InsaneJournal

Okay he's kind of hot.
Who: Jubilee, Ty Lee, Mai, Kitty, Zuko, Iroh
What: shopping for London, random paffing, and escaping to the tea shop
When: Thursday morning-ish.
Where: Wal-mart and then the Jasmine Dragon
Status: Complete!
Rating: PG-13 for lewd gestures



Jubilee had dragged Kitty with her to the store, with Ty Lee and Ty Lee's friend. She wanted backup because she knew nothing about Mai, and just in case Azula was there. Azula hadn't been, but hey, sharing friends is made of awesome, right? Right. For her part, Kitty eagerly agreed. She wanted a dose of normalcy after the past week. Her face still had evidence of her fight. Which she'd already described a dozen times to Jubilee, who was always eager to hear it again.

Mai wasn't eager to hear the story again, and didn't particularly care how 'awesome and cool' it was that the curly-haired doe-eyed genius girl had managed to get involved in an underground fighting ring. Ty Lee, on the other hand, thought the story was riveting, and that Kitty was the bravest girl, ever.

But Ty Lee was eager to hear about anything at all that wasn't the Olympics or the long plane flight that was dangling over her head. She'd probably have asked Kitty to repeat a story about knitting a scarf, at this point.

"I'll tell it again, later. It's really not a big deal, and it was stupid." Kitty folded her arms, "And we're here to shop, and you're lucky you have me because I know what you need to survive a month in London."

Jubilee looked grateful, "The Hotness bows to your superior wisd---brains." Not wisdom. She pretended to ignore the odd look Kitty shot at her.

Was wisdom a word they weren't supposed to be saying today? Ty Lee gave Jubilee a questioning look, while Mai pretended she wasn't at all interested in some very girly smelling shower soap. It smelled nice, and she wondered what Zuko would think if he smelled it on her.

Not that he would even talk to her after Japan, but still.

"We'll bow to your wisdom, too," Mai finally said, in her usual monotone. She didn't really care if they were avoiding the word. She glanced at Ty Lee, who gave her a brief scolding look, and smirked a bit, "Ty Lee needs all the help she can get. We can't be there to babysit her."

Zuko's brain would probably cease up. Jubilee grabbed it and threw it in the cart, "I know that look. You're thinking of a guy. The Hotness knows!"

Kitty smirked a little, "You'll want that kind of thing for London anyway." She started to lead them through the store, pointing out things that might be useful or fun while overseas. At least it was England and not Mexico. Some of the supplies would be different. As it was, hair products? Filled up the cart. Because rain.

"Whatever," Mai sighed, then smirked down a bit as the shower soap made its way into the cart. She wasn't thinking about a guy, and the Hotness was way too bouncy and upbeat for her, like Ty Lee on crack. Which was a very disturbing thought.

"It's totally for a guy," Ty Lee giggled, then elbowed Mai a bit and grinned at Jubilee. She pulled out her cell phone and pulled up a picture of Zuko from their recent Japan trip, "See? She went out on a date with him, but then they were both stupid about it."

Mai narrowed her eyes at Ty Lee, then decided to become very interested in a nearby bottle of hairspray.

Jubilee just smirked. She knewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww that look. She got it herself sometime. Kitty decided to help Mai out and was going to tease Jubilee about that girl she dreamed about..well okay, first, "Okay he's kind of hot." She glanced at Mai, "Being stupid about guys is my forte, what did you do?"

Relieved, Jubilee picked out a few things for herself. She'd seen the look in Kitty's eyes. The Hotness had been about to get it dished out.

What did SHE do? That was rich. HE had put his fist through a wall. How romantic. Mai sighed, and put the bottle of hairspray down, "I didn't do anything. He's an idiot."

Ty Lee helpfully added, "He doesn't understand her whatevers. I keep telling him to learn her whatevers, but he won't do it!"

"He doesn't need to learn my whatevers. He just needs to stop being an ass." Mai was bored. Wal-mart was boring. She pulled out one of her little knives and started spinning it around on her finger, "Weren't we shopping?"

"Yeah, that's your problem. Men are going to be asses no matter what we do. So we can push them away," Kitty tossed some more things in the cart, then added. "Or we can accept the assitude and work around it. "

Jubilee tilted her head, "You don't have the best track record with working around it, Kit Kat."

"Shut up."

"It's not really about working around it," Ty Lee frowned, "You just ... Well, you look past it. The assitude is a well crafted mask, and you have to find the way underneath it."

Mai's lips thinned into a line, "How observant. I'm sure Zuko has a soft, squishy side. Somewhere deep within him. In his balls."


Jubilee glanced at Ty Lee, pretty sure her friend was talking about Azula there, and not Zuko. At least when it came to masks. She struggled to not actually say anything.

Kitty snerked, "Was he a gentleman?"

Mai shrugged a shoulder, "I guess."

Meanwhile, Ty Lee had found the makeup aisles and was squeeing over new nailpolish colors and travel cosmetics. Mai's situation was complicated and she had nothing more to add on the subject. As far as she was concerned, the ball was in Zuko's court.

"Don't leave the ball in his court, without him knowing that the ball is in his court. For all he knows you never want to see him again." Kitty walked into the makeup aisle, "Okay. I'll admit I'm at a loss here."

Jubilee rolled her eyes, "This is my domain, ladies. Line up. I'm gonna color us ALL up in this house!"

"Jubes, look, summer nailpolish colors! ORANGE!" Ty Lee bounced over to them with her hands filled with extremely bright nailpolish colors, so excited that anyone who'd heard her would think she had rare gold or diamonds in them, instead.

Kitty's advice to Mai, however, made Mai want to rip her own ears off. Mainly because it was probably true, and she wasn't sure what she wanted to do about it. It'd actually been a difficult adjustment, being here on her own without anyone giving her a schedule or orders. Azula's demands were much smaller than her own mother's had been.

She could call Zuko and set up a date for every day this week if she wanted to. She blinked her eyes a bit as she realised that, then settled her face back into its normal expression as she watched Ty Lee bounce around. Those weren't ladylike colors.

"Orange clashes with anything," She muttered, disapprovingly.

That tack might actually work, if Mai went through with it.

Jubilee was shaking her head, "No no no, it totes doesn't! It's like...it goes with anything. Did you find eye makeup? Some eyeshadow! Yellow blush!" She squeed.

Kitty looked at Mai as if to say 'god rest our souls.'

Mai shared the look with her. Maybe curly-haired genius girl wasn't so bad.

Ty Lee squeed, "I KNEW you'd like it! And look, pink eyeshadow!"

Jubilee bounced in place. Like a little vibrating person about ready to explode, "AWESOME! CART! NOW!" Then she turned on Kitty and Mai, advancing.

Kitty backed into a display, and was trapped.

"For you, Kit Kat...We'll go with blue and cooler colors!"

Ty Lee helped out bringing Jubilee a selection of blue eyeshadows!

Mai looked at Jubilee, little blade still spinning around her finger. It was the look of 'come near me and I will cut you'.

Paff! A display of colorful light came out of Jubilee's hands, and she flailed, sending makeup packages flying every where!

Both Mai and Ty Lee bounced back a bit at the fireworks display, though Ty Lee looked far more in awe of it than Mai did. Mai looked for a moment like she was going to attack something, but it's not like you can stab some colorful lights in the air.

"That was ... how did you do that!?" Ty Lee asked, amazed.

"Uhm. I keep them up my sleeves!" Sayeth Jubilee, who was wearing a skimpy tank top. Kitty eyed her like 'I will strangle you for doing that.' She grabbed her wrist, "Okay, lets get out of here before someone asks questions? Just get all of the make-up!"

Surveying the situation, Mai quickly tucked the blade back into her own sleeves, which were very billowy and went down to her wrists.

At the mention of buying ALL the makeup, Ty Lee went ahead and toss it all into her cart, "We're SO prepared for London now!"

Jubilee threw up her arms in triumph, only to paff some more. She quickly stuffed her hands under her arm pits. Kitty? Started moving, quickly.

They were in public, and Jubilee seemed to have lost control over her powers. Something had occured to Kitty, and it was a little distressing. Somehow she had to find a way to help Jubilee control her powers before the olympics. There was no way they could risk her accidentally paffing during her set, or on the victory stand.

Maybe it had to do with the excitement.

She was going to need to talk to Moira.

"Time to go," Mai muttered, while heading out of the aisle. Reading the situation - or at least Kitty's reaction to the situation - she understood that whatever was going on was leading to the possibility that they were going to be in trouble. She darted down an aisle that the other girls weren't heading down, and caused a bit of a ruckus by knocking over a display on accident. She'd circle around and meet them later.

"When were you going to tell me that you could make awesome pretty lights!?" Ty Lee demanded, while they headed away. She watched Mai peel off, but figured she'd just forgotten something she'd needed.

Terrible trouble. Test subject trouble. Kitty nodded her head at Mai as the girl peeled off. She was good people, she knew what to do to help. She could respect that.

Jubilee shook her head, and made a shushing sound. She'd come to the same realization as Kitty and had paled. Kitty glanced at Ty Lee, "We'll explain in the car, for now lets get out without being noticed."

"Oh... well alright," Ty Lee shrugged, kept her head down, and started heading for the exit. She heard a ruckus down the other aisles somewhere, and decided that that's what Mai must have run off to do. Maybe they WERE in trouble. Mai was always so much better at that.

Mai circled around the main aisle of the Walmart and subtley tripped a guy walking in the opposite direction. He fell into another display and dropped his items. She took the time to apologize for that, mentioning how clumsy she was, before cutting through the clothing section and heading for the front.

If anything, the Wal-mart cops would take her in for questioning, since she was obviously acting suspicious. Which was fine, because she had a father with diplomatic immunity, bitches.

Kitty wheeled the cart up to a self check out, and started to scan things, not really paying attention to price, though she quipped, "Tell me you have Azula's credit card."

Jubilee tried to help, but kept her hands in her pits. So she helped by hopping from foot to foot making a worried whine. Mai needed to hurry up, Kitty was almost done checking out. She swiped in some sodas for the four of them. - diet for the gymnasts, and then said loudly, "Okay! Lets get going, I'm STARVING!"

"So let's go already," came Mai's voice, from behind the checkout area. She looked like she'd been waiting forever for her friends to arrive and was bored out of her mind.

Ty Lee wanted to know how she did that, but instead she handed Jubilee her soda, "Come on Jubes, you must be starving, too! Let's go!"

"Uh huh." She clung to that soda, like her life depended on it, and followed them out of the store. God, she couldn't go to London, like this. How do you explain FIREWORK HANDS to the Olympic Commitee? She started to hyperventilate. Kitty put a hand on her back and rubbed, "Easy. I have an idea. You'll still get to go to London."

"You promise, yo?"

"I promise, yo."

They got to the car, which was one of Azula's, naturally, and Kitty opened up the back, "Okay, lets get packed in." She was thinking about what to do. She'd have to text Moira, or call her. They needed a solution before Jubilee left. Which would have to happen after explainations.

Explanations that Mai was patiently waiting for, after having gotten in the driver's seat. Because no way was ms. sparkle jazz hands driving, Ty Lee couldn't drive her way out of a paper bag, and Kitty looked capable, but Azula didn't know her.

That pretty much left her.

Ty lee helped Kitty pack all the bags into the trunk, then gave Jubilee a big, reassuring hug, "It's all going to be okay. You have sparkles! That's ... why should that be a problem?"

Kitty got into the back with Jubilee, leaving shotgun for Ty Lee. As soon as they were underway, Kitty started to explain, "If she can't control it during her sets, or on the victory stand, there are going to be a lot of questions, that she won't be able to answer."

"Have you guys had..dreams?" Jubilee spoke up, as she clung to her soda, still.

"Oh well you know I had some," Ty Lee said, while taking the cap off her soda, "The boring one in the prison, and the one where I join the circus and walk on my hands on a tightrope, and the one where Azula needs boy advice..."

From the driver's seat, Mai remained quiet. Where was she headed? Uncle Iroh's Tea House.

It was her idea of a safe public place to go when your friend's bff was making fireworks out of her hands. Iroh wouldn't call the cops, anyway.

Kitty whipped out her phone, txting Moira MacTaggert. Because she was working on something and while this wasn't an emergency, it did need a resolution before Jubilee went onto an airplane. Long as she could contain herself through security, she'd be fine from there.

Zuko, meanwhile, had no knowledge of the impending estrogen brigade.

"Okay..so..." Jubilee spoke up a bit, "I didn't just dream about being a vampy. Before that I was a mutant. I made fireworks with my hands. Then I started doing it for reals. I can't control it and it's like...random!"

"Ooh!" Ty Lee said, with the tone of voice like that explained everything just fine, "That sounds like ... well I had those dreams about learning how to block Chi, and remember we practiced that a bit? I learned that from my dreams! Sometimes it doesn't work, though."

Mai, being the helpful cold hearted bitch that she was, didn't call Zuko and warn him of their arrival, either. But Hey, maybe he'd feel her coming, and shiver a bit in terror.

It did feel like someone was walking across Zuko's grave. He shivered, and looked out the window with narrow eyes for a moment, before shrugging a shoulder. He bent back over his laptop, as he did Fire General stuff. Which is a technical term.

"Kit Kat can go through walls."

Kitty shot a dirty look at Jubilee, "Don't ask me to do it on command, it still takes effort and still doesn't always work when I want it to."

"Yeah, it's still awesome though!" With her soda, and some candy she'd snuck into the cart, Jubilee was starting to feel better. Kitty had a handle on things.

"You all sound crazy," Mai muttered from the front seat. When did Ty Lee become some kind of ninja, anyway? Walking through walls? Fireworks on command? Flame didn't just appear out of nowhere, that was stupid.

From the backseat, Ty Lee shot Mai a look, "I know it sounds crazy, but Azula can make fire! We were... uhm," she eyedarted, "Talking very heatedly in her bedroom one time, and she lit her pillow on fire, then made it go away. She said she 'bent' it. At the circus, there were people who could do the same thing."

"Talking very heatedly," Jubilee started laughing, like that was one of the most hysterical things she'd ever heard! Then she grew pale, "Azula..controlling fire? That's...that's a terrifying idea!"

Kitty had to agree with Jubilee.

"Well she hasn't done it since, but..." Ty Lee frowned, "It kind of is, yes. But don't tell her I said that!"

She especially eyed Mai when she said that, but she had little to fear from her other housemate, who simply shrugged a shoulder and pulled off the freeway.

"She'd destroy everything in her path," came her response, after the turn had been successfully completed.

Kitty summoned up her strength, and then pushed her hand through the back of the seat, and Mai's chest. She waved at Mai, then pulled it back, and exhaled. It really was like flipping a coin on whether or not it would work.

Meanwhile, over at the Jasmine Dragon Tea House, Uncle Iroh cleared out one of the private tatami rooms, and started setting out tea and cakes.

Zuko looked at him like he was crazy.

There were few things in this world that really rattled Mai, and seeing someone's hand warp through her chest while trying to drive was probably one of them. The car swerved momentarily, before she got ahold of herself, then responded, "Congratulations. You're the first person to touch my heart."

Ty Lee laughed.

Jubilee snickered, then covered her mouth. She really shouldn't laugh about that. Kitty did however, "What about this Zuko guy? He that inept?"

Mai sighed. It was complicated, and she didn't want to have words about it. Maybe she'd never learned the right language to even speak about things like this. It was entirely possible. Every time she tried, she couldn't find anything to say. So finally, as she pulled into the Tea House and parked, she whispered, "Whatever."

It was the 'It's complicated and I don't know how to deal with this' whatever, and Ty Lee leaned over to pat her on the arm, "It's okay, Mai. I'm sure he loves you, too."

"God, seriously. Leave it alone, alright?!"

Ty Lee sniffled, and withdrew her hand.

Mai almost looked like she felt bad.

Kitty felt a little awkward. She cleared her throat, and then got out of the car. There had been pain in that whatever, and a little bit when Mai snapped at her friend. It told her there was certainly more to the girl than was immediately obvious.

Zuko was screwed. If he was like a lot of the men Kitty had met in her life. Not all, but many of them. He wouldn't be able to see through the surface to the complicated girl underneath.

Not for the first time, Kitty realized she had a small thing for asian women. She snerked at herself as Jubilee slid out of the car, and tried to paff. Things seemed to be fine, at least for now.

Ty Lee was sadly in Kitty's camp over the whole thing, but instead of trying to encourage Mai to be different, she'd been trying to encourage Zuko to put in the effort.

It hadnt really worked out, and to be honest, she felt like her whole world was falling apart at the worst possible time. Azula had been colder than ice when they'd got up that morning, Mai and Zuko were on the fritz again, and her other bff was freaking out about sparkles. She didn't know how to deal.

So she bounced out of the car like she was on the world's biggest sugar high, gigantic smile on her face, and prepared to face the world.

"Oh, it's Uncle Iroh's place!"

Mai got out of the car, stony-faced, and nodded, "It's a safe place to go."

She headed inside, slowly, like she was walking through thicker and thicker mud with every step forward.

Azula had her reasons, and might even talk to her about them, some time. Maybe not tonight, or tomorrow, but she would. It was a defensive mechanism, like Mai's 'whatevers'. Of course she wasn't here to argue or defend herself, but she had given Ty Lee her card and the car, so despite the icy morning, she still cared, on some level. It was something to hold on to.

Zuko looked up from his computer, his face growing a little paler. That was the first and last person he wanted to see. She always threw his emotions for a loop, just by being in the same room. He tried to read her expression. Looking for anything, hoping for anything.

Jubilee hugged onto Ty Lee knowingly, and whispered something in her ear. Maybe an 'it's all right.' or some other reassurance.

Kitty followed Mai inside, smiling as she entered. She liked this place. It was calming, and soothing. She was probably going to become a regular.

"I have seen many things in my long years, but I did not think that I would see an old friend of mine walk in here with such a collection of people!" Iroh exclaimed, while waving at Kitty. He spotted Mai behind her, and smirked a bit. This was going to be an interesting day for Zuko.

Mai waved her hand at the old man, "We need a private booth."

Iroh clapped her on the shoulder, then got bowled over by a hug from Ty Lee. After Ty Lee was done hugging the stuffings out of the elder man, he smiled and motioned towards one of the booths, "You already have one."

"Of course we do," Mai said, politely, but with an edge of sarcasm to her tone. She tried not to look like she was looking around for Zuko.

"An old friend? We've met once!" Kitty said, laughing. She looked forward to some nice tea, it has been a weird day. The fact that there was a booth already set up for them didn't seem to phase her, but she'd had weirder days.

She slid in, pulling Jubilee with her.

Zuko, meanwhile, was trying to catch Mai's eye without looking like he was doing so. Jubilee casually put a foot out, causing Mai to trip.

In one fluid motion, Zuko was out of his seat, flipped and caught Mai.

Kitty gave her a fistbump under the table.

Somehow or other, Ty Lee did, too. It was a triple-bro-fist. No pervert.

The flip was impressive, and Mai was certainly not expecting that, just like she hadn't been expecting herself to trip like that. She wasn't even sure what she'd tripped ON, and she felt like an idiot, but somehow being in Zuko's capable arms made it all right.

She blushed a bit, and snuggled in for a few seconds, before putting the normal face back on. She looked up at him with steely eyes and mumbled, "Couldn't wait to touch me, I see."

The tone, however, wasn't all that steely at all.

Iroh looked on approvingly from behind them, smiled, and went back to his desk to take care of ... alright, let's face it, he's gone to play more Diablo 3.

Well we like it when the lesbians get fisty. No one is going to complain about that.

The tone was the reason he didn't drop her like a hot potato. He in fact held her a little tighter, swallowing nervously. He wanted to kiss her instead saying, "So what brings you ladies here?"

Kitty leaned over, grinning at Ty Lee and Jubilee, whispering, "They're adorable."

Afraid that Kitty would jinx it, Ty Lee shoved a tea cake in her mouth. The second Mai heard anything about her or Zuko being anything close to adorable, she just knew, things were going to be all over.

"Ty Lee's friends are super hero aliens," Mai stated, matter-of-factly. She wanted to kiss him, or put her hand on his face, but they were in public. Maybe she shouldn't be acting like this in public. This wasn't the way ... that was her mother's voice in her head, and her mother could suck it.

She put a hand on Zuko's cheek, "Do you do front-flips for all the ladies, or just me?"

"Mmph." Kitty chewed on the tea cake, and gave Ty Lee an amused look.

Zuko shut her up, by pressing his lips against Mai's, the way he'd wanted to every day since they'd gotten back from Japan. If he wanted to be honest with himself, they way he'd wanted to ever since they'd broken up.

He wanted to get his kisses in, before they started tearing each others' hearts out again.

From the private booth, Ty Lee suddenly put a tea cake in her OWN mouth to keep from high-pitched squealing, because THAT WAS ADORABLE and she was so happy for her friends. She eyedarted and then grinned at Kitty a bit, while hugging onto Jubes.

Mai, at this point in time, was going to just forget the world existed beyond the two of them. It was easier that way, for the both of them. The less she thought about the outside world, the more she wanted to kiss him, and for once she just let herself.

Zuko's heart hurt. That was the only way to describe it. He didn't know how he was going to be able to handle this, all over again. Or how she could handle him, for that matter. He knew he'd hurt her. But he put the thought out of his mind, and just enjoyed her taste and the feel of her body.

Mai just didn't understand why a kiss like this meant they had to be together. It maybe wasn't even that she didn't want to be with him, because she did. But why did it have to be that way? Why did it seem to her like he always assumed it did?

She stopped thinking about that, and wrapped an arm around him. People were surely staring. Let them stare.

Iroh wasn't staring, but he WAS watching every so often from his office and sipping his tea with a very satisfied expression on his face.

Why would you kiss someone if you didn't want to be with them? He didn't want to assume, it's just how he felt - he wanted to be with her. But he wasn't going to fall for it again. So he kissed her like he thought he might never get to kiss her again.

If he wasn't careful, he was going make her have an actual feel.

Well, he wasn't being careful at all, now was he?

He certainly wasn't, and it was very much having the effect of making her feel things. There might have even been a tear.

He gave that bitch feelings! Bitches love feelings!

Kitty was resisting the urge to slow clap. She really wanted to, but it was a touching, adorable scene. She shared a grin with the other two girls, and sipped her tea. She patted Jubilee on the arm, "Moira has something that'll help you out. So you'll be fine in London."

Jubilee sat back in relief, and whispered, "We need to figure out a way to get them to like the ladies room, yo."

"What do you mean, the ladies room?" Ty Lee whispered, while pouring herself some tea, "Zuko's a boy and ... well it doesn't look like she needs to use one right now..."

Mai had finally broken off the epic, emotional kiss, when the feelings got to such a point of conflict within her that she felt like her heart was being cut up. But she didn't pull away, and didn't ruin the moment with words.

Jubilee just made finger go into O of her fingers to demonstrate why she meant the ladies room. Kitty snickered.Meanwhile, Zuko just rested his forehead against Mai's, and said nothing.

Ty Lee's MOUTH went into an O, and she blushed crimson. After which, she became very interested in her tea. Mai smiled a bit, then nuzzled her head against his. Unable to really find words that wouldn't completely ruin this, she stapped away, and pointed her thumb in the direction of her waiting friends. Like she should probably go sit with them, even though one was hyperactive and the other one had put a hand through her chest. And why was Ty Lee blushing like that?

"Yeah, uhm..you go do that." Zuko eyed her a moment. There was a tension in the air between them that he hadn't noticed in the past. Maybe he'd gotten through, maybe he hadn't, but he should at least try to pursue this, "Can we talk later?"

"You have my phone number," Mai replied, with a tone that implied he could have called or texted it a million times since they'd last parted. She waved her hand at him, and headed to her booth.

"I meant in person," He replied dourly, then stormed off, to return to his other job. The one not involving tea. Women. He'll never understand them.At that point Kitty started clapping, joined by Jubilee who whistled loudly!

Mai ducked her head, but her eye caught him storming off like she'd said something, again, to make him put a fist through the wall. Men. They were idiots.

Ty Lee poured Mai a cup of tea and handed it to her, "They thought you were going to have sex in the bathroom!"

Kitty started laughing, grabbing onto her sides. These girls? Were awesome.