[Finished] Back in reality

[Saaga Sun]

Saaga led him down the street, turned round a corner and continued walking a ways off west. The teahouse was less than a five minute walk from the glass emporium and it was a cozy little place, consisting of two rooms furnished with Earth Kingdom antiques. It was a little more expensive when compared to other nearby teashops, but Saaga had found that the mood and was everything when one wanted to sit for a while and relax. If she’d just wanted to buy tea and then be on her way she would’ve gone over to the Phoenix’ Tears in Tiger Flats. But the Lotus Prince was a place for conversation and meeting people.

“Oh, you’ll find I can get near intolerable if you let me get away with rude behavior. I only ever apologize when I feel I’ve done wrong. Sad to say I don’t feel it too often,” she told him honestly and smiled in a kind of way that was half embarrassed, half amused.

By then they’d arrived at the teahouse and Saaga held the door open for him to pass through. They were greeted by a lovely middle aged woman, with grey streaks in her hair. She led them to a table and left them with two menus to figure out what to order. Saaga was glad she was quick to leave, since she wanted to finish the conversation with some semblance of privacy.

“Look. I’m going to be completely honest with you. First, I’ve never had any trouble speaking my mind. You’ll know if I’m not okay with something or if I’m ‘uncomfortable’. I’m not the type of person who just sits around and takes whatever punishment people are willing to dish out,” she spoke clearly and calmly, a hint of sharpness in her tone but she was not angry. She was just adamant in making him understand where things stood from her point of view and now that they were at least somewhat alone was the right time to do so.

“I really don’t dislike you; I just hate being pushed into a corner. I mean, you come on very strong and appearing at my work place without any notice is not something I’d be happy about. You’re very sweet and I wouldn’t mind getting to know you, but if you could just dial it down a bit,” she finished and took a deep breath. There, she’d said what was on her mind.

She was kind of afraid to see his reaction to her tirade, but if she left these things unsaid now, she would surely snap at him later.

“Are you mad at me now? Did I hurt your feelings?” she asked softly, and reached her hand to touch his. She didn’t mean to do that, but sometimes truth was not easy to hear.

[Narye Matsuya]

If there was ever a place to have a frank and honest conversation that could calm both parties enough to accept it, it was the tea shop Saaga brought Narye too. "Cozy" was definitely the word to describe the Lotus Prince, but not in the condescending way. The place was easy on the eyes, tantalizing to the nose, and an overall welcoming place. With the few amount of people that could fit in there, it was guaranteed to be an intimate and private affair without excess noise or bothersome conversations going on in the background.

Narye chuckled quietly as the owner(?) handed them their menus and Saaga told him her policy on apologies. It was a little brash, or blunt, on her part but Narye always appreciated someone who could be honest and straightforward. It may moments like the one that followed much easier, and little harder at the same time. Painful, but quick.

As much as he wanted to hide himself behind the menu, or distract his eyes by looking at it, Narye forced himself to look Saaga in the eyes while she laid down her side of the situation. It was painful, and it almost looked like Narye was enduring it physically. But he found himself nodding along with it.

Her hand on his was a welcome gesture. He was almost feeling like a scolded child, and could have used the physical contact and reassurance. Before he spoke, he sighed heavily and turned his hand to hold hers. He couldn't look at her as he spoke.

"I can't be mad, and you didn't hurt me anymore I've already hurt myself. You've basically told me what I've suspected--what I've known--but chose not to believe. But I appreciate that you've told me. I needed to hear it..."

Absentmindedly, he rubbed her hand with his thumb. Narye almost looked like he was about to just get up and leave out of shame as he just stared at their hands, hating himself. After a moment he spoke up, quieter but with a hint of a smile on his face.

"So got any recommendations from the menu? I could use a pick-me-up."

He looked back up at Saaga, small smile still on his face. However, it felt like he was forcing it out there.

[Saaga Sun]

Looking at him Saaga could tell that she’d upset him and she was sorry about doing it, though this was not something she was willing to offer apologies for. He’d think this through and get over it, she was sure, but she held onto his hand in case removing it from his grip could be interpreted as a kind of rejection. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled, feeling much lighter and relaxed now that she’d told him off. Maybe it was wrong of her to feel that way, but she could not help it.

“You know, if I didn’t care I wouldn’t have said anything. Or rather, I would’ve flat out rejected you. If you’re not too offended, I’d still like to know where this could lead. I just want to slow the pace, okay?” she said to him, feeling that maybe if nothing had happened between them after the ball, the conversation would have gone differently. At the same time she doubted whether they would have even seen each other afterwards if the night had ended differently. Heck, she had been surprised to see him now.

But though she had thought about what had happened and felt partially embarrassed about her quick submission, she did not really regret anything. Her habit of looking at things solely on their practical value just made it hard to pinpoint how she felt on an emotional level. She was still quite confused about it.

Looking at the menu, Saaga thought it best not to press the subject any further. She would have liked to ask him a question about his previous relationships, since he seemed to be holding in some baggage at least from what she could tell from what he’d said. Some tea would do them both good.

“Well, they have a great selection of green teas. And this one here is very good. It’s not tea at all; it’s brewed from fruit and flowers and it’s their house specialty,” she told him, pointing out items from the list. Her tone was friendly and she hoped to reassure him that she’d not meant anything bad by what she’d said.

[Narye Matsuya]

"Slower... I can do that."

Saaga had such tiny hands. That was the predominant thing on Narye's mind when she spoke up again. Looking down at the two of them holding hands, he could not help but notice how much larger his hand was than hers. He felt the little squeeze she was giving his hand and it made that little forced smile of his into a genuine one. It was enough to bring him back out of his thoughts.

Narye was already starting to feel better about the situation. The problem had been identified and made clear to him, both from Saaga and himself, and it had definitely hurt to hear and know it. But there was a sense of relief to know it, and especially to hear that Saag was willing to invest some effort into the two of them.

Letting go of her hand and slipping out from it, Narye sat back and actually looked at the menu for the first time. It was also the first time he saw how expensive the place was. For now it wasn't a deal-breaker, but it was expensive enough to be surprising.

"You know what, uh, lets just get that for the two of us. I'm not exactly a tea connoisseur so I'll defer to you."

He placed the menu down on the table, closed, afraid he might see a price on there that really shocked him. Narye wasn't exactly a tea person so this was all kind of new to him, at least new to the specialty brews that this place offered.

"Got any hobbies, Saaga? What do you do when you're not at work?"

[Saaga Sun]

The teashop was fairly expensive and becoming a regular customer required either a fat coin purse or a good head for managing one’s budget. Saaga could not boast with having lots of disposable income, but she rarely spent money on herself and settling down for a cup of tea at the Lotus Prince was one of the few unnecessary expenditures she allowed for herself. Going there for a breather was especially satisfying if she’d had and argument with her boss.

She chuckled a little at Narye’s comment on him not being much of an expert on tea. She wasn’t much of an expert either, yet somehow she seemed to frequently run into people who thought she was. First Tahrro and now Narye. Maybe she gave off a tea-loving aura or something.

She raised her hand to signal the matron who arrived quickly enough accompanied by the rustling sound of her many layered skirts. She exchanged a few pleasantries with Saaga; she visited the shop frequently enough to have merited an especially friendly attitude from the owner.

“We’ll have the house specialty and a small pot of my usual green tea,” Saaga said and the matron scribbled down the order, smiled and bowed low before taking her leave.

Narye’s question was not something she could answer on the spot. She actually had to stop to think about what to say to him, since she mostly lived to work. She could spend twelve to sixteen hours at the shop, then go home to sleep, only to go back to work the next day, eager to learn new things from master Zhang and fretting all the possible rows they’d potentially get into. And some of the things she did do on her free time were perhaps not something she should mention to just anyone. She did not know anything about Narye’s stance on politics and social welfare so telling him about her street protesting habit might accidentally rub him the wrong way.

“Hmm, I don’t really have any distinctive hobbies. I just hang around the city and talk to people. A couple times a week I go to the park to play paisho. That’s about it. I lead a very boring life,” she told him and laughed amusedly.

Her boring life had so far included assaulting the police, spending a night in jail and not once but twice and robbing filchpie nests. And then there was the baggage she held from her past. For such a small and seemingly sweet tempered woman Saaga had a knack for getting into…situations.

“I’m willing to bet anything that one of your hobbies is…working out,” she continued, grinning.

[Narye Matsuya]

Narye gave Saaga a bit of a sideways glance with a small incredulous smirk as she tried to describe what she did in her free time through her giggling. It was a face that said, "I don't quite believe you." or "You're holding something back but I'm not going to say anything about it." It was a mostly playful expression, not a suspicious one. He just found it a little hard to believe that a young woman Saaga'a age could lead the life of an elderly person. She could very well have done those things in her spare time, but it felt like there should be other things she should/could be doing. Narye wasn't going to pry, but he slipped that curiosity into a mental back pocket.

"Oh. So you noticed, huh?"

He spoke in a jokingly arrogant tone even though he blushed a little at the attention. He definitely took a certain amount of pride in how well he maintained his body. Though he was very humble about it for the most part, or rather he tended to forget how good he could look to some people. Not since he was younger had he experienced being noticed for his body so overtly.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that though."

Bringing up one of his arms and feeling it with his other hand, he flexed his arm to feel the muscle. Even under his sleeve his biceps were visible as it stretched the fabric covering it. To be completely honest, he was kind of doing it to show off too. Though some might question why he would need to do that since Saaga had already seen, and felt, Narye's whole body before...

"I like to think of it as my form of meditation since I can't exactly stand just sittin' around and being silent for a long time. Gets my mind focused, y'know? And it looks like it's got you focused, eh?"

He delivered that line with a wink and a smile.

[Saaga Sun]

”Well it’s kind of difficult not to when you’re pressed between a bed and a hard place…” Saaga replied with a mischievous tone as she leaned back on her chair and pulled the scarf from her hair, shaking her head a little so her hair didn’t look flat.

Of course she thought the man had a nice body, but it wasn’t for the reasons one might have thought. Others might have enjoyed physical beauty for the sake of itself, but she found herself appreciating Narye because as an older man he had to put more effort into keeping his body fit. It required a sense of commitment and determination to be able to look like that at thirty-nine, and she found that very attractive.

She looked at him, sitting there on the other side of the table and flexing his arm. He looked almost boyish doing that and she had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from laughing. Instead she smirked at him and straightened her posture as she tried mimicking what he did. It was all in good fun. Her arms were not very muscular, but they were toned after years of handling the blowpipe and heavy objects.

“Hopefully it gets you focused on the right things,” she said and lowered her arm as the matron came over with their order of tea.

She looked them over, a raised eyebrow and a little pout indicating she wasn’t quite sure what to make of her two customers. Saaga thanked her as she laid the cups and teapots on the table. The older woman looked like she would have liked to ask her something, but having remembered it was not her place to question her customers, she left them to enjoy their tea and time together.

As soon as she was gone, Saaga poured a cup of flower tea for Narye and one for herself. Her mother had often complained that she lacked the gracefulness needed in a bride but even she had admitted that Saaga could pour tea properly.

“It tastes a little sweet, but it’s quite refreshing,” she told him and took a sip from her own clay cup, closing her eyes and enjoying the taste of the hot liquid.

[Narye Matsuya]

Upon hearing Saaga's rather racy little comment about being pressed into the bed, Narye ceased all movement and just stared at Saaga. If he wasn't blushing before, or if it had subsided by now, it was back in full force as his jaw hung open at the words that had come out of her mouth. He knew by now that she was not the kind of girl to mince words or censor herself for the sake of anyone or anything. But that... That comment was a total shock for Narye.

Narye was not above lewd or dirty jokes himself, nor was he averse to lascivious talk, but Saaga's quip was just so blunt and almost-inappropriate that Narye starting cracking up because of it. He had to cover his mouth and look away for a few seconds while he recomposed himself, his choked laughter making him shake and spasm in his chair.

A laugh like that was exactly the thing he needed. By the time the matron appeared with their tea, Narye was ready to turn back to face Saaga and her armflexing, face red with strain and a huge smile on his face. He made momentary eye contact with the matron and tried to stifle his smile to save some face.

"Thank you."

A shallow head bow was given to Saaga from Narye for pouring his tea. Taking up his cup, he cleared his throat and nodded again at Saaga.

"Now that... That was a good one, Saaga. I know you're a straight-talkin' girl, and I like that, but damn."

Imitating Saaga, Narye sipped at his cup of team, instead of swigging it, and savored the taste and heat. Swigging it would have burned his tongue and he was thankful for taking her lead. She was right, it was soothing but sweet, something he could enjoy after a busy day with a class full of kids. After a hearty laugh and a surprisingly good cup of tea, Narye was feeling a lot better and it showed.

"Good stuff. I like it. Though keep up that kinda talk and there might be 'repercussions'. Just saying..."

[Saaga Sun]

Narye’s reaction to her lewd comment was all the more gratifying for Saaga considering the man did not seem to object to making bold statements himself. He had been very forward with her that time at the dance and even more so after they had left the party. Seeing him blush that hard and take a while to get his act together again, it was difficult not to laugh.

She didn’t say it but Saaga was pleased that he wasn’t so down anymore. It would have made her feel guilty, knowing that she had broken him by what she’d said. She was happy that was not the case. And judging from his replies it seemed as though he was right back where he had been, that moment when he entered the emporium. She shook her head slightly, managing not to roll her eyes and took another sip of tea, placing the cup on the table to let the drink cool a little.

“Why thank you. You’re one of the only people who have ever said they liked me for my straight forwardness. My mother spent years trying to root it out of me, with no luck,” she said and smiled; a small nostalgic expression.

She had always been more of a daddy’s girl and had taken after him in many respects, including his way of talking. She had also been close with her maternal grandfather, another curious person with way too many opinions and no sense of shame. It really was a wonder how her mother had managed to live with the two of them influencing her in all the wrong ways.

“Repercussions huh? Well then, I better be on my best behavior from now on,” she chuckled and checked the wall clock by the door to the shop. She was always a little paranoid of being late in returning from her breaks, although it had not been very long since they left the shop.

[Narye Matsuya]

"Well, you're mother probably had the best of intentions. But no offense to her, I'm sort of glad she didn't succeed."

Narye had to put his own cup down because it was starting to get a little too warm in his hand, but only after savoring the taste of it again. Now that he knew that a tea like that existed, Narye just might drink the stuff more frequently and maybe try some other flavors, blends(?), or whatever different teas are called. Maybe even finally get around to digging out the old tea he had around the house, the set that used to be his wife's.

"Oh darn. I was hopin' you'd test my limits cause the repercussions were to put you back on that hard place.

It was easy to see that Narye was mostly back to his old self, what with the sarcasm and innuendo. He had not forgotten that she wanted to take things slow, but what was the harm in some good-natured if gutter-ish joking? Besides, if there was anyone with whom Narye could enjoy some some blunt talk, it was quickly turning out to be Saaga.

He noticed that she was also glancing at the wall clock. In the short time that they had been at the tea shop, Narye had completely forgotten that she was actually on break and not on a day off or something. For a second he also got paranoid that she was getting long in her break too, but it didn't look like it on the clock.

"So that guy--Tseng?--Is he the only other person that works there or something? Or were your other work mates just not in today?"