Tea (Mai)

[Ignis]

Ignis walked down the busy city centre in the capital. Ignis looked up a the large towers of the royal palace and then at the blazing sun. Serenity went out shopping with a budget of one bag of gold pieces. Ignis had the same budget for his lunch which was about to order now. Ingis had some small burns where his left eye was but it wasn't anything serious. This burn was from his last match.

Ignis walked up to the stand of the reasturant. "Can I have on cup of tea and a large plate of cooked duck please?" Ignis asked the cook at the front. He nodded not really caring and went to the kitchen to start cooking. Ignis gave him ten silver pieces. Ignis then took a seat and table. Then the waiter came over and placed a cup of tea and his plate of duck in front of him. He didn't even pay attention to Ignis. "Thanks.." Ignis said to him. Ignis then took a sip of his tea and ate into his duck.

[Mai]

Ugh. Azula. And Ty Lee. Shopping. It was like they would die if they didn't shop every day. Ty Lee was more into it than Azula was, but Mai would rather die than go shopping. Die.

Gingerly holding her hands by her stomach, she walked down the busy road, golden eyes staring ahead. Mai bit her lip slightly, then let it go, her face a mask again as her golden eyes darted from the path in front of her to the faces of the strangers who surrounded her. Her hands were still in bad condition from Zuko. It could of been her legs, or her arms, or her face, anything but her hands. If she still had her hands she could fight - but no. It just had to be her hands.

A restaurant was on the side of the street. Mai veered off to the side, walking up to the stand. "Tea." Mai stated like a command, and the cook looked up to scold her, then actually seeing her face. His face grew softer and more afraid as her poured the cup of tea, setting it on the counter in front of Mai. She dropped the coins to pay for the tea, not bothering to count how much she was dropping. The cook looked grateful, but Mai took no notice, just picking up her tea and walking away.

Ugh. Busy. There was one table that wasn't full - but there was still a person there. Mai walked to the table, setting down the tea, shaking her hands slightly to get rid of the pain the burning tea had caused, then sat down. "I'm sitting here." It wasn't a question, more of a statement. Mai sipped her tea.

[Ignis]

Ignis had his mouth full with the cooked duck when the pale and depressed looking lady sat down next to him. Ignis chewed on the duck for a few more seconds before swallowing the tender and tasty feast. Then this lady child had the nerve to say "I'm sitting here." and tell Ignis to take a hike. Ignis looked at the frankly bratty girl and said "Well as you can see there's only room for me on this table soooooo..yeah.." Ignis said before showing her off.

Ignis then took a sip of his tea and took a nice bit of duck. Ignis was ignoring her the whole time. Ignis then turned to her again when he had finished and said "Oh your still here..You shouldn't be..." Ignis said. Ignis then realised it was the daughter of the governor of Omashu he was talking to. "Wait a miniute aren't you that Governor's Daughter?" Ignis said. If she was it wouldn't make a diference any way. It's not like she was the Princess or anything.

[Mai]

Mai, frankly, didn't exactly care whether or not the boy wanted her to sit there. She was anyway. It was her tea and she was going to drink it whether the man across from her had to be reduced to ribbons or not. "A you can see there obviously is room for me here." Mai gestured with on bandaged hand to herself somewhat gracefully, remaining impassive as she sipped her tea and quicky set the cup down once more.

"What difference does it make who my father is? and you're Ignis. I've seen you before in the Junior Agni Kai events." Mai said, maintaing her bored tone and expression, sipping her tea once once and keeping it in her fingertips, burning her fingers. It hurt some, but it was fading. Mai gently sat her tea down once more.

[Ty Lee]

Ty Lee was smiling as usual as she walked up to the table that Mai was sitting at. Azula had gone off to some other store and Ty Lee decided to go her own way. Azula didn't seem to mind, but who would have known. So now Ty Lee had been looking for Mai, and finally found her. She stood next to the seat Mai was in. "Hey Mai, who's your friend?" Ty Lee said, a different smile sliding across her face. One that she gave to most guys.

[Ignis]

"Yes I am.." Ignis said before finishing his roast duck and taking another sip of his tea. Ignis also noticed the moody girl had some burnt hands. Ignis, if she hadn't been like this, would have offered to help her and even been sympathetic with her, but now she could spill the boiling tea of her hands again, for all he cared.

Ignis then spotted a pretty girl in pink, roughly about the same age as himself. "Hey Mai, who's your friend?" she said. Ignis' widened slightly and he blushed. "Uh..Hi.." Ignis tried to say. Ignis then snapped out of it as he searched for his hand to use for a shake. Ignis tried to offer a handshake but it came out as a wave. "Idiot!" Ignis thought to himself. "Hi I'm Ignis! You?" Ignis said to Ty Lee.

[Mai]

Mai rolled her eyes. Another guy smitten with Ty Lee dearest. What a surprise. "Oh great. Ty Lees getting another boyfriend. Who would've known. Why don't you sit down Ty Lee. I'm sure Ignis here wouldn't mind." Mai said, her bored voice having a ring of fake enthusiasm to it. Mai turned to Ignis once again, bored but looking somewhat sympathetic and feeling rather pitiful for the guy. All three of them were just about the same age, and Mai had seen this before. She knew when a guy was smitten with Ty Lee. The same not being able to control the words, the same gleam in his eyes.

Mai stood up, offering her seat to Ty Lee and setting the cup on the table, wincing in pain a the fire she felt on her palms when the warmth left them. Mai ripped off her bandages, throwing them in the trash, revealing the gruesome burns. They burned, and they were a deathly red color, broken in some places with gashes. They were very badly burned, and when they eventually healed they would leave scars. Mai glared at her hands, pulling out some more bandages and replacing the old ones, grunting softly when she pulled them tight in pain. Stupid Zuko.

"Firebending accident." She explained, though it was most likely Ignis or Ty Lee were listening. Ignis was probably gawking over Ty Lee and she was probably loving it. Just another day in the life of Mai.

[Ignis]

"Oh great. Ty Lees getting another boyfriend. Who would've known. Why don't you sit down Ty Lee. I'm sure Ignis here wouldn't mind." The shallow girl had just said. Ignis turned to face her and gave her a slightly angry and aggressive look though not an enraged look. It was more of an emotionless stare. Ignis took another sip of the tea.

Ignis smiled back at Ty Lee then glanced at Mai knowing she would probably take another cheap hit any time soon. Ignis relaxed and lied back on the seat. Ignis wanted to say something to Ty Lee but as usuall, he couldn't. It was a common affect in most teenagers. Ignis warmed the tea with his firebending as steam now appeared from his cup. Then the gloomy girl showed her burn wounds. "Look I don't know why I'm offering, but I could help you with those burns." Ignis said having a small burst of reluctent sympathy.

[Mai]

Ignis should have been very glad that Mai couldn't hear his thoughts. Mostly because Mai would kill him if she had. Well, she would threaten to - but since her hands were burned, she couldn't cut him to ribbons like she would anyone else that got on her nerves. She was a bit bitter that day already. Now seeing the same old thing - a guy falling for Ty Lee who will never get her, everyone hating Mai (probably for good reason) and then happy ever after while Mai goes back and skulks in the palace. It was like going to see the same play every day for a year. It had gotten from boring to annoying, in general.

However, when Ignis offered to help her, a look of surprise appeared on her face. It was toned down a bit, considering that Mai had barely expressed any emotion for the past few years of her life, but Mai didn't hide her surprise at all. Her eyes had widened, and she turned her head slightly to face him. "Uh, okay," Mai said slowly, surprise ringing in her somewhat raspy, but no longer emotionless voice. Then she said something that rarely ever came from Mai. "...thanks."

[Ignis]

A small smile appeared on Ignis' face. "No problem." He said. Ignis got up and ran off. He came back with water and some ice. Ignis didn't no really why he was helping her. He guessed it was just his nature to help people. "No this may sting for a few seconds, ok?" Ignis said. Ignis gently held Mai's arms and slid them into the bowl filled with ice and water. Ignis then took her hands back out gently.

"Now to see if I can take the burns away.." Ignis said. Ignis held her hands and concentrated on the heat and burns. Ignis breathed in and out. Steam came from Mai's hands. The steam was the heat that was passing onto Ignis' hands. He grunted at the pain of the burns which were being transferred to him. Ignis couldn't transfer the burns themselves but he could transfer the painfull heat from it. Ignis' hands went red from the pain. Ignis then gave a gasp at the pain. He then dived his hands in the cold water and relaxed. "Ahhhh..." Ignis said. "Your pain should be gone as long as you don't touch or poke the burns." Ignis said.

[Mai]

Mai didn't exactly know why he was helping her either. People usually avoided her or hated her - both of which, probably for good reason. Mai wasn't generally friendly to most people other than to Azula and Ty Lee - and those two had been her friends for life, since birth. So to see someone being nice to her was like... well... a first.

When he helped the cure her hands, she just did whatever he said. But when he took her own pain to himself, Mai couldn't help but feel bad. It was her pain - and in her mind, she should feel it, not him. She put on a look of thanks, then went emotionless for a few seconds then actually wore a small... smile. "Thanks. You really didn't have to do that. I appreciate it." Mai told him quietly.

[Ignis]

"It's no problem really. I just don't like seeing other people suffer 'tis all." Ignis said nicely. Ignis gave a small grunt again at the pain. "If you keep those wounds clean and cool, they should heal by tomorrow. I don't think they will be scars." Ignis said being nice again to her. "My burns will heal in an hour or two." Ignis said. His hands were red and slightly cut from this.

Ignis took a sip of the tea. His hands tremored at the feeling of the burns and heat. Only the heat hurted more at the touch of the tea cups. "Hey do you want, a drink or snack? I'll buy if you want." Ignis said. "I'll get you both something if you want?" Ignis said remembering Ty Lee. Ignis wasn't trying to impress anyone he was just trying to be friendly and be himself.

[Mai]

"Okay... sorry you have to feel my pain in your hands. I really owe you." Mai told him sincerely, actually expressing some emotion. And she actually apologized? She was being nice? She owed somebody? Frankly, Mai didn't know why she was being so... unlike herself. Perhaps it was because he was being nice to her and actually had taken pain from her at their own discomfort. Nobody had really done that other than her two friends.

"For me you don't have to buy or anything... my father being the governor, money is something I have way more than I should. Thanks for asking, though." Mai responded pleasantly - actually sounding polite. Mai walked over to stand by where Ty Lee was sitting, sitting down herself on the armrest of the chair, her light weight not disturbing it.

[Ignis]

"Honestly Mai, it's no problem. Like I said, the pain for me should vanish in an hour or two I swear." Ignis said reassuring her that his pain would pass. But Ignis was unsure of this himself, his hands red and stinging at the painful heat of his slightly burnt flesh. Ignis lightly rubbed his hands when Mai wasn't looking so that his pain would be eased for a few seconds.

Ignis looked up at the sun and felt it's tanning sunlight beaming down on all of them. Ignis dipped his hands back in the ice water and took another sip of his tea before placing it down. Ignis actually dropped an ice cube into his tea. "For me you don't have to buy or anything... my father being the governor, money is something I have way more than I should. Thanks for asking, though." Mai had said. Ignis just nodded in response.

[Mai]

"If you insist." Mai nodded, crossing her arms loosely around her ribs, squinting the bright sunlight. People walked around the streets, laughing, almost careless in the Fire Nation capital. Mai remembered back to when her, Ty Lee, and Azula had traveled to the Earth Kingdom to hear the rumors of the Avatar coming back. The people there were the total opposite of the people here. They walked in tight circles, suspicious and tired, walking quickly to get out of the way, waiting in the dark for the danger that was sure to come.

Mai spotted two fire nation soldiers coming around the street corner. Mais hand flew to Ty Lees soldier, catching her attention. "We may have company." Mai looked down the other corner, planning out her route. "We have to go." Mai said abruptly, standing up suddenly at the sight of the soldiers. Having them drag Mai and Ty Lee back to palace would be embarrassing. Mai gave a slight wave of her hand to Ignis in farewell, starting off in the other direction from the fire nation soldiers.