Sorry for the wait! R&R!
The sun had set and the moon had risen.
Zania looked up in surprise as workers lit the lamps. There were few torches about, as many Firebenders would be displaying their art, some in more socially accepted ways than hers, some in less.
She stood and bowed to the farmer in haste.
"Thank you so much for the fruit. I'm sorry to leave like this...I shouldn't have lingered here for so long. I need to get back to work."
Liro bowed in return.
"It was a great pleasure to speak with you, Lady."
Zania allowed him a sweet, quick laugh for his overformality. Her renewed ring of fire and customers said it all.
Nobody considered her to be a Lady.
"Ah," Iroh noted aloud to the platform of nobles. "The fighting has begun! I'll just watch, for now. Let them think they're good." His friendly laugh was loud and the platform soon joined him.
They watched as two, three, four matches passed in the rings around them. Mediocre fights they were-just overzealous teens and overaged men.
No real challenge... Iroh sighed. How boring.
"Let's get this started then, shall we, brother?" Iroh said jovially.
Ozai tried to grin, an unfamiliar movement that resulted in an unfamiliar face. "Let's."
I'll take you down, you overconfident bumbling dolt. She will notice ME. Not you. Never again you.
The brothers stood and bowed to the other nobles. They all stood and bowed lower in return. Ursa's eyes briefly met Ozai's and the smile was a little more believable.
Zania's eyes closed as she began to relax in the familiar movements of dance. She could still taste the sweetness of the fruit. How nice. Getting more and more comfortable in her surroundings, she looked back toward the stand and Liro. They were so!
Ah, what's the word...compatible? well-matched? Well, I know what I mean so what does it matter? Not that anything could ever...
If only...
Her step faltered and she began to fall. Quickly, she brought her fire up around her and tried to balance herself with her arms flowing gracefully outwards. She hit the ground, but had managed to somewhat disguise it was another part of the dance. Not every customer was so easily fooled. One man growled his displeasure and shot his own fire at her. Zania stood and bowed deeply her remorse at his disappointment, cleverly dodging the flame at the same time.
"Stupid, worthless girl!" she heard him mutter as he walked away. A few others joined him, leaving her ring a bit less crowded than before.
She took the loss in stride, immediately flowing into another dance, angry for having lost her focus.
Stupid, worthless girl!
Iroh stepped into the fighting ring, now shirtless. His opponent was some weakling who might have done better thirty years ago.
The judge clapped his hands, signalling the beginning.
Iroh elegantly moved into a fighting stance, separating his chi, readying the lightning. A quick blast of the old man's blue fire startled him, but Iroh responded quickly.
It was over in three more moves. Iroh kicked flames at the man in a corner, now flashing fire wildly around him. The man moved forward confidently, but Iroh called lightning to hit his feet. The elder jumped, but Iroh's next ball of fire sent him tumbling to the ground.
Iroh calmly stood next to the man, placing his foot on his chest and declaring victory with a charming smile.
A group of girls sighed in unison.
Ozai fought with vigor. As an entry in a separate ring, he and Iroh wouldn't fight each other until the final match between the champions of the four rings.
I will be the champion.
He defeated another opponent with ease, casually looking toward the platform of nobles. Ursa was gazing in his direction, and though she was too far away to know for sure, Ozai convinced himself that, indeed, there was really nothing better to look at than himself.
His well-toned, young body bowed to the next victim. Three more fights, then she will see how superior I am.
Zania's dancing slowed as the moon sailed toward morning. By this time of night, only one thing remained on the minds of her customers, and she would not partake of that. The men threw more and more money into her bowl, vying for her attention and favor.
It's about to get very ugly here. She looked to Liro. He was attending to some customers. But would he really be that good in a fight anyway? There are too many of them. Maybe if I just hang in here longer.
The men were hungry and tired of her dancing. Some of them recognized her from the last time they had watched her dance and knew she had not previously given in. But the look in their eyes proved that they were willing to try. She was a treasure, a gem for any man to boast. The girl-wonder who had trained under the famous Ynna. The dancer who had been performing solo for the past 5 years, ever growing in beauty and talent. The woman who refused to share her pallet, no matter the offer.
Her graceful moves ended in a deep bow. The fire ring shimmered slightly before dying out. So distracted by the dimming fire, they did not notice her gather the money quietly and prepare to leave. Not immediately.
It was something about the tensing of their shoulders that sounded the trumpet of alarm. The way they unconsciously tried to grasp and retain her performance.
Zania was ready when the first flame flew, simply gathering the fire and killing it. She bowed again and took a step toward Liro's stand, ready to defend the sweet farmer and produce as best she could.
One of the cloaked men stepped forward. "Come now, sweetheart. We jes want ya to stay a little while longer. No harm there."
No harm my left kidney, she retorted in the sanctuary of mind. But she remained silent and bowed again. Come on! Get the idea. Do I have to do this every stinking night?
