"You're sick, sick as all the secrets that you deny.
Sins like skeletons are so very hard to hide." Reclusion, Anberlin
Xx
"Hello! I'm Joo Dee!" A friendly woman with a too-big smile greets them as they enter the great walled city. "I've been given the great honor of guiding the Avatar and his friends around our beautiful city. Shall we begin?"
"Yes." Sokka steps forward with a stern look on his face. "We have to talk to the Earth King immediately; we have information about the war that we need to relay to him."
"Great!" Katara is eighty percent sure that Joo Dee didn't hear anything her brother had just said. "Let's begin the tour, and then I'll show you to where you will be staying while you are in our glorious city!"
"Lady, maybe you didn't catch what I just said." Sokka steps in front of the woman; he's a head taller than her, and his broad shoulders and no-bullshit tone paint an intimidating picture. "We need to talk to the King, we have valuable information about the war that he needs to know!"
"Everyone is safe here in Ba Sing Se!" She smiles that too-big smile, steps around Sokka, and begins to lead them down to a carriage. Katara shares a look with Aang and her brother, none of them understanding what just happened.
"This place is full of shit," Toph mutters behind them as they head to the carriage.
Joo Dee carts them around the city, talking about the lower ring as they pass through.
"Why do you have all the poor people stuffed into the lower ring?" Katara questions as she watches a knife fight break out in an alleyway as the carriage passes by. Joo Dee doesn't answer, continuing to smile and talk about all the artisans and refugees that live in the section of the city closest to the outer wall, ignoring the gaunt faces and poor living conditions all around them as they travel along the busy streets.
"This is why I never wanted to come here," Aang laments and rests his chin in his hand, sitting opposite Katara in the carriage. "They live so much differently than the monks always taught us to." The carriage ambles on through the lower ring, the four of them staying silent as Joo Dee babbles on.
"And this is the middle ring!" As soon as they pass through the second wall, the city immediately looks cleaner and more put together. The difference between the two areas is shocking, the class division growing more stark before their eyes. "This is where the shops and restaurants are, as well as the financial district and Ba Sing Se University!"
"Yeah, we met a professor from the university..." Sokka is leaned back against the wall of the carriage, a downward tilt to his brows. "He came into an ancient underground spirit library with us, where we found crucial information about the war that the Earth King needs to hear!" His voice gets louder as he speaks and slowly tilts forward in his seat to look at Joo Dee.
"Yes, the University is a wonderful part of our city! The history of Ba Sing Se is so interesting; look, those are some of the oldest buildings in the city!" Joo Dee totally ignores Sokka, and his mouth drops open in surprise.
"What's wrong with her? She's not listening to me at all!"
"It's called 'being handled,'" Toph snarks from her seat beside Aang, "and you better get used to it."
They continue on through the middle ring, eventually getting through the wall leading to the upper ring. The opulence and gaudy atmosphere of the upper ring is tainted by the images of poor, thin faces that Katara had seen in the lower ring.
"This is the upper ring, where all our most important citizens live!" sJoo Dee says "most important," but Katara hears "richest." "This is where you all will be staying!"
"What's that?" Sokka leans out and points to a large gilded gate, guarded by three men in long, dark green robes and wearing weird looking hats. Their eyes follow the carriage, and Katara feels a chill go up her spine. "And who are the creepy dudes in green?"
"Those are the gates to the royal palace, and those gentlemen are agents of the Dai Li, the cultural authority of Ba Sing Se. They protect our city's wonderful heritage!"
"Can't we just see the Earth King now?" Aang looks about ready to jump out of the carriage before he even gets an answer.
"Oh, no!" Joo Dee sounds downright offended. "One does not just "pop in" on the Earth King! Imagine all the guests he would have if we let that happen!" She laughs, a strage, tinkling sound that is stiff and artificial. Aang slumps back in his seat, a discouraged look befalling his face.
"Here it is, your new home!" The carriage drops them off at a large, fancy-looking house. The gang exits the carriage as a man approaches Joo Dee and hands her a scroll. "Good news! Your request to see the Earth King is being processed!" Everyone sighs in relief as she rolls up the scroll. "You will hear from his staff about a meeting in about a month, which is much faster than usual! He must be excited to see you."
"A month?!" The four of them shout at the same time, frustrations mounting and bursting like a clogged sewer pipe.
Joo Dee beams at them. "Six to eight weeks, to be exact!" They are silent as Joo Dee continues to smile, beginning to walk towards the house. With no other ideas of what to do, they follow her inside. "Isn't it lovely in here!" Katara has to admit, it is a beautiful house. "I think you all will really enjoy your time here."
"Yeah, it's great and all, but can't we see the Earth King any sooner?" Sokka sounds desperate, and she understands why; spending almost two months in the city is unacceptable. They simply don't have the time.
"The Earth King will see you as soon as he has the time." Joo Dee's manufactured smile splits her face in two, showing far too many teeth for Katara's liking. "He is quite busy running our fantastic city!" A collective groan ripples through the group as they realise their pleas are going unheard.
"Well..." Aang's face is set in determination. "If we're going to be here a while, we should use our time to look for Appa." The group mobilizes, preparing to leave.
"I'll be happy to escort you anywhere you'd like to go!" Joo Dee pipes up, because of course she does.
"We don't need a babysitter," Toph says what the rest of the group is thinking in a frustrated tone.
"Oh, but if I left you alone, I'd be a poor host!" She moves towards the door, entirely blocking their path. "I can assure you that I won't get in the way!" Another groan emanates from the four of them, and they realise that they won't be shaking Joo Dee any time soon.
Xx
Zuko never thought he could hate tea as much as he does now. His uncle had found them jobs in a little tea shop in the city, and since apparently Zuko couldn't brew a good pot of tea to save his life, he was charged with taking orders and serving customers. Interacting with people was not his strong suit, and he found it difficult to keep his cool. After every few customers he would get frustrated, smoke threatening to blow from his nose, but he held back; it was imperative that he and his uncle keep their firebending a secret, which meant they couldn't use it at all. The fact that Zuko couldn't even blow off steam by practicing his katas or his bending was making it that much more difficult for him to stay in control, especially in the face of rude customers.
"Young man!" He lets out a measured breath as a middle aged woman calls to him. "I had ordered the citrus green tea, and I don't taste any citrus in this at all." Zuko walks over to the table the woman is at and reaches to pick up the pot of tea that had just placed down a minute ago.
"Ma'am, I can assure you that this is the citrus green tea that you ordered, but I will take it back and have my uncle remake it for you."
"I don't appreciate your tone, sir. I'd like to speak to your manager!" He would have flown off the handle if it wasn't for the woman's son who shot Zuko a painfully apologetic look.
"Of course, I'll send him right out." Zuko walks calmly back to the kitchen, groaning once he gets through the swinging door that separates it from the front of house. "Some lady at table four wants to talk to you about her tea not being citrusy enough."
"Oh, no!" Zuko admires his uncle for genuinely giving a shit about some random lady's opinion of his tea. "I'll go speak to her."
Iroh hurries out the swinging door, and Zuko has no doubt that the grumpy woman will be laughing and enjoying a free pot of the same exact tea, and probably some free pastries as well, in no time. He knows his uncle isn't actually the manager, but the owner of the shop, Pao, is out getting some things at the market, and his uncle is the closest thing he's going to get to an actual manager.
"Zuko, bring some of the lemon pastries out to table four," his uncle instructs as he hurries back into the kitchen, immediately going to brew a new pot of the citrus green tea.
"Uncle, you know they do this just because they want free stuff, right?"
"Zuko, what is most important is that the customer is happy!" Zuko rolls his eyes so hard that he fears they'll stick in the back of his head. He thinks about bolting right out the back door and never returning to the little tea shop, but thinks better of it. At least I wouldn't have to serve tea anymore. "Now go bring those pastries out to the nice woman and her son."
Xx
A few days pass, and the teashop is becoming more popular due to Iroh's superior tea making skills. Zuko is stacking up some pastries for the display, trying to get creative and take as much time as possible so that he can avoid dealing with customers, when he hears the door bang open.
"I'm not waiting anymore!" Zuko was definitely not expecting Jet to burst through the door, and he wonders what could possibly be important enough for him to make such a scene over; literally everyone in the shop is staring at him. "These two men are firebenders!" He points his hooked sword at Zuko and his uncle, their mouths open in surprise. Nobody in the shop moves as Zuko and Iroh look at each other, both of them at a loss for words. "It's true! I saw the old man heating his tea!"
"Dude, he works in a tea shop." A younger customer who frequently comes into the shop answers Jet with a raised brow, and the other patrons of the shop share looks of confusion and worry. Jet growls and takes out his other sword.
"They're firebenders, I'm telling you!" It's clear that nobody believes him, and a few burly men stand slowly and begin to walk around their table.
"Put down the swords, son," one of them says to Jet in a calm voice, but it only seems to upset him further. Jet looks back towards Zuko, hatred clouding his eyes.
"I'll show them. You'll have to defend yourself by firebending, and then they'll see!" Jet runs at Zuko, swords raised, as customers start to shout. I can't believe I hooked up with this guy.
Zuko jumps over the counter with a grunt, snagging two swords off the back of one of the customers in line, and takes a strong stance in front of Jet. Customers flee the shop as they begin to fight, swords slashing through tables, smashing teapots, and tipping over chais. The two continue to fight, eventually moving outside to the front of the tea shop.
"Bet you must be getting tired of using those swords!" Jet swipes at Zuko's feet, forcing him to leap into the air to avoid the attack. "Why don't you use a little firebending to help yourself out?" The only answer Zuko gives him is a grunt as they continue to move into the street, the sound of swords clashing together as the fight grows more intense drawing people in to form a crowd.
"Please, son!" Iroh shouts from the doorway. "You need help! Don't do this!"
Jet growls as he runs towards Zuko again, who maneuvers so that they are back to back. They try to slash at each other in a stilted, violent dance, and Zuko eventually shoves himself backwards into Jet, effectively pushing him away so that he can turn around. Their swords fly through the air; one of Zuko's swipes at Jet, who has to bend backwards to avoid it, the thin piece of straw he always carries in his mouth getting caught in the sword's path and snapping in half.
"You see that!" Jet is shouting to the crowd, desperately trying to get someone to listen to him. "The Fire Nation is trying to silence me! Well, you'll never get away with it!" He charges at Zuko full tilt, Zuko countering as he gets pushed back towards the shop.
"Lower your weapons!" Zuko looks up to see two men dressed in long green robes walking up to them. He places his swords on the ground, as does Jet. "What's going on here?"
"Arrest them!" Jet shouts, pointing at Zuko and Iroh with wild eyes. "They're firebenders!"
"Please, the poor young man is just confused!" Iroh pleads, and Zuko silently commends his uncle for never failing to treat everyone with kindness. Even if they've attacked his nephew and almost ruined their new lives.
"This man barged into my tea shop, damaged my property, attacked my employees, and harassed my customers!" Pao must have gotten back to the shop just in time to see Jet storm in and cause a scene.
"It's true!" One of the customers corroborates his story. "We saw the whole thing. He attacked the best tea maker in the whole city!"
"Oh, how sweet!" Iroh smiles and blushes at the compliment.
"Come with us, son." The men (who Zuko assumes are a part of the authority force of the city) grab Jet's arms, forcing his hands behind his back.
"No!" Jet struggles against their hold to no avail. "They're firebenders, you have to believe me!" He gets carried off, and the crowd disperses as the drama of the situation fades. Zuko calms his breathing around the heart still beating frantically in his chest. That was too close.