I do not own, this or Casablanca. Please Review.

You get two updates today, but the other is in Herbs and Stewed Plot Bunnies, go read it.

So. I've been watching Casablanca. Pretty amazing movie. I have to say, I'm a Humphrey Bogart fangirl now.

But that wasn't what I was going to say. He said a line, or the other supporting male lead said a line that made me want to scream several things about Avatar and shipping.

Then again, Bogart didn't say what I got all fangirlish over. Still, look!

"I know a good deal more about you than you suspect. I know, for instance, that you're in love with a woman. It is perhaps a strange circumstance that we both should be in love with the same woman."

Then . . .

"You sound like a man of strength who has convnced himself of something he doesn't believe in his heart."

Ya.

Now, what I have written here, is the beginning of a loosely allied series of fics about Lu Ten, the minorest of the minor characters.

It is time for me to take a stand!! I get so tired of everyone treating Lu Ten as a prop!! Minor Characters have rights, too!!

1. Beginning

"I'm sure you've heard my new decree that all recruits must take a course of basic first aid."

"Yeah."

Lu Ten was a privileged child. As the only son of Iroh, heir apparent to the throne of the Fire Nation, he was doted on by his father, his aunt, his grandfather, and every member of the royal court.

Seventeen years old, and in line to rule the world, yeah, life was pretty good. Well, yeah, his dad was always gone, off conquering the world now that Lu Ten was in school, but still. They saw each other enough.

The Prince took the chopsticks out of his mouth, the ends chewed to oblivion. "But that doesn't really affect me. I'm not a recruit."

"But you will become one, on your eighteenth birthday," the old Fire Lord said, trying to ignore his grandson's behavior as the prince pointedly ignored all mentions of what would come after, choosing instead to make faces at his baby cousin.

Fire Lord Azulon cleared his throat, and Lu Ten pulled the chopsticks out of his nose. "I mean, it doesn't really affect me, does it?," the prince asked. "Can't you just pull some of your awesome voodoo magic and — I'm shutting up now." The plain white rice looked suddenly very appetizing.

"How any heir of mine could be so afraid of blood is beyond me," the old Fire Lord wheezed.

"I do not doubt Lu Ten's skill, but asking any of these boys to pay attention in the classroom they've so recently escaped is beyond their capacity."

"Perhaps you are right," Azulon said to his youngest son, "if they were to have the wrong teacher. As things stand, I think I have found a way to make sure they show up in class, if not pay whole-hearted attention."

"The worst part—" Laughter erupted from the women's dormitories at the Fire Nation Academy of Medicine. "The worst part is, the only people who were chosen to teach first aid to the army regulars were all young women, twenty or younger. Some such thing about getting the boys to pay attention in class!"

"Chauvinistic rooster-pigs."

"Hear, hear!"

The girls settled down, banging their cups of moonpeach juice, some spiked, some not, on the tiled floor.

"Yeah, but you can't deny the Fire Lord knew what he was talking about," said another. "I mean, honestly, Kyoko, would you expect anything less? We use what tools we must."

"Yeah, like peroxide and all that weird water-tribe voodoo you studied last year," Kyoko replied. "You don't seem too upset about your classes being interrupted, Lin."

Lin smiled enigmatically, staring at the juice swishing around in her cup. "It's because I don't have to spend my days with a bunch of rubes. I'm teaching the officer classes."

As the chorus of 'lucky bitch!' died down, Kyoko put in, "It's only because you're apprenticed to what's-his-name, that big time palace-healer. Just remember, men will be men, and men are rooster-pigs."

"I'll keep it in mind."

Hits at 1776!! Dude!!