A. N. : Petition for Jet to stop making me work so much. Well, at least old man Shi gets his round of honor that way... Two things now. One, this arc should be done in about 5-6 chapters (fucking finally). Two, next chapter will most likely take more than a month to come - I have a paper that is crucial for my future to send by the end of the month, so normally I won't be able to write until December. On these words, have a good read !
The boy is back.
Jet. Jet is back.
Shi didn't think he would see him again, not after how haunted he looked when leaving yesterday. But perhaps he should've known, precisely because of that.
Jet is standing outside of the workshop, looking at Shi, and then looking behind him at something Shi can't see. Maybe Sana is rearranging the shop again, like she always does when she is nervous. Akane asked Shi to teach her yesterday, and Sana is obviously worried her daughter will be conscripted when she comes of age.
Having an uncle like Shi will make anyone reconsider the honor of having a child sent to the battlefield after all.
Shi goes back to his work – can't let the glass grow cold, can't let it drop either – and he breathes, breathes life, breathes fire into the cup he is birthing. Having a dragon coiled around it would be nice, he thinks. Akane would love it.
Dragons are hard, even with his experience. The age taking hold of his hands doesn't make it any easier.
Shi is aware he probably doesn't have that many years left to live, is aware most of the other glassmakers in the country have passed without anyone to take over the craft, and he wishes this damn War would just be over already. He wants to teach Akane, without it having to be a secret, without Sana crying again and fearing for her daughter's life.
He wants Akane to be able to bend openly, to know the feeling of making glass live and grow, wants her to live without having to hide her spark.
If only the War would end.
Shi sighs. The cup is done, a beautiful blue. The dragon will be green, he decides, and coiled around it in a protective move. But that will be for later, when Akane is back from school and he can show her how to do it, if only so she can watch.
Jet is gesturing at something now, and suddenly someone else comes into sight, someone Shi doesn't know, holding a baby in their hands and angrily whispering at Jet. Odd.
The two argue for a minute before finally moving closer. Shi has reduced the fire's strength for now – one child freaking out is already a lot to handle, and if Jet's friend is anything like him, Shi is going to have his hands full enough as is. No need to push his luck.
Jet's friend – Li, but Jet stumbled on the name when introducing him and Shi is half sure that's not really his name – Li is wearing a large hood that prevents Shi from seeing his face all that well. He doesn't take it off, not even during introductions, not even when Shi directs him to a stool and he sits on it too gracefully for someone holding a baby, not even when said baby tries to jump out of his arms and into the fire.
That makes Shi chuckle – Akane was like that too as a toddler, always attracted to fire and sunlight, the way all firebenders are. He asks if the baby has started making sparks already, and Li answers with something like a fond smile. Shi isn't sure. Damned hood.
Shi smiles too, and it probably looks more like a grimace, or at least bad enough that Li asks about his scars.
It's surprising. Shi thought Jet had told Li about him before coming, and that was why they are both here now. But it obviously isn't the case, and Shi tells his story, tells of the earthbenders and the rockslide and of how the only way to get him out was to leave his leg there.
Jet looks very uncomfortable, as much as he did yesterday, even though once again Shi hasn't said anything of the pain and the weight of the earth on his body and it was suffocating he couldn't breathe he was scared he thought he would die –
Shi gets up, walks to the fire, makes sure it didn't grow too cold. The day isn't done, far from it, and just because he can't work right now doesn't mean he won't when the boys have left.
He hopes they leave soon. He needs some air.
Li is staring at Shi, apparently not caring that his baby is currently chewing on his hand. Then he turns to Jet, mumbles something and – and Shi sees the scar. The burn, just as bad as the one where Shi's flesh leg ends and the wood one starts.
There is no way this is accidental.
And oh – Shi remembers the posters, mainly because they were recently renewed, since after all he never cared much for this story. He thinks of Jet's reaction to seeing fire, to learning of Shi's tale. Remembers the words on the posters – traitor, caused the defeat at the North Pole, joined Earth Kingdom terrorists, tried to kill the Princess.
Shi looks at the two kids – three, there's the baby too – and they're still talking quietly. Jet has the glass bead Shi gave him in his hand.
There's a National Guard patrol stationed nearby, it would be so simple to just ask Sana to go to them. That's what a good patriot would do.
And Shi thinks of Akane, thinks of Sana crying. Thinks of the people who died when he almost did, of the ones who survived and had to stay on the field. He thinks of the War. Breathes.
He offers Prince Zuko to try making glass.