Well, here's yet another chapter of my Dai Li romance fic for your enjoyment, and as usual, it ended up being ungodly long compared to how I first imagined it.
Warning: This chapter contains a HEAVY dose of talk about both theoretical and applied eugenics, in addition to mentions of the purchase of concubines.
It had been a long, especially exhausting night shift for Hong. First there'd been the middle-aged woman in his assigned Middle Ring patch for the night, District 77, who'd been preaching about the war.
More specifically-exactly as the teenage girl that'd come and tattled on her to Hong had said-the aging earthbender had pulled up a stone platform right in a public square before howling to everyone in earshot about how, now that the Avatar was in Ba Sing Se, the truth about the Dai Li's cover-up of the great war could be revealed at last.
Naturally, after rewarding the girl with a few silver pieces, he and Guozhi had immediately rushed in to arrest her and then have her carted away to headquarters in an iron prison carriage-to be followed of course, by spending quality time with one of the mindbender agents from the Reeducation Division.
She'd proven to be quite a shrewd gal though, in all sorts of ways. Including earthbending tactics, as well as clearly knowing a thing or two about the Dai Li's favored methods of apprehending a suspect. Getting her securely restrained had been-well, a difficult business, to put it mildly. Between the two of them, he and Guozhi had taken several bludgeoning hits, which was always both painful and deeply embarrassing.
And the property damage…Once again, Hong was very glad that he wasn't one of those unfortunate folks who, through no fault of their own, suddenly found themselves being faced with having to deal with both cleaning and fixing up their house and/or place of business after some moron had decided they actually wanted to have a violent boulder-tossing match with one of the Dai Li-especially when the repair bill came due!
He lightly rubbed a sore area on his side under his uniform's robes, just below his right elbow. That was going to be quite a livid, spreading bruise when he woke up later.
And then both agents had needed to intercede in not one, but two domestic disputes. One had involved a woman who'd been drunkenly shrieking at her sister, trying to beat her up, smack her around, accusing her of sleeping with her husband behind her back. The other dust-up had been between two earthbender men, father and son, with the former having finally lost his temper with what he called his son's "irresponsible, free-spending ways, as if silver coins were something to be found under every rock!"
Hong and Guozhi's response to the first incident had been to send the female aggressor to the nearest state prison, where she would get to spend the rest of the night and all of the next day sobering up and regretting her actions. It was a safe bet that the singular agony of a hangover would only further add to her remorse and state of misery.
As for the second, Hong had candidly told the son, a boy in his late teens by the name of Xuan, that he needed to figure out how to manage his money properly, even if that meant going without some things, and that neither the Dai Li or the City Guards wanted to be dragged into his family's financial issues ever again before leaving.
It was all over with at last though, and now Hong was half-groggily pacing his way down a glowstone-lit hallway back at headquarters. Guozhi had kindly offered to write up the shift report this time, formally documenting everything noteworthy that they'd either seen or done during the past ten hours, which left Hong with some free time before he went home and fell asleep.
He hadn't made any specific plans to either visit Rajata, or take her anywhere today. Still, after he changed out of uniform in his barracks room, he thought he could probably muster the energy to take a carriage to her family shop at the spice market, say hello, spend a bit of quality time with her, and maybe arrange another outing together before leaving for a much-needed session of sleep at home. Or maybe he'd just go enjoy a cup or two of that wonderful tea at Pao's, where it had all begun…
A chiming, way-too jovial female voice cut into his thoughts.
"Hello Agent Hong!" one of the Joo Dees sweetly twittered, trotting down the vaulted stone hall from the opposite direction with the poise of a pygmy puma, the green cuffs of her ruqun's sleeves always just touching one another as she weaved her way towards him around the scattered figures of fellow agents, who regarded her with brief, mild interest from underneath their hats before carrying on. "I have been dispatched to deliver an important message for you!"
Hong slightly cocked his head underneath his own hat as he tried to remember, if possible, who this particular Joo Dee had once been before Director Guai, head of Reeducation, with his deep voice and flawless, spreading smile, had "coached" her.
Probably Lian Ma, the notorious former head of a band of jewel thieves, who hadn't been averse in the least to personally committing murder for the goal of getting her hands on her share of precious gems, his fatigued mind decided.
Well, even if it had involved breaking her mind and essentially making her into a docile slave, she was never going to be a menace to the people of Ba Sing Se again. Just as importantly, the procedure allowed her to remain alive, and get to still enjoy at least a partial degree of freedom. A win-win.
"Ni hao, Joo Dee, Servant of Harmony," he replied respectfully as she came up to him, holding the gold cuffs of his own robe's sleeves together in the same fashion. "What news do you have for me?"
She half-closed her eyes and gave him another lunatic smile, the jade light of the glowing crystals adding an extra unsettling touch in the way it shone off the layer of saliva coating her teeth.
"Esteemed Commander Quan Hsiao wants to speak with you before you retire for the day," she informed him in that chiming tone.
Damn. There goes any chance of visiting Rajata this morning, Hong thought as he inwardly slumped in a mixture of annoyance and disappointment.
After bidding the Joo Dee thanks, he made a detour to Commander Quan's office. He wondered exactly what the Grand Secretariat's second-in-command wanted with him. Perhaps it was to personally congratulate him on holding his own against a troublemaker who was adept at earthbending and taking her into custody alive, he figured.
Quan Hsiao was casually sitting behind his desk, stone-clad hands lightly clasped together, as Hong bent open the black granite sliding door, closing it behind him with a wave of a hand as he strode in to face his superior, standing at attention with his own hands held together in the small of his back.
As in Long Feng's own study, green flames blazed and danced in a fireplace behind the commander's seated figure, constantly playing over the varnished wood, the copper post from which his own steepled hat hung by its chinstrap, the neat piles of scrolls and books on his desk, a figure of the god Wu Sheng carved from hippo ivory, his rugged features, square jaw, and sleek black hair.
But this fireplace was smaller than the one in Long Feng's library office, less spacious, more compact in its construction, while still being sufficiently large. That pretty much described Quan's office in general, really, Hong thought as force of habit made him quickly do a visual sweep of the stone room and its squat cabinets of alphabetically arranged files.
He slightly lowered his head in respect before saying, "You wanted to see me, commander? Sir," he added.
Quan gave a sharp, quick nod before gesturing at the floor in front of his desk. "Pull up a chair," he told Hong, giving a measured smirk at the pun he'd made.
Hong did just that, stone crackling as he used that certain combined part of his brain and soul alike to shape it to his comfort before sitting down, taking his hat off and placing it over his thighs.
"First of all, I hope I'm not disrupting any of your plans for the morning by summoning you here," Quan began.
Well, frankly, you sort of are, Hong thought crossly. But he gave his commander an urbane, genial sort of smile as he replied, "Oh, don't worry sir. I'm in no hurry to get anywhere."
Not for the first time, Hong noted what an unusually dark shade of green Quan's irises were, so dark as to nearly be black. It was a disquieting feature that had served the 43-year-old head agent to great effect during his long career as the Dai Li's chief interrogator-until Long Feng had appointed Quan as his understudy and right-hand man three years ago.
But even now, he was quite happy to have a "chat" with one of Lake Laogai's latest unwilling visitors whenever the chance presented itself.
"It has come to my attention," Quan matter-of-factly began, "that recently you submitted, and had granted by your captain, Li Jiu, a request to have a passport for access to the Upper Ring manufactured for a civilian?"
"That is correct, sir."
"If I recall precisely, she is an inhabitant of the Lower Ring, Rajata Chettiar by name?"
"Also correct, sir."
"Am I right in assuming that you and this particular woman have formed a romantic relationship of late? And you are permitted to speak freely," he added.
"We have," Hong admitted, even as he began to feel oddly uneasy. Was it possible that Quan didn't approve? Maybe, like Guozhi, he saw Rajata as a questionable choice of partner due to her status? "She's a beauty, quite frankly, in both her appearance and nature. A diamond in the rough, as the saying goes."
Hong thought he saw a faint glimmer of appreciation in Quan's narrow eyes as he leaned back slightly and asked, "How long have you both been involved with each other?"
"About a week. She's proven to be surprisingly trusting and passionate towards me," he said with a faint smile. "Not that I mind in the least."
"I wouldn't think so," Quan knowingly replied, giving a distant smile of his own. "Have you met the rest of her family at all, if she has any?"
"Only once, sir."
"Have you noticed during that occasion, or any of the times you've spent with Rajata alone, any indications, any hints at all, that she or any of her family members may be involved in subversive activities or speech?"
I knew you were working up to that, Hong thought, and that the topic would come sooner rather than later.
"I haven't seen any signs, sir, and when it comes to talking about the war, not a word has been said-at least around me," Hong replied. "Nor do I know of any rebel activities having recently occurred in the area of either their home or the family's place of business."
"You would, of course, immediately act to take Rajata, or any other member of her household into custody if they proved to be threats to the harmony of this city, I trust?"
The very thought of doing such a thing to the woman he'd fallen so utterly in love with, having to see her expression of horror, of betrayal, of disgusted hatred-before it was molded into a befuddled, blissful sort of compliance-slashed at, chilled Hong's heart.
As for subjecting a member of her own family to mindbending…he couldn't imagine a scenario where she'd even speak to him again.
But his face stayed impassive as he replied, "Certainly, sir."
At least she wouldn't remember what I'd helped do to her after it was all over with, and there'd be no valid reason to have a normal, productive, civilian woman like her changed into one…of them, he reassured himself, taking a slow breath.
"Good. Let's hope you'll never have reason to."
Hong just gravely nodded, unable to stifle a thin chill that trickled down his spine.
After meditatively regarding Hong for a few more seconds, Quan remarked, as he leaned back in his chair and placed his stone-sheathed hands behind his head, "Your relationship with Rajata must be a sincere and serious one indeed, if you are willing to arrange for her to have the supreme privilege of being granted a passport."
"I concluded that it was a necessity in order for her to visit both the Upper Ring proper to participate in chosen activities with me, and in time, my place of residence without the risk of facing harassment or being refused entry in my absence."
Quan nodded thoughtfully, as he held Hong's gaze in a way that the other agent wasn't entirely comfortable with.
"A sensible course of action. We certainly wouldn't want to see her be subjected to inconveniences."
Something about the way he said that last word was enough to make Hong uneasily, warily venture, even as he dreaded the possible reply, "Unless of course, you don't think it is wise or appropriate for me to indulge in a romantic relationship at this current time?"
"In all honesty, no, I don't. Indeed, I would highly urge that you should call it off."
Hong felt his rock sheathed hands ball into fists as he mentally hit the ceiling.
"Are you serious?!"
For the Chettiar family, ever since Rajata had come home from that ostrich-horse race with an amount of both gold pieces and paper money beyond anything they could've imagined just being in the presence of, the past two days had been like something out of a heady fantasy.
At first, Ashwin and Madhuri had been so delighted and flabbergasted that they simply didn't have the presence of mind to figure out what to actually do with such a stunning amount of wealth. None of them did.
Rajata had been the first to get a hold of herself after a time though, and had reasonably pointed out that it probably wouldn't be wise to be caching all her once-in-a-lifetime winnings in a cranny of a Lower Ring slum house. Neither could they-or should they-try to dispense of it all in a single conniption of spending.
"We might as well put a sign on our roof, all lit up with glowstones, that says in big bold letters, 'Riches to be swiped right here!'" she'd told them.
"Do you have any other places to store it in mind then?" her father had asked. "I guess it would be a simple enough matter for you or I to earthbend a nice, deep pit in some out-of-the-way alley, behind our house, among the roots of a tree, or so on, as I'm sure you're aware, and make use of the stashed funds as needed."
"Not a bad plan Dad, but it's still too risky," she'd replied, shaking her head before tapping her chin in thought. "There's too much of a chance that someone would catch on, and then use their own bending skills-or those of a friend-to rob us blind. What I'm proposing is that we find a bank, a good, dependable qianzhuang in the Middle Ring, and place whatever portion of my winnings we're not going to immediately spend in an account there."
"Good idea," Tuhina agreed as she'd nodded in approval. "You'll get interest money for that every year too."
"Exactly." Rajata had replied.
"Darling, I would not trust any banker as far as I could throw them with my money if I was you," Ashwin had nervously cautioned. "Especially with such a massive amount like this. They cheat their customers, play games with them, tack on bogus fees to get even more of their money all the time-and Lower Ring people like us are their favorite scam victims."
Rajata had merely parted her carmine lips and laughed. "Dad, did you just suffer temporary amnesia when it comes to the concept of me being, you know, a Dai Li agent's girlfriend? You honestly think any bank in this city would dare to pull a fast one with our family's account-especially after I showed them a certain VIP passport as proof?"
"Not in a thousand years," he dryly droned.
But before banking the money, there was no problem indulging in making some long-yearned for dreams come true first. Number one on the list for the Puri family was to seize this wonderful, impossible chance to get out of their crumbling Lower Ring stone-and-plaster cesspit of a residence, forever. Forget having the roof replaced, they'd been granted the supreme gift of being able to move up in the world-to buy a house of their own in the Middle Ring!
First though, they needed to find a house that fit certain conditions: was unoccupied, in respectable condition, not falling apart, and naturally one which had some nice features and comforts built in. The Chettiars really didn't have a clue where to even start to begin when it came to house hunting though. They would need help.
In an inspired moment, Maalai had suggested perhaps trying to find an off-duty City Guard if they could, who probably would know better than anyone which houses were available for purchase-at least in the district of the Middle Ring that he and his partner covered.
And the Puri family had gone in search of one. Their first three encounters with civilian police had been unproductive, with the officers working active duty, and both groups parting ways.
But then they'd stumbled across Zhelong. He was available for assistance.
His attitude towards their request, the very idea of spending his free time chaperoning this random family as they used him to find an available, choice house was distinctly lukewarm, to put it mildly-until Rajata pulled the city passport Hong had so generously given her from its place between her skin and the right side of her sage green choli (an elbow length, form-fitting blouse that exposed her midriff), and idly showed it to the officer.
She'd told him, in a relaxed tone which was also infused with a touch of mock sorrow, giving him a little smile as she slipped the huzhao back underneath, "I just wanted to make you aware, Officer Zhelong, that an agent of the Dai Li has recently become quite smitten with me. And the guy's told me lately that it sure does make him upset to think of me, the lady he loves, having to spend even one more night in our shabby, ugly, drafty Lower Ring house-to say nothing of my family," she'd added while gesturing at her parents and siblings. "I'm sure none of us would want to have one of our brave guardians of order be unhappy, right?" she'd added, giving him a suggestive, cultivated frown.
Zhelong had lightly half-gasped, his entire body already having stiffened at the sight of her official pass. "Oh, that would just be…terrible," he'd earnestly agreed. He got the picture. "In fact, let's get on top of correcting that situation right now, shall we?" he'd excitedly offered as he pivoted on his foot and gestured to the Puris to follow him. "There's this awfully nice place just ten minute's walking distance from here that I think you'll be impressed with, on Mingqin Avenue…" he'd continued as they got moving-and both Rajata and Tuhina had exchanged triumphant, devilish smirks of glee with each other.
For his own part, her father had been equal parts smug and very impressed. "Nicely done," he whispered.
Now, an amazed, excited Rajata was taking in the amenities of their prospective home along with her parents and siblings. So much more space! A flowerbed! A decent roof! A proper bathtub! Furniture that wasn't banged up, or made out of wooden scraps! Walls that didn't have cracks in them!
Gleefully grinning, Maalai spontaneously broke into a jog around the central room, testing out and reveling in the comparatively greater area.
Charmed, and getting caught up in the moment herself, Rajata commented, "You enjoying yourself, baby sis?"
"I sure am! This place is nice!" Maalai replied as she turned at the corner of the far wall and rushed back to her eldest sister, her dark face almost glowing with joy. "Yeah, it's not like it's the size of a mansion or one of the lecture hall buildings at the university, but there's still so much more, um, I'm not sure what the word is…"
"Breathing room?" Rajata suggested.
"Yes! Breathing room!"
"How about I see just how big this main room is for myself-by racing you around it?" Rajata challenged.
"You're on! Just don't cheat with earth-skating," she admonished.
As their mother warmly looked on from the door to the tiled kitchen, both sisters were dashing along the far wall when, like a bubble rising up through water, a sort of intuitive, silent voice gently burst into Rajata's mind, stopping her in her tracks.
Confused, Maalai also came to a halt and glanced back at her. "What's the deal with stopping, Raj? I thought we were racing tog-"
"Sorry. I just got this weird feeling right now," Rajata uncertainly responded, frowning. "From the same part of my anma where my bending comes from, I guess."
"Do you feel something wrong about this house?" Madhuri ventured. "Perhaps bad spir-"
"No Mom, it's not that," Rajata replied, shaking her head. "I know it's crazy, but…I think it's connected with Hong in some way."
She paused for a long moment before adding, "In fact, I'm certain it does, the more I think about it-and I have a sense, somehow, that he's highly upset right now."
Across the desk from Hong, Commander Quan Hsiao responded to his display of sudden passion with an expression which was initially startled, but then began to harden as he said, "Agent Hong, was that an outburst of truculence on your part just now?" the tone of his voice equal parts surprised and ominous.
Hurriedly catching himself, Hong took a deep, steadying breath and gave a partial bow in his seat before he evenly replied, "My apologies, sir. It's just… "he hesitated briefly, wondering how to best make his case before forging on, "-it's been some time since I've found a woman that has appealed to me as strongly as my first wife, Lady Gyunghui, did. And I'm not aware of any recent edicts which forbid members of the Dai Li from choosing to court or marry…"
Quan sighed, not unsympathetically. "No, there aren't. But there's a very good reason why I strongly advise that you should wait a while under these circumstances before throwing yourself into a new relationship-two now, actually."
"The comet-and now the Avatar."
"Precisely. Dealing with his little troop's impulsive, willful behavior," Quan said as he leaned back and rubbed his temples, "has been nothing less than a complete pain in the ass, something that we needed right now about as much as a stone fist to the eye-and it goes without saying that it is really stretching our resources thin."
Hong nodded in agreement. "Goddess, yes. Refusing to obey their Joo Dee, trying to use subterfuge to access His Majesty, sending dozens of wild animals stampeding through the streets and arbitrarily converting perfectly good farmland into a new zoo, threatening to cause panic by telling the populace about the war…it's both frustrating and running an awful lot of us ragged, no question."
"Which is why I'm sure you can understand the necessity of needing to be constantly ready to deal with any additional difficulties that the Avatar may throw at us. Which he will," Quan flatly added.
"I don't doubt that."
"And that's not taking into account how close we are to Long Feng, all five Directors, and I finally being able to carry out the results of all our fretting, plotting, considering, and discussing a contingency plan for when Sozin's Comet comes."
"I agree, Commander Quan. It's just that-well, I truly beg your pardon, but I don't view it as reasonable or fair that I should have to either put my relationship with Rajata on hold or even end it entirely. Not when other colleagues of mine are allowed to be betrothed or married, like my own partner," Hong said, trying to keep the anguish and consternation out of his voice.
"But you're not coupled to her as yet through betrothal or marriage, are you? And not to seem crude here, but when it comes to satisfying your passionate urges, Wu Sheng knows there's plenty of women in this city who'd be very willing to help with that."
"Yes, but I deeply ado-"
"I know," Quan interjected. "And I'm sorry that my suggestion is going down hard. It's not like I could actually enforce it either-or would, if that gives you any comfort. I'm just saying that it's not a wise, practical thing for you to be doing at this critical time."
Practical, Hong thought in dull bitterness. I say being practical can go screw itself.
But then, like a lamp being lit, the answer, the solution that would allow him to keep on wooing Rajata and make his commander not only think differently about him engaging in a romance at such an inopportune time, but downright encourage it, flashed into Hong's mind. Yes, it was practical indeed.
And if Quan still had his doubts and disapproval? Well, even if he might rank just one step below Long Feng, Quan wouldn't have gained the loyalty, the respect, the trust of his fellow agents, his position of not only commander, but the Dai Li's official spokesman if he'd been the type to bully and order his subordinates around as it suited him.
Hong was also more than glad, if need be, to show Quan by example that yes, he could balance the burdens of romance and responsibility alike perfectly well on his broad shoulders. Still, it was always best to use molasses to bait a raccoon-monkey instead of rotten fish…
"Actually sir, the partnership and bond growing between Rajata and I could prove in the longer term to not only be beneficial to us, but to the Dai Li as a whole."
Quan gave him a curious, puzzled look.
Hong smoothly, confidently smiled as he met his commander's gaze and assured him, "Hear me out sir, and instead of seeing it as a problem, you'll almost be eager to see Rajata end up with the title of Lady by the time I'm finished."
"You've lost me. But go ahead, I'm listening." His stone-shoed foot was in the door. Good.
"As you are aware sir," Hong began, "it is well documented that while both her beauty and amiable nature certainly greatly contributed, the main motivation behind why the then-current Prince Ozai chose the now mysteriously vanished Princess Ursa, the daughter of a low-ranking court official, as both his wife and the mother of his children can be attributed to two factors: her own prowess as a firebender herself-and even more importantly, the large proportion of proficient benders known to be in her family tree."
"Yes," Quan nodded. "He hedged his bets for the type of children that he wanted as heirs and effective military leaders by deliberately being calculating in his choice of a spouse. Rather like breeding ostrich-horses for greater speed, or more strength to carry heavy loads."
"Exactly. Now consider this. Even the professors and theologians at Ba Sing Se University can't say with confidence how or why some children are born with the ability to bend, while others are not. It's partly a sacred gift from the spirits, it seems-"
"But there's also a noticeable component of inheritance to it as well, which can be detected in bloodlines," Quan knowingly interjected.
"That's right. Now Commander Quan, sir, while it's my understanding that Long Feng has little interest in the idea himself, I know that you and some other high-ranking members of the Dai Li-like Captain Kung-have given serious thought over the past few years to the idea of at least experimenting with partnering some of the agents under your authority with appropriate-and of course, compatible-female earthbenders in a similar form of selective…well, procreation, let's just say."
Quan grasped the idea, the angles his subordinate was playing, and chuckled in impressed approval. "And you're volunteering to be the first to put it into practice, with your cherished Rajata as the probable future mother of a bouncing baby bending boy if all goes well-one who will most likely come into the world with all the right stuff to be a Dai Li agent like his dad. Hong, you are one cunning, brilliant little weasel-and I love it!" his commander grinned in the firelight.
"Thanks, I suppose. But what do you think of the idea, sir? Rajata's family also has an unusually large proportion of benders as a whole, with her father, a younger sister, and a younger brother all having the ability," he noted, counting them off on his right hand. "Four out of a family of six," he added. "Pretty good betting odds, as my partner would say."
"Very much so. I wonder if that having many benders in the family is a fluke, or is connected in some way to their Tenjikuan heritage?"
"I wouldn't pretend to know sir," Hong shrugged. "But your thoughts on this idea?"
Quan regarded him for a few thoughtful moments before speaking. "It's a clever win-win scheme for both our interests," he said at length with a slow smirk, "one that Long Feng himself would be impressed by."
"I'm pleased you feel that way, sir."
"It even plays right into our hands in some ways when it comes to how we'll deal with any occupying troops after the comet has departed-although it takes close to twenty years of course, for a bending capable boy-child to become a trained, competent agent," the commander remarked. "Still, some things are well worth playing the long game for."
"But are you certain," Quan went on, "that you can't afford to put your romance with Miss Puri on hold until after we've dealt with the aftermath of the comet-telling her perhaps, that you won't be able to pay her any other visits for the rest of the summer, due to a massive, sudden new workload? And like all effective lies or mock memories, it would have a good deal of truth to it," he pointed out.
"I'm afraid not, Commander Quan. Even though we earthbenders know a thing or two about being patient, it would be too much of a stumbling block for our relationship, from what I know of her temperament."
Quan drummed his fingers of his left hand on the armrest of his chair, stone tapping against wood. With his bare right one, he ran the tips of his fingers through his hair before fixing Hong with a glittering spruce green gaze as he said, "Agent Hong, it is well known that you are a loyal, dependable, hard-working member of both the Surveillance and Patrol Division and of this force as a whole. So, I want you to tell me right now," the commander levelly inquired as he leaned over his desk, "can you assure me that your dalliance with Rajata will not interfere with your duties-especially when we may well need your services at any time?"
"I think I can manage to balance both the demands of politics and romance perfectly well, sir."
"I don't want to hear that you think, Agent Hong. I want to hear you tell me that you know you can-and will!"
"I will balance them and honor my duties as an agent of the Dai Li above all, Commander Quan, sir!" Hong resolutely cried, placing his stone-mailed fists together on the level of his heart, arms parallel to the floor, in the traditional Dai Li salute.
Quan seemed satisfied as he leaned back into his chair. "Good man. I knew that you'd have your priorities straight. Well, I seem to have covered everything, so you're officially dismissed," he concluded, giving a nonchalant wave of his hand. "And I must say, an excellent job on taking that earthbending dissenter into custody," he added. "Unfortunate that she gave you and your partner some trouble."
"It was nothing we couldn't manage, and at least neither of us needed to go to the infirmary because of her blows. But thank you, sir," Hong replied as he rose from his seat, hat in one stone-gloved hand, giving Quan an especially deep standing bow before putting his hat back on, the satin chinstrap smooth against the skin of his neck. He bent his seat back down into the floor, smoothed the surface out with a slow wave of his left hand, and turned away as Quan idly watched him depart.
It was a major relief, Hong thought contentedly as delight flooded through him, that he and Rajata all but had his commander's blessing now when it came to their shared love. He was enormously pleased indeed, both by the outcome and his shrewdness.
Perhaps, as some of his fellow agents had told him multiple times, it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to at least consider leaving the Surveillance and Patrol Division behind him and trying for a position in Investigations. If nothing else, he'd be able to enjoy the excitement of seeing more action, dedicating his wits to solving thorny problems, and getting to work in the same division as Zai Tian, his younger brother...
But as he neared the entrance to his commander's study, he was stopped in his tracks, snapped out of his drowsy reverie when Quan abruptly spoke behind him.
"Never forget Hong," he warned, "that the last time the comet came, The Fire Nation's forces brutally and utterly exterminated the Air Nomads. Killed off an entire nation-save for one member who is currently and ironically giving us more than our share of headaches-in less than a day. The implications for Ba Sing Se…The lives of hundreds of thousands of people may depend on your ability to be prompt and focused, agent."
"I won't forget," Hong assured him, turning his head slightly to briefly give the other man a sidelong glance.
He then looked up at the stone ceiling above him, and even though there was easily several hundred bu's worth of dense sandstone between the bottom of Lake Laogai and where he stood, he could still innately perceive the pressure of all that water pressing down on its bed. Perhaps he'd become so attuned to things like that as a result of having to spend so much time lately with a more intangible burden on his shoulders.
"Because I've got a very effective reminder," he said softly.
Even for us guys in Administration, Agent Donghai Sun ruefully thought, muscles rigid, The Avatar is causing us no end of trouble with his behavior. And paperwork. Goddess, the paperwork!
In the next instant though, he calmed himself with a deep breath as he turned away from the serving counter with his food-laden wooden tray and headed for one of the unoccupied stone tables in the ever-busy, low-roofed hall that served as the Dai Li's subterranean cafeteria.
Today, their exclusive cooks had made vegetable fried rice, fish soup, fried tofu with sesame sauce, egg rolls, chicken with snow peapods, and steamed rice for the lunch menu. They certainly did a great job of providing him and his fellow agents with exemplary meals, Donghai reflected as he took his seat on a padded wooden bench.
As for the hassle of the Avatar, Donghai resolved that he wasn't going to think about that for the time being as he began to take a pair of wooden chopsticks to his fried rice. Instead, he was just going to be in the moment, enjoy his lunch in peaceful solitude, in a mindset that was free from care…
And then, his serenity was shattered by the sound of a familiar voice cheerily saying, "Donghai! Great to see you!"
Oh spirits…
Donghai's face fell as he looked up at the twin figures of agents Bingwen and Xiaobo striding towards him, each holding their own tray of food as they beamed at him in tandem. It was Xiaobo who'd just spoken.
"Hope you don't mind us joining you for lunch," Bingwen said merrily as he plopped his tray on the stone table across from Donghai and shifted the stone tabs of his gloves up into his uniform's sleeves as he seated himself, his partner taking a seat at his right side.
"I could nearly jump for joy," Donghai drawled sarcastically. "Has it ever occurred to the two of you that when you see someone choosing to eat alone, maybe they might not want you interrupting their 'me' time?"
"Certainly, but you're such a master at conversation that we just can't resist mingling with you. Can we, Xiaobo?"
Xiaobo nodded in earnest agreement. "And the guys at the top always like to remind us that we agents of the Dai Li are like a band of brothers, all one big family in a way. What sort of family member refuses to speak to his brothers?" he asked Donghai, giving him an offended, reproachful look.
"Ugh, fine," Donghai grumbled reluctantly, rolling his eyes. "I guess I can tolerate the two of you for a while." Both agents looked distinctly smug.
"So," Bingwen began, "how are you doing when it comes to standing the insanity around here these days?"
"I'm managing well enough, I guess," Donghai shrugged as he raised a bite of fried tofu to his mouth with the chopsticks and chewed. "Somehow."
"Any interesting, non-classified dirt you can share with us?" Xiaobo eagerly asked. "Even we Surveillance agents don't have the pleasure of knowing everything that goes on around here."
"Well, we've pretty much finished the process of granting compensation payments to all the farming families who had their land randomly earthbent into new zoo enclosures by the Ava-"
"Ugh, please," Bingwen winced, lips curling in distaste. "I so don't want to talk about that tattooed loose cannon or his friends right now."
"If he stays here for even one more week, I'm officially going to have a nervous breakdown," Xiaobao shuddered. "I swear to Hou-Tu."
"Can't say I blame you," Donghai replied as he nodded, lips set.
"Anyway," Bingwen went on as he slurped a mouthful of fish soup, "got any gossip of note to share with us that does not involve the Master of The Elements?"
"Not really," Donghai admitted with a shrug. "What about things on your end?"
"Well," Xiaobo replied, "you might be interested to know that it seems that Farm Boy's found himself a new girlfriend recently, and they're already dating."
"I'm afraid I can't place that nickname."
"He's only Agent Hong Yan," Bingwen informed him. "You know, our boy in Surveillance from the Agarian Zone? Who earned himself the Double Tiger Medal of Merit at the age of twenty-four after a certain incident which involved him crawling headfirst down a cramped, partially metal-lined tunnel to take on three armed members of the vicious Golden Catgator gang in their iron-lined bunker?"
"And being the only man to come out again," Xiaobo added in a rightfully amazed tone, shaking his head. "Alive, at least."
"Ah yes, him. An incredible act of valor," Donghai heartily agreed as the image of the aforementioned agent, tall even for a member of the Dai Li, rose to mind. "It wouldn't surprise me at all if he gets promoted to captain at some future date, frankly, in part due to things like that."
"Me neither," Bingwen said. "He's never lacked in courage."
"Anyhow, so he's gotten himself a new sweetheart," Donghai commented as he idly scratched at his short beard. "Huh. Must be a blue moon," he said half-jokingly, with a light grin. "Seriously though, that's great to hear."
"Yeah," Bingwen agreed with a slow nod. "It's nice to finally see him on the rebound at last, after his loss."
"It's been what, three years now since Lady Gyunghui passed away?" Xiaobo ventured, looking at both of them as he took a bite of an egg roll.
"Nearly four," Bingwen corrected.
"What disease did she die from again, exactly?" Donghai wondered. "I remember that she had both fevers and chills near the end…"
"Malaria," Bingwen said, as he gravely shook his head. "It goes without saying that any one of our wives is going to get the best medical care in all of Ba Sing Se if she falls ill-but sometimes even that's just not enough."
"The poor man," Xiaobo sighed in sympathy. "Really tore the ground out from underneath him."
"You definitely can't blame him for having taken so long to move on," Donghai agreed.
"Still," Xiaobo said, "honestly, after all this time I was truly starting to wonder if he actually liked being a moping widower."
"Same here. But I'm sure the fact that he's always had somewhat high standards when it comes to what he's looking for in ladies played a part too," Donghai said.
"True," Xiaobo agreed.
"Anyway," Donghai went on, "do either of you happen to know his new girl's name?"
"She goes by Rajata," Bingwen told him.
"Hmm. She must be Tenjikuan then, with a name like that," Donghai guessed. He grinned approvingly. "Well, spirits know that he could definitely do way worse than having one of those brown-skinned beauties be the one to put the glint back into his eye, far as I'm concerned. And the way they dress…"
"I wouldn't mind getting the chance to date-or marry one-either," Xiaobo dreamily agreed. "Short, slender, and sexy in a sari, as they say about them on the streets…"
"Um-hum," Bingwen murmured with a light grin as he nodded. "And they don't hold back on the flashy jewelry either. Gorgeous indeed."
"I've got half a mind to visit the concubine market in the Middle Ring now on my next day off," Xiaobo said thoughtfully, "just to see if they've got any of Tenjikuan extraction available for me to take home."
"They do show up there sometimes," his partner confirmed. "Maybe you'll get lucky."
"Perhaps. Hope springs eternal."
"At any rate," Donghai said, trying not to let the conversation he'd been forced into become derailed, "she's obviously highly attractive."
"Oh, definitely," Xiaobo laughed. "His partner Guozhi says that he always looks so proud to have her on his arm, and can't go more than a minute without looking her body over yet another time from her crown to the feet!"
"She practically makes his queue tie itself into a knot," Bingwen added, smirking.
Donghai gave a smirk of his own in response. "Any idea what her personality is like?"
"We really don't know, since we've never laid eyes on her," Bingwen shrugged. "Guozhi has met her a couple times though, and he told us the other day that she seems to be a very sweet, enthusiastic, honest, openly affectionate sort of young lady. Perfect yin to his yang, really."
"Sounds like she's quite a gem. I wonder if Hong would let me 'borrow' her for a few dates on the town with me?" Donghai quipped.
Bingwen and Xiaobo went silent. Neither laughed or grinned in amusement.
"I know you were just trying to be funny," Xiaobo said with uncharacteristic evenness, "but you can thank your lucky stars just now that Hong wasn't around to hear you say that."
"Otherwise, he'd probably be bending a pillar of stone right up your ass at this very second," Bingwen agreed as he gravely nodded.
Donghai remembered, and gave a concurring grunt. "That would totally be like him, I'm afraid. Goddess knows that he sure had something of a poorly controlled possessive streak over Gyunghui when they were together."
"Guozhi says that he's still the same way when it comes to Rajata," Xiaobo mentioned.
"Do you know which ring she's from, by any chance? I'd think she's at least a Mid-"
"She's actually a Lower Ring native, just like Farm Boy himself is," Bingwen interjected by way of reply. "Almost like they were made for each other."
And now she's being pulled from down there to pretty much the top of the social peak, thanks to him, Donghai thought. Whoever you are Rajata, you can sure thank the gods indeed for blessing you with your looks, because now you're going to have quite the luxurious ride now at Hong's side.
He also wondered how many of her social betters would still have the nerve to direct insults at her-even if they were kept on the level of whispers among associates.
One thing that Donghai knew for sure though, was that in Hong's case, like with a lot of agents in general, comments like that could end up being very hazardous indeed to the poor fool's health. Or for that matter, the last ones they ever uttered.
Whatever seemed to have been distressing her boyfriend so intensely, it began to melt away from Rajata's mind like spring snow, leaving her in short order to her own private thoughts and urges once more. Her shoulders slumped lightly in a perplexed sort of relief, although she didn't fully understand why.
The rest of her family was loosely gathered around her, expressions of both curiosity and concern on their warm brown features.
"What's going on with Hong now, Raj?" Prankaja asked, utterly entranced and confused.
"I don't know. That-that hunch or whatever I felt-it's gone now."
"My daughter has the gift of mind-reading," Ashwin murmured in awe. "Another great blessing from the spirits and gods!"
"Whoa Dad," Rajata cautioned, holding up a hand. "Let's not jump to conclusions just yet, as much as I'd like to believe that myself. I mean, there's no way of knowing for sure if Hong really was emotionally worked up just now, or if that was just a false impression. Not without seeing him directly and having him tell me how he was actually feeling at that point in time-which I intend to do."
"That sounds reasonable enough," her mother agreed.
"Yep. Not to mention," Rajata added with a cunning grin, "it gives me as good of an excuse as any to go on another date with him!"
As you can see, I chose to put a tiny bit of telepathy/psionic powers into this fic. It doesn't mean that Rajata is telepathic in general, or that Hong is telepathic in general, but rather is a sort of spiritual connection they share due to their strong bond of love and mutual ability to bend-and even at that, it's something they sense rarely, erratically, and only when one of them is in the grip of intense emotion.
While I understand that the Avatar-verse is not meant to be historically and factually accurate, it was a very common, longstanding practice for wealthier men in both China and Japan as recently as the early 20th century to purchase and keep concubines-which had a lower, different status than a man's legally recognized "official" wife-and I thought it would be quite interesting to include this in my fic's worldbuilding. Mingxia will definitely be making her share of "on-screen" appearances!
As always, I would be so deeply happy if you left a review for my troubles. Hope it was fun!