Day 188

[daughterofursa]

Who: Zuko and anyone!
Open: Open!
When: Day 188, morning
Where: Eastern Bastion
What: Tea time. =)
Format: I'll match.
Warnings: Honor.

It's not uncommon to find Zuko up at an early hour, but she usually spends the time doing something she considers productive--training or otherwise preparing for time on the Skyway. She doesn't leave herself much time for sitting and thinking, most days. She figures it's better that way, since her thoughts so easily turn negative. But this morning, she's trying her best not to let them.

She can be found seated cross-legged on the eastern side of the Bastion, just north of Dragonfield, watching the unaccountable sunrise with a cup of tea in hand. Actually, the whole set is with her, a plain but sturdy-looking earthenware pot and several more matching cups. She hasn't invited anyone to join her, but if any impromptu guests show up, she's decided to accommodate them. That's what her uncle would do, she's sure.

Comments

[alwaysintense]

Ishimaru's daily routine mainly consisted of practicing kata with his kendo stick, meals, feeling he had no use here and worrying he'd forget his school lessons without any sort of real practice here. (Also worrying that everything he had spent his life learning would prove useless now, but he tried to avoid thinking about that.) Even without school he continued to be an early riser, and had spent the morning so far doing the first of these things.

As he finished up he might have moved on to that third thing, but he was distracted when he smelled tea. (He hadn't had any since he arrived at the Bastion, and maaaybe he only picked up the scent because he missed the caffeine a little.) Looking around he saw the young lady with her tea set, and realized he didn't really recognize her. Of course he had introduced himself to so few people since he arrived, it really was shameful...

So he'd just have to greet her now! He strode over to the spot where she was sitting, preparing his words. "Hello! How are you doing this morning?" he boomed, being probably far to loud for this time of day, not that he'd ever realize.

[daughterofursa]

Loud enough that Zuko gave a start at the sudden greeting, some of the tea sloshing over the side of her cup onto her hand. She quickly transfered the cup to her other hand, shaking the first to cool the hot liquid.

Looking up at the stranger, she answered awkwardly, "Uh... All right... I guess."

[alwaysintense]

"Ah! Sorry!" He wishes there was a napkin to help her out with of course there isn't a napkin.

But she seems to recover so, whew.

"...Well that's good! I should introduce myself." Hmm, can't try a handshake while he's still standing. He gets down on his knees, careful about how much of his uniform is actually touching the ground before holding out his hand. "My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! My motto in life is Simplicity and Fortitude! And who are you?"

[daughterofursa]

Is it normal for someone to have a motto?

Zuko hesitantly holds her hand out in mimickery of his gesture, clearly not understanding his intention. She isn't familiar with handshakes. "Zuko," she says simply. She just doesn't bother with her title anymore, but she might have found something else to add if his introduction weren't so baffling.

[alwaysintense]

Once she has her hand out he grasps it for a short but firm shake. He approves of her introduction, short and to the point.

Still, he would like to turn this into an actual conversation. What could they talk about... hmm.

"This whole situation... it's pretty bizarre, isn't it?"

[daughterofursa]

"You could say that," Zuko agrees. "The situation, and the people." She may or may not be referring to Ishimaru in this instance, although there are plenty of other people she considers a little strange.

"Have you been here long?"

[alwaysintense]

"There certainly seem to be a lot of people here from strange places... But I was hardly in a normal situation before, well, everything, either." All possibly insulting connotations seem to have passed him by.

"I think it's nearing two months now. Perhaps I should be trying to keep some kind of calendar!" That would certainly be useful to everyone, wouldn't it?

[daughterofursa]

"It does seem hard to keep track of time here. I'm not even sure what season it's supposed to be."

She's about to take a sip of her tea when she realizes she hasn't offered him any. It wouldn't exactly be polite to sit here drinking her own with this guy sitting right there. "...do you want any tea?"

[alwaysintense]

"Maybe when the bastion is more repaired we'll have clear seasons! Of course the weather now is entirely acceptable to me. It would be terrible for them to kick in only to leave us shivering in the middle of winter."

He clearly startles a bit at the offer. "Is that okay? I would appreciate it!"

[daughterofursa]

"I guess we don't know what kind of winters this place is meant to have." They could be mild, like her homeland's, or they could be pretty extreme.

Zuko nods. "I don't need to drink the whole pot myself." She sets her cup down momentarily to pour him one and hand it to him. She isn't her uncle, so it's not going to be the best tea he's ever had, but it's still a nice, soothing jasmine.

[alwaysintense]

"Still, there only started actually being a difference between night and day here fairly recently. The seasons seem even more complicated then that. But they last so long it could be hard to tell just with the time that's passed! They are discussing the weather, clearly this is good socializing.

He nods, and accepts the cup. After taking a sip he decides that it's incredibly satisfactory and he certainly couldn't have brewed anything better anyways. "Thank you."

[daughterofursa]

Maybe it's a good thing that Zuko doesn't know much about good socializing anyway. Weather seems like a decent topic for normal conversation to her.

...a little boring, but normal. She takes up her own cup again. "Maybe. But have you noticed night only falls within the Bastion? It doesn't quite seem real... Maybe the seasons wouldn't be either."

[alwaysintense]

"It would be odd for the seasons here to be any kind of real. The place we are now is hardly spherical! So the seasons could pass much quicker then realistic, or at an even slower pace." Against his previous statement, his speed is picking up. "Or they could never show up! Or the time between seasons could be inconsistent!! I'll have to create my calendar without reguard for the seasons and revise it if necessary!" The last bit is said with him shaking his right hand for emphasis- with the tea cup in it. At least he realizes it soon enough to avoid any chance of spilling.

[daughterofursa]

Okay, not so normal anymore. Zuko stares at him.

"...do you always get so excited about the seasons?" This tea is supposed to be calming, not energizing.

[alwaysintense]

Ishimaru can't help but quell a bit under the stare- that can't be a good sign, right? "I wouldn't say I'm excited... but a calendar year is based around the seasons, correct? So it could be a bit of a problem not to have any. But I'm sure we can work past that!"

He's really certain that having a better framework to schedule within would help everyone. Was it not natural to worry?

[daughterofursa]

"I'm.. sure you'll figure it out."

That was a generic 'we,' right? He's not expecting Zuko to actively assist in this. Right?

[alwaysintense]

Very generic. So generic. So very generic it referred to nobody but vague hopes. "I suppose I can take that as a vote of confidence then!"

He gulped down more of the tea. "Thank you again."

[daughterofursa]

Zuko doesn't disagree. With that much energy behind it, this guy will probably come up with a dozen calendars they don't really need.

"...you're welcome." At least he's enjoying the tea.