Hello all!
Thank you to my reviewers: (The Prince's Choice): Nanami Namikaze and Orange-Marmalade97 (The Warrior's Gambit) Zutarawasrobbed, Astra Across the Stars, sophiecambellbower, alias093001, Chevalier Lecteur, storyofanunknownfangirl, Little Margarita, KnightOwl247, lucel18, guest, and guest!
Guest (Ap 26th Review): Thanks i think? Hahah, and yeah, I mean I almost want you to be that point, to understand why when (later) Zuko starts to see other girls, it's not a break in the trust. And no, she's not being fair, but Katara doesn't really know how love truly works, not that that's an excuse. As for Suki? I wouldn't not trust her. She is honest to a fault, but I can tell you right now that apart from just straight up wanting to marry Zuko, she doesn't really have any underhanded plans. Azula though...well...
Guest (May 6th): It is a very, very, very slow burn. on A03 it says basically exactly that XD I'm sorta going by the original novels, where the slow burn is almost painful. I'm actually planning on pushing up and having her admit it earlier. I promise you that they won't still be doing this dance in Book 3.
"I wonder what this big announcement is going to be," Saoirse twittered quietly to Yue as all the girls gathered in the sitting room they'd first filed into on their first day.
It had felt so crowded then, Katara mused. Of course, they were a good number of girls down from the original complete set, but the feeling of being alone in a difficult new setting had also made Katara feel very alone, even with 35 girls always around. There were still a lot of contestants - more than the Fire Sages would prefer at this stage - but it didn't feel like as many because Katara knew all these girls. She might not like all of them- she'd readily admit she disliked a handful - but the fact that she knew weird intimate details about all of them made the group feel smaller. More compact.
She gazed around at the girls sitting in their large skirts. Of course, Zhi had taken out the unnecessary chairs, but the places where friends had once sat still felt like they lingered. Like Eva, Katara thought with a depressed sigh. The letters between her and her Northern friend had been slow coming. She was blind now, so she could hardly blame her. Still, she was biting at the bit to make sure Eva was okay.
"Something huge, or else it wouldn't be so formal," Yue whispered back logically. It wasn't just the girls sitting here. The room was packed all around, even if the girls were sitting up front. Sokka was leaning on a back wall, having given up his seat for an elderly delegate from some tiny Earth Kingdom town. Hahn and Arrluck had been seated, but as soon as they'd seen Sokka graciously offer to stand, had jumped up to find an older and more in need delegate to offer their chairs to. Or, at least Hahn had. Arrluck had given his chair to a middle-aged woman, and Hahn had whispered angrily about something to him. Everything was a competition between the two Water Tribes. Katara would call them childish, but she also knew that if provoked, she would be just as determined to show Hahn up.
Point of the matter, this was a wide-reaching announcement, one that required everyone's attendance. Many of the delegates were in the room here. It did point to a large sort of event happening.
From across the room, Toph sent Katara a raised eyebrow look. It seemed to ask 'spill the beans, sis'. But Katara just shook her head back, hoping Toph picked up on it. She had no idea what was happening. Zuko had not given her any cues to what this was.
As Katara thought back, the only thing she thought of was how Zuko had suddenly left the room when they'd been pouring over the census reports. He had a funny look in his eye, that of a man who was planning something some might call mad, but he'd left so swifty that Katara had been unable to pick his brain. In the following days, she'd simply forgotten.
Until now.
She crossed her arms, sliding low in her seat. She was glad there were so many ladies, for if they were alone, Zhi would have been appalled at her posture, commanding her to correct it at once. Zhi was flitting around doing something else, something probably related to this, but Katara couldn't be sure. Zhi always seemed one task away from a colossal anxiety-driven breakdown, but that was just what Katara saw.
So no, she wanted to tell back to Toph, she had not the foggiest what was about to be announced.
There was a table set out in front, one that had been brought in for this. It was scattered with sheets of parchment and Katara wished she could peer up at what they were, but a set of guards stood stoically beside it, only allowing the Royal Family to view the sheets. They seemed to know what was about to be said.
Ozai didn't linger on it long, which soothed Katara's nerves. Anytime Ozai gave an announcement it always turned bottom-up. His track record with 'surprises' made Katara nervous whenever he was the one reading the proclamation.
"What's your wildest guess?" Suki asked Katara, nudging her shoulder. "The most ridiculous thing that you think they might say right now."
Alcina, on Katara's other side, laughed sharply, drawing the attention of a couple delegates two rows behind them. She stifled her amusement, trying to sober.
"Great fun! Hmm, lemme think…" she said over Katara.
"The sad thing is," Katara let a smile curl upon her face, "Is that with how ridiculous things have been, the most ridiculous guess may end up true."
"It is." Suki raised a finger. "If any of you manage to guess right, I'll convince the Warriors on Kyoshi to train you in our fighting style. Full out. Not many outsiders get that."
Katara admitted this was a good prize. Alcina's eyes were gleaming with excitement.
"If you get it," Alcina offered, "You can come train with the Fire Masters in my town. They're looking into how to incorporate other styles of bending into Firebending and currently they're studying old Airbending movies. It's very hard to get into these classes. My father helped start the school," she preened. Katara also agreed this was a good prize for Suki. She wanted Suki's more. She could simply have Aang teach her moves if she so wanted.
"Okay, best and most unimaginable guesses, go. I don't want something semi-plausible, I want 'never in a million years,'" Suki said, clapping her hand once.
"I think," Alcina swiveled around in her chair, humming, "That the Fire Sages have decided the competition is drawing on far too long and they've decided that the next Fire Lady to be named will be the most beautiful turtle-duck in the pond. They've decided that the rest of us will be paired up with the single delegates, lottery-style. I hope, if that happens, I get that silver-fox right over there. The Fire Nation dude that looks seriously ripped."
Katara and Suki dared a look behind them. Katara blinked, having never seen such an attractive older man before. Suki fake-fanned herself.
"You know, if he is single, perhaps Prince Zuko could make introductions for you," Suki winked. "You should get something nice out of this, eh?"
"I'm just saying..." Alcina rubbed her neck, blushing a bit.
"Okay. That was good. Me next," Suki offered up. "Hmm, I think they are going to announce that along with the fights, they'll be hosting a talent show to go along with it. Fire Lord Ozai will be performing with ribbons and ballet, Princess Azula will do a surprisingly moving and heart wrenching interpretive dance about a fire lilly caught in a sea storm, General Iroh and Prince Lu Ten will just get up there and make tea, Ursa will shock us with her abilities to play an instrument with her toes, Kuzon will read his erotic poetry he works on in his spare time, and Prince Zuko will do magic tricks."
Katara and Alcina were in stitches. Katara was laughing so hard, or attempting to stifle her laughter so much, that it hurt. The fact that she had to keep quiet just made her laugh even harder. Alcina's eyes were watering.
"Oh, Agni, I hope you're right!" Alcina breathed. When they managed to get their laughter down, the girls looked at Katara.
"I don't know if I can follow that up!" Katara sighed, shaking her head at Suki.
"Oh, come on! I'm sure that there's a thousand more impossible things out there," Suki urged. Katara held up a hand, considering it.
"Fine. Uhm..." Katara scratched her head. "They're announcing Azula's betrothal. To a lower-ring peasant. The wedding will be held tomorrow, everyone will be barefoot, and there will be traveling bairds playing quaint folk music. The food will be just bread. Nothing else. Just bread. Azula will give up all of her worldly possessions to make homemade jewelry as her career while her husband plays in a semi-competent all-flugelhorn band. And here's the kicker; she's madly in love and won't complain at all about it."
Suki snorted hard into her hand. "You're right, that is completely unbelievable. Perhaps even more so than mine."
Alcina was about to add something on, but Zuko walked into the room. Immediately the conversation ceased. Alcina sent a smile to her friends.
"Here's to hoping I'm right," she mouthed to them, sending a thumbs up.
Katara raised an eyebrow; crazier things had happened.
XXxxXX
Zuko stood in front of the gathered people, probably 100 in numbers. His uncle had pointed out that instead of doing three to five small explanations, it may be more efficient to do one large one. It seemed logical, though he wasn't sure why he hadn't thought of it. It had created quite the buzz in the room, however.
His family was already sitting for the announcement. He'd been surprised about how willing his father had been to pitch in in helping him with this. It was almost...kind?
A part of Zuko thought that he was just doing it because it would be easier for Zuko to have some tragic accident abroad. He'd get the Equalists to do it. It would be the perfect crime.
Maybe he shouldn't be so jaded. Maybe his dad truly wanted to help.
Zuko doubted it, though.
He needed not to quiet the room. They had fallen silent as soon a he'd walked in.
While he was confident in his ability to say what this new plan was going to be, he realized with a sense of horror that he had no idea how to start this speech.
"Hello, all," he said brightly, like a tour guide or something. He immediately regretted it. He tried not to wince. Damn it, he'd blown it. Can't restart it. Urg. He'd almost waved with it. Thank Agni he hadn't.
"As is tradition, usually there is a location that the Prince and his remaining ladies will visit outside of the palace, and do some charity work while there." Zuko decided to dive right into it. The more he talked, the less nervous he felt. "And I do realize that those of you who have been around for a Choice know the timing of this is strange. Yes, usually it is not until the top five are present that we do this, and let me assure you, I do not intend to cull it down to five right now." Around the room, more than one lady let out an audible sigh of relief. He probably should have started with that.
"I have talked with my most venerable Father, and we have decided that the Future Fire Lady would benefit more from going to a variety of places. Our reach is wide and diverse, and it is impossible to give the ladies just a taste of what they may one day rule by going to one place. So, in the upcoming moons, will be taking small convoys of girls to different locations all over the map."
This did sent the room into a tizzy. From what it seemed, a positive excited one. Well, there was that.
"You are all in here, because up at front, I have a list of the cities and territories we wish to visit. If you're sitting it here and not a contestant, that likely means your city is on the list and I wish to speak with you about housing arrangements and any jobs that will need to be done in the city. As for the ladies; you may submit an an application to go to as many or as few locations as you please. Zhi has lists for all of you with her at front. She also has tomes on the regions, and you have the delegates sitting here now to ask as well. We will pick the most convincing essays. These will be due in three days time."
The girls started looking around, murmuring to each other. He saw Katara even was smiling. He was happy she was happy. If she was unhappy, well, he wouldn't cancel this whole thing, but he'd be less excited about it.
He hoped she put her application in for all of them. He knew her to be a talented writer. She might just manage to get on all the trips, if she put her mind to it.
There was a long pause. His father nodded to him to continue. Zuko stifled a groan, swallowing it deep.
"Also," He plastered a fake smile on his face. "Tomorrow, all the ladies and I will be going to Ember Island as a taste of what is to come. Arrangements and travel has already been set. Zhi will tell you all what you'll need to pack."
He saw the girls' faces light up, but he was not thrilled.
Firstly, taking the entirety of the convoy of participants was exactly what Zuko had been looking to avoid. Picking them up here and taking them there, wherever there was, didn't help them at all, except make them more likely to be attacked, as they would be in an unfamiliar group and it would take 50 guards to safeguard them at the beach.
Secondly, he just hated Ember Island on principal. His family's summer house, surprisingly, wasn't big enough to fit the necessary girls and guards, so they'd be staying elsewhere. That made it a little bit better, but a lot of dark memories still hung around from the beach in the fact that they were good memories. It was backwards, yes but something so good had to be fake. He hated that there was a time he'd believed in the goodness of his father, in the pureness of Azula, for he now knew those thing to be false.
Lastly, Zuko just did not like any sort of beach. Ember Island specifically, but all beaches were pretty bad in his opinion. But girls loved beaches. It wouldn't be a vacation for him, not with all of them vying for his attention.
Ugg.
But, as Ozai had pointed out, there were a few girls here who did not possess good rhetoric and may not make the cut for any locations. Or, they may be homebodies. Frankly, Zuko thought that if you didn't like traveling, trying to be the future Fire Lady was the wrong business for you. But the girls deserved something good.
Zuko had no such illusions his father was altruistic. There was some other plot there, though of what, Zuko could not imagine.
XXxxXX
Zuko left right after he finished his speech, probably to avoid the hoards of questions coming his way, or girls trying figure out how to sneak their way onto all of the trips. He went into a room and called in delegates one by one.
Katara didn't know if she wanted certain ladies to come to the South Pole. Why else would Sokka be there? She hoped Sokka could pick the girls going to their home. Someone like Nadhari would not be welcome there.
The girls were handed the list of locations and immediately they all began pouring over the lists of places. It was split into regions, but the dates near it showed that Zuko intended to have this continue into many moons.
"Great spirits, he doesn't think he'll have picked a wife by then?" Jin murmured, frowning at the lists. Katara actually wasn't aware of how how long the other girls thought this would go.
"Maybe this is just in case. Obviously, at the point he's made a choice, he'll stop the trips," Maiha theorized.
From the other side of the room, Katara heard Nadhari snickering.
"I don't even like traveling all that much and I don't really want to go," she was saying to no one in particular, "But I know I'm a skilled writer and I'm not going to say no to spending quality time with the Prince. It seems it will be small groups. Maybe even...one on one?" she was purring.
Katara gagged a little. She hoped Zuko saw right through her.
Katara was unsure if she wanted to go on every single trip. While she was curious about the world abroad, she also knew this was a lot of time spent in carriages or ships. She tapped her lip, humming and sighing as she stared at the list. The South wasn't planned for later down the line, far later. She did have to wonder if he anticipated having picked a wife at that point, and would be visiting Katara married.
She pushed away that thought.
"How many will you be going on?" she asked Suki.
"I hope to get on at least half," Suki said. "I think that staying here will also have it's benefits. Sure, no Prince Zuko, but perhaps we'll be given more responsibility here while he's gone. More chances to prove that we can make choices when he's away. The lady picked needs to hold her on in the partnership, of course."
"Do you think if it's your own town you're automatically added in?" Alcina asked, tapping where 'KYOSHI' was written.
"I'd imagine if you wanted to, yes," Suki laughed. "It would be weird to leave you."
"Hey," Toph said, plopping in a free chair, twirling it around to face Katara, sitting on it completely the wrong way, as only Toph could. "Does this seem weird to you? This seems weird to me."
"Not weird," Katara decided. "Just...I think we're not getting all the information, you know?"
Why had this plan come to Zuko in the middle of trying to look into airbenders? Were the two connected? Katara decided she needed to think about that one more.
"I have no desire to go any place." Toph scrunched up her nose. "Because I have a certain degree of freedom here, ya know? Out there, I have to put back on bad makeup and act all prissy again."
"Oh, come on, not even your home?" Alcina asked.
"Especially not there!" Toph sounded horrified.
"What about Kyoshi? That might be fun," Katara said, grinning at Suki. Sokka had wandered over to sit, trying to answer the girls coming up to quiz him about the South in answers somewhere between serious and joking. Katara could tell he was torn between wanting to give the girls information that was true, since much of the reports about the South were just straight up wrong, and not wanting to encourage too many people there.
"Well," Toph paused. "Yes, that."
Not soon after, Zhi had found an aid to write for Toph.
"That's not fair!" Nadhari threw a fit. "We have to write our own, she shouldn't get hlep! For all we know, that aid is making it sound way better!"
"I'm blind, you walnut," Toph snapped back, which was probably the least offensive phrase in her possession. "So, unless you'd like to give me your eyes, be my guest. Or, to make it fair for all of us, you all could pen yours blindfolded."
"Lady Bei Fong is not getting any special treatment. The aid is writing verbatim what she says." Zhi sounded exhausted with Nadhari.
"Ugly sea-cow," Sokka muttered in Nadhari's general direction under his breath. Toph high-fived him.
XXxxXX
The ferry with the girls moved at a brisk pace, enough to cut through the waves and send salty mist from the breaking waves onto the faces of girls leaning over the railing. Some were pushed out as far as they could so that when the vomited it wasn't on the desk, while some girls were wide-eyed with enthusiasm, having never been near water before. Those that came from the Earth Kingdom had to, but some of the girls surrounding the capitol probably just traveled on roads and horses.
Katara looked upon the girls before her with a half-smile on her face. The energy was so palpable that it was hard not to be in a good mood. She was glad those that had never been on the water were so interested and she felt awful for those whose stomachs did not agree with the sea.
Not many in the South got sea-sick. Katara was unsure if it was an inherited trait or if their vessels were not big enough to cause such illness, but she'd always felt more comfortable on boats and ice than on dry land. She had crawled up on top of a metal box, legs dangling precariously over the side of the ship, right near the front. Zhi was attempting to sooth the sick girls, so she hadn't a chance to demand Katara down from there.
"Is this where the cool kids sit?" Sokka asked, tapping his knuckles against the metal. Sokka, Hahn, and Arrluck had managed their way onto this trip, along with Azula and Kuzon. The extra teens were - to most- not an unwelcome addition. Katara could have only done with Sokka and Aang, but she knew Aang was miserable on this trip too. Sokka at least seemed excited.
"Yeah, but I don't know if you qualify," Katara teased. Sokka sent her a dirty motion, shaking his head. Katara rolled her eyes and helped him up, scooting over. It was only a moment later before Zuko appeared.
"Make room," he said firmly. "Spirits...I already regret this."
The area where Katara had found was relaxing to her for the very reason it was hard to find and mostly only where the crew walked between. A perfect place to hide away from the group of girls. They had a good view of the main decks, and the sea-wind carried conversations to Katara's ears, but unless you were searching hard, you likely wouldn't have found Katara.
"Toph is for sure regretting it," Katara winced, pointing to where she was sitting with her head in a bucket, moaning.
"We'll be there soon," Zuko said, more automatically than anything, and Katara got the feeling he'd been asked this more than once in the last hour. It took about six hours to get to Ember Island...just past the point where people started getting antsy.
The pair of siblings moved so Zuko was the most out of view, both wanting to protect him from annoying girls. The crew raised an eyebrow at the trio, but didn't give up his location. Jeong-Jeong, a newly minted member of Zuko's personal guard (if Katara was recalling his name correctly) noted Zuko, for he always was watching Zuko, and was asked where the Prince was. Zuko tensed, but Jeong-Jeong just shrugged.
"I couldn't possibly say," he lied convingly. Katara smiled; Zuko needed loyal men, even if it was allowing their prince a moment to breathe.
"I can't stay forever. Soon, they'll for sure all notice," Zuko grouched.
"You know, for a man going on a vacation, you sure seem...grumpy," Sokka observed.
"Forced vacation. This wasn't my idea." Zuko threw his arms out.
"A lot of the girls are looking forward to lounging on the beach, doing nothing," Katara said, having picked up those sentiments.
"Now is not the time for nothing!" Zuko angrily shook his head. "Agni, I-" He punched the metal box, his fist heating it. Katara scooted over to not burn her dress. "There is far too much going on for me to just be doing nothing right now. I want a break, trust me I do, but not at the expense of people who could die while we're building bonfires and suntanning."
Katara liked both of those things as much as the next person, but Zuko said the activities like there was nothing more disgusting and appalling. But Katara understood, in part. She didn't understand all of these trips, but she gleaned enough that it was more or less a cover. Ember Island was strictly a vacation house, therefore, useless.
"I feel like a child, still being pulled this way and that way by my father. He insisted on this. He...he wanted all of us out of the palace, though I don't know why," Zuko murmured softly. Katara didn't even have a guess.
"Remind me to never complain about our father again," Sokka nudged Katara. "Even when he yells at me for something that's not my fault."
"Oh, because it's never your fault," Katara snorted.
"Well, hardly my fault. But, you get the point. Yeesh, Zuko."
Zuko gave a quirk of a smile. "Yeesh is right. He's a monster."
He said it so plainly that it quieted the siblings. They sat in blessed silence until a high-pitched tone pierced the air.
"Prince Zuk-oooo!"
Zuko cussed. "That's Zhi. Sounds like my time is up."
Katara squeezed his hand quickly. "You'll know where we are if you need to escape for a second again."
Zuko crawled down. "You two have the right idea. There's a reason I like you both."
After Zuko left, there wasn't much for Sokka and Katara to talk about. So, they instead leaned in toward the sound coming from the main decks, listening to the snippets of conversation floating their way.
They found out that Zuko had been called away because On Ji had fainted on the decks, right where their view cut off. They heard Toph cuss many times in between vomiting. They heard Ratana speaking a mile a minute about how the water here was so much better than her water at home. They heard Ty Lee sliding up near Mai, trying to engage her in a friendship that they once had.
"Do you remember when Azula and Zuko used to come here every summer? And how we wanted to go with them so badly?" she asked, twirling her hair.
"Yes," Mai replied in a monotone voice. "Though that was their personal house. This will be different."
"Everything's different now," Ty Lee sighed, trying not to have her tone darken too much. Sokka sent Katara a half-way worried frown. Katara, having gotten closer to Ty Lee, almost wanted to comfort her. But that would seem strange. To outsiders, their friendship was that of just two fellow competitors. But Ty Lee was not so much someone in need of defending. She was strong, and Katara often forgot that. Case in point; she forced a bright lit to her voice. "They used to have so much fun. I'm sure we will too."
XXxxXX
Debarkment was a nightmare. There were girls like Nadhari, who, though she was well aware that they were only going to be gone for two days, seemed like she'd packed her whole room in six oversized bags. None of the handmaids had been brought (much to many girls' dismay) meaning that Nadhari had to cart the six bags up to the house herself, and this was just unacceptable.
"Oh, Arrluck, you're a strong man, aren't you?" Katara overheard her croon to the Northerner. Arrluck looked momentarily taken-aback to be spoken to by such a pretty lady.
"I, uhm, well-"
"Nice try," Hahn said, steering him away. "But Arrluck wouldn't be carrying your things. He's above you, don't you know? The only person worthy is Azula...speaking of which-" Hahn then tried to flag down Azula to ask if she needed help with bags, looking not dissimilar to a pelican-mouse in mid flight.
This was, of course, just a handful of the interactions all happening at once on a very small dock. Katara wouldn't have been surprised if someone took an early and unexpected dip into the ocean.
Katara had brought one very manageable bag, thank you very much. And, if it had been bigger, Katara could have carried it with ease.
"Feel better?" she asked Toph.
"No, I'm on a dock. This is worse," Toph snapped back, clutching Katara's arm for dear life. She sniffed the air, "Ugg, who're the corpses?"
Katara shushed her, turning to see a pair of very old ladies walking up the gangway in matching outfits. Outfits that, perhaps on a twenty-year-old may have been appealing, but were just wrong-looking on them.
"Welcome to Ember Island, kids," the pair said in unison, catching most people's attention.
Zuko strode forward, bowing respectfully to them as they bowed low. "Li and Lo, thank you so much for allowing us to use some of your many properties on the island for our use."
"Anything for the Fire Family," one of them said. Katara couldn't tell who was who. She supposed it didn't matter.
"The ladies in the choice, along with the guards and their minder, will be at one of the inns. The Prince and Princess - as well as the other distinguished guests -" The left one looked at Sokka, Kuzon, and the Northerners. "Will be staying at our personal home."
"How very gracious," Azula said dryly.
"Hear that? I'm distinguished," Sokka whispered to Katara.
"Yippie for you," Toph snapped. "Can we go? I'm really hating being blind. Like legit blind. Koh, how do actual blind people live ever?"
They were already being herded off in separate directions. Sokka gave Katara a salute and stuck his tongue out before throwing his arm around Aang as they were pointed in a different direction.
Katara thought that the ladies were getting the better end of the deal. Li and Lo's house, while perfectly fine for two people, was less ostentatious looking. The hotel they were being guided to, on the other hand, was white and shining like polished stone. It reflected so much that it almost appeared to be glowing. It was the definition of Fire Nation opulence.
The girls were assigned to pairs, which went over with Nadhari about as well as Katara predicted.
"Oh, rooming with another girl, the horror," even Jin snapped uncharacteristically. Katara took some strange pleasure in knowing that Nahari ruffled the feathers of such a sweet girl as that.
Katara was put up with Yue; not a big deal. She would have prefered Toph or Alcina or Suki, but it wasn't the worst match-up.
"Get your suits on, we'll be going down to the beach promptly," Zhi said. Probably best to set them loose as soon as possible, Katara thought. An hour into the trip and Zhi already looked far too pleased to be 'rid' of them.
XXxxXX
"It smells like old lady in here," Sokka side-whispered to Aang.
"You're surprised?" Azula asked, running a finger along the cabinet, frowning as a thin layer of dirt came back on her finger.
Aang frowned, wishing he could have gotten out of this. Beach = swimsuits. Swimsuits = showing skin. That equaled bad since Aang had some specific tattos he'd rather no one see. But alas, it hadn't worked. Aang nearly went as far to wish for another assignment with Zhao, but that was really wrong, and he quickly corrected his thoughts.
"This is...uhm, quaint," Arrluck said, wincing, forcing a smile and Li and Lo.
"It's been in our house for nearly 100 years," they said in unison, just as creepy as when they'd done it the first time.
The group of teens began to wander around the living room half-heartedly, waiting to be assigned.
"Look at those two babes," Hahn said, grasping Arrluck around his neck, pulling the scrawnier man next to him. Aang turned to see Hahn pointing at a portrait of two identical young girls, back to back in skimpy swimsuits.
"They've gotta be these two crone's granddaughter's, or one of them, eh? Think they'd be interested in the two future rulers of the Northern Water Tribe? Maybe a foursome, hmm?"
"I don't-I'm not-" Arrluck flushed bright red, unable to reply.
"Fine, I'll take a threesome, better for me," Hahn said, flicking his tongue out and licking his lips lavisciously. Aang shuddered.
Li and Lo noticed Hahn staring at the portrait.
"Who are these two lovely ladies?" Hahn asked with an arrogant grin. "I'd love to meet them."
"You can't tell?" Li asked.
"You already have!" Lo added. At Hahn's blank, confused face, the pair of older women turned and mimicked the picture perfectly.
"Can't you see the resemblance?" they asked together.
Understanding dawned over the group. Next to Aang, Sokka visibly shuddered. Zuko groaned, dragging his hand over his face. Arrluck turned even brighter red, if possible. Hahn turned an acute shade of green.
Those two are still kicking? Great spirits, Roku commented, now that Aang had turned attention enough on the pair to really look at them. Aang held back a sound of surprise. Somehow it didn't shock him these two had been around at Roku's era.
Logically speaking, they're probably not too much older than you, Aang. Maybe only by ten or so years, Kyoshi threw out, ever making connections. Aang's eyes widened.
Imagine if you'd come out of the ice looking like that… Gopan stuttered.
It really just weirded Aang out to think that he was actually, literally, the same age as these two. Or close. It was a reality he didn't enjoy thinking too hard about, that he was 116.
Lo and Li turned to Zuko to discuss rooming arrangements, and Hahn promptly threw up in a very expensive and ancient looking vase.
Azula let out a bark of laughter. She wiped a tear away from her inner eye.
"Oh, wow. You've made me laugh, Hahn. Consider yourself lucky. If Yue does end up winning, and Arrluck takes over the North, we could always keep you around in the palace as a court jester," she added cruely.
With Li and Lo's back still turned, Hahn grabbed a bottle of what looked like expensive alcohol off the counter, chugging it to get the taste out. He was immediately spitting, gagging.
"Perfume," he managed to get out with a strangled sound in the back of his throat. "Fuc-" He threw up once again, this time in an already sad-looking fern.
Azula was cracking up. Aang didn't think he'd ever seen her truly laugh and he'd come to a decision. He hated it.
"Oh, my, I might just have to undermine your ascendance to keep you around," she said, composing herself.
"Let's just get into the rooms," Zuko muttered, waving the group on.
It was set up that Zuko and Aang were in one room, the Watertribe men in another, and Azula in a third. Sokka desperately tried to move to Aang's room, but no luck.
They were showed the first room; the Water tribe one. It was vividly decorated in seashells, ugly pinks and greens, and overall just a lack of interior design. It looked like Toph had decorated it.
"It's quaint," Arrluck repeated, voice shaking.
Azula turned to look at him.
"Are you just a simpleton that lacks the vocabulary for anything else, or...actually, there is no 'or'," she said, shoving through the boys to go to her room.
"It looks like the beach threw up," Sokka groaned.
"I'm going to get dressed for the beach," Zuko said in an authoritative tone. "The ladies will meet us down there." He said his next words through gritted teeth like it was almost painful. "We're all going to have a good time this weekend, okay?"
Aang followed Zuko to their shared room.
"That really wasn't convincing."
Zuko purposely ignored him.
So yay! A fun little adventure for the girls, even if it's not within what Zuko thought this plan was going to be, but it will be a jolly good time for us!
*This is obviously based around the episode in s3 'The Beach', though this won't be an exact mimic. 'Course, you'll see
*Awkward Zuko being sucky at small-talk and giving presetations is one of my favorite Zukos. For as suave as some people think he is, in truth, he's rather helpless
*I might draw small comics to the guesses that Alcina, Katara, and Suki gave. What do you think?
*Lastly, if you follow me on my tumblr (youngbloodlex22) I have finally gotten my shit together on there and made a masterpost of everything relating to this series!
Remember to review!