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[whitelotustea]

Name(s): Iroh, EVERYONE [Your Ancient Runes professor is lonely and sick!]
Location: Iroh's Office
Week: 34
Time: All day on the last day of the week
Rating: PG , but subject to change for each person

Comments

[blindearthgirl]

Toph had read her journal when Professor Iroh reported that he was sick. She had felt sad and concerned for the jolly old man, so she walked over to his office to talk to him.

Iroh had really been a great professor, even though Toph had never taken his class. It was hard to take a class on ancient runes when you couldn't see said runes. Nevertheless, Toph had had some nice conversations with the old man, and he had made some tasty tea for her too.

Toph knocked on the door before entering. "Professor? Are you busy?" She could feel that he wasn't doing much, but he was sick. He could have been busy doing...sick things.

[whitelotustea]

Iroh smiled when she heard the voice of the one and only Toph Bei Fong. "Ah, there is my wonderful tea partner!" he exclaimed before releasing a deep cough. "Excuse me, I am feeling a little under the weather."

He approached an extra pot of hot water he had for visitors in case his current blend didn't appeal to the tastes of his guests. Instead of giving a cup of licorice tea to the young Gryffindor, he instead made a mix of cocoa and warm cream. "The Bei Fong Special, for the special Bei Fong," he smiled as he began mixing the ingredients, knowing that Toph would recognize what he was making from the rich smell of chocolate.

Regardless of the joy in seeing Toph, he knew that a lot of the times, she often spoke to him out of a need to talk things out. "How are things, Toph?"

[blindearthgirl]

Toph immediately smelled the rich chocolate and licked her lips. This guy really knew how to make tea and hot chocolate.

"It's been boring." It really has been. The prank that she had pulled with Harley had been a lot of fun, but things have once again slowed down. "I actually came to see you. The journal said you weren't feeling good."

Professor Iroh was like a father to her, though she probably wouldn't admit it to anyone other than herself. It was natural for her to be concerned if he wasn't well.

[whitelotustea]

Handing her the warm cup of cocoa, Iroh smiled seeing Toph's appetite pique at the rich drink.

"Boring? I hardly think things are ever boring around here. New staff, mystery journal entries, and it seems like I meet people everyday. Of course, you might have a different perspective as a student. I promise, things will get more interesting for you in a matter of years. For now, enjoy the ability to not worry about finances or job applications." He rubbed his hands on her head, avoiding the puffballs at the side. He enjoyed them, and did want to throw them askew. Of course, when he felt the dirtiness in her hair, he pulled back his hand with a small face of disgust and wiped it against a nearby handkerchief.

"Well, Miss Bei Fong, I am indeed a little sick. Although I look not so great, I am actually much better than everyone thinks. I assure you, I am not in any trouble healthwise..." Iroh paused as he noticed Toph's reaction to his illness. "Does it trouble you?"

[blindearthgirl]

Toph didn't notice Iroh's reaction to her dirty hair. She was too busy trying to drink the hot chocolate without burning her tongue.

"Maybe you're right, but it's still boring around here." Toph had listened to Iroh, but growing up seemed so far away.

"Of course it bugs me," Toph replied. "I don't know how you look, but you sure feel sluggish. How are we going to drink tea together if you're sick?"

[whitelotustea]

Iroh smiled again to see Toph's careful attempts at drinking her hot cocoa. "Try blowing onto it gently...it'll help cool it down," he advised her.

Iroh gave a smug smile Toph's way when hearing that she thought things around here were boring. "Well, it might be boring here now, but it will mean more exciting opportunities later when you graduate from here. You have only been here a little longer than I have, but do me the good favor of remaining around long enough to find the excitement you are searching for. Is that fair?" Iroh offered.

Iroh then looked to his feet, and looked back to Toph. "Is it that evident? Well, don't worry. I have some tea that's good for my cold, so we can still enjoy our drinks together. I promise!" He held Toph's hand still as it held the cup of cocoa, and clinked his glass against hers in a toast. "To drinking with friends!" He, of course, spoiled the moment with another hard cough that he hid away in his other hand.

[blindearthgirl]

"I guess that's fair." Graduation seemed like a life time away. Then again, Toph was only in her second year at Hogwarts.

Toph felt and heard how bad that cough was. "Have you tried going to the infirmary?" She hated going there, but it was better than suffering with such a bad cold. She tried blowing in her cocoa, and it helped a little to cool it down. It was still a little hot, but she liked the taste so much that she let her tongue get burned.

Wanting to try to get the subject off of Iroh's illness, Toph thought of trying to start a conversation. "How is your class going? I'd take it if I could see you know."

[whitelotustea]

Iroh could see Toph's dissatisfaction with the idea of waiting so long for her life to actually begin. "If you ever get desperately bored, I can tell you some fun war stories that might entertain you." He could already think of several tales, including when he disarmed some dark wizards completely on his own when he was only a private in the Ministry's military force

[blindearthgirl]

Toph ran her hands over the stone slab and guided her fingers along the depression that drew out the rune. It reminded her of when she was first learning to read, and instead of braille, there were raised letters of the English alphabet.

"Do you have a lot of these stone things?" Toph wasn't too interested in Ancient Runes, but she was sure that Professor Iroh could make it interesting. He always had the most interesting stories, and he always seemed to know what to say to keep your interest. "Maybe I should sign up for this class next year."

[whitelotustea]

Iroh studied Toph's intent feeling of the stone runes he had passed to her. The aged professor saw how Toph's hands, while young and gentle-looking, grazed sharp edges with great ease. It was as though her hands were calloused beyond feeling cuts, if not receiving them. He continued watching, but, seeing Toph's toughened fingertips graze over, never had to say "be careful."

"Well, Miss Bei Fong, it's funny you say that. A lot of people would probably rather not have me possess such 'stone things' considering they are actual artifacts I picked up along my journeys. There are some who want me to contribute these to some museum, but I think they are better off in the hands of the smart students here," Iroh explained. "Of course, even if I did submit them to a museum, I couldn't explain that I won some of these priceless relics in pai-sho games." Iroh laughed and tapped on the stone tablet in Toph's hands. "I got that and a plate of sweet rolls in a single game."

[blindearthgirl]

"I think you should keep them. I won't be able to look at them if they're locked away in some dusty old museum." Toph handed the tablet back to the old professor.

"Really? I didn't know you were so good at gambling. What else did you win?" She had remembered that Iroh had told her a bit about pai-sho, but he never really went in to detail about it.

[whitelotustea]

Iroh pondered the young Gryffindor's point about his collection of ancient runes. "I think I should keep them, too. If I ever had to give them up, I would sooner donate the collection to the school." He patted against the tablet as it was handed back to him. "Either way, I'm sure you will be able to access these whenever you desire."

Iroh closed his eyes and waved his hands like it was no big deal. "Oh, it was just for fun. The ones that had trouble with gambling were the ones that put up artifacts for wagers. Mostly, I would play for treats and special little prizes that would hold me over for a short time. But when it got more difficult to get by, I would often beat a manager to stay at their inn or get a warm meal."

Iroh then remembered that Toph had said something about taking Ancient Runes next year. "If you do plan on taking my class next year, I will be sure to make raised pages for handouts for you. I think I would be teaching the first and best blind student in Ancient Runes history."

[blindearthgirl]

Toph gulped the rest of her hot chocolate, which had cooled to a nice temperature where it still warmed the body, but didn't scald your tongue. "That'd be nice. I do know a spell to make the words braille. It was the first one I learned when I came here." Toph had to know that spell. Her textbooks weren't written in braille, and she had to read them somehow. Her professors also handed out homework and other assignments that were written in ink. Toph had to get her special typewriter to turn in assignments.

Toph laughed at being called the best. "Well, someone has to be the best."

Now you know he's an old man...XD

[whitelotustea]

Noticing the appetite of Toph as she finished the rest of her chocolate in fell swoop, Iroh eyed a small porcelain dish at the edge of his desk. He pulled out a small hard cardy and passed it to Toph. It was a fiery orange and smelled of fresh mandarins. "This should compliment that flavor fairly well

But he's such a lovable old man <3<3<3

[blindearthgirl]

Toph thought that Professor Iroh's little speech was a bit long winded, but he was an old guy. It was just something that they did.

Her interest in Ancient Runes had definitely increased now that she had talked to the professor. "Thanks. I'd really like that. Now I just have to wait for class sign-ups." That seemed so far away for Toph, but she was sure she could come in anytime and have a little lesson with Iroh over a cup of tea. It was nice to have such a good father-figure.

"I'll definitely have fun, professor! Except in potions. I hate potions." Toph disliked both the subject and the professor. She always felt stupid in that class because Pendragon always needed to help her identify a lot of the ingredients. It wasn't her fault that so many of them were liquid and kept in the same bottles. "At least I know I'll have fun in your class."

he hearts you back <3333

[whitelotustea]

Iroh drew a wide grin and a contented sentiment from hearing Toph's interest in his class. "Excellent! I will be sure you get in the moment you sign your name to my roster." Iroh was genuinely excited to add another interesting character to his classroom, and for it to be Toph made his anxious optimism for next year more and more evident