As we near the climax of our story, a little Irosami...
"Well," said Iroh and his fingers worked at his neck tie, "this was not how I imagined spending the evening." From the closet, Asami laughed. Iroh caught his own lips turning up at the corners. "I thought we would be able to spend one night alone."
"Think of it this way," she emerged in an emerald green, sequined sheath dress. Iroh let his eyes trace her curves before turning away with hot cheeks. She looked beautiful, stunning; yet, he wished the dress were red. He kept his concentration on making progress with his tie. They had done what they could to keep their relationship a secret. It was better that way, safer.
She approached him. "This way, we can spend a bit more time together before you have to go back." She shooed his hands away and did the tie herself. He could smell her perfume. "The safety of the Avatar certainly overrides any duties you have with the Forces." He took her hands in his his.
"I really shouldn't be away this long." He brought one of her hands to his lips. He had been scheduled to sail back to the Fire Nation tomorrow, but Korra was in danger. And returning would mean leaving Republic City behind until duty brought him back, however long that was.
"Even a general gets leave,"
"What I would do without it..." He bent down and kissed her. His arms slid around her waist and she rose to the tips of her toes to meet him. They may be dressed for a party, but they were going to war.
Kai stepped out of the luxurious bubble bath and slipped into the silk robe Asami had provided for her. She, Asami, and Iroh would arrive at Gatz's party in disguise. Meaning, they would arrive in style.
The heiress had insisted that Kai let her take care of the necessary arrangements. It was all so gracious of her. Kai had spent the night in the softest bed she had ever slept in and since then had been treated as an esteemed guest in the Sato household. There had been pastries for breakfast, the most wonderful perfumed bubble bath. She couldn't resist raising her arm to her nose. Her skin, softer than ever, smelled of roses.
Smiling, she crossed the room to the bureau and looked at herself in the ornate mirror. Blonde hair. Blue-green eyes. Pink lips.
She began to braid her damp hair. For the party tonight, she put extra care into the design. The length of her hair was pulled across the nape of her neck and smaller more intricate pieces were pulled in making the design more elegant. Satisfied with her results. She practically skipped to the armoir.
Flinging open the doors, she found the dress where the maid had left it, still in its bag. She took it out and held the hanger to her heart, letting the fabric drape over her body. Kai was lucky she and Asami were the same size, there would not have been time to buy her a dress. Excited, she threw of her robe and stepped into the dress.
When she saw herself in the mirror, she gasped. The light blue silk hugged her body down to just past her hips where it continued, draping freely, to the floor. Up the side and across the front, tiny rhinestones glittered in the light of the bedroom.
A knock came from the door.
"Come in,"
"I'm glad it fits." It was Asami.
"Thank you," said Kai, "for everything."
"It's no problem at all." Kai smiled and went back to marveling at her own reflection. "Do you want me to do your makeup?"
"What?" Kai had never worn makeup. She'd never seen the point, but Asami sat her down and pulled out a small handbag filled with tubes and various compacts.
As Asami applied the final powder to her cheeks, Kai wondered if this is how it felt to have a sister. She wondered if she had a sister. Then, she was reminded of why she was getting dressed up in the first place. Tonight was the end. She would face Gatz, she would take back her life. He may have taken most of it with her memories, but she could make her own memories, new ones.
"There," Asami began putting her cosmetics back into the bag and Kai looked at her reflection again. This time, everything about her seemed to shine. Her lips were glossy, her cheeks softly blushed, and her eyes were framed by thick lashes. All of it looked astonishingly natural. Kai couldn't believe she had ever been this beautiful.
"It's time to go. We have to meet the others."
Jaak Gatz set the bottle of cologne back on the counter. He had used the same scent for over a decade. It was one of the few things he hadn't changed. He opened a small leather box and retrieved his most expensive watch. As he fastened it around his wrist, he looked down at the photograph that sat at the bottom of the small box. He picked it up.
It was a picture of a young woman. She leaned against the railing of once of the city's ferries as she held onto her hat against the wind. She smiled at the picture-taker. It had been him. Jaak had met Lan while on shore leave during his brief service in the United Forces. She had come from a rich family and he had had no money. As he studied her face in the photograph, he remembered the way the smile had collapsed on itself when he had asked her to run away with him.
He sighed and closed the box, but his memories of Lan continued to find their way into his mind.
When his time had come to get back on a ship, he went. He had written to her and, for a while, she wrote him right back. Then, the letters stopped coming. A year after he had last seen her, the terms of his enlistment expired. Immediately, he had returned to the City, but Lan had left for finishing school.
As Gatz slipped on his suit jacket and walked down to the veranda where the band was warming up, he continued to reminisce.
Jaak had decided, that when Lan returned, there would be nothing to stop him from marrying her. He had needed money. And the money came. If anyone other than his associates knew, they would call it dirty money, money made in the sewers and the back alleys bootlegging and running crime cartels. They were right. Of course, Jaak knew that in the end, even dirty money got a man what he wanted. It got him his house, his cars, his extravagant parties, but it hadn't gotten him Lan.
The parties were for her. They were a sign to draw her to him. So, he threw them under the name Jaak-not Jaikko, the timid Water Tribe boy she had met that day on the ferry-and he waited for her.
She did come. He remembered seeing her again after all the years. He remembered the ache in his heart when she introduced her fiancee. All of his efforts had been for naught. Until he discovered Kai.
The young girl had the power to bend minds, to sway them as she wanted, as he wanted.
So, he continued to throw the parties, and wait again for Lan to show, but now, Kai was gone.
"Mr. Gatz," a waiter called his name.
"Yes?"
"The extra staff for this evening have arrived. They are waiting for you in the cellar."
"Ah," Jaak clapped his hands together, "perfect." He headed into the wine cellar.
The extra staff of course were not waiters. They were the small troop of street fighters and vagabonds who had accumulated debt over the years. They paid slowly, over time and in loyalty.
"Everything is ready," Pyke stepped forward. He would be out with the party-goers tonight rather than in his usual place among the shadows. He was dressed in a fine, tailored suit and his hair had been combed back. He was young, just nineteen, and his frame could do nothing but hint at his fitness. With his handsome features, Jaak knew his right hand man would gather the attention of the female guests. As always, however, he would turn down their requests to dance. Pyke never danced.
"Alright," Jaak clapped him on the back. "Keep your eyes open. Look for the earthbender. She will be with him."
There will be some interesting developments with young Pyke later as well as Lan, so stay tuned! Alright so maybe I got a bit of the plot from F. Scott Fitzgerald, but I mean who can blame me? Jay Gatsby (Jaak Gatz) is probably THE BEST literary character of all time. I hope you are looking forward to the next chapter. LEAVE A REVIEW! also check out my other Korra fic "The Fighter".
