Please apply the usual disclaimers. I am not nearly creative enough to create a world like this. Please enjoy.

Chapter 7

Sokka found himself facing a rather butch looking woman. She was not dressed elegantly as he had imagined. She wore her hair up in a severe topknot without any adornment. She wore what appeared to be more of a man's suit of red and gold than a woman's robes with a small sword at her hip. This was the furthest thing that he had imagined from the descriptions of the Hana Houses that Kerak and Taizo had given him. There was a butler-like feel to her as well as a businessman with a dash of a guard thrown into her dry expression.

"Captain Inara," the woman pronounced with a hint of annoyance. "It is good to see you again."

"It's good to see you again too Hibiki," Inara replied pleasantly. "My crew is in need of a bit of shore leave and if you don't mind, I would like to speak with Madam Asahi. It's been awhile since we have been able to have a heart to heart."

"Of course," Hibiki responded in a dry voice. "I am sure the girls will be thrilled to see Taizo and Kerak. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes, I require two kegs of beer along with a double of my usual order of food along with the laundry."

Taizo then produced the two large bags of linens. Hibiki turned up her nose at the rancid smell and looked at Inara with disbelief.

"Please say this belongs to the entire crew," she said.

Inara nodded. "And Taizo will be handling the bill for the laundry."

"Splendid," Hibiki drawled. She then nodded at two maids who came and collected the laundry. "I will have all of it made ready for you. Now, captain, if you will follow me. I am sure Taizo will be able to find the girls without my assistance."

Hibiki led Inara away. Inara glanced over her shoulder at the three young men. Sokka could see warning in her eyes.

"Well gentlemen, let's get moving," Taizo said when Inara turned away from them. "I can sense many young ladies who are in need of our company."

Taizo then slapped a heavy hand on Sokka's shoulder. Sokka flinched a bit and was then pushed forward towards an elegant door. The door led to a set of stairs that led below deck. The ship was quiet. There was not a lot of activity. They passed a few maids with stacks of clean sheets and some carrying crates of vegetables.

"Sokka, I am going to introduce you to a world that you have never dreamed of," Taizo said. "These girls are the best dancers and musicians."

"You don't come here for the dancing and music," Kerak said from behind them.

Taizo ignored him. "And the beer is superb."

"Now that is true," Kerak agreed.

They walked a bit longer until they reached a set of double sliding doors. There were two pink curtains tied back on each side of the doors. On the other side, Sokka could hear the quiet music of women's voices.

Taizo grandly walked up to the doors with Kerak and Sokka behind him as if it was his own personal harm. He paused before dramatically threw the doors opened. A chorus of sighs escaped from every girl as they all turned their attention to the tall, dark, and rather hairy man standing before them.

"Sigh no more ladies, sigh no more," Taizo sang.

The ladies were all dressed in shades of pink and gold. The flowing sleeves of their robes fluttered as they all rushed towards Taizo. Kerak walked in with Sokka close behind him. Most of the ladies didn't notice them at all. They had eyes only for Taizo. However, two women came along each side of Kerak. They played with the beard at his chin and rubbed his smooth head as they led him to a low table.

"Ladies, do not forget our new friend Sokka," Taizo said as he was seated with several women. "He has never been to a Hana House before."

Sokka felt his cheeks burn but he soon forgot his embarrassment when five of the women who surrounded Taizo jumped up and were immediately at Sokka's side. They pulled him towards the table that Taizo sat at. Sokka was seated on soft pillows with tea and beer set before him.

A moment later, trays of food were brought out. The ladies sat out small dishes of noodles, rice, fish, vegetables, fruit, komodo-rhino meat, snails, dumplings, dipping sauces, and so much more. One of the ladies put a set of intricately caved chop sticks into Sokka's hand. She did not release his hand though. With his hand still inside of hers, she picked up a small piece of fruit and then fed it to Sokka.

Sokka felt like he was doing something fundamentally wrong by just sitting in that room. Every woman was fully dressed and they were doing nothing but eating and drinking. However, he knew the profession of many of these women and felt like he might be descending into a moral dilemma that he might have to explain to Suki later.

Sokka looked to Taizo. The women around him poured him drinks, ran their fingers through his hair, and rubbed his shoulders. He smiled benevolently on each of them. Sokka listened as they listened to Taizo's senseless stories of adventures at sea and how much he made. There was no mention of Azula or Zuko though.

He then turned his attention to Kerak. There were only the two women who had originally approached him that were sitting with him. There was the usual large spread of food before him along with beer and tea. They did not seem to be completely beholden to him like the others were with Taizo. They all talked and laughed. It seemed like it was one of the ladies who was telling all of the stories and jokes. Whoever it was, Kerak seemed to be thoroughly entertained with whatever was being said.

"This is so much better than the Empress," Taizo said to Sokka with a large smile.

"The food is much better than what Kerak makes," Sokka agreed.

Kerak heard his remark but he did not refute the truth. He shoveled a large amount of rice into his mouth and gave a sour smile to them.

"At least we'll have clean sheets," Sokka said just to say something.

"Clean sheets," one of the ladies said shortly.

"We do so much more than the laundry," another purred as she gazed into Sokka's eyes.

Sokka could see his reflection in hers. There was a seductive smile playing on her pink lips and he felt the heat rise in his body.

"Laundry is still very important," he replied in a high voice.

His response made the other ladies giggle. Kerak toasted him from his small table and Taizo nearly spit his beer back into the bottle.

"Sokka, this is how aristocrats, powerful generals and admirals, nobility, and sometimes royalty relax," Taizo said.

"Royalty?" Sokka questioned.

"Not so much anymore," a lady under Taizo's arm replied. "The Fire Lord seems to be completely smitten with that love of his life. Fire Lord Ozai was much better company."

"Better company," Sokka intoned obviously insulted by the comment.

The lady who had said it immediately withdrew from the conversation. She hid from Sokka behind Taizo's girth.

"Let's have some music and dancing," Kerak immediately suggested.

The ladies immediately jumped up. They started to run around the large room. Some pulled instruments out of cases that were neatly lined up on the shelves. Many more started to dig into large baskets and other flat cases. Beautiful scarves and fans were produced. The musicians sat against the wall on their knees with their instruments ready. The dancers lined up in their positions each with a scarf of a fan.

There were still several others who were not dancing. Kerak's ladies had completely abandoned him for their instruments but Taizo still had a few at his arm and Sokka was left with one beauty. Sokka gulped hard realizing that her profession was not as innocent as dancing.

The music then started. It gave Sokka an excuse to pull his attention from the woman at his side. The ladies started to dance with scarves flowing gracefully through the air. The fans fluttered in their hands and were meticulously opened and closed to the music. It was beautiful to watch and relaxing for the soul. He even found himself becoming lost in the music.

Sokka was slightly disappointed when the dance was over. It was beautiful for more than its simple artistic attributes. The audience applauded them. The dancers and musicians all bowed in appreciation and scurried to put everything back where it came from.

Taizo then caught Sokka's eyes. He seemed to be slightly bobbing his head up and down as he looked over all of the ladies. Sokka watched him as Taizo made two sweeps of the room. Was he counting the girls?

"Where are Kyung Mi and Mi Kyong?" he asked.

One of the musicians took her seat next to Kerak. "They are in their room. They are practicing a new technique," she replied.

"Really," Taizo mused. "Do you think they will mind if I drop by with Sokka?"

"Of course not," she answered. "You know they always love it when you are here."

"Excellent," Taizo said springing to his feet.

The ladies looked disappointed when they realized they were losing their precious Taizo. Taizo walked over to Sokka and pulled him to his feet.

"Come, I will treat you to the most invigorating experience of your life," Taizo said and pulled Sokka towards the door. "Kerak and I do this together all the time with them. And you know what the best part of this is? They're twins!"

Sokka looked to Kerak with pleading eyes but Kerak did not seem to notice. The ladies were pouring him some tea and he had eyes only for the tea.

"Taizo, I'm not sure about this."

"Don't worry about the money, they owe me one," he said as he pushed Sokka through the hall.

"It's not the money. I'm kind of involved with someone," Sokka said. "And she can kill me if she wants to."

Taizo only laughed at Sokka. "You're not married to her yet are you?"

"No."

"Atta boy," he praised him.

They had reached their destination and Taizo knocked three times. The door opened. Two beautiful women looked back at them with their golden eyes. They were perfect duplicates of each other. They smiled the same smile when they saw Taizo. The door opened wide to reveal that they wore matching white robes with their hair pulled back in matching braids.

"Ladies, it has been too long," Taizo seductively said. "I am in need of your gentle loving."

They did not giggle as the other girls did. They looked him over and then looked Sokka over.

"Who is this? Where is Kerak?" one asked.

"This is Sokka," Taizo said. "He's the son of a chief."

"Son of a chief," the other twin said in an impressed tone.

"We heard that you were practicing a new technique," Taizo said.

"We are," they replied together. "Please, come in."

Before Sokka could protest, he was drawn into the room. The door closed firmly behind him. He began to break into a sweat as the ladies advanced on him.

Inara sat on the other side of a desk with Madam Asahi on the other side. The still spry woman wore elegant robes and a fashionable bun to keep up her appearances in case a powerful man came knocking at the door of her ship. The years were beginning to catch up with her though. There were gray streaks intertwined in her black hair. The edges of her eyes were showing the years and there was a pair of half-moon glasses perched on her nose.

Madam Asahi worked meticulously at her books while Inara ticked away the time with the tapping of her toe. There was a pile of records, an ink pot, and an abacus on her expensive desk. Asahi had little regard for Inara since she was a fellow woman. Inara would just have to wait until Asahi was finished reconciling her records.

"You can stop tapping your foot," the woman complained.

Inara tapped her foot two more times before she stopped. "Madam, I do not believe you want me here much longer considering Taizo is nearly completely unsupervised on your ship."

This caught Asahi's attention. She started to close her books and to put things away. "My dear girl, why are you on my ship?"

"We just happened to see your ship and thought that we would visit," Inara said innocently. "Besides, have you heard about the laundry we brought over?"

"Inara, don't think I don't know when you are lying to me."

"Really, what makes you think that I am lying to you?"

"Because you always lie to me," Asahi responded.

Inara lifted her eyebrows in amusement. "Have you ever considered that I may have good reason to be discrete with you?"

"There is discretion and then there is the falsification of records," Asahi responded tartly.

"And you can't tell me that you have never falsified anything," Inara teased her.

Asahi narrowed her eyes at Inara. "For once child, tell the truth and shame the demons. Why are you really here?"

Inara paused to compose herself. "How discrete can you be for a fellow woman?"

"Discretion is my game," she replied.

"Have you seen Edo lately?" Inara dared to ask.

Asahi leaned back in her chair. "I met his ship not far from the Boiling Rock over a month ago," she replied in a business-like tone. "He was having a rather large celebration for some unknown reason."

"Were the former Rough Rhinos in attendance?"

"I saw Colonel Mongke but that was all. Why? Would this possibly involve an escaped princess?"

Inara paused. It really could not be considered a pause. It was more of a breath. A man would have never seen it but Asahi's trained eye honed in on her instantly.

"So, the rumors make sense now," Asahi pondered. "I heard the most intriguing little story just a day ago that you had been run out of Wei Yu by Kaizen."

Inara leaned over to the side in her chair.

"Now, when I first heard it, I didn't believe it at first," Asahi recounted. "There was no reason at all that Kaizen would run you out of town. I always thought he would be trying to lock you away in that complicated house of his. But now it makes sense. You're hunting that princess."

Inara shrugged and held her hands up in defeat. "You got me," she confessed. "I have the most damned contract ever written."

"Oh darling, you shouldn't have agreed to do it," Asahi groaned. "You do us women no good working for an old flame like this."

"The Fire Lord is not an old flame," Inara said slowly.

"Of course he's not," Asahi said wistfully. "However, as much as we don't see eye to eye, I still don't want to hear the latest rumor mill report that you have been done in by the princess. That is the only reason I am going to tell you this."

Inara sat up straight in her chair.

"My girls and I heard a lot that night. There was talk of a large gathering and the coming of a new dawn and how it was a shame that more of his brothers could not join him."

"Do you know where they were heading after the celebration?" Inara asked.

"I don't ask those kinds of questions," Asahi said.

Inara tapped her thumbs together as she thought aloud. "The Rough Rhinos could be anywhere while Edo wines and dines Mongke. There are more but they were near the Boiling Rock. Who is at the Boiling Rock? There have been no reports of an escape. The Warden is Mai's uncle; he would not act complicity in a plot that could endanger his niece's prospects of becoming the Fire Lady."

"But you know how hard headed that man can be," Asahi commented. "He is obsessed with a perfect record."

"But that was shattered during the war by the Fire Lord with the help of Mai. But still, there should be no one of interest to Edo in the Boiling Rock."

"What if the Boiling Rock doesn't fit into the plan yet," Asahi suggested.

"Yet," Inara said aloud running the thought through her mind. "There is always much virtue in a yet, especially with Azula in the Earth Kingdom."

"Inara, I am just a Madam. I do not play these games of danger and intrigue for a specific reason."

"Of course," Inara said coming out of her thoughts. "But may I suggest that you might want to stay some distance from the Earth Kingdom for awhile?"

"When whatever the princess and Edo is planning go down, the Fire Nation won't be that much better either. I take my chances wherever I go."

"Spoken like a true Madam," Inara complimented her. She drew out a pouch of gold from her robes. She weighed it in her hands and put it on Asahi's desk. "This should cover everything. Just remind Hibiki to not let Taizo off of the ship without him paying for the laundry."

Asahi picked up the gold and felt its weight. "This should be more than enough. If you like, you can use the baths while the laundry is being finished. That is after you check in on Taizo."

Inara stood from her chair and bowed to Asahi. There was only a small wave of the hand in return from Asahi as Inara excused herself. She tried not to think about what they had discussed as she made her way through the ship. The main concern on her mind was what trouble Taizo may be getting into at the moment. She walked to the room where Taizo most likely would be. It was eerily quiet though. She slid the doors opened and saw only Kerak at a table with two women. He had the usual spread of food and drink before him.

"Kerak, where are Taizo and Sokka?" she asked.

"They're with the twins," Kerak replied offhandedly.

"Great, this is not what I need," Inara groaned.

Kerak did not seem too interested into going to check in on Taizo and Sokka. He was completely devoted to his food and drink. Inara rolled her eyes at him and closed the doors. She passed several maids carrying portions of the laundry through the ship as she made her way to Kyung Mi and Mi Kyong's room.

"Those twins will be the end of me," she muttered as she reached the door.

"Oh my gosh!" she heard Sokka scream from the other side of the door.

Inara paused with her hand levitated over the door knob at the scream. Several more grunts and groans resonated from the other side of the door.

"Right there," she heard Taizo moan loudly.

Inara crossed her arms for a moment and continued to listen.

"How are you doing that?" Sokka nearly shrieked.

At that comment, Inara had enough. She rubbed her face with her hands and then threw the door opened. As she suspected, she saw Taizo and Sokka face down on two tables with white sheets over their bums. They each had a twin standing on each of their backs. Taizo looked completely relaxed as Kyung Mi dug her heal into his back while Sokka clinched the table for dear life.

"Mi Kyong, can't you tell that he is obviously in pain?" Inara asked.

"But he is so tense here," Mi Kyong replied.

"Come on, get off of him," Inara insisted. "He has a virgin back."

Mi Kyong gave Inara a disappointed look but she gingerly climbed down off of Sokka's back. Sokka did not move for a moment. He let out a long groan and released the table from his death grip.

"Are you alright?" Inara asked coming up to him.

"They stripped me down and threw me on the table to be tortured," Sokka moaned. "I can't feel my toes."

"Come on, let's get up. Once you start moving around you'll start feeling better."

"Turn around," Sokka instructed her.

"What?" Inara asked.

"Turn around," he said. "When I said they stripped me down, they took everything."

Inara glanced over at Mi Kyong and she only shrugged. "They were dirty. We sent all of their clothes to the launders."

Inara rolled her eyes and turned around. She heard the rustle of the sheet as Sokka forced himself up and wrapped the sheet around himself.

"Alright," she heard him say.

Inara turned around and held in a laugh. He had the sheet wrapped around his waist and it fell all the way to his ankles in an almost elegant drape. His hair was a complete mess

"Come on, you need to soak in a hot bath," Inara decided and draped Sokka's arm over her shoulder. "I was going there myself."

"Wimp," Taizo grunted from his table.

"Ladies, enjoy," Inara said gesturing to Taizo.

Inara led Sokka out of the torture room and closed the door. A maid was standing outside the door and let out a small giggle when she saw Sokka's outfit.

"I hate this place," Sokka groaned.

"Would you rather be at Kaizen's?" Inara asked as they started to walk towards the baths.

"At least he would have offered a quick death," Sokka said. "That evil twin was about to crush my spine one vertebrae at a time."

"Well, saying evil twin implies that the other one is the good one," Inara pointed out in humor.

"You have a point," Sokka agreed. "They are both demons."

"Well, you can forget about them as you soak in a hot bath," Inara said in an unusually comforting tone.

They reached the baths with the scent of perfumes wafting in the air. Inara grabbed a spare pair of gray trunks off of a shelf. She shoved Sokka into a changing room with the trunks. When he came out, Inara realized that she had grabbed a pair two sizes too large.

"This is not helping my moral," Sokka said.

"Just get in one of the tubs," Inara giggled.

Sokka was led to a ready bath by a maid. She helped him in and then poured some oils into it. Inara excused the maid. She tied an apron around her waist and took a brush from the shelf. She scrubbed Sokka's back for him until he started to fall under the relaxing spell of the scented oils.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Mmm," Sokka hummed.

"I take that as better," Inara said looking down on him with a smile. "I'm going back to the ship. Can you handle yourself here?"

"I thought you were going to take a bath," Sokka said still in the oils' trance.

"The laundry will take awhile. I might as well let Genji and Doc come over for awhile."

"Ok," Sokka sighed as he surrendered to the bath.

Inara left the brush on the side of the tub and threw the apron onto the floor. She smiled to herself as she walked through the ship. She briefly dropped in and told Kerak of the new arrangements and to let him know that he was in charge of everyone on the Floating Lotus. He did not seem too pleased but she could care less. She left him with his mouth twisting into a frown and reminded Hibiki of Taizo paying for the laundry. Hibiki looked quite pleased to be collecting from Taizo.

She then crossed over to her own ship. She found Genji and Nayen lounging in the wheel house. They looked quite cozy together. Genji sat on the bench with his feet resting in a chair. Nayen's head rest in his lap as she lay out on the bench. They were both reading and did notice Inara until she cleared her throat.

"Captain," Nayen gasped jumping to her feet.

Genji was slower to rise to his feet than Nayen. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, I thought that you two might enjoy going over to the Floating Lotus. The laundry is going to take some time."

"That was a lot of laundry," Genji concurred. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Inara smiled. "Oh, just be aware that the twins aren't being too forgiving on the backs today."

"We'll keep that in mind," Nayen replied.

"Kerak is eating, Taizo is with the twins, and Sokka is in a bath," Inara informed them. "Have fun and don't cause me any trouble."

They nodded and left in a hurry before Inara could change her mind. She watched them from the wheel house cross from the Empress to the Floating Lotus from the wheel house. Once they were past Hibiki, Inara went over to a small writing desk against the wall. She pulled out a piece of parchment, brush, and ink. She scrawled a few lines onto. She rolled it into a small case and placed a blank seal on it.

Towards the stern of the ship, they kept a few messenger hawks. Inara picked one and put the message in its canister and fed it a small rodent as a goodwill offering.

"I need you to go to find our friend," she said to the hawk in a motherly tone. "Can you do that for me?"

The hawk made no reply as usual. He looked back at her and flew away.