Kotetsu and Temari! (...A little late, ssshhh.)
... I started posting this then lost it. ARGH.
Who: Temari and Kotetsu
What: First meeting
Where: School bike parking area
When: After Kotetsu met Gaara...but before Temari met Izumo
Warning(s): None
Kotetsu adjusted his bag on his shoulder as he exited the school, heading for his bike. He'd insisted on he and Izumo riding bikes to school in order to make up for the lack of exercise that they'd been getting lately. With all the baking that Izumo did...they really needed to find a gym.
Kotetsu was heading home by himself today; Izumo had gone off to the market to grab a few things for his next baking endeavor. Kotetsu would have opted to go with him, but someone needed to let the dog out.
He approached the bike parking area, fishing for the key in his pocket.
A similar fishing which was occuring for Temari; though in this case, she'd found her key, and was simply trying to fish it out from between two bikes in the middle of the rack; her keychain had gone flying in a less than cooperative manner.
"If I had a particularly strong magnet you would be mine by now." The keys looked unimpressed (as much as they could look anything.) Similar commands of "sit," "heel," and "come" were met without success - "stay" was a roaring crowd pleaser.
If the other keys could speak, that was.
Damnit. And she needed to go by... places before they closed. The day could get nice and work with her, right?
Kotetsu overheard her mutterings and chuckled, looking over. It was a student. "Need any help there?"
"By any chance, do you have a supercharged magnet?" Rhetorical question; only Orochimaru would be creepy enough to have something like that on hand, and then it would likely get stuck to the bikes. "Or a coat hanger. Or a bobby pin. Or better yet? Chain cutters."
Kotetesu strode over, shaking his head. "Sorry," he laughed. "No such thing on me. Drop your keys, I'm guessing?"
"No; they flung themselves from the cruel confines of my humble backpack." She was chewing on her lower lip, casting her eyes around - ah, there. "Hey, grab that metal thing by your foot?"
Kotetsu picked it up and dropped it in her hand. "There you go... where did your keys jump to, anyway? They must hate you. I know mine do. They like to fall into my wastebasket when I'm not looking. Though that could just be Izumo screwing with me..."
She ignored his chatter as she fished in the most creative way possible (probably she didn't have to go under, but something told her it would work) and eventually dragged out her keys. A defunct little weasel was the only non-useful object on it; awh, she missed her Kamatari.
"Got 'em." SHe handed the metal back to Kotetsu. "Thanks for all you assistance..." she paused, looking him over, "Sensei."
"Ah - yeah, sorry, didn't introduce myself." Kotetsu bobbed his head. "Hagane Kotetsu, one of the culinary teachers. Not surprised if you don't recognize me - I'm still new, and it's not like anyone takes my class..."
"There are other schools for culinary arts, and generally, people here pull off wonderfully convincing impressions of starving artists. Wouldn't want to destroy that image, mm?" She bowed. "Sabakun Temari, Sensei. Pleasant to meet you."
Kotetsu chuckled. "Nice to meet you too, Temari. And from what I've been hearing lately from the students, they could really use a cooking class - which is why Izumo and I decided to start up our cooking lessons. First to sign up was a boy named Kankurou - if his cooking is really as bad as he claims, then it's a good thing we decided to start them."
She nearly laughed; nearly. "Kankurou's ability with the kitchen fails to boil water; he's the only person I know to have found a way to both simultaneously burn popcorn, and leave half of it unpopped." A not so subtle yes; he could stand to learn. "Interesting to know he finally's signing up to make it so I'm not feeding him on leftovers."
"Oh, wow. It's worse than I thought." Kotetsu bit back a snicker. "You know him, then?"
"You could say that." She adjusted her backpack. "He's my brother. One of them, at least."
"Oh, really? Sorry to say, but I don't see the family resemblance. Who's your other brother - er, brothers?" Kotetsu wasn't sure how many she had.
"Just one other; Gaara. He's a freshman." The lack of familiar resemblence was nothing new to her; though she was privately amused, being eldest. "Actually, he could stand to sign up for your assitance as well."
"Oh - you're Gaara's..." Gaara had mentioned a sister - a sister to whom he didn't want to lie. "You're Gaara's sister then. Yes, I've met him."
Curious response; Temari wondered what had led to the pause in Kotetsu's speech. "You add meaning to that statement, if I'm not incorrect." She looked vaugely amused. "Why? Has he been complaining that I force him to eat dreaded green matter?" Or, well, at all; Gaara had horrible eating habits as it was.
"Oh, no. Nothing of the sort. I wasn't aware that a complete lack of cooking skill ran in the male side of your family. Perhaps you ought to persuade Gaara to join up on those cooking lessons too, though."
Nice redirect. "I can suggest it, but you don't generally get a fire to listen when you pump it full of air and then tell it to please burn low." Nevermind that overoxygenation was possible.
Kotetsu chuckled. "You've got quite the way with words, Temari. Well, if it's trouble, then forget I said anything."
She waved her hand, apparently disinterested with his proclamation; "You can always ask him yourself. Maybe he'd show up; more likely he wouldn't. Unless he was dragged." And a brief, uncharitable thought concerning Haku came through her mind.
Kotetsu shrugged. "If he really doesn't want to, then I won't go through the trouble of dragging him."
"It wouldn't reflect well on your skills as a teacher, either, I suppose. Though in other countries, it might make headlines." Which was, from what she thought, a bad thing.
"Ahh, I'm not too worried about things like that. This is only a temp job for me and Izumo, anyway."
"Off to bigger and brighter things than retirement central?" A broad gesture to the island as a whole.
"Izumo wants to start a bakery. As for myself...not really sure yet. Perhaps work in a restaurant."
"Perhaps?" It fit with not knowing, but Temari already knew where she wanted to go in life; somewhat interesting to find someone older than herself who didn't. Somewhat.
"I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later. I'll probably help Izumo start his bakery, at least."
"A noble goal," she said idly, "To help the people you care about." Since he wouldn't stop mentioning the other, and she had a feeling she actually knew Izumo in a manner of fashion.
Kotetsu gave her a faintly amused look. "But of course. I'd like to think I live for something like that."
"How idealistic of you," she allowed, not seemingly condemning or supporting the thought. Useless words, so she shrugged them off - literally.
"Not really." Kotetsu was getting the feeling that Temari was only putting up with his talk out of politeness. "Well, I won't bother you any longer, Temari."
She bowed again; itching to be off. "Thank you, Sensei." She moved away, toward her bike (with keys firmly in hand) entirely content despite the knowledge she had just been supremely rude to a teacher.
Kotetsu didn't mind; he only hoped he hadn't made a bad impression. "No need to thank me. I'm sorry for rambling on like that. I must have kept you." He bowed his head in response. "See you around school, Temari."
"Doubtlessly," she called back, over her shoulder, before making a somewhat fumbling exit on her (rickety) pink bike - it never was the same after that tire slashing event, really.
Who: Temari and Kotetsu
What: First meeting
Where: School bike parking area
When: After Kotetsu met Gaara...but before Temari met Izumo
Warning(s): None
Kotetsu adjusted his bag on his shoulder as he exited the school, heading for his bike. He'd insisted on he and Izumo riding bikes to school in order to make up for the lack of exercise that they'd been getting lately. With all the baking that Izumo did...they really needed to find a gym.
Kotetsu was heading home by himself today; Izumo had gone off to the market to grab a few things for his next baking endeavor. Kotetsu would have opted to go with him, but someone needed to let the dog out.
He approached the bike parking area, fishing for the key in his pocket.
A similar fishing which was occuring for Temari; though in this case, she'd found her key, and was simply trying to fish it out from between two bikes in the middle of the rack; her keychain had gone flying in a less than cooperative manner.
"If I had a particularly strong magnet you would be mine by now." The keys looked unimpressed (as much as they could look anything.) Similar commands of "sit," "heel," and "come" were met without success - "stay" was a roaring crowd pleaser.
If the other keys could speak, that was.
Damnit. And she needed to go by... places before they closed. The day could get nice and work with her, right?
Kotetsu overheard her mutterings and chuckled, looking over. It was a student. "Need any help there?"
"By any chance, do you have a supercharged magnet?" Rhetorical question; only Orochimaru would be creepy enough to have something like that on hand, and then it would likely get stuck to the bikes. "Or a coat hanger. Or a bobby pin. Or better yet? Chain cutters."
Kotetesu strode over, shaking his head. "Sorry," he laughed. "No such thing on me. Drop your keys, I'm guessing?"
"No; they flung themselves from the cruel confines of my humble backpack." She was chewing on her lower lip, casting her eyes around - ah, there. "Hey, grab that metal thing by your foot?"
Kotetsu picked it up and dropped it in her hand. "There you go... where did your keys jump to, anyway? They must hate you. I know mine do. They like to fall into my wastebasket when I'm not looking. Though that could just be Izumo screwing with me..."
She ignored his chatter as she fished in the most creative way possible (probably she didn't have to go under, but something told her it would work) and eventually dragged out her keys. A defunct little weasel was the only non-useful object on it; awh, she missed her Kamatari.
"Got 'em." SHe handed the metal back to Kotetsu. "Thanks for all you assistance..." she paused, looking him over, "Sensei."
"Ah - yeah, sorry, didn't introduce myself." Kotetsu bobbed his head. "Hagane Kotetsu, one of the culinary teachers. Not surprised if you don't recognize me - I'm still new, and it's not like anyone takes my class..."
"There are other schools for culinary arts, and generally, people here pull off wonderfully convincing impressions of starving artists. Wouldn't want to destroy that image, mm?" She bowed. "Sabakun Temari, Sensei. Pleasant to meet you."
Kotetsu chuckled. "Nice to meet you too, Temari. And from what I've been hearing lately from the students, they could really use a cooking class - which is why Izumo and I decided to start up our cooking lessons. First to sign up was a boy named Kankurou - if his cooking is really as bad as he claims, then it's a good thing we decided to start them."
She nearly laughed; nearly. "Kankurou's ability with the kitchen fails to boil water; he's the only person I know to have found a way to both simultaneously burn popcorn, and leave half of it unpopped." A not so subtle yes; he could stand to learn. "Interesting to know he finally's signing up to make it so I'm not feeding him on leftovers."
"Oh, wow. It's worse than I thought." Kotetsu bit back a snicker. "You know him, then?"
"You could say that." She adjusted her backpack. "He's my brother. One of them, at least."
"Oh, really? Sorry to say, but I don't see the family resemblance. Who's your other brother - er, brothers?" Kotetsu wasn't sure how many she had.
"Just one other; Gaara. He's a freshman." The lack of familiar resemblence was nothing new to her; though she was privately amused, being eldest. "Actually, he could stand to sign up for your assitance as well."
"Oh - you're Gaara's..." Gaara had mentioned a sister - a sister to whom he didn't want to lie. "You're Gaara's sister then. Yes, I've met him."
Curious response; Temari wondered what had led to the pause in Kotetsu's speech. "You add meaning to that statement, if I'm not incorrect." She looked vaugely amused. "Why? Has he been complaining that I force him to eat dreaded green matter?" Or, well, at all; Gaara had horrible eating habits as it was.
"Oh, no. Nothing of the sort. I wasn't aware that a complete lack of cooking skill ran in the male side of your family. Perhaps you ought to persuade Gaara to join up on those cooking lessons too, though."
Nice redirect. "I can suggest it, but you don't generally get a fire to listen when you pump it full of air and then tell it to please burn low." Nevermind that overoxygenation was possible.
Kotetsu chuckled. "You've got quite the way with words, Temari. Well, if it's trouble, then forget I said anything."
She waved her hand, apparently disinterested with his proclamation; "You can always ask him yourself. Maybe he'd show up; more likely he wouldn't. Unless he was dragged." And a brief, uncharitable thought concerning Haku came through her mind.
Kotetsu shrugged. "If he really doesn't want to, then I won't go through the trouble of dragging him."
"It wouldn't reflect well on your skills as a teacher, either, I suppose. Though in other countries, it might make headlines." Which was, from what she thought, a bad thing.
"Ahh, I'm not too worried about things like that. This is only a temp job for me and Izumo, anyway."
"Off to bigger and brighter things than retirement central?" A broad gesture to the island as a whole.
"Izumo wants to start a bakery. As for myself...not really sure yet. Perhaps work in a restaurant."
"Perhaps?" It fit with not knowing, but Temari already knew where she wanted to go in life; somewhat interesting to find someone older than herself who didn't. Somewhat.
"I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later. I'll probably help Izumo start his bakery, at least."
"A noble goal," she said idly, "To help the people you care about." Since he wouldn't stop mentioning the other, and she had a feeling she actually knew Izumo in a manner of fashion.
Kotetsu gave her a faintly amused look. "But of course. I'd like to think I live for something like that."
"How idealistic of you," she allowed, not seemingly condemning or supporting the thought. Useless words, so she shrugged them off - literally.
"Not really." Kotetsu was getting the feeling that Temari was only putting up with his talk out of politeness. "Well, I won't bother you any longer, Temari."
She bowed again; itching to be off. "Thank you, Sensei." She moved away, toward her bike (with keys firmly in hand) entirely content despite the knowledge she had just been supremely rude to a teacher.
Kotetsu didn't mind; he only hoped he hadn't made a bad impression. "No need to thank me. I'm sorry for rambling on like that. I must have kept you." He bowed his head in response. "See you around school, Temari."
"Doubtlessly," she called back, over her shoulder, before making a somewhat fumbling exit on her (rickety) pink bike - it never was the same after that tire slashing event, really.