were alone. This was both exhilarating and confusing. One the one hand, this was what Jia had been hoping for all day. On the other hand, they were still in the Yao family home, with Ling's mother sleeping just a couple rooms away. So, it really wouldn't be appropriate—or wise—for Ling and Jia to get as…comfortable as Jia might like.

For now, she settled for scooting closer to Ling, until their arms were almost touching. She glanced over when Ling spoke, taking note of how Ling tugged on her ear. It was a cute quirk, though she wasn't sure what it was supposed to signal. Was it supposed to signal something? Jia had never been great at picking up on subtleties, especially when it came to body language. She much preferred the direct approach.

Ling mentioned the snow, and Jia gazed out the window at the white flakes drifting slowly downward from the clouds. "I don't know," she said, with a small shrug. "I think we could do a good job of keeping each other warm. But then, I suppose freezing our fingers off would be a pretty bad way to start off the new year. Besides, who needs fireworks, anyway?" She nodded at Ling. "You're much more fun to look at that some pretty lights in the sky."

Ling laughed softly, knowing she was still red in the face. "I have an idea; be right back."

She disappeared into the hallway for a while, then came back a few moments later with an armful of blankets and her father's old canvas tent, minus the poles. "Come on, this way."

The freckled woman led the way out the side door and up the fire escape, absently hitching her dress up so that the slits in the side were at a more comfortable place to allow her to climb up the ladder. The blankets and tent were tucked under her arm, and she balanced herself delicately during the climb.

Once they were on the roof, she was relieved to see that its slightly angled tiling had allowed for a vast majority of the day's snowfall to slide off. Turning to Jia, she held out the blankets. "Would you hold these for a minute?"

When Jia took the blankets, Ling turned and flung the tent canvas out, spreading it like a picnic blanket across the roof. "It's waterproof," she explained, then gestured that they should sit on it. When they had, Ling wrapped the large blankets like robes around them both. She grinned, then nodded her head in the direction of the brightly lit Harmony Tower. She could hear the distant chatter of other people climbing up on their roofs as well, and knew that the fireworks were just about to start.

Her breath came out in visible puffs, but the blankets trapped her and Jia's body heat quite well. As the first firework shot into the black night sky, Ling stared at it and tentatively slipped her hand over Jia's, feeling herself blush despite the cold.

"Hurry back," Jia said as Ling said something about having an idea and went off into the hallway. Jia stared after Ling, curious. When Ling came back carrying several blankets and a large sheet of something she didn't recognize, however, Jia could only raise an eyebrow at her, confused. "What this, then?"

In answer, Ling merely told her to follow. Of course, Jia did, without hesitation. Manners and lust battled in her brain when Ling hitched her dress up to climb the ladder of the fire escape. Luckily, manners won out, and Jia glanced away until Ling had completed her ascent. Jia was quick to follow, fumbling a bit with her own dress. "Stupid thing," she grumbled. "This is why I don't wear dresses often. They're pretty, but way too restrictive."

It was cold on the roof, and as she took the blankets from Ling, Jia felt goose bumps rise on her arms, and shivers ran through her limbs. She was looking forward to putting the blankets to use post-haste. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long. Ling set out what Jia now recognized as a canvas tent and it didn't take much urging to get Jia to sit on it and assist in enrobing the both of them in the blankets. Jia let out a contented sigh as warmth filled the cocoon they'd created, staving off the cold of the snow. She turned her face toward the beckoning glow of Harmony Tower, absently brushing snowflakes out of her hair with one hand.

The first firework shot into the air, exploding into a brilliant shower of red and gold sparkles, and just as it did, Jia felt Ling's hand settle lightly over her own. She looked over at Ling. Was she blushing again, or was that just the light of the firework shining on her face? It was impossible to tell, but Jia was pretty sure she knew. She grinned and, rotating her hand so that their palms touched, reached up to interlock their fingers. She rotated her thumb in a lazy circle over Ling's skin. As the fireworks continued, clock chimes all over the city sounded in unison, proclaiming the arrival of midnight. Jia leaned in closer. "Happy New Year, Ling."

OOC: oh MY

Jia interlocked their fingers and Ling felt her breath catch in her throat. Her heart hammered so loudly in her chest that when Jia leaned closer she was sure the other woman could hear it over the fireworks.

"Happy New Year," she breathed, their faces inches away from each other. Ling could see snowflakes settle on Jia's eyelashes, making her look like some sort of otherworldly snow princess. After a brief moment's hesitation, Ling leaned forward and brushed her lips lightly on Jia's lips. Her cheeks felt so hot she was surprised there was any snow left within a five foot radius of them.

Fireworks continued to explode in amazing colours and shapes as people celebrated the Year of the Rooster, but the only sound Ling could hear was the sound of Jia breathing and her own thumping heart.