I started packing up my papers and laptop and stuffed them into my brown leather satchel haphazardly, while getting Sokka's attention.
"I need you to take my stuff home. I'm going to convince the tour guide to let me on his tour, for the length of it, as a tourist."
"What? Are you crazy? You can't just go on and travel now, Aunt Lela and Uncle Toro need you home," he said pleadingly.
Unamused, I crossed my arms across my chest and said, "Stop being so dramatic, the tour is like a week long, anyways. They won't even notice I'm gone."
"Ha! You thought it was one week tour?! Katara, the tours in the Isle are a month long. They're famous for that. It takes a while to show what this jewel of the sea has to offer, considering they are scattered islands."
My eyes widened and it caused Sokka to laugh even more. I thought it about for moment and considered my options. I realized that a month touring is cutting it close to the article deadline and my family is going to go ballistic if I'm gone for that long, but…the perks are so irresistible! I'd get to explore and be on my own for the first time in my life and let's not forget about the awesome, immersive content I'll get for my article.
Before Sokka could persuade further to not go, I had made up my mind and I was ready to commit to this. I slung my satchel across my body and grabbed Sokka's black sunglasses that were sitting atop his head. He was looking at me bewildered as I donned his sunglasses and plucked bright flower with lush pink petals from the garden patch near my table and placed it behind my ear.
"Do I look touristy, or what?", I asked my brother, hands on my hips.
He gaped, "Are you for real right now? You're actually gone bat-shit crazy."
I tried to give him my best puppy dog eyes and pleaded, "Please my kind, smart big brother, just cover for me. I really need this."
"Ugh I hate when you do that", he glowered and begrudgingly said, "Fine. Go. I'll tell them you're on work trip."
I squealed and threw my arms around him in a tight hug, mumbling into his chest, "Thanks Sokka. You're the best, you know that?"
"So I've been told," he said smirking as I looked up at him, returning my embrace.
"I just need one more favour", I said twiddling my thumbs while he looked at me scathingly, "Would you pack some stuff for me in a duffle or a suitcase. You know clothes, tooth brush, the necessities. You can drop it off at the entrance of the hotel. I need to be convincing to the other tourists, so the experience is real."
"You know this is some next level spy shit," he said while I looked at him with imploring eyes, further convincing him as he huffed, "Fine! Fine!"
I flashed him a wide smile and rushed to the tour guide, who was now standing alone by the bus. Now, I needed to convince this man.
"Hi!" I said brightly to the tired-looking tour guide leaning on the bus, awakening him from his sleepy stupor.
As he straightened his posture, he greeted me, "Hello Miss, what can I do for you?"
"Well, you see, I need to be on your tour," I said.
"Hmm…tour packages are prepaid. Sorry Miss, you're too late. Also, aren't you a local?", he said looking pointedly at my caramel skin and unruly dark hair.
"Listen Mister, I really need to get on this tour. I write for the Daily Telegraph and I'm doing a travel article about the Isle, so this would really help me," I begged and he looked at me unconvinced.
I sighed, "I'll tell you what, you will be a feature in my article, name and picture!"
He thought about it for a moment, before a smile broke out on his face as he said, "Dang that's hard to turn down. I'll be a celebrity! You got yourself a deal Miss – "
I resisted to roll my eyes at his priorities and replied, "Katara."
"Ah, Katara. My name is Shu! Welcome to the Island Adventures Tour!" he said enthusiastically.
I smiled and said, "Thanks Shu! But one more thing. I need you to keep my cover. I want to be treated as tourist and I don't want the other tourists to know I am one, it'll taint the experience."
Speaking in hush-hush tones, he said, "You got it Miss Katara. And don't worry I'll get your room and ticket situations all sorted. The first tour around the capital is about to start soon. Wait by the bus."
I was impressed at his dedication, "Wow, thank you Shu."
He winked and left to go into the hotel, leaving me at the bus. Getting bored, I took out my note pad and started to put myself into the mindset of a traveller. I jotted down some notes about Shu, about what gauged of him from first impression.
Friendly, polite, dedicated to the tourist industry. Bribing = better results in hospitality
While I was trying to write more notes, a voiced startled me and I jumped, almost dropping my note pad.
"I didn't see you on the bus," the person said apathetically.
I turned to them, stuffing note pad into my pocket, and stared at the person who ruined my train of thought and to my surprise it was him. Dark black hair falling into striking eyes, the colour of amber, and over his puckered scar. He really was like a mosaic, all parts of him juxtapose each other, but somehow it just…works."
"Well…err – ," I stammered before composing myself and stated defensively, "I don't have to explain my whereabouts to you! Who made you bus monitor?"
He looked taken aback for a brief moment before he rolled his eyes and muttered, "Whatever."
Immediately I knew how stupidly I acted, knowing I shouldn't have acted so churlish towards him. I needed to remember that to be a tourist I must be more open and "happy-go-lucky". Being cold and rude, would only make me more suspicious. After a period of awkward silence, with my body turned away trying to focus on anything but the person next to me, we heard a loud shout.
"Zuko!", the elderly man seen with him before approached him with a big grin on his aging face.
The scarred man regards him wearily, "What is it Uncle?"
The elderly man chortles, "You were going to leave without a goodbye? Come here."
He opens his arms, gesturing his nephew to come closer. His nephew rolled his eyes and embraced the old man tightly and patting him on the back.
After the embrace, the old man regarded him sternly, "Now have fun, I want you to come back changed. Think of this experience as creating a new slate, just as the island's tides washes the shores clean."
"Yes, Uncle," the young man muttered.
The elderly man smiled in approval and that's when he noticed me standing a few ways from his nephew.
"Ah and who is this? A new lady friend you made on the tour?" he asked the young man.
The young man turned to look at me with a sour look on his face and replied, "No she's not my friend. In fact, I haven't seen her on the bus until now."
"No need to standoffish, Zuko. Hello Miss, my name is Iroh and this is pouty man is my nephew, Zuko," the elderly man smiled said with his hand outstretched.
I shook his hand, a small smile gracing my lips, and introduced myself, "I'm Katara, its nice to meet you…both."
