Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
A/N: haha sorry if that was super weird. It sorta got weirder as I wrote it, but oh well. I thought it was cute anyways lol. Well, here's 18. Dragon! I'm so excited for this one; it's gonna be so much fun hehe
18. Dragon
What a fantastic situation! A new teashop, one of Iroh's very own! A dream come true, it truly was. This new life in Ba Sing Se had only good things to throw at the Prince and him, didn't it?
A new teashop, no more salary cuts, no more being the lesser paid employee... The customers at the old teashop had seemed to love his tea, and surely the news would be passed around quickly. He felt bad for his old boss; he'd end up losing all his customers to him. That's business, my friend, he thought, shrugging and indulging himself in a guilty smile.
Now, speaking of business, there was one matter that held priority over everything else:
What to name the new teashop.
Something eye-catching, of course. Something strong, but not overpowering. Agni forbid he scare away his customers.
Iroh sat down in a chair by one of the green tables he'd had brought into the shop. Time to brainstorm. Something earthy for these Earth Kingdom people, so as not to throw them off. Hm... Earthy Blends? Agni, no. What an awful name! Perhaps... Jade Leaves? Jade Leaves... No, he couldn't imagine anyone saying, "Hey everyone, let's go to Jade Leaves!" That wouldn't do at all.
He stood up and took to pacing, a terrible habit that he discouraged very much, and always scolded Zuko for doing, though he couldn't help himself. His thoughts drudged along slowly, and a half hour later he'd still come up with nothing satisfying.
Iron Maiden? Hm... where have I heard that before? He shook his head, tossing the idea aside.
Perhaps he should use something more personal. Well... he was the Dragon of the West, so there was Dragon. And something about tea... His favorite tea was jasmine...
"That's it!" he exclaimed, pounding his fist on the counter.
Scuffled footsteps preceeded a frazzled-looking Zuko pulling aside the green curtain of the doorway. "Uncle, what happened?" he asked, his eyes predatory in the way they raked over the teashop.
Iroh blew out a breath and smiled. "Nothing, Prince Zuko, I just dropped something. Go back to bed."
Zuko glanced at his Uncle, then at his feet, seeing nothing on the floor. Nevertheless, he responded, "Be more careful. I thought something... Nevermind. Good night, Uncle."
Iroh blinked slowly, letting his mind begin to slow down. The Jasmine Dragon... it was perfect. Now, time for a good night's sleep, and he'd get the sign built in the morning.
