[video] punch and judy

[maddest]

[Xerxes Break is combing tangles out of his little doll's hair when the whirr of the PCD alerts him to the fact that it's been turned on. The doll pipes up right away, in her irritating falsetto;]

Ow ow owowowow stop pulling!

I wouldn't have to pull if you hadn't let yourself get this tangled, Miss Emily.

[The ventriloquism is perfect. She continues;]

Help! Please! If someone on the network can hear meeee-

Don't be silly, Miss Emily, you couldn't live with anyone else. None of them would have the patience to put up with your temper or the insults you like to hurl.

Comments

[Video]

[waterbends]

[lkajsf she is dying.]

Break, what are you doing?

[Video]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

I'm combing Miss Emily's hair.

SAVE ME KATARA SAVE MEEEEE-

[Video] OH MY GOD LMAO

[waterbends]

I'm not sure she likes it! Try being a little gentler.

[alkjdfas ahahahahah.]

[Video]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

[Emily continues to scream like she's dying. Break speaks between her most vociferous wails-]

Nonsense. It's good for her.

[Video]

[waterbends]

[SHE WANTS TO BE STERN ABOUT THIS, but she's doing everything she can to keep from laughing her ass off.]

You're never babysitting my kitten.

[Video]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

Kittens don't need their hair brushed.

[Video]

[waterbends]

[... a looong pause.]

Break, that.. is just you talking in a high voice, right?

[Video]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

That's stupid!

[Emily informs her in a shrill shriek. Break's mouth doesn't so much as twitch.]

[Video]

[waterbends]

[Katara is internally keysmashing.]

You're really good at that.

[Video]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

Good at what?

[He winks.]

Shall we have tea? I think Miss Emily could use a nap.

[Video]

[waterbends]

[Katara is partially alarmed, partially amused.]

I'll be downstairs in a few minutes, if that's okay?

[Video]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

Perfect. I'll put the water on. I have a new oolong for us to try today.

[Video --> Offline]

[waterbends]

[She smiles at the screen, before cutting the feed off. It's not long before there's the whup whup whup sound of her descending from the stairs, fluffball of a kitten nestled in the crook of her elbow.]

Lu Ten decided he wanted to try some, too. I hope you don't mind.

[Offline]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

Ah, I think a little of the cream might be more his pace.

[Offline]

[waterbends]

Always full of such wisdom. What would we do without you?

[She loiters by a chair, quite unsure as to whether she should sit or not.]

Do you need any help?

[Offline]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

Come watch.

[He likes these lessons.]

Have we talked about oolong?

[Offline]

[waterbends]

[Obediently, she moves to the stove -- close enough to observe, but not so much that she's in his personal space. She likes the lessons too.]

No. We've, um. [Briefly, Katara shuts her eyes, as if that will help her remember.] We've talked about Jasmine tea, and the differences between white, green, and black teas. But not oolong specifically.

Re: [Offline]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

An oolong tea is something else entirely. It's classified as 'blue-green,' technically, but most people simply call it 'oolong.' You can distinguish them because they're curled up tight in on themselves. Feel.

[Offering her one of the little curled, crisp leaves.]

[Offline]

[waterbends]

You told me that you were a servant in a noble household before, right?

[She leans into take one of the leaves with her free hand, rolling it delicately into her palm.]

Do the leaves grow like this?

[Always so full of questions.]

[Offline]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

Mm.

[Is all he has to say about the first question.]

No, the sun curls them as they dry and dehydrate. We put them into water that is quite hot, and they'll unfurl.

The truly unique thing about oolong is that while other teas will become weaker with each up, an oolong actually improves. The third or fourth steep is usually the best.

[Offline]

[waterbends]

Did you make a lot of tea?

[There is nothing insulting or derogatory about her tone. Just gentle, earnest curiosity.]

Is it because of the way they're dried in the sun, do you think? And have these been steeped before? [She holds the leaf to the kitten; he gives it a polite but thoroughly disinterested sniff.]

[Offline]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

No, they haven't- once they're wet, they need to be used in about a day. It's a good tea for librarians.

[Offline]

[waterbends]

I hope I know as much someday about anything as you know about tea.

[She offers him the leaf back.]

[Offline]

[mister-hatter.livejournal.com]

You will.

[He promises, with a nod.]

Go get the cream and sugar?

[Offline]

[waterbends]

[She smiles openly at that, even if break can't see, ridiculously complimented.]

Alright.

[And, as promised, she retrieves them.]