genessia | iv ⚜ action

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iv ⚜ action

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While he didn't necessarily understand (or approve) of the notion of Halloween, with the number of costume stores that were open for business this month came the unexpected advantage of being able to purchase garments that were similar in style to what was worn in the Fire Nation. Thanks to that, Zuko was able to begin his spur of the moment tour of Fayren actually looking the part of a prince for once. Sure, he had his armor and a set of robes, but such garb was far too formal for something as simple as a stroll.

Zuko might've been one of his sister's Deputy Guardians, but he wasn't touring Fayren on official business so much as curiosity. He'd strolled down several of the streets many times before, but there were many parts of the city that he'd yet to explore and things he hadn't paid much attention to — things that he ought to be now that he was in a position of power within the city's government.

Should anyone be out and about and/or doing business in Fayren today, they may catch sight of the prince or bump into him as he's seeing to just that.

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And later that night, after the sun has set, Weiss will find a masked figure dropping down from the rooftops as she's departing from work. As per usual, the Blue Spirit doesn't say anything, lunging forward as if to grab Weiss's wrist should she allow it to do so.

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[ a part of him protested her story, but a larger part highly appreciated it. he could relay that information to azula and exclude himself from the list of suspects -- not that he thought azula even remotely considered including her own brother in that list. the one person who would've dared to incriminate him was dead for tampering with the ways of the spirits at the north pole, and zuko didn't even want to consider the possibility of zhao winding up here. it was as unpleasant and unlikely as ozai emerging from the bay. ]

Maybe? [ he knew what azula slept in, but azula wasn't most girls. and most girls weren't princesses with attendants who, by way of tradition and royal decree, slept in robes specifically designed for sleeping that were appropriate enough to move about in if she had to be woken up in the middle of the night. he should know, he'd woken her up at strange hours enough throughout the course of their childhood and teenage years. ]

I'm glad you're okay. Can I come in?

[ Weiss could totally fight in these pajamas if she needed to-- but mostly they were just comfortable, and Weiss liked to sleep in (if sleeping in was getting up around 7, anyway, which she now suspected that Zuko and Azula would consider as much since Azula asked if she was sick because she was still asleep at that time) and be comfortable if she could. It wasn't like they would always have that option, and it was a luxury she wanted to enjoy while she could.

Moving out of the doorway, she held the door open for Zuko for a moment, then stepped away from it toward her room. ]

Sure. You can wait on the couch while I go change into something more.. appropriate.

[ he sat down to wait, almost disappointed that she didn't intend to remain in her pajamas. but that wouldn't have been appropriate, the rational parts of his brain reminded him.

while she saw to that, he busied himself with unhooking his swords -- the ones he arrived with, different from the pair he'd acquired to masquerade as the spirit -- and setting them against the wall near the couch. he also got his hair down, having tugged his dark locks out of the top knot he'd hastily bound them in after shedding his blue spirit gear, setting the crown aside on the coffee table. ]

Edited 2014-10-13 05:13 (UTC)

[ She might have considered it if Zuko wasn't dressed quite so formally, but she understood why. He was supposed to be the deputy guardian now. It was the same reason that Weiss's primary outfit had the Schnee Dust Company logo on the back. Just because the SDC wasn't present in Genessia didn't mean that she wouldn't hold herself to professional standards-- and Zuko had a reason to hold himself to them.

Regardless, trying to find something to wear after having just quickly taken a shower and gotten into her pajamas and reapplied makeup was difficult. She didn't want to wear the clothes she'd just been fighting him in, either, so she quickly picked out a dress that looked somewhat relaxed, but still professional, and tied her hair up. Use a petticoat to puff up the bottom, as per her usual style. Socks, heels, necklace, her own little snow crown in her hair. She finished the makeup the rest of the way so it looks like she at least did something. Overall, it was still a pretty quick job for having to do it without much preparation time, but she came out to greet Zuko calmly again once she had.

If he had to go through all that costume changing stuff frequently? She felt a little bad about it. ]

Thanks for coming to check on me. Do you want anything to drink? --And before you ask, I don't have any of the nice tea you'd like here.

[ a girl getting dressed up for him was new, and something he wasn't yet used to. especially when he came to her home and she had every right to remain in whatever clothing she wanted. mai had never done that for him, though he had to concede that both of their statuses, as royalty and nobility respectively, kept them in constant formal dress with simple dressing gowns only making appearances in between wardrobe changes. donning bathing suits on ember island had been about as informal as they got, and even then they were dressed in the highest of beach fashion and weren't without their attendants. ]

You didn't have to get dressed for me, you know.

[ she knew him far too well. he was a tea snob and would make childish faces at whatever generic brand of tea that was prepackaged in those paper bags with string that she and her roommates may or may not house in their kitchen cabinets. however— ] You do keep saying you're going to make me try coffee one of these days. How about that?

[ zuko raked his fingers through his hair, no longer used to wearing his hair up like that, least of all with a crown in place. the flame guans that they wore weren't exactly the most comfortable headdresses, but the one he possessed that was would take a lot of explaining on his part, and he wasn't ready to share that secret with azula yet — even if that particular secret also involved her. he wasn't avatar roku's only great-grandchild, and suddenly producing a long-lost relic that was supposed to have gone down with roku would involve explaining that. ]

I'm not going to wear my pajamas while you're wearing your royal ensemble.

[ She wasn't sure if there was an actual name for it, but that's what she was calling it. It certainly seemed a lot more regal than his normal clothes, enough that she could assume it had something to do with him being a prince. The guan itself made that obvious, plus the professionalism of it all. ]

Are you sure?

[ Weiss assumed that he had some idea of what coffee did, of course. It wasn't like tea was without caffeine, he had to know. Why else would so many people drink it despite that it cost quite a bit to get the nicer coffee beans? (Of course, Weiss actually had those, and a little grinder so that she could make decent coffee. None of that instant stuff.) Still, she was on her way to the kitchen now to get some ready. ]

Royal ensemble. [ zuko plucked at the edge of his collar, feeling the rough edge of the gold trim against his fingertips. ] If you think this is royal, you should see me in formal robes and armor.

[ both of which he had here, thanks to that month when he was scarless and azula was five. ]

Yeah. [ why wouldn't he be sure? maybe he wouldn't be, if he knew why people typically drank coffee. blissfully ignorant of that, zuko followed her into the kitchen. ]

I'll downgrade it to regal ensemble and you can show off your royal one later if you want to.

[ Weiss had a bag of beans out, which she was scooping into a small little cup on top of her grinder. When Zuko followed her in, she looked over at him. ] You can relax if you want to, unless you want to watch.

[ After that, Weiss turned the grinder on, which made a soft noise from the blades grinding the beans for about 15 seconds. ]

Edited 2014-10-13 06:31 (UTC)

As a master tea maker, I think I'm required to watch.

[ well, as close as one could get to being a master tea maker in a place like this. back home, he would never come close to matching his uncle's tea talents, no matter how well he'd learned from the man. but he was curious about how those beans became this coffee she continually raved about, peering over her shoulder as they whirred about in the grinder. ]

Then as someone who's not actually a master coffee maker, you should know that there are a lot more ways than this to make coffee. This is just the easiest way to do it without sacrificing the quality and taste of the beans.

[ Once the beans were ground into a coarse powder, she raised the lid of the French press next to her and poured them in. There was an electric kettle already running that beeped only a few seconds later, from which Weiss poured the boiling water into the press as well. Weiss used a coffee stirrer to quickly mix the two together, then set the timer for four minutes and replaced the lid. While they waited, she started cleaning up the grinder. ]

A lot of people do it with an automatic drip, but you lose a lot of the coffee oils that way so it's not as good. I figured that if I had to do it myself here, I might as well get something I could work with that would taste decent. It shouldn't be very bitter since this is of decent quality, but if you don't like it we can try adding cream and sugar until it tastes better. There's nothing wrong with putting cream or sugar in it, everyone has a different way that they like it.

[ She pauses for a moment. ]

It's pretty much just bean tea.

[ his uncle would protest against the use of cream and sugar, but that was tea and this was coffee. perhaps coffee had different rules. ]

Bean tea? [ a snort. ] We'll see about that.

[ you're such a tea snob, zuzu. ]

[ With the grinder clean, Weiss took to getting a coffee mug or of the cabinets. It was just a plain one. ]

I mean that in the sense that it's roasted beans steeped in water instead of leaves, not the flavor.

[ roasted as apposed to boiled didn't sound terribly appealing, but he promised he'd try it. she was willing to drink tea and try spicy fire nation -like cuisine. the least he could do was have a cup of coffee, no matter his ignorance towards how foolish of an idea that was at this hour. ]

You don't roast tea, [ sliding up to the counter beside her, zuko nudged her side with his elbow ] but I guess that's why coffee is coffee and not bean tea.

[ She's starting to suspect that he has no idea what coffee is or does and wondering if she should actually let him drink it... She's even giving him a slightly concerned look right now after he nudges her. ]

You roast the beans, grind them, then you run the boiling water through the grinds. It's a little different, but it's still a drink made from plants soaked in boiling water. Do you usually drink tea around this time?

[ Because if he does, it might not be as bad since tea has caffeine in it too.. just nowhere near as much. The beeper goes off and Weiss reaches out to turn it off, then slowly presses down on the filter plunger to take the grinds out of the coffee. ]

Sometimes. It depends.

[ zuko turned, leaning back against the counter. ]

When I was fourteen, I poured kallu wine into my tea and spent the rest of the night vomiting off the side of the ship. [ he wrinkled his nose at the memory, tilting his head to the side so he could glance at her through the thin slit of his bad eye. ] You probably didn't need to know that.

[ Weiss doesn't look at him while he talks, instead concentrating on making sure that she doesn't see any grinds get through the filter. She still makes a face that probably mirror's Zuko's in disgust. ]

I didn't need to know that, but I like knowing more about you so it's fine. Even if you can't hold wine and that just sounds like a terrible idea to begin with.

[ Once it's all done, Weiss takes the cup and pours some in, sliding it over to him and looking at him. ]

Taste it, and if it's too strong I'll add some cream in for you.

[ he shrugged, looking down at the tile as he scuffed his boot against it, leaving a black smudge that he quickly removed with his heel. there's a reason an angry fourteen-year-old had defiantly seized a bottle of kallu and dumped more than he should've into his teacup, but not one he was willing to share at the moment.

his scar itched, and he lifted a hand to rub his knuckles against the spot where the glossy, uneven flesh met the bridge of his nose.

the liquid was dark, darker than tea, and smelled almost pleasant and a bit more potent than what he was used to. zuko brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip, then a longer one. it was hot, but the heat didn't bother him. (firebenders are cheaters.) a pensive look settled into his features for a brief moment before it was disrupted by one of disgust. ]

It tastes like bark! [ making a face like a child that had just been forced to eat broccoli, zuko held the cup back out to her. time to try it with cream and sugar. ]

Edited 2014-10-14 00:44 (UTC)

[ Weiss noticed that, but just figured that he was itchy. She didn't touch her scar like that, but it wasn't a burn scar. She didn't even feel it anymore. Weiss had burnt herself before though, so she knew that burns did itch while they were healing, but she had no idea about scars from them. It wasn't something she would comment on either way.

What she would comment on was Zuko's reaction. Taking the cup back, she rolled her eyes and went to the fridge to add a tiny bit of cream into it, then pulled over the bowl of sugar cubes. ]

Is you eating bark another story I'm going to get to hear about? Try it with the cream, then we'll add sugar or more cream until you think you can drink it.

[ maybe one day he'd let her touch his scar and even tell her more about it, but admitting to having your face burnt was one thing. talking about what you went through while it was healing was another.

he glowered at her, but raised the cup back to his lips. it smelled better, and was sweeter against his tongue this time, the darker tastes muted and less sharp against his tonuge. ]

That's... actually not all that bad.

[ Weiss didn't look remotely intimidated by his harsh expression, instead putting the cream away completely after he said that. ]

I told you. Do you want to try it with a little sugar too, or do you think you'll be okay?

This is fine.

[ zuko took his cup of coffee with him when he returned to the living room, returning to his spot on the couch. ]

[ Weiss makes a mental note for how much cream she put in for future reference, then cleans everything up before following Zuko back out. ]

Do you want to watch something?

[ five months into his stay in genessia, zuko knew what a television was, but he'd yet to plant himself down in front of one and really look at what it had to offer. ]

What can you watch on it?

[ he leaned forward and squinted at the blank screen, as if doing so would provide him with some sort of answer to that. ]

[ Weiss sits down next to him, grabbing the remote and turning the television on. ]

Shows and movies. The news is usually on too. Think of it like watching a play, but with effects to make things like more realistic. What sort of plays or books are you usually interested in?

Edited 2014-10-14 01:41 (UTC)

[ zuko had a varied range of interests from pieces set in ancient times before the fire nation islands unified to that which was his world's equivalent of young adult romance. but he wasn't about to admit the latter to her. he shrugged noncommittally, unhelpful when he was unwilling to settle on an answer. ]

I'll watch whatever you want to watch.

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