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

[skysung]

A guest is coming from the dragonfield, actually, rather than the main part of the Bastion. Kitten chirps a greeting, calling out in mindspeech, "Good morning! Have you food as well, or only tea?"

She sniffs the air, trying to answer her own question. The way to this dragon's heart is through her stomach, but she'll willingly join Zuko even if breakfast is not on offer.

[daughterofursa]

Zuko looks over at the young dragon's approach, and shakes her head. "Just tea. I guess dragons probably don't drink tea, do you?"

She's not completely sure on that count, because the dragons of her world don't talk either, but it seems like a reasonable assumption.

[skysung]

"I eat and drink most anything. I was raised by humans, after all." Even humans don't try some of the things Kitten has. That big box of myrrh she ate years ago, for instance, really was a bad idea. Kitten burped smoke for a week afterward.

[daughterofursa]

"Oh." She looks briefly confused, as she doesn't think who raises you can really change what it's okay for you to eat, but... Maybe not all dragons are strictly carnivores.

"...would you like a cup, then?"

[skysung]

Kitten does know that it isn't usual for the People to be able to change their diets, but Immortals are a little sturdier. Briefly, it occurs to her to wonder whether spidrens could eat vegetables, if they had any desire to do so. Of course, spidrens would never care to try, so there's no way for that to be tested. "I enjoy different foods, and my stomach can process most things. Indigestion is very rare for me."

"Yes, I'd like a cup of tea. Thank you."

[daughterofursa]

Talking with a dragon about indigestion. What would her uncle make of that?

She moves the tray with the set a little closer to Kitten and pours a cup for her. Zuko would hold it out to her, but she isn't sure how well Kitten does with holding things. Probably best to leave it on the tray. "There you are."

[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?"

[windgod]

[Ippo had been up before the sun had a chance to rise, though to be fair he'd been up for the past few days as a whole. Sleep came sporadically and even when it did come, it was plagued by vicious nightmares that quickly brought him back to consciousness. Seeing Coach Kamogawa one last time had been both a blessing and a curse; it had given him the resolve to move on, but it also brought with it the terrible finality of what the calamity had wrought on his life. So, Ippo had retreated into himself as he tried to put those pieces of himself back into place, to make sense of his emotions as they ate away at his chest; as always, he resorted to training in order to focus his mind elsewhere...but this morning was different. His punches were sluggish and his form was sloppy, no matter what he tried he just couldn't get himself into his groove and his overall form suffered heavily from it, leaving the young man frustrated.

He could feel the guilt, the anger, the confusion and sadness welling up in his chest as he rested his head against the nearest tree to him, trying to take deep, calming breathes while his body shook. He didn't know how he was supposed to deal with all of this or how he could be expected to...he knew he had to, but going about it was something else entirely. He finally drew himself away from the comfort of the tree and shook his head as his nose caught a whiff of something remotely aromatic in the air. Turning his head, he saw that woman from the skyway...Zuko he thought her name was sitting slightly to the south of him and from what he could tell, she was making tea. Whatever kind of tea it was, the smell of it was enough to calm him, the sensation drawing him closer as he made his way over. Abashedly, he rubbed the back of his head as he came to a stop a few inches away, remembering their last encounter and realizing that she probably didn't have the best opinion of him.

Still...if that tea had any chance of calming him down, he'd be willing to take it. The haggard look of his face and the sunken look in his eyes was enough to let anyone know he wasn't exactly in the best way at the moment.]

Umm...sorry to bother you but, what kind of tea are you making?

[Well...that was about as unawkward as he was likely able to start the conversation, but he was still just going to stand for now. He felt it might be disrespectful to take a seat before he'd been offered one.]

[daughterofursa]

[Ippo is right to assume that Zuko doesn't think all that highly of him. He was reckless in that fight-- but all the same, she can't really condemn a person for recklessness, considering her own track record.

She looks up at him as he approaches, noting how tired he looks. There probably isn't a one among them who doesn't have something to weigh heavily on their thoughts, with all that they've lost.

Her tone is a little stiff when she answers, but she's not trying to be unfriendly. She just... doesn't really do friendly.]

It's jasmine. I could pour you a cup, if you like.

[If he's looking for an invitation, that's about as much of one as he's likely to get.]

[hellpyre]

Yo, Sensei.

[Hope you don't mind being bothered by your recently gained student, Zuko.

Rin is just going to be flopping down next to her with that casual greeting--

... hold up. Is that a giant egg in her arms? Why in the hell is she carrying around a giant egg?!]

Mornin'.

[That's... just a thing she's doing because she doesn't bring it up at all as she lets out a yawn, tail swaying lazily behind her.]

[daughterofursa]

[Hello, pupil Rin.

Zuko isn't surprised by Rin's appearance... until she looks over and notices that egg.]

...that's not breakfast, is it?

[It's a pretty gigantic egg.]

[hellpyre]

... that'd be a helluva breakfast.

[Man how did she not think of that before?

Oh because there's an actual creature inside she'd rather have as a companion and not food.]

No. It's a Pokemon egg. I gotta keep it warm so it'll hatch soon.

[Which is why she's actually giving off a bit of heat right now, too.]

[daughterofursa]

[Good use of not!firebending there.]

Pokemon? What sort of animal is that?

[hellpyre]

[It's good practice for control, too. She doesn't want to overheat the egg, after all.]

That girl Hilda and her boyfriend come from a world where there's all these creatures called Pokemon! They're all different, though. It's just sort of a catch-all name for them I guess.

[She puts a hand on top of the egg.]

This one is gonna be a Tepig. It's like a little fire pig. I gave my brother one that's called Oshawott that'll have water powers.

[daughterofursa]

[Zuko nods. Just another class of animals, all right. Not that she's familiar with most of the animals in the Bastion anyway.

She hesitates and then asks:]

Your brother, can he do things with water then?

[Yukio doesn't seem to share the features Rin pointed out as "demonic," so... she's not sure if he has any powers like Rin or not. If he does, she hasn't seen him use them.]

[aprettyred]

Zuko might see Anna walking about before the girl stops by. She's holding a large blanket wrapped something, but seems to be managing it fine.

"... Is tea better outside?"

[daughterofursa]

Oh, it's one of the Bastion's kids. With... kind of an odd question, but Zuko takes this one pretty well in stride.

"I don't know. My uncle would probably have an answer for that." All she can think of is that it really depends on the weather. She shrugs. "He'd probably say the company's more important. Would you like some?"

[aprettyred]

The question makes sense to her! Eating outside was usually a festival thing.

"... If you don't mind."

[daughterofursa]

When you've spent very little of the past three years living in an actual house, eating outside is just normal.

"Of course not." Zuko motions for her to sit down, and then goes to pour her a cup of tea.

[aprettyred]

Just like drinking from fancy glasses becomes normal when you live in a bar?

Anna sets her blanket bundle down, then settles next to it with her legs tucked under her. Crossed legs in a dress, no matter how fluffy, never really seem to work well.

"... Is the tea better with a sunrise?"