"More changed than just your clothing," Iroh prompts, pouring the fresh tea into cups.
"Well, after the uniforms were perfected and manufactured, it became apparent that our campaign needed something more," I explain, remembering our struggle to reign in the criminals, "we needed a plan of attack, something that would stand against the adversity."
"...Imagine it: Kuvira, the Great Uniter," Varrick suggests, while making a wide gesture with his hands, ending his five minute Varrick symposium on how we need a face for the campaign.
"You think I should be the figurehead?" I question, barely masking my annoyance at such a belittling proposition.
"No, no, that didn't come across right. Does anything ever come across right? Then again, there was that one time with the stuffed wolf-bats...Never-mind! I'm talking star-power! Think of that kid Bolin: he was completely irrelevant. Named him Nuktuk, beefed up the story a bit and, BOOM, instant stardom. Kuvira, who fought and won against the feared Zaheer, is the Great Uniter, on a noble crusade to bring peace and prosperity to her broken homeland. Just envision what the Earth EMPIRE could be with a little bit of PR. Jhu Li, Empire: write that down." Varrick pauses to take a breath, but when he speaks again, his tone is softer, more introspective. "We need a leader of more than just the army," he implores.
"An Empire? We haven't even stabilized Ba Sing Se," I challenge, both awestruck and terrified by his absurd idea.
"I know, I know. But once you do, imagine the possibilities... Possibilities made possible, of course, by a high speed train engineered by yours truly at Varrick Global Industries!" he pitches, agilely switching topics.
"Then I suggest you get to work on the train," I respond dismissively, releasing the breath I had unknowingly been holding.
"It will be great...you will be great...the Empire will be great!" he yells, while exiting the tent. As he leaves, I consider what he said about the 'face of the campaign'.
In Zaofu, the focus was always group oriented. Yes, the city was started by the Suyin Beifong, but we as citizens took collective responsibility for our glory. Su was always guiding us, but we were democratic. A centralized leader would go against all of Zaofu's ideals, all of the ideals I was trained to follow.
I look at my reflection in the mirror. While the new uniform is nearly perfect, I look strange next to the sharp lines and right angles. I subconsciously reach for my braid. Though artistic and passable, it is not the look of a 'great uniter'. I quietly snort. If what Varrick says is true, I need to adjust my aesthetic a bit. I unravel the braid and get to work. I try pulling my hair into a high bun. No, I look like a Fire Lord when I do that. The ponytail is too casual. My hair cannot be down; it would be a liability in battle. The real problem is my bangs. While a low bun works, my bangs are still wavy and untamed, much like the earth kingdom. I sigh as I take my loose, flowing bangs and braid them back, creating a small part to the side. With no better way to secure it, I wrap the bun in a thin piece of metal from my armor. I look into the mirror. If I hold my chin just right and give a piercing stare, I can almost see myself ruling an Empire, as Varrick suggests. As I look in the mirror, movement catches my eye, and I quickly turn around to catch the intruder.
"Baatar! What are you doing here?" I ask, mentally kicking myself for playing with my hair so flippantly. That is not the image a strong leader needs to propagate; I am a powerful leader, not a vain teenage girl playing dress up.
"I came to..uh, well...I was going to..." he stammers, his eyes flitting around the room, reminiscent of his old Zaofu-esque self. He too realizes he walked in on something he should not have. I simply look at him with raised eyebrows. Instead of retreating, as I would expect him to, he takes a steadying breath and looks me dead in the eyes. "I wanted to know if you would be willing to join me for lunch," he proposes, with an even tone and a purposely impassive face.
"Lunch?...I suppose I should eat..." I trail off, while looking at the various reports and other paperwork scattered around my quarters. I had not planned on taking an official lunch; I was simply going to eat as necessary while trying to address the needs of the army.
"We could eat in here," he suggests diligently, "I could even help with this mess. I used to help Mom all the time with Zaofu's affairs." I slightly cringe at the mention of Su, remembering our 'heartfelt' goodbye.
"That sounds...lovely," I reply honestly. A little companionship could not hurt my image too much. And as of late, there is no one I would rather spend my time with.
A/N- This turned out to be more flashback than Iroh, so I'm hoping to compensate next chapter. I like the idea of Varrick handling the commercial side of the campaign, as well as the engineering side. His character is fun to write. As for Kuvira, she still has a lot of pain to overcome. So much character to explore, so little time to write!
-Anonymous