Miscalculation
Chapter 11: Reaching Out
Despite the silence of the Upper Ring, and despite a darkness that was broken by only a few lanterns, Ty Lee was positive that there were people about. She could feel eyes on her every way she turned, but for some reason she couldn't spot a single human being.
'They must be very stealthy, or invisible,' Ty Lee thought and then slapped a hand over her mouth to repress a giggle.
Once far enough away from Azula and Ayaka to finally breathe easy, the girl slowed down to a walk. She had no knowledge of the streets but knew the general direction in which the other two rings, middle and then lower, lay.
Ba Sing Se was only the third large city that Ty Lee had ever been in, the others being the Fire Nation capitol, the city of her birth and Omashu, which because of the brevity of her stay was hardly worth mentioning. And she had certainly never walked her city's streets in the dead of night, alone. Her mother and father wouldn't have allowed it and truth be told, Ty Lee preferred the day time. She enjoyed crowds of people. Their laughter and conversation, even their arguments made her feel a part of something. It was fascinating to watch their expressions and their actions, their relationships and most of all it was fascinating to read their auras. Though some people were not so kind, Ty Lee found that most were, especially when you approached them with a smiling face, something that she always did. People, for all their strangeness and all their variety, were interesting creatures. If Ty Lee could, she would get to know each and every one. So, the darkness, the eerie quiet and her seeming isolation all made her feel very uncomfortable.
She kept moving anyway, making her way through the beauty and order of the Upper Ring, walking quickly by huge homes with yellow tiled roofs and large gardens. There were many parks, public green spaces, lovely bridges that spanned canals, and beautifully designed government buildings. Ty Lee's goal was to make it to one of the monorail stations, hide there until morning, and leave on the first train to the Lower Ring. There she would be safe and there she hoped to find Mai and Zuko and Iroh.
Mai and Zuko gave each other shy glances over their bowls of breakfast rice. They along with Iroh sat on their cushions in the living area and ate quietly.
"Work will be much less exciting today than it was yesterday," the tea maker stated. "Much as I hated to see the young man dragged off by the Dai Li, I can't say that I'm sorry Jet is gone."
"He got what he deserved," Zuko growled. "We warned him to leave us alone, but he wouldn't. He was going to hurt Mai." There was simply nothing else to say on the subject.
Iroh scratched his beard and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Still, he wasn't wrong, was he? That must have been horribly frustrating for him, to have no one believe his story."
"Yeah, well, he still should have just left us alone. We weren't bothering anyone." Zuko shoved some rice into his mouth and chewed angrily.
"Yes, yes, but one has to consider that Jet probably had some traumatic experiences with the Fire Nation," Iroh looked around shiftily when mentioning his homeland. "I'm sure that he's a decent person at heart."
The prince slammed his bowl down on the floor. "Yeah, well, I'll never know. And I don't care." He stood up then and walked out the front door and onto the landing.
"Hmm," Iroh mused. "It seems I hit a nerve of some kind."
"Don't worry," Mai shrugged. "He's just moody. But," she paused for dramatic effect, "I guess that you already know that."
"Indeed," the tea maker chuckled. "You have not seen the worst of Zuko's moods. When he was first banished, he was almost unbearable to be around. But, he healed, in more ways than one. That process isn't over yet, I'm afraid. I think that deep down, Zuko still wants his father's acceptance, though he knows that what the Fire Nation is doing is wrong. And he knows that what Ozai did to him a father should never do to a child. Parents hold a certain power over their children, sometimes not for good."
"Yeah," Mai remarked dryly. "I get that."
Stomping back into the apartment, Zuko looked at both of them with a scowl. "Are you talking about me?"
"Someone thinks he's awfully important," Mai teased but Zuko only gave her a glare. "Wow, what is wrong with you today?"
He dropped his head into his hand and groaned, before raising it again and looking shamefaced at both Iroh and Mai. "I'm sorry that I snapped at you. But I don't want to talk about Jet anymore. I'm sick of him." He picked up his bowl and put it in the kitchen along with his chopsticks. "Are you ready to go to work?"
"Yeah, just give me a minute," Mai replied. She put her dishes away and then washed up quickly in the bathroom.
When she rejoined Zuko he seemed calmer but Mai could still sense agitation beneath the surface. She took his hand in hers and stroked his fingers, then, first making certain that Iroh was busy in the living room, kissed him passionately, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. She literally felt Zuko melt under her ministrations. His shoulders relaxed and he coiled an arm around her waist before letting his tongue play with hers. Iroh clearing his throat along with that pesky need for air are what finally separated them.
"I see that you're getting along very well now," the old man observed, obviously pleased.
"Um, yeah," the prince flushed, as he moved nervously from one foot to the other. Reluctantly, he removed his arm from Mai and stood up all straight and dignified looking.
"We'd better get going. Yun will be a hard task master today, no doubt. He was pretty upset about his tea shop. And I can't blame him. If he asks you to run out and buy some replacement things, don't complain, nephew, just do it."
"Wha, what; I don't complain." He looked to Mai for support.
"Sorry, I'm with Iroh on this one." She shrugged then and stepped outside. "Of course," she said to herself, "I guess I do my share of complaining too."
They locked up the apartment then, and joined the others in the Lower Ring also headed off to work. The breakfast crowd would soon be demanding their favorite teas, shooting sly stares Mai's way while wondering how a refugee's hands could look so soft and pale and shaking their heads at Zuko's poor way with people. Iroh received only compliments and requests, smiles and claps on the back. Everyone tolerated Mai and Zuko simply because they came along with Iroh. For some reason, that irritated the prince.
"It's not your life time career," Mai reminded him when they took a break together a few hours later. "Why do you care what the customers say behind our backs or not so much behind our backs actually?" She reached across the table and put her hand over Zuko's. "Let's go outside for a few minutes. I could use some not so fresh air."
Zuko pushed back the bench and put his hand out for Mai to take. They walked for a bit, and seeking privacy decided on a clean enough looking alleyway. Strange, Mai thought to herself, how her life had changed so drastically in just a matter of days. She'd gone from pampered noble to tea shop worker who skulked about in alleys. A giggle bubbled its way up her throat but one glance at Zuko's face told her that laughing was not an option right now. He was in one of his sour sort of brooding states.
"What if I'm stuck in this city forever? What if I'm stuck as Li forever?" He said the name with such distaste and anguish. "I don't want to be Li. I want to be Zuko." His lips were pushed outward in a sort of pout and his eyes were downcast.
Sighing heavily, Mai put her finger underneath Zuko's chin, forcing him to look at her. "I know who you are." She wanted to say 'And I love you,' because she did love him, without hesitation and without doubt, but the words seemed to stick on her tongue. She told him with her eyes though and once again he understood.
"I know, Mai, and that means a lot." He couldn't say the words either but he kissed her with delicate tenderness, holding her close after and breathing all of her in.
It was already morning before either Azula or Ayaka could move from their splayed out positions on the sitting room floor of their temporary home. As soon as her jaw and tongue began to work again, Azula let fly a series of epithets directed at not only Ty Lee, but Mai and Zuko as well. Spittle flew from her mouth, and her sharp nails made cuts in the palms of her hands.
"Traitors," she screamed as she stumbled about the room, banging into furniture, nearly falling again before finally regaining her balance.
She picked up vases and dishes then, throwing them at the walls. Bits of porcelain flew everywhere, many landing on Ayaka, who wisely stood silently off to the side, watching without emotion as her leader lost all semblance of her usually perfect control.
"Miserable, traitorous bitches," she howled again, her voice high pitched and loud enough that Ayaka considered covering her ears. "How dare they betray me? How dare they leave their princess?"
She moved drunkenly over to Ayaka next, punching the woman in the shoulder and shouting in her face. "Are you next? Are you going to run away like some frightened little girl?" Ayaka said nothing. "Well? Are you?" the princess asked again, her voice almost pleading now. After a moment, the Bringer shook her head.
Ayaka had no one to run to, nowhere to go except back to Zheng, and no feelings for anyone. Staying with Azula was as good a choice as any other. She was fed, clothed and occasionally got to kill. What else could a Bringer ask for?
"That's good," Azula replied condescendingly. "That's very good. Now I want you to clean up this mess. I'm having a bath and then we're going out. Do you understand?"
Before the princess had a chance to leave the sitting room, there was an insistent knock on the door. Ayaka glanced at Azula but didn't move.
"Answer it," the princess ordered.
The Bringer walked carefully to the door, avoiding the broken chunks of pottery and sharp slivers of porcelain that lay everywhere. When she pulled it open she stood aside and looked back at her leader.
"Hello, Kyoshi Warriors." Joo Dee's bright smile never seemed to make it to her eyes. "Destroying the house that we, the people of Ba Sing Se, have so graciously allowed you to stay in, is against the rules. Heroes of the Earth Kingdom must behave better if they are to stay within the city's walls."
"Don't worry, Joo Dee. It won't happen again. In fact, we're going to be very, very good to Ba Sing Se. You can run back and tell your master that."
The princess was smirking now and even the seemingly imperturbable Joo Dee looked uneasy.
A sweet, comforting voice, it sounded like that of an old woman, close to her ear woke Ty Lee up what seemed like hours later.
"We're in the Lower Ring, dear. Is this your stop?" There was a warm hand on her shoulder then, shaking the girl gently. "You don't want to go all the way back to the Upper Ring, do you?" Another shake then and Ty Lee stirred.
She flushed as she looked around the monorail, meeting many pairs of eyes, green and brown, that all seemed to be trained on her. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked shyly.
"When we boarded in the Middle Ring you were sound asleep, snoring like crazy. And you still look tired. Doesn't she look tired, Xing?" The old woman turned to the man beside her, eyebrows raised questioningly.
He patted his wife on the arm. "Yes, my dear, the poor thing looks exhausted. How about we leave her alone and let her get off the train so she can go home and rest."
"Oh, no, it's nice to talk with such friendly people," Ty Lee interjected quickly. "I don't know the Lower Ring very well and I need to find a job and a place to stay. Would you know a good place for either? I've got my papers and everything."
The monorail came to a complete stop at the station and the car began to empty out.
"Let's get off first and then we can talk properly," the woman suggested. "My name is Lan by the way, and my husband is Xing. We've lived in the Lower Ring for twenty years now. Our children are here too, except our youngest. He's at Ba Sing Se University. That's what we were doing in the Middle Ring. We were visiting him and stayed the night. It was a nice change from the Lower Ring, but this is still home. We have three sons and one daughter. They're fine children, all of them."
"Oh, that's nice. I only got to Ba Sing Se a few days ago. I'm not sure what to think yet." Ty Lee looked about the busy monorail station and then out at the massive Lower Ring with its thousands upon thousands of people, and felt overwhelmed. "My name is Ty Lee."
"Well, you seem like a very nice girl. I'm sure that you'll do fine." They guided Ty Lee down the steps and into the station. "We can take you to the employment office and the housing office. There are always lots of jobs. In fact," Lan mused, tapping a gnarled finger against her chin, "our son, Kang, has a large market and he is always looking for good help. I'll introduce you after you get all registered up. How does that sound?"
Ty Lee felt a huge sense of relief and gratitude. She wanted to throw her arms around the old couple and squeeze tight, well not too tight. But she restrained herself, settling for a huge smile instead. "That sounds wonderful. I can't thank you enough for your kindness."
Both Lan and Xing smiled back. "It's no problem, Missy. We were new here once too and remember how strange everything can seem. Come on then, let's get you started."
Reading their auras, both a mix of yellows and greens and blues, Ty Lee felt the happiest she had since Azula had stalked back into her life, ripping her out of the circus and putting her promptly back in the princess's shadow.
Zuko was calmer for the remainder of the morning and even through the busy lunch hour. But when Smellerbee and Longshot entered the tea shop and sat down, perusing the menus like any other customer, the prince could barely suppress his rage.
"What are they doing here?" he asked in a low, ominous tone, grabbing hold of Mai's elbow and pulling her aside.
Mai jerked her elbow from his grasp, looking momentarily irritated. "Gee, looks like they want to order some tea. I'll take care of it."
"They must want more than that. They're Jet's friends and they're probably taking over his spying for him. I'll make them leave." He strode purposefully toward their table, his face red with anger.
This time Mai grabbed his elbow. "No!" It was an order and Zuko stopped immediately. "Don't cause a scene. Yun had enough yesterday. I'll take care of it."
Zuko growled low in his throat, like an animal, and Mai couldn't help but roll her eyes. He could be so damned over emotional at times. She approached the Freedom Fighters' table cautiously, her hand reaching up into her sleeve, ready to grab hold of her blade should she need it.
"What is it you want?" she asked with complete neutrality.
Longshot gazed at her with soulful brown eyes, but remained as silent as ever. Smellerbee spoke, her raspy voice cracking a few times. "We're sorry about what Jet did. We warned him to leave you alone. When we left the forest and headed to Ba Sing Se, it was to start over, do things right for a change. Jet, he's crazy when it comes to the Fire Nation. He loses all sense. He just couldn't drop it. But, he's still our leader and we care about what happens to him. That's what we wanted to say." The girl breathed in deeply, breathless after her little speech, looked up and waited.
Mai simply nodded. "So do you want tea?"
Smellerbee must have expected much more from Mai because she looked shocked. "Um, yeah, sure, we'll have some lychee. Could you tell Li what I said?"
"I'll tell him." Mai turned around, gave Iroh the order and when the tea was ready, served the pair in silence.
Xing and Lan had assured Ty Lee that she would not want for a place to stay should she not be able to find a suitable apartment right away. The girl was duly registered to work and find lodging; all that remained was to actually do so.
"Our son will love you, I just know it. You'll brighten up the marketplace and sell lots and lots of flowers and produce. A pretty face never hurts when you're trying to sell anything. That's what our Kang always says. His own daughter, Jin, works at the market. She must be about your age, maybe a bit older. How old did you say you were dear?" Lan threw a friendly arm around Ty Lee's shoulders.
"I didn't say, but I'm fourteen."
"There, I figured as much; Jin is fifteen but I'm sure the two of you will get along very well. She's a cheerful girl like you, always has a smile on her face. She could use a girlfriend, someone to share things with. Life here is difficult sometimes, but if you have people you care about, it's easier."
Xing meanwhile was shaking his head, still amazed by his wife's ability to talk, even after decades of living with her. "She'll stop eventually," he whispered, leaning in close to Ty Lee. "You'll learn to separate the wheat from the chaff after awhile." He winked then and stood up straight as soon as he felt Lan's sharp green eyes on him.
"Don't you listen to him," the old woman insisted. "He would be lost without my chatter and he knows it." She pointed then to a fair sized market, bustling with morning activity, people buying their fruit and vegetables for the day. "There it is; let's go say hello to Kang."
Ty Lee felt a bit nervous despite her love of meeting new people. This man might become her new boss. Somehow that was a little bit different. Lan explained the circumstances of their meeting while the acrobat's gaze was drawn to the colourful customers making their purchases. She heard different accents; that alone telling her that people came to Ba Sing Se from all over the Earth Kingdom, along with a variety of dress and hairstyles. "Wow, it's busy," she said softly and wondered how she would handle people and their requests and demands.
"Ty Lee, meet my son, Kang. Kang, meet Ty Lee." Lan gently pushed the girl forward. Face to face with Kang, she couldn't help but smile. He exuded kindness and good humor much like his mother and his aura was as bright and cheerful as the man himself. She bowed respectfully in the Earth Kingdom style and said hello.
"My mother mentioned that you're looking for a job. I could certainly use an extra pair of hands. You won't get rich, but you'll be able to take care of yourself. Since you're so new to the city and alone, I would like to offer you my hospitality as well. You're welcome to stay with my family for a few days until you get your bearings. You can bunk with Jin. Jin! Get over here. I want you to meet someone."
The girl in question bounded over as soon as she finished with a customer and immediately flashed Ty Lee a warm smile. "Who is it, Dad?"
"This is Ty Lee. She's new. Grandma and Grandpa met her on the monorail this morning. She'll be working with you and she'll be staying with us for a few days. How's that?"
"Oh," the girl said, clasping her hands together. Really? That's great. Hi, Ty Lee, I'm Jin."
Jin was the spitting image of her father who was in turn the spitting image of his mother. They all had thick piles of hair, Kang's and Jins' brown while Lan's was white with age. Lan's big green eyes, full of life and mischief were repeated exactly in the two younger faces. It was almost eerie. And all three were undeniably cute. The acrobat had a feeling that Kang wouldn't like hearing that, but it was true.
"Hi, nice to meet you," Ty Lee beamed. "I think we're going to be good friends." Her nervousness had evaporated.
"So do I," Jin agreed. "Dad, can I take her home to meet Mom and Jie and Jia? They're my twin sisters," Jin explained to her new friend. "They're ten years old."
"Go ahead; but I want you back at lunchtime. Bring some of your mother's rice balls." He turned to Ty Lee then. "Is it all too much at once?"
Ty Lee shook her head emphatically. "No, no, it's fine, thank you."
"All right; Jin, show Ty Lee where she'll be sleeping and let her get her things organized. Then you get back to work, both of you."
"Yes, Dad," Jin agreed happily, already tugging on Ty Lee's hand. "Let's go, Ty. We only have about an hour and our place is four streets over."
They took off running, both laughing until they were breathless.
The Freedom Fighters ordered another cup of lychee each and nursed the drinks for most of the afternoon. They even pretended to play a game of pai sho in order to justify their long stay.
"Why are they still here?" Zuko and Mai were both in the kitchen, waiting for Iroh to finish brewing his special lemon cinnamon jasmine. It was fast becoming a favorite, especially with the women. "You talked to them, didn't you?"
"Uh, yeah, you saw me, remember? Look, they wanted you to know that they're sorry and I think they're sincere." Mai waited for Zuko to explode and wasn't disappointed.
"Sorry," he spat. "They're sorry. They should have stopped him from coming here. They're his friends, aren't they?"
Mai shook her head, letting it drop into her hand. "Yeah, because I'm sure that your uncle could have stopped you from doing all the rash things you did? I'm not defending Jet, but what he did isn't their responsibility." She reached out to touch but Zuko shrugged her had away.
"I don't care. I want them gone." The prince paced back and forth in the small kitchen, hands folded behind his back. "I'm going to ask them to leave."
Zuko felt a hand on his shoulder. The grip was strong and Iroh would not let go. "Nephew, all this turmoil is not good for my tea making and you should listen to Mai. She is right."
He paused for a moment, giving careful consideration to Iroh's words and then burst through the door and back into the dining area anyway. Mai followed close behind while Yun, who was chatting with one of his long time customers looked up, saw Zuko's expression and moved to step in front of his server. Zuko brushed by him and approached Smellerbee's and Longshot's table near the door.
"We need those seats for other customers. You've been here long enough." Zuko bit the inside of his cheek, narrowed his eyes threateningly and waited for them to get up.
Smellerbee looked hurt and uncertain. "Um, we're playing pai sho and we bought tea." She gestured at the game in front of her and at their almost empty cups. Only five pieces on the board had been moved and they haphazardly, without any kind of strategy.
"You're not really playing. Even I know enough about pai sho to see that. After what Jet did, you don't belong here. I want you to leave." Zuko's jaw was set now and there was no budging him. But he was maintaining control over his temper. And that was something, especially for the prince.
Longshot touched Smellerbee tenderly, his fingers just brushing against the delicate bones of her wrist. And he looked at her, deep into her eyes. 'Li is too angry to see reason now. It's best to go'. That's what his eyes said. Smellerbee understood immediately. For years now, they had engaged in this strange communication, the archer saying much more with a look than many could say with hundreds of words at their disposal. And the girl with the knives and the swords, she always knew exactly what her friend meant, had known from their first meeting. It was almost as if invisible threads, fine like those of a spider web or filigree joined their minds, made them somehow one.
"Yeah, I see what you mean," the short haired girl said to her friend, ignoring Zuko. "We'll try again another time."
They got up slowly and exited the tea shop. Smellerbee glanced back over her shoulder at Zuko, imploring him with her eyes, almost begging for understanding. But the prince stood stiff and stern, guarding the shop as if it was his own to defend.
"Why did you chase them out? I can't afford to lose paying customers." Yun was incensed and his face grew more and more red the more he talked. "I only keep you around because of your uncle." He poked Zuko in the chest for emphasis. "Don't think I won't fire you. See if you can get another job with your attitude."
"Fire me, then! I really don't give a good damn." Zuko stormed back into the kitchen, taking his apron off as he walked.
Yun was about to follow but Mai wisely interceded. "I wouldn't if I were you. He'll cool down. Those two were friends of Jet. Li thinks they had some part in the whole thing here yesterday or at least he thinks they should have stopped him."
"Hmmm," Yun considered, stroking his thin beard. "I understand his anger a bit but still, making customers feel unwelcome is not good for business. All I want is to serve tea and make money. I'm a simple man with simple desires."
"Li won't do it again. I promise. And you certainly don't want to upset Mushi, do you? That would make for inferior tea. Your discerning customers would be very unhappy then." Mai could hardly suppress an eye roll and had to chew on her lip to prevent a smirk from appearing.
"Goodness no, that would be disastrous. You take care of your betrothed. Calm him down if you can; perhaps an evening on the town would help. You can leave early again, if you like. I recommend a little restaurant in the Middle Ring called the Lucky Star." He was practically shoving Mai toward the kitchen and Zuko now. "Mushi and I can take care of things. Just come to work tomorrow with smiles on your faces."
'When have we ever done that?' Mai thought, almost choking on Yun's words. "Yeah, we'll be leaving then." She wanted to go before the shop owner changed his mind. Flinging her apron into the dirty laundry hamper, she glided into the kitchen, nabbed Zuko along with the apartment key and headed out the back door.
"Take your time tonight," Iroh called after them. "I'm going to my club meeting and may not get home at all. You know what pai sho is like."
"When did he join a club?" Zuko asked with a shrug. "I'm beginning to wonder if there's more to all this pai sho playing than just pai sho. I mean, how much can anyone play the game? And why are we leaving early?"
"Ooh, mysterious goings on at the old men's club; maybe he's just making friends. And Agni knows he does enjoy the game." Mai tugged hard on Zuko's hand. "Let's go. We're checking the Middle Ring out tonight. Yun thinks you need to relax and I agree." She surveyed her boyfriend carefully then, noting the rumpled state of his robes. "We need to take our clothes to a laundry and soon. We'll do it on the way."
Happy to be out of the tea shop and even happier to have more time alone with his beloved, Zuko would have agreed to just about anything. "Whatever you want, Mai."
Jin's apartment, while much roomier than Zuko's and Mai's, still proved crowded, especially with the addition of an extra body. Her mother and sisters were welcoming and curious about this pretty grey eyed girl with the quick smile.
"Where are you from?" Jie asked curiously. "Is it far away?" The ten year old crowded closer to Ty Lee and looked up at the older girl expectantly.
The other twin, Jia, joined her sister. It was obvious that neither would budge until they got their reply. They both had brown eyes like their mother and their features were more delicate than Jin's and Kang's. Indeed they were pretty little girls, and Ty Lee figured half the boys in the Lower Ring would be after them once they got a few years older.
"You don't have to answer anything that you don't want to," the mother, her name was Lihua, stated diplomatically. "Sometimes the girls are too nosy for their own good."
Ty Lee gave her long braid a tug and thought for a moment. She had to be careful what she said. "Do you want to know something really cool?"
The twins nodded eagerly, brown eyes opened wide.
"I used to be in the circus." The acrobat waited for the shrieks of excitement and covered her ears when they came.
"Wow, Mommy, did you hear that? Ty Lee was in the circus." They pushed themselves a bit closer to their new hero, staring up at her worshipfully.
Even Jin looked impressed. "What did you do? Were you a juggler?"
Circuses were something that most of the children in Ba Sing Se had only heard of or read about in stories. Rarely did a circus make it to the huge city. The documents required upon entering the walled city and the cost to get them was far too much for most of the small time circuses that roamed the countryside, moving from town to town. The best Ba Sing Se got was the occasional festival as well as its own theatre company (plays produced greatly restricted, of course).
"A juggler? No, I'm an acrobat." Ty Lee grinned. The twins' enthusiasm was really quite infectious.
"Show us, show us," they begged, "Please!"
Lihua stepped in, taking each girl by the hand and leading them away. "Ty Lee and Jin need to get back to the market and you have chores to do and lessons to finish. Only then can you play. Got it?"
They grumbled and sneaked looks at Ty Lee but did as their mother told them. The acrobat felt bad and promised them a demonstration later if their parents permitted it. That promise seemed to ease the disappointment felt by the little girls and Ty Lee was glad. Somehow, despite the short amount of time she had known Jin and her family, Ty Lee felt attached. They, each and every one of them, made her feel special and wanted. That was a feeling that she could never get enough of.
The monorail took Zuko and Mai swiftly to the Middle Ring. They could see the changes from the train, but were not prepared for the huge contrast they saw when they stepped into the streets. The young couple walked about gaping, taking in the scenery that was so refreshing compared to that of the Lower Ring. There was so much more space and the air even seemed to smell better. Apartment blocks and businesses weren't jammed in tight together. There was no overcrowding and the people seemed much more content, were cleaner and dressed better. There were even some trees and parks, something both had wondered if they would ever see again.
It made them wonder just how magnificent the Upper Ring was. They imagined it would be something like the Fire Nation's capitol city, but in greens and yellows instead of reds and whites.
The Lucky Star restaurant was easy enough to find, as Yun had said it would be. And it was busy. Always beware empty eateries, Iroh had often said. They had to wait in line for almost an hour to even get a seat. Zuko grumbled, unused to waiting for the privilege of sitting at a restaurant table and eating.
"It better be worth it," he whispered in Mai's ear. "And I hope we can afford it."
Mai adjusted her position so that she could see the restaurant better. There was an outdoor eating area, nothing fancy, and the servers were dressed plainly. The food looked simple but hearty and was obviously tasty, if the crowds were any indication.
"It'll be fine," she soothed. "It's sort of a family restaurant, Zuko, not some pricey, elegant place.
"Good," he flushed. "I wish that I could take you to places like that, Mai. Your life with me, it isn't exactly great. You gave up everything for this." He waved his hands around and grimaced.
"Sometimes," she stood on her tiptoes then and breathed his true name into his ear, "you're an idiot. I gave up everything to be with you. The rest doesn't matter, although I enjoy luxuries as much as the next person. Don't worry so damn much. It's fine." She stroked his unscarred cheek and then gave it a quick kiss.
The other people looked at them with smiles. Young love, or love in any form, was always uplifting to witness.
When they finally did get a table, Zuko was noticeably calmer and happier looking. They enjoyed their lemon chicken and rice along with a decent cup of tea, nothing that rivaled Iroh's, of course.
The prince looked wistful for a moment. "I'm beginning to think that my uncle really does make the best tea. He should have his own shop. That's his dream, you know."
"He certainly has a knack," Mai agreed. "Maybe one day he will."
"Yeah, maybe." Zuko took her hand , turning it over so that it's back rested on his palm. He enjoyed the feeling of her soft skin and even the tiny calluses on her thumb and index finger, calluses gained from years of throwing her knives. He had matching ones on his own fingers and he was proud of them. He began to caress her hand and he couldn't help his thoughts turning to the previous night when he had caressed much more than that. His body wasted no time responding to his thoughts and he squirmed in his seat, mortified and embarrassed, his entire face a colour that matched his scar.
Mai cleared her throat and gave him a pointed look. "Having a little trouble? Maybe we should go home and take care of it." Her voice was completely devoid of any emotion but her pale gold eyes sparkled with lust and love.
"Yeah, um, yeah, that might be a good idea." Zuko stammered and looked down at his empty dish.
"Oh, it is a good idea," Mai countered. "Come on," she urged, standing up and grabbing hold of his hand, "let's go."
After a hard morning's work at the market, Kang allowed Jin and Ty Lee to take a break, suggesting they get a cup of tea somewhere and relax. The crowds coming home from a day's work often stopped at the market, buying ingredients for their dinner. That's when he needed their helping hands most.
"We'll be back in time, Dad, don't worry. Come on, Ty." Jin gave her brown pigtails a quick adjustment and smoothed down the wrinkles in her plain robes.
"Okay, I just need to stack these papayas." Ty Lee was taking her job very seriously. These people had taken her in after all, given her work and been extremely kind.
Jin waited patiently. She was an easygoing girl, unflappable almost, and took everything in her stride. When Ty Lee finished, Jin linked arms with her, and led her down a series of streets. "I'm taking you to a tea shop that everybody's talking about. I have to check it out."
"Sure," Ty Lee answered easily. "That sounds nice."
A few minutes later they stood in front of Yun's tea shop. "Doesn't look like much," Jin observed. "But that doesn't mean anything necessarily."
They entered the establishment and found an empty table, looking about at the other customers. All of them certainly seemed pleased.
Ty Lee stared down at her menu, trying to decide on a tea. "Wow, there are so many varieties here," she exclaimed. "I don't think I can choose." Humming happily to herself she continued to browse the list of teas.
Jin had already chosen and was gazing about the shop. "Oooh, the server sure is cute."
"Hmmm," Ty Lee replied, not looking up.
"Even with that huge scar, he's adorable. I wonder if he has a girlfriend." Jin wore a huge grin and ran her hands over her hair.
Ty Lee's head jerked up and she stared wide eyed at Jin. "Did you say scar?"
"Um, yeah, what's the big deal?" Jin looked perplexed now. "Do you know someone with a scar?"
She didn't even hear Jin's question. Her heart began to race and her palms were damp with sweat. 'Zuko', the acrobat thought to herself. 'It couldn't be that easy, could it?'
She turned around. Their eyes met, Zuko's good one widening too. Ty Lee was about to call out Zuko's name. He could see the syllables forming on her lips. Panicked, the prince put a finger over his own mouth and approached the table.
"Ty Lee, it's good to see you again." He turned his attention to Jin then. "Hi, my name is Li. Can I take your order now?"