Zuko and Katara walked through the rain toward the baresuku. He had gotten directions from the innkeeper, who had grudgingly given them—he'd had to lay the charm on thick. She was obviously not happy about losing her customers. After Zuko had retrieved their cloaks from their room and paid their tab, they were on their way.

Zuko was not looking forward to this adventure; he had been to a baresuku once, during his banishment. He had gone into a port town on his own, in disguise, burnt out with his crew and his uncle and frustrated that they hadn't been able to find the Avatar. He had needed a break. He had believed the place to be a tavern, but much to his surprise, it most definitely was not.

The girls might have been pretty, but it was definitely not a place he had ventured into again. Baresukus and brothels may have been commonplace in some parts of the world, but Zuko did not find them tempting in the slightest. His uncle had warned him against such establishments back then, and he knew all too well the kinds of thoughts men who visited places like this had on their mind. That thought, along with all of the trouble they ran into at June's tavern, had Zuko not looking forward to bringing Katara here at all.

But he knew there was no way to talk her out of going with him, and truthfully, he wanted her there as backup if things went awry. She could berate him for it later.

They heard it before they saw it. Slow music unlike anything Katara had ever heard reached her ears and she strained to hear it clearer. Soon the building came into view. It was nondescript; if it hadn't been their destination Katara likely wouldn't have paid it any attention. A small sign beside the door said its name was The Laughing Lotus. A tall, burly man with thick biceps and a scar down one cheek stood outside the door.

"Zuko, what is this place?" Katara whispered. She tightened her grip on his arm reflexively. She had a bad feeling about this place.

"It's um...not a good place for a lady to be," he responded reluctantly.

They approached the man at the door, who held one meaty arm out to block them. "It's five silver pieces per person to get in," he said gruffly.

Zuko pulled the money out and dropped it into the man's paw-like hand. "Can we go in now?" He was looking nervous, and Katara didn't like that. It wasn't like him.

The man waved them through. "Go on in."

Zuko pushed the door open. A thick cloud of incense hit them in the face and Katara pinched her nose to stop a sneeze. Inside it was dark. The music was louder, too. There was a certain sensuality to its sound, and Katara soon saw why.

There was a stage at the far end of the room. A half-dozen girls in scantily-clad outfits danced on stage, contorting their bodies in ways that were titillating but also made Katara hurt just looking at them. Their exposed skin almost gleamed under the alluring glow of the lights which reflected off the jewelry they had adorned themselves in.

A crowd of men were gathered near the stage, piling coins up on the edge. Tables covered the rest of the floor space where more men sat drinking and watching the show. Promiscuous waitresses traipsed between tables with trays piled high with drinks. From the way they laughed too loud to their too-wide smiles, Katara could tell they were flirting for tips too.

Zuko searched the room for anyone out of place. He purposefully avoided looking at the women on stage. He had expected to feel uncomfortable bringing Katara in here, but after a quick glance at the stage, he was downright mortified. His uncle would have smacked him upside the head for bringing her here.

"Oh my spirits, Zuko, what is this?" she whispered harshly. Katara looked up at Zuko, wide-eyed and disgusted. "What is this place?"

"They dance for money," he said quietly. His jaw was a taut line. "The men come to watch the show."

Katara felt bile rising in her throat. "This is gross and demeaning. You think we're going to find the Conduit here?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have brought you here." In the darkness his fingers curled around hers. He hoped she didn't think he would be interested in those women. "Come on, let's find a place to sit and hope we don't get spotted." He spoke too soon.

"You there! Blue eyes, I am talking to you!"

Katara whipped her head around. A heavyset woman wearing too much makeup strode up to them and grabbed Katara by the wrist. "You're late!"

Zuko glowered at the flabby hand, and then dragged his eyes up into the woman's round face. His grip on Katara's other hand tightened and he snapped, "Hey, let go of her!"

The woman glared right back at him. "What, are you my new waitress? I don't think so." She waved him off with a meaty hand. "Shoo."

"Wait a minute—" Katara started to protest. "I'm not—"

"No time! You're late for your shift. Be happy I do not fire you right now. Get in back and get changed now! I want you out here serving drinks in five minutes. Go!"

Zuko opened his mouth to protest, but Katara gave the tiniest shake of her head. Possibly against his better judgement, he stopped, a look of anger mixed with worry on his face as he looked back at her. What is she doing?!

The woman roughly pushed Katara toward a doorway that was covered by a thick curtain. She looked over her shoulder and shrugged helplessly at Zuko before she nearly fell through the curtain. Katara regained her balance with a frustrated huff and checked to see if the woman was following her to let her know, in no uncertain terms, that she could walk just fine. She hadn't.

Katara beckoned Zuko over to her. His mouth was downturned in a scowl and his hands were tight fists at his side.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

She looked around. "I've got a plan. We want to find the Conduit, right?"

His eyes widened. "Katara…"

She held her hands up in a pleading gesture. "She already thinks I'm a waitress. What better way to sniff out our target than by going behind the scenes?" She pleaded with her eyes to make him understand. "If this wasn't so important, there is no way I would be doing this."

Zuko looked at her, a wave of dejection washing over him. She was being rational. He had to admit that her plan was better than hiding out in a dark corner hoping to stumble across the Conduit. Zuko glanced around the room, checking out the men who were ogling the dancers and the waitresses. He couldn't stand the thought of Katara out there too.

"I'll be careful. Besides..." She smiled up at him. "I know you won't let anything happen to me."

He looked back at her and forced a smile. "You're damn right I won't." He sighed. "I trust you. If you need any help—"

"I'll let you know." Her returning smile was tight. "I better get back there before that awful woman comes back and yells at me again." She squeezed his hand for a brief moment before she disappeared behind the thick curtain.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an annoyed sigh. What had he just gotten them into? He only hoped Katara was right.

Katara looked ahead of her. There was a narrow hallway, and at the end was a door. She went down to it and knocked softly. Her heart was pounding against her ribs and she felt lightheaded. Katara had faced death more times than she cared to count, but the thought of going out into the baresuku rattled her to her core.

And there was something in the air that just felt...off. Katara couldn't put her finger on what it was. It's just nerves, she tried to assure herself. She was unsuccessful.

The door opened and a girl wearing only a sarashi and a lot of facepaint opened the door. "Oh, you must be the new waitress." She smiled brightly at Katara, who sensed pity in that look. Katara's ineptitude must have been obvious. "Come on in. I'll show you around. I'm Hiromi."

"I'm Ka—"

"If you're about to tell me your real name, don't. Everyone here uses stage names." Hiromi led Katara deeper into the room. All around her were a dozen girls in various states of undress, putting on makeup or slipping into new outfits. "Do you have one?"

"Uh, no."

Hiromi sized her up like she was a prized cow pig heading for the slaughterhouse. "I think Mizuko is a good fit. Let's find you an outfit. Are you a dancer or a waitress, again?"

Katara's mouth was bone-dry. She swallowed hard. "Waitress."

"Okay, that's easy enough." Hiromi stopped by a rack of clothing and began to rifle through them.

Katara wrung her hands nervously, but she also looked around, trying to see if there was anyone who seemed a bit out of place. The Conduit could be here somewhere. I've got to stay alert. The off-putting atmosphere seemed thicker in here and Katara studied the girls, wondering if one of them could be who she was looking for.

"Put these on then get your makeup on. Madam Soo is not someone who's bad side you want to get on." Hiromi shoved a wad of silk into Katara's arms and directed her toward an empty table near the middle of the room.

Katara did as she was told. She laid out the clothing Hiromi had given her and frowned disapprovingly at her new outfit. She took off her plain traveling clothes and bindings and slipped into the new outfit, feeling uncomfortable and horribly exposed.

The long skirt was a shade of violet with intricate silver embroidery, but it had slits in the sides that ran up to the tops of Katara's thighs. She couldn't hide her skin with breeches as she was accustomed to, and the poor excuse for undergarments Hiromi had given her barely covered anything. The top was even worse: it was little more than an embellished sarashi, leaving her arms, midriff, and throat exposed. Hiromi had thrown in silvery necklaces and rings and Katara put those on too.

She tucked her mother's necklace safely into her top. She didn't trust to leave it in the dressing room. When she was done she approached the table where the girls were doing their makeup before a long mirror.

"You look a little lost. Let me help you." Katara looked into earth-brown eyes. "I'm Yuki."

"Mizuko," Katara introduced her alternate self. She sat on a cushion.

"That color looks great on you," Yuki said with a warm smile. "Let's fix your hair."

Within five minutes Katara was transformed into someone she didn't even recognize when she looked at herself in the mirror. Yuki painted Katara's lips a deep purple, smeared purple and silvery eyeshadow across her lids, and lined her eyes with black makeup that made them seem angular instead of round. She applied a light rouge to her cheeks. She let Katara's hair down and twisted two locks into an intricate knot behind her head, adorning it with silver pins.

Yuki sat back on her heels when she was done, a proud smile on her lips. "Beautiful," she said. "You're going to get a lot of tips tonight."

"Thank you."

Katara went back out into the main room. Some of the girls had gotten off the stage and were now dancing in the laps of men to drunken and raucous cheers. Katara's stomach churned uneasily. Of course she knew that places like this existed, but knowing and seeing were two different things. And she never would have imagined she would be in one herself.

She scanned the room and spotted Zuko brooding in the back corner in the dark. He spotted her, and she could see his eyes widen even in the dark. Heat rose in her cheeks and she averted her gaze from him.

"Take these over to that table." A tray stacked with alcoholic beverages was shoved roughly into her hands by a girl behind the bar. She snapped her fingers. "Are you dumb or something? Go!"

Katara furrowed her brows but followed her pointing finger. She couldn't make a scene. She had to act like she belonged here. Katara just hoped they found the Conduit soon so she could take off this scandalous outfit and wash off the gaudy makeup.

She weaved her way between tables to get to her destination: a table crowded with five men whose eyes raked over her body and made her skin crawl.

"Hey, pretty lady, what did you bring me?" one of them crooned at her.

She pasted a falsely-cheerful smile on her face. "Here you go!" Katara said, her voice abnormally high as she handed the men their drinks.

"Aren't you gonna dance?" another man drawled. He twiddled a silver piece between his fingers. "Don't you want your tip?"

"Maybe later," Katara said, still smiling big. She hurried away and didn't stop until she reached the bar. She jerked her chin in Zuko's direction. "That guy up there needs a drink."

The bartender glanced up at Zuko and grinned hungrily. "Hm, he's a good-looking fellow. I've never seen him around here before." She winked conspiratorially at Katara. "What's he drinking?"

Her answer was automatic. "Fire spirits."

The bartender laughed. "Ha! He's a guy who knows how to drink. Go get him, tigerdillo." She slid the drink to Katara.

As she made her way over to Zuko, she couldn't help but notice how he didn't take his eyes off of her. A small smile curled her lips. She might as well put the outfit to good use, and it was only fair to use it on him, since he had brought her here without fair warning.

She started to swing her hips a bit wider as she walked, and got the satisfaction of seeing him shift uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes following the curves of her hips. Katara hadn't seen him look so uncomfortable since they saw The Boy In the Iceberg, but she could tell that this was a good sort of uncomfortable. She thought he deserved it.

Katara leaned over to set his drink on the table and offered him a flirtatious wink. "Lookin' for a dance, handsome?"

Even in the poor lighting she could see his reddening cheeks. But Zuko was quick to recover. He settled one elbow on the table and leaned in, a lopsided smirk playing at his lips. Two can play at this game. "Only if it's from you."

Katara's heart thudded in her chest and for a moment, she couldn't think of anything to say. He was too good at this. Zuko snickered as he grabbed his drink and took a pull, his eyes never leaving her.

Katara finally recovered. "You wish, Zuko." She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling in spite of herself.

He let out a short laugh. "Well, you know what they say about wishes coming true." He winked at her. "What are my chances?"

A blush bloomed in her cheeks and she pushed his shoulder playfully. "Knock it off." She sobered, admitting her defeat. With a sigh, she cast her eyes around the room before they settled on him again. "This place is horrible, Zuko. Can we hurry up and find the Conduit so we can get out of here?"

"Of course. If I see anything, I'll signal you." Zuko caught her hand as she turned to go. "Be careful, okay? And if the men say something to you, try not to lose your cool. We don't want to cause a scene." And if any of them hurt you, I'll be the one causing a scene.

She nodded, suddenly feeling a bit sick to her stomach. Katara reluctantly left him and made her way back over to the bar, her gait returning to normal. The barkeeper shoved another tray into her hands and gave her a once-over.

"You're never going to get any tips if you walk around stiff as a board, and Madam Soo will chew your head off if she catches you walking around like that," the barkeeper said, her eyes softening a bit. "You've got nice hips. Move them a bit, alright? I know it's a little intimidating at first, but you get used to it."

Katara decided to wager on a hunch. She leaned in close, conspiratorial. "I've never done anything like this before."

"I couldn't tell," the barkeeper said sarcastically. "But Madam Soo saw something in you, so you must have potential."

"Maybe." Katara looked around the room pointedly. "Who are the biggest tippers, you think? The regulars?"

"Oh, sure. A lot of these guys come in pretty often. And we're gaining some notoriety, so a lot of men are coming in from other nearby villages," the barkeeper said as she poured more drinks.

"Anyone who comes in more than others?" Katara knew she wasn't being as subtle as she probably should have been, but she didn't want to be there any longer than she had to be.

The barkeeper considered this. "Hm, no. Not that I can think of. They all come to see the Dragoness."

"Who?" Katara's curiosity was piqued.

"The Dragoness. She's the best dancer Madam Soo has. She's so beautiful, men empty their coin purses for her. I hear that she's the one who got this place off the ground. Before that, Madam Soo ran a brothel." The barkeeper jerked her chin toward the stage as she poured more drinks. "She should be coming in an hour or so. She usually does the last act for the night."

Katara arched a brow. She wanted to ask more questions, but the barkeeper was distracted again.

"You better get those drinks out before the men get upset," the barkeeper warned her. "And remember: move those hips!"

Katara did her best to follow the barkeeper's advice without feeling like a total idiot. Flirting with Zuko was one thing. He was familiar, comforting...inviting. Doing it for strangers? It made her feel grimy.

She sashayed over to her next table and smiled with more confidence than she felt. "Here you go!" she chirped.

One of the men grabbed her waist. His fingers dug hard into her exposed flesh. The smell of alcohol on his breath was nauseating. "How about a dance, little lady?" His eyes lingered over her bare skin.

From his seat across the room, Zuko sat up stiffly as his anger flared. His heart raced in his chest. He was ready to pounce at a moment's notice. His anger was mounting, and he noticed that the flames of the candles at nearby tables were mounting, too. Zuko took several deep breaths to calm himself, but he never took his eyes off of Katara. One wrong move...

"I'm just a waitress," Katara said, forcing the smile to stay in place. She wished she could command the water in his drink and whip him across the face with it. "I'd be happy to send one of the dancers over to you, though."

His grip tightened and Katara nearly yelped in pain. That would leave bruises. "No, no, I want you to dance for me and my friends. We've been working out in the mines all day and you look...exotic. We deserve a little something, if you know what I mean. You aren't from around here, are you?"

Katara tried to escape his grip. "I'm really not a dancer—"

"Oh, leave the poor thing be, Taran." A flash of yellow distracted them. Katara looked into Yuki's soft brown eyes and she smiled gratefully . "If it's a dance you want, I'll be happy to give one to you."

Taran let go of Katara and she backed away quickly. Yuki winked at her over her shoulder and Katara mouthed a grateful "thank you" to her before she scurried back to Zuko. She could still feel where the man had dug his fingers into her waist.

Zuko's jaw was clenched and his hands were white-knuckled against the arms of his chair and his nostrils flared with every breath he took, all traces of his earlier humor gone. "He should consider himself lucky that the dancer showed up, or else I would've personally thrown him out." He stared intently at her. "Are you alright, Katara?"

"I'm fine. But I may have found out something of interest." She glanced over at the stage. "Apparently there's a dancer here known as the Dragoness. Everyone comes to see her. She's supposed to go on in an hour."

"You think this dancer might be the Conduit?" Zuko looked at her curiously.

Katara chewed on her bottom lip. "I don't know. I just have a feeling. There's something wrong in the air here." She thought for a moment before adding, "Do you have Tatsuya's necklace on you?"

"I feel it too." He pulled the box out from his tunic and carefully pulled out the necklace. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we lay a trap," Katara murmured as she unclasped the silver chains around her neck. She tucked them into her top. "If the Conduit is here, whether or not it's this dancer, they'll want to know how I got this necklace."

"Katara, that is both genius and dangerous at the same time," Zuko said in a low voice. "You're going to be bait."

"That's the point. The Conduit will come looking for me. Will you tie it for me?" She turned her back to him.

Zuko stood up and laid the necklace across her throat and she lifted her thick tresses from the back of her neck. He couldn't help but take in her nearly-bare back. He noticed how smooth her skin looked as he trailed his eyes down her waist until it met the perfect curve of her hips. His heart started to pound in his chest as something low in his gut twinged, and he swallowed hard. He needed to focus on the task at hand. His fingers brushed across her skin. He saw the gooseflesh rising as he did so. Once he was done she let her hair down. He watched it swish against the small of her back and he forced himself to bring his eyes back up to the back of her head.

Katara turned back to him. "I'll be back if I find out anything else," she said. "Keep your eyes open."

"Always."

For upwards of an hour Katara waited tables. She made a point to draw attention to her necklace at every chance she could, but none of the men showed any sort of interest in it. Plenty more showed interest in other parts of her, but she quickly learned how to deflect their advances. Katara was beginning to feel dejected. What if the Conduit isn't here after all? What if June's shirshu was wrong?

But gut instinct told her that wasn't the case. The ominous feeling in the air was still present...and if anything, it had grown stronger.

Finally, the music slowed to a stop and the girls walked off the stage. The men whooped and roared as the curtains were lowered. Katara wove her way back to the bar and deposited an empty tray in front of the barkeeper.

"What's going on?" Katara whispered.

"The Dragoness is about to dance."

Katara's heart skipped a nervous beat in her chest.

The music started up again, a low and rhythmic beat. Katara slipped along the back of the room, her eyes on the stage. The music picked up, and the curtain started to rise, causing the men to applaud loudly. The air felt charged with an electric current that raised the hair on the nape of her neck.

Katara watched, enthralled in spite of herself, as a single woman was revealed. She was straddling a chair with her back to the crowd, a black silk kimono around her shoulders. Her raven-colored hair was piled high on top of her head, held in place with a silver pin in the shape of a dragon.

She began to dance, moving slowly and elegantly in her seat.

Her body moved like a free-flowing stream of water. Her hands moved as smoothly as a waterbender, but sensual, seductive. One pale, toned leg exposed itself from the robe and the men whistled. Coins landed on the stage. The other leg came out, and the hands snaked up toward her hair. She pulled the pin out and her hair tumbled down her back. She shook it out before dipping backward, eyes closed. Her hands slipped up to cup her throat for a moment before trailing down toward the silver sash on her narrow waist. With one swift tug, the robe fell free, but before she was entirely exposed, she sat back up. The men whooped and called some more.

The robe slipped tantalizingly off of her shoulders. One hand swept away her hair, and Katara gasped. A large tattoo of a dual-headed black dragon was inked across her alabaster skin, its heads snaking up to curl against her neck.

Katara felt drawn toward the stage and her feet carried her forward of their own accord until she stood just beyond the men that had gathered there, outside of the circle of light at the stage. Something about the Dragoness was compelling and...familiar.

The woman swiveled in the chair. Her eyes were still closed, dark hair fanning her face. But Katara felt certain she knew her from somewhere.

In time with the music, the woman's head flew up and her eyes opened. The violet eyes locked onto Katara with a mix of confusion and rage. Katara felt a stab of fear pierce her gut and she realized she may have been in way over her head.

Without a doubt, Katara had come face to face with the Conduit.

Author's Note: For clarification, baresuku is the English version of bāresuku, which translates to "burlesque" from Japanese.

Yeah, I basically made strip clubs a thing in the Avatar universe. Don't me.

Also, a special thanks to LadyFaePhillips for her contributions on this chapter. Thanks to her, we got a LOT of cute Zutara moments 3