4---

That morning came slowly for Mikado, instead of the usual "morning person" body that was up, alert and ready for anything by dawn, he awoke to find a sluggish, slightly irritated boy in his place.

Grumbling he ate a light breakfast Kareem had set out for him before leaving to open up shop. The food gave him enough fuel for the gears and cogs in his mind to start spinning, and by the time he had finished his third bowl of the flavorless oatmeal, he had a plan.

He was past trying to impress Suki, he had done that all last night. He didn't quite know what she felt for him, but he knew he had to act the part of an aloof and arrogant man. This would attract her attention and hopefully put him in a positive light after the shock he had given the night before.

Rising and leaving the warm home he set out into the still-dark morning with a towel. By eavesdropping on a few conversations last night as the younger warriors of Kyoshi left their dojo, he had come to know where the girls bathed.

He started up the trail and, after an exhausting climb, found the cool stream that looked like the place the girls talked about. He quickly disrobed and hurled himself bodily into the rushing current.

He bobbed to the top of the water yelling, cursing and puffing. "Cold!" It was very true, the late winter was still thawing the snows atop the mountains and the stream was pure snowmelt. He steeled himself against the freezing water and while he waited, scrubbed himself.

He did not have to wait long before he heard voices in the woods. Female bantering and giggles grew louder as they approached. He stood tall in the waist-deep water, so that none of them were taken by surprise at his sudden appearance in the river.

Luckily, all of the girls saw him as they approached and only stopped to give him dirty looks.

"I'm sorry ladies, did you have this spot reserved?" he called out, stretching his arms above the water.

"Well well, our 'friend," one of the girls strode forward to speak to him. "Mikado isn't it? For your information, Suki's not here." She grinned at the slight dip in his smile, a dip he quickly hid. "she hasn't been seen all morning."

Mikado frowned at this, he was hoping Suki would be here. Ohh well, he thought, he couldn't do any harm impressing her subordinates.

"I see, well if you girls has planned bathing here before I had I'll just take my leave." He began to walk towards the shore and the water line started to recede on his body.

"Please! Have some modesty!" the girl raised her hand to cover her eyes. "Cover yourself!"

Mikado shrunk back into the water. "Ohh, I apologize, unfortunately my clothes are far up on the shore, and I'm unable to reach them without exposing myself." One of the girls suggested they throw his robes in the water for him to change, to which he replied, "and freeze to death in the cold morning? No, I have a better idea."

He stretched out his arms, and with a whirling motion and a flick of his wrist sent water spraying into the air. The girls recoiled from the freezing spray but kept their eyes on the man in the water. A large blob of mud rose out from the water amidst the mist and hovered right in front of Mikado.

Some of the girls gasped or squealed with delight at the display of earthbending. He used a few careful movements of his arms and hands and wrung the mud out, causing just a block of dirt to remain.

"I'll remove myself from your bathing area, milady." He began to walk out of the water and some of the girls reflexively covered their eyes again.

This motion was useless as the dirt formed itself around Mikado's waist and expanded down his legs as they rose out of the river. Tight shorts of earth appeared around the man and he quickly walked over and grabbed his things.

"Goodbye ladies, I hope your bath is as enjoyable as mine was." He winked his stunning green eye and proudly strolled off into the forest.

Some of the girls giggled as he left, while most whispered rapidly about his earth bending. Their cleaning went by without another incident.