You Can't Go Home [Open]

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

When she wasn't with Zuko, Mai needed to find something to do that wasn't throwing knives at the wall. Even that got boring after a while. You could only practice so much before your muscles decided you needed to do something else. So, she'd taken up simply wandering through the city. It was decent exercise and she was less likely to run into people who wanted to ask her stupid questions. Or any of the Avatar's group, for that matter. After Ozai, she'd been avoiding them. Not out of any hatred toward them, but simply because she would rather not have to explain herself if any of them wanted to know why.

So, the city had its appeal. Until she found her old family home, anyway. It was her family's manor from the Fire Nation capital, but here, it stood on a side street, in between a walled manor made of adobe, with curving, elegant archways and a squat, steely, sullen looking building that looked more like a bunker than anything else. It was also empty. She wandered the hallways and for the first time, she realized how omnipresent the servants actually had been. She had been so used to seeing them out of the corner of her eye or just passing by on some chore that they'd become part of the scenery. PArt of the house.

Without them, it was strangely empty and quiet.

The garden was there, of course. As immaculate and well-trimmed as the last time she remembered seeing it (who or what kept it from overgrowing and becoming a disaster area was a mystery). The furniture was there, too. A bit dusty, but otherwise in perfect condition. She slowly settled onto a couch on a balcony that overlooked the street. Back home, the Fire Nation Palace was just across the street - she could see it in her mind's eye - and it had been a point of pride for her family that they had a town-house that close to the Fire Lord. It showed royal favor, her mother had told her once. Which was why her father had become governor of New Ozai, of course.

She slumped back against the cushions, feeling oddly homesick for the first time in a long, long while.

"Figures. I can't escape my parents, even when they're in slimy pods..."

Comments

[whining-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Rarity raised an eyebrow and entered the house, looking over at the architecture of the place. It wasn't as colourful as The Carousel Boutique but the red and gold did contrast pretty nicely.

She climbed the stairs and met the girl at the balcony. "The decor and colour of this house is very unique. I like the fact that even though a few colours are used, it contrasts pretty nicely!"

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

Her life had just gotten so much weirder. Well, compared to how weird it already was. She shrugged and flopped onto the couch carelessly. "Blame my parents. They're the ones who decided to imitate the Royal Family."

[whining-unicorn.livejournal.com]

"Well, it seems like the royal family from your world has very good taste." Rarity replied as she walked up to Mai and extended a hoof. "I'm Rarity."

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

Mai just stared for a moment and then turned her attention back to the street without bothering to extend a hand. Did it really expect her to shake a hoof?

"I'm Mai."

[whining-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Rarity was a little upset and offended that the girl did not return the greeting. She looked at her pristine hoof and set it back down to the ground. "My hoof isn't dirty if that's why you aren't shaking it. I have to keep them clean so the garments I work with won't get soiled."

She then took a good look at Mai and the irritation that she had was soon replaced by her inner fashionista's fascination with her unique looking hair buns. "That is an interesting hairstyle! How do you do it?" The unicorn's eyes were almost twinkling with sheer glee.

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

"Whatever," Mai droned. Let it (her) get offended. It wasn't like Mai cared. She gave Rarity a long look and then raised a hand to brush at her bangs. It took effort to keep her hair styled in this sort of environment.

"I have to work at it. It's not like I have servants here."

[whining-unicorn.livejournal.com]

"Servants? How lucky! I wish I had some extra hands for help too." Rarity glanced at the hair buns with a puzzled look.

"I only know braids and elaborate coifs. Could you show me how it's done please?"


(OOC: Would Mai reject her? I don't know how to continue the RP if Rarity gets rejected.)

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

_{[[OOC: Well, it's Mai. She's not exactly... friendly.]]}

Mai gave Rarity a blank look, "It's just hair. It's not that important."

[whining-unicorn.livejournal.com]

"Just hair?!" Rarity gasped with exaggeration. "Hair is one of the most important things that make a pon- I mean a person. It symbolizes one's character and spirit!" The unicorn was absolutely hamming it up now.

((OOC: Yeah... Should Rarity just leave or use her unicorn charm? XD))

Sorry for the delay. :x

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

"...it's hair. It grows back if you cut it off. It's not that important."

Then again, Mai saw very little as actually being important, so Rarity should probably take that with a grain of salt.

No worries!

[whining-unicorn.livejournal.com]

"Not important?!" Rarity could just faint right now and she plopped down on the nearest chair as gracefully as she could.

[knifeurrib.livejournal.com]

"It's just hair," Mai rolled her eyes. Why was the... pony.. being so dramatic? She brushed herself off and turned to lean against the railing to regard Rarity with an un-amused (and unimpressed) expression.