Hong takes it upon himself to engage in a Dai Li version of Meet The Parents.
The summer sun's ruddy rays steadily grew more powerful in the cramped home of the Puri family as Pankaja finished one of his favorite breakfasts, sweetened pongal with coconut chutney. Made from a combination of rice, lentils, palm sugar, clarified butter, raisins, and nuts, it was just the thing to get him energized before he headed off to school with both his younger sisters.
There was much to talk about at the breakfast table on this morning. Even in Ba Sing Se, this insular city of walls and secrets, where you only knew the things that you were "allowed" to know, word had still spread like a slum fire about the arrival of the young Avatar and his pals.
Everything the kid-what was his name again? Pankaja wondered. Bang? Ong?-and the other three got up to became talk of the town in very short order-sometimes getting warped, Pankaja suspected, into feats which weren't quite true.
Yesterday though, the Avatar had pulled a stunt worthy of his reputation, one which needed no embellishing.
"Can you believe he actually broke all the animals out of the Ba Sing Se Zoo and stampeded them right through this ring of the city to a new zoo he carved out of the Agarian Zone?" Maalai said in disbelief as she put her plate on the counter. "And that he bent out the enclosures in like, seconds?"
"It's madness," Ashwin replied, shaking his head. "While his heart was in the right place, it was a miracle that nobody got mauled or killed."
"An armadillo lion running loose through the streets," Pankaja shuddered.
His mother grimly nodded in agreement. "Very dangerous."
"Lots of people's dogs and cats ended up in the new enclosures too," Rajata added. "That must've been a task, getting them out safely. I'm sure a few got eaten before that could happen though, poor things."
"Still, I've already heard that the natural enclosures really do look a lot better than those depressing pits and barred caves," Tuhina said as she also put her dish by the washbasin for their mother to clean before Madhuri, Ashwin, and Rajata all left for work in the Middle Ring.
"I'm sure they do," Ashwin replied as Pankaja also put his plate on the counter and slung his purse-like schoolbag over his shoulder.
He was starting to head to the door, to slip on his sandals before leaving, when there was a knock at the wooden door-one that had a different tone to it than normal. As if the visitor's hand was sheathed in rock…
These days, you never knew who might stop by their modest dwelling, and Pankaja flashed his oldest sister a nervous, questioning glance. She responded with a quick, calm nod.
Go open it.
Apprehensive to his core, Pankaja stepped up to the handle and twisted it, pulling the door back.
He froze in place as he was confronted with a looming figure in flowing, juniper green robes with the symbol of the Earth Kingdom at their chest. Stone mantled the agent's hands, and emerald eyes sparkled like a cat's underneath the jutting brim of his hat.
Behind him, Pankaja was dimly aware of the rest of his family also going rigid, as they too realized that Agent Yan was here, standing right on their doorstep. And plainly wanting to come in.
The entire Puri family was as hypnotized with dread as a mouse facing a sulfurhead snake.
Except of course, his weirdo of an older sister, who thought the guy was the best thing since fireworks.
"Hong!" she cried in surprised pleasure, getting to her feet. "What brings you here?"
He gave a placid smile at her as he scanned the interior of their home. "I have some time before I start my shift for the day. I thought I might use it to both pay you another visit and get to know the rest of your family," he said smoothly.
"We are deeply honored to have a member of the Dai Li call upon us humble citizens," Pankaja heard his father say quaveringly, and he dared to turn his head to the side a little to observe Ashwin prostrating himself on the floor.
Pankaja realized then that he was shivering in his lungi as he turned to face the Dai Li. Part of him silently screamed, He's here to arrest us all!
As his sister brushed by to give Hong the classic namaste greeting, then grinningly gesture with her hand for him to enter, the agent stepped out of his stone boots, and bent the tabs of stone that formed his gloves back up into his voluminous sleeves, his gaze meeting Pankaja's as he asked, "You must be Rajata's brother, correct?"
Pankaja weakly nodded.
"Be calm, everyone," Agent Yan reassured them as he removed his conical hat and held it in his right hand. "You aren't in any trouble, and my intentions are-well, very different from taking anyone into detention," he said with a wry smile and a fond, knowing look at Rajata.
He paused, backed up a bit, and turned to face out into the street, before adding in a somewhat louder voice, "And for all you people who I know are waiting in ambush with your earthbending and various sharp objects to attack me if I get hostile towards the Puris, you can relax as well."
"Besides, isn't it rather insulting to this family to presume that with at least a couple earthbenders among them, and their six to my one, that they need your help to stand against me?" he added.
One by one, hidden figures left their positions and returned to their former activities, giving the agent wary, often hateful sideways glances as they did so.
But Hong ignored the other locals as he entered the house, Prankaja uncertainly backing out of the way as his oldest sister brazenly took the agent by a bare right hand and walked with him to the table, everyone else in the family lightly bowing to the man in the meantime.
Prankaja was as surprised as anyone by the audacity of her action, but he figured that Rajata just might be able to calm the guy down if he got it in his head to arrest one of them for who knew what reason.
As the Dai Li took his seat, placing the chinstrap of his steepled hat around a corner of the chair, their mother politely said, "Welcome to our home, Agent Yan. Would you like anything?"
"You can call me Hong. I would be greatly honored to enjoy some tea and get better acquainted before I have to be on shift," he said. "Is there an incense clock for me to keep an eye on, by the way?"
Tuhina nodded. "We have one over here," she said, pointing in its direction. "I'll go bring it closer, so you can keep an eye on it better."
He scares me, but he's so fascinating and charming at the same time too, Prankaja thought.
"Hong, you should try my mom's chai tea," Rajata eagerly suggested. "Have you ever had chai tea before?
"Never even heard of it," Hong replied as he shook his head.
"You're in for a treat then." Rajata said with a wide smile. "Chai is nothing like you've ever had before. It has cinnamon, cloves, sugar, fresh ginger, cardamon in it, along with other good things, and has black tea as its base. You'll love it."
Taking her cue, their mother took up a teapot, poured in clean water from the nearby pottery water drum after filling an earthenware pitcher, and took the vessel to the hearth, where she stoked the fire again with wood. Then she went and got the box of black tea leaves, extracting the right amount to start steeping even as she kept shooting hesitant glances at the Dai Li agent in uniform casually watching her.
Prankaja could sympathize all too well. By Ganesh's ears, it was like having a tiger seated at their table right now.
The classroom was tugging at both him and his younger sisters, urging them to get moving-but he was also reluctant to leave the rest of his family, reduced to just three in the absence of the youngest Puri family members, by their lonesome with the guy. Even if his big sister was Hong's new crush, who knew what might happen while they were away at school?
Shifting from foot to foot, lips tight, in a tone almost like he was asking the Dai Li officer for some type of reassurance, Prankaja murmured "My sisters and I kind of have to leave shortly for school now, so…" as he fidgeted.
"At the same time though," he added, trying to give a confident grin, "it's exciting to have a member of the Dai Li visit us, and we'd hate to seem rude by just wandering off."
Beside him, Maalai nodded under the hood of her sari. "Wouldn't want to disrespect such an esteemed guest. Besides, our teachers will totally understand."
"You'd better get walking," Hong recommended. "Besides," he added, with a mock chiding expression that was still a bit harsh for Prankaja's liking, "we Dai Li frown upon those who engage in truancy."
All three of them nodded before they turned and stepped over the threshold into the open air.
Abruptly, the trio was stopped in their tracks as Hong addressed them again.
"Actually, wait for a moment."
Prankaja tensed, and turned to see Hong rising from his seat, then walking over to the trio, digging underneath his outer robe-for a weapon?!-as he did so. To Prankaja's great surprise, Hong's hand emerged clutching six gold pieces!
"Here," he told them. "Two for each of you. Buy yourselves something nice, to wear, to eat, to play with after school today. Now study hard."
"Wow. Thank you!" Tuhina said as she took the first pair.
Prankaja heartily nodded. Perhaps having a Dai Li agent coming around wasn't such a bad thing after all.
And as they left the house behind them, almost dazed by their sudden new wealth, he heard their mother cordially, impossibly laughing.
Hong understood all about the importance of attending to the day's major tasks. Indeed, he would soon have to make tracks to headquarters, if he was to report for duty on time.
Rajata's mother and father too, had needed to leave, heading out to open up their spice stall-although after his gift of fifteen gold pieces to the delighted Ashwin and Madhuri, Hong thought they might as well just pack it in for the day.
Rajata though, could afford to delay her commute for a little while, and made the most of it as they walked through the streets of the Lower Ring together for a few hundred yards.
Other locals, in their scruffy, simple tunics and robes, nicked and cracked sedge hats and straw sandals, stared in perplexed, awed wonder at the unlikely budding couple.
Hong could imagine what a sight they must present-the hulking, ominous Dai Li in his flowing robes and slanted hat that covered much of his face, with a smiling, dark-skinned local girl in a green cotton sari that just managed to reach up to his shoulders strolling alongside, regarding him with nothing other than playful, relaxed affection.
At one point, Hong's attention was caught by the sight of Rajata reaching out, as if to stroke his shoulder, the idea charming him-but to his shocked amazement, he felt her hand lightly grasp, then gently run its way down his queue instead.
Several onlookers gasped and cringed at her audacious act, expecting to see a severe punishment be handed out.
But Hong just lightly laughed, feeling blood rush to his cheeks as he said, "Well, somebody sure isn't shy about public displays of affection. But neither am I," he added as he tilted the brim of his hat upward and bent down, inhaling the wonderful, clean scent of her hair as he kissed the crown of her head.
The other locals looked on in baffled wonder.
She rewarded him with a dazzling half smile before he asked, "So, how do you think things went with that introduction?"
"A lot better than I thought they would when I realized you'd dropped by. I wish you'd given some type of warning that you were coming though, Hong," she added, her tone containing just a mild touch of annoyance. "That really was a shock to them-especially my brother and sisters."
"My apologies," he told her. "I actually wasn't sure what to do in that regard, whether I should notify them first, which would probably get them all worked up while they waited for me to come-or just have them deal with me all at once, get it done with quick as possible."
"Doesn't matter anymore at this point, I guess," she replied as she shook her head in dismissal. "I would prepare them with a message next time you decide to come calling though, okay Hong? Remember, just a glimpse of a Dai Li agent majorly stresses many of the people in our 'hood."
He nodded.
"They didn't like having me around," he said, curling up the corners of his mouth knowingly, "and I don't say I blame them. At least they didn't react with open hatred-or bending!" he chuckled.
Rajata laughed. "No, that would not have been good. I think they've warmed up to you somewhat though-or aren't as distrustful, at least. Progress, however you crack it."
"I have a feeling that certain shiny presents helped to break the stone slab in a big way."
"They sure didn't hurt!" she giggled in agreement.
"Anyway, I truly have to get going," he told her, turning to face her as they both stopped in a small square.
"See you later then," she beamed.
Lowering his voice even further, he softly asked, "And speaking of which, I was the one who chose how we'd meet again today. Now it's your turn. Just tell me when you'd like to hook up again, and what you'd like to do."
"Cool. Depends on your shift schedule though, of course."
"Yeah, and unfortunately we can get called in for emergency duty, or have to work extra hours at any time."
"Part of the deal for helping to keep us all safe. But anyway, what's tomorrow like for you?"
"Another ten-hour day shift, if nothing comes up."
"Wow, sounds rough," she winced. "Me, I wouldn't mind just having a simple picnic with you, then taking an evening walk together."
"You're a lady of simple pleasures," he softly smiled. "But yeah, that sounds just fine."
Delight flashed over Rajata's face.
"I'll be happy to pick out and bring the foodstuffs of course," he added. "Anything you'd want in particular?"
"I'm fine with whatever food you bring," she replied warmly. "In terms of tea though, only a freshly brewed pot of oolong leaves from Pao's will do for this special occasion. So, meet me there, two hours before sundown if you can. I want plenty of time to enjoy the sunset with you," she said, reaching out to touch the Earth Kingdom symbol on his chest and running her slim hand down his breastbone in a way that made his knees feel weak.
"Bring a pipe too," she added as an afterthought. "I'll bring the snuff-unless you aren't the smoking type. Oh, and some good sake."
"I don't mind sitting back and puffing on a pipe now and then," he shrugged. "It's relaxing, and makes me feel that much more elegant too," he grinned.
"Great," she replied as she looked around. "Well, work sucks, but we'd better both show up for it, I guess. Here's something that I know will make yours a lot better," she added with a wink.
Before Hong could even form the question in his mind, there was a cracking of stone as she made a quarter turn and bent a short pillar out of the stone-paved ground, rising on top of it until her gaze was level with his.
She leaned forward, tilting her head to avoid the brim of his hat, and gave him-Agent Yan of the Dai Li, in broad daylight-an eager kiss on the cheek.
In a mixture of bliss and disbelief, Hong's eyes widened as he backed away a few steps, watching as a smugly smiling, proud Rajata lowered the pillar back into the ground with a pushing gesture of her hands, then pivoted on a sandaled foot and sauntered away.
He knew she was walking in that manner to give him an appealing view, and a sly glance over her shoulder confirmed it.
Oh yes, that was a very good way to begin a working day indeed.