TJOW Week 01, Day 06 FAMILY

TJOW Week “Family”
12/22/15
Featuring Avatar Wan, and Beginnings OCs, WanxOC friendship & implied eventual pairing
Some bits and pieces are borrowed and inspired from TwistedSkys' Wan fanfiction "Understanding"

Setting: About 1-2 months before meeting Jaya again in Beginnings part 2, he had already attained the four elements but is still in training.

----

They were quiet for a moment.

“Anyway, a red scarf. I know where we could get one. You will have to speak to my mother about it though; she makes the warmest, softest scarves ever. Not that the vendors don’t have nice scarves, but since they’re a little pricey for you…why not take you to another source?” Kara cleared her throat and spoke.

Wan was honestly surprised.

“I thought you were just going to take me to a vendor that happened to have red scarves. I couldn’t take anything of yours…er your mother’s.”

She smiled at him, the awkwardness eased away.

“You wouldn’t be taking anything. We would be giving it to you. Consider it a gift.”

She was so sure of her logic and herself, and Wan noticed this. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Right, so where to now, Miss Kara?”

----

It was barely sundown by the time they finished their shopping. Since before he had left the Oasis, Wan could not remember the last time he had such a wonderful day. The house was a modest little building, surrounded by others of a similar build. The inside was welcoming and comfortable.

“Mother, we’re back!” Kara called out for her mother who was in another room.

“In here,” the mother answered.

She shortly stepped out to greet her daughter.
“Sorry I took so long, dear I was just—oh…” then she noticed the young man behind Kara.

“I didn’t know we were going to have company. I would have worn my best tunic.” She spoke and smiled a welcoming smile at him.

“I met him outside the city when I was carrying the fish back…there was a bit of a misunderstanding, but everything is fine now.” Kara said.

The older woman looked to Kara’s guest and scanned him,

“I don’t think I have seen you around our city before…” she spoke to him.

“That’s because I’m not from here Ma’am.” He started.

“He’s from another city far from this one, mom.” Kara cut in. Her mother looked astonished at the words, Wan could notice the family resemblance from seeing both Kara and her mother react the same way.

“I don’t think I remember the last time any outsider has come to this city, or if there was at all. I always thought the stories of other cities were just fables. But how can I think that now that the proof is staring me in the face?” she spoke in awe of the information she just heard.

“Mother, this is Wan. And Wan, this is Anana…my mother, though you already knew that” Kara gestured and quietly laughed to herself.

Wan gently smiled and was the first to speak.
“I’m honored to meet the mother of this wonderful girl who showed me around and helped me gather the supplies I needed.”

Kara looked to the side away from Wan and her mother and slightly blushed. She then modestly looked back to see Wan look at her.

“Well it’s pleasure to see an outsider of all people to be so humble and polite, especially to my own daughter and myself. Why don’t you make yourself at home while I prepare dinner…unless you have to be somewhere?” Anana happily replied, as she was impressed with what she saw.

Though they had all just met, she liked what she saw and the person Wan seemed to be. Kara looked at him, wondering the same thing.

“I gave myself the day to gather any supplies I needed, but I don’t think I will be leaving until sometime tonight.”

“That should be plenty of time, right mom?” Kara asked.

Anana replies, “I think so. Kara did you get to ask Atka what time he will be home?”

“He said he should return sometime after nightfall and have pay for the week.”

“Great. Do you have the lobster-crab and seaweed from the fishermen you traded the fish for?”

“Right here.”

----
Wan looked at the walls and noticed bits of the culture spread around: feather laden warrior shields, beaded decorations and dreamcatchers, and busts of water spirits. Some he had recognized but others were much too old for him. He looked at the decorations some more and noticed an ink painting with three people. One of them he recognized to be Kara but he couldn’t make out the other two characters. Either she had siblings or these were the friends she briefly mentioned she lives with. Regardless, he smiled and the fascination with this culture grew. He looked around some more, and then eventually sat down by a rounded Pai Sho table. Then he had an idea…

“Kara,” he spoke for her attention.

Still standing by her mother in the kitchen, she turned her head to her guest.

“Why don’t you play some Pai Sho with me? I bet you’re tough to beat.” he smiled.

She looked to her mother, “go on ahead, I’ll let you know if I need you. Besides, I wouldn’t leave a handsome fellow like that waiting too long if I were you.”

Kara playfully glared at her, and lightly shook her head. What was he asking about again? Oh, right. Pai Sho…

“I probably am, because I’ve never played before.” She coyly replied to him.

He was surprised at this, “How come?”

“I just never learned, I guess.”

“Well, today’s the last day you get to use that excuse, because right now I’m going to teach you.” Wan grinned at her.

She stood there and pondered for a moment, she felt Wan looking at her, and she could feel her mother also eyeing her from the corner of her eye, trying not to laugh. Kara looked back at Wan,

“Alright with me.” She shrugged.

He watched her seat herself, in amusement.

“So how do we start?” she asked.

“A couple things to keep in mind first,” he started.

“I was always told that Pai Sho is more than just a game, there’s strategy and chance behind it, and in order to beat your opponent, you must know your opponent. That’s what Crazy Yao always taught me anyway.”

“Is he a friend from your city?”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen him in a long time though. Not since before my banishment…”

“What was he like?”

“He’s a nice guy, but a little skittish at times, especially about the spirits…he had a run in with them a long time ago. He hasn’t left our—his and Jaya’s shack since. Jaya is my other friend, I haven’t seen him either for the same reasons…anyway, did you know spirits actually invented Pai Sho, but humans picked it up? That, I learned from my spirit friends…”

“You sure make a lot of friends don’t you?” she asked.

“Kinda have to when you travel around like I do…it…gets a little lonely not interacting with many humans as I used to. Why, You have friends don’t you?”

“Yeah, but only a few human ones…I’m not exactly the biggest social butterfly out there though, you know? But some people in the city seem to find that weird and find me weird because of it…” Kara looked down awkwardly as she spoke this last sentence.

“I don’t think it’s weird. Between the two of us, I think I’m the weird one. I’m just surprised someone so friendly and pretty like yourself find a goof like me interesting. You have no idea how nice it is to be welcomed in someone’s home like this. It already feels like I’m part of a family again.”

She looked at him, focusing on his face, his eyes had the most expression.

“You have no family? No mother…or a father?”

“No…they died when I was a little kid…every day it gets harder and harder to remember them…”

She went quiet. She looked at the ground, mustering what to say next, she could understand that kind of pain.

“I’m really sorry…my father died when I was a baby…I barely remember him myself…” she paused, then looked at him again.

“I’m glad you feel welcomed here Wan, since you’ve never been to this city before, that’s all I would want for a newcomer to feel. My mother is right, you very well could be the first outsider to visit this city, at least in who knows how long…makes me wonder what other cities and other humans are like apart from this one.”

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon someday, if I’ve really inspired you enough.” He lightly smiled at her.

‘I suppose…’ she thought to herself. Then she looked down at the Pai Sho floor table in front of her.

“Wait, didn’t we have a game you were supposed to teach me?”

He looked at the floor table then at her, and chuckled.

“Oh right, guess we got a little sidetracked huh?”

“Yeah,” she laughed, “So, who goes first?”

-----

Sometime has passed with their game. The aroma of food was already filling the house, and Kara was starting to get the hang of Pai Sho.

It was Wan’s turn to move his piece; he took a slow strategic amount of time to decide where to move. Then it was Kara’s turn. She made her best, almost strategic move, but little did she know this helped give Wan an advantage in the game. When he touched the piece he was going to move, he was going to jump her newly placed piece and this would cause him to be ahead…further ahead than he already was anyway. When Kara realized what move he was about to make, she jerked and tried to stop him in a fit of giggles.

“Nonono not that one, any piece but that one, no not that one, c’mon get your hand off of it, any piece but that one!”, the laughing from both parties didn’t stop, even after he already moved it, he grabbed both her hands in restraint.

“Come on, let me go, let me go, stop it, stop!, hahaha that’s enough”

When he finally let her hands go, some of the pieces went falling off the board table. Both of them still giggled at eachother but the volume gradually lowered.

“You’ll be a good player after awhile.” Wan said as he helped her pick up some of the fallen pieces.

“You think?” she asked still laughing to herself.

“Maybe if I’m able to come back here, I’ll teach you some more then?” he suggested.

“As long as you don’t try to cheat” She replied.

“Are you making yourself a promise?” he joked about her last gesture when he jumped her piece.

“oh, stop it.” She rolled her eyes.

She got up to stretch, but he still sat.

“I’m going to check on dinner, would you like anything?” she asked.

“Do you have any tea?” he responded.

“Jasmine or Ginseng?” she asked, since those are usually what her and her mother drank.

“Surprise me.” Wan said smiling.

----

“I haven’t heard and seen you laugh so much since you were a child. You should do that more often.” Anana spoke once she felt Kara enter the room.

“Oh..you heard that, huh?” she asked, her face became a light shade of red.

“Honey, I think even the great guardian below us could hear you two.” Her mother joked.

“Mother have you played Pai Sho before?” Kara asked.

“Hmm…once or twice, mostly your aunt Aquene and your father used to play and bet cowrie shells and copper pieces over it. Not exactly the most traditional of ways, but you get the idea. I barely learned at your age either, until he taught me, most of the time though, it’s never been my cup of tea.”

Then a bell rang in Kara’s head, tea!

“Do we have any tea leaves? Wan wanted some Jasmine or Ginseng after the game.”

“In a cup by the fruit basket. And I’ll make the tea, that’s what we’ll be drinking with dinner anyway, so I might as well.” Anana said.

“If that’s the case, do you need any help at all?” Kara asked, somewhat disappointed in not being able to make the tea.

“Just take out the cups and ready the teapot.”

Kara did so.

“So what is for dinner anyway besides the lobster-crab?” she asked.

“I’m using them to make the noodles, and also stewed prunes. The tea and dinner should be ready shortly.” Anana pointed to the food. To Kara’s relief, the appetizing aroma of the noodles and lobster-crab out-smelled the prunes.

“Oh…great, I’ll let Wan know.” She replied when leaving the room.
------

“Dinner and tea should be ready pretty soon.” Kara said to Wan.

“That’s fine.” He answered.

She sat back down, this time instead of across from Wan for playing Pai Sho, she sat next to him in midst of dinner being ready.

“We can ask about the scarf then too.” She reminded him.

“Can I ask you something? You said she makes scarves right?” Wan asked.

“Yes, she does. She paints too.” Kara added.

“I was wondering, who is that with you in that painting up there?” he asked, recalling the ink portrait of whom he recognized as Kara with two unknown people.

She looked up at the painting, as she knew what he was referring to.

“They are my friends I told you about earlier: Nita and Denahi, they went on a hunting trip today and won’t be back until the end of the week. My mom did the painting about a year ago.” Kara explained to him.

“Really…so girls can attend hunting trips in this city, huh? That never would have been heard of in my old one.” Wan said.

“Yeah, they changed that rule a few years ago; thing is, girls can only use water to heal but for nothing else that the men use it for. I know this, because I started attending around the time they started allowing females to join. But I like to attend because it’s a way to provide for my family and for them, and do my fair share. That’s why I was so familiar with the outside creeks and fields outside the city when I was fishing, because it wasn’t my first time out there. I just wish some of the men didn’t have to feel like they should attack any spirit in sight when they’re further into the wilds, I know that so many were taken away and killed, but maybe that wouldn’t happen so much if they at least tried to be reasonable with them?…I probably sound like a hypocrite because of the way I attacked you when I thought you were a spirit, so I’m sorry about that…it just happened so fast and I didn’t know what else to do right that second and…” she was rambling now.

“Kara?” Wan asked to get her attention; she looked to him.

He patiently smiled at her and reached for her hand to touch.

“What?” she asked.

He touched her left hand, his right one gently covering it.

“It’s alright, you didn’t know.” He said.

His voice was soft, and a small smile made its way to his lips.

Her face turned bright pink. Wan was about to lean his face closer to hers, but then her mother walked in with a large tablecloth and a bright blue-gray teapot with a dark blue insignia.

“Did someone say they wanted tea?”

The two young adults quickly separated, Kara looking down modestly.

“Was I interrupting anything?” she asked.

“No, mother, everything is fine.” Kara replied; Wan cleared his throat to be rid of any of the tension he felt from the sudden awkwardness.

“Why don’t I help you set up, mom?” Kara spoke as she was getting up, and Wan did the same.

“Let me help you with that.” Kara heard Wan say to her mother, as he took the tablecloth and spread it on the floor table after clearing away the Pai Sho tiles.

“What a gentleman, thank you.” Her mother replied.

Kara stepped into the kitchen to pour the food into a few bowls. She stood in front of one batch of each the lobster-crab and seaweed noodles and the stewed sea prunes. Choosing which one to serve in the bowls first was simple. Upon standing above the batch of the prunes, her nose easily picked up the smell and her body rejected it.

“yeuggh” she quietly reacted, and quickly turned around to make sure no one was around to hear it.

Clearly the prunes weren’t her favorite dish in the world, but was always afraid to tell her mother who would only keep cooking them for her, for that reason.

Besides her step-father Atka liked them, as did her aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Even Denahi liked the dish, which was the only reason Nita would ever cook it. She filled three bowls of the noodles, carrying two out to the table where she found Wan and her mother sitting across from eachother laughing, probably at a joke or story one of them told. Her mother did have some interesting stories, and Wan, being the traveler he is, would without a doubt have interesting tales. She set both the bowls in the center of the table, noticed the tea pot and cups in place, and turned around to retrieve the third bowl.
-----

Kara’s mother made some of the best noodles Wan had ever eaten. They enjoyed the small meal together, but Anana wanted Wan to try the sea prunes.

“I hope there’s enough room left for at least one helping” she said.

“Yeah I’ll try it, how bad can it be?” he replied.

Kara looked away first, then she shrugged and looked at Wan, who looked back at her with a smile.

“Kara, would you like a bowl?” she heard her mother ask.

“…I’m a little full right now, mom. Thank you though.” Kara shrugged.

She was actually getting full, but the truth was that she just didn't want any. She told a small, white lie, as she just could never find a way to tell her mom the truth. She thought it was her favorite dish and didn’t want to disappoint her.

When Anana placed the bowl of the prunes in front of Wan, he curiously picked at it to see the content.

“So what exactly is in it?” he asked.

“Dried sea prunes that were boiled together in water, along with sea cucumber, and a squid tentacle or two for added flavor.” She replied.

He looked back down at the bowl, that…didn’t exactly sound very appetizing, and the smell was rather pungent. But he still wanted to try it out of respect. He looked to Kara for reassurance.

“You don’t have to eat it all, just try and see if you like it” was all she said.

He used his eating utensil to grab a prune and a cucumber slice with some of the liquid, but once it hit his tongue, his face said it all. Luckily her mother wasn’t in the room when he tried it, so he just had Kara to confide in. He looked around, and didn’t know exactly what to do, and felt the need to just choke it down rather than to spit it out, so he did. He coughed as quietly as possible, and swigged down what was left of his cup of Jasmine tea.

Kara related with every reaction he had and tried not to giggle, not at him for not liking it, but his face expressions, as she found them to be both funny and relatable.

But he caught her in the small fit of giggles.

“And what are you laughing at?” he inquired with deadpan eyes, his cheeks bright red.

She stopped laughing and took a breath.

“Don’t worry, I don’t really like them either.” She told him.

“Really?” he replied.

“Yeah, it stinks, and it’s just so bitter. But my mom doesn’t know that, so shush.”

“What was that?” they heard a voice that came from neither of them.

Oh geez.

“Darling you didn’t have to keep telling me you liked them, otherwise I wouldn’t feed them to you. I only keep cooking them for you because you told me you love them.” Was all she said, no trace of anger or anything.

“How can anyone love a dish that..smells like feet? It’s so horrible.” Kara laughed to herself in relief.

‘Yeah that sounds about right…’ was all Wan thought to himself.

"Yeah it was...kind of gross. And I don't think I like cucumbers." he quietly commented.

“It has an acquired taste and smell…but let me tell you two a little secret. I don’t like it very much either!” Anana said.

Wan and Kara looked to eachother and then back at her…

"You don’t?” they said simultaneously.

“Try being the only one out of six siblings and two parents who love the dish you can barely stomach. Luckily Atka likes it so he can have the batch when he comes home. He could eat the stuff by the barrel if he wanted to” she responded.

“…Did dad like it?” Kara asked.

“That was something we had in common.” Anana winked.

-----

After the three of them cleaned up, Anana made another batch of tea and they began to tell stories around the fire. Wan shared stories of some of his adventures in the wilds. Anana had a few stories of her own to tell, all of which were mostly fun, some were sad, but interesting.

While they were telling these stories, Kara got to finally bring up the scarf situation.

“I have just the one,” her mother said.

She went to her knitting chair and grabbed the red scarf in mind, and walked it back to their little circle.

“Mother this is your favorite scarf. Do you really want to give it away?” Kara asked as she held it.

Anana shrugged, “It’s only one of my favorites, but there are other red scarves I can make. It’s a little old and there’s some tears but it still holds strong. There’s a lot of memories attached to that scarf…but perhaps it’s time for it to have new memories for the next generation.”

“I don’t know what to say…” was all Wan could say.

Kara looked to him. Anana walked and kneeled to him, touching the scarf that he now held after Kara let him hold it.

“You don’t need to say anything. It’s yours…unless there’s a different one you would like?”

“No, no this one is fine, the fact you’re willing to give me a scarf with sentimental value says enough. Thank you.” was Wan’s reply.

Atka had already returned home, but was exhausted. Anana told him there were stewed prunes left for him, which made him happy, but he needed his rest. So much so, that he barely even saw there was a third member to his wife and step-daughter’s circle.

-----------

A few hours had passed, and Kara was asleep on Wan’s shoulder while he and her mother continued to tell stories until they wore themselves out. There were still so many stories but the night had grown late.

He realized it was early morning, and the dread of Raava’s rage hit his stomach. She and Mula were still waiting in the forest, and he promised he would return by nightfall. She was not exactly capable of worry for him, but he knew she would be more than irritated and exact her revenge in some form or fashion.

The feeling of Kara at his side almost made him ignore the feeling of dread, but he knew he must leave before his grave dug deeper. It was best not to wait until morning, as Raava would likely enter the city herself and come looking for him. No matter how special this evening was, Raava would never let him live it down.

He thanked Kara’s mother for the meal and wonderful day and evening.

“Thank you for making her smile as you have” she replied.

He left in a hurry, trying not to wake the sleeping girl but he unknowingly left the red scarf.

He managed to make it out the door and nearly to the street when he heard her running after him. He turned to see her collide into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. When they pulled apart, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He felt alive and he felt a fluttering laugh that bubbled out from his chest. His arms were firmly placed around her waist and he held her close to him. She also laughed and her face was a bright red.

“I’m sorry, I guess I got a little carried away. But I didn’t want you disappearing into the night.”

This moment could not be dampened by his need to leave.

“I have to go, Kara. I’m sorry…my friend will come looking for me if I don’t.”

“I know”, she frowned after looking over his shoulders.

She placed the red scarf around his neck and gave him one last hug.

“Come back soon, okay?”

He looked to the side in thought.

“I’ll try. I wish I could promise to come back later, but I don’t think I can. I think I really pushed it this time, so don’t be too surprised if you don’t see me after awhile.”

“Should I be worried?”

“No, I’ll be fine.”

“…When will I see you again?”

“Hopefully sometime after winter.”

The Harmonic Convergence was just a couple months away, and if everything went as planned, maybe then he could come back here, hoping to live the life he had before splitting Raava from Vaatu.

“Alright,” she said as she straightened the scarf on his neck.

She gave him one last kiss on the cheek, “be safe, okay?”

He beamed at her, of course he will. He nodded assuring so to her. With that, she turned and walked to her mother’s hut. She figured she would spend the rest of the night there, and go to her and her friends’ hut in the morning.

He waited until she was gone from sight before he let bubbling joy inside him escape. It came as air swirling around him as leaves got caught up in it. A grin would not leave his face, and his heart was aflutter as he left the city on the way to meet back with Raava in hopes of convincing her not to be too angry with him.


End.