03 - Open

[tophbeifong]

Tea. The past few days were incredibly rough and all rough days call for tea. Lots and lots of tea. The well had come through and she was graced with a lovely tin of flavored tea straight from the Jade Dragon. It was a blend made specifically for the delicate senses. 'Bandit's Brew,' Iroh had called it, specially mixed just for her after she expressed an intense fondness of a fruit flavored jasmine that hadn't quite taken off the way he'd hoped.

Toph, though, found it as calming as it was delicious, as tasty as it was smooth, and it was exactly what she needed at that point in time. She'd had enough adventuring and exploring for the time being. Instead, she wanted to relax and let her injured back and shoulders heal.

Toph Bent a fire pit under the shade of the tree in the courtyard and let a small blaze grow while she crafted a sturdy pot and a set of cups out of clay. She monitored the water in the pot with the back of her hand, waiting until it had reached the perfect temperature to boil the leaves. She judged the time by smell and before long had a nicely brewed pot of rosy red tea, sweet and fruity in both taste and scent.

She poured herself a cup and hesitated before filling the other three.

The general turned tea guru had always said that the best tea in the world didn't taste half as good unless it was being shared with someone. Friends made it delicious enough, but complete strangers often added a unique zing. At first she thought he was finally hitting that nutty stage of old age. As she sat there, taking tea alone for the first time in ever, she wondered if, like everything else out of his mouth, there was some underlying wisdom that she didn't understand until... well, until she simply understood.

((Ooc: Free tea for all!))

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[sakedrinking]

That smell was unmistakable. The subtle scent, the delicate aroma, sweeter than she was used to but it was still tea. And Haku wound up following that smell from the connecting room, her mouth actually watering. It wasn't food, but damn if the smell wasn't enough to remind her of all the things she was missing by being there.

She spotted the girl and hesitated, remaining at the doorway, fidgeting with her fingers before finally speaking up, her voice quiet and oh so meek.

"H... hello..."

[tophbeifong]

The movement against the hard ground had caught Toph's attention long before the soft voice did. She hadn't paid any mind to it, though. She figured it might have been someone just passing by, as most did. Despite being the only ones in the place, it seemed like everyone was still untrusting of everyone else and wanted very little to do with them.

But, when the ... human shaped... thing spoke, Toph assumed it was speaking to her. She was the only person around, after all.

"Hi," she said, sounding cheery. Ending a stressful and painful week with a cup of her favorite tea really put her in a good mood. She didn't turn to look at her, but did raise a cup in greeting.

[sakedrinking]

"Th-that's... a very nice tea you're brewing..." Haku managed to stutter out nervously. The girl was small and mostly unassuming, but Haku still had problems when it came to meeting new people. She was just that horribly awkward. It didn't matter if they were the most innocent looking, or the most intimidating. She would still stutter and stammer until she felt comfortable around them.

She took note of the extra cups curiously, head tilting slightly.

"A-are you expecting company... ? I probably shouldn't intrude..."

[tophbeifong]

"Thanks," she grinned.

"Company? Nope. Just me as far as I'm aware," she shrugged. She'd invited her roommates and new found friends to join her, but no one had shown up yet, or really even expressed an interest.

"Want to join me?"

[sakedrinking]

"I-if... if you don't mind... I'd love to..."

She managed a tiny smile, still not aware that Toph was blind. She was talking to Haku as if she could see her just fine, so of course the Vocaloid had no reason to question it otherwise.

She moved over quietly, sitting on her knees on the ground next to the fire pit. It wasn't very comfortable without any cushions, but she didn't mind it too much. Hell, it was nice just to have company.

"Oh... uhm, I'm Haku," she added after a second, bowing at the waist from where she sat, trying to be polite despite her nervousness.

[tophbeifong]

"Sure! Go right ahead!"

Toph was a little lonely, too. She understood. She had friends, of course, or people she would consider friends- Duo, for one, perhaps Ratchet and she'd gotten along with Quatre pretty well- but they weren't anything like the ones back home.

"I'm Toph," she returned, giving her own little bow over her hands.

"Those are probably cold by now. Let me get you a fresh one," she offered as she threw out one of the cups before refilling it with fresh tea from the warm pot. She refilled her own before sitting back.

"... so... been here long?"

[sakedrinking]

"Alright... thank you for letting me join you, Toph..."

The smile came easier this time as the tea was prepared, and Haku found herself surprisingly calm in the presence of this new person. Maybe she was finally getting used to the idea of having to meet new people, starting all over again with her family no longer there for her to hide behind. She was out of her element to an insane degree, but everyone she had met so far had been wonderfully nice and helpful. It made a huge difference.

She took the cup with a thankful nod, wrapping her hands around it and enjoying the warmth.

"A couple of weeks... not very long at all. It's... hard to get used to..."

[tophbeifong]

"No problem," Toph shrugged as she leaned back against the tree, propping her feet up on a little pillar that may or may not have been there just a few moments prior.

"You're telling me," she agreed and paused to take a sip before continuing. "And still, no one has any idea of how to get back home. Or, to our different homes... not from lack of trying, though."

She imagined others had done what they could to explore a bit, but one could only go so far before they met doors that wouldn't open, or rooms that were just too full of monsters, or even just felt that they were going too far into the castle, with or without a group, to make it back to the living space with out losing bits of limbs.

"Where are you from?"

[sakedrinking]

"Ah... Tokyo, Japan," came Haku's quiet answer, already knowing she probably had no clue where that was.

She fiddled with her cup, turning it around in her hands a few times before taking a sip and asking after, "Where are you from?"

[tophbeifong]

Toph wasn't nearly as formal. She knew the proper procedure for optimal fanciness while consuming tea, but like most things fancy and high society about her, she completely disregarded it. Instead, she only held it in one hand and took gulps at a time until she emptied her cup.

Haku was right, though. Toph had no idea where Tokyojapan was or even if it was really a place. It didn't matter. Haku probably didn't know where Toph's home was, either. It was just small talk, trying for bigger talk.

"Ba Sing Se right now," she answered. She moved to refill her cup, keeping the kettle high enough to make a sound while pouring.

"But I might go back home to Gaoling when things cool down with my father."

When the cup resonated with the right pitch, she stopped pouring and set the tea kettle down. "Help yourself to more if you want it."

[sakedrinking]

Haku watched her pour curiously, head canting to the side a bit. She'd never seen anyone in Japan pour their tea like that. It was... a bit odd. Maybe they just did things differently where she was from? She didn't want to ask, though, always so afraid of being seen as rude.

"Thank you..." she said to the offer, taking the kettle to pour a little more in to her own cup. The tea really was good, and wonderfully relaxing to her often frayed nerves.

"Ba Sing Se... that sounds Chinese, but I doubt it is, if you've never heard of Japan..." she said, inferring Toph's earlier silence to mean she was right on that.

"... what... happened with your father, if you... don't mind me asking?"

[tophbeifong]

"A lot of people keep saying that, or saying that it sounds 'Eastern.' I'm not entirely sure what they mean by that," she said with a shrug and sipped her tea again.

Ah, her father. She scratched her belly thoughtfully before propping the hand behind her head against the tree.

"He's... not happy with me. He doesn't like that I left home without his permission to do something he didn't want me to do and now I won't go back to be what he wants me to be."

A frown came over her features before it crinkled into a scowl.

"I don't care. He can be angry all he wants."

[sakedrinking]

"Our world is... divided in to "East" and "West". At least, culturally speaking. It's a little... archaic, the concept of it all, but the mentality of calling something "Eastern" or "Western" still stays..." Haku rattled off quietly, not sure why she felt the need for an impromptu history lesson of sorts. She didn't elaborate much more beyond that, though, letting Toph explain her situation with her father.

"... your father sounds... difficult," she said with a little hesitation, "I can only guess that he probably loves you and wants what's best for you... but... honestly if I said that I'd just be repeating something I hear all the time. I really don't know how parents are. I don't have any."

[kaderp]

Kadar could smell something delicious. It smelled wonderful, in a place that he was so used to smelling of dank corners and musty tapestries. He followed his nose with a little less caution than he probably should have, given his recent near-death experience, but it didn't work out badly, this time: he hesitated for only a second as he saw the tea spread, and took another few steps closer.

"Hello," he offered, cheerfully. Maybe he could get some, even if it looked like she was prepared for other people...

[tophbeifong]

The Earth Bender had been dozing off against the tree when the voice caught her attention and brought her back to reality. She sat up, immediately focusing her attention on the ground to find who was speaking. Without turning towards him, she let out a sigh of relief. Caught in the weird world between dreamland and the real world, she'd thought he was a great big talking shadow.

"Oh. Hi," she returned, catching her breath and willing her racing heart to slow down.

[kaderp]

Kadar held his hands up a little, although the movement was cautious and curious. She'd looked to the ground, and not up at him, but she'd reacted to him all the same, and that was unusual.

"I did not mean to startle you," he offered by way of apology.

[tophbeifong]

"You didn't. I was just... off guard," she shrugged a shoulder as much as she could. They were still tender. "It's no big deal."

She waited a few moments. Was he going to say what he wanted? Or maybe he was just one of those friendly talkative types.

Either way, she wasn't going to be able to finish the tea by herself before it either got cold or burned.

"... would you like some tea?" she offered, gesturing towards it without looking at him or the set before her.

[kaderp]

"Ah-- yes!" he offered, a little unsure of himself but picking up momentum. "I-- if you do not mind. I know that resources are... somewhat limited, here..."

[tophbeifong]

"It's no problem, I promise," she motioned for him to sit down on a nice, comfy pillar next to the one that held the tea.

"There's plenty of it, and tea doesn't go bad too quickly if you keep it cool and dry. I have a whole tin of it," she told him as she tapped the small wooden box with a knuckle.

[kaderp]

Kadar brightened at that, sitting down and making himself comfortable. Thankfully, he was used to the spartan accommodations of the Castle, given that they were considerably more pleasant than what he would have expected, were he on a mission.

Or-- if he were still in the Temple...

But he promised himself that he would stop dwelling on that, and so he does, turning his mind towards the tea, instead.

"I did not think tea would be so readily available here," he replied, mildly intrigued.

[tophbeifong]

"It's not, so much," she shrugged. "I got this from the fountain. I asked for it, and it showed up not too long after. I was kind of missing home. Thought it might help."

She gave him a sad smirk.

"Not so much, though. Just makes me miss home more."

[kaderp]

"The fountain will bring you things that you request?" Kadar blinked. This was news to him. He had seen the fountain, but it hadn't even occurred to him that he could ask it for things.

[tophbeifong]

"I guess so. I can't really explain how else an entire box of specifically blended tea available in one place and one place only made its way here."

She took another sip.

"Duo said it would do that. I tried it out, and lo and behold..."

She motioned to the tea with a foot.

"Help yourself."

[kaderp]

Kadar reached out and took a sip of the tea, offering Toph a broad smile when he tried it. It was different than home, but still considerably delicious, and better than the washed out tea that appeared with the food everyday.

"It's very good! I should ask for some tea from my own home, perhaps," Kadar said, considering it. He wasn't certain what else he would ask for, really.

[tophbeifong]

"It's a little sweeter than most. A lot of people didn't like that many flavors of fruit and flower. It didn't sell very well at all, but the old man kept it around. At least in enough supply to make me a box of it every so often."

She took another sip, relaxing against her tree.

"Glad I'm not the only one that likes it," she smirked.