(No Subject)

For early springtime, it was a warm day in the great Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se. Kina had hoped that she would be able to catch a glimpse of the city in such good conditions, and she was not disappointed in the least. The young firebender had even forgone her usual crimson red dancer’s attire in order to wear the neutral-colored kimono that fell to her knees and bunched around her elbows comfortingly. The kimono attracted less attention and allowed Kina to walk the streets without being propositioned as often.

The small brunette was currently in one of the most popular of the many shopping districts. The residents of the city were bustling about the streets and the pleased tourists marveled at the enormity of nearly everything they laid their eyes on. Both the rich and the poor lined the street, the former peeking in the windows of classy shops and the latter begging for spare change at the mouths of alleyways.

Kina was leading Itachi by the reins, walking ahead of him instead of riding on his back. He was carrying enough as it was, without the human to weigh him down even further. The large ferret-lizard occasionally nuzzled the back of her head in appreciation, sniffing at her hair or just resting his head on her shoulder as they walked in-step. The duo had no particular destination in mind. Kina was well-stocked in supplies and both her and her steed had eaten not long ago.

Just as Kina was turning a corner, she spotted a woman who seemed to be from the Fire Nation as well a few feet ahead of her. After aking a few quick steps forward with Itachi trotting along after her, Kina was close enough to the stranger to be heard above the din of the surrounding area. ”Hey, there. My name’s Kina,” the firebender’s voice was as friendly as she could make it while still maintaining a large enough volume.

”Oh, I just came to see the city. It’s quite the marvel, wouldn’t you say?” Kina shot Varsha a sideways smile, showing just a brief glint of pearl. Varsha stood much taller than Kina did, so the smaller firebender needed to tilt her head upwards in order to see the other’s face, but Kina did not feel intimidated by the woman.

Well, that was not entirely true. Being in the presence of a lady (no matter how rugged-looking) had a certain effect on nearly all lower-class people, including Kina. Even though Varsha could very well be lying about being a member of a noble house, Kina was not one to take chances. The dancer stood a little taller, straightening her back slightly. She smiled a little brighter and batted her eyelids a little quicker. Knowing that she was not the most adapt at social interaction, Kina’s palms moistened and her heart pounded at a higher frequency than before.

Kina just prayed that she would be able to avoid offending the lady too badly. “You are from Shu-Jing?” The teenager asked, figuring that was a safe enough topic. ”I’ve been to that village before. It’s a quaint little thing. Did you enjoy growing up there?”

Itachi seemed to be getting bored at that point. His front paws clawed at the stone street below lazily, making metallic-sounding scraping noises as they hit the rocks. Kina was just glad that he wasn’t trying to nose his way up her skirts in an attempt to retrieve the pouch of berries hidden there. Just thinking about the embarrassment, the short girl tightened her tiny fists around the reigns of his harness.

Kina thought for a moment, pursing her lips briefly, before replying, ”Well, I suppose I’ve been there a couple times now. I never stayed long, though.” The girl nodded her head, although she really had no idea how many times she had visited Shu-Jing. She rarely paid any attention to where she was, choosing instead to travel wherever the wind took her, as if she were some sort of air nomad.

At the other woman’s next query, Kina shrugged. “I just wanted to say hi, really. I’m pretty bored, since I already shopped about half of my spending money away.” Kina motioned to the many bags that hung from Itachi’s saddle, most of which were near bursting with new things. This was mostly due to the fact that Kina had found an adorable little shop with the cutest selection of well-priced clothing.

Itachi pulled lightly on the reins. He wanted to move. Kina reached a hand back to pat his coarse fur, but she remained facing forward. ”Actually, I was looking for someone to walk around with. Or, you know, find something fun to do besides shop.” The firebender’s cheeks dimpled with her smile as she motioned to her ferret-lizzard. ”Itachi’s a fine companion, but he can’t exactly hold his end of the conversation.”

Kina walked beside Varsha, tugging Itachi along. Her quick feet kept stride with the taller woman easily, and the large animal was happy to be on the move once more. “I hadn’t planned anything particular to do today, besides enjoy myself.” The teen glanced around, hoping to spot something interesting.

”If you see anything that you think we might be able to enjoy, tell me,” the firebender had given up trying to find entertainment among the plethora of shops. The two women were in the entirely wrong district and would need to walk for a while in order to get out of it. ”This place really is huge.”

Varsha’s question earned a giggle from Kina. ”Oh, I take up little jobs wherever I travel. You know, watching over children, mending clothes, cleaning peoples’ homes or shops… Whatever pays, really. Kina ruffled her short brown hair with the hand not holding Itachi’s reins.

”When I can’t find a job, I become a bit of a street performer.” Itachi snorted at that, but Kina silenced him with a quick glare over her shoulder. ”I dance and use my firebending to make it look theatrical.” As if I know what I’m doing.

”What about you, Varsha?” Kina asked, ”Do you work for a living, or does your family’s money support you?

Kina smirked and shot a wink at Varsha, “I’ll definitely show you some of my dancing sometime, if you want.” Even though Kina was by no means a professional, she was still proud of the way she could twist her hips and sway to the melody of the cities that she so often found herself in, and was never shy to show off her body and the distracting moves that she could perform with it.

Due to the breeze, Kina was able to smell the delicious aromas wafting from the direction of the food market. The scents of smoking meats and strong spices overpowered the others greatly, but Kina could detect faint traces of herbal teas and sweet fruit by breathing in deeply through her nose. The pair of women couldn’t be too far from the restaurant district, where there would be plenty of entertainment for both natives and visitors to be regaled as they enjoyed their meals.

While Kina had eaten only a few hours before, a gentle thirst had begun to make itself known at the back of her throat, most likely from the bit of walking she had been participating in. A warm cup of tea would drive the craving away nicely.

“Oh, you’re a martial artist? Sounds exciting,” Kina commented. ”We’ll have to spar sometime, although you will most definitely win. I can hardly hold my own against common thieves on the road.” Kina gave an airy giggle and continued, ”Do you plan on teaching martial arts or something else?”

They had been walking for a while now, and although Kina's little feet were used to long periods of travel, she was still beginning to feel weary. Luckily, being in the company of Varsha mitigated the strain that Kina would have felt otherwise by distracting her from her aches.

When Varsha asked Kina if she was suggesting something, the smaller firebender smirked, batting her eyelashes at the older woman briefly. ”I could be, but there will be plenty of time to figure all of that out later.” After a quick giggle, the teen stopped abruptly and jerked her hips in the direction of a small teashop with various colorful pastries displayed in the window. ”For now, how would you like to stop here for some refreshments?”

The little firebender decided that she was now much more comfortable in Varsha’s presence than she had been before. After a little aimless flirting, the girl felt much more relaxed. ”Thank you,” Kina said as she walked past Varsha at the woman’s urging. She entered the little shop and was immediately hit by the aroma of baking sweets and herbal teas. The smell made her mouth water, and Kina swallowed.

There were even more goodies inside the shop, including decorative flowers in ornate vases and strings of twinkling lights. Glass cases filled with treats littered the area. The atmosphere was comfortable, and there were only a half a dozen customers sitting in the few small tables. A young woman stood behind the bar, a coin box on the space near her right hand. An older man tended to the kettles in the kitchen, which could be easily seen through a large glassless opening in the back wall.

Looking around, Kina commented, ”Everything looks so good! I don’t know what to get.” Kina turned her head. “What do you think, Varsha?”

Kina nodded, "Jasmine is good. I think I like earl grey the best,though, especially with a little sugar." At this point, Kina had made it to the counter. She ordered her earl grey tea and stood, waiting for the man in the back to finish brewing it. Each of the shop's tables had serving dishes of milk, honey, and sugar, so there was no need to ask the clerk for any.

"To be honest, I don't drink tea as much as I should, so I haven't tried many different flavors. I tend to stick to water." Kina heard a distant kettle shriek, and the clerk handed her a cup moments later. It steamed heavily and smelled delightful. "Yum. Let's go get started on those goodies before they get too cold." She turned back toward the table and was back there with just a few steps, seating herself in the chair and taking a little sip of her tea.

The girl shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "Money isn't usually an issue for me unless I get lazy. I actually make a decent amount as a street performer." She grabbed a fluffy golden pastry from the table and took a bite from it. The gooey center was filled with creme and blueberries. Kina licked a bit of creme off of her lip before finishing the rest of the treat. She wiped the crumbs from her mouth with a finger and picked up her tea for another sip. "The problem isn't exactly time either, since I set my own schedule. I guess I just let the little luxuries of life like tea slip my mind sometimes." The brunette ended with a giggle before bringing the cup to her lips and drinking.

Kina's blue eyes darted to the front window of the shop, from which she could see Itachi staring at her from outside, his nose pressed tightly against the glass. When he saw that he had caught his master's attention, he laved the window with his tongue, perking his nubby little ears up. The firebender took a deep breath and shook her head, turning back towards Varsha. "Itachi's almost cute enough to make me feel bad about leaving him out there."

Kina squirmed happily in her seat, a stupidly pleased smile on her face. She was used to compliments regarding her physical appearance from strangers that pass her on the street. Hearing one from someone who had spent time with her was different, but not unwelcome at all. She giggled and stuck her tongue out playfully. "D'aww, thanks, Varsha."

"But anyway, how are you liking Ba Sing Se so far?” Kina knew she was crappy at small talk, but couldn’t help but try. The little firebender continued munching on her pastries and sipping at her tea. ”I’m enjoying it more than many of the other places I have been to.”

Kina flipped her bangs out of her eyes with a sharp jerk of her head and nodded, "Yes, I've heard those sorts of rumors floating around, but I don't usually pay them much mind. People like to get lost in their imaginations, and I honestly don't blame them most of the time." The girl looked up, into Varsha's eyes, taking a short time to admire their sunny hue. "Many aren't nearly as lucky as we are." She paused for a moment. "To have so much freedom, I mean. The ability to do as we please."

"Your home sounds like a lovely place. I'll bet your garden was very peaceful." Kina imagined the place with her mind's eye - green and lush and blossoming. She could almost smell the fragrant breeze through the trees and the warm, musky moisture in the air. It wasn't long before the train of thought led her to accidentally envision the ice gardens from her own childhood home. Unwelcome memories caused the firebender to flinch slightly and open her eyes, not realizing that she had shut them. Her voice was almost completely normal as she spoke, with only a faint hint of strain. "I'm not surprised that such a nice place would be your favorite, regardless of bias." In an attempt to cover her strange behavior, Kina widened her smile.

"Yes, some of them are quite entertaining, aren't they?" the little firebender laughed, agreeing with Varsha about the gossip. There were only a few of Kina's sweet treats left on the small table. She had eaten the best looking ones first, so all that remained didn't look terribly impressive. A meager sip of dark-colored tea puddled coldly at the bottom of her cup, which was no longer steaming. Kina finished all of her food and drink up quickly, wiping the crumbs from her lips with the back of her hand.

At Varsha's inquiry, Kina shook her head, "Yes, of course, everything's fine." The shock had been unexpected, but had quickly receded. "There's no need to worry." The brunette grinned sweetly at Varsha, suddenly very glad that she was not alone at this time. Wanting to steer the conversation in a different direction, Kina piped up with an idea that came to her, "Hey, what do you think about going somewhere really fun after this? We could go dancing or something like that. It looks like the sun is starting to set now, so it will be much cooler out." Kina's eyes were hopeful and bright as she blinked up at Varsha from across the table.