Roll out the red carpet, royalty's here...

With

CHAPTER ONE: Omashu Bathing Rituals

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Zuko was a modest man. And modestly seemed to be a very little appreciated trait here in Omashu. For a start, he was surprised these bath houses Bumi put in were so... open.

He was even more surprised to go walking into one upon his first arrival and be welcomed with the sight of the crusty old king with nothing on, being scrubbed down by servants in all his glory in an upper bath house (to ready himself for the re-opening ball that night).

This was not by far the worst of it though (disturbing as it was). He had seen his Uncle on many occasions walking around naked as though he thought that the word "shame" was some type of hot beverage instead of the way that Zuko felt on many more occasions than necessary.

Maybe people past their senility had no need for shame. But Zuko really didn't know.

But what he DID know was that Bumi really should have put more clear signs on what was a masculine bath house and what was a feminine bath house.

"Don't even try to turn around" came an angry voice out of the hot steam, as he'd padded along the floors and halted when he realized he had saw what he just thought he saw.

Shame. That word stuck in his mind. Was a really good way to describe how he felt right now. Of course he didn't even bother to think about how SHE was feeling, since she was the one sprung at her most vulnerable and all.

Zuko let out a bit of a nervous chuckle. This was very uncommon for him. But not uncommon when he was in a position of humiliation right to the bone, like the way he used to be when his sister would have fun with him at her girlfriend Mai's expense when they were younger and Zuko felt like a puppy dog being used for torture as her blushing friend tried hard to recompose herself every awkward occasion.

It took a lot more to humiliate Zuko now. But this did the job nicely.

"Oh, that's real polite for someone of such noble standing. 'Hi Toph. Nice to see you again Toph. Though not in the literal sense Toph.'" She said still covered by the water (thankfully, thought Zuko).

"I thought girls were meant to be modest" said Zuko, disapprovingly, keeping his eyes shielded at all times.

"You should have thought of that before you walked in here, shouldn't you have, Zu-zu?" She shot back angrily.

He didn't say anything. He turned to leave. "You better run!" She shouted after him, as Zuko shuddered all the way, running smack into a be-toweled Katara as he did so who was evidently off to join the young Earth Bender.

"Zuko!" she yelled relieved as she threw her arms around him in a friendly gesture which he didn't return. "I didn't think you were coming..."

Whistling and walking past them onto a bath house further away was the Avatar in a towel. Zuko grimaced visually. There must be some sort of a law against sanity here in Omashu... actually, that would have fit the Avatar and his traveling circus show fine.

"Come on Zuko!" Aang called to him. "We've got to get dressed up for tonight."

Zuko managed to stumble looking at the ground, embarrassed at the group's get-up, over to the Avatar in the Eastern bath house.

Aang relaxed back in the steam.

"Hey, Zu-zu" he said grinning as he handed his scarred friend a towel. "Meet a friend of mine."

Zuko's eyes went lazily over a very large man.. or was it a boy... man-boy... sitting next to the Avatar in the steam.

"This is Pipsqueak" he said, grinning wildly at such an amusing name, the joke still hadn't worn off after all those years. Zuko wasn't amused.

The Avatar kept prodding. "He's from the Freedom Fighters..." he said and then lowered his voice a couple of tones. "You remember... Jet."

Zuko did remember, but said nothing as he stripped off and tried to live down each painful moment of this trip, including the next few minutes when Iroh waddled in the bath house wearing nothing and the "Dragon of the West" spent an amusing afternoon telling anecdotes with a silent Zuko, a boisterous Avatar and a guffawing Pipsqueak.

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I know - Bath houses, amusment rides... this new Omashu is starting to look like the movie Spirited Away. But what can I say... It's so Bumi!

Sokka and Suki will come. Sorry Ty Lee fans, but after the kiss (SOTFN) Sokka's got to seriously end things before persuing things with anyone else... even Ty Lee.

It wasn't just a kiss... it was a commitment of some sorts. And Sokka's too good a guy to go and ruin that.

J.L