[backated to Feb 22] [log] [Tenten and Ishida]
[early evening]
It was cold, of course, but she didn't think it would get this cold. Still, she refused to be stuck inside anymore, especially now that her magazine was done and the food was eaten. There was only so much instant food she could take and she decided to take up one of her neighbors in the old building's offer to cook a stew if she could provide the meat. Meat was expensive but apparently, there was a rampant amount of it right above their heads. And since Anko had opened the door, she felt it was almost a public service.
So she was currently sitting very still, one hand wrapped on her bow's main body, the wood having been patched up as best as possible. In her other hand, the bow's string had been pulled taunt, arrow nestled between her fingers. The only visible movement was the white clouds of breath that came from her lips.
There was a sound and her eyes flickered towards the movement. A second later, there was an audible twang and the arrow was released, hitting its target dead on. She smiled and pulled the next arrow out. It was hard enough to tag a moving target but being in an urban area meant she had to be even more careful that she didn't have any errant shots. It meant making sure that there was something solid behind her target to stop the arrow in case she met. But even with all the restrictions, she knew the result would be well worth it.
Classes over with for the day, Ishida was hoofing it from the bus stop, bundled up in layers of clothing, all of them handmade. He was especially glad he made his coat waterproof and fleece-lined for extra warmth. One of these days, he promised, he would get a bike. It would certainly make getting around campus much easier.
The apartment building came into view and he was mentally preparing himself to be blasted with heat when he thought he heard the all-too-familiar twang of a bowstring. He stopped, frowning, as he listened to see if he would hear it again. He did, and a quarter-minute later he heard a soft thump of something small hitting snow. Curious, he walked around to find the source.
From her vantage point high on the roof, Tenten heard the snow crunch below her. Immediately, she retracted the string and walked to the edge of the building. She looked over and down at the ground, watching the dark haired man look around. She paused a bit, wondering what to do but finally decided to call out.
"Hello there!" she said, with a sheepish smile.
Ishida looked up from the arrow-impaled pigeon at his feet, its blood staining the snow. Granted, it was a creative solution to the plethora of winged nuisances that fouled the roof... "Hey," he called back. A pause, but he might as well ask the obvious. "This yours?"
Tenten cringed. "Um, yes... sorry... I think I wind gust caught it and..." She became a bit softer as she looked down, almost starting to back away. "I'll get it right away."
"All right." Ishida would wait for her to come down as he was bursting with curiosity. Not only for where she got her arrows (well made but crude in appearance) and why she was shooting pigeons, but he was almost excited to find out there was another archer in the building. Crouching down to inspect the bird, he felt his eyebrows raise. A good shot that killed the bird instantly, especially if the wind was blowing as hard as she implied.
Tenten put the bow down on the roof and quickly removed the chest guard, really nothing more then a leather scrap with rope ties. She grabbed the coat at her feet and tossed it on, taking the steps down two at a time. She might not be up to date on all the social norms of this country but she was pretty sure that dropping dead pigeons in front of people was not going to go over well.
She opened the door and headed towards the alley, feet shuffling as she did. She was attempting to think of something to say. Sorry I dropped a dead bird on you? Sorry I'm killing small rodents?
By the time she came there though, she really didn't know what to say so she walked forward with an apology and collected the corpse.
"Nice shot," Ishida said. "I've been up on the roof plenty; the wind up there tends to make things interesting."
Tenten paused a bit. It wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. And worse, the sentence instantly turned her mind from worry to interest. "It took some practice, more so to avoid hitting something other then a bird or a brick. You live here then?"
Ishida nodded. "Fourth floor, apartment 18," he replied as he adjusted his glasses. "Ishida Uryuu."
"Nice to meet you," Tenten replied. "Tenten, from apartment three."
"Nice to meet you," Ishida returned. "What are you planning to do with the bird?"
Tenten paused a long time. There was no good answer to that question. A majority of people in this part of the world would have been disgusted by the thought. "I was bringing them to a friend," she replied.
O...kay.... Still, curiosity was getting the better of him. Ishida blamed his interest in all things archery. "What's your friend going to do with them?" What could be done with dead pigeons? An urban feather-pillow?
Actually, that wasn't a bad idea. A feather comforter would be soft and weighty and nice to have in winter if the interior of the building wasn't practically a furnace year-round. Though, it would be useful for those nights he spent on the roof. Pity he hadn't thought of it earlier.
Tenten sighed. Well, she had already committed one faux pas against her new neighbors. She might as well make it an even two. "It's for soup," she said firmly, find her confidence. "I can't cook, she can make stew."
"Soup?" Ishida repeated, not with disgust but with almost-interest. His culinary side had to wonder if it tasted anything like chicken. Damn, now he was intrigued. "Stew sounds better. An unusual concept, pigeon stew; I doubt anyone would have thought of it. Does she have a recipe or does she just wing it?"
Tenten cringed at the bad pun. "I think she just throws it into a pot with water."
"I'll assume no," Ishida said with a touch of dryness, and oblivious to the making of any pun. "Would you like to continue the conversation inside?" Her shivering hadn't gone unnoticed, but the topic of discussion had gotten the better of his manners.
Tenten nodded quickly and started shuffling back towards the apartment. Her hands were so deep in her pockets that she wasn't going to try to unlock the door. Besides, it would be prudent to make sure he was actually a resident there. So she waited for him to open the door.
Ishida fished his keyring from his pocket and unlocked the door, opening it and stepping aside for her to precede him.
Tenten walked in with a more comfortable smile. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped the bird up in it so as not startle any passerby that might approach them.
Once inside and after closing the door, Ishida began removing top layers until he was in his short-sleeved dress shirt. There was no way he'd make it up to his apartment in this heat. "Do you still have stuff up on the roof?" he asked.
Tenten nodded. "Yeah, I figured they'd be low on the list of things to steal. I guess I should go get them."
"I'll come with you, at least as far as the fourth floor so I can drop my outer clothes in my apartment," Ishida said. And change into something more suitable for the inside temperature.
Tenten nodded a bit. "The heat in this building is atrocious. I like it warm but this... this is summer warm in the dead of winter. I wish there was a way to fix it."
"It is preferable to freezing, however," Ishida began as they started up the stairs. Hanatarou was in class and wouldn't be home for a while. "We can survive immense heat but if we were lacking in it, I believe would be even worse off. Appliances would literally freeze up, causing all sorts of problems."
Tenten nodded. "This is true." She looked at the ground as they started up the stairs. "But the constant heat can't be good for the wood in this place, especially with all the snow that sneaks in." She bounced on a step to make it creak to emphasize her point.
Ishida made sure not to bounce on the steps. "Not much we can do about it except hope the building can withstand it," he said. "Hey, is there any way I could get the feathers from your friend after she's cleaned the birds?"
Tenten was enjoying the different octaves the steps were creaking at. If she was really accurate, she bet she could get a simple tune for them "Oh, I'll clean them myself," she said absentmindedly. "Feathers don't make for good food."
"But they make nice stuffing for bedclothes," Ishida returned. "And pillows. And, hm. I wonder how feathers would work as a stuffing for a layer on a coat..."
Tenten came to a stop and realized they were both talking a bit absent-mindedly. "You can make these things yourself then?"
Ishida nodded. "With rare exceptions, all of my clothing I've had to make myself."
"That's nice," Tenten smiled. "I've been hitting thrift stores," she stated, pointing to the coat. "Better with wood and metal then I am with fabric."
"Ah." Something clicked in Ishida's mind. "So, then, you made the arrow?"
"Well, it is a bit crude," Tenten replied. "You don't find the sort of raw materials or even tools around here to make anything nice. Still, it works well enough."
"Indeed, I can see," Ishida said. "If you want, I could lend you my coat for going up on the roof as it's sort of my fault you had to leave your things up there."
"It's no one's fault. I have to shoot without a coat anyway," Tenten replied. "The arms are too stiff for it to allow me to fire correctly. I'll just run up and get my things, it won't take more a second. Do you have a good knife?"
Ishida paused. He had plenty of knives, but... "What are you going to use it for?" he wanted to know.
"Well, you want the feathers don't you? I don't have cooking knives myself so anything I use would have to be sanitized first. If you have a cooking knife, you can have your feathers in a few minutes."
That made sense, Ishida decided. "What size do you need?" he asked as they reached the fourth-floor landing. Keys in hand he went to his apartment and unlocked the door.
"Paring knife should do it," Tenten said with a wave as she jogged up the rest of the stairs. Sure enough, all her things where still up there. She collected them quickly, making good time as the wind nipped at her cheeks. She ran back inside as fast as she could and then headed back towards the right number, where she knocked and waited patiently.
"Enter!" Ishida called. He stepped out of the kitchen as she entered. "I've cleared off an area for you, and set up the knife and cutting board. Anything else you would need?"
Tenten put the things next to her. "No, should be enough. Let me just wash my hands. Do you mind if I use your sink?"
"Go right ahead. If you need something, ask and I'll retrieve it for you," Ishida answered.
"Thank you," Tenten smiled. She washed her hand thoroughly, pushing the sleeves up past her elbows to be safe. She placed the first pigeon on the board and took the knife. She carefully wove her fingers into the feathers and started to pluck at them quickly. "So, are you also a recent renter in the building?"
"Actually... I've been here for four years," Ishida said.
"Really?" Tenten asked, creating a small pile of feathers. "You are older then you look then."
Ishida adjusted his glasses. It wasn't a nervous habit, just something that had to be done when one's glasses had the propensity to slide. "I'm twenty."
Tenten keep pulling at it. "More independent then," she continued quickly, not want to press the issue.
Ishida shrugged, leaving it at that. Just because he disliked untrue information being circulated about him didn't mean he went telling his life story to everyone. Well, anyone. No one knew, which suited him fine. Since there wasn't much to say, he watched her intently as she worked on the bird with the efficiency of someone long used to doing that sort of thing.
The first pile of feathers were gone and Tenten pushed them to the side. Then with startling speed, she hacked the head and feet off before slicing the stomach open and pulling out the innards. "This my first time alone," she went on. "But the deal I was offered from the university here was too good to pass up."
"Where are you from?" Ishida asked, curious.
"The Guangdong Province of China, small town, you would have never heard of it," Tenten continued, very carefully sliced the meat into breast and thigh pieces. "I spent some time in Beijing though... on the outskirts so, I suppose this is technically my first time living in a large city."
"Ah." She was right; Ishida didn't have a clue of where exactly she was talking about. "How long have you been here?"
"About three months," Tenten replied, moving to the second bird. "I was living in another place that makes this place look like the Ritz. Living by yourself was nice but... having roommates and four walls around you is a fine trade up."
Ishida decided that ignorance was bliss at the moment, and besides, Tenten might not want to talk about it. "Excuse me for a moment, I'm going to get something to put the feathers in." Only a few of the feathers were spotted with blood, but they could be cleaned later.
Tenten nodded and went about her work. The knife slide in her hand that it was always meant to be there, cutting into the meat without hesitation. By the time he returned, she was washing her hands and the knife as well.
Ishida set the small, now-empty basket on the counter near her, not wanting to get too close to the knife. From observing he trusted her skill with a knife, but he didn't want to infringe upon her space because when he was cooking, he had a certain comfort zone and didn't react well to people entering it. "What made you take up archery?"
"Projectile training," Tenten responded. "I was trained in shuriken and senbon, but after while, I wanted to try something different. So I took up archery for a while. Not my best weapon but I've got decent aim." She smiled as she shook her hands free of the water. "Do you train in anything?"
"Archery. My grandfather got me into the sport when I was very little," Ishida said.
Tenten's smiled broadened as he spoke. "Really? That's wonderful. Not many people are into old style weaponry." She looked down at her bow. "As is evident from my little bow. Poor thing was passed through at least five hands before I picked it up."
"Let me get mine so you can see it." Ishida disappeared into his room and retrieved his one of his recurve bows; the one he used the most often. It was one of his grandfather's bows hence the usage, and the wear and tear. He tended to favor using a compound for competitions but when he simply wanted to experience the joy of shooting, this was the bow he used. It had many memories for him and he treated with a gentleness and care that bordered on reverence.
Tenten panicked, mainly because her hands were still wet and she knew how obsessive she was over her own weaponry. So she wiped her hands on the back of her shirt and attempted to straighten up, as if she was readying herself for a meeting with a royal dignitary rather then a bow.
Ishida waited patiently, feeling a sense of relief as he watched her take pains to make sure her hands were dry. Finally, someone who understood that a bow was to be treated well. When she held out her hands, palms raised, he then gave her the bow to inspect.
Tenten took it carefully and held it for a moment before carefully testing the weight in her hands. She carefully ran a finger across the curves of the wood, taking in every nick and turn in the wood. "It's well loved," she noted, pinching at the bow string to check for tautness. She held it up for a second and looked at scope. "Good for distance shooting." She enjoyed the feel of a well-crafted bow under her fingers for as long as she could before realizing she was probably on the point of looking rather foolish. She held it out carefully. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Ishida said as he took it back. "It was my grandfather's." Oh, the pride in that remark. Idly, his fingers traced the leather-wrapped grip for a moment as a memory flashed (Souken first fitting the bow into Ishida's small hand).
"He taught you well then," Tenten replied. "There's a lot of care put into this weapon. You can feel it in the wood itself." She smiled sheepishly and put a hand behind her head. "Or... well, from the fact that it's well cared for."
Ishida gave her a half-smile before going and putting the bow away in his room. Coming back, he said, "I can lend you a container to put the meat in." If she wanted to stick around, she could put it in the fridge. Food, especially meat, did not do well for long in this sort of heat.
"That'll be fine," Tenten smiled. "I should have some room in the fridge and doubt either of my roommates would touch it. I would offer you some of the finished product but..." she laughed a bit, "but from the looks of your kitchen, you are more then capable of making something more edible then stew."
Ishida shrugged, barely moving his shoulder but the movement still discernable. "You've gotten me interested in how pigeon might taste when cooked, so I wouldn't mind if it was cooked here." Having someone else handle his cooking utensils was high on his list of annoyances, but he could bear it if he could be involved with the experimentation process.
Tenten paused. "I can probably wrangled the recipe from my friend. She's elderly so moving isn't too easy for her. Still, if I promise to bring her back a sample, she'll probably be willing to trade. Unless, you mind..."
"I don't mind," Ishida said calmly.
"Great," Tenten smiled. "I'll stop by sometime tomorrow. Thank you very much," she concluded with a deep bow.
"You're welcome," Ishida replied, her bow causing him to half-bow in return. "Ah, what time tomorrow?"
Tenten paused a bit. "Sometime between 5 and 6 pm?"
It took a moment to ponder the next day's schedule. "I have work from four to closing, but the day after I'm free after 6pm. Would that suffice?" Ishida asked.
Tenten nodded. "I work late at night and go to school early in the morning, so early evening is fine for me."
"All right," Ishida agreed. He was still polite, but it wasn't his usual cool politeness as he was genuinely interested in what they could come up with. "Day after tomorrow, 6pm."
"Deal," Tenten replied, taking the meat she had placed in the containers. "See you then!"
It was cold, of course, but she didn't think it would get this cold. Still, she refused to be stuck inside anymore, especially now that her magazine was done and the food was eaten. There was only so much instant food she could take and she decided to take up one of her neighbors in the old building's offer to cook a stew if she could provide the meat. Meat was expensive but apparently, there was a rampant amount of it right above their heads. And since Anko had opened the door, she felt it was almost a public service.
So she was currently sitting very still, one hand wrapped on her bow's main body, the wood having been patched up as best as possible. In her other hand, the bow's string had been pulled taunt, arrow nestled between her fingers. The only visible movement was the white clouds of breath that came from her lips.
There was a sound and her eyes flickered towards the movement. A second later, there was an audible twang and the arrow was released, hitting its target dead on. She smiled and pulled the next arrow out. It was hard enough to tag a moving target but being in an urban area meant she had to be even more careful that she didn't have any errant shots. It meant making sure that there was something solid behind her target to stop the arrow in case she met. But even with all the restrictions, she knew the result would be well worth it.
Classes over with for the day, Ishida was hoofing it from the bus stop, bundled up in layers of clothing, all of them handmade. He was especially glad he made his coat waterproof and fleece-lined for extra warmth. One of these days, he promised, he would get a bike. It would certainly make getting around campus much easier.
The apartment building came into view and he was mentally preparing himself to be blasted with heat when he thought he heard the all-too-familiar twang of a bowstring. He stopped, frowning, as he listened to see if he would hear it again. He did, and a quarter-minute later he heard a soft thump of something small hitting snow. Curious, he walked around to find the source.
From her vantage point high on the roof, Tenten heard the snow crunch below her. Immediately, she retracted the string and walked to the edge of the building. She looked over and down at the ground, watching the dark haired man look around. She paused a bit, wondering what to do but finally decided to call out.
"Hello there!" she said, with a sheepish smile.
Ishida looked up from the arrow-impaled pigeon at his feet, its blood staining the snow. Granted, it was a creative solution to the plethora of winged nuisances that fouled the roof... "Hey," he called back. A pause, but he might as well ask the obvious. "This yours?"
Tenten cringed. "Um, yes... sorry... I think I wind gust caught it and..." She became a bit softer as she looked down, almost starting to back away. "I'll get it right away."
"All right." Ishida would wait for her to come down as he was bursting with curiosity. Not only for where she got her arrows (well made but crude in appearance) and why she was shooting pigeons, but he was almost excited to find out there was another archer in the building. Crouching down to inspect the bird, he felt his eyebrows raise. A good shot that killed the bird instantly, especially if the wind was blowing as hard as she implied.
Tenten put the bow down on the roof and quickly removed the chest guard, really nothing more then a leather scrap with rope ties. She grabbed the coat at her feet and tossed it on, taking the steps down two at a time. She might not be up to date on all the social norms of this country but she was pretty sure that dropping dead pigeons in front of people was not going to go over well.
She opened the door and headed towards the alley, feet shuffling as she did. She was attempting to think of something to say. Sorry I dropped a dead bird on you? Sorry I'm killing small rodents?
By the time she came there though, she really didn't know what to say so she walked forward with an apology and collected the corpse.
"Nice shot," Ishida said. "I've been up on the roof plenty; the wind up there tends to make things interesting."
Tenten paused a bit. It wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. And worse, the sentence instantly turned her mind from worry to interest. "It took some practice, more so to avoid hitting something other then a bird or a brick. You live here then?"
Ishida nodded. "Fourth floor, apartment 18," he replied as he adjusted his glasses. "Ishida Uryuu."
"Nice to meet you," Tenten replied. "Tenten, from apartment three."
"Nice to meet you," Ishida returned. "What are you planning to do with the bird?"
Tenten paused a long time. There was no good answer to that question. A majority of people in this part of the world would have been disgusted by the thought. "I was bringing them to a friend," she replied.
O...kay.... Still, curiosity was getting the better of him. Ishida blamed his interest in all things archery. "What's your friend going to do with them?" What could be done with dead pigeons? An urban feather-pillow?
Actually, that wasn't a bad idea. A feather comforter would be soft and weighty and nice to have in winter if the interior of the building wasn't practically a furnace year-round. Though, it would be useful for those nights he spent on the roof. Pity he hadn't thought of it earlier.
Tenten sighed. Well, she had already committed one faux pas against her new neighbors. She might as well make it an even two. "It's for soup," she said firmly, find her confidence. "I can't cook, she can make stew."
"Soup?" Ishida repeated, not with disgust but with almost-interest. His culinary side had to wonder if it tasted anything like chicken. Damn, now he was intrigued. "Stew sounds better. An unusual concept, pigeon stew; I doubt anyone would have thought of it. Does she have a recipe or does she just wing it?"
Tenten cringed at the bad pun. "I think she just throws it into a pot with water."
"I'll assume no," Ishida said with a touch of dryness, and oblivious to the making of any pun. "Would you like to continue the conversation inside?" Her shivering hadn't gone unnoticed, but the topic of discussion had gotten the better of his manners.
Tenten nodded quickly and started shuffling back towards the apartment. Her hands were so deep in her pockets that she wasn't going to try to unlock the door. Besides, it would be prudent to make sure he was actually a resident there. So she waited for him to open the door.
Ishida fished his keyring from his pocket and unlocked the door, opening it and stepping aside for her to precede him.
Tenten walked in with a more comfortable smile. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped the bird up in it so as not startle any passerby that might approach them.
Once inside and after closing the door, Ishida began removing top layers until he was in his short-sleeved dress shirt. There was no way he'd make it up to his apartment in this heat. "Do you still have stuff up on the roof?" he asked.
Tenten nodded. "Yeah, I figured they'd be low on the list of things to steal. I guess I should go get them."
"I'll come with you, at least as far as the fourth floor so I can drop my outer clothes in my apartment," Ishida said. And change into something more suitable for the inside temperature.
Tenten nodded a bit. "The heat in this building is atrocious. I like it warm but this... this is summer warm in the dead of winter. I wish there was a way to fix it."
"It is preferable to freezing, however," Ishida began as they started up the stairs. Hanatarou was in class and wouldn't be home for a while. "We can survive immense heat but if we were lacking in it, I believe would be even worse off. Appliances would literally freeze up, causing all sorts of problems."
Tenten nodded. "This is true." She looked at the ground as they started up the stairs. "But the constant heat can't be good for the wood in this place, especially with all the snow that sneaks in." She bounced on a step to make it creak to emphasize her point.
Ishida made sure not to bounce on the steps. "Not much we can do about it except hope the building can withstand it," he said. "Hey, is there any way I could get the feathers from your friend after she's cleaned the birds?"
Tenten was enjoying the different octaves the steps were creaking at. If she was really accurate, she bet she could get a simple tune for them "Oh, I'll clean them myself," she said absentmindedly. "Feathers don't make for good food."
"But they make nice stuffing for bedclothes," Ishida returned. "And pillows. And, hm. I wonder how feathers would work as a stuffing for a layer on a coat..."
Tenten came to a stop and realized they were both talking a bit absent-mindedly. "You can make these things yourself then?"
Ishida nodded. "With rare exceptions, all of my clothing I've had to make myself."
"That's nice," Tenten smiled. "I've been hitting thrift stores," she stated, pointing to the coat. "Better with wood and metal then I am with fabric."
"Ah." Something clicked in Ishida's mind. "So, then, you made the arrow?"
"Well, it is a bit crude," Tenten replied. "You don't find the sort of raw materials or even tools around here to make anything nice. Still, it works well enough."
"Indeed, I can see," Ishida said. "If you want, I could lend you my coat for going up on the roof as it's sort of my fault you had to leave your things up there."
"It's no one's fault. I have to shoot without a coat anyway," Tenten replied. "The arms are too stiff for it to allow me to fire correctly. I'll just run up and get my things, it won't take more a second. Do you have a good knife?"
Ishida paused. He had plenty of knives, but... "What are you going to use it for?" he wanted to know.
"Well, you want the feathers don't you? I don't have cooking knives myself so anything I use would have to be sanitized first. If you have a cooking knife, you can have your feathers in a few minutes."
That made sense, Ishida decided. "What size do you need?" he asked as they reached the fourth-floor landing. Keys in hand he went to his apartment and unlocked the door.
"Paring knife should do it," Tenten said with a wave as she jogged up the rest of the stairs. Sure enough, all her things where still up there. She collected them quickly, making good time as the wind nipped at her cheeks. She ran back inside as fast as she could and then headed back towards the right number, where she knocked and waited patiently.
"Enter!" Ishida called. He stepped out of the kitchen as she entered. "I've cleared off an area for you, and set up the knife and cutting board. Anything else you would need?"
Tenten put the things next to her. "No, should be enough. Let me just wash my hands. Do you mind if I use your sink?"
"Go right ahead. If you need something, ask and I'll retrieve it for you," Ishida answered.
"Thank you," Tenten smiled. She washed her hand thoroughly, pushing the sleeves up past her elbows to be safe. She placed the first pigeon on the board and took the knife. She carefully wove her fingers into the feathers and started to pluck at them quickly. "So, are you also a recent renter in the building?"
"Actually... I've been here for four years," Ishida said.
"Really?" Tenten asked, creating a small pile of feathers. "You are older then you look then."
Ishida adjusted his glasses. It wasn't a nervous habit, just something that had to be done when one's glasses had the propensity to slide. "I'm twenty."
Tenten keep pulling at it. "More independent then," she continued quickly, not want to press the issue.
Ishida shrugged, leaving it at that. Just because he disliked untrue information being circulated about him didn't mean he went telling his life story to everyone. Well, anyone. No one knew, which suited him fine. Since there wasn't much to say, he watched her intently as she worked on the bird with the efficiency of someone long used to doing that sort of thing.
The first pile of feathers were gone and Tenten pushed them to the side. Then with startling speed, she hacked the head and feet off before slicing the stomach open and pulling out the innards. "This my first time alone," she went on. "But the deal I was offered from the university here was too good to pass up."
"Where are you from?" Ishida asked, curious.
"The Guangdong Province of China, small town, you would have never heard of it," Tenten continued, very carefully sliced the meat into breast and thigh pieces. "I spent some time in Beijing though... on the outskirts so, I suppose this is technically my first time living in a large city."
"Ah." She was right; Ishida didn't have a clue of where exactly she was talking about. "How long have you been here?"
"About three months," Tenten replied, moving to the second bird. "I was living in another place that makes this place look like the Ritz. Living by yourself was nice but... having roommates and four walls around you is a fine trade up."
Ishida decided that ignorance was bliss at the moment, and besides, Tenten might not want to talk about it. "Excuse me for a moment, I'm going to get something to put the feathers in." Only a few of the feathers were spotted with blood, but they could be cleaned later.
Tenten nodded and went about her work. The knife slide in her hand that it was always meant to be there, cutting into the meat without hesitation. By the time he returned, she was washing her hands and the knife as well.
Ishida set the small, now-empty basket on the counter near her, not wanting to get too close to the knife. From observing he trusted her skill with a knife, but he didn't want to infringe upon her space because when he was cooking, he had a certain comfort zone and didn't react well to people entering it. "What made you take up archery?"
"Projectile training," Tenten responded. "I was trained in shuriken and senbon, but after while, I wanted to try something different. So I took up archery for a while. Not my best weapon but I've got decent aim." She smiled as she shook her hands free of the water. "Do you train in anything?"
"Archery. My grandfather got me into the sport when I was very little," Ishida said.
Tenten's smiled broadened as he spoke. "Really? That's wonderful. Not many people are into old style weaponry." She looked down at her bow. "As is evident from my little bow. Poor thing was passed through at least five hands before I picked it up."
"Let me get mine so you can see it." Ishida disappeared into his room and retrieved his one of his recurve bows; the one he used the most often. It was one of his grandfather's bows hence the usage, and the wear and tear. He tended to favor using a compound for competitions but when he simply wanted to experience the joy of shooting, this was the bow he used. It had many memories for him and he treated with a gentleness and care that bordered on reverence.
Tenten panicked, mainly because her hands were still wet and she knew how obsessive she was over her own weaponry. So she wiped her hands on the back of her shirt and attempted to straighten up, as if she was readying herself for a meeting with a royal dignitary rather then a bow.
Ishida waited patiently, feeling a sense of relief as he watched her take pains to make sure her hands were dry. Finally, someone who understood that a bow was to be treated well. When she held out her hands, palms raised, he then gave her the bow to inspect.
Tenten took it carefully and held it for a moment before carefully testing the weight in her hands. She carefully ran a finger across the curves of the wood, taking in every nick and turn in the wood. "It's well loved," she noted, pinching at the bow string to check for tautness. She held it up for a second and looked at scope. "Good for distance shooting." She enjoyed the feel of a well-crafted bow under her fingers for as long as she could before realizing she was probably on the point of looking rather foolish. She held it out carefully. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Ishida said as he took it back. "It was my grandfather's." Oh, the pride in that remark. Idly, his fingers traced the leather-wrapped grip for a moment as a memory flashed (Souken first fitting the bow into Ishida's small hand).
"He taught you well then," Tenten replied. "There's a lot of care put into this weapon. You can feel it in the wood itself." She smiled sheepishly and put a hand behind her head. "Or... well, from the fact that it's well cared for."
Ishida gave her a half-smile before going and putting the bow away in his room. Coming back, he said, "I can lend you a container to put the meat in." If she wanted to stick around, she could put it in the fridge. Food, especially meat, did not do well for long in this sort of heat.
"That'll be fine," Tenten smiled. "I should have some room in the fridge and doubt either of my roommates would touch it. I would offer you some of the finished product but..." she laughed a bit, "but from the looks of your kitchen, you are more then capable of making something more edible then stew."
Ishida shrugged, barely moving his shoulder but the movement still discernable. "You've gotten me interested in how pigeon might taste when cooked, so I wouldn't mind if it was cooked here." Having someone else handle his cooking utensils was high on his list of annoyances, but he could bear it if he could be involved with the experimentation process.
Tenten paused. "I can probably wrangled the recipe from my friend. She's elderly so moving isn't too easy for her. Still, if I promise to bring her back a sample, she'll probably be willing to trade. Unless, you mind..."
"I don't mind," Ishida said calmly.
"Great," Tenten smiled. "I'll stop by sometime tomorrow. Thank you very much," she concluded with a deep bow.
"You're welcome," Ishida replied, her bow causing him to half-bow in return. "Ah, what time tomorrow?"
Tenten paused a bit. "Sometime between 5 and 6 pm?"
It took a moment to ponder the next day's schedule. "I have work from four to closing, but the day after I'm free after 6pm. Would that suffice?" Ishida asked.
Tenten nodded. "I work late at night and go to school early in the morning, so early evening is fine for me."
"All right," Ishida agreed. He was still polite, but it wasn't his usual cool politeness as he was genuinely interested in what they could come up with. "Day after tomorrow, 6pm."
"Deal," Tenten replied, taking the meat she had placed in the containers. "See you then!"