0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The Personal Effects of Lu Ten.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Both Sokka and Suki are out of sorts this morning.
Sokka was despondent over the loss of his beloved hawky. Aang has lent Sokka Momo for a week to cheer him up. Momo has taken up residence on Sokka's shoulder at the moment and is chirruping contently. Suki was in tears over a particularly tragic chapter of love amongst the dragons. At first when I came down and found her crying on the couch I was quite concerned, but she is fine. I asked her what had happened, but she doesn't want to spoil it for me in case I read it. I pestered her anyway and she burst forth anew about long lost twins and how is was so sad.
-?-
Toph and I have taken to watching the fire bending practice when Zuko and Aang are in the courtyard. Well Toph feels the practice I guess. Ostensibly, we do this because we want to see where Aang is at with firebending. We are all trying to blend our three teaching styles a little better so that Aang can use all four elements at once. Or at least that I what me and Toph claim we are doing. I actually think this is the real reason why Toph is watching or feeling. I may have ….another reason which I hope Toph cannot sense. She is so wily. Look, the thing is - it is so hot now that they train with their shirts off everyday. I have a... great appreciation for the sight of a shirtless Zuko.
How am I supposed to not look?
I look but I don't touch. Okay. Well sometimes I touch, but either in a nice friendly way, or when I have a legitimate medical reason. No other touching is going on. Not that I am thinking about other touching. But even if I was -it would not be happening. Because we have stuff to do that I need to focus on. We have an Avatar to train and a firelord to fight and evil to defeat and lots of other stuff to do. So I should focus on that!
And not on other things.
-?-
Aang has perfected blasting fire out of his feet. This has made Zuko very happy because he has been trying to get Aang to do this for a very long time now. He did this really dorky little happy jump when Aang perfected it which I found a little hilarious. Aang is very joyful and he and Zuko have high fived and hugged and it is all very sweet.
Aang wants to take Appa on a celebratory fly around the island, because Appa needs to get some exercise and is going a bit stir crazy. There was a bit of reluctance from Zuko towards this idea because Appa is really recognizable, but eventually, in the face of Aang's sad panda expression, he relented on one condition: Aang promises to fly only around our house (because we are far away from the main town) and to fly very low.
Aang has agreed, yipeed and taken off on Appa.
-?-
Aang still not back! He is meant to be earthbending with Toph. This has thrown off Sokka's schedule and has made Toph a bit cranky. She has commented that he never slacks off and disappears for firebending or waterbending training. Zuko replied that the only reason he doesn't disappear on him is because Zuko has the morning slot and has taken to waking Aang up exceptionally early so that Aang cannot escape his lessons!
They both looked at me and I shrugged. I've never had a problem getting Aang to come waterbending with me, but this maybe because I favour the gentle encouragement approach instead of the stern disciplinarian approach (Zuko's) or the random and terrifying approach (Toph's).
-?-
The magical Momo effect is wearing off and Sokka is still a little down about Hawky. Zuko suggested that they could set up some giant hammocks because giant hammocks are always fun. He then tried to tell a joke of his Uncle's about hammocks. He mangled it. Badly. Wow, it was so bad that none of us could even laugh politely. Sokka put an arm around his shoulder and said what have I told you about the jokes? Zuko has agreed that he shouldn't try to be funny.
Anyway there's this big dusty storeroom that Suki and I haven't gotten around to cleaning yet and the boys went and got out a giant dusty hammock and got Toph to earthbend the dirt out of it. They have been trying for the last half an hour to set it up. It is complicated. There is much frustration and ado and commotion coming from team hammock.
But Sokka is occupied and not feeling sad about Hawky so this is an improvement.
-?-
Aang returned a little bit later and we all had lunch. Still no luck on the hammock front. There are even instructions. The boys were arguing over them quite comically. It said to insert hook A onto slot B – well which was slot B huh plan guy? It's not my fault that nothing is labeled! Hey it's your hammock.
Sokka also scolded Aang for ignoring the schedule. Sokka is very fond of the schedule and doesn't like it to feel ignored.
After lunch, Toph went off to throw boulders at Aang, team hammock returned to whatever they were doing and Suki and I took to freshening up the house again. We opened up all the windows and doors and got rid of all the dust the other day. Today Suki went to go pick some nice fragrant flowers so the place would smell nice while I mopped all the floors with my waterbending. It's all terracotta tiles on the ground floor -so that was easy. The upstairs is all polished wood so that was also done in a flash.
I decided to sort out my room, now that me and Toph had unlocked all the cupboards and drawers and unpack all my stuff (which had previously been tossed about the room a little haphazardly.) I may have gotten my rummage on a little. There was some really cool stuff all locked away in the cupboard. An incredible number of useless nick knacks and souvenirs and keepsakes from places all over the firenation (judging from the the different place names carved into the various sundries), and incredibly large bundle of letters that had been kept in an elegant box, eight different pai sho sets, twelve different fine tea sets, a vast number of different weapons and training tools and some really beautiful artistic scrolls that had been rolled up. Mostly landscapes in vibrant colours. I opened a few and hung them on the walls. So now my room feels a little brighter.
The rainbow from my prism moves across the walls through the day- according to where the sun is in the sky. I just noticed. The anklet Zuko gave me is missing a flower as well. I guess the wishing beads really do work because my birthday wish came true. I have tightened it so that I wont lose it.
I started going through the dresser and there were a many books hiding in the drawers. Book of proverbs and quotes, books on strategy (I have put those aside to give to Sokka) and many books on tea and botany. I flicked through one that looked well thumbed and a picture fell out. It was a family portrait. At first I thought no one looked familiar, but when I looked again at the dad's face (he had such a dad face – is that a weird thing to write. Anyway he had a face that looked like it was made to give advice and stick up for people.) I realized I knew him. This was Zuko's uncle as a younger man- this picture was of Zuko's Uncle's family. His Son and his wife. He looked happy in the picture. Everybody did. I popped it up against the mirror in case Zuko wanted it.
I was in Uncle's room. No wonder Zuko had said it would have the least Ozai vibes in it.
I wonder what Uncle's name is. Zuko just refers to him as Uncle but surely that is not his actual name. Surely no one would name a child Uncle. But who knows, the firenation is a weird place. I have met him several times but never really been introduced. I guess it's hard to exchange names and pleasantries in the middle of a battlefield.
I found a box next, a neat wooden box with a label – the personal effects of Lu Ten, deceased with Honors.It was weird to think that this was the stuff of that kid in the picture. Anyway I felt this insatiable curiosity. Sometimes I can't help myself. I knew is was bordering from rummaging into snooping, but I opened the box anyway. In it was a dagger, a few more trinkets and other useless objects, some clothes and several letters. There was a letter to Zuko, which I got out and put with the picture.
It was like I summoned him with my brain. There was a faint tap on the door and I heard him say that he and Sokka had gotten the hammocks up if I wanted to...he trailed off as he looked at the chaos with some surprise (I may have scattered some of my more interesting finds all over the room.) I felt like I'd been caught doing something naughty so I sputtered an explanation about how I was just sorting through the drawers. (Sorting, not snooping.) I said that I had figured out that I was in his Uncle's room which was really just stating the obvious. Zuko smiled and shrugged and said that his Uncle was always able to wangle the best rooms and this one was best room in the house. I asked what his Uncle's name was a he seemed a little surprised that I didn't know. Uncle's name is Iroh.
I told him I'd found a letter for him from LuTen and his eyes nearly popped out of his head and he asked me what? in a really shocked fashion. I told him about finding the box of personal effects and the family portrait and I handed him the letter . He brushed the letter with his fingers and still seemed a little dazed. He said that they normally made soldiers write letters to loved ones before a big campaign, just in case, but he'd never known that LuTen had written to him. He said 'why didn't he ever give this to me?' really softly. I think he was just asking metaphorically, but I answered anyway and said that it looked like the box hadn't been opened in a very long time. There was a small silence. Zuko said his Uncle had gone a little strange for a while there, after Lu Ten had died. He said that most likely his Uncle had put the box of Lu Ten's effects here and then forgot about it, almost like he was trying to convince himself.
I pestered him about opening the letter. I'll admit it. I was a keen bean to see what the letter would say, and it wasn't even my long dead cousin writing to me from beyond the grave. He popped the seal and read the first few lines (I was trying to peer over his shoulder but I couldn't make anything out). After about a minute he put his had over his mouth in what I can only describe as sad surprise. He got up abruptly and said excuse me politely and has scarpered off. I find it strangely endearing that even in really tense situations, he tries to be polite.
-?-
Where the bloody hell is Zuko? I have searched high and low. This is the second time in two days that someone has disappeared after getting a letter. It is driving me to distraction. I gave him a few minutes after he'd left my room so abruptly, because he had seemed like he needed to have himself a moment. But I had assumed that I would be able to find him again pretty quickly.
I assumed wrong.
I have been looking for at least two hours now!
Gah!
This house is great, but the biggest drawback is that now I don't know any of his moping places off by heart. If we were back in the Western Air Temple I would have found him by now. But I was stalking him there and than made it easier. Maybe I should just start lightly stalking him again? Nice stalking, just so I'll know where he goes if he absconds in the future.
No! No stalking!
Because that would be weird.
-?-
Maybe I can ask him to write me a list of all his usual moping places.
Zuko likes lists.
-?-
really now!
This is just getting ridiculous!
This is a really elaborate and messed up game of hide and seek!
Three hours of searching!
-?-
I didn't want to have to ask the others to help in finding him. I mean I just think this is the sort of the thing Zuko would like to keep to himself and that's why he's buggered off. But I have been looking for ages and I am feeling frustrated!
When I found them ,all thoughts of finding Zuko were pushed from my mind, because Sokka gave me a light scolding. I had been meant to be training Aang for the last two hours according to Sokka's schedule. Oops. Sokka was complaining that I had thrown the schedule way off. It's easy for Sokka to criticize. He has scheduled himself nothing to do but lie in a hammock and chill out all day.
-?-
Aang had been waiting most expectantly and impatiently for waterbending training. We went down to the beach and practiced our giant waves and iceslides. I have accidentally stepped on a sharp shell and it hurt like the blazes (there may have been a great deal of swearing when I first did it). I was just about to heal it, when I realized that I have never taught Aang to heal. Terrible oversight by me.
I called him over and tried to demonstrate for him. His first few tries were unsuccessful and stung quite a bit but eventually he got it. I have decided that Aang must learn healing, because the more healers the better. What if he gets injured and I'm not nearby? Next time somebody gets injured I will make Aang heal it. Unless he's being really crap at it and then I'll gently take over.
I was telling Aang about my plan to teach him healing. Most other forms of waterbending come quite easily to him. Aang seemed excited to learn healing and was glad that this would be impromptu waterbending (that would arise if and when somebody injured themselves) rather than scheduled waterbending. Aang hates Sokka's schedule. Aang's not really a schedule kinda kid anyway. He sees the schedule as more of a guideline. I said that was a good thing because the schedule had been a bit disregarded today and I would be surprised if the schedule ever got followed exactly.
Aang asked me where I was for two hours and I felt a bit on the spot. I wracked my brain for something that legitimately could have taken me two hours, but in the end I settled on the truth. I just said that Zuko had buggered off and I had been looking for him and Aang made a face first and ask me why quite sincerely.
I said I don't know, but really I do know. I want to find him because I just like to know where everyone is. Because I'm worried that he's feeling sad and having a mope. Because I'm really nosy and I want to know what the letter says. Because I want to make him feel better if I can. Aang said I probably wouldn't find Zuko if he didn't want to be found and I protested at this. I am really good at finding him when he doesn't want to be found.
Aang asked me about why I was so intent on stalking Zuko and I got a bit ranty. Okay, so I got a bit stalky in the Western Air Temple and now everybody knows (and they occasionally tease me about it). But that was ages ago and it was stalking with a purpose. I was stalking to ensure Aang's safety. But this afternoon wasn't stalky – it was friendly concern! Aang brightened and asked if I really was stalking because of him. I said yes. And that is the truth. Or at least it was at the start.
I definitely started stalking to ensure Aang's safety.
-?-
We got back to the house and Aang went off to play with Appa again. Apparently Suki is cooking this evening to give me a night off. Cheers Suki! I could hear her banging away in the kitchen and for a brief moment I wondered if I should go in a help her...but I got distracted. I could admire the boy's hammock handiwork for the first time(I was bit too preoccupied earlier to inspect the hammocks.) They'd set up two enormous hammocks on the back deck. They will get lovely dappled sunlight all day there. Each hammock looks big enough for at least three people to lie in comfortably. Toph and Sokka were in one, lying top to tail and just chilling out and chatting about metal bending.
Zuko was in the other.
This was what distracted me.
He was sprawled out and re-reading the letter for what could be the billionth time for all I know. I went and stood grumpily over him and made a little ahem noise. He looked up and folded the letter away and said hi, trying for an innocent and normal tone. That did not fool me. I folded my arms in front of me and I said that I had been looking for him all afternoon. He had the decency to look a little sheepish and said that he knew. Apparently I had walked under him a couple of times in my search.
He'd been in the big mango tree behind the house. I will look there first next time.
I was a little cross that he hadn't let me know where he was and he apologized and said he just wanted a little time to himself. I hopped in the hammock with him and he scooted over to make room for me, even though it was a bit unnecessary.
You always end up smushed together in a hammock anyway.
I wanted to speak to him alone and I needed to be close enough to speak quietly to him so that the others wouldn't overhear. I asked him softly if he wanted to talk about it. He said not really and that's was the whole point of having time to himself this afternoon was about. We lay together for a little while and eventually I asked if he would let me read it. I am so curious about that letter. It's such a mystery. It's almost like getting a message in a bottle. He said no really quickly to my letter reading request. I made a face at him and the no changed to a maybe later.
I'll take maybe later as a yes!
He gave me a little grin and said that I was impossible under his breath. I protested at this mildly, but really I was glad that he was smiling. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he said thanks for finding it really softly, because he never would have found it otherwise. I said he may have and he countered that he didn't make a habit of going though other people's stuff. I have tickled him for this comment in retaliation. I don't make a habit of it! I just very occasionally do it. He has relented and taken his comment back after much ado.
I started talking about my new plan to teach Aang healing which Zuko thinks is a good idea, but he hopes that he is not the one we have to test out Aang's healing abilities on. And we just lay smushed together in a hammock talking about waterbending and healing and how it works. Zuko is mystified by waterbending healing and I was explaining some of the finer points of it to him. Then I heard some loud bangs from the kitchen and Suki's voice plaintively calling out for me. I got up to help her, with a little big of difficulty- hammocks are easy to get into by really hard to get out of. When I looked back Zuko had that letter out and was reading it again.
What does it say?
-?-
0o0o0o0o0o0
usual rambly notes:
Lovely wonderful readers! You have reached the end of 'The personal effects of Lu Ten'. Thank you and I hope you have enjoyed it! Thanks a million to all my brilliant reviewers! Seriously guys you are all awesome!
In the EIP Toph and Katara are watching the firebending practice. This is when that starts. Toph is actually watching for legitimate reasons, katara has cottoned on to her legitimate reason and may be using it as an excuse to be a little pervy. Bless her cotton socks. I don't blame her. That much shirtlessness to look at, everyday! I think she is started to develop a pretty big attraction for Zuko but she is trying to ignore it. Katara is queen od\f denial in my imagination. But in all honesty, she does want to concentrate on the war and preparing Aang and doesn't feel like she should be focusing so much on crushes etc when there are so many monumental and important things happening.
All that being said, she is also fascinated by Zuko and suffers a slight stalky relapse – which she gets defensive over when Aang calls her on it. I also think that Katara should have taught Aang to heal at some stage because that is a really crucial skill.
The giant hammocks would be from IKEA if they had IKEA in avatar land. The instructions would be difficult to understand/in swedish and the boys would have gotten a bit frustrated. I think this is something that a servant would have previously set up for Zuko so he's never had a bash at hammock setting up for himself. But Sokka is quite logical and eventually Team Hammock prevails!Seriously though they are on a tropical island and I think Hammocks are mandatory on tropical islands.
Now people can snuggle in giant hammocks. Yay!
The wishing beads work! Double yay!
Is Katara introduced to Iroh properly at this point? Toph knows him and Aang and Sokka got to know him in Ba Sing Se, but I think Katara knows him from the all the time he spent chasing them with Zuko, the Seige of the north (crazy battle) and when he got shot by lightening. They actually haven't exchanged that much dialogue at this point, and Zuko only refers to him as Uncle so I think she knows who he is but not much else about him etc.
I think Iroh was grieving something fierce after loosing Lu Ten. To me I think he would have come back to ember Island at one point, as this was a place he and his son were really happy together. I think he would have wanted to just shut himself away from the world of firenation politics and back stabbing for a time and just grieve and I think Ember Island would have been a good place for that. I think that he took the box of Lu Ten's effects their and didn't want to open it/disturb it's contents. Sort of like how some people leave a loved one's room as it was after they have passed. He didn't not give Zuko the letter on purpose, I think he just forgot/never got around to it.
Zuko needed to have himself a moment after getting the letter. I think he adored Lu Ten as a kid (in my imagination Lu Ten is almost like a loveable mini Iroh) and getting a letter form him all these years later has really thrown him for a loop. He wants to read it in private and mope about it in private and process it in private. I think it would be dishonest to his character to have him be willing to open up and share every little detail about what he's feeling. I think Zuko is very much of the keep calm and carry on/stiff up lip school of thought. Before Katara I don't think he was prone to big long talks about his feelings (just big long sulks about his feelings) and so he's still not comfortable sharing everything. Katara still instigates most of their touchy-feely conversations after all and almost has to prie/bribe/tickle some pieces of information out of him still. I also didn't want to have Katara read it because I think her snooping has limits. She reads Toph's mother's letter because Toph asked her too and I think she'd only read Zuko's if he let her. I also didn't want to have to 'letter based chapters' close together. You will read the letter dear readers, but a little later.
And I have a question: what do you guys think is the cheesiest, soapiest plot devices out there. Any bad fanfic peeves? I'm talking lost twins, sudden magical powers, big melodramatic scenes! Any fiction/t.v pet peeves! Let me know! Trust me, it's relevant!
In the next chapter, Sokka will read love amongst the dragons, Aang will be oppressed by the firenation (but only a little) and much fun will be had by all.
Til then lovely readers...