Hello, everyone! Sorry, I know it's been a while since I last posted. I just didn't know how to get this one right — and, to be quite honest, I'm not quite sure I'm satisfied with it. The goal is to use this chapter as a jumping off point to eventually have a KyaLin family Thanksgiving series to keep us all company when our own Thanksgivings melt down into the wine aunt and racist uncle debating politics. So, I hope you enjoy and I hope I get to write more of this.
Linny had gone to oversee an evening triad bust. Mako's snores could be heard emanating from his bedroom — the poor kid was catching up on his rest after being nearly ground into a pulp by that investigation. That left Kya alone with her brothers, sitting at the massive dark wooden table in the middle of the apartment, illuminated by the soft yellow of incandescent lightbulbs. Usually, this time of night would see her eating dinner with Linny and Mako, sometimes accompanied by a niece or nephew, but, sadly, this was not one of those days.
"Listen, I know I usually host it, but Zhu Li asked me to allow tourists on Air Temple Island for the Festival, and I don't want to celebrate in front of tourists as if we're animals in a zoo." Tenzin lifted his shot of Water Tribe vodka, then, sniffing it and wincing, set it back down.
Bumi had no such qualms, downing his shot with the experience of a naval officer and immediately grabbing for the bottle to pour himself more. "I don't suppose you want to host, Kya?"
"Not really, no." Kya didn't touch the liquor — she preferred drinking in the company of a certain metalbender.
"Well, how do we decide? Flip a coin?" Tenzin propped himself up on his left elbow and forearm, gesticulating with his right hand.
"No, there's two of you that live on Air Temple Island." Kya ran her fingers through her hair, elbows planted on the table. "So you should have more than a half chance of hosting."
"Back in the United Forces, we'd just draw straws to do chores," noted Bumi before downing a second shot.
"You want to draw straws?" She looked at her brothers, eyebrow cocked.
"Sure."
"Alright."
"I'll be right back." Kya stood, walking into the kitchen and taking some straw out of a small bin in the pantry. Mostly, the straw was used to provide padding for some tuber-vegetables they didn't want bruised, but there was more than enough to supply the occasional straw-drawing.
Arranging the straws in her hand, Kya exited the pantry and returned to the table through the kitchen — not massive and not minuscule, it was enough to cook for the apartment's three inhabitants. If she lost this drawing, though, cooking for the whole family would be a feat. Rousing from her contemplation, she sat back down.
Blue eyes gazing into two sets of grey in total silence, Kya extended her hands, one gripping the three straws between her thumb and forefinger, the second covering the ends of the straws, leaving three segments of equal length extending from her grip. Her younger brother drew first, orange robes billowing around his arm as he slowly pulled the leftmost straw from her grip. The siblings held their breath as the straw slowly slid out from between her fingers. Finding it to be of full length, Tenzin deflated slightly; the other two seemed to absorb the tension, only growing more concerned.
Her elder brother was next. Bumi's hand hung in the air for a moment before he decided to replicate Tenzin's choice and take the next leftmost straw. He slowly, carefully, withdrew the straw. Almost wincing as he dragged the last of it out of her grasp, Bumi's eyes widened when he found it too to be a full-length straw. With both brothers watching, Kya gritted her teeth as she revealed the last straw in her palm — the short one.
"I suppose we all know what that means." Tenzin shrugged, faking apathy.
"It's going to get very cozy in here, Tenzin," Kya said, glaring at him. "If you don't remember, this is not a very big apartment. Four bedrooms, counting mine and Lin's bedroom."
"Oh, but there's only eleven of us," Bumi shrugged. "Me, you, Tenzin, Pema, Mom, Beifong, Mako, and Tenzin's kids. Might be a bit tight but no biggie."
"Lin is my wife, Bumi." Kya gestured pointedly towards the new betrothal necklace she sported, a Metal Clan design carved into the blue gem at the center. "That means her family is our family. Eleven? Try twenty-two."