paixaorpg | THE GOLDEN TURTLE GRAND OPENING! [Active/Open]

Going down the seven flights of stairs was certainly much easier than climbing up them had been. Mrs. Potts was quite thankful for that. She hopped down the stairs, taking care to avoid looking alive when someone else passed. At least she had a lot of practice with that. Carefully, she peered out from the bottom landing and made her way to a table in the lobby.

The plan for the day was to watch people come and go. With any luck at all, she'd get a closer look at Belle while she was here. The teapot hoped she could speak to the girl alone for even just a little while. She hadn't really had the chance to do that. Every time they'd met in the castle, Mrs. Potts had been accompanied by Lumiere, Cogsworth, or Chip. Now, however, there was a chance for them to be alone. All she had to do was wait and see what happened.

Doo doo doo, doop de boop doo doo...

The approaching sing-songy voice was coming from just around the corner of where Mrs. Potts stood in waiting. Little did the fated teapot realize, it belonged to the proprietor of the brand new tea shop located only feet away from where she was that very moment.

Mrs. Potts had just been leaning out a little more to see when she heard the whistling. Freezing immediately where she stood, she couldn't help feeling nervous at the fact that she was now sticking out prominently on the table. Anyone could see her quite easily. It wouldn't be such a problem for a normal teapot, but an enchanted one might be. Still, she hoped no one would notice her. It would be such a shame if something happened.

Finally turning the corner, Iroh tipped a bow to everyone who passed by his new establishment. He was in an especially good mood since he had been able to come through on his promise of free tea to so many of the citizens and visitors of Paixao. He felt no way or the other about enforcing the dress code imposed by the mayor, as he felt that individuality was a big part of his store's philosophy (as well as his own).

When he had given his last greeting, he stopped midwave and noticed a stray teapot sitting by the roadside. It was ornate with gold trim and lavender color around the base and the top. He didn't recognize it at all. "I wonder if this was from Urd? It is purple and gold, just like her! I suppose she wanted to give a personal gift. How kind of her. She will need an extra cup for her generosity."

He grabbed the pot carefully, rubbed it gently with the sleeve of his robe, watched it shine, and smiled as he brought inside the shop.

Uh-oh. Mrs. Potts had really been hoping things would go easy on her, but apparently not. She couldn't struggle as she was picked up, for fear of showing her secret to the entire world. Maybe later she could explain it, but for now, she remained silent and waited to find out where he was going to take her.

The shining nearly made her sneeze... Actually, it did make her sneeze, belatedly once they were inside the shop, and her spout blew a burst of steam out and straight at the man who was carrying her.

...Oops...

Iroh blinked a few times at the strange occurrence. He was looking straight ahead when it had happened.

The random bit of steam had left a wet spot on his robe. It stuck to his gut a bit before finally releasing. He raised it with his free hand and took a close look at it. He blinked for a second longer, and then it clicked in his mind. "Maybe I left it out there for too long and it had some water left in it," he explained to himself. He furrowed his brow as though he had too hard a time convincing himself.

"Much too lovely a pot to leave out in the streets," he smiled.

This situation didn't seem to be lending itself to a good resolution any time soon. Mrs. Potts sighed internally. She was beginning to think she'd have to wait a long time for him to leave the room so she could use her journal or -

No, wait... she'd probably left the thing back at the apartment. She hadn't exactly been expecting to leave for an extended period of time.

Eventually, she gave in trying to keep silent and secret. He'd complimented her and she wasn't the type to let that go without a proper response. Plus, she was sure by this point that she wouldn't be getting home unless she explained things to him. Maybe over a nice hot cup of tea.

"Why thank you, sir," she murmured to him, fully expecting him to look surprised when he finally figured out who, or what, had spoken to him.

"You're welcome, m-" he replied before suddenly realizing something very, very important.

Iroh had gone through the motions on many things in his life. Some of the things and scenarios would typically require the utmost attention of many people. In his life, he has managed to make his way through everything from diplomatic meetings to twenty seven pots of simultaneous tea brewing to quelling admirers in his younger days to his exiled nephew's pining for his sullen girlfriend. All of them required little more than a small piece of his attention, and it was usually met with a great deal of success.

It was today when he had first realized that the moment a tea pot speaks to him, there may have been something wrong with how and what he had brewed for himself that morning.

With wide eyes, he placed the possible hallucination into a cabinet, closed the doors to it slowly and quietly, and walked away stroking his beard as though treading his fingers through his whiskers would pacify the tricks his mind had surely been playing on him.

Well, of all the things Mrs. Potts had expected, getting locked up in a cupboard was, unfortunately, not one of them. She couldn't quite get out a protest in time, so she just sighed and hopped to the front of it to press against the doors. Hopefully there wasn't a latch on it or she'd be well and stuck in there!

"Pardon me, sir," she spoke up after a minute or two. "I know it must be a bit of a shock, but perhaps we could sit down to a cup of tea and a chat. I believe there's been a mistake."

A mistake or some kind of mixup. And goodness, she needed to get back to the Master's apartment! Who knew what he would do without her!

Iroh waited for a few minutes before approaching the cabinet again, hoping the voice he heard coming from it was a continuation of some strange hallucination. After serving another customer or two, he put up a sign at the front of the shop. ON BREAK. WILL RETURN IN 5 MINUTES.

He rushed back to the cabinet and saw the distressed look on Mrs. Potts' face while his his heart and mind were breaking within. "I must offer my apologies," he said in a soft voice, hoping no one else would be able to see or hear him speaking with a teapot of all things. "Are you-how to put this- real?"

Mrs. Potts offered a gentle smile once the man opened the cabinet again. At least he'd been kind enough to answer her instead of ignore her all day. That alone spoke of the man's kindness.

"I am, indeed, real, but don't worry about it, sir," she assured him. "Not many people are accustomed to seeing an enchanted teapot, even where I'm from."

The sight of several people in the room with them made her realize he must have been busy.

"Ah, excuse me, sir. Perhaps we could talk later, when you aren't so busy?"

Iroh looked above the counter, and though he had put up the sign that indicated that he was taking a break, there were still plenty of customers still seated inside. He waved to them and watched as they awkwardly waved back. "Oh, yes, I suppose that would be the best course of action at this point," he said nervously.

After awaiting the last customer to finish their cup, he closed and locked the front door and returned to Mrs. Potts with bated breath. "Enchanted teapot?"

Mrs. Potts waited until everyone had left the store before she hopped out of the cabinet and onto a table, lid clanking as she moved.

"It's not a story that needs telling, if you don't mind, sir," she answered. "I used to be human, that's all. But I've gotten used to being a teapot. Do you happen to have tea I could warm up for you, sir? I think a talk like this needs a spot of tea."

"Oh yes, a cup of tea would be wonderful! I have plenty of different pots for you if you like, ceramics, sculpted metals, chi-na..."

He paused to realize that Mrs. Potts had indeed referred to herself. He blushed in his paused stance, pointing to his variety of tea pots. "Oh. Well, I have more types of tea than pots anyway!"

He tried to avoid a line of questioning that would stir up any bad thoughts from her former life as a human. He didn't like delving into his usual counsel social role if he isn't invited. "Your voice sounds unique. Where are you from? I might have borrowed a few regional teas from Urd that might appeal to you. Then again, I don't think I can account for all the variety in Paixao."

"Don't you worry about me, sir," Mrs. Potts assured him, hopping a few steps before turning to look at him. "You'll just have to show me where to warm up. I could choose a nice soothing drink for you, unless you have something in mind. Chi-"

She stopped suddenly at that and looked down. "Forgive me, sir. I've grown used to my son being nearby." It took her barely a moment to push away thoughts of Chip. Soon enough, she was smiling sadly at the mention of her home and the tea pots he had with him. "We're from a castle in France. I appreciate your kindness, but I haven't been able to drink anything for myself in quite some time. It just doesn't work the same for an enchanted object."

She didn't seem too bothered by it. In fact, once she was finished talking, she quickly hopped a few more feet in the direction she thought the kitchen should be. "I'm sure I don't look the type to be near a fire, but I assure you I haven't broken yet. Now, where do you keep everything?"

Belle had always been a fan of tea; her father, Maurice, would often bring her varieties of herbs and spices from his travels selling his inventions, requesting this flavor or that flavor of tea. Though she was not as big a fan of tea as some in Paixao, the opportunity to see a shop created by a fellow visitor was too good to pass up.

She entered the shop, gazing around at the warm-toned walls and understated elegance of the interior. "Hello?" she called, taking a few more hesitant steps inside.

Iroh's ears perked and he rose his balding head over the visual threshold of the counter. "Hello!" he greeted warmly, "You'll have to forgive me. I was simply putting away a stray teapot. I fear I have so many, it's hard to keep track!" He chuckled at his own joke for a second before offering tea to his newest customer.

"We have all types and varieties for even the most particular tea drinker, or you can tell me what kind of things you enjoy and I can make a good guess at what you might like," he said as he waved his hands at a whole variety of loose leaf and bagged leaves.

The friendly and easy-going manner of the old man immediately set Belle at ease. She stepped up to the counter in curiosity, inspecting the selection. "Oh, my..." she breathed, smiling. "I wouldn't even know where to begin!" She chuckled, resting her hands lightly on the counter as she glanced up at him. "Would you mind taking a guess? I'm curious what you might choose."

He began opening box after box of bags, lined up perfectly after one another. Many hues of mossy green were suspended in light paper bags, with various additions nestled between leaves. Everything from dried rinds, fresh herbs, and various flavors were incorporated and began flooding the air the moment the baskets were opened.

Almost immediately, Iroh searched through the rows with his fingertips, browsing each selection as carefully as an accountant on an important search. "A lovely lady like you would need something mild yet complex. Unless you do not care for anything with fruit, I would think something...oh, what is that word?" Dismissing his own line of thought, he came across a bag that he had drawn up to sight. "Perfect! A lovely, smooth white with lemon and a hint of cardamom."

Belle chuckled a little self-consciously at Iroh's flattery. She approached to get a closer look at the bag in question. "You certainly make it sound delicious," she replied, granting him a mild smile. "I'd love to try it!"

She looked over the shop once more to wait while he prepared the tea. "I hope you don't mind me asking, sir, but...what made you want to open this shop? Don't you want to find a way home?"

Iroh never really pondered so deeply as to what provoked him to open The Golden Turtle, but suddenly his past before arriving to Paixao flooded his mind and he thought of the sadness of leaving behind all of his friends (with the exception of those who were already there).

He shook off the thoughts that would have left his afternoon full of sadness and returned to creating a cup of tea for the lovely young lady in his presence. "Oh, I have always enjoyed tea. I simply believe it is good to share your love with others, even if it is for something as simple as a good hot brew."

He was dipping the bag in and out of the water and enjoying the spread of a creamy color to the rest of the cup.

Belle caught a glimpse of something in the old gentleman's eyes and though she couldn't pinpoint what that something was, she knew it had to be something melancholy. Before she could ask more, he was already back to her previous cheerful and mellow disposition. It happened so quickly, she doubted she saw anything at all.

"I agree," she said, turning her gaze to tea cup. "I love books. I've been trying to get my friend, Beast, to read with me but..." She sighed, a wistful smile on her face. "He keeps avoiding the subject."

The name mentioned set his attention to her protection. "Beast? My goodness, I hope that name is not exactly what it implies. I try my best not to be presumptive about someone's character," he said with a gentle hand to offer on her shoulder.

She smiled sheepishly, recalling her own instinctive reaction to Beast when she first set eyes on him. "W-well, perhaps a little. Oh, but he's really not bad!" she was quick to add, leaning forward. "His appearance may seem a little frightening but he has a good heart, I promise." Belle looked down shyly, oblivious to her own wistful expression. "He can be very gentle."

When she'd first noticed that female voice outside, Mrs. Potts had thought it sounded familiar. However, when her master was named, she knew the voice belonged to who she'd thought it did. Hopping back out of the cupboard as quietly and non-threateningly as possible, she tried to get as close as she could without surprising the woman too badly.

"Pardon me, love," she began in gently tones. "I couldn't help overhearing. Did you say you knew someone by the name of Beast?"

Of course Mrs. Potts knew the answer to that, but as they hadn't been formally introduced in Paixao yet, and as she was certain Belle hadn't met her before arriving, she thought this was the best course of action.

He took kindly to Belle's words, quickly realizing his error in judgment. "I apologize. I believe in giving everyone an equal chance to prove themselves, and I grew scared at the very word. I suppose I should never judge a book by its cover. Instead, I will take in your book review and gladly offer your friend a complimentary tea. Though, I do hope you will join him," he said while blushing, "I do enjoy a lovely looking book cover every once and a while."

When his other new arrival spoke up, Iroh looked down and almost began to hush Mrs. Potts in order to not scare this new customer, but his eyes grew and he gave a comforting "ah!" to the enchanted teapot down below.

"Then, by chance, do you happen to know the owner of this lovely piece of porcelain?" he asked while withdrawing the aforementioned to the conutertop.

Belle grinned at Iroh's charm, his kindness and gentle way of speaking endearing him to her even more. She was about to respond when the accented voice of a woman broke through, coming from the cupboard. Her eyes widened, taking in the teapot's appearance and Iroh's reaction.

"Oh, my!" she said softly, smiling in bemusement. "You must be another one of his enchanted servants!" Belle leaned down to get a better look. "Yes, Beast is a friend of mine. My name is Belle." She glanced up at Iroh.

"I haven't met her before now, actually!"

Well, technically Mrs. Potts had met Belle before, but she wasn't going to spring that little surprise on them so early. For now, she settled for smiling apologetically at them both, grateful to Iroh for helping her up.

"Yes, he's my master and very important to me, indeed. I'm Mrs. Potts, dear. It's a pleasure to meet you. The Master speaks very highly of you."

Another apologetic glance was spared to Iroh at that point before the teapot settled in to wait for whatever happened next.

Iroh smiled at the both of them awkwardly, as though the conversation were odd enough between the pastoral girl and the enchanted teapot. The words from Belle and Mrs. Potts began connecting in his head, and suddenly, 1+1 seemed more like 2+2. "Oh no! Is this same Beast the one who is called The Master? I've heard much about this Master fellow. He does not seem too pleasant. I hope you will be careful around him!" he advised with a look of panic across his face.

When looking to the other two, he began feeling like he may have jumped to a strange conclusion, but still hoped that it wasn't true.

Belle smiled softly at Mrs. Potts. "Does he? I'm very happy to hear that. So he knows you're here?" She couldn't imagine Beast would be pleased one of his most fragile servants was away from his apartment. She felt a vague sense of dread as she recalled his legendary temper.

At Iroh's exclamation, she held out a placating hand. "Oh, it's okay! He has his moments, I'll admit it, but I know he has a good heart, sir. He'd never do anything to hurt me!"

The teapot winced suddenly at Iroh's exclamation and turned toward him with a worried and yet apologetic expression. She hadn't meant to alarm him, however it had happened, and quickly attempted to dispel his worries.

"Oh, no, the Master has a temper, certainly, but he's learning to be kinder," she assured the older man. "He wouldn't hurt anyone." Not anymore, it seemed. He still hadn't learned to be quite as respectful as Mrs. Potts thought he should be, but he certainly wasn't as bad as he'd once been. Or so she hoped.

Iroh huffed a sigh of relief as the wrinkles in his face relaxed. "My apologies, ladies. I try to remain neutral in most siutations where I am not directly involved," he offered. He ran a hand through the silvered hair on the back of his head and offered a gentle smile. "But then, I do not think I could live with myself if I did not look out for two of the world's greatest things: tea and friendship."

He offered a palm in a salute and straightened his posture as though in attention. "And if you ever find need, you will have General Iroh of Bao Sing Se at your service!" he resounded like a seasoned veteran.

Belle glanced down at Mrs. Potts and shared an amused smile with her. "Thank you, General! I would be happy to count you as a friend," she replied, dropping into a curtsy. She reached into her apron to withdraw some money for her tea -- in this instance, a few small jewels in the shape of berries. "I'll have to take your tea on the tun, I'm afraid."

She turned to pick up the teapot with an apologetic smile. "I imagine Beast is worried sick about you, Mrs. Potts."

Mrs. Potts smiled and chuckled. It had certainly been a long while since she'd known someone as kind as Iroh. "You are quite kind, sir," she told him. "If you ever have need of me in the future, I'm certain the Master wouldn't mind meeting the man who took good care of me while I was gone."

Once it seemed that everyone was ready to let her go, she turned to Belle and let her pick the teapot up. "I imagine he is." Which would mean he'd be in a temper. "Try to not to let him frighten you if he is. He doesn't mean to, but he has a temper."

Iroh smiled to Belle and began shuffling through his shelves. "In fact, I have just the thing! I found this while I was traveling around the city and gathering materials for the shop. It seems the plants in the town make a wonderful material, even for cups," he said as he poured a healthy amount in a cup of leafs woven together in a tight bundle of a cup. He held it up immediately after pouring as though it were a showcase. "The best part is that they are so thick, the tea will not burn through the cup and on your hands."

Iroh gave Mrs. Potts a look with soft eyes as though to extend his trust to her. "You are most welcome. I think you give every one of my teapots, even my favorites, a run for their money," he said in a friendly tone.

As Belle watched Iroh explain his invention proudly, she felt a bittersweet tug at her heart as the memory of her father flitted through her mind. The two men weren't very similar but the kindness Iroh had shown, both to her and to Mrs. Potts, made her miss her father keenly. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and smiled warmly at him, accepting the cup.

"Thank you! With any luck, we'll both see you again soon." She headed toward the door and waved in farewell.

"Thank you kindly, sir," Mrs. Potts echoed, smiling at Iroh as Belle spoke. She was glad she'd met the man, misunderstanding or no. He reminded her of the person she was sure lay buried within the Master's heart. She just had to hope it would show itself soon. Maybe someday, she could bring him down to meet Iroh. That would certainly teach him a lot, she was sure.

For now, though, she settled in to let Belle carry her back home, plotting a way she could thank the woman for what she had done.

He had waved them as they proceeded out of the door. He smiled and let a deep sigh, relishing the moment for what it was.

The whole experience of meeting a talking teapot was an adventure enough on its own. However, getting to know both Mrs. Potts and Belle felt just like the adventures he used to pursue in his life before Paixao, and it made him feel nostalgic in small doses. A small amount of cleanup would be performed, and a flash of his times after a military campaign would flash and produce a chuckle from under his breath. Another cup would be placed into the cabinet. Zuko's face trying hard to retain a smile from one of his corniest and most awful jokes comes to light and his lips crook a bit further into a warm smile. It all livened up his spirit just as much as meeting the new people here.

He came to realize that this was his next adventure. Although it hadn't been in a world he was familiar with, he remembered that none of his adventures had familiar territory or even familiar people. It was the process of becoming familiarized that made him grow attached to their unique qualities, whether it would be a classic war story or a time of meditation while wrestling Zuko's doubts. Still, it was important for him to carry on here. The potential to run into familiar figures was still at hand, and the ones he was becoming familiar with weren't too bad either.

He whistled as he shined the last cup from the wash bin and surveyed his new home. With the room's natural ambiance receiving a natural hum from the bustling streets outside, the shrillness of silence wasn't ringing in his mind or in his ears. The loudest thing in the room were his teapots, and he liked it just that way.

Setzer couldn't claim to be the biggest fan of tea, but he didn't precisely dislike it. Besides, it was hard to see a reason to not visit a shop that someone had recently opened. Every bit of customership counted, after all.

And besides, even if he did tend to make the draconian dress code, it was quite nice to see a place where anyone could be permitted. It was much more fair.

Iroh watched as Setzer came into the shop, taking note of his wonderful clothing style that somehow managed to stay within the confines of the Praetorian code. He concluded that maybe some people could just wear it better than others. He dusted off the sleeves of his robe so he could even hope to match the new customer's elegance in appearance.

"Good day to you, sir! Welcome to the Golden Turtle, Paixao's newest tea shop. How can I help you today?" he said cheerfully.

As far as Setzer was concerned, there was no reason not to long nice if at all possible. And besides, the coat had a practical purpose as well - the skies tended to get more than a little cold and he'd yet to find a make of airship that didn't leave her pilot exposed to the elements.

Which quite honestly would have been a shame. Feeling the wind in one's hair was part of what made it so enjoyable.

"I thought I'd come see what you had to offer," Setzer answered with a slight shrug. "Better I lay in my chips with a store with a less strict dress code, than one of those already here."

Iroh felt enlightened by Setzer's calming philosophy. "I suppose you have placed your bet wisely. It is the Golden Turtle, after all! Perhaps you can have a look at the wide selection we have and make a choice from there. Do you have any preferences to the kind of teas you enjoy?"

"I haven't tried very many," Setzer answered with an honest smile. It was hard enough to keep his home afloat without needing to worry about finding a place to fit in a teakettle as well, and even if he had he rather doubted that he'd find the teas he was most familiar with in another world.

"What do you suggest?"

"I see, you possess a sense of adventure," Iroh said with a wry smile. "It reminds me of the time when I was a young warrior with a wild spirit as well." He began reminiscing over stories of wartime shenanigans in the bunks of battleships, but it seemed to fall under the threshold as he noisily rifled through his various boxes of teas.

He carefully took a pot off the burner and hurriedly placed it on the counter top. He began tearing apart some pre-made bags and combining certain elements of each bag into a new pile. "A surprise blend for the new customer!" he announced before plopping the new bag into the hot water.

"I wouldn't call myself a warrior," Setzer answered with a smile, "but I can certainly understand the feeling. Not everyone takes well to being chained down."

Be it literally or more metaphorically, as was the case with him. He didn't mind coming to ground now and then but the sky was his true love. Even in a place where there wasn't any sky.

"Here's to the luck of the draw, then."

Edited 2010-10-28 01:45 (UTC)

With a few drops of honey and a stir of the spoon, the cup of warm and pleasing tanin was finally ready. Iroh took the greatest of care in transferring the cup onto a small plate with a white lace doily in place. He added squeeze of fresh lemon on the surface of the beverage and then pondered if it needed anything else. With a deep sniff of the tea, he smiled and slid the plate gently before Setzer with both hands.

"Enjoy, sir!" he said cheerfully, hiding the small nervousness in his chest.

Setzer smiled as the tea was placed before him. Here was a true gamble, and that was something that had sadly been missing in his life. He didn't taste it immediately, though, instead taking in a moment to smell the scent wafting up from it. Not an unpleasant one, and that was in itself a good sign.

It was only after that decision that he decided to try the tea itself. Something like this would be best warm, and thus there was no more hesitation. Fortunately enough, the gamble held true, and it tasted as good as it had smelled.

"A fine brew."

THE GOLDEN TURTLE GRAND OPENING! [Active/Open]

At some unknown time earlier!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

assuming this is after Iroh and teapot have talked?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject