I've been in a bit of an Avatar the Last Airbender kick this past week.
Writing this has been on my mind and I couldn't put it off.
The trouble all started on a Thursday. For her, that was nothing new. It wasn't even mildly surprising. No what she found surprising wasn't that there was trouble but what the trouble was and how early on Thursday it happened.
That Thursday, it all happened just after midnight. So it was Thursday morning in late August . She had just returned to her room after a shower, smiling while she felt refreshed from shaving and washing away the sweat and dead skin from the previous day.
She hadn't really done much the previous day. Just finished re-watching book one of Avatar the Last Airbender. Which she followed up with playing a little Dragon Age: Origins. She had chosen the human mage origin. She had decided that that was the closest she would get to being a bender.
Sweat had come from the heat of the day. Wednesday's temperature was in the eighties. She was not a fan of warmer days and had windows open with fans on within them. Though it didn't help much.
After the shower she had pulled on something simple, a black sports bra and panty set, a white tank top and black capri leggings. She also took the time to put her earrings back in for she never bathed in them. She kept a silver ball stud in her right ear and a crescent moon dangled from her left ear.
Humming to herself, she hoped that Thursday was going to be a good day as she applied minty lotion to her feet. As she did she noticed a scratch on the top of her right foot. It had been there since the previous Thursday. She could not, for the life of her, remember how it happened.
But she shrugged it off, turned out the light and crawled into bed.
However, sleep did not come.
So she sat up in the dark and braided her hair. She had thick, naturally blonde locks. Her hair was straight and prone to knotting. It was also quite long. She tended to do very little with it. Washed it every other week, used a shower cap to keep it dry during regular showers, didn't use heating tools, brushed it once a day.
After securing the braid she laid back again. She yawned, tired. Closing her eyes she rolled from her back onto her side. Her mind was being unusually resistant to sleep.
Groaning, she shifts on her bed. Pulling blankets on, pushing them off again, laying on her stomach, burying her face against the stuffed animal she'd slept with since infancy. None of it worked. Angry, she pushed her stuffed animal away from her and moved so her head was at the foot of her bed.
Her bed was a full sized mattress and box spring with no sheets. Though it did have three comforters and two thin pillows. The mattress was deep and firm. But it wasn't too firm. She loved her bed. Thought it was probably time to flip the mattress as a dip had formed from her favoring one spot on it.
She wasn't going to think about doing that. No it was a warm night and she blamed that for her inability to sleep. Bitterly she wished that she were somewhere cooler.
After a little while she did manage to fall asleep. As she did though it felt as though she was falling literally. Just falling and falling and falling. And she dreamt that she was falling through a moonless sky. Star twinkling around her.
She didn't know how long she was asleep, but when she awoke she had a splitting headache. Her bed felt a little like hardwood floors in winter, cold and hard. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and groaned. Usually only her left shoulder would hurt. That was from her folding her left arm under her pillow before twisting her body to get comfortable. Now she was sore all over her body.
Opening her eyes she felt her heart beat faster as panic and confusion built within her.
She was no longer in her room.
It wasn't speculation from just waking up either. No she knew that she wasn't in her room. Her room was fairly neat with her bed, a metal desk, a small bookshelf that overflowed with books and a small entertainment center that she used for the storage of random things. She also had clothes lying around carelessly. Okay, maybe it wasn't that neat after all.
The room she was in was dimly lit from the door being open just a crack. But she could see enough to tell that the room was entirely some kind of dark metal. She could also see that the room was a mix of a storage closet and a pantry.
Taking deep breaths, she stood and pat her body to idiotically make sure all of her was there. She found herself in one piece. Looking down at herself she furrowed her brow and noticed something odd about herself and the room around her.
Everything was cartoony. Really cartoony. Even her.
As she looked down at herself, she gasped. She never realized how pale she was. Even in the faint red glow of the light from the hall, she looked a little sickly. The scratch on her foot was still there but it looked softer. Her left leg retained the light diagonal scar just above her ankle that she had gotten after dropping a knife.
She made her way to the door and opened it to use the polished metal as a mirror. He face was heart shaped with youthfully delicate features, round vividly crystal blue eyes and slightly full, soft looking lips.
Her figure, usually, was small. She was thin with a tiny curve to her figure, like a tiny undefined hourglass figure waiting for her hips and bust to come in. Her hips and chest were narrow and small. The reflection in the door, while it did have her features, to her it looked like someone took Toph from Avatar and drew her a little taller replacing her face with a variation of maybe Ty Lee's face and a round version of Katara's eyes. Or something like that.
As she gawked at herself in the door, she didn't hear someone coming down the hall. She didn't even notice them talking as they noticed her until after she felt a large, masculine hand touch her left shoulder. Surprised by it, she screamed.
The sound that left her mouth was feminine and loud but at the same time it almost sounded inhuman. Almost.
The person turned her to make her face them before clamping their hand over her mouth. The action silenced her and she stared wide eyes. The hand covering her mouth was large and the person was careful that they didn't cover her small nose.
She breathed deeply to try and calm herself as she stared at the person. Their lips were moving, but she couldn't make out the words. She was too busy breathing. The person was a man. He appeared to be middle aged. Between the mid-thirty to late-forty age range, maybe. It was hard for her to guess. He was fair skinned with golden, maybe more like bronze eyes and graying brown hair. He wore a black and red uniform and looked like something out of Avatar, and not the James Cameron movie with the blue people.
"I apologize for frightening you. I merely meant to get your attention." He told her kindly once she calmed down. Then he took his hand off her face.
"Oh... Uh, it's okay? I was distracted..." She trailed off, looking at her feet. Her bare feet... they looked so dainty as a cartoon.
"Don't think I've seen you before. Pretty sure I would remember hair like this if I did. - " He reached up and gently touched the braid that laid over her right shoulder. "- You a stowaway or something?" He asked curiously while dropping his hand to his side.
"Or something... I'm not entirely sure how I got here." She answered honestly, leaving out how she didn't entirely know where here was. And she didn't think it wise to say that it was looking like she'd been spirited away from home by some being and left in a show that she loved.
"Ah. Either way I'm afraid to say that I still have to take you to the young man running this ship. Can't say he'll be pleased to see you." He informed her as it sounded as though a stampede was on it's way to them.
"I understand. We should probably hurry. sounds like my scream started a mob."
He nodded and directed her up to the deck. Most of the walk was in silence with her looking at the floor. They passed several men , all of whom stared at her curiously. That made her uncomfortable and she freed her hair from the braid so she could arrange it over her chest and around her shoulders to feel less exposed.
"So... What's your name?" She asked after a while. She became sick of the silence and worrying about being stared at.
"Hm? Oh, I'm Ren. And you are?" He asked in turn while looking at her out of the corner of his eye as the walked side by side up some stairs.
"I'm... uh... I'm... Oh holy fuck!" She swore loudly as they stepped onto the deck. Her eyes went wide and she stared in front of her.
The sight before her proved what she hadn't wanted to voice. She was in Avatar the Last Airbender and in front of her a certain scarred prince with a black, silky looking ponytail was practicing his firebending in a red and black uniform like Ren's with two helmeted men also in the uniform while his tea loving uncle watched. Only after she swore, they turned their attention to her.
"Um... Don't mind me?" She said questioningly in a small voice. Her cheeks tinted pink as the prince scanned her curiously with his harsh gold eyes. Beside her, Ren raised an eyebrow at her.
"Such crude language..." Iroh stately softly. He was an older man, a bit round all over. Yet strangely childlike and wise. She always looked up to this character for being comfortable as he is.
"Nevermind the language Uncle! Who are you!? And what are you doing on my ship?!" The prince demanded raspily, narrowing his eyes and storming towards her. He had to lean down a bit to hold eye contact with her as she face was level with his throat. Which she would have laughed about but he was radiating heat and was known to have a temper.
"Whoa personal space! You're kinda in mine. My name is Melanie. And I don't even know how I'd gotten onto your ship." She told his defiantly before she side stepped and walked over to Iroh before saying, "I'm sorry about my language. It just slipped out."
"It's alright young lady. Melanie... Hmm, that's quite a name you have there. I am Iroh and the grumpy young is my nephew Prince Zuko. Was it you that made that unearthly noise?" He asked smiling.
"Pleasure sir. Oh... Yes that was me. Ren surprised me. I didn't even mean to make a noise like that. I bet it sounded like a spirit being tortured.." She said. It was meant like a joke. But with how Iroh stiffened she could tell he wasn't amused.
"Something like that. Zuko, that's enough practice for today. Would you join me for some tea Melanie?" When Iroh spoke she looked from her to Zuko and back again.
"Oh, I'd lov-" She started. But Zuko, fuming, interrupted.
Tea is for guests Uncle. She isn't a guest." The prince snapped, glaring at her.
"No. I guess I'm not. I'm just a girl with nowhere else to go, no family to speak of and a home that doesn't exist. But, hey, if you'd rather I left, I can always jump overboard and hope that freezing to death happens quickly." She argued, turning towards him with a defiant look in her eyes. Iroh's gaze softened.
"Oh. Uh... I... Ugh!" Zuko growled before stomping off.
"How about that tea?" Iroh asked once his nephew was gone from sight. She sighed and nodded. The former General looked at Ren and spoke, "Could you prepare a room for her?"
Ren nodded and went off in the direction Zuko had. She smiled and looked around her. The water around the ship was icy so she placed them at mid episode one. Which means that Zuko currently thought Aang was an elderly bending master. Oh how disappointed he was going to be when he saw what the Avatar really was. Funny how the Fire Prince was always overestimating or underestimating the young Avatar.
But she was pulled from that thought as a gentle hand rests on her shoulder. She jumped slightly and looked to see that it was Iroh.
"So tea? Do you have any mint? It's my favorite." She told him softly.
"Mint... Hmm I had you pegged as a chamomile girl."
"I'm not a fan of chamomile. It tastes a bit too milky to me." She informed him with a laugh. Iroh nodded and looked her over, gasping at how little she wore.
"Ah! Your clothes! Aren't you cold?" He asked before leading her swiftly inside. Outside had been cold, probably somewhere below zero. But she hadn't really noticed. Inside was warm. Not too warm that she was uncomfortable. But warm enough to chase the chill away.
"Huh? Oh, no. Just chilled. I'll be fine." She waved off she concerns and followed him to what looked, to her, to be a kitchen. She didn't really look around to be sure. No she just stood back and watched Iroh prepare the tea. He used firebending to heat the water. Then he added the tea and mint before letting it steep.
While it steeped, she watched as he got out a tray and a couple of cups. She saw his eyes glance over at something. Following his gaze she spotted a plate of... something. It looked like glazed buns to her. But she couldn't be sure
"Are you hungry?" He asked as he looked at them longingly. She smiled as he drooled a little bit.
"A little, yes. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning." She told him honestly. However, she was a little afraid of the food in Avatar. To her, it looked unappetizing. Or it was something she wouldn't eat, Like fish and rice. Though the sweets Aang and Katara ate on Kyoshi looked good.
Iroh's eyes lit up at her agreeing and he seemingly ignored her mention of when she ate last while he put some buns on the tray with the cups.
Soon Ren came in saying, "General Iroh, Melanie's room is ready."
"That didn't take long." She mumbled to herself.
"Good! Then we'll have our tea in there." Iroh grinned grinned and moved the tea pot from the counter onto the tray and went to pick it up. But Ren shook his head and took hold of it first.
"Can you lead the way, please?" She asked Ren. He nodded and lead the way up to a room. She worried as Ren went up ladders and held the tray with one hand. Then they came to a stop and Ren opened a door.
The room was small. It had a lumpy futon and a desk with a chair. It was simple and bare, but not too bad. Though she stumbled as she entered it. Swearing under her breath, she glared at the door . She really didn't get why there had to be a three inch lift to doors in ship's.
"Hmm. Was it wise to convert a weapons closet so close to my nephew's room into her room? He didn't seem too fond of her." Iroh sounded concerned. Ren set the tray on the desk and shrugged.
"There aren't many rooms that could have been seamlessly converted. This was one and another was by the crew's quarters. This seemed to be the better option, unless you wanted her in a prisoner's cell." Ren explained.
"I, for one, am okay with this. I mean, I'm no expert on naval ships but chances are this ship hasn't been to port in a while and I get the feeling I'm the only girl aboard. Uh. Yeah. I'll take my chances with the hormonal teen over the stir crazy adults. And don't worry about Zuko's feelings about me. As long as he only flings mean words at me I'll be fine." She stated, shrugging.
Ren and Iroh shared a worried look. But neither man questioned her logic. Ren then left to return to his duties. She sat on her new bed while Iroh poured their tea, leaving the door open as he took a seat at her desk.
"So tell me about yourself." He said as he handed her a cup of tea. She bit her lower lip and accepted the cup. She was trying to think of a way to explain anything about herself without sounding crazy.
She hummed thoughtfully and took a sip of her tea. It was quite minty and really nice. She decided that she would tell Iroh the truth. He was understanding, maybe he could even help her survive.
"Well... My name, my full name, is Melanie Marie Hall. It probably sounds odd here. But at home, it's not. I have a younger brother, Simon and I live with my parents. I'm aware that that contradicted what I told Zuko but stay with me. I just turned sixteen, as far as I know I am not a bender, I've never tried. I have no remarkable talents or qualities. And I don't know the first thing about fighting or self defense. Sports are unpleasant. Coordination is not my friend. My favorite color is crimson and my favorite flowers are roses..."
And on and on she went. I was like a flood gate had opened. Favorite animal, fox. Food, lemon cake. Hobby, reading or laughing at others getting hurt. What she wanted in a guy, fiery passion. Least favorite thing ever, Thursdays because it was always a bad day for her. To list a few. Then finally,
"And I'm also fairly sure that this morning I was taken or moved from my bed back home, in another world, and brought here after I wished that I was somewhere cooler. I had meant temperature not excitement level. But that's why I said I had no family or home. Also, I think Zuko is attractive but he should probably work on that temper of his."
She took a deep breath as she finished as drank her tea. Iroh stared at her, wide eyed and startled. She bit her lower lip while wondering if, maybe, she had overshared. It was possible That she should have put off saying that she was from another world. But then,
"So, you believe that the spirits brought you here? Why would they do that?"
"To prove the expression 'Be careful what you wish for' right I don't know. I only wanted it to cool down so that I could sleep."
"I see. And would you be prepared to remain here if there was no way back?" He asked while sipping his tea.
She blinked, surprised. She hadn't that about that. She hadn't even thought about going home. No, she'd been too distracted by her looks. But as she thought about it... The idea of not going home didn't bother her. Home was nice but she did have to leave it eventually. Thoughtfully she sipped from her tea.
"I'm prepared to stay, even if there is a way back. I don't know the who, what or whys of how I got here. This could be a gift. Actively trying to go home could offend someone. And for all I know my existence could have been erased from home..." She shrugged.
"Very well. You are welcome to stay with me and Zuko." Iroh smiled.
"Thank you." She smiled and grabbed a bun from the tray and took a small bite. To her surprise, it was sweet and cinnamony. Delightly with it she ate it quickly and finished her tea, rubbing her stomach happily.
Iroh laughed airily and had a bun as well as she set her cup on the tray. She leaned back against the wall contently.
They talked more as Iroh ate. He told her about Zuko's mission and she listened quietly, not mentioning anything about how she already knew. When the buns were gone, Iroh yawned and stretched. Then he stood.
"I am going to bed. Please tell my nephew to ass well before it gets too late out." He asked her. She nodded and watched him go. There was tea still in the pot, which she planned to drink later.
She stood and stretched before leaving her room. Based on her knowledge of Avatar she knew the prince wouldn't be inside. So she made her way out to him.
He was standing, looking out at the icy South. Staring intently as the ice and snow. Zuko had changed out of his uniform and into a long red robe with a brown long sleeve shirt and pants. It looked warm. The evening air was much colder than the last time she was outside. This time she actually noticed... and felt it.
"Your highness?" She said politely, trying to hold back her shivers as she tried to make nice with the banished prince. He turned to look at her. He looked calm now, tired even.
"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" He asked her simply.
"Your uncle has gone to bed and suggests that you do to, before it gets too much later." She informed her, feeling a little like a messenger.
Zuko scoffed and looked forward again. The he spoke, "So why didn't he come tell me himself?"
"I suppose he was tired. And that he wanted us to speak. Get you used to me." She answered while stepping up to stand beside him.
"And why would I need to get used to you being around?" He asked, growling slightly.
"General Iroh has given me permission to stay with the two of you. Since I have no where else to go."
"What?!" Zuko shouted. Flames burst from his hands as he balled them into fistes. She flinched as his fire licked at her arm closest to him.
"OW! What the fuck man!?" She demanded as she looked at her arm. He hadn't burned her. The flames only grazed her making her skin red and agitated. He muttered something under his breath that she couldn't quite catch.
She rolled her eyes and moved away from him. Instead of going inside, she sat on the cold metal and looked up at Zuko.
"Zuko? When you were little, did you ever pretend you were something you weren't?" She asked him suddenly, quickly adding, "Like did you ever make believe that you were your father. Or an animal. Maybe a kid that wasn't a prince?" Her voice was soft and she'd shiver from the arctic chill between words
He shed his robe and wrapped it around her while emanating heat to keep himself warm. She curled up in the robe. It smelled nice and was not only warm but soft as well.
"No. I didn't play make believe as a child. Why do you ask?" He answered calmly while sitting next to her. She laid her head on his shoulder and tucked a little of the robe between her feet and at cold metal.
"Oh. I was just curious. See, when I was a kid, I pretended to be a mermaid. That's a woman that's half human and half fish, if you didn't know. Anyway I would try to swim with just my arms while I had my ankles crossed. It was fun and easy for me while regular swimming was hard."
"And you're telling me this because...?"
"It's called bonding Zuko. I'm trying to become your friend."
"Right... Who said I wanted you as a friend?"
"Everyone needs someone, as a friend. I want you to be mine. I'll even make it easy for you. I'll tell you about myself. You don't have to talk back and you can ignore me if you'd like and anytime you'd like a one sided conversation or someone to rant to I'll return the favor. Okay?"
"Ugh. Fine." He rolled his eyes. She smiled at him and began simply.
She started with the information she had told Iroh to him. Only she left out the parts about her family, where she was from and that she found him attractive.
Zuko listened quietly as she talked. He didn't offer any input or ask any questions. But she did say that he didn't have to. So she was okay with his silence. She kept her voice calm and she talked slowly as if she was telling an infant a bedtime story.
"And even though I don't now, I used to have a family. It was just my parents, me and my younger brother. His name was Simon. There was only eleven months between our births and after he was born, mom made dad get a vasectomy. I don't know if you have those here but it's when a doctor snips the tube going from the testicles to the penis and ties it in a knot so the patient can't get anyone pregnant. But anyway, my mom liked to call Simon and I her 'happy accidents' as neither of us were planned. My dad just said that I was poor timing as mom got pregnant with me while they were still engaged and mom, wanting to actually fit her dress, moved up the wedding date. But it we asked mom about it she would say that she didn't want a baby before she was married and that they were engaged so it'd be dumb to put it off just because she 'had a parasite' growing inside of her."
She paused to take a deep breath. Zuko glanced in her direction sympathetically. He had paled during her ramblings. Her guess was at the vasectomy part.
"Why don't you have your family anymore?"
She blinked, surprised as Zuko asked the question. How was she supposed to answer that? She guessed that half the truth wouldn't hurt.
"I was taken from them... and I have no way to get back. But it's okay because I'm ready to make the best of this situation."
Her eyes welled up a little as she spoke. She didn't have a clue why though. This wasn't exactly the first time she talked about that. She raised her shirt and dabbed her eyes, not wanting to get tears on Zuko's robe.
He looked at away from her before standing. Without looking back he said, "I'm getting cold. Let's go inside."
She nodded mutely and scrambled to the feet, sliding her arms into the sleeve of the robe before her fixed her shirt. Quietly she followed Zuko in and up to the hall with their rooms. He went to his.
She blinked and went to hers. She was about to go in when Zuko poked his head out of his doorway.
"What are you doing? We aren't done talking yet."
