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Post by kiku on Dec 23, 2007 19:03:23 GMT -5
Kiku smiled softly at Kiran’s story.
“Yes… Grandparents are very nice to have.” Kiku commented fondly, of course, referring to her Gram, Hana. “After my father was injured in the war… it was a really hard time for my family, in many ways of course. Gram helped us out a lot… emotionally as well as financially.”
She tilted her head at Kiran, interested by this little tidbit of information, but naturally more curious as well. Her eyes were attentive as she observed her friend, as if trying to see his past in the depths of his pale eyes… It must have been very difficult to move so much, especially when Kiran was little, and all that time he must have worrying about his parents… And Kiku thought she had it hard at fifteen! Eyes full of dazed thoughtfulness, Kiku shook her head.
“It’s understandable to miss your parents. I know how I miss Daichi all the time now…” She paused for a moment, wondering… “How long were your parents away, usually?”
Perhaps there was a bright side. Perhaps, his mother at least, was home for awhile between her duties…
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Post by coldflame on Dec 23, 2007 20:42:56 GMT -5
Kiran swiftly thought of Kiku’s family for a quick moment. So her father was a soldier; that was what Kiran figured to begin with by judging the chair which Katsu sat in, but Kiran was now certain, of course. And yes, Kiran couldn’t help but give Kiku a small sympathetic look as she said this…it was now a no wonder why her father seemed to stare at Kiran so. He could only imagine that family would be the closest thing to Katsu after his injury and having Kiran around would naturally make him suspicious. After all, family was the closest thing Kiran had when he was injured…
Kiran glanced down at the table for a moment, bringing his thoughts back to Kiku’s question quickly.
“Hnm…” he mused, remembering just how long his parents were gone; however it didn’t take him long to remember, “…The longest time my mother was away was for…about three months, I think. She never liked staying away much. My father, though…the longest time he stayed away was for three years.” Kiran’s voice was soft, but remaining casual. Talking about the past was different for him; he rarely talked about it, so he wanted to keep the conversation light. But that curious look in Kiku’s eyes was something he couldn’t resist and ended up wanting to tell her more – he wanted her to know more about him, to help her understand him better.
He continued to stare at her during this feeling, watching her eyes gently. “But he came home after my grandparents died. I think my mother forced him to,” he smiled sheepishly at this, “…mostly because of me. I was a bit of a wreck.”
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Post by kiku on Dec 23, 2007 21:14:48 GMT -5
Kiku’s smile had grown soft as she listened to Kiran speak, a soft tint of interest still apparent in her warm gaze. Silently she mused about all of these new facts as she heard them – committing them to memory, pondering over the significance of each…
Of course his mother would not want to be far away from him very long; she was a mother, naturally, and Kiku didn’t know of one woman who wanted to be separated from her baby… As she was nurse and loving mother, Kiran’s mother had to be a very kind, admirable woman, Kiku assumed. Which would have made it harder to be away from her, especially for three months…
However, Kiku’s warm, chocolate eyes swiftly widened as the words “three years” slipped from Kiran’s full, perfect lips. Three years? She could hardly imagine! Living without her father or any member of her family for that long! Though… without her father’s injury, she might have very well found out…
“I bet you were.” Kiku murmured understandingly, nodding gently. Shyly, she observed her hand as she slowly traced the smooth curves of the table’s wooden grain. Her tone was very gentle. “I can only imagine, really… My grandfather, my gram’s husband, died before I was very old. And… my father has always been around. At least, as long as I can remember. He was injured only a few months after I was born.”
She dazed off very briefly, as if trying to picture that moment that changed her father’s life so drastically… And it was then she remembered Kiran’s injury, and she wondered how it had happened, how he had been put into that situation. But... not too rush him too much.
With this Kiku glanced up back at him, head tilted slightly, smile and eyes soft and faintly curious.
“I’m sure you must have enjoyed that time with him.”
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Post by coldflame on Dec 24, 2007 18:12:08 GMT -5
“It was strange at first…” Kiran said, bringing his hands together on the table. He stared at his fingers while moving his thumb across his palm smoothly as he talked, “After not seeing my dad in so long, it felt different having him home…” he smiled softly at this and glanced up at Kiku, “I was a bit angry with him until he pulled me out of the house and started getting me working, because I had apparently ‘gotten useless around the house.’” Kiran leaned in a little further, situating in his seat and glancing back down at his hands again, remembering how his father literally dragged him out of the house that day.
Though, he couldn’t help but smile softly at his next memory, “But, yes, after a while I was really happy that he was there…I was only eight years old at the time, and when I mean working, he really did put me to work. I started working in mills and learning engineering from my father at the same time…” Kiran looked up at Kiku and chuckled softly, “I was a busy kid.”
However, Kiran’s thoughts did not loom over to his past, but he thought about what Kiku had said about her family. The thought of Hana losing her husband was terrible, of course. When Kiran’s grandmother lost her husband, she died a month later. Kiran still believed that it was because her heart was broken; she wasn’t the same when his grandfather died. And the thought of Katsu sitting for so long in that chair of his must have been equally hard. Kiran had to give respect to the man – he himself couldn’t sit in bed for a mere two years, almost three. Katsu hasn’t walked in eighteen years. Kiran had practically nothing compared to the man.
Kiran soon blinked from his thoughts, though his eyes were still dead-locked onto Kiku’s. His voice being soft, he added, “You know, I have to give respect to your father. Not being able to walk must be difficult for him,” Kiran shook his head slightly, glancing away for a moment, his voice being a little softer. “And I thought I had it rough when I was injured…”
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Post by kiku on Dec 24, 2007 22:58:06 GMT -5
Replying with a soft, solemn smile, Kiku nodded, though her warm eyes never once left Kiran’s. She was still mulling over everything he had said and, usually, with much surprise; around ten, she was still running around with Daichi, laughing, playing, being a little kid… and here was Kiran, who at that same age was being put to work, shaping himself in a way that would affect the rest of his life! It was amazing to her and very impressive. Kiran had to be very bright to pick up on so much as a little kid, or even at all.
“Well, yes.” Kiku murmured quietly, smiling a little at her simple reply. “It was hard on all of us… But, at the same time, I think everyone took it as a blessing in disguise.” She paused, and her words then came out softer, more thoughtful. “I could have never known my father.”
Drifting off, she realized she was probably making the tone quite sad, so smiled in a warm, welcoming kind of way, though again she was brought thinking about the army, Kiran’s involvement in it, and, as an effect, his injury. It was quite similar to her father’s, so she had a rough idea what had happened, however…
“It’s just so strange…” Kiku began with another sheepish smile, though it somehow came out charming as well, “I just remember messing around with Daichi when I was around that age. And you were working, building a future for yourself…” She grinned. “That makes me feel useless.”
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Post by coldflame on Dec 25, 2007 13:52:33 GMT -5
Kiran laughed warmly at this, his sympathedic face vanishing.
“You’re definitely not useless, Kiku…” he chuckled, “Just not as busy as me, is all. Consider yourself blessed with the way you grew up.” Kiran did consider Kiku to be blessed with the easy life she had; her family was always with her and she lived in a busy, but quiet village, and most importantly, she was blessed with the gift of being able to help people - to heal them.
Sitting back a little, Kiran relaxed and continued to smile that warm smile of his. Another clap of thunder loomed overhead, and as if he had forgotten where he was, he glanced around the restaurant and noticed that more people had entered the room. He had also not realized that he was awfully comfortable talking with Kiku in this public place, despite the subjects their conversation seemed to turn to. Even though Kiran did not like talking of these things very much, he somehow enjoyed talking like this with Kiku; she was a very easy person to talk to…
“But you know, even though I worked a lot as a kid, that doesn’t mean I didn’t get into trouble often…” he said, a mischievous grin appearing on lips, “I was still a kid, so naturally, I liked to find things to keep me entertained.” He chuckled softly at this, glancing back at Kiku with that same cheeky grin. Ah yes, he definitely was a handful when he was younger, and remembered perfectly well...
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Post by kiku on Dec 25, 2007 18:15:24 GMT -5
“You know, that doesn’t really surprise me.” Kiku said with a grin, nearly chuckling as she easily imagined Kiran with that same mischievous smile, as the result of some not-so-innocent deed. In fact, Kiku could imagine him rather the same now; it was just his smile, the warm innocent childlike tone to his demeanor. And… that in itself was amazing when one realized all he had been through, and all he was going through now…
She shook her head, glancing up to Kiran with a teasing smile.
“I feel sorry for your mother, really.” Kiku commented, her eyes sparkling humorously. “She must deserve a medal for raising you.” She chuckled. “I imagine you were quite crafty…”
But, really, that wasn’t the only reason why his mother deserved respect. Once again,
Kiku could hardly picture what it must have been like for her. Having your husband out at war, while your child suffered at home… and eventually joined the battle as well. Her eyes grew soft.
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Post by coldflame on Dec 25, 2007 22:54:02 GMT -5
Kiran chuckled, his grin slowly melting into a rather genuine one instead of mischievous. He shook his head slightly at this, instantly reminded of his mother’s attitude towards him as a kid.
“Don’t feel sorry for her; she’s an incredibly strong woman. But, yes, I was a bit crafty…” Kiran smirked a little at this, but lightly chuckled. “I sometimes regretted it at the end when my mother would find me doing something I wasn’t supposed to be doing. She eventually slapped some sense into me after, oh…a few hundred times.” He grinned jokingly at this, another memory floating to the surface of his mind. He remembered how angry his mother could sometimes get; other times, she wouldn’t appear to be mad, but her eyes usually showed it. It almost scared Kiran sometimes – she could be a very frightening mother, however, a very loving one all the same. And by just thinking about her, yes, he did miss her.
Kiran’s expression softened as his gaze, which was once off to the side, now glanced back at Kiku. He could see the softness in Kiku’s eyes as well, and without seeming to stare for long, he knew what she was thinking as she gazed at him.
“She did try her best to keep up with me when I was younger," he said, his voice being a bit softer, "And she hated the fact that I went out into the army at such a young age too…” This was true. His mother was proud of him for his accomplishments by working with his father, but she also thought that the army was too much for his young age during that time. It took a whole night of convincing by his father to let him go. To his mother, the thought of sacrificing another family member to the army was a burden. Kiran understood that now, of course.
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Post by kiku on Dec 26, 2007 19:00:33 GMT -5
Kiku nodded gently, hesitating a little before speaking, unsure if she should venture to the topic that came to her mind. Yet, it was him who had brought it up…
“How… did you get involved in the army?” Kiku murmured quietly, as if her gentle voice would show her respect for the tenderness of the subject. She gazed at him softly as well, as to say he didn’t have to answer if he didn’t want to. And yet, there was an evident glitter of shy curiosity still noticeable in her stare; she couldn’t help it. One of the characteristics that made Kiran so interesting was his nobility – his respect for human life, the guilt he felt for simply participating in event that took so much of it… It was heartbreaking and admirable.
She smiled faintly, slipping her hands closer to the center of the table subconsciously, as if setting them there as an option for him. It was a very sad subject, and Kiku truly didn’t want to make him feel sad… A flicker of guilt flickered in her smile. Her silly curiosity…
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Post by coldflame on Dec 26, 2007 20:51:15 GMT -5
Kiran rested his elbows on the table and tilted his head down slightly at her question. His bold shoulders were hunched over now, his eyes soft, but a small smile curved up on his full lips. It was a question that was bound to be asked, and Kiku already knew just about everything there was to know about him, so why not tell? The only problem was that he hoped she wouldn’t be upset with him if he told her too much; however, Kiran would still tell her, only because he wanted her to know more about him…and the question she asked had an answer that was a big part of his life.
“To make a long story as short as possible...” Kiran began, his voice soft, deep, and rather causal, “…My father basically wanted me to get an education in engineering and the best way to do that was in the army.” Kiran’s eyes searched Kiku’s as he spoke, his bangs creating some shadow over them as the overhanging lantern cast a glow upon the table.
“I was only fourteen when I was sent to the base camp to start my apprenticeship as an engineer, even though I technically wasn’t a member of the army at that point. That’s basically how I got involved with the army,” he shrugged, “I completed my apprenticeship and I started working alongside my father as an engineer; working with technology.” Kiran slipped his hands on top of the table, and gently took her hand, rubbing one of her fingers with his thumb. He watched their hands for a moment and spoke in that same soft voice, “I really loved it at first, but…” he glanced up at her, “…after I was injured, I finally noticed that I was seventeen and my life had been nothing but busy. And I didn’t even intend it to be that way; my father chose my life for me. That’s why I travel now…sitting in bed for two years of my life really made me feel like I needed to get away for a while.” Kiran stopped there, thinking to himself; he had probably already said too much...
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Post by kiku on Dec 26, 2007 21:28:13 GMT -5
“That’s understandable…” Kiku murmured, nodding. She smiled softly at their hands, however, again enjoying the soft comfort his warm grip provided. Yet, Kiku quickly pulled her thoughts away from his soothing, rubbing fingers… and onto what he had said.
“I suppose it’s natural for parents to do that sometimes.” Kiku mused, thinking about her parents, as well as Kiran’s. “They just want what’s best for us… I worked here when I was a teenager, you know.”
Kiku smiled a little at this bit information about herself and squeezed Kiran’s hand very gently, a soft sparkle in her eye. “She wanted me to get some experience too. It did end up helping my people and cooking skills a little.”
The stories were very different, she realized, but, nevertheless, Kiku wanted things to seem lighter. Her smile was very soft and understanding, and her thumb rubbed gently against Kiran’s finger… And suddenly, or perhaps gradually, she came to feel very peaceful… as if her heart had warmed like her hand had in Kiran’s grip. Her smile became shy as she secretly admired the sight of their intertwined hands, before she glanced up shyly, observing Kiran’s pale, lovely eyes from nearly under her eyelashes. Softly, a faint blush grew on her cheeks and she glanced away, soon murmuring another question shyly.
“It must be wonderful to travel so much... Where is your favorite place?”
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Post by coldflame on Dec 27, 2007 17:03:21 GMT -5
Kiran’s eyes brightened a little at hearing what Kiku had to say. He was happy at hearing a little more information about her, but he knew that she did not understand what it was really like – to understand how different his life was compared to hers. He did agree with her when she said that the reason why parents did certain things was for their children's future …but it felt different to Kiran. Sure, he loved his father of course, but at times it felt like he was becoming his father. Kiran didn’t want that.
Just before he was going to comment on what Kiku told him, he noticed that shy, sparkling look come back in her eyes. He noticed the way she quickly glanced away from him – seeing the blush come back in her cheeks – and was a bit puzzled for a second. He didn’t understand what he did, but as soon as he heard Kiku’s question, he smiled and understood. Ah, that was an easy question to answer…
“My favorite place…” Kiran mused, smiling and looking at their hands, as if pondering…though, he needn’t not to, “…is here.” He then looked up at her, his lips already forming into a warm and pleasing grin.
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Post by kiku on Dec 27, 2007 17:21:59 GMT -5
Kiku’s eyes widened a little, for she was obviously quite surprised at Kiran’s answer. Surprised… and a bit confused.
Really, she thought, what was so great about her home? Sure, it was a small and quiet kind of village, perhaps peaceful, but Kiran had been a thousand places it seemed. Surely there was at least one area where he enjoyed himself or the scenery more than here. There had to be much more exciting, beautiful places…
“Here?” Kiku asked, raising her eyebrow a bit skeptically, though there was curiosity in her eyes. She couldn’t help but glance at their scenery a bit after she spoke, as if confirming she was indeed in her village and not in someone else’s restaurant. She glanced back at Kiran, a slight smile on her lips. When she spoke, her voice was like her eyes – soft and skeptical, though faintly curious.
“And why do you say that?”
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Post by coldflame on Dec 27, 2007 22:27:43 GMT -5
Kiran couldn’t help but laugh at Kiku’s expression.
“Why do you look so surprised?” he chuckled at her, “Sure, I’ve been to many interesting places…I’ve liked them all. But by far, I think I like this place the most, because…” He drifted off, still staring at her. Kiran’s eyes narrowed, wondering if Kiku truly had no idea as to why this was his favorite place. It sounded strange to admit this – it might sound a bit too compassionate – but the reason why this was his favorite place, was because of her.
His heart jumped slightly as this thought echoed across his mind. He was slightly hesitant on saying such a thing, because he wasn’t sure how she would react. But…no, why should he be hesitant on saying it? She was his friend; one of the few - if not only - good friends that he had.
“Well…because this is the place where I met you. I met a new friend here…so, why should this place not be my favorite?” He smiled softly, his voice still casual, but sincere all the same, “I’ve been to lots of places, Kiku – temples in the Fire Nation; just about every port on this side of the Earth Kingdom; all around the ocean to different islands…but out of all those places, I’ve never felt as comfortable as I am here.” His smile grew a little softer at this…
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Post by kiku on Dec 28, 2007 17:04:44 GMT -5
A faint blush dusted across Kiku’s cheeks, and she shyly shifted her gaze downward at Kiran’s soft smile. It was… quite flattering what Kiran had said, and though her heart warmed contently at his words, she couldn’t help but feel very modest at the same time.
Of course, she understood what he was saying – as she had to be so much more thankful for Kiran’s friendship than he for hers – but she just didn’t understand how she could be more fascinating than a beautiful Fire Nation temple…
“That’s very sweet of you to say…” Kiku murmured shyly, glancing up at Kiran with soft and sincere eyes. Her smile broadened gently as she shifted her hand slowly against Kiran’s, and her blush deepened a little as she spoke. Her voice was gentle and as shy as her gaze, though very warm and sincere as well.
“You know… It’s really easy to be comfortable around you.” Kiku murmured, her eyes sparkling. She paused, squeezing his hand very gently, though her smile was still shy. “It just seems like anyone you met you would be comfortable around…”
She looked at him softly at this, tilting her head a little as she secretly admired him again… Especially that alluring soft smile of his. Her cheeks seemed incredibly warm…
“Here you two are!” rang Lien pleasant voice. Kiku quickly jerked her hand out of Kiran’s, glancing down at the table quickly, embarrassed that her mother happened to see that.
Lien did notice their hands together and that obvious redness in her daughter’s cheeks, but only raised an eyebrow for a moment, before swiftly placing two steaming bowls filled with the round, well-seasoned noodles and tender meat on the table before them, along with two cups of steaming drinks.
“Thanks, Mom…” Kiku murmured, managing a quick smile up to her mother.
“No problem, honey.” Lien winked. A distant crash of dishes thundered, and Lien shook her head, but not before winking. “You two enjoy… I better get back there…”
And then Lien turned, chuckling softly to herself.
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