A/N: Wow, okay SUPER happy about the reviews and the non-hate and the likes this has received. Don't worry, this is a huge story and I have this all planned out. You might notice that I have changed the rating from teen to mature. There is a reason for that. Not anytime soon, but eventually. Anyway, as always, please review and enjoy! (Updates on this story are going to take longer than any other story, I am a perfectionist at this one. This is my baby, and it has to be perfect.)
The train ride took a day and a half, nonstop, of which Tei spent most of the time sleeping, exhausted from the lack of sleep the previous night. When the train finally stopped in Republic City, the girls were starving and their muscles ached from lack of movement. Tei stretched and stood, walking over to the door that was closed completely, the one opposite the side they came in. She cracked it open just a sliver and saw the train yard littered with unusable cars but otherwise unoccupied. She walked over and peek out the crack towards the platform; it was crowded with hundreds of people. They wouldn't be able to make a sightless escape that way. She sighed and opened the other door, looking out and blinking into the sunlight toward the train yard.
"Ready to go girl?" She said and bent up a ramp for them to walk down. Misa was quickly at her side, annoyed at being cramped in the train for so long but eager to go for a run.
"Let's go. " She said and grabbed her overstuffed bag, slinging it across her body and giving Misa a nudge, encouraging her to run out the door and down the ramp. Tei was behind her but not nearly as fast, letting her friend run around and get her muscles moving again. She felt the warm sun on her skin and smiled, looking up to the sky and shielding her eyes with her hands, guessing it was about two in the afternoon. They made their way out of the train yard and slipped into the city with ease, watching as people leaked into their view from side streets and alleyways. People didn't stare at them like they had in Ba Sing Se. Tei supposed in a city as diverse as this, many people had seen weirder things than a young woman with a collared saber tooth sand leopard. The closer she got to downtown, the more amazing smells wafted her way, reminding her that food was not only essential, but probably going to be different than what she was used to. Soon enough they rounded the corner and found street vendors with dozens of food types. Tei drooled a bit, digging in her bag for her card. She was so hungry she walked right up to the first vendor, looking at the pictures of food.
"What eat?" The man behind the cart asked harshly. Apparently, people in the United Republic didn't have manners. She rolled her eyes and pointed to a large bowl of rice topped with beef and vegetables.
"Three of that, please." She asked.
"7.50 Yuan." He demanded, holding out his hand for the money before he got their food.
"I don't have cash, do you take these?" She asked politely, holding her card between her two fingers. He snatched the card from her and ran it through a machine, the paper printing out the charge almost instantly. He shoved the card and the receipt into her hand roughly and she took it, watching him prepare their food. He was fast, very fast. She put the card and the receipt away and grabbed the three bowls that were being shoved towards her over the cart's surface.
"Thank you." She said and locked eyes with him. He just looked away and she huffed, grabbing a pair of disposable chopsticks and walking away. "Rude." She whispered under her breath, food in her arms and Misa staring at her hungrily. She sighed and sat down against a huge concrete building, seeing that area wasn't busy. She set the two bowls down for Misa and put her own in her lap. Misa was about to dig in and Tei stopped her.
"Hey! Don't be unthankful! Wait." She said and Misa's ears went down, her jaw closing. They were lucky they had gotten to the city safe and sound, and Tei wanted to acknowledge that. She folded her legs beneath her in a very un-lady like manner and folded her hands in front of her.
"Thank you spirits for guiding us this far. We ask that you please continue to guide and protect us, me especially. Thank you for the food we are about to receive." She said and sighed softly, breaking her chopsticks apart and holding the bowl in one hand, watching Misa take her queue to eat. They ate in silence. It was really tasty. Something that was sort of familiar to her, but not at the same time. Misa finished before she did, looking disappointed that most of the bowl was rice.
"Sorry, I'll try and get you more meat next time." She amended after swallowing, tilting the bowl to finish off her lunch. She sighed happily and patted her belly, full of food that should last her until tonight, tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Tei got off the ground and brushed the dust off her behind, bending over and grabbing Misa's paper bowls, now empty aside from some rice left, and threw them in a trash receptacle near the street. She dusted her hands off and put her hands on her hips, adjusting the strap of her bag. The task of getting some food was taken care of, but now she wasn't sure where to go. Republic City was huge. She didn't know where to start looking for this General Tashi person. She folded her arms and watched the traffic go by, trying to use logic. If he was a General of the United Forces, and the world was technically at a time of peace, he would have to be in the city somewhere, probably in an office of some kind. She reasoned maybe she could get information regarding his whereabouts at a recruitment center. There had to be one in this metropolis. She was unsure of how to find the center though, not understanding the chaotic array this city possessed; Nothing like Ba Sing Se, the city of order. She sighed and walked down the street, her best friend in tow, just wandering and thinking. The vendors watched her pass by, the street not very crowded with pedestrians. She wasn't even sure if it was a work day or a weekend day. She felt like she spent an eternity in that cargo car. The satomobiles passed back and forth along the wide road as she walked. Tei finally came to the conclusion that maybe people of authority could direct her to where she needed to be. Now with a goal in mind, her feet carried her faster, from a lazy saunter to a brisk walk into the heart of the city.
The deeper into the city she got, the more people she saw. More and more people around her kind of intimidated her. It was people she didn't know. People she couldn't connect with. People she had nothing in common with. Yet people she was supposed to save. Children holding their mother's hands as they cross the roads, men in dressy clothes, and elders littered the sidewalks. At this point, the traffic had congested so badly almost no movement was going on now between the cars. The blowing of a high pitched whistle caught her attention and there was an officer standing in the middle of an intersection. Perfect. She jogged towards him, bumping into people and saying quick apologies as she tried to reach him. When she did she tapped him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me!" She yelled over the noise of the car honking and the traffic racing by. The officer looked to her and the whistle fell from his lips, falling around his neck. He stared at her for a minute, like he was stunned and then shook his head as if he were trying to clear his mind.
"Hey! You can't be out here! Get back on the sidewalk!" He yelled, motioning to the curb.
"Please, I need to get to the United Forces Center!" She yelled back, clutching the strap of her bag to her chest. Misa was hunched low, uncomfortable in the middle of traffic.
"Go down 7th and it's on the 400 block! Big flag! Can't miss it!" He yelled and motioned for her to go passed him, down the street. She nodded.
"Thank you!" She hollered and ran off the street, Misa running beside her. She looked back and saw that she was on 12th avenue. She looked left and right and had to use a little bit of street smarts. The way the city seemed to be laid out, the street she was on was parallel to Yue Bay. She came to the conclusion that number must increase the further the street was from the bay. She looked westward towards the bay and started her trek through traffic and people. Five city blocks was nothing compared to the districts in Ba Sing Se, taking less than thirty minutes to get on 7th avenue. She started looking for numbers and meandered her way down to the 400 block. It didn't take her long to find the building, a huge crimson flag with a golden symbol for the United Republic flew high in the sky, the flagpole right outside a large brick and glass building. Her and Misa walked towards the door and she stopped at the alleyway just before the building, thinking.
"Misa, I'm sorry, but I think you should stay here." She said and pointed to the dark alleyway. Misa huffed in the only way a saber tooth sand leopard could, by growling low and soft.
"Look, I don't like leaving you alone in this city either, but I don't think bringing you inside with these… polished and straight cut people will leave the right impression." Misa whines and rubbed her giant head into her side.
"I know, I won't be long I promise." She said and rubbed behind her ear, hooking her large bag around her companion's shoulders, knowing she could protect her stuff. Misa lingered for a moment and slinked into the alleyway, curling up on the dry ground and hiding behind some trash cans. Tei sighed and walked away, feeling anxiety crawl through her stomach as she pushed open the glass door. There was a woman in uniform at the front desk, her hair in a high wolf tail. Before Tei came up to her fully to woman's eyes took her in and an eyebrow raised.
"May I help you?" She asked politely. Finally, someone with etiquette. Tei stood in front of the woman with her arms at her sides.
"Um… Is General Tashi in?" She asked tentatively. The woman looked down at her schedule.
"Do you have an appointment?" Tei started to panic. So he was here. But how to see him was quickly becoming a task.
"Um no, it's an emergency." She pressed her hands on the desk, hoping there would be no more questions.
"What kind of 'emergency'?" The woman looked back to Tei with a suspicious look.
"A family emergency." She lied before she could even think.
The woman sighed and picked up the phone, dialing an extension.
"General Tashi, I have a young woman out here who says she needs to see you. Says it's a family emergency." She paused to listen for a moment and looked the girl over. "I'm not sure, anywhere from 18 to maybe 25? It's hard to tell." Tei folded her arms and huffed. She got this a lot. Her height and face said 17 years old, but her body, breasts in particular, said 25. No one ever knew how old she was. She wondered why that mattered to the General. The woman continued to speak. "Earth Kingdom clothing." She paused again and listened. She sighed. "Yes, sir." She said and hung up the phone. She pointed with her pen.
"Take that hallway down and make a left, take the elevator up to the 5th floor, the recruitment center, and they will greet you." She said and looked back to the girl, still suspicious about the whole thing.
"Thank you, I deeply appreciate your time." She said and bowed softly and took off down the hall, making the left as told and pushing the button for the elevator, wondering if she did it right. It opened instantly, startling her a bit and she got inside. The doors closed and there was music playing that was quite enjoyable. She looked at the panel of buttons and read each one before deciding to press 5. The elevator jerked to life and her stomach dropped, her hands grabbing the railing as the metal box flew to the higher floor. With a soft ding, the elevator stopped and the doors opened, revealing a small foyer with a line of men all behind desks and in uniform. She stepped out and headed to the middle of the office space, hearing a wolf whistle in the background. She turned to see where it had come from and a group of men standing by a water tank were smiling, a few of them looking away. Tei blushed and felt self conscious, fiddling with the bracelet around her wrist. She walked a little further and her heard the screeching of a metal chair against the tiled floor. She looked and a man was walking towards her. She stopped and smiled.
"I assume you are the one looking for the General?" he said and a few other men came closer, wondering what was going on looking over the short woman a little too much. She nodded.
"Yes, it's a family emergency." She said, trying to sound confident.
"That's funny, the General doesn't have any family. He's unmarried." The man said and held his hands on his hips, looking down on her.
"I'm his daughter." She lied quickly.
"I knew it!" One of the men behind her shouted and came up to her, patting her on the back. "I knew he had to have some illegitimates running around! Where's Lee? He owes me fifty yuans!" The man said and ran off, the others laughing. The man who originally talked to her just smiled.
"What here, I'll go get him." He said and walked off towards a huge mahogany door, peaking his head in. It didn't take long before a man in a red uniform came and a fully metaled lapel out and slowly walked towards her. All the men in their grey uniforms and boots were gathered around her, waiting with smiles and anticipation at their encounter. He walked up to her slowly and she took him in. He was tall, of course, though everyone was tall when you were the size of a child. He had a thick build and fair skin with deep emerald green eyes and thick black hair, combed and parted to the side. He was young. Strikingly young. Maybe 37 years, Tei guessed. He smiled as he took her in, understanding what his secretary meant about the age. He walked right up to her and held out his hand. She took in gingerly and he smiled, bowing softly.
"Your name?"
"My name is Tei." She said softly. He smiled and came out of his bow, letting go of her hand.
"And your age please, Miss Tei?" He asked, laying on extra charm. She blushed and her hands came together as they usually did when she was nervous. The men were listening intently, hoping desperately that she was of legal age, pigs as they were.
"I am 22, General." She said and held her head high. There was something that ran across his eyes, an emotion she didn't catch. He smiled and put his hands on her sounders.
"So then, you're my daughter?" He asked, a smirk on his face. She nodded and he motioned towards his office. "Come with me, we have a lot to talk about." He said and he walked towards his office, her in tow. The men stared after her, a few of them following a few steps and she walked into his office, taking a seat. The General shot his subordinates a look that told them to mind their own business and closed his door, locking it. Tei fidgeted with her bracelet as he walked around to his desk, sitting in his executive chair and folding his hand over his mouth, his elbows on the desk. It was quiet for a while, the silence making her very uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, General, I don't know where to start." She muttered, looking down.
"Tashi." He said softly, with a smile.
"What?" She looked up and was caught in his gaze.
"Please, just call me Tashi. No titles, no formalities between you and I."
"But Gen-, Tashi. I'm not-"
"You're not my daughter." He said and smirked, resting his hands on his desk. He knew. He was aware.
"And you played along anyway?"
"You are someone of importance. Why else would you lie? You don't seem to pose a threat."
Tei sighed and leaned forward in her chair.
"This is going to sound completely insane, but I am Tei of the Earth Kingdom… and I am the Avatar." The words came out as a whisper at the end, still not completely convinced. She cringed internally, waiting for him to accuse her of lying. He just chuckled and rolled up his sleeve, showing a faint, white tattoo of a lotus on his shoulder. He rolled his sleeve back down.
"I am aware of who you are." He said and stood up from his desk, coming around to lean on the edge across from her.
"You're not cross with me for lying about who I was?"
"No, young Avatar. You did what you had to, and you were clever at that. I'm impressed."
"No, please, I don't feel I deserve that title."
"But you do. It's your birthright. It's who you are. How long have you known?"
"Only a few days. How long have you known?" She asked.
"You gave yourself away. Earth Kingdom, 22, coming to see me with no interest in a military career? Who else could you possibly be?" He said and crossed his arms.
"I'm sorry. I was told to come to you by Avatar Korra. She said you could guide me to a firebending master. She said you would be able to keep my identity a secret because…"
"Yes, I am aware of that too. Another member of the Order has informed me of the situation about to escalate in Ba Sing Se. We are all on high alerts, the members of the White Lotus I mean." He paused and looked to her, motioning for her to stand. She did and he pulled her into an embrace.
"They looked for you. They searched everywhere for you. I'm so happy you are safe." he said and she blushed. She wasn't sure how to react so she just hugged him back, him clearly having a very emotional moment. He sighed and patted her back, pulling away from her.
"Forgive me. You don't know how much this means not just to me, but to the world. We were lost for a while, but now we have you." He smiled down at her and she smiled back, trying to accept the moment for what it was. Just him, finding hope again. She felt her eyes daring to give way to tears and she looked down.
"Come now, none of that." Tashi said and laughed through his words, trying not to cry himself. he cleared his throat and straitened his uniform. "I'll take care of you from here on out. You're in good hands."
"Thank you, Tashi." She said and gripped her elbows.
"So!" He said and clapped his hands together. "Are you ready to meet your firebending master then?"
"I can't say I'm not nervous, but I need to do this. This is my destiny now."
"Sounds like a yes to me. Come on," He said and opened the door, seeing the other soldiers hurrying to get back to work. She followed him back to the elevator and she frowned.
"Where are we going?" She asked as the doors closed.
"All the way to the basement. He's down there training, as usual." He says and presses the button labeled 'B3'. "You'll like him. I've known him for about 10 years now, he's my best friend. He's really nice, once you get to know him."
Tei laughed. "That usually means they're an asshole until you get used to them."
"Beggars can't be choosers now, can they?" He said and laughed himself. The elevator jerked to life and her stomach dropped again.
"No, but he's nice." He continued. "He's got a lot of walls, so just be nice and you will get to him eventually."
"Hmph. Sounds like a lot of work." She said and folded her arms.
"Tei, your whole life is going to be work from this point on."
She sighed and knew he was right. No more simplicity. No more little shop, no more daily routine. Everything was changing so fast and she didn't know if she could keep up. The elevator stopped and the doors slid, opening into a painted brick hallway. He took her down the hall and passed a men's and women's locker room to some big swinging double door's with a window. Tashi saw the figure he was looking for.
"Yeah, there he is, let's go, shall we?" He smiled and opened the door, holding it for her. They entered the open gymnasium and there was a figure punching a bag over near the opposite wall that was chained form the ceiling. He was in black pants and no shirt, his hands wrapped in white tape and his wrists wrapped in black. He had short black hair that had been buzzed off recently and his skin was dark, too dark to be a firebender.
"Lieutenant! Can you come over here please?"
The man held the bag steady and looked to Tashi, wiping his brow with the back on his arm. He walked towards them and he barely noticed Tei, his focus on Tashi. When he stood before them he was panting, obviously in the middle of a thorough workout.
"General Tashi, is something wrong?" He said and finally glanced to Tei, of whom was blushing. The man before her was soaked in sweat and was very muscular, just as tall as Tashi was. His eyes met hers and she noticed that they weren't gold, they were a russet color that matched handsomely with his dark skin. Nothing about him said firenation. She didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't this.
"I have someone I want you to meet." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder and stepping beside her. "This is Lieutenant Jinru of the United Forces, trainer for new recruits. Jinru, meet your new firebending pupil." Before Jinru could protest, Tei blurted out what she was thinking.
"That's ludicrous. How can a waterbender teach my anything about firebending?"
Jinru glared at Tei and back to Tashi. He noticed her earrings of silver, her locket, her bracelet; all of fine metal. He started to unwrap his fists and spoke harshly.
"Is she a new recruit?"
"No-"
"Then you can take this spoiled brat and send her packing. I won't train someone so insolent."
"Hey!-" Tei protested but a hand on her shoulder cut her off.
"Jinru, please." Tashi pleased. "This is Tei of the Earth kingdom. She is the Avatar."
Jinru stopped unwrapping his hands and didn't look up to either of them. He was battling himself. On the one hand, he was shocked that she even existed, let alone that he would have the opportunity to train her. On the other, she had already insulted him by playing the waterbender card, leaving a nasty taste in his mouth towards this small yet very attractive girl. He sighed and looked to Tashi.
"Do I have to?" He grumbled.
"Well, I am your commanding officer, so yes I'm afraid. You need to keep her safe, keep her hidden. No one can find out who she is, I'll brief you later. Take her to the training room on B4. It's yours to use from now on. I will give the command that it's off limits."
"Okay then, I guess it's settled." He said and finished unwrapping his hands. He looked to Tei with an intense disgust. "Meet me in the gym tomorrow morning, 7am. Just press B4 on the elevator."
"Okay…" She said suspicious still that he was not a firebender.
"Where are you staying?" Tashi asked her.
"Oh! Um… well I was kind of a stowaway on the train that brought me here, so I don't have a place to stay yet, but I have money to pay for a hotel, if you can just tell me where the nearest one is." She said all together, looking from Tashi to Jinru. Tashi just laughed.
"Wow, what an adventure already. No. You won't be spending any of your own money on this trip. You can stay with the Lieutenant. "
"Sorry?" "Excuse me?" They said in unison and shared a glare at each other. Tashi closed his eyes and turned to Jinru with a wide smile.
"Well, with your pay and that large penthouse you have there should be no reason why your new student can't stay with you."
"Tashi, be reasonable!" He argued.
"Jin, what if someone were to find her? What would we do?"
"I'm not a child! I got here by myself, didn't I?" She argued. She didn't want to stay with a man she barely knew. But there was one catch. "Oh wait… do hotels allow pets?"
"What kind of pets?" Tashi asked, a little skeptical. She hesitated and tapped her two index fingers together.
"Um… a Saber Tooth Sand Leopard?"
"You've gotta be kidding me. Tashi, I already can't handle this girl!" Jinru said and his hand went though his short hair.
"Is it tame?" Tashi asked, ignoring his subordinate.
"Of course! She's like a big bearded cat! She only gets mean if someone threatens me or her." She defended.
"Okay then, no problem!" he said and put a hand on Jinru's shoulder. "I'll brief you tomorrow before you start her training! See you two tomorrow!" He said and excused himself. As soon as he was at the door, Tei turned back to Jinru. There was a moment between them where there were sparks, and not the good kind. He took a step towards her and opened his hand, producing a large flame. Her olive green eyes widened in surprise and she couldn't look away from the beautiful yellow orange flame. It was quickly extinguished, leaving the smell of ash in its wake.
"Never question my bending abilities again." He said and walked passed her towards the doors. She followed him and he went into the men's locker room. She sighed and leaned against the wall, feeling so ashamed and stupid. He took a while, about twenty minutes. He came out in the same black pants but with a sleeveless red shirt on and his hair a little matted. Tei figured he must have taken a shower. She didn't miss how the fabric stretched across his chest, blushing again and looking away. He grabbed a bag on the floor near her and pulled his keys out of his pocket. Jinru walked away from her and she followed him to the elevator. He pushed the button to go to the upper level before she had even gotten inside, understandable angry with her still. She sighed when the doors closed and tried to make amends.
"I'm sorry for assuming you were something you are not. I guess I shouldn't judge on appearances. Won't happen again, Lieutenant." She said softly. He accepted her apology with a nod but didn't dismiss the pretense of titles between them when she had addressed him, showing that thick wall that Tashi had mentioned. She wondered how he would address her from this point on, by her title or her name? When they reached the lobby he was the first one out of the elevator, Tei in tow. He was out the glass door in seconds and heading down the street. They rounded the corner of the building together and turned down the alleyway she had seen earlier. Before she could explain, Misa jumped out from behind a garbage can, baring her teeth and growling at Jinru, making him stop short mid-step. Tei came around his body and scolded her.
"Misa, stop! He's a friend!" She said and held out her hands to protect him. When she saw her owner she was happy, her tail up in the air and rubbing against her side.
"'Tame', huh?" Jinru sneered at her and she grabbed the bag from her friend.
"She was doing her job and protecting my stuff. She's nothing but a big softie though." She said and slung the bag over her body, leaning down and kissing the top of Misa's head. "Isn't that right? You're just an overgrown house cat." She cooed and scratched under her chin, earning a sandpaper lick to the face. "You can pet her if you want."
"No thank you." He said and walked passed them, heading behind the building. The girls followed and when they reached the end of the alleyway there was a huge parking lot behind the building. Jinru led them to his car, a small fire red satomobile and got inside. Tei opened the back door for Misa and she climbed in tentatively, never having been in one before. She set her bag next to her friend and closed the door, slipping into the front with Jinru.
The ride was quiet and Tei was anxious about it, feeling that he was probably thinking a million bad things about her. She fiddled with her bracelet, her locket, her fingers, her hair, pretty much anything on her person to try and make the anxiety better. She didn't pay attention to the signs of the streets as they blurred by, figuring she was going to be going with him back to the center tomorrow anyways. When they finally arrived, they parked on the street right next to the curb. He silently turned off the car and got out, Tei and Misa right behind him with her overstuffed bag. He grabbed his bag from the trunk and led them into a large revolving door that entered into a fancy lobby. She looked around and was in awe. This wasn't something she could ever afford. This was upper ring kind of stuff.
"You coming?" She heard him yell from the elevator. She shook her head and they jogged over to him, the three of them fitting perfectly inside. The wood paneled doors closed and he pushed the '3' button. Tei sighed. She was quickly becoming annoyed at elevators. She didn't like the way they made her stomach flip. Misa was not exactly happy about it either. When the ride was over, he exited the box and she all but jumped at the chance to get out, following him to his door, 3A. He unlocked the door and left it open for her as he entered, tossing his keys onto a side table near the door. Misa ran inside to investigate and Tei came in, shutting the door and locking it behind her.
The insides where very clean and modern, not overly decorated. It was simple, yet nice. Nothing like she had expected. She thought to herself maybe she needed to stop expecting things. She took off her shoes and left her bag at the door, walking further into the home, a smell of something delicious wafting to her.
"What's that amazing smell?" She shouted into the house, trying to find the kitchen. She did and there was Jinru, at the island of the kitchen and drinking something bottled and chilled. He wasn't cooking anything. She looked over to his left and there was a girl, taller than herself by a few centimeters but so impossibly thin it made her self-conscious. She had gorgeous thick, wavy black hair that was down to the middle of her back and skin a few shades lighter than Jinru's. The girl was wearing a white apron over her short red dress and turned to Tei, an icing tube in her hand.
"Oh! You brought home a girl? It's not even Friday yet!" She smiled and looked to Jinru. "Do I need to leave you two alone tonight?" She smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.
"Kiko, stop. She's my newest pupil."
"Ah, so a new recruit then! Why is she here?"Kiko inquired.
"I'm not a military recruit." Tei said softly.
"She's the avatar." He added flatly.
There was a tense moment of silence between the three of them, Kiko setting down the icing back and rubbing her hands on her apron. She looked between Jinru and Tei, trying to fathom what he and just said.
"But… there is no Avatar. The Avatar is nothing but a legend. It doesn't exist anymore." She stared at Tei in disbelief.
"Yeah, well tell that to Tashi."
"What's he got to do with this?" She asked, folding her arms.
"I'm officially her babysitter." He said and looked away from Kiko, taking a drink from his bottle.
"What?" She asked and turned to Tei.
"Um, General Tashi assigned me to live here with you and Lieutenant Jinru while I train and master firebending." She felt a furry body brush passed her and Kiko's eyes went wide in shock. "Well, Misa and I."
"Oh my Koh! She's beautiful! Is she safe?" Kiko asked, excitedly holding out her hands and walking towards her.
"Yeah, go ahead!"
Kiko got down on her knees and rubbed the leopard's ears.
"Who's the most beautiful girl in the world, huh? Who's a good leopard?" She baby talked and Tei laughed and Misa actually started to purr. Jinru rolled his eyes and tried to not pay them any attention. Kiko stood up and looked to Tei.
"So, you're the Avatar huh?" She smiled and folded her hands.
"Yes, I am." She said and smiled.
"You're very pretty for an Avatar. My name is Kiko, I am his little sister."
Tei blushed and smiled. "That's kind of you, Kiko. My name is Tei. It's nice to meet you."
The girls exchanged a smile and Tei, looking the girl over blurted out a compliment. "Please give me your hair." She instantly wished she had a filter. The girl has the same eyes as her brother. She could have said something about that.
Kiko just laughed. "I was thinking the same thing about yours! It's so nice and straight! I can't ever do anything with mine, it's too thick!"
They fell into a laughter together and Tei felt at ease for the first time in days.
"Where is all of your stuff?"
"In my bag by the door."
"Go grab you bag and I'll show you to your room, since my brother lacks the skills of a proper host." She said and shot a look at her brother. He just shrugged and Tei walked away, him turning his attention to the fridge.
"Stay out of there! When I'm done with the cake I'll start dinner." She scolded him and he grumbled, Tei coming back to Kiko's side with her bag. She smiled to her and Kiko grabbed her hand.
"Come with me." She said brightly and lead her down the hallway. "This is our bathroom, you can wash up before dinner if you want." She said pointing to the door but continuing on. There was a door at the end of the hallway and Kiko opened it up for her, stepping inside before she did.
"Welcome home." She said simply and Tei looked around. The room was simple, modern, clean, but with a warm luxurious feel. It was so nice, she felt like she was staying at a fancy hotel.
"Thank you, Kiko." She said and bowed to her softly, the girl leaving her in peace so she could unpack. It didn't take her long, putting her clothing away. She took off all of her jewelry and left them on the night stand while Misa curled up on the bed. She took her bag full of toiletries into the bathroom along with a fresh pair of panties and a night gown she had never worn. She ran the shower nice and hot, closing the door and starting to undress. After she was naked, as she preferred to be, she let her hair down, putting the hair band in her bag. She grabbed a washcloth from the cupboard and a towel, setting the towel on the sink and stepping in the shower. Meanwhile, the siblings in the kitchen were having an argument.
"What do you mean she can't stay?" Kiko said, her arms crossed.
"I can't live with her!" He growled, his hands going through his hair.
"What could she have possibly done in the few hours you have known her?"
"She called me a waterbender!"
"And she's half right!"
He growled again and folded his arms.
"Does she have anywhere else to go?" Kiko asked, trying to be on the young Avatar's side, knowing her brother could be over emotional at times and not listen to reason. He hesitated in answering.
"She said she had money. She said she could live in a hotel."
"What a great idea! Let's send someone the world doesn't know exists to a hotel with her larger than life sand leopard and have her NOT attract attention as to who she is! Brilliant!"
"Well she sure as hell can't stay here, I'll have to talk to Tashi."
"So you are going to make that poor girl go broke trying to support herself?"
"She's not poor, did you see her jewelry?"
"Damn it Jin, open your eyes! She's an earthbender! Probably a metalbender too! Did you see the way she looked at this house? This is going to be the nicest place she has ever stayed. She's not made of money and she wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Whatever money she has, she worked hard for it, something you two have in common."
He huffed and she opened her mouth to defend her more, but a sound interrupted them.
"What's that?" He said, looking passed the kitchen archway. They listened a bit more and followed the sound, both of them standing outside the bathroom door.
"Is she… singing?" he asked and they listened.
"… Come up here, hide in this tree. Be with me today, only. Fall asleep inside my arms. Let me hold you, do no harm. Be forever us together we can whether through this storm… Love you always day by day, no matter where you are from..."
"She sounds beautiful." Kiko whispered.
"It's a lullaby."
"Hmm?"
"It's a lullaby. An old Earth Kingdom lullaby. Her parents must have sang it to her when she was young."
"Why would a grown woman sing a lullaby to herself?"
Jinru didn't have an explanation.
X
When her hair was dried she put on her panties and nightgown that was basically an oversized green shirt that went down to her knees. She had packed a sports bra and she was thankful, not wanting to go braless in front of people she didn't know well. She put her hair into a high wolf tail and put her bag under the sink, throwing her clothes in the hamper. It all felt so weird to her. Like she was supposed to feel at home, but something was off. She sighed and exited the bathroom, turning off the lights and heading into the kitchen. She saw Kiko over a large pot and Jinru at the kitchen table, doing some paper work Tashi's secretary had dropped off while she was in the shower. They were all about her and she didn't even know.
"Smells good." Tei said softly and came beside Kiko. She smiled and offered her the spoon to taste. She took a sip and it was spicy, but not overly so. It was rich and good.
"Very good, can't wait!" She said and Kiko stirred the pot.
"We have this stew over rice. It's a pretty basic dish, but I toned down the spices for you. I don't know how much United Republic or Fire Nation food you have had."
"Not a whole lot, but I did get this beef bowl thing earlier that was really good." She said and they girls smiled. Kiko turned off the heat and brought the pot over to the table where the rice was waiting.
"Put work away Jin, not during dinner."
He sighed and closed up the files, setting them on the desk near the window. the sun was setting and the siblings hadn't changed into their sleeping clothes yet. She wondered how late they stayed up. Tei sat at the table and looked down at her hands laying in her lap, her fingers finding each other as she avoided the angry, tense aura around Jinru. Kiko passed them bowls of rice covered in the stew and she folded her hands, bowing her head. Jinru cleared his throat and spoke softly.
"We thank the spirits for the good fortune we have been blessed with. We ask that you continue to be with us all as the journey laid out before us is treacherous, dangerous, and possibly the hardest thing some of us have ever done. We thank you for the food we are about to receive."
They started to eat and Tei ate too, in silence. She wasn't sure what to say. She felt bad about being a burden on them. She started thinking how she could contribute.
"I can pitch in for groceries and food for Misa, I have money…" She said out of nowhere, meekly.
Kiko stopped eating and looked to Jinru, who swallowed and looked to his sister for a brief moment. He returned his gaze down to his food.
"It's not necessary." He said softly.
"No really, I can help. please let me help." She asked and looked to him.
"It's alright, really." He said and looked to her briefly, his eyes meeting hers for just a moment. in that moment she didn't she anger, she saw an emotion flicker that she didn't recognize. His eyes dropped and that unnamed emotion would haunt her for the rest of the night. She finished her dinner and stood up, grabbing her bowl and washing it in the sink. She placed it on the drying rack and turned to the siblings.
"I'm going to turn in. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Tei." Kiko said and Jinru kept eating.
She walked down the hall and into the room that was now hers, closing the door and waking Misa. She sighed and took off her clothes, letting them be in a small pile beside her bed before slipping onto the fluffy cloud. She sighed out of happiness when she laid down. It was the most comfortable thing she had ever felt. She covered herself up and Misa cuddled up to her back, falling asleep quicker than she had ever imagined.