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Post by kiku on Jan 24, 2008 21:02:23 GMT -5
It had been a long month. Well, a long month, two weeks, and three days, but who was counting?
Life had moved slowly. Work had swiftly consumed Kiku’s life in an attempt to soothe the worry any the yearning bubbling up inside her, but her efforts were always in vain. In fact, it seemed for every day that Kiran was gone, she worried just a little more, grew just a bit more desperate to see his face again…
It was strange. Even when Daichi had left she had never felt this kind of pain. It had been different. She still worried for him, yes, but for Kiran… it was almost as if her heart was broken. Sometimes she secretly worried he wouldn’t come back or would forget to, and simply the thought of never seeing his face again filled her chest with a heavy weight and brought her nearly to tears. Horrible scenarios condemned her imagination; in the garden she had to rub her eyes.
In the morning oftentimes she would suddenly pause and gaze out the window or into the distance, as if by some gracious miracle Kiran would be there, his arms open wide for her. She missed his warm embrace, his comforting hand and voice. Hana had caught her during this dazing off more than once, which always made her feel flushed and confused. Why was she so obsessed with him?
At night she would sit on her bed and stare desperately at his letter she had received at precisely two weeks, five days. She would read, while stroking the folds smooth, tracing his signature at the bottom. She wondered what was wrong with her. What made her yearn so dearly to think about him, his alluring smile, his very presence? When she started thinking, she couldn’t stop, as if she was simply desperate for more of him…
No matter what she did, she couldn’t get out of thinking of him. Whether it was watching Gram deliver a baby, doing some necessary shopping, or sitting in the library, the memory of his voice consumed her whole attention. It was frustrating, confusing… They hadn’t known each other that long, but it seemed as if she had known Kiran forever. She felt to hopelessly attached to him, everything about him. Without him, she felt so empty and miserable all the time. Kiku sighed. She needed him so much right now…
She read his letter again.
Kiku,
You’re probably wondering why some stranger had to show up to give this letter to you. His name is Red if he didn’t tell you already; he was the only one I could trust to give this letter to you, mostly because I don’t trust the Fire Nation’s mail service – they read anything that is sent out to the Earth Kingdom. Hnm…maybe I’ll get my own messenger hawk. Anyway, now I know I don’t have to worry about censoring anything.
I have some good news! When I arrived at home, the letter wasn’t there for me. I was relieved, but I did decide that I should return to the Navy shipping docks where I usually do my engineering work. Don’t worry! It’s nothing dangerous – just a large docking port where ships need to be mended. I decided to go, well, because I need the money and my father says I need to catch up on my work. As I’m sitting here with a few friends, I realize how much I wish I was where you are. Hopefully, I won’t be writing much of these. I hope that I can get out of here, come see you. I miss you, Kiku. I miss seeing your face and your hand to hold. That’s no lie. Heh, now a few of the guys are laughing at me; my friend Huo just caught a glance at that last sentence. I need to remember to start writing letters alone.
To tell you the truth, I’m very tired from all the work I’ve been doing here at the docks. Oh, well. It’s better than going out into war, right? I stayed at home for a few days before coming here and realized just how bored I can easily get. It wasn’t like that when I was staying with you, though; my home is just too quiet – an eerie kind of quiet. Well, it’s always seemed like that to me. Though, I do miss my comfortable bed; sleeping on a futon in a tent isn’t exactly sleep worthy.
But how are you? How’s the family? Has anything happened lately? Have you put anything inside the music box I gave you? I’ll be coming back soon once my work here is over with; I’ll wave to you and we’ll have fun together, like last time! I have a promise to keep, after all.
~ Kiran
P.S – Send your letters to the fisherman, Red; he stops by in the village every Friday to hand out his catch to the merchants set up around town. You can trust him. He’s a good friend of mine. My letters will be coming in rather slow due to the fact that I’ll only be able to trust Red to send my letters from the army and I only get to see him a few times when he stops by. Don’t worry; I’ll tell him to run fast for you.
She smiled. It was so easy to admire Kiran, even with this simple letter. Simply his words brought a taste of that familiar pleasantness to her, and some phrases made her feel heart flutter oddly…
Quietly, Kiku strolled out into the garden early that morning, watching the pretty sunrise…
She had been thinking very hard recently, writing things down in a book where she kept old letters and random thoughts. She had been thinking about Kiran… and how she felt about him. Her heart fluttered eagerly when she recalled the soft inference she had made, and flushed, though no one was up and about yet to see.
Now that the option was out in the open, Kiku didn’t see how it couldn’t be true. Not only did she yearn for his presence every single moment, but it felt as if… she needed him. She admired every part of him, felt as if she needed his comforting presence to be herself, whole… She couldn’t stop thinking about all the wonderful moments they had spent together, his handsome smile, his soft lips at her cheek. She suddenly felt as if she was bursting with restless energy, and she walked around the garden, occasionally glancing at the garden’s gate.
It was her birthday, and there was nothing she wanted more than to have Kiran hold her close again.
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Post by coldflame on Jan 25, 2008 20:08:20 GMT -5
He stepped down from the carriage with a small jump and quickly took his large, leather traveling bag off the back seat. Shuffling around to the front of the carriage, Kiran looked up to where Red sat and grinned gratefully.
“Thanks again, Red.”
“No problem, Kiran. Tell Miss Kiku I said hello…” Red smiled in his usual calm and nonchalant way. “Don forget your little…err…friend, there.” He glanced down towards the ground.
Kiran chuckled and glanced down towards his feet where a small and fluffy koala-sheep stood next to him, unenthusiastically munching on a few blades of grass. Kiran squinted back up at Red, the early sun now beginning to shine in his eyes. “What? I thought it would be a good gift!”
Red rolled his eyes at Kiran, shaking his head in disbelief. Kiran was so strange sometimes. Really, this boy had to be more obsessed with this girl Kiku than he thought; bringing a koala-sheep for her…
“You know where to find me if ya need me,” Red replied, and with a small flick of the reigns, urged the ostrich-horse forward to pull the carriage back down the dirt road.
Kiran watched him leave for a moment, the carriage slowly disappearing behind the corner of the dirt road which led away from Zhy. Kiran looked back down at the ball of fur next to his feet and clicked his tongue to call the koala-sheep to follow him. At first the sheep seemed too busy to search for more grass, but Kiran had already begun walking eagerly towards town. The rope that Kiran had tied around the sheep’s neck eventually tightened and pulled the animal to follow him, much to the koala-sheep’s disappointment.
Kiran absentmindedly headed through the town as if his mind was somewhere else, but his feet knew exactly where to go. It was still very early; not very many people were out yet and merchants had just begun to set up they’re stands. Some townspeople headed into taverns and restaurants for breakfast as well. Kiran, of course, was starving but didn’t even seem to notice it now – he was more eager to get to see Kiku instead of having a chance to eat.
Kiran had changed somewhat since the last time he left this place. His hair was slightly longer than before. His bangs were the only thing he managed to cut a little shorter, but the hair at the base of his neck still showed how time passed. However, it wasn’t just his appearance that has seemed to change; something inside him had changed slightly as well.
Through the whole time Kiran had been working in the Fire Nation, being at home, he couldn’t stop thinking about his friend who was now just down the road, hopefully still waiting for him. As much as he tried not to think about her, little things would just bring up a reminder in his head about what she would like and what she would do if she was there with him. Often Kiran was harassed by some of his friends when he would mention Kiku. They would all crowd around him as he was eating or doing his work and say things like:
‘Kiku, huh? You seem to be mentioning her every now and then…' Kiran remembered his older friend Huo say with an eyebrow raised slightly, a grin on his face.
‘Yeah, Kiran. So you’re going all the way back to Zhy just to see this girl?’ His old mentor chimed in.
‘Well, I think that’s a good thing!’ Zheng chuckled. ‘He hasn’t taken such measures to see a girl since…what was her name again? Amala?’
Then they sometimes continued to tease him about being in love again, but Kiran just couldn’t seem to accept that. Not yet, anyways. He had continually been denying it with himself, but his conscious seemed to point out that, yes, he knew what love was and, yes, knew what it was like to be heartbroken. Perhaps that was why he was so reluctant to take such considerations into being in love again. And…with Kiku, it seemed like he should steer away from such a thing. He knew that he wouldn’t be accepted in her world and he could just simply make things more complicated for her. Kiran, in all aspects of being in denial with himself, honestly could only think of what Kiku’s life would be like if he intervened like that. There would be many complications – war, family (her father in particular), and how he would have to constantly leave her – seemed as if it would be too much for Kiku…no matter how much he cared about her.
And as if he had somehow only imagined walking through town, Kiran snapped out of his dazing and could now see the gate to Kiku’s garden. He walked faster now, wanting to see her with an itching eagerness and could only hope that she was awake at this hour. Even the koala-sheep had trouble keeping up...
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Post by kiku on Jan 25, 2008 20:43:59 GMT -5
Kiku’s fingers ran delicately through the silky, lavender blossoms as she continued to sit calmly on a bench positioned near the shop’s door. She smiled a little as she admired the soft, purple color of the Lilac Lilies, remembering that day so long ago… That had been a very enjoyable morning and afternoon. Learning more about Kiran, laughing with him; her heart warmed just thinking about it.
Softly she plucked a blossom away from its stem, noticing how much the buds had spread out since she had last observed it during Kiran’s stay. They had become much more beautiful, blossoming out into much larger, full flowers. She sighed, only reminded of how much time had passed. Distractedly she stood and continued to walk around the garden, fingering the soft flower gently between her fingers. She glanced up into the sky, admiring the sun that was now hovering brightly over the horizon. It was a truly marvelous thing, the sun. Bright and beautiful, warming… She sighed, tucking the little blossom behind her ear, while continuing to stroll gracefully through the garden. When would her sun come back…?
She didn’t glance at the gate; it would only be too depressing. She really needed to think of something else, but Kiku found she didn’t want to. The memories Kiran brought were too wonderful; she enjoyed thinking about the warm laughs they shared, the heartwarming moments they had gone through during their short time…
Humming softly a tune she had listened to quite often during the past month, Kiku continued to stroll through the garden during the peaceful morning, secretly wishing Kiran would be there to spend it with her…
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Post by coldflame on Jan 25, 2008 21:05:49 GMT -5
For the slightest second, Kiran could have sworn he saw a small figure walk through the garden. Perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him; he wasn’t sure. But, just the thought of that figure walking past being Kiku made him trudge closer to the gate.
He turned and pressed his feet against the few stepping stones that lined the way up to the metal gate. Quickly, however making sure the little sheep was steered clear, Kiran opened the gate. The metal of the garden door made a small creak as he opened it, but now he seemed to be slowly entering. He took a moment to look at the garden, seeing how much it seemed to have grown since the last time he was here. The flowers were in full bloom now and the trees seemed to have even more leaves. There was the soft scent of different fruits in the air and, just as he remembered, there was a calming silence.
However, after he finished admiring the surroundings for a quick moment, he immediately began to search the garden for what he thought he saw as Kiku. He walked in slightly further, glancing around trees and desperately wanting to see some sign of her, until he came to the clearing that led up to the house. And sure enough, just as he had hoped, he saw her.
Her back was turned to him and she was slowly walking away, obviously not noticing that he was here. He grinned warmly, even at the sight of her back. He called out to her, his voice smooth, but loud enough for her to hear him.
“I had a feeling you would be out here ..!”
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Post by kiku on Jan 25, 2008 21:46:21 GMT -5
Kiku froze. She was hallucinating; she had to be hallucinating. It would be simply too good to be true if he turned up right now…. But that didn’t stop her heart from leaping hopefully, or her head from turning very slowly, bursts of desire making her arms feel hollow as her gaze slowly traveled to behind her. It couldn’t be… but that was his voice…
“Kiran!” she cried joyously. Without thinking twice she launched herself at him, swiftly enwrapping her dear friend into a soft but firm embrace, pressing his face admiringly against his chest. Kiku clung herself desperately to him, being as close as she dared, already feeling more light, like herself, whole. She inhaled deeply, taking in his warmth, the familiar feel of his strong chest against her… She could have teared up she was so truly happy, but she was still too much in shock.
“What… what are you doing here?” She asked breathlessly, her voice coming out much like a laugh. She squeezed him gently; it was impossible to express how blissful she suddenly felt…
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Post by coldflame on Jan 26, 2008 15:10:23 GMT -5
Kiran laughed heartily, stumbling back a little ways as she nearly tackled him to the ground. Just as quickly as she had, Kiran dropped his things and wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight hold. Immediately, he could already feel her warmth and remembered just the way she felt against him once again.
It was amazing at how far he had traveled just for this moment. Closing that long gap between himself and Kiku seemed as if he was putting two puzzle pieces back together that been lost for a long time. And now the picture was complete. He didn’t realize just how good it felt before; now, it was as if holding Kiku close to him was something that could not be replaced by anyone else. Perhaps his friends were right: maybe he was just a little obsessed.
It might be reasonable to say that, though. After all, he had worked hard and fast to see Kiku, sailed across the ocean for her, and bothered Red enough times to send letters to her and to give him a ride into town.
He grinned at this, and squeezed her gently.
“I made a promise, remember?” Kiran chuckled, resting his chin against the back of her shoulder as he continued to hold her close. “Have you forgotten me already?”
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Post by kiku on Jan 26, 2008 15:36:29 GMT -5
“Of course not!” Kiku laughed softly, squeezing him back gently. “I’m just surprised to see you, is all.”
Forget him? How absolutely ridiculous. She knew his suggestion was a joke, but even the thought of it sounded absurd. She had wished to see him everyday, thought of him almost constantly. Her heart had ached during his absence, contrasting so very greatly with this present moment, where her heart felt warm and complacent. She sighed softly into the fabric of his shirt, marveling at the feeling she had so desperately missed...
She smiled softly into his neck, soaking up and loving so much their close embrace. It was simply amazing how whole and safe she felt in his strong arms, though the feeling inside of her was what made her cheeks flush softly. Though it was silly to think it, it seemed, she felt as if their embrace almost seemed destined; how else could it feel so right in his arms, have all this peaceful joy flowing throughout her? Kiku was quite glad he had kept his promise…
“I missed you.” She murmured softly, turning her head slightly to rest her cheek against his chest. Her heart continued to flutter as she realized how close they truly were, his head resting on her shoulder…
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Post by coldflame on Jan 26, 2008 21:38:41 GMT -5
Kiran could have picked her up and spun her with joy, but simply grinned and lifted his head to press his cheek gently against her head.
“I missed you too, Kiku…” he murmured deeply, closing his eyes for a moment. He was surprised that Kiku was willing to be this close to him; he was easily able to feel her breath against his neck, the way she tightly held him…He would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying it all, absorbing it.
Then, quite suddenly, he felt a sharp tug on the bottom of his pant leg causing his leg to involuntarily move. Kiran lifted his head and looked down to see the koala-sheep (who he had completely forgotten about) munching on his clothing, as if saying she wanted more attention now.
Kiran chuckled and stepped away from Kiku to bend down and pick up the little, fuzzy sheep in his arms.
“I had almost forgotten…” he chuckled, scratching the top of the sheep’s head as it gave a small call to Kiku. Kiran grinned wider at this and held the sheep out for her.
“I got you a koala-sheep!”
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Post by kiku on Jan 26, 2008 22:21:02 GMT -5
Kiku laughed, surprise and vast amusement both apparent in her expression.
“You got me a sheep?” She couldn’t help but ask, her voice still very much ringing with laughter. She glanced back at him, nearly grinning – she should have known he wouldn’t have forgotten her birthday. And what great timing he had! And what a lovely gift…
She chuckled a little more as she skimmed over Kiran’s eager, smiling face (very much like a small child’s, though much more handsome), and then the sheep, who was quite precious. It was so amazing how Kiran could so swiftly make her light and pleasant; the impulsive randomness of the little lamb was just like something he would do, and it swiftly filled her with that long-missed lightheartedness. Her smile softened, however, as her gift called for her, and she took it gently into her arms, holding it tenderly like she would a newborn baby.
“Aw… She’s adorable.” Kiku cooed sweetly, stroking her slender fingers on the koala-sheep’s smooth head. Still observing the small, precious animal, Kiku spoke to Kiran tenderly. “I love her, thank you…”
She spent a few more moments, stroking the koala-sheep’s soft wool, before looking up at Kiran, a sudden tinge of curiosity and amusement in her eyes.
“But… why a koala-sheep of all things?”
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Post by coldflame on Jan 27, 2008 19:48:04 GMT -5
Kiran simply shrugged.
“I found her wandering around my house. I hear they’re tolerant animals, and some people raise them, so I thought ‘why not?’” He grinned and patted the koala-sheep’s head for a moment, while the animal called in reply.
“I just had a feeling you would like her, is all. Besides, what kind of woman wouldn’t want a koala-sheep?” he chuckled and gestured to the furry animal as it unenthusiastically stared up at Kiku, then yawned.
Kiran was happy to see that Kiku enjoyed the small pet. If anything, it seemed like a good idea to give it to her, anyways. He knew that her birthday must be today; he remembered her writing it a letter at some point, but wasn’t sure of exact date. However, Kiran didn’t seem to want to drift away in his thoughts at the moment – he would rather focus on Kiku, wanting to talk to her as much as he could.
He looked back up at Kiku and smiled softly, quickly continuing after the sheep had given a rather bored yawn.
“Any ideas on what you want to name her?”
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Post by kiku on Jan 27, 2008 20:12:46 GMT -5
“Hmm…” Kiku mused for a moment, a soft smile on her lips. She glanced back down at the precious koala-sheep and continued to stroke its soft wool, realizing how much the little lamb meant to her. She treasured it not only because she was a precious gift all by herself, but because she was from Kiran, and she treasured everything he gave her, including his time and pleasant company. The lamb deserved a special name…
Smiling a little, she pressed her lips gently to her sheep’s sweet forehead. Then Kiku glanced up to Kiran with sparkling eyes, remembering what she had been thinking about before he had come. Her expression softened, and a faint blush dusted across her cheeks.
“Nayeli.” She said softly, stroking the little lamb’s head before glancing up to Kiran with a charming smile, her blush still faint on her cheeks. It was a perfect name, she thought; it had a special meaning – sweet just like the lamb, as well as true. She spoke again, smiling, but a bit shy.
“What do you think..?”
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Post by coldflame on Jan 28, 2008 21:16:19 GMT -5
Kiran tilted his head towards the little koala-sheep, watching it for a moment as Kiku cradled it in her arms as if it was a baby. Nayeli – that sounded like a good name for the rather cute animal. Kiran had no choice but to agree with it, for it was Kiku’s pet after all.
“I think it sounds perfect,” Kiran agreed, grinning as he scratched underneath Nayeli’s chin. Kiran tilted his head at the sheep as Nayeli leaned her head back at the touch of his fingertips, her eyes closing for a moment. The koala-sheep looked just like a baby as she continued to be cradled, and Kiku was definitely the motherly type of person who would spoil her.
“You are going to be one spoiled koala-sheep. I know it,” Kiran said to Nayeli, chuckling as he noticed the lamb call in reply, as if agreeing with him.
He shook his head and looked back up at Kiku, taking in her appearance again. It seemed like it has been…forever, since he last saw her. Kiran took in her smile. It was a lovely smile; a timeless, thin smile that could only be found in the oldest of paintings. Her cheeks - always so rosy – and her hands being so slender and small made him stare just a little while longer...
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Post by kiku on Jan 28, 2008 21:41:43 GMT -5
Kiku couldn’t help but laugh softly at this (it was certainly possible); however, when she spoke her voice was teasingly defiant.
“Me? Spoil my precious Nayeli? Never…”
With this, she graced Kiran with one of her cute smiles, her eyes sparkling. Kiku also took the opportunity to observe Kiran’s own eyes for a few more treasured moments, while cradling her gift tenderly. It was then that she realized that Kiran was observing her too, and she blushed a little at this, a little shy but also a little curious. Silently she wondered what he was thinking, what he must think of her… She knew what she thought of him with those golden eyes and pale lips…
Swiftly Kiku was broken out of her daze as Nayeli shifted suddenly, wanting to be let down. She managed a small laugh, and the koala-sheep was set down gently, swiftly partaking in grazing some more. When Kiku returned to full height, a soft smile on her lips, she glanced at Kiran shyly and couldn’t help but ask.
“What are you thinking about..?”
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Post by coldflame on Jan 29, 2008 20:15:30 GMT -5
Kiran immediately snapped out of his daze at her question even though he had chuckled at her comment about Nayeli before; however, he was slightly unprepared on what to tell her. He knew perfectly well that Kiku would enjoy a direct answer from him, and although wanting to please her, he couldn’t bring himself to say all the things he wanted to say to her. Kiran knew perfectly well that the torture he had been putting himself through the past month, two weeks, and three days was something not intentional. For what he knew, he realized that he cared more for Kiku now than he had before – that was certain. But as far as admitting it, he was not so certain.
“Oh, nothing, really…” Kiran evaded, his eyes widening slightly, but couldn’t seem to look away from her. However, he caught himself and smiled a little sheepishly, “I was just…refreshing my memory.”
That was partly true, but Kiran had a feeling it would rush more curiosity into Kiku’s head; she was a typically very curious person like that. He smiled at this, his eyes now focusing on her deep chocolate colored ones as if wanting to see through them and read her thoughts. Refreshing his memory - that was very true, indeed.
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Post by kiku on Jan 29, 2008 20:52:35 GMT -5
“Oh…” Kiku replied softly, her voice nearly breathless, like a whisper. Smiling a little shyly, she gazed softly back into Kiran’s pale eyes, which seemed to be looking right back through hers, as if searching inside her soul. It was probably just her imagination, but Kiku wondered if there was something more to be found inside his friendly gaze and nature…And at that moment, with their gazes locked, her heart fluttered hyperactively; she couldn’t help but think about how truly appealing his soft gaze seemed, how truly handsome he really was…
“I guess that makes two of us.” She managed finally, her voice still breathless but a little amused. Shyly she averted her gaze down to the ground, where her little lamb was busying herself with the garden’s tasty grass. And with this Kiku smiled a little more confidently, glancing back up to Kiran with warm, sparkling eyes.
“Speaking of remembering…” She began, her expression now charming, a bit mischievous. “You’ve been traveling a quite a bit; aren’t you a little hungry?”
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