Fire is the Element of Power

A hand, open in welcome or closed in a fist, remains a hand. Therefore, something and nothing give birth to one another. Difficult and easy complete one another. Long and short fashion one another. High and low arise from one another. Notes and tones harmonise with one another. Front and back follow one another. Thus, the True Person acts without striving and teaches without words.

[misfortunedmonster-blog]

"Haven’t you ever seen someone die of blood loss, Uncle? Doesn’t it happen all the time on the battlefield?”

[irohthedragon]

"There aren't many sword wounds in a General's tent, unless an argument among the staff gets out of hand."

[irohthedragon]

  "… That depends on the injury; the body can heal a pinprick long before much blood is lost."

[misfortunedmonster-blog]

"I know that, Uncle. I mean if someone was bleeding out.”

[irohthedragon]

"There are several fencing manuals listing the different cuts, and how long it takes each one to render a man unconscious.  Perhaps a trip to the library is due?"

[misfortunedmonster-blog]

"—There are six liters of blood in an adult body. How long do you think it would take to drain all of it?"

[irohthedragon]

"... That depends on the injury; the body can heal a pinprick long before much blood is lost."

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"People keep saying that," she said bitterly—apparently she didn’t quite agree.  "But who’d want something that’s already ruined?  If I took a sheet of paper and wadded it up and tore it, no amount of smoothing it out would make it look nice again."

[irohthedragon]

"You have suffered greatly, but you are much stronger than a simple sheet of paper.  With enough heat and pressure, broken steel can be remade, and ashes can make a scorched forest fertile again; it's important to look at life from many perspectives."

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"I’m…going to survive," she said awkwardly.  "Pain is just weakness…better to ignore it."

[irohthedragon]

"Pain is a signal that something is wrong; never ignore it."

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"If you’re doing what you should be and you hurt for it, you’re just weak."

[irohthedragon]

Iroh nodded, not wanting to contradict the opinionated girl too directly.  ”That depends on everyone doing what they should; they often stumble and struggle, because doing the right thing isn’t always clear.”

[fallenfirebender-blog]

She laughed ruefully, looking away.  ”No one knows that better than I do, I think.”

[irohthedragon]

Though the physical proximity made it a little awkward, Iroh rested an empathic hand on her uninjured shoulder, not wanting to mention he'd been on the wrong path for fifty years before she was born, having learned the importance of timing.  "It is important to never give up on seeking the right path; even if you've taken a wrong turn, there is time to change the road you take."

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"I’m…going to survive," she said awkwardly.  "Pain is just weakness…better to ignore it."

[irohthedragon]

"Pain is a signal that something is wrong; never ignore it."

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"If you’re doing what you should be and you hurt for it, you’re just weak."

[irohthedragon]

Iroh nodded, not wanting to contradict the opinionated girl too directly.  "That depends on everyone doing what they should; they often stumble and struggle, because doing the right thing isn't always clear."

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"I’m…going to survive," she said awkwardly.  "Pain is just weakness…better to ignore it."

[irohthedragon]

"Pain is a signal that something is wrong; never ignore it."

[fallenfirebender-blog]

Iroh’s words successfully re-routed her attentions, and she shrugged her shoulders.  Then she winced, because that had been a bad idea.  She readjusted the ice pack again and sighed softly.  ”I still think too many feelings are a weakness.”

[irohthedragon]

"If tea is kept too hot, it will ruin the flavor, and if it's kept too cold, it will never develop properly.  The middle way is best," he said, turning to check on her after she winced at the ice.  "Are you alright?" he asked, aware of how fussy he seemed to be over her shoulder.

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"Art is exactly like everything else," she said grumpily.  "Practise it enough, and you’ll become a master.  That’s all there is to it, that’s all there is to anything.  No one’s born with a talent, not a single person in all the world."  Again she was talking about several things at once—opening up to him about herself, a small bit.  Oh how she hated the mantle of ‘prodigy’ and wished it had never been thrust upon her.

[irohthedragon]

"Tea is like painting or writing; it's felt and expressed, not practiced and done.  Everyone feels and expresses a little differently," he said, taking another sip as he circumvented the issue of talent; he doubted Azula would be able to appreciate a beautiful sunrise over the walls, a cup of jasmine, or the stillness of the unopened shop if she was delving into her doubtlessly painful memories.

[fallenfirebender-blog]

Azula looked over at him when she heard the chair scoot closer, but she didn’t comment on it once she’d made sure she hadn’t imagined the sound.  She took a deep breath and let it out heavily, shifting the ice pack, then turning her attention to her tea.  She took a deep sip, then let out a heavy breath.  ”I don’t understand why making tea is so difficult for everyone else,” she grumbled.  There was a compliment hidden under her bitterness—his was better than ‘everyone else’.

[irohthedragon]

Iroh decided not to make an issue of her understated compliment; he knew she didn't care to be seen as emotionally generous.  "It's an art, and art does not come easy," he noted, taking a sip of his own and letting the heat defuse from his chest out to his extremities.  "It's worth it, though."

[fallenfirebender-blog]

Azula was very quiet, had been since her fall.  It took all of her focus to keep her regal bearing, and that regal bearing was all she had at the moment.  Her dignity was smarting worse than the bruises were.  The reason for her fall was utterly ridiculous, and she still didn’t want to talk about it.  Instead, she just stared at the table, not really against conversation, but not having anything to say.

[irohthedragon]

Iroh was content to sit in silence with the girl, having long since internalized the perfect steeping time for his favorite tea; when the time came, pouring it out for the two of them was as natural as breathing.  Vainly hoping she wouldn't notice, Iroh slid his chair a little closer to his niece, making sure she kept ice on her bruise.

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"Tea that’s kept ready and hot tastes foul,” she said, a bit more emotion in her voice than she normally let on about the topic.  Azula took her tea seriously.  The ice drew a hiss from her, she really didn’t like the cold, though she knew it would be good for the bruise.  ”Would you make me some jasmine?  Fresh?”  A moment later, she remembered to add, “Please?”

[irohthedragon]

Iroh smiled warmly at her request; even if it took her a moment, asking it as a question was certainly a step forward from the brusque commands she'd spent her live giving.  "It'll be ready in a minute," he said, stepping into the kitchen to breath heat into a pot of water for them and adding the pearls when the temperature felt right.  After retrieving two cups, Iroh scooted a chair next to his niece and wait for it to steep.

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"Sure," she said, and reached over to undo the ties.  She took a deep breath and let it out heavily, still focusing on her breath.  "Would…you make me a cup of tea, too, please?"

[irohthedragon]

"What would you like?  There's always a pot of jasmine, green, and white ready, plain red tea, and there should be some milky spiced assam ready in a few minutes..." he said, trailing off as he pressed the apron full of ice to her bruised shoulder.

[fallenfirebender-blog]

She stayed in the chair she’d settled in, quietly resting and trying to relax. She had bumps and scrapes all over, her cheek even had the pattern of the stone walkway pressed into her skin, but she’d survived.  She took deep breaths, trying to will her pain away with the power of thought alone.

[irohthedragon]

Iroh returned from the cellar with plenty of ice stuffed in the front pocket of his apron, though he had some trouble reaching behind to untie it.  Giving up after a few moments of straining, Iroh turned his back towards his niece.  "Would you lend me a hand?" he asked with a sheepish smile.

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"If that’ll make you stop fussing," she grumbled, though the way she obediently moved closer to him spoke silent volumes.  She wanted to let someone take care of her, for once, she just didn’t know how to let go of her pride and let that happen, not with her mind still twisted in knots thanks to her upbringing.

[irohthedragon]

Iroh slowly pulled back her sleeves until he could see the bruise former on her shoulder, though he heaved a sigh of relief at seeing it hadn't bruised the bone underneath.  "You should try to keep your shoulder elevated over your heart; I'll get some ice from the cellar," he said, pulling an icepick out from the utensils drawer in the kitchen.

[fallenfirebender-blog]

"I’ll be fine," she said, rubbing her shoulder. "Nothing broke, that’s what matters." Whatever had happened, she was clearly in pain from it, but Ozai had trained into her that pain was proof of weakness, to admit to it or show it was disgraceful.

[irohthedragon]

Iroh nodded, relieved to hear that none of her bones, still delicate from years of malnutrition, were broken, though the wince of pain still raised some concern.  ”May I have a look?” he asked, not wanting to intrude into her personal space without permission.

[itsajinthing]

"Good morning, Jin; it's nice having someone in the shop this early in the morning."

"It is a nice morning, isn’t it? Nice’n’warm."

"I’ve been up for a while now; my father fell ill during the night and we called for a doctor this morning. So I haven’t really been back to sleep. Which tea should I have today?"

[irohthedragon]

"Perhaps I can prepare a medicinal brew for your father later, but right now I have a pot of spiced Assam that should be ready any moment now ... " Iroh couldn't help but reveal his Fire Nation inclinations as he fetched the chai from the kitchen, it's spicy warmth drawing a happy sigh from the tea master.