Twenty-five didn't feel too much different than twenty-four, not on the inside. It was the world that felt different. Though in some ways, perhaps one influenced the other, even if the change was subtle. Like the flow of chi, all connected, maybe the perception of change in the world affected the way one thought, a change in thought affected one's behavior, and the way humans behaved gently pushed the world to change... or at least feel as if it were changing. Maybe these were continual adjustments, ones you got used to over time before forgetting they occurred entirely.

No, Mei Ling thought, she was being a bit silly. She didn't forget her path. Such changes were a part of her, and every day she became a different person in a small but significant way. Of course growth was good and always welcome...

But this was different. A dark blot had made its way into Mei Ling's heart, and it seemed to build with each passing day. Though the days had become bright, warm, and beautiful, the young firebender felt as if a shade had been passed over her eyes. She no longer slept well. She took increasingly less joy in her work, which had once filled her with such pleasure. It was hard to maintain the staples of her personality - exercise, socialization, spirituality - when she felt little drive to do so. She had started feeling a sense of dread, of something bad coming over the horizon, on a nearly daily basis. Though she tried to push through these heavy thoughts, some days were harder than others.

It's why she resolved to make today a good day.

She'd taken the day off of work, so at least she didn't have to worry about the station. It had grown so weird there. Originally, she would record the goings-on and police reports, chat about current events with her coworkers, do some independent reading and scribing when she had the time. Now it seemed as if the station was a radio and someone had cranked the volume dial as low as possible. Lots of people seemed to want to talk about the goings-on of the city, but were no longer allowed to. Strictly speaking, they could talk about it amongst themselves... except that being overheard by superiors had been rewarded with a write-up, so there was that. Chief Calyang was still filling out his new boots, so he seemed to have a desire to signal strength and control, apparently even within his own ranks. It made Mei Ling start to feel a bit like she was in a cage.

Unfortunately, the press was only reporting on the most basic of facts. And the recent story, of the missing benders returning as nonbenders by all accounts, bothered Mei Ling quite a bit more than she wanted to admit. She had hoped Rohana's agony aunt column would comment on it, but the copy was conspicuously innocent of any actual substance. It had made her think about their chance meetings so many months ago - and the words that Mei Ling recalled did not give her hope compared with the current state of Rohana's column.

It was for this reason that she, dressed in a simple yellow dress that had become somewhat faded over time, visited the tea parlor that morning, the same one that had held the fateful conversation she once had with the Times writer. Her tea, black and rich with caffeine, had grown tepid as she idly nursed the day's word puzzle. Did she know Rohana might visit the same tea shop twice? No... But she did hope. Just the environment, the tea shop being associated with the older woman, gave Mei Ling a sensation of clarity. Engulfed in the light, herbal fragrances of the somewhat humid store, a glance out the window turned into a gaze as she watched the city stir.