My longest post yet, I think, on any story. Well, except for the Zelda one that I've seemingly abandoned for the time being. I'll get back to it soon!
Anyway, another AU, this one a Bending universe, but in a decidedly more modern and normal setting. I wanted to play a bit with Iroh's character, which I've not yet done, so I would really appreciate your feedback on how I did!
Anyway, right, the fourth installment is dedicated to Melody! One tiny word, you mentioning writing a book, and I just wanted Iroh to be an author. Of what, you guys can decide. Also, Melody, I can't thank you enough for your incredibly wonderful compliment! You make me want to write until my fingers fall off!
All righty, my dears, please enjoy the read, and Happy New Years!
The wind outside howled, the sound blocked out by the thick wooden walls of the cabin that Iroh sat in. The only sound to compete it was a constant, quiet tapping as his index finger repeatedly laid on the 'f' key of his dear, ancient typewriter. His other hand was propping his tired head up as he stared blankly at the white sheet of paper sticking out the top of the conrtraction. A jasmine tea, old and over-stepped, was resting just a reach away, but he made no move to either drink nor reheat it. He simply wasn't feeling quite right.
He'd been having troubles with his writing since the end of the Philosophy course at the local University. He'd been a very popular professor, students always coming up at the end of the classes to offer insight on his teachings, some even supplying him with cups of tea (high quality only, he taught his students well) or foodstuffs. Quite a few even told him little stories about campus life, and he couldn't help but find their youthful light-heartedness extremely refreshing.
Perhaps that was the cause of his writer's block; he debated the situation with renewed interest. He simply needed to expound some philosophy on young, fresh minds!
Perhaps, then, it was time to visit his estranged brother.
Iroh smiled up at the closed gates, noting with delight the tops of pear trees peeking over its high, surrounding wall. How he loved pears! That simple sweetness, so delightful with a nice oolong tea... As he contemplated liberating a few, the gates swung open on silent hinges. His brother, Lord of the grounds he was about to enter, had no time to meet him, because he was nowhere in sight. Instead, a young pair, girl and boy, stood at strict attention. Both faces were blank and unforgiving, and Iroh could sense not a hint of warmth.
Ironic, considering he recognized the two as his niece and nephew, and thus most assuredly Firebenders.
As they approached, almost military in step, Iroh noted the boy stopping just at the threshold of the property. The girl continued out, her swagger one of complete confidence. "You must be our Uncle Iroh. I didn't quite expect such a... fatty. Well, not like it matters. What are you waiting for, Dummy? Show our useless Uncle inside."
The young man, Iroh couldn't quite remember the boy's name, he only saw them at the rather large party Ozai threw every four years, glared at his sister before spinning sharply and marching off. She grinned at him now, shrugging a bag higher on her shoulder. He could tell by the make of it that the bag was worth quite a bit, yet she handled it no better than one would a trash bag. She took a few steps, stopping to rest a finger on her chin in thought. He could see the boy still storming away, but he had checked his pace as he near-waited for his Uncle.
His niece's voice rang out, "Oh, Zuzu? Have fun at home today!" And she waved a hand over her head as she spun back, trouncing off to who-knew-where. His nephew had frozen in his tracks, and Iroh could see his shoulders hunch up even at the distance. One quick glance back at the girl and he hurried off after the young man.
"Wait, ah, Zuzu..?" He spun so quickly that Iroh had to stumble to prevent from running face-first into him.
"It's ZUKO! Never call me that again, not if you ever want to have a place here! I have the power to throw an old man like you out on the street! My Father hates you anyway, he'd surely agree with me!"
Iroh calmly regarded the boy, Zuko. "I apologize to distress you so, Nephew. And it is most unfortunate that you view my relationship with my brother so; it does seem that siblings in this family have high tension amoung them, though." Zuko glanced at him, shame flushing his cheeks. Iroh saw a glint of hope with this one, some kind of good in his heart that his sister, perhaps, lacked. "Where has my niece gone for the day, if I may ask?"
Zuko scowled and mumbled under his breath, shoulders hunching right back up. "She's going to her classes. At the University."
"And are you not invited to join her?"
"Father doesn't let me leave the property."
Iroh glanced at the boy, a frown marring his own features. Ozai locked him up here? Perhaps it had something to do with the burn marring his face; it was quite the severe mark, and it wouldn't be beyond his brother to keep him in hiding, especially if it had been received in a training accident. It was shameful for a Firebender to be burned so severely, and his brother was not an understanding man.
He didn't comment, didn't even look over. Instead he reached up, plucking two pears off a nearby tree. "What lovely fruit trees my brother has grown!" Taking a bite and ignoring the look he was given as he handed the other to Zuko, he groaned delightedly. "'It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption.' Well, go ahead, Nephew! They are delicious!"
"...These are my father's private trees."
"Then he won't mind sharing with family! Eat up!" Zuko turned the pear in his hands, obviously contemplating. But he furrowed his brow in frustrated determination and took a huge bite, juices dripping down his chin as he dug in. He half turned, and Iroh could have sworn he saw tears joining the juices.
Zuko flicked the core away, incinerating it with a small fireblast as it fell towards the ground. Control, then, for small bending talents. A rare thing indeed, especially with a power as unpredictable as fire. Tossing the pear alongside Zuko's, no fire involved, he walked up and patted his shoulder, dutifully ignoring the quick arm swipe the young Bender swept over his eyes. "If I am to stay here, and you are to stay here, then why don't you show me around? My brother can wait, since he seems to be so very busy anyway."
"Fine, but I'm not stopping my training on account of an old man like you."
"And I will not get in the way of such determination. Carry on, my boy."
Zuko surprised him, he admitted it. From the moment they had stepped in the training dojo the boy had not stopped moving. He was driven to the point of nearly passing out, yet none of the instructors seemed surprised by his tenacity. In fact, most ignored the boy as he trained, struggling with more basic katas than the others around him.
It wasn't that he was a bad Bender, just that he wasn't trained properly. There was great potential there, and such raw talent intrigued Iroh more than he would say aloud. He watched silently as the boy sank down, nothing in his belly save one tiny pear. And yet he still conjured a small flame, rolling it between his palms lightly.
"You're very good, Nephew. I'm impressed."
Zuko snorted and looked at him in disbelief, eyes narrowed as he tried to detect the sarcasm there. "I'm not good. I'm not even close to Azula. They all laugh at me behind my back, and they're lucky I don't have them dismissed."
"I'm willing to bet that your sister cannot control small flames like you, am I right? It takes quite a master to do that." It did hurt to see the open disbelief and vague hope on the boy's face. People most likely did not compliment him often. "When does this dojo empty out?"
"Usually at supper time. Why?"
Iroh stood, holding a hand out to help Zuko up. "Let us spend the day in distraction until we may have this place to ourselves. Then I can show you a few tricks."
Iroh watched, head slipping tiredly off his hand, as Zuko led him to a garden clearing to, shockingly, practice Bending forms. He was at least intelligent enough to refrain from actual fire use in this tree-enclosed space. The scorch marks on the trees showed that he didn't always think with such forethought, however. Iroh slipped away from the little hiding spot, walking on the garden trail only long enough to find a manservant.
"Ah, my good man, could you perhaps fetch me some jasmine tea? Perhaps also some food, I am very hungry." As the servant bowed and tried to leave, he held a hand out to halt him. "Lots of food, my friend! As much as you can carry!"
The servant nearly tripped over his feet to bow again, leaving Iroh wincing slightly. As he waited, he wandered over to the nearby pear trees and merrily picked some for him and Zuko to share. He was quick to hide his growing stash as the man staggered back, tray literally so laden that he could barely hold it in his one hand. Iroh was quick to relieve it, smiling and waving the man off with kind words.
As soon as the man left, he chuckled most happily and smuggled it back to his Nephew. As he drew nearer, he heard the boy's voice call out, but it most assuredly was not to him.
"Coming back to take a peek in here, peasant? How many times do I have to tell you? Your kind isn't welcome here." Iroh set the tray down on the ground, peering out to watch from afar. Zuko was perched in a tree, staring down on the other side of the estate wall. He had a smirk on his face, but Iroh knew it for what it was; he was intrigued by whomever he saw out there.
A murmured voice, decidedly female, responded, but Iroh couldn't make out the words. He did see Zuko's face go slack with shock before he snapped back a reply. "You can't insult me! That's my job!" Again a murmur, and Zuko started to smoke. "No, not insult myself, you stupid girl!" This time her laughter rang loud and clear, and Zuko flushed brilliantly. "Shut up! You have no right to laugh at me! Just... Go away, you, you..!" He near-screamed in frustration, jumping out of the tree to pace restlessly. Iroh approached, once more laden with the food tray.
"A friend, Nephew? Perhaps we should invite her for tea!" He sent a quick heatwave into the aforementioned tea cups, handing one to a surprised Zuko.
"I didn't know you could even Bend, old man. Thought you were just blowing smoke out your ears... And she's no friend of mine! Just a stupid girl that always tries to sneak in here. It's my duty to keep them out of here! It's what my Father would want!" Iroh was in the process of a massive bite, when he stopped to look at Zuko. Lowering his sandwich he rearranged himself for a rather delicate question.
"Why are you not to leave here? Are you being trained specially?"
Zuko scoffed, turning away. "Trained? No. My Father doesn't, he... I'm too weak. He's, um, embarrassed by me. Until I get better at Bending, I'm not to leave here. So I'm going to get better! I'll train, and I'll shock them all!" He curled his hand into a fist, a flame bursting atop it as he stared in determination.
"Well, that's too bad. If you're not to leave here, however will you have a proper chat with that lovely young lady?"
Zuko sputtered magnificently. "Lovely?! And that whole thing, and all you got was how unfortunate it is that I can't converse with some peasant?! Some focus, please, Uncle!"
Iroh dipped his head, smiling under his beard. So the boy thought of him as family, after all. "Well, Nephew, I shall leave you to your own focus. I just thought of something I must do." He ignored Zuko's bewildered look as he hurried off, snagging a small dessert off the tray.
"Miss, oh Miss! Excuse me, please!" The girl turned, confusion present on her face. She was apparently doing laps of the neighbourhood with her dog, a large brute and rather unfriendly looking at that. He rested his hands on his knees, taking a moment to breathe. "Have you perchance seen a young lady walking past? Stops and chats to a young man on that property?" Since she was indeed circling, he had confronted her not far from Zuko's tree, enabling him to see a peek of red from the overhanging branches. Zuko was watching.
She cocked her head, glancing at the wall beside her. She was dark-skinned, hair tumbling over her shoulders and garbed in a deep, complimenting blue. She smiled a bit, eyes bright and playful and friendly. "You must mean that grouchypants with the nasty attitude! I talk to him almost every day. I think he tries to bother me, but he's not very clever, is he?" He saw Zuko's mouth drop open behind her, and he may have made a slight strangulation motion with his hands. "Do you walk by to talk to him too?"
"Ah, no, I'm his Uncle, as it were!" She flushed red, caught insulting the boy as she was. She mouthed a quiet 'oh' as he continued. "I was thinking, perhaps, you could join us for tea some day! My Nephew is a good boy, and he does like company."
She looked awkwardly at her feet. "Um, maybe not. I don't, um, I don't think they would welcome me in there. And your nephew isn't very, well, nice. But thank you for the offer, I should probably, you know, ah, go. With my dog. Home." She spun on her heel, about to run off when she saw a hint of Zuko's red clothing. Her hand lifted to her mouth and Iroh saw the open guilt on her face. Ducking her head she walked quickly away, glancing frequently up as she passed the tree with open distress on her face.
So there was something there for her, as well. Interesting.
"May I suggest something, Nephew?" The boy whirled around to face him, flushed with shame and anger.
"You talked to her."
"I did. You seem angry, Nephew."
"Why would you talk to her?! She'll never come back now!"
"Well, you did call her a peasant... That tends to upset young ladies as charming as her."
"Well, she is!"
"Charming? I did notice. Have you ever thought that being nice may make her come around more?" Zuko gaped for a moment, steaming out the ears as he attempted to formulate a response. Finally he stomped a foot and stormed away, shouting a 'leave me alone' childishly over his shoulder.
Iroh laughed, settling down to his now-cold tray of food. His Nephew had one hell of a spark, and he looked forward to their upcoming training.
Katara stayed away from that high wall for quite a bit, decidedly embarrassed by her own words at the scarred young man she bantered with daily. He had heard her, she knew it, and he would probably have her removed from the entire street. He'd threatened to do it once, but he'd never had just reasons before.
So. Avoidance had been the resolve. She'd followed through, too, for an entire week. It seemed, though, that one week of smiling and being generally a nice person was a bit tiring when one didn't have a regular outlet for insults and teasing. So she found herself standing at the beginning of the wall, fiddling with the dog leash that was her only excuse. The tree he always perched in was clearly visible from where she stood, and she swallowed nervously.
Moving until she stood underneath it, she listened for murmurs, anything to signal that he was there. An angry curse had her jumping, but at least it was proof. Swallowing, she pulled her arm back and lobbed the apple she'd brought along, folding her hands in front of her and biting her lip with a grimace at the pained yelp.
It took a second, but the scarred boy poked his head over the fence to stare at her in shock. As soon as their eyes had met for one full second, he dropped back behind the wall and she felt the air leave her lungs. She hadn't met to upset him... Well, she had said some really rude things, but it wasn't like she meant it. His uncle was kind of weird was all... And he was mean to her all the time! She was working herself up into a rage when a leaf fell, landing lightly on her head. A snort, and she looked up into golden eyes as the boy hung nimbly overtop.
Holding a hand out, fist closed over a strange object, she noticed the assortment of bandages and cuts all over his hand. As she cocked her head, he suddenly dropped an item directly on her, causing her to squeak and juggle her hands to catch it before it could hit the ground (and most likely be stolen by the doofy dog at her side).
Opening her hands she blinked in surprise at the elegantly carved lotus, each petal delicately singed with fine veins. Her head whipped up to stare at the smirking boy, even if his face was flushed pink.
"Even little peasant girls should have something as pretty as they are." He flushed darker, sliding out of the tree and back behind the wall. Rolling the lotus gentle in her hands, she smiled down at the dog.
"Well, would you look at that."
Four down, Samara to go! The next (and last!) story is a Zuko/OC, just to give heads up.
Also, I'll most likely be posting one chapter from each of the three new Zutara stories in the first week of January, give you guys something to entertain yourselves with!
Please don't be shy to drop a review! They really do make my day and I'm constantly hoping for one as I check my phone on the hour!