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 Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:46 am
Ina hopped off the ship, a few excited butterflies in her stomach. She'd never really -had- friends before to be able to meet their families...and well...she still wasn't entirely sure she -was- Anyu's friend. She liked him, of course, but she wasn't going to delude herself into believing he was joining her crew for any reason other than the thrill of adventure and a desire to leave home. Friendship just wasn't in the cards.
Though, things had changed for Ina recently. She could definitely say that Avani was a friend. She didn't expect anything else from her. And maybe Dao-Rui, though it was hard to tell whether Dao-rui actually -liked- Ina or just found her entertaining and convenient.
Still, they and Anyu and Tosh and Lei were maybe the closest Ina'd ever actually gotten to real friends, and so she liked to consider them as such. It made her parents relax a little anyhow, when she talked about her 'friends'.
She straightened the embroidered jacket she'd purchased for this trip-- it wasn't really -gaudy-; nothing Ina owned was particularly gaudy other than her costume for the Festival, but it was definitely top-class very shiny and expensive.
She looked about-- Anyu'd said he'd meet her here after they'd brought him back and given him a few days to get everything settled, talk to his parents about things, all that. He should be there soon, maybe.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:25 am
If nothing else, Anyu's expression had softened quite a bit since the last time he'd been home. Smiles were still an extreme rarity, that much was true, but his lips remained mostly relaxed and frowns seemed to be less prominent. His mother had even commented on the strange fact. Something about seeing his youthful skin already working hard to fill in the frown lines at the corners of his mouth. It's not like that was a statement he could really respond to, but he was sure she was just as sated by the response of his raised brow.
Regardless, it had taken him a bit longer to let her know the plan than he had imagined. Acting as if he'd been gone for years already, Sakari had doted completely on him since his arrival. While he didn't particularly enjoy the attention, he couldn't say he hated it either. And if it made his mother happy, he was willing to humor her. If only for a little while.
So, by the time he gathered himself enough to tell her he was joining a ship's crew, she had already relaxed to his presence. The expression she wore after that moment made Anyu feel like the bad guy. "Really?" she'd asked. As articulate as it wasn't, she couldn't seem to get more out. Even with her obvious lack of attention after that, he still began to explain about when Ina had asked him and the trip back. He even promised to write as much as possible, which, if nothing else, lessened the forlorn look in her eyes.
Letting out a deep sigh, Anyu walked along the edge of the water, nearing the dock. He'd spent his remaining time at home packing the very few things he planned on taking, playing good son to his mother, and doing his best to avoid his father. That morning, when he started to leave the house without a 'real' goodbye, she'd nearly had a fit. He had to resist the urge to rub his temples as he told her he was merely going to get Ina. He loved his mother dearly, but sometimes...
The ship came into focus in the distance now. Another look and he noticed her, as well. Raising his arm, he waved, trying to get her attention. She would get to meet his family now. And hopefully her happy personality would be enough to sate his mother further and keep her from crying at their farewell. He was certain that would make him feel even worse. It was a surreal sort of feeling, realizing that he was finally about to set out on his own adventure. All that was left was saying goodbye to the few family members he cared about. Maybe the others, too, he supposed.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:10 pm
It wasn't really hard to -get- Ina's attention. The majority of the time, it was simply difficult to -keep- Ina's attention.
Today, however, she was rather singularly focused on her mission of sorts. She had to make sure that Anyu's parents were okay with him leaving, because he had to -leave-. She'd argued for his presence against Dao-rui, and she wasn't about to look the fool now.
Grinning, the girl smoothed her detailed hairstyle back into place and walked over to Anyu, barely suppressing the desire to just run over and grab him by the arm,
"Which way?" she asked, managing a facade of calm collectedness. It was something she'd find useful in the future, this ability to switch on the mask when necessary. She'd have to use it in dealings with clients, after all.
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:51 pm
True, it didn't seem too difficult to get her to notice him. She had been looking this way and that, so he had thought it would be fairly simple. He continued to walk towards the ship until they inevitably met half-way. "Back that way," he answered without any hesitation, tossing a thumb over his shoulder, although the emphasis was probably unneeded. Of course, it was then he realized there was definitely an easier and shorter way to get home than that one. Purposely avoiding the more crowded parts of the village was something he was adept at. Although he doubted Ina would be at all bothered by the crowd.
"Or we could cut straight through the market," he offered as a solution, as against the idea as he felt at the time. Turning on his heels, he took a generic step away from her, not favoring one direction or another (at least, that's what he mentally told himself). "I guess it's technically faster straight through... but there are less people the other way." Not to sound unwilling to meet up with people, anyway.
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:33 am
"Whichever way you prefer," Ina assured him. She was in no rush, really. She had to make sure she kept herself together, after all, and more time made it slightly more likely she would do so. No giggling!
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" she asked. She wanted to be certain-- she'd already vouched for him to Dao-Rui, and the last thing she wanted was to be embarrassed in front of the other girl. Still, she was pretty sure Anyu would be fine on their ship. He really seemed to need the chance to get away.
"It's not going to be easy."
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:22 pm
Well, that was enough of an invitation. As soon as she'd assured him she didn't care, he began along the roundabout way he'd come from. At least he didn't have to explain his motives behind the choice. And, in all honesty, he knew he'd have to get used to being around crowds sooner rather than later. If he couldn't learn to work well and quickly with the rest of the crew, then he certainly wouldn't be a useful sailor. If this really was his calling, he'd have to step up his game.
At the question, he looked thoughtful for a moment. Was he ready? Mentally, he thought the answer was a definite yes. Physically, emotionally, eh... Who knew? "I'm fine," he mumbled, giving the slightest sign of a shrug. "I know it won't be easy..." he finished, shaking his head. He'd watched the men of the village working from time to time. He saw them hauling cargo and large nets of fish. Living so close to the water, he'd also seen his fair share of sea storms. If nothing else, he knew the struggles well enough to spot them, even if he couldn't completely handle them.
Lowering his gaze to the snow, he caught sight of his footprints from the previous trek slowly fading as they moved along. That meant they were nearing his origin. Lifting a wrapped hand to rub at the back of his neck, he looked to his companion. "Now, are you ready to meet my mom?" he looked haggard for a moment. "She's way emotional." A sigh passed his lips.
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:19 am
Ina shivered at his question, biting her lip and the nodding, determined,
"I can manage it," she said. Though, she wasn't positive. She was the most emotional person she knew, and she didn't really have experience with dealing with people like herself, for certain. Her mother and father were both very calm, calculated sort of people, and most of the sailors were just brash and sometimes rude, but very focused and definitely reserved around her.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:39 pm
If nothing else, he hoped she was right, though he neglected to continue voicing it. Looking forward, he waved slightly in front of them. "We're here." There was always something about his house that bugged him. Maybe it was the fact that all of the gaudy ornaments littering the snow-covered lawn made it stand out among the normally simple design of the Southern Tribe dwellings. Yeah, that was probably it. Although, he couldn't help but wonder if his company would be entertained by such things. From her reactions to the Fire Nation marketplace they had explored, he thought it just might be true. Stepping forward, he meant to beckon her inside. However, before he could even make it up the path, Sakari excited the house. It was as if she'd been watching out ever since he'd left this morning, mentioning that he was going to pick up Ina.
"Welcome," the mother greeted, her social face firmly displayed. When it came to the home, she could easily be described as submissive and quiet, but outside, she tended to perk up a bit. It probably had something to do with her background in business travel, Anyu decided. Nowadays, it was just his father that went on trips to far away lands, leaving his mother to care for the household. Before the children, however, it hadn't been that way at all. "I'm Sakari. And you must be Miss Ina." Motioning at their home behind her, she smiled gently. "Come in, dear." Unfortunately, Anyu could tell that Ina was probably in for an interrogation.
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:11 am
Ina entered the building, bowing respectfully as she'd been taught. The butterflies had melted as soon as she saw Anyu's mother, as though the reality of the person outweighed the imaginary expectation of one. She grinned,
"That's me all right. The owner of the boat, and all."
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Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:39 pm
"Owner of the boat..." Sakari mulled over the fact, giving a slight nod to show she had caught and appreciated the younger woman's respect. Yes, Anyu had informed his mother of most of the important information beforehand, but hearing it now and live was what she really wanted. Delicate fingers slipped along the edge of her jaw as she continued to look thoughtful. "So, if you already own a boat-" To the side, Anyu mentally groaned. Nothing about finances, PLEASE. "-then you must also already know something about it, yes?" Blinking, Sakari covered her mouth for a moment. "Oh, well, you know..." A bit of the calm, social facade slipped. "My son will be well looked after on your ship, right? There will be other experienced sailors?"
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