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

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THE GOLDEN TURTLE GRAND OPENING! [Active/Open]

Character(s): Iroh and ANY ONE WHO WANTS CR OR TEA OR BOTH
Content: The new tea shop in town opens, and he likely promised
Setting: The Golden Turtle [L5-6]
Time: Late Afternoon, Early Evening (Early Week 26)
Warnings: YOU MIGHT HAVE TOO MUCH FUN!

If you read about it in a tourist magazine, it would likely carry the advertisement:
A tea shop owned by Iroh. It features a wide variety of teas unfamiliar to the city, a warm atmosphere, plenty of tables for games of all ages!

"Come one, come all! Come in and have a cup of tea!" Iroh shouted at the passersby on the bustling streets of Paixao. It seemed like it was all too familiar, having opened a tea shop in Bao Sing Se not so long ago. Still, it didn't mean he wasn't excited about meeting new people and sharing his craft with others.

He was hoping to see so many come through his doors, especially since he practically offered free tea to every single visitor he knew. He had a hard time gathering what he would do about natives, but he supposed that if some were to be regulars, they would be entitled to a free cup after a while. And the dress code would be very very loosely observed. VERY loosely.

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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.

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THE GOLDEN TURTLE GRAND OPENING! [Active/Open]

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assuming this is after Iroh and teapot have talked?

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