Korra is always somewhat surprised that Lin and Tenzin could produce such a quiet child such as Yulie. She was the poster child of all perfect children. She was quiet, disciplined, and abided by all her parents rules.
Well, at least Korra thought she did.
It had begun earlier when Bumi had decided to invite himself to the island for a 'vacation'. Iroh had been right when he described him as a bit of a 'wild' man. The moment he came close to the island he let loose a loud whoop. It was so loud they easily heard from the temple. After he finally set foot on the island they found out he'd somehow roped Iroh into the whole deal as well.
Korra figured it was a trick of the light when she saw Yulie's smile looking bigger than usual. She couldn't help but watch the young woman lead the men off to the guest rooms they'd be staying in. She looped her arms through their own and seemed to hold Iroh a lot closer than her uncle. It was probably just the sun. That was it, she was tired and the setting sun was playing tricks on her.
Korra looked back to the others though just in case one of them saw what she did. Lin was trying her hardest not laugh as she soothed her husband, who most certainly did not want to 'entertain' his brother. Then her eyes caught Kitta's gaze. The mirror image of Yulie smirked widely and winked at Korra knowingly.
The next time she saw Iroh was the next day. He was alone walking through the trees. It looked like he was looking for something as his gaze kept sweeping from one side to the other. Occasionally he'd look up in the trees or peek around a trunk. All of this only to step back confused and shaking his head.
She came up behind him and asked, "Looking for something?"
She didn't think she'd ever seen a man jump so high. The general swung around and stared at her for a minute. He began to stutter something and his eyes swept from the left to the right then up. He seemed to freeze as his eyes locked on something behind her. When she turned to look Iroh sprang back to life.
"Yes! I'm looking for something! That is to say, um. I'm looking for Koko! Thats right Koko. Have you seen her?" He shouted loudly swinging around in front of her effectively blocking her view.
"Koko? No haven't seen her," She said then added suspiciously, "Why are you looking for Koko?"
He seemed to think for a minute, "Um, well. She stole my . . . sandwich?"
That was the worst lying Korra had heard, ever. Iroh seemed to realized this and quickly excused himself. Korra was watching him speed walk away when she heard the laughter. She found Kitta behind some bushes laughing so hard she curled into a ball. Unable to get anything out of the hysterical woman she decided to go find people who weren't acting so weird.
As she was leaving the forest area she passed Yulie, "Hey, Yulie. You're twin is in there laughing herself to death."
"I'd really thought you'd be able to tell us apart by now. I'm Kitta," The twin said and a large humorous smirk appeared on her face.
Yulie did not grin like that. That twin was definitely Kitta but that would mean that the one in the woods was - nah. Kitta had to have roped Iroh and Yulie into playing a joke on her. That was it. It was all Kitta's fault.
The rest of the day seemed to go normally. Training with Tenzin and the twins went as it usually did. Yulie sprang a little too quickly from her meditations when Tenzin dismissed them but nothing other than that happened. Nothing too weird.
Dinner was also as normal as it ever was. One of the twins, she was pretty sure it was Kitta, was taunting Kanna and overall messing with the elder sister. The other was sitting between Bumi and Tenzin, presumably so no Bumi induced disturbances occurred. Iroh was looking rather awkward placed in with Tenzin's family.
Nothing weird like back at the woods or the tricks of light yesterday evening.
There is a saying something-or-other-yada-yada comes in threes. The third weird thing Korra happened to spot was late into the evening. Lin had been called back to the city to handle something or other that was going to down at the station. Kanna had been forced to go along with her mother. Tenzin and Bumi had retired elsewhere. Korra had just climbed into her bed when a faint tapping noise came from just outside her window.
"Psst!" and urgent whisper drifted in.
Korra walked to her window, slowly opened it, and came face to face Kitta.
"Don't tell me your going to bed before the old geezers," She was smiling her typical devilish smirk, the one she wore when she was up to something, and literally dragged Korra out her window.
Korra could only managed to stumble along as Kitta dragged her, "Kitta! What are we doing."
"Shh! We're going spying," She whispered immediately capturing Korra's attention.
Korra no longer need to be dragged along behind the twin, "Who are we spying on?"
Kitta shushed her, still wearing the evil smirk, and stopped below a window similar to Korra's. She realized they were outside the guest wing of the building. Kitta silently mouthed 'listen' to Korra and pointed at the window. Faint light glowed past the paper thin material of the window telling them someone was awake inside.
"Yulie, what are you doing in here? What if you mom senses us?" A voice whispers just barely within a hearable range.
Korra quietly rest her ear against the building trying to hear better. That was definitely Iroh's voice. Yulie was in Iroh's room?
"What are you so worried about? Besides Mom isn't on the island anymore." Yulie's voice quiet assures.
Kitta is visibly shaking and her eyes are locked on the window. Every time she catches Korra's gaze she points to it and shakes more. She finds this absolutely hilarious and it's obvious. Korra only shakes her head curious as to what could be going on inside. Why is Iroh so worried about Lin?
"What about Kanna?" Iroh ties again.
Korra can practically hear the smirk in Yulie's voice, "She went with mom."
"Well, um. Your dad and Uncle. Kitta. The Avatar!" Iroh says his voice sounding exceptionally strained.
Korra is in the midst of wondering why her title sounds the most strained when a creak catches her attention. Yulie voice is heard giggling softly and Korra has enough time to think it sounds like wind chimes before Kitta starts laughing hysterically.
The window above them swings open with unusual force. Korra glances Yulie's somewhat surprised expression and Iroh, Korra also swears he's shirtless, in the background. Then Kitta grabs her and yanks her away still laughing. Just as Tenzin's voice reaches them Yulie has disappeared from the window.
Kitta has mastered the art of escape, after years of pranking the island, and managed to shove Korra back into her room before they are caught. Korra knows Yulie saw them but Kitta dismisses it and says it is nothing to worry about. The mischievous twin is caught outside of Korra's window by her father at that moment.
"Kitta! Was that you causing such a disruption?" The father questions.
Kitta can't restrain her giggles and bursts out laughing. Eventually Tenzin gives up trying to get anything reasonable out of his daughter and tells both Korra and her to get to sleep, as if they are small children being rowdy after bedtime, and breezes away.
Korra decides for once she will listen to Tenzin and drops onto her bed and falls asleep. She isn't sure for how long she has been asleep but when she wakes up the world is cast in the sort of dark that occurs at exactly midnight. She is also aware that she needs to go very badly. Half awake she stumbles to the door of her room and opens it.
Apparently weird things happen in fours because she finds herself staring down Yulie. The young woman is in a thin tank and shorts. Korra is also pretty sure that is the outline of Iroh's uniform coat she sees wrapped around Yulie's shoulders.
Yulie can seem to only smile and shrug as Korra's mouth drops to the floor. Suddenly things seem to add up and Yulie looks not the least bit ashamed or embarrassed. As a matter of fact she looks almost smug. The look only disappears when she suddenly glances toward the end of the hall. The coat is gone in an instant, Korra isn't entirely sure where, when a light appears in the hall.
Lin has returned to the island and is half dragging her oldest daughter behind her. She eyes Yulie and Korra suspiciously but Yulie only offers a small smile. Korra on the other hand looks back and forth between mother and daughter. No one can stay calm in a situation like this, not when their mother is right there.
"Looks like you really worked Kanna to the breaking point," Yulie's voice seems abnormally loud but breaks the tension.
Lin wordlessly hands the unconscious Kanna to her sister. Yulie drags her down the hall to her own room with only the guidance of Lin's light to help. Yulie comes out with her mother and bids her goodnight before going to her own room.
Korra watches both women disappear and not a second after Kitta pops out of nowhere. She smiles at Korra almost exactly the same way Yulie did, in her hands is Iroh's coat. She waves and begins going down the hall.
"Kitta! Did Yulie just -" Korra cuts herself off as Kitta smirks and nods.
Kitta stops at her twin's room and chucks the coat inside and heads for her own. She hears a barely audible 'thank you' before slowly stepping back into her own room. Korra shuts the door, and flops back onto her bed, all previous need forgotten. She is purely in awe that Yulie somehow managed to not tip off her mother that something happened.
The next morning they see the men off and Korra notices that Iroh's coat is looking surprisingly rumpled next Bumi's. Her eyes flicker back and forth between Iroh and Yulie trying to catch something. Nothing happens to so much as create a sliver of suspicion and they two men are gone.
"Korra, all you alright? You're heartbeat has been acting weird since last night," Lin questions the teen.
Korra feels her hear leap into her throat before she quickly shakes her head and speeds away. Lin watches her questioningly before turning to Kitta who only shrugs.
"How am I supposed to know? I'm not psychic," She says simply and walks away dragging her twin behind her.
A/N: I like to imagine that Iroh is really awkward around Yulie's family and despite being adults is still really nervous that her parent might catch them doing something. Even something as innocent as a peck on the cheek. I also think it'd be funny if he was nervous around Korra because her previous life was Yulie's grandfather Aang.