A Time of Change {ATLA & LOK}

Chapter 26 - Tea Time

Iroh lead Talia through the spirit world until they reached a very familiar clearing.  The grass was bright as always and there were smaller spirit animals floating around, the sky was clear only showing the odd scattered clouds here and there.

"Hai-riyo-peak!" Talia exclaimed in recognition to the tall mountain just off in the distance.

"That is correct Talia" Iroh said compassionately to Talia.

There were lots of spirits in this area, all of different shapes, sizes and species almost. There was a group of spirits gathered together round a few tables, it was an odd combination of spirits. There was a large frog like spirit, but it had two heads, two wolves, who were blue and very civilised in their drinking method, an oblong looking spirit, that looked almost like a combination between a carrot and a potato, except it's top half (the potato half) was a creamy almost parsnip coloured, and there was also a giant flower bud, I think it was a tulip bud, that was speaking in a deep voice that was made clearer as the two approached.

The Tulip was setting up the pieces on a pai-sho table, there was a tea pot on a table, the main table that was larger and higher than your pai-sho table, like an ordinary dinning room table, like in Uncle Sokka and Aunt Suki's house.

Iroh and Talia approached the table, Iroh introduced her to all the strange, er creatures I guess that were around the table.

"This is May-Jim" Iroh said pointing to the large frog who had two heads, it's left being May who spoke with a higher pitched voice,  who smiled in her own froggy way at Talia, and its left head being Jim, who nodded in acknowledgment. "Tanhai" he continued pointing to one of the very civilised blue wolves "and Teela" Iroh pointed to the other. "Marvin" he pointed to the large flower bud, "and Simone", the potato like spirit.

"Hello!" Talia said cheerfully, floating a bit.

"down Talia" Iroh said chuckling at her.

"oops" She said realising I was off the ground, and sheepishly landed.

The spirits and Talia got acquainted, they had tea from one of Iroh's tea pots, from his vast collection, talked, and played pi-sho. Later in the day Iroh took Talia into his spirit house where he said she could stay, though spirits don't need sleep, they were not sure if standard material world rules applied as her physical body was in the spirit world, rather than purely her spirit.

Iroh took her on a small tour of the quaint house, showing her the small kitchen, where he brews the tea, and his all favourite "spirit cakes". He also showed her the bed rooms, his own (not greatly used) and the spare, her own now.

"Come with me, we'll get some herbal tea and talk over a pi-sho"  Iroh told Taila as she looked at the plain, yet cosy room. She nodded and followed her, the absence of home hitting her. "Don't worry Talia, you will see them again, in time yes, but again you will" Iroh said mysteriously as if reading her mind" 

"Are you sure?" Talia asked apprehensive as she stopped and looked up at Iroh's back. 

"absolutely with the whole of my heart" Iroh said continuing to the kitchen to get the tea before making his way to the Pi-sho table "sit, we have a game to play" Talia, looked more joyful and relaxed as she hurriedly ran over and sat down with a smile on her face.