The banquet itself was a breathtaking sight, it was spread upon a large rectangular table with a crisp cream clothe. The food almost glowed in the bright orange-tinted room, everything varied from the chewy meat of rabbaroo to traditional Air Nomad fruit pies. Hiroshi had truely gathered quite a feast.
It was served in a buffet style, and the music was roaring as the tsungi horn player danced in place. The room smelled of alcohol and panda-lilies and Hiroshi held his fiancee's hand while everyone danced in honor of their just announced engagment.
Li Te stared as Amon watched the strangers dance, and both men continued to pound away at plates of food. Li Te smiled and released a small chuckle as Amon looked up from his food with a slightly puzzled look on his face. Li Te, put down his food and made his way to Amon. Taking calm, slow, wobbly steps.
Amon continued to stuff his face on sea-prunes and baked tiger-seal, his face remaining stoic as he nearly chocked on an unchewed sea-prune. Li Te moved in to assist him, but quickly Amon hit his chest and took a sip from one of the many glasses infront of him, stopping Li Te in his tracks. Amon's face spread into a half-grin and then as Li Te smiled back the two men broke into bashful laughter. They grinned and Li Te leveled his hand with Amon's face as he grabbed a napkin and wiped off a line of juice oozing out of his mouth.
"Pardon me, I realize that I don't exactly eat in the most cultured manner," Amon chuckled, as he grabbed Li Te's hand. He let his hand stay near his face, lowering Li Te's hand, onto the table, and continued to smile. Li Te stared at their hands, both clad in gloves, he studied the shape of his fingers, and he thought to himself, "I shouldn't look at him so long, it's rude. Spirits know what Amon thinks that I'm doing."
"Li, Li Te, are you ok?" Amon asked him and Li Te quickly moved his hand away from his. Li Te looked to his shoes, and took a seat next to him opposed to sitting across him.
"Yeah, Amon I'm ok. I just thought that it was funny how I actually invited you to this party. I mean, I barely know you. I just think it's pretty strange how we're sort of friends now." Li Te continued to look down as he stumbled for words, Amon gazed into his eyes and ran his strong gloved hand through his thick chestnut hair as he let it loose.
"Li Te, may I call you just Li?"
"Yes, of course"
"Li, do you think that my hair is too long. I work at a bakery, and I worry that it might get in the bread. That and I noticed that a lot of men wear their hair short in Republic City, what do you think?"
Li Te looked at Amon's hair and he personally cared little for his own hair, but prefered to keep it short. He never looked at another man's hair before, he never thought about looks much, especially on other men. Li Te tried to ignore such thoughts, he never really said things about other people's looks in general. He had once mentioned to his older brother that the grocer had a very attractive smile, only to get ridculed by him and beaten by some of the neighborhood boys that had happened to have overheard him.
He tried not to think about it,
"So Li, should I cut it?"
"I think that you should do what you want."
"Well, I'm unsure, and figured that I could ask some one for a second opinion."
"I don't think that I'm the best person to ask for fashion advice. In my opinion, I like to keep it short, then again I've never had it long."
"I guess I wouldn't have to comb it as often, look touch this hair." Li Te ran his hand through Amon's hair and smelled strong stench of alcohol in his friend's breath, and Amon released a sigh. Li Te grabbed a glass and took a shot of cactus juice, feeling that it's better to drink with Amon rather than watch him get helplessly drunk.
The two continued to talk, exchanging stories, both silly and personal. Everyone was in their own worlds, no one would remember this in the morning.
Amon told Li Te about himself, sharing a pleasant memory involving his little brother and several tiger-seals and how the Avatar had once come to their hometown. And Li Te, told him about the neighborhood boy's constant bullying. How the boys claimed that the Spirits were after him for saying that a man had a cute smile, and how they beat him over it. The boys had burned him, and had left scars all over his back, his right arm was broken in the attack. Yet, both men laughed over their memories, both the good and the bad. Li Te, smiled and began to mumble into Amon's shoulder.
Amon's eyes flashed as he realized that Li Te was crying. He took off his leather gloves and put them in his pocket. Placing his strong well trained hand on Li Te's hat, slowly gripping the hat's brim and slipping the hat off of his head. He postioned his tipsy rickety hand on Li Te's head and whispered to him, "Li, did you mean it?"
Li Te lifted his head, although he made a noise, but no words were understood. Li Te was too out of it, trapped in his self-reflexive prison, his eyes filled with angry tears. And again Amon whispered into his drunken ears, "I'll take you home, I don't want you to say anything you'll regret your coworkers hearing."
With that Amon hooked Li Te's arm around his thick neck and snuck away from the party.
