 A Canary and ??? COllaborationA Canary and ??? Collaboration _______________________________________________________________________________________________________.. ??? Shun Zhi laid in bed, his wife pressed to his side as he cradled her in one arm. She had her head nestled into his neck while her hand laid on her chest and drew lazy circles. He breathed deep, his eyes staring up at the ceiling as he reflected on things with a stoicism that made him difficult to read. His wife, Mei, had tried many times to pick at his brain, but she had given up a long time ago. She knew that the things that occupied Shun Zhi's thoughts were the things few men could freely talk about. A golden light shone through their bedroom window, casting a ray that stretched across their bed and the tangle of blankets and sheets. The chirping of a bird just out their window was all Shun needed to snap out of his reverie, reminding him of the hour. He brought a hand up to his face and took in a slow breath through his nose as he pinched the bridge and rubbed his eyelids. Shun felt Mei shift and press herself harder against him, wordlessly demanding he stay longer and enjoy the moment. Shun took another breath and relaxed, his hand drifting down her back gently to caress her. This was nice. Peaceful. If he could, Shun would rather spend the whole day like this. But then the alarm clock went off, filling the room with chirps and beeps as the window blinds automatically began to furl up and fill the room with more light.
The couple groaned and lazily started to pull themselves apart. All so Shun could reach over to the alarm clock and set it to snooze for just, "Five more minutes..."
But Mei had already begun to sit up. "If only~ Give it five seconds." she responded, counting with her fingers in the air. On the fifth second, their bedroom door swung open and a small child stormed into the room, bringing all of the day's chaos with him.
The child jumped onto the bed and began to shake Shun to full wakefulness. "Grandpa! Wake up! It's time to wake up!"
Shun shook in place as he stared at his wife. She was chuckling. "How did you know?"
"This day comes only once a year. It amazes me how you always remember one half of it and totally forget the other." she said with a smile.
"Grandpa! We made you breakfast! Hurry up and get dressed!" the child said, continuing to vigorously shake Shun awake.
He looked to his grandson and smirked at him before snapping his hands up to his sides and beginning to tickle his ribs. The child's laughter filled his ears and invigorated Shun. "Very well, Qiang Zhi! But you should know, waking a man and tearing him from his wife's embrace risks overwhelming amounts of ticklish wrath!"
He could smell the fresh food wafting into his room from the kitchen. Mei was roused enough by it to climb out of bed and throw her house robe on. She made her way to the door and looked back at Shun and their grandson. "I had the staff take the day off."
Shun looked past Qiang and grinned, "Ever the merciful wife."
Mei smiled and looked to Qiang, "Come along, Qiang Zhi. Let's let your grandfather get ready for breakfast, hm?"
Qiang looked back to Mei and smiled bright before scrambling off of the bed almost as quickly as he had sprung into it. Mei took the small child by the hand and led him out of the room. Shun remained in bed for just a moment longer before finally pulling himself from the comfort of the sheets. As he stood, he stretched his arms out wide, his spine cracking in some places. He stepped into the room's bathroom and splashed some water into his hand before looking into the mirror for just a moment. He stared himself in the eyes, then his ears began to ring. He clenched his jaw and closed her eyes, trying to grit the ringing back. He could feel his muscles twitching then, and a pressure building behind his chest. Shun gasped quietly and reached for the mirror, pulling it aside to open the medicine cabinet behind it. He swiped a prescription bottle from it and flipped the cap open. Two pills fell out into his palm, the last two in the bottle. He wasted no time in downing them dry. It took a few seconds, but the ringing and discomfort would subside. Shun grimaced as he looked back to himself in the mirror. Everything looked in order. His eyes turned down to the bottle flipped on its side. He had a clear view into the container. It was empty. That made his brows furrow some. He set the bottle back upright before splashing his face with more water and cleaning himself for the day's activities. He was dressed in a suit and tie at the end of it all, but before he left the room, Shun took the empty medicine container and pocketed it.
When he emerged in the kitchen, Shun found himself staring at his family which was gathered around a large table. His wife was sitting in her seat, sipping some morning tea. His grandson sat in the lap of Susu, his daughter-in-law. She was too busy doting on Qiang to see Shun as he arrived. Next to her was his son, Tien. His hair was slicked back, and he wore his sharp police uniform. He was sipping a cup of coffee and reading the morning's news. He had gotten far in the police for his age, just like Shun had when he was his age. Tien made Shun as proud as any father could be. The one to greet him however was his daughter, Yumei. "Happy forty-seventh birthday, father." she said sweetly.
Shun smiled softly at his daughter and bowed his head before replying, "And happy nineteenth birthday to you, Little Petal."
Yumei beamed at his response. Shun loved that he got to share his birthday with his daughter. It truly was a stroke of luck that made it all the more special. Yumei set down a cake on the table, "I figured we could start with the sweets early today."
That made Qiang cheer excitedly in Susu's lap. Mei had to raise a finger and temper the child's expectations, "After a proper breakfast, young man."
The child huffed and looked down to the plate that was set in front of him and puffed his cheeks. Tien glanced over to his son, "Eat up, son. You cannot grow strong on sugar alone."
Shun smirked and looked back to his daughter, "I have a present for you."
Yumei blinked at her father and tilted her head, "You don't have to, father. Please."
Shun shook her head and rounded the table, pulling a small rolled up scroll from his pocket. It was sealed with a wax emblem of Ba Sing Se. "Oh I think I do, Little Petal." he held the scroll out to her, "You wouldn't want to keep the king waiting would you? I hear he is eager to hear your singing."
Yumei's eyes went wide as she snatched the scroll and hurriedly opened it for a read. "I- I need to rehearse! I need a new gown and- and perfume!"
Mei spoke up, "And my gift to you. A new gown. And perfume."
Yumei looked from her mother to her father before throwing herself into Shun's arms. He embraced her gently before gently directing her to her seat. "Breakfast first, yes?
He rounded the table and sat down at the end of it. He could feel the empty pill bottle in his pocket press against his leg. It reminded him to look to Mei, "Has this month's medication package arrived?"
Mei pursed her lips and shook her head. Qiang heard the question and looked up from his plate, "Grandpa? Why do you need medication?"
Mei turned to look across the table at her grandson, "Your grandfather saved the city. But he got hurt in the process. Do not worry yourself, young Qiang. He is okay." She then looked back to Shun, concerned by the oddity of the late package. Shun saw the look on her face.
"I am sure it will arrive soon. But I will ask about it today." he reassured her. Mei nodded quietly.
The sound of a phone ringing snapped the married couple back to the moment. They looked over to Tien who was promptly standing up from the table and answering. He had barely touched his food by the time the phone rang. Tien came back and collected his coat before kissing Susu on the cheek and ruffling Qiang's hair. "Duty calls... Of all days."
"The C.R.T is better with you there, Tien. Do not jeopardize them on my behalf. Go. And be safe." Shun said.
Tien nodded and placed a hand on Shun's shoulder as he passed to make his leave. "Happy birthday, father."
Shun waited for him to leave before resuming his breakfast. The food was hovering in front of his mouth when yet another phone call chimed up. This time, it was his. [DONE] canaryrose The phone rang a few times before the line connected and the voice of Shun Zhi became audible on the other end. His voice was deep, husky. Intimidating… which made sense, given his reputation and his profession. Or maybe that was just generally true for Piperunners. “Mr. Shun Zhi. Good morning, and…” An flipped a page in her folder over, audibly. “... happy forty-seventh birthday. Do you have a moment to talk?” ??? Shun stared at Mei and his daughter as he took the phone call. He didn't recognize the voice immediately, but the ID on his phone was unmistakable. SynEn. Shun took a slow breath. Work was the last thing he wanted to hear about on this day of all days. But he kept it cordial when the woman wished him a happy birthday. "Thank you. And that remains to be determined. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" [DONE] canaryrose “Apologies for the interruption,” An said, smooth. “My name is Ms. An Tamura. I’m the Director of Operations. I oversee the majority of our out-of-office staff, including our Piperunners. It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Zhi.” [DONE] ??? Shun stood up from his seat and nodded to Mei before pivoting and leaving the kitchen. He let out a quiet sigh and listened to An introduce herself. He raised a brow curiously, ”Sumire usually handles my operations.” he said matter of factly. canaryrose “Ms. Sumire?” There was a pause as An flipped the page again. “Oh, yes she does. Hm. This is different, Mr. Zhi, I’m not an operator. I’m calling because we have a new assignment for you. You’re being recalled to the storage facility, effective immediately, and we’ll speak personally about the assignment there. We’ll meet at twelve o’clock, unless you have any other pressing obligations.” ??? ”Is that so?” Shun Zhi said as he stroked his goatee thoughtfully. He glanced back toward the kitchen where his family gathered and enjoyed one another’s company. Unfortunately, he was rather obligated to answer SynEn’s call to action. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes as he rubbed them, ”Very well…” he said with a pause afterward, ”This better be worth my time, Ms. Tamura. I will not sugar-coat it. The timing of your call is very much not appreciated.” canaryrose “... I understand your frustration, Mr. Zhi.” The response came delayed but smooth, not betraying the discomfort An felt at his voice. Shun heard the response and snorted through his nose. But he didn’t comment on it further. “Rest assured that this is urgent.We wouldn’t be recalling you without prior notice otherwise. Would you like me to send a car to your home, or do you project that you’ll be able to arrive at the storage facility on time?” ??? ”Send a car, and give me the details on the way. The sooner your errand is taken care of, the happier we all will be.” Shun hung the phone up before An could get another comment in. He heard movement behind him and glanced back over his shoulder, seeing Mei in the doorway.
”Work?”
”... Yes.”
”Today? Of all days? What about Yumei’s performance for the king?” Mei asked with a frown.
Shun frowned at that as well. ”She will understand…”
”Well I do not. I know SynEn saved you and brought you back to us, Shun. But surely with your status you can have this wait another day?” Mei crossed her arms.
Shun turned to face her, ”It isn’t so simple.” He said as he nodded over her shoulder to the empty pill bottle on the table. Mei followed his gaze to the bottle and let out a sigh.
”I see…”
”I will make sure whatever they ask of me is done as quickly as possible. I promise you, Mei.” | 
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Location. Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Zhi Residence Date & Time. SE+5. Morning. ___________________________........... Canaryrose as An Tamura ??? as Shun Zhi
Summary. A veteran Piperunner receives a call from SynEn, requesting his return for a special assignment. |

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