On Patrol... Not! [Open]

A light, swift breeze blew through the Fire Nation capital as it seemed to enjoy the bright, warm day just as the citizens were. Unfortunately, in the breeze's excitement it failed to fulfill its purpose of cooling and did no more than push heat around. Even for those who had lived in the Fire Nation their entire lives could only become so tolerant of the heat before retreating to cooler areas. This heat would be ten-fold for those in uniform tasked with patrolling the city and keeping the inhabitants safe from harm, such as those in the Fire Nation military. Surely with the armor and helmets they would pass out of heat exhaustion in no time flat. Dead wrong. Fire Nation soldiers were arguably the toughest people, not just soldiers, in the entire world and could face the toughest environments head on. Fortunately, a certain soldier would not have to deal with that issue today.

One of the benefits of moving up in the military were increased off days, and there was no way in hell this soldier would pass up a chance to relax. Though he still adorned his military garb, minus the helmet, Tensei joined the ranks of the normal citizens, at least for one day. Today's journey had already taken him through a tea shop and a few of the shops in the market. Aside from that, nothing much had taken place. For now, the young man would take refuge on a bench next to a small fountain that had a few children running about, enjoying the warm temperatures and cloudless sky. Aside from the recent hostilities between a few of the nations that had sparked little to no military movement, nothing of significance had taken place in quite some time; both a blessing and a curse for the soldier.

The soft, supple voice carried through the heated air over to Tensei as he turned his head towards the source of the sound. He was not surprised to see the voice come from a beautiful young woman who couldn't have been more than a few years younger the man himself. However, the surprise came when the woman was draped in Fire Nation military garb similar to his own, and a bow to match. If he didn't know any better Tensei would have thought that she had just returned from the battlefield; and during these times it was completely possible. Fortunately, the young man knew of no major offensive taking place which alleviated any possibility of a missed assignment. As he was one for observation it didn't take long to notice the rank insignia on her outfit which, if he remembered correctly, was that of a Lieutenant. Instinct kicked in almost instantly as the realization of sitting next to a superior officer began to sink in.

In a flurry of movement Tensei was out of his seat and at attention. "Greetings, Lieutenant." He replied, hoping that there would be no repercussions for his lack of observation. Seemingly without hesitation this calm day off had turned into just a regular day in the military full of starch poses and barking orders; not fun. The breeze seemed to cease as the bender waited for instruction from his superior officer, and for once the heat of the day was actually starting to get to him.

Words could not describe the amount of satisfaction Tensei received when Yumi told him not to worry about the militaristic formalities. With so many in the service adhering to strict policies coming across a person who was as laid back as the Sergeant was definitely a treat. The tension that had overcome his body melted away as the young man returned to his heat, a sheepish grin adorning his face as he felt slightly embarrassed.

"Tensei." He replied, feeling more at ease as the seconds passed. The woman seemed nice, yet he knew better to judge on a pretty face alone. There was an equal, if not greater chance, that this was one of the premier soldiers in the entire army Tensei was talking to. "... And I'd hate to have to call you Lieutenant all day. Perhaps something more personal?" The young man quipped, his sheepish smile transforming into a bit of a grin. Even soldiers had the know how to speak to women, and without so much as noticing it Tensei had begun to emulate Yumi's disposition.

Yumi, eh? A gentle name for a gentle looking woman. Again, never one to judge a book by its cover but rather a simple observation. As Tensei began to further relax the seemingly sentient heated breeze kicked up once more. Though it provided no relief what-so-ever, it served to bring back a sense of normalcy to the situation. What she asked next seemed more personal than a second question should normally have been, but given that there was no harm in the question and simple curiosity probably brought it about there was no worry.

"Well, Yumi..." Tensei began in a slight imitation of the tone she had given him a moment ago. "... Shu Jing, actually. A small town to the east. Very quiet. Am I to assume you are from elsewhere as well?" Chances were that Yumi might not have been from the capital city, which would have brought an interesting change of pace to the days events.

It didn't take a genius to notice when someone's entire mood changed in the blink of an eye, though finding the exact reason behind that change was still a bit of a mystery. Perhaps the reason stemmed from asking about her birthplace, but surely Yumi would have known that question was coming. Tensei took note of her fist tightening around the bow and readied himself for whatever may have come next; though a fellow officer attacking in the middle of the capital couldn't possibly happen, right?

However, as quickly as the moment began it ended, with Yumi's expression softening considerably. Though not entirely taken off of edge, Tensei too returned to a calmer state. Her question seemed a quick, and possibly desperate attempt to move past the situation that had just transpired; a welcomed opportunity. "Yeah, have any place in mind?" Tensei replied while raising from the bench. An odd occurrence indeed, and one that had the potential to cause great harm to friend and foe alike, but for the time being the young man would simply make a mental note of it and do his best not to bring about the change in demeanor once again.

Without so much as a warning Tensei felt himself being dragged by the hand through the city in what seemed like a blur. He was somewhat familiar with the surroundings via his numerous patrol days as a part of the military, but even that knowledge could only help so much. He was honestly a bit surprised at just how easily Yumi was able to guide not only herself but also a grown man with such ease. When all the dust settled the soldier found himself in a high-end tea shop, must different than the one he visited earlier, in a seat next to the window.

Given her and the waitresses quick back and forth regarding the menu Tensei easily assumed that Yumi frequented the place. Without any time to look at the menu instinct began to kick in leading to the cliche response of "I'll have what she's having." Hopefully the soldier would be able to pass of his lack of knowledge regarding the menu, but just for insurance sake he wouldn't allow the moment to linger. "So I take it you've been coming here for quite some time, eh?" He asked, assuming he already knew the answer, though given the multitude of surprises this day had brought about it Tensei should have known better than to assume.

Things became extremely clear after Yumi gave her reason, for who wouldn't want a free meal? Assuming the food was decent, of course, though Tensei knew a select few who would take the food just because it was free. For a moment the young soldier wondered exactly what "the usual" that Yumi ordered actually consisted of, but figured that the surprise would be better without asking. Whatever it was, Tensei would have to repress his pride, if only for a few moments, and consume it in an effort to avoid coming off as rude; to both Yumi and the restaurant. Through his few years of service the numerous stories of his fellow soldiers causing a ruckus within eating establishments numbered in the hundreds. Sometimes it due to how much they had drank, others due to someone not wanting to fork of the coin to pay a bill. Whatever the reason, Tensei would be sure not to strengthen that stereotype.

Even though the young man had been around the hustle and bustle of the capital for a decent amount of time, he had never gotten used to it. His hometown was tiny and quiet; the complete opposite of the capitol. The sheer amount of people was enough to disorient Tensei at times, let alone the large infrastructure. "I guess. Still not used to it after all this time. I suppose I'm just used to more quiet conditions." Though he would never say it given her previous response, Tensei wondered where exactly Yumi's home was, though it seemed wherever it was brought about turbulent memories.

Tensei's ears perked up a bit when he heard the request to elaborate on his hometown. Most people who had heard of Shu Jing knew it as a very small, quiet place and didn't inquire any further. Honestly, there wasn't too much else to say on the matter. A small village that more or less held its own and only asked for outside assistance if necessary; which wasn't often.

"Hm.. Small, and quaint. Everyone pulls their own weight and things run rather smoothly. For as long as I lived there nothing of importance took place. We acted as pretty big family, just taking care of each other. To be honest, you're one of the first people to actually ask me about my hometown." Tensei was still in a bit of shock about the situation, though perhaps the first time for everything clause was actually true.