Chapter 31
Yue was hiding behind Katara's bed and together with Azula and Katara watching with bated breath as Druk Jr. entered Katara's room following a path laid out by crumbs of dehydrated fish. "So far, so good," Yue whispered to herself as she watched Druk stop to chew on a piece of fish before continuing on to the next crumb, about to walk straight into their wily trap.
"Shush," Katara spoke quietly. "We're not home dry yet," she added, speaking from bitter and bloody experience. Katara had been scratched up the worst when trying to get Druk into the carrier. Some of the scratches on her wrists were quite deep and had required serious attention to disinfect and bandage. It had also made them face the reality that the direct approach was not working, which was why they had decided to resort to trickery and lure Druk Jr. into his cat carrier for the journey back to Ba Sing Se.
"It's my plan, so it's guaranteed to work," Azula whispered, sounding a little too confident for Yue's liking. Druk had by now walked up to the carrier, contemplating whether to climb in and feast on a particularly delicious looking piece of dehydrated fish awaiting him inside. "Come on, get in already," Azula hissed, watching Druk hesitate at the very threshold. "Don't be such a pain in the ass… I mean, good kitty, get into your carrier please…"
Instead of getting into the carrier, however, Druk reached in with his paw and fished the delicious treat out of the carrier. Much to the annoyance of the scheming throuple, Druk then began to smugly munch on it. "We have him right where we want him. All he needs is a little push," Azula hissed. Yue felt her wife tensing like a coil, ready to spring into action. "I'm going in," Azula declared.
"Wait, Zula-" Katara tried to protest, but Azula was already on the move, diving towards the cat carrier. Yue assumed that all Azula wanted to do was to give the kitten a light push and finally get Druk inside the carrier, but Azula had clearly miscalculated her lunge. Druk nimbly jumped out of the way and landed on top of the carrier as Azula hit the ground with a pained 'oof', slamming against the carrier. Druk Jr. then jumped on top of Azula and hopped down onto the floor, walking around with his tail up in the air and waving proudly like a flag.
"Hey… I'm stuck!" Azula suddenly exclaimed, trying to free herself, but to no avail. "Help?" she managed, sounding very embarrassed and for a good reason. She had somehow slid and crashed into the carrier in such a way that her head was now stuck in the carrier and she was struggling to get the cage off. Yue and Katara exchanged stares, almost losing it big time. Yue had never before had to fight so hard to hold back laughter, but she made the effort anyway, not wanting to compound Azula's misery.
"How did you manage that?" Katara eventually managed to contain her amusement enough to ask. She came to hold Azula by her shoulders while Yue tugged on the carrier until with some effort, she managed to pry it off from Azula's head. Azula's hair was all wild and messed up as a result, and she was completely red in the face and looking angry like a dragon.
"It doesn't matter," Azula growled. "That menace is going down!" she glared at Druk Jr. The black kitten wandered up to Azula and brushed against her shins, purring happily. "Cut that out, I'm trying to be angry at you, you furry asshole!" Azula threatened, but she couldn't stop her face from softening. "Ugh, he's being exactly like the old Druk, impossible to be angry with!"
"Well, at least he looks a lot calmer now," Yue remarked. "Maybe he's ready to go into the carrier." She bent down to try and pick Druk up, but the furry menace immediately hissed at her as if being able to sense her intentions. Yue quickly pulled back, not wanting to suffer the same battlefield injuries as Katara. "Or maybe not," Yue sighed. "We have to figure out something, though. We need to make the drive to Agna Qel'a today." Their flight back to Ba Sing Se was tomorrow morning, and they were planning to spend the night at the airport hotel in Agna Qel'a.
"We are certainly not attempting to be forceful," Katara insisted. "And not just because Druk is well capable of kicking our asses. Still, I refuse to accept that three Pai Sho geniuses can't outsmart a tiny black cat."
"So far, the score is not in our favor," Azula grumbled.
"What's with the commotion?" the threesome were interrupted by Hakoda's voice as Katara's father stood at the doorstep, giving them a curious stare, probably surprised to see Azula with such scandalously messy hair. "Do you need help getting ready for the road?" Hakoda asked.
"No, we're just having some cat related trouble," Katara sighed. "He refuses to go into the carrier."
"I see," Hakoda said, nodding thoughtfully as he looked at Druk. "Well, I believe I can be of assistance here. Give me a few minutes alone with the little rascal and I promise he'll be nice and behaved in that carrier."
Yue, Katara and Azula exchanged stares with all three of them bursting into disbelieving laughter. "You know I respect you immensely, Hakoda, but I don't see how you could possibly achieve that," Azula shook her head.
"Well, you just have to trust in the old park ranger magic," Hakoda chuckled before steering the three women out of the room. "Now, clear out and give me the space to work my magic."
Yue, Katara and Azula found themselves gently pushed out into the hallway, with Hakoda closing the doors behind them. "I'll go get the disinfectant and bandages ready," Katara sighed. "Magic, indeed. I think not!"
"Oh, I wouldn't bet against your dad, he usually knows what he's doing," Yue frowned at Katara's lack of faith.
"Maybe not this time," Azula said. She was leaning in against the door, trying to listen in. "Is he… talking with Druk?"
"He's just goofing around," Katara shrugged. "Pulling our leg when we really should be getting ready to leave."
"I don't hear any pained screams yet," Yue remarked, looking at Katara. "Maybe you should have more faith in your dad."
"Everything seems to be very peaceful," Azula said, still listening in. "It's all very suspicious, if you ask me."
After a few minutes of waiting, Hakoda eventually opened the doors again. Azula nearly fell over, managing to steady herself at the last moment, ignoring the smirk on Hakoda's face as he stepped aside and allowed the threesome to reenter the room. Much to Yue's shock and dismay, they were confronted with the sight of the cat carrier resting on the bed and Druk being inside said carrier, looking calm and sleepy.
"Impossible," Katara shook her head in disbelief.
"How did you manage that?" Azula insisted.
"Old park ranger magic, as I said," Hakoda laughed. Azula narrowed her eyes at him. "We just sat down for a short conversation between a man and a fine Water Tribe mouser. That was all your good boy needed. I think you'll find him behaving much better from now on."
"Well," Yue laughed, shaking her head. "I don't pretend to understand just what you did, Hakoda, but on behalf of all three of us, I think I can confidently state that you have our most sincere gratitude!"
"So," Zuko began, facing Aang, Toph and On Ji as they had gathered in the comfy Pai Sho practice study at Zuko's house. "Here we are again," he said. "Hopefully feeling refreshed and ready for this final stretch."
This was their first practice session back together after spending the month of July on their individual preparations. It was now the beginning of August, and in two and a half weeks they would be taking their flights to Yu Dao for the start of the world championship finals.
Zuko's own preparations at the Serpent Lake had gone reasonably well, at least purely in terms of Pai Sho. Mentally, it was still a little bit of a struggle and Zuko felt like he hadn't found the right mindset, at least not yet. His fear of failure was still there, ever present, and he hadn't found a way to shut it down. Yet again, the expectations riding on this one tournament felt so heavy and overwhelming.
Still, it seemed as if he wasn't the only one struggling. Toph and Aang had both insisted that they'd enjoyed successful training camps, but now that Zuko had actually sat down with his old friends, he could see that neither Toph nor Aang looked particularly relaxed. As far as he knew, Toph had spent the entire month of July at her family estate. Perhaps she'd fallen out with her parents again? He didn't know Lao Beifong personally, but he doubted that any ally of his father, even a former one, could be a particularly upstanding citizen. As for Aang, his decision to spend July working more on his relationship with On Ji than on Pai Sho training baffled Zuko. Maybe meeting On Ji's family, or her meeting Gyatso hadn't gone as well as Aang had hoped, because he also appeared tense. On Ji seemed to be the most relaxed person in the room, but then again, that made a lot of sense since she wasn't facing the pressure of competing in the finals.
"That's right," Aang responded cheerfully, cracking his knuckles. "Ready to get going!" On Ji nodded coolly in agreement.
"Do you have some sort of a plan, Zuko?" Toph asked, sounding a little impatient. "Or did you expect us to come up with one together?"
"Well, I have a suggestion," Zuko said, hoping that the others would not decide to challenge his idea and waste even more time. His plan had been devised based on what had and hadn't worked in the past, while also trying to incorporate some suggestions by his uncle. "Today we'll focus on strategies against Yue. On Wednesday we'll prepare for Piandao, and on Friday for Zhao. And we'll break that up with sparring sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. Let's make good use on there being four of us, now. We can split up in pairs and face off against each other. It'll be a good distraction from all the theoretical stuff. Anyway, I thought we could do that for the next two weeks, and then at the start of the third week we would just address whatever we feel needs addressing."
"That's just two days in that third week, though," On Ji pointed out. "Our flight to Yu Dao was on Wednesday, wasn't it, Aang?" Aang nodded. "Yes, we wanted to settle in a little earlier."
"I think we're all taking the Wednesday flight," Toph shrugged. Zuko nodded at that. "Two days ahead of the opening ceremony isn't even early, you need to acclimatize."
"Yes, that's what we've always done," Aang agreed. He looked up at Zuko. "Any idea if Yue is also flying on Wednesday?"
"I don't know," Zuko shook his head. "They're returning from Cape Kuruk tomorrow, and we haven't had any contact while they were up there. Well, Sokka called his dad and he also briefly spoke with Katara, but none of that was Pai Sho related."
"So, we still don't know why they went to Yu Dao in June, then?" Toph asked.
"Afraid not," Zuko shrugged. They'd only learned about that trip because Azula had asked Ty Lee to stop by and make sure the cats had everything they needed, but they hadn't been able to learn anything about why Azula and her wives had made that trip. Azula was being very tight lipped about their preparations, and Zuko found it both worrying and frustrating. Then again, maybe that was Azula's reasoning for being secretive, in which case they were playing right into his sister's hands by letting her mind games get to them.
"Weird," Toph muttered. "I hate not knowing what Azula has cooking up for us, but I doubt it's going to be anything good. There has to be a way to find out more about what she's planning."
"As long as we don't cross any lines of friendship," Aang said, looking concerned.
"I think you're focusing way too much on Azula, Yue and Katara, and nowhere near enough on your own preparations," On Ji argued, looking frustrated.
"You speak my mind, On Ji," Zuko smiled, relieved to hear that he wasn't the only one to feel that way. "Speaking of which, I think it's finally time to get down to what we're here for, and that is to play some Pai Sho."
"Did we get all the bags?" Yue asked, watching the cab take off and leaving them coughing as a cloud of Ba Sing Se dust surrounded them. Yue was happy to be back in the capital, but after five weeks of enjoying the pristine Cape Kuruk air, her lungs were violently protesting against being subjected to the capital's smog.
"I think so," Katara coughed in response, surrounded by a pile of suitcases.
"I guess it's up to us to haul these the rest of the way," Azula sighed. "Yue has apparently decided that she's already carrying enough."
"Obviously, I have the most important luggage," Yue smiled innocently, holding the cat carrier in her hands. Druk Jr. was resting inside, still being a well-behaved good boy after his chat with Hakoda. Yue had no doubt that the black kitten would be up to all sorts of shenanigans once he was released in the new environment. She only prayed that Druk would get along with Ran and Shaw. The old feline gentlemen would definitely find themselves unprepared for this young rapscallion.
"At least you could go ahead and open the doors for us," Azula snapped impatiently as together with Katara she began to drag the rest of the suitcases along the path up to the porch.
"Sure, I can do that," Yue grinned, hurrying on ahead and opening the doors for Azula and Katara. She was the first to enter the house after being away for five weeks, pleased to see that everything looked to be more or less in order. As Yue stepped inside the living room, she couldn't spot Ran or Shaw, but Yue was not too worried about the two old grumps. Ursa had stopped by at least twice a week to spend time with the cats and make sure they had food and water.
Still, something wasn't quite right. A little off to the side from the living room, Yue spotted several large cardboard boxes which definitely hadn't been there when they had taken their leave for the Water Tribes. "Hey, girls?" Yue called out at her wives, still struggling to get the luggage through the foyer. "Do you know anything about this pile of deliveries?" she asked once Azula and Katara had kicked off their shoes and dragged the suitcases into the living room.
"Oh, everything is here," Azula said, looking relieved as she dropped the suitcases and went over to investigate the deliveries with Yue following her. She was still holding the cat carrier, for the moment forgetting that Druk Jr. could be released to familiarize himself with his new home.
"Well, I'm certainly happy that everything is here," Yue said, starting to become a little frustrated. Katara's snickering in the background was not helping, either. "Now, what is this everything?" she demanded.
"Oh, you know. Stuff," Azula replied mysteriously. Yue summoned her best glare, trying to imitate Azula herself. Azula only appeared further amused. "Alright, fine," Azula finally gave up, laughing. "The big box probably contains the exercise bike. And the other big box has to be the treadmill. The other boxes all contain various exercise equipment."
"Are you serious?" Yue felt so shocked that she came close to dropping the cat carrier, which would have been a betrayal that Druk would never forgive.
"I'm serious," Azula nodded firmly. "Or did you seriously believe that the physical part of your training was over just because we left Cape Kuruk? Think again, missy."
"I actually believed that, yes," Yue groaned, finally setting the cat carrier aside and opening it to release Druk. For someone who had put up a vicious fight not to go into the carrier, Druk certainly looked very much at peace with it now, continuing to nap and appearing in no hurry to get out. "You're trying to kill me before the finals have even started!" Yue added her petulant accusation.
"Don't be silly, Yue," Katara said, walking up to them. "We don't mean to push too hard and completely exhaust you before the finals. This is simply meant to keep you in shape and avoid losing the gains we made in Cape Kuruk."
"Ugh, I'm still not a fan of the idea," Yue whined. "This wasn't what I wanted to come back to. What a terrible surprise, Azula."
"Enough," Katara said firmly. "Are you starting to forget that Azula and I are doing all of this for you? Do you really want to complain and question us?"
"No… I'm sorry," Yue immediately stopped with the whining, blushing from shame. "I couldn't be more grateful for all the personal sacrifices you two have made for my sake. I will love both of you forever, I swear. Still…" she added with a mischievous gleam in her blue eyes. "I think it would be fair if you both committed to the same physical exercising that you want me to do."
Azula and Katara exchanged stares. "Well, it would be the healthy thing to do," Katara eventually admitted.
"I suppose so," Azula sighed. "I guess it could be fun if we did it together."
"Then it's a deal," Yue grinned. "But you have to promise me one thing, Azula." Azula gave her a questioning stare. "No aerobics. Ever. We are not going there."
Azula shuddered in revulsion. "Agni, I would never inflict step aerobics on the people I love, you have my promise on that."
Toph groaned, feeling a little sick as she glared at the Pai Sho board in front of her. It was Saturday of the first week of practice sessions back in Ba Sing Se, and due to the intensity of their prep, Toph was currently experiencing some mild revulsion when it came to the game she normally loved. Considering how hard they had been working, perhaps it would have made more sense to take things easy over the weekend, but Toph was anxious to have all of her progress double checked by Teo, just to make sure that she was on the right track. Toph also knew that Zuko was doing the same while visiting his uncle at the Serpent Lake. It was only Aang who actually took the weekend off, probably because On Ji had been very firm in requesting a break from Pai Sho.
"We should take a break," Teo spoke up, immediately picking up on her foul mood. "Maybe watch a movie you like? We've only watched Blade Runner twice since getting that VHS tape."
"Tempting," Toph sighed. "But perhaps a little later. Right now, I just want to finish up here. This third cup of coffee is about to kick in, I just know it."
"At least get up from the chair and walk around for a bit," Teo smiled. "You'll start cramping up, sitting all hunched like that."
"Oh yeah? Why don't you get up from your chair and walk around a bit?" Toph snapped. Teo merely laughed at the outburst. "Ugh, sorry, that was a bitch comment," Toph apologized quickly, finally doing as she was told, getting up to do a little back and forth pacing.
"I don't like that you're so stressed," Teo sighed. "We have less than two weeks to come up with a way to get you in a more relaxed mood."
"Everyone's stressed at this point of their prep," Toph shrugged. "That just comes with the stakes." Toph wasn't at all certain if this assumption was correct. She could tell that Zuko was really tense and suffering. Aang, on the other hand, appeared way too relaxed, which to Toph seemed equally bad. As far as Toph was convinced, a little bit of stress was needed. Without at least some stress, Toph knew that she wouldn't be able to play with the necessary intensity to do well at the finals.
She could only speculate how the other competitors were dealing with stress. Toph had spoken with Yue on the phone twice since coming back to Ba Sing Se, and her white-haired friend had sounded very purposeful and not terribly intimidated. Still, Toph had to imagine that Yue was feeling nerves. There was a lot at stake for her. She had taken two years out of her teacher's career, with Azula and Katara doing the same for Yue's sake. That had to be putting a lot of pressure on Yue to succeed right here and right now.
Toph guessed that going into the tournament, Piandao was probably in the best shape mentally. He'd been there and he'd done it already, winning the title three times. It was the prevailing opinion amongst Pai Sho pundits that Piandao's entire career was filled with instances of him overperforming. It was probably an unfair characterization of his achievements, but it certainly removed a lot of pressure from him. As for Zhao, he'd been in the finals many times before, but usually to siphon more and more cheap points for Ozai Nakamura. This was going to be that one rare occasion where Zhao had no restraints and he would be all in to win himself. But even with him coming in as an underdog, Toph expected Zhao to be nervous.
"But the stakes seem even higher this time around, don't they?" Teo asked carefully.
Toph sighed, knowing very well what her husband meant. The thought that she essentially needed to win the title in order to forestall the sale of her childhood home was distracting and it was definitely heaping extra stress on her. She could delude herself into believing that she didn't care about that, but Toph knew she couldn't fool Teo.
"I can't allow myself to think about that too much," Toph said. "Also, please make sure not to bring it up with our friends. I don't need them to know about this extra pressure on me, okay?"
"Sure," Teo nodded. "You can win the whole thing, though. I know you're better prepared than the previous years. And you have the experience of having been there before."
"I guess, but that goes for almost everyone in the finals," Toph shrugged. Teo was coming dangerously close to platitudes even though he knew that Toph hated them. "Then again, I've never gone into the finals while being the top ranked player," Toph said, feeling a surge of confidence just from reminding herself of that little fact. "And if I can get off to a good start by destroying Zhao, that should set the right tone for my entire tournament."
"Well, in that case, we keep focusing on Zhao," Teo smiled, nodding in agreement. "With the amount of prep that we've done specifically for him, Zhao Sakamoto won't know what hit him."
"You know what's the most frustrating part about these six-week long tournaments?" Yue groused, going through a pile of clothes laid out on the bed. "Packing all the clothes we might need. We'll be arriving there when it's still summery and warm, and by the time we're leaving again in the second week of October, it'll be miserable and cold. Imagine having to pack for all these weather conditions."
"I'm sure that won't be your greatest challenge during this tournament," Ursa replied, smiling. She was sitting in a chair nearby, with Druk Jr. splayed out in her lap and offering his soft underbelly for some gentle tickling.
"Well, obviously not," Yue sighed. "But you know what I mean. I just hate packing, especially when there's so much that needs to be packed away."
"I'm almost surprised that my daughter hasn't chartered a private plane for the three of you," Ursa laughed.
"Shush, don't give her ideas," Yue snorted. "She totally would do that, you know."
"I do know," Ursa nodded. "And I hope you also know that I wish you all the best in the tournament. Even if it's going to be hard watching you face off against Zuko. You and Katara are both a part of the family just as much as Sokka and Kya."
"Thank you, it means a lot to hear," Yue smiled. She figured that it would be very odd if deep down Ursa didn't want her son to win even over her, but Yue reckoned that having failed Azula early in her childhood, Ursa was now very sensitive to any displays of favoritism.
"Azula hasn't been pushing you too hard, has she?" Ursa asked, sounding a little concerned. "I noticed all that fitness equipment in the other room."
"Oh, that," Yue laughed. "Yes, I wasn't very pleased when we came back to Ba Sing Se and I saw all that stuff delivered ahead of us. But honestly, it's yet another one of Azula's ideas that has been very beneficial. I certainly feel more prepared than ever. These finals are as much a physical endurance test as it is an emotional rollercoaster. I'm fitter than I've been since my high school days, and it feels really good. So, whenever you're here for the cats, feel free to jump on the treadmill," Yue winked at Ursa.
Ursa laughed. "Hmm, I'll have to think about that. It might be a good idea. And I suspect Ikem would appreciate it as well," she added with a wink.
"I'm sure," Yue blushed lightly. "Anyway, thank you so much for agreeing to take care of the cats again. I felt so bad for asking after we already were away for five weeks in Cape Kuruk. Especially with Druk now here and being a bit of a handful."
"Don't worry about it, I enjoy spending time with your cats, my dear," Ursa smiled. "As for Druk, well, it's no problem at all, just look at him. A perfect little darling," she added, continuing to tickle the purring black kitten.
"I don't know how he manages to pull it off, but he's always acting like an innocent little darling when we have house guests," Yue rolled her eyes. "When it's just us and there are no other witnesses, Druk likes to get a little crazy. If only Ran and Shaw could talk, the stories they would tell would chill your bones…"
"Surely you're exaggerating," Ursa laughed, picking Druk up to her face level and rubbing her nose against that of the affectionate black kitten. "There's no trace of mischief in this little ball of fluff."
"Yes, probably because he spent all of it earlier this morning," Yue snorted. "Ran and Shaw definitely did not expect to have their quiet twilight days disturbed by the arrival of this lovable little menace. You know, during the first week of Druk's arrival, they actually tried to fight back and maintain their authority. But they eventually acknowledged that they're far too lazy and fat to fight back, because fighting back would take actual effort. It was easier to just submit to Druk and acknowledge that he's the new overlord around here."
"The complicated world of feline politics," Ursa laughed. "I'm sure we'll get along swimmingly while your mistresses are gone," she added, petting the ecstatic looking Druk Jr. "I'll make sure to stop by every day, if only for a few minutes. I don't want you to have any reasons for stressing while you're in Yu Dao, especially not about whether your cats are getting along. I'll make sure they behave."
"Thank you, Ursa," Yue spoke gratefully, smiling at her as good as mother-in-law.
"Don't mention it," Ursa smiled, but her expression soon sobered. "Have are you feeling, Yue? At least on the outside, you seem relaxed. I know that Zuko was a terrible bundle of nerves ahead of his first world championship appearance. Although, I suppose this isn't your first time in the finals."
"That first time was more than ten years ago, I'm not sure it counts for anything," Yue laughed. "I guess I am quite relaxed, but of course, there's some nervousness, too," she said, deciding not to disclose more than that, not that she was afraid that Ursa would tell something to Zuko. It wasn't as if knowing that she was a little nervous was useful information, anyway. Everyone would be struggling with nerves to some extent.
Still, Yue felt very well prepared for the tournament ahead. Azula had intensified their prep for the past two weeks, but they hadn't pushed the ten-hour limit of the days of yore. At most, they had practiced seven or eight hours a day, spread out across several sessions. As a result, Yue was prepared, but most importantly, she did not feel overprepared and worn out from the practice itself. She was nervous, excited and raring to go.
Before Yue could resume her conversation with Ursa, the doors opened and Azula strode into the room, having returned from their final shopping trip together with Katara. "Ah, there you are. Hello, mother," she smiled, walking up to Ursa only to be pulled into a tight embrace. Out of habit, Azula still had to make a face from this public display of affection despite clearly enjoying it. "I'm sure that Yue has already thanked you for agreeing to take care of the cats, but allow me to express my gratitude as well," Azula formally informed her mother.
"Of course, it is no bother," Ursa replied, looking amused. "Ba Sing Se will feel lonely with you three, Zuko and Sokka gone for so long. But at least I'll still have Kiyi and the kids. They'll probably want to help out with looking after the cats. It will be a true group effort."
"Yes, Druk will probably need a group effort," Azula smirked, reaching out to scratch between Druk's ears. Druk reared his head and affectionately bit Azula's finger. "Thank you for proving my point, you little scoundrel," Azula sighed at the cat.
"He's just expressing his love," Ursa chuckled. "By the way, Azula, you should give me the address of the place you're staying at."
"I guess I can do that," Azula replied, though she did look oddly hesitant.
"You look awfully suspicious, baby," Ursa looked amused. "Why do you think I'm asking?"
"I don't know," Azula shrugged. "Perhaps you are planning to use your last savings on a hitman to eliminate us and hand the title of world champion over to your son, Zuko." Yue and Ursa exchanged stares. "I was only joking," Azula added with an awkward and way too loud and forced laugh.
"Of course," Ursa sighed. "Or perhaps you would consider a different explanation? Your birthday is only nine days away, Azula. Perhaps those of us left behind in Ba Sing Se would love to send our gifts to you. And we would love to do the same for Yue and Katara when they have their birthdays. Would that maybe make more sense?"
"Umm, I guess it would," Azula stammered, going rather red in the face. Yue had to fight very hard to avoid bursting into laughter. "I've been so wrapped up in Yue's preparations that I had completely forgotten about the birthdays. I'll write down Kori's home address for you right now," she said, quickly leaving the room in search of pen and paper.
"She can still be so awkward," Yue grinned. "But Kat and I love her so much."
"I know you do," Ursa smiled softly. "I'm happy that Azula has so much love in her life, because she deserves it, all three of you do. And I suppose it must be reassuring for you to know that whatever happens, you'll always have the love of your wonderful partners."
"That really is reassuring," Yue nodded in full agreement with Ursa's statement.