Hola peoples. It's taken me awhile, but I'm finally getting chapter two up. I've been so incredibly busy. Anyway, continuing on with part one. I'm gonna try to keep my author's notes shorter. And alas this chapter is shorter than last, but well, last one was ginormous. Enjoy!
VI. "Hey, Li."
Zuko turned around to see Lee Ang at the counter. "Oh, hey." He didn't smile, but he didn't frown either.
"How's it going?"
Li shrugged. "Alright, I guess."
Lee Ang smiled a little. "Don't like tea very much?"
"No, not really."
She nodded.
"Hello, Lee Ang."
"Oh, hello, Mooshi."
The old man smiled. "Would you like some tea?"
"I would love some. I was thinking a nice jasmine today."
"Of course." He handed a small tray off to Li. "For table seven. I'll be right back with your tea."
Lee Ang nodded and waited. The more she watched Li, the more convinced she became that he and Katara would be cute together. Li came back behind the counter.
"So, Li, I have this friend, who I really think you would like, if I could set you up on a blind date…"
Li reddened and was about to speak when Mooshi came back.
"Blind date? That sounds fun. You should go, Li. You have some time off in a few days."
"Uncle, I…"
Mooshi cut him off. "He would love to go."
Lee Ang beamed. "Wonderful. I'll get the details to you tomorrow."
Mooshi tactfully changed subjects or sent Li on deliveries until Lee Ang finished her tea and left.
VII. Katara peered into the mail slot. A small envelope rested at the bottom. She took it out. It was from Lee Ang. She read the tidy scrawl: "How does tomorrow night sound? Write back if you can and I'll meet you by the fountain one block from my place at sunset. You'll see it."
Katara stepped back inside and wrote a simple reply: "Yeah, sure."
Lee Ang received the message that night. She smiled and left her small apartment. She went to go tell Li. And probably share the good news with Mooshi who would be far more excited.
VIII. "Zuko, are you sure you don't want me to do your hair?"
"No, Uncle. If I have to go on this date, I won't look like an idiot. My hair is fine," he insisted, gesturing to the shaggy mop.
"Ok. It's almost sunset. Have fun. Be nice. Don't stay out to late!"
The door slammed.
"They grow up so fast."
BREAKS OMG BREAKS OMG YAY BREAKS YAY
"See you guys! I'll be back later. And we'll work on those fliers tomorrow, Aang!"
Katara stepped into the carriage that would bring her most of the way to the Lower Ring. She adjusted her hair. The braid was out leaving only her hair loops, bun, and a cascading arrangement of waves.
BREAKS OMG BREAKS OMG YAY BREAKS YAY
Lee Ang waited by the fountain. Li arrived first. She smiled at the surly youth. "You look nice, Li."
"Uh, thank you."
They waited for awhile until a blue figure emerged from the crowd. "Lee Ang, hey."
"Hey, Katara. This is Li. Li, this is Katara."
Katara stared at him. It could be. Li? She managed to get out a "hello." Lee Ang was oblivious.
"So, if I might make a suggestion, you should try the restaurant down the street. Come on, I'll take you there."
Katara nodded automatically. Fear was setting in. Zuko wasn't showing any of his emotions. She could tell he recognized her, but everything else was carefully and expertly concealed. Katara found herself in the restaurant. Lee Ang had left. She and Zuko were alone with menus in their hands.
IX. Katara woke from her numb stupor. Her eyes narrowed. "Going by Li instead of Zuko now?"
"If you reveal my identity, I will not hesitate to hurt you."
"What, no 'where's the Avatar?'"
"Lot's of things have changed since we last met. At the moment, I'm a bit more concerned with preserving my life. And my uncle's," he added.
"What are you doing in Ba Sing Se?"
"I believe that's none of your business."
"Well then, I suppose I'll just go have a chat with the guards over there—"
"Ok, fine. We're hiding from my sister."
"Scary lightning girl?"
"Pretty much."
"She was trying to frill through the outer wall when we first got here."
They sat in silence for a moment. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Now what are we supposed to do?" Katara asked.
"I dunno. This is usually the part where we fight and you narrowly escape."
"Narrowly?"
Zuko smirked.
"So, it's Li now?"
He nodded.
"Well, I guess we're supposed to be on a blind date."
X. They had ordered food and Katara was now staring off into space, trying to think of something to talk about with her date. "So, um, how's your Uncle doing?"
"Much better. Quite lively, really."
"Oh, that's good. I'm glad."
The silence thickened as silences often do. Katara bit her lip, thinking.
"So, uh, Katara, been doing anything, uh… interesting?"
Katara almost laughed at his awkwardness. "Hmmm, well you could say that a lot of weird stuff happens."
Zuko tilted his head slightly.
"Well, let's see, crazy fortunetellers, giant serpents, and mystical swamps to name a few."
"Crazy fortunetellers?"
Katara reddened slightly. "Yeah, uh, back in this town we visited on the way to the North Pole, there was this fortuneteller called Aunt Wu."
"What was so crazy about her, other than claiming to predict the future?" Zuko didn't believe in anything he couldn't see.
"Well, the town lived on her predictions, which turned out to be wrong when the town was almost destroyed by a volcano."
"That's serious."
"Yeah. And I actually fell for the prediction thing for awhile. It was just so fascinating to think of how wonderful my future could be. She said I was supposed to marry a powerful bender and all sorts of things."
"Yeah, but those are things that you decide for yourself. Your own destiny."
"True."
Their food arrived and they no longer struggled for conversations topics as Zuko began telling the story of how his uncle had made tea out of poisonous plants.
Pff spell/grammar check gives me so much grief about my fragments. I LOVE FRAGMENTS! Well, until next time, tell me how you're liking the story and feel free to give me criticism, I actually like it if you aren't too mean, valete omnes.
