Chapter 15 – the social piranha

"Bestie!" Mai cringed, bracing herself as the pink tornado otherwise known as Ty Lee pulled her in for an affectionate embrace. "It's so good to be back," Ty Lee raved, having finally released Mai. "I've missed the Fire Nation so much. The Earth Kingdom just can't compete."

"It's good to have you back with us, Ty Lee," Mai allowed herself a small smile. It was a while since the two of them had seen each other. Face to face meetings had been rare ever since Ty Lee had dropped out of college to run away with a traveling circus. Ever since then, she had been touring both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. A few months ago, Ty Lee had met someone on Kyoshi Island and decided to try settling down, but the whirlwind romance had only lasted a couple of weeks. Ty Lee had been stuck on Kyoshi Island since then, working at the local Sea World and trying to save up for a ticket back to the Fire Nation. And now, after a whole host of crazy adventures she was finally back in Caldera, ready to turn a new leaf and embrace this latest work opportunity as the head waitress at The Blue Spirit.

"Nice and cozy place you have here," Ty Lee said, looking around. Mai had to admit that everything at their restaurant felt a little cramped, including the manager's office. Still, if the restaurant was any larger, Mai doubted they would be able to afford the rent. After all, they were in a prime location on a pedestrian street lined with various tourist traps. "When do you plan to open it?" Ty Lee asked.

"Starting next week," Mai replied. "We still need a few days to get ready. Zuko is still perfecting the menu and drilling his sous chef. And I don't doubt that you could jump in and start working right now, but I think Jin needs some instruction first. I have a feeling that she wasn't exactly honest about her previous work experience as a waitress. You two will need to find a way to distribute your duties. Hopefully without any input from me, I have no idea how to organize the front of the house," Mai shrugged.

"Helpful," Ty Lee laughed. "Jin, I guess that's the girl who let me in? The manic one with the wild hair and Harley Quinn like energy?"

"Yes, she's literally insane," Mai rolled her eyes.

"Well, so am I," Ty Lee shot finger guns at Mai. "I think we'll make for quite the dynamic duo."

"It should be fine, as long as you promise not to burn down the restaurant," Mai sighed.

"Ugh, I wish you wouldn't mention burning things down," Ty Lee sighed. "So, who are all the others at the restaurant? Like that handsome hunk lurking around your office? Isn't it too early for a side piece when you only just got back together with Zuko?" Ty Lee winked.

"Ruon-Jian is the assistant manager, not my side piece," Mai replied, feeling mildly frustrated. She really ought to have expected an in-depth interrogation from Ty Lee, because that simply was her style. "Although, I want Zuko to think that Ruon-Jian could be my side piece."

"Sounds healthy," Ty Lee laughed.

"Well, it's not my fault that Zuko hired Jin and On Ji, both of whom are head over heels for him," Mai shrugged. "We have truly set ourselves up for interpersonal drama in the worst possible way. Our hiring policies should probably be questioned."

"Maybe," Ty Lee grinned broadly. She appeared excited about all this potential chaos infusing her future workplace. "So, On Ji is the cutie I spotted in the kitchen, I suppose." Mai nodded at that. "And who's that scruffy looking guy who was asking around for Zuko earlier? He had a slightly wild and dangerous air about him. You know, like the neighborhood's drug dealer."

"He introduced himself as Jet Patel," Mai shrugged. "Anyway, he kept insisting that he had something urgent to discuss with Zuko. I don't know, I thought he was looking for a handout. I really hope Zuko doesn't spontaneously decide to hire this Jet character, or then we will be exchanging more than words."

"I don't know, maybe he should hire that guy," Ty Lee smirked. "I know I said he looked scruffy, but also kind of hot in a certain way? Like, when you know that getting with him might be a bad idea because you could end up catching some nasty disease, but you would still consider it because it could be really hot and still worth it, you know?"

"No, I don't know," Mai stubbornly shook her head. "That might just be your thing, Ty Lee, not mine."

"Whatever, you're just in denial," Ty Lee laughed. "Anyway, I have a good feeling about this group. I think we'll have a lot of chaotic fun running this place, especially now that you have added me into the mix."

"That doesn't really reassure me, Ty Lee," Mai sighed. "Although," she suddenly perked up, having thought of something. "It's just an idea, but if you could maybe come up with some ideas to distract Jin and On Ji from being all over Zuko, it would be appreciated."

"Oh, I can think of several ways of how to distract them," Ty Lee grinned, tossing her hair. "But I don't know, after my experiences at the circus and the Sea World, I'm a bit wary about workplace hookups. It just leads to-"

Ty Lee's words were cut off by the doors to the manager's office opening and Zuko's head poking inside. He gave Ty Lee a sidelong glance before looking at Mai and whispering at her even if Ty Lee could clearly hear it all anyway. "Did you ask her about… you know, eaworldsay irefay?"

Mai rolled eyes at her boyfriend. "First of all, step inside the office properly and say hi to Ty Lee," she chided him. Zuko promptly did as he was told, making an actual effort not to admire Ty Lee's prominent cleavage for too long. "Ty, I have a feeling that Zuko will simply not calm down until he finds out what exactly happened with the Sea World fire," she said, ignoring Zuko's shocked gasp of betrayal.

"Damn, I wish you wouldn't ask me to revisit that day," Ty Lee sighed. "It was very traumatic for me and my coworkers. And no, I don't think I can actually tell you much about what exactly happened. I was simply entertaining the spectators and having a lot of fun chucking fish to Slippery Pete, and the next moment fire was already upon us, surrounding us on every side. All I could do was to shove Slippery Pete into the water and then jump after him, saving us both."

"Wait, there really is a sealion named Slippery Pete?" Zuko gasped again. "How did I know that? This is uncanny!"

"What are you talking about, Zuko?" Mai groaned. "Anyway, will you calm down now that Ty Lee has told you that the fire was completely accidental?"

"Well, we don't actually know that from Ty Lee's account," Zuko pointed out.

"It's true," Ty Lee nodded. "It could have been arson. A lot of people seem to think so." Mai was silently mouthing 'shut up' to Ty Lee, but without any success. "But anyway, I had nothing to do with that fire, if that's what you were implying," she glared at Zuko. "I was really traumatized by it, and so were most of my coworkers. At least nobody was hurt."

"You mean your coworkers weren't hurt," Mai pointed out. "I read that several visitors died."

"Yes, but we already had their money," Ty Lee shrugged. "Anyway, that was an awful day and it cost me my job even if I had done nothing wrong, so I would really appreciate it if we could stop bringing up the Sea World fire."

"This matter is settled… isn't it, Zuko?" Mai asked, giving her boyfriend a warning stare.

"What? Oh… oh, right. Yes, sure, I suppose it was stupid to think that Ty Lee could be some crazy arsonist," Zuko seemingly needed a while to realize what Mai's stare was supposed to convey, but he eventually got it.

"Wow, thanks a lot, Zuko," Ty Lee snorted. "Anyway, Mai, as I was telling you before we were rudely interrupted," she grinned wickedly at Zuko. "I definitely had a lot of hookups both at the circus and at the Sea World, but over time it created a lot of hurt feelings with people who aren't as chill about sex as I am. I would go as far as to say that in both of my previous work places, I became something of a social piranha."

"A what?" Zuko burst into laughter. "Wait, did you say social piranha? That's hilarious."

"I think it's social pariah, Ty Lee," Mai corrected.

Now it was Ty Lee's turn to start laughing. "A pariah? Are you having me on? That's not even a word. It's piranha, silly."

"Ugh, it's social pariah. You are so ignorant, Ty Lee," Zuko argued, for some reason looking more annoyed than the situation warranted it, at least in Mai's opinion. "I guess that's what you should expect from someone who thought it would be a great idea to drop out of a good college and instead join a traveling circus," Zuko added.

"Stop being so rude, Zuko," Mai barked at her boyfriend. "Didn't you run into that guy who was looking for you earlier, Jet something? He seemed very determined to speak with you."

"Oh, that guy," Zuko replied, his annoyance with Ty Lee dissipating instantly. "I guess I'll go talk to him. He looks so much like my Ba Sing Se pot dealer. I wonder if they're related." With that, Zuko left the office, leaving Mai alone with Ty Lee.

"Sorry about Zuko," Mai apologized. "I don't know how it's even possible, but lately he seems to have become even more blunt and socially unaware. I literally can't take him anywhere."

"Don't worry about it. I know better than to be offended by Zuko," Ty Lee laughed good-naturedly. "After all, he's always been the pineapple of politeness."

Mai burst into a coughing fit as she struggled not to laugh. "Ty, don't you mean-" she began, stopping when she noticed Ty Lee giving her a wide-eyed stare. "No, actually, come to think of it, you're absolutely right. Zuko has always been a pineapple of politeness."

Jet had a good feeling about landing permanent employment at Zuko Nakamura's restaurant. Even getting snapped at by some bitchy goth chick and being told to wait outside didn't dampen his spirits. In any case, Jet wasn't the type to patiently wait outside until he was summoned. It was important to show initiative to his potential future employer, so Jet decided to sneak in around the back, eventually finding himself in a kitchen that seemed to be even smaller than the one at The Northern Lights.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you should be here," Jet was not greeted warmly by a very attractive young woman in a chef's uniform, giving him a disapproving stare. "This is a restaurant kitchen! We can't have people barging in from the outside and dragging in filth!"

"On Ji is right. I don't know who you are, but you need to get out," the other chef in the kitchen nodded in agreement, glaring at Jet. Jet recognized Zuko Nakamura instantly from the pictures he'd seen in the papers and on the internet. Somehow, the scarred side of his face looked very different up closely. Zuko seemed like a very intense guy from the photos, but the scar made him rather intimidating, in a very hot way.

"I'll go, but you should come with me," Jet said. "I think you'll want to hear what I have to say."

"Wait, you're that Jet guy who wanted to speak to me?" Zuko asked. Jet nodded quickly. "I was just about to step outside and talk to you. You didn't have to storm in here like some impatient asshole."

"Sorry, I guess I am a bit of an impatient asshole," Jet grinned disarmingly. "People say it's one of my most disarming traits."

"You must be consorting with idiots, then," Zuko snapped. "Alright, fine," he grunted when Jet refused to move. "Let's step out around the back. This better be good." Once outside, Zuko faced Jet with a firm glare. "Look, buddy, if this is some kind of a trick and my sister is already playing games, then you should know that I'm far too cunning to fall for any of her tricks-"

"Well, I'll admit that this has to do with your sister, but not in a way your paranoid mind seems to think," Jet smirked. "The restaurant she took over, The Northern Lights? I used to work there for a couple of years, until she showed up last week."

"Oh?" Zuko immediately looked very curious. "She fired you? What for?"

"She spun some wild tale to the owners about me stealing from the restaurant," Jet replied. "It was a complete fabrication, of course. She wanted to get rid of me from the moment of her arrival. She must have messed around with the numbers and convinced the owners that I was to blame for the restaurant's failures."

"I know that Azula can be ruthless, so that doesn't surprise me," Zuko shrugged. "What was your role at the restaurant?"

"I was the food manager," Jet replied.

"Kind of an excessive role at a small restaurant," Zuko said. "It's no wonder that Azula wanted to get rid of you. My condolences, but I don't know what you expect me to do about it. I can't exactly petition her on your behalf, we don't have that kind of relationship."

"I know, and that's why I'm here," Jet grinned. "I heard Azula talking about the competition she has with you, and with the way she treated me, I really want to see her lose."

"It sounds like she simply got rid of a position that shouldn't have existed in the first place," Zuko shrugged. "I think you're just being dramatic."

"I am never dramatic!" Jet exclaimed dramatically. "The owner of The Northern Lights was my girlfriend… now ex-girlfriend, thanks to Azula! Also, when she fired me, she also… well, she kind of kicked me in the balls, so don't tell me I don't have an axe to grind with your bitch of a sister!"

"Okay, yeah, those sound more like the feelings that Azula often inspires in other people," Zuko snorted. "Alright, so you don't like Azula. There must be hundreds if not thousands of people who can't stand her. I still don't know what you want me to do about it."

"I want to help you bring her down!" Jet exclaimed.

"How?" Zuko asked. "I'm competing against Azula, and I find her incredibly annoying and frustrating on a personal level, but she's still my sister. I want to defeat her, but I don't actually want to see her physically hurt. I hope you get that. If you came here thinking that I'm going to pay you for hurting her, almost like placing a hit on her, then you are sorely mistaken."

"No, I wouldn't want to actually hurt her," Jet insisted, even if he wasn't being entirely truthful. While he was recovering from his surgery, swimming in a painkiller inflicted daze, he had definitely experienced some very violent thoughts towards Azula, but maybe Zuko didn't need to know about those. "I wanted to offer my services to your restaurant and help you win the competition."

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but we don't need a food manager," Zuko said.

"It doesn't have to be as a food manager," Jet said. "I can help with whatever you need. People tell me I'm charming enough to be the best waiter in Caldera City."

Zuko gave him a deeply scrutinizing stare before blushing slightly and turning away. "Yeah, I don't know," Zuko shrugged. "I totally understand wanting to get back at Azula, but right now we don't really need any extra hands around the restaurant. And I don't want to put someone on the payroll just because they have a grudge against my sister. You have to bring something to the table."

"Well… I have a lot of information on The Northern Lights," Jet said. "I know the layout of the place. I know all about the owners and the staff there and I can give you the lowdown on all of them. It might come in handy if you maybe want to do something to get an advantage in this competition."

Zuko seemed to consider this new information with increased interest. "Hmm, that could be useful," he eventually admitted. "I'm sure that Azula will soon start plotting against us, as soon as she finds the footing at her restaurant. Maybe I could find a place for you, after all."

"You won't regret it," Jet promised, grinning broadly. Once again, his charm and winning personality had come through for him. "So, what do you need me as? As I said, I'd be a great waiter, but I'm sure I'd do just as well in the kitchen."

Zuko was shaking his head, though. "We don't need another waiter or another cook in the kitchen," he said. "But now that I'm thinking about it, there is something we are struggling with. This building is fucking old and so many things here are breaking down. None of the girls are any good with fixing that sort of thing, and Ruon-Jian is such a lily-livered little bitch boy that I'm surprised he can wipe himself after taking a shit. I've tried my hand at fixing some of these things myself, but I just get so annoyed and they end up broken way worse than before I started fixing them."

"Ah, got to love a short-tempered fiery guy," Jet smirked. "So, what… you want me as some sort of a maintenance worker? I guess I can do that."

"Maintenance worker, handyman, plumber, take your pick," Zuko shrugged.

"Wait… a plumber?" Jet groaned.

"Yeah," Zuko nodded. "The employee toilet has become clogged three times already, so fixing that would be your number one priority."

"Don't you mean number two priority?" Jet laughed. Zuko gave him a blank stare. "You know… number two? Taking a shit? Maybe it got clogged because someone keeps taking monster shits?"

"That could only be Ruon-Jian," Zuko said, going slightly red in the face. "Anyway, I don't think the shits are the problem. I'm pretty sure it got clogged because one of the girls tried to drown her tampon in the toilet. I pressed all three of them about it, but the only reply I got was three slaps to the face. I don't know why, it was a simple question," Zuko shrugged.

"Right," Jet was struggling not to laugh. Zuko came off like such a ridiculous mess that Jet couldn't help but be fascinated by this strangely hot angry guy in front of him. "Well, I guess I'll accept the offer. You've won me over, Zuko," he said, winking and grinning inwardly as he watched Zuko blush lightly. Zuko quickly looked away, though, trying to act nonchalant. "Just remember, I can do more than be just your maintenance guy or a plumber. I have a lot of contacts here in Caldera City. If there are any kind of supplies you can't find through your channels, I can probably get ahold of that stuff for you."

"Hmm," Zuko suddenly looked very intrigued. "What about supplies that are perhaps… not strictly legal?" he asked.

"Oh, I didn't expect Zuko Nakamura to ask me something like that," Jet chuckled, surprised. "But sure, like I said, I can find almost anything for you. I'm going to guess that you're asking about drugs. Is it weed you're after?"

"Fuck yes," Zuko nodded. "You can't imagine how frustrating it is to not have access to my regular dealer in Ba Sing Se. I haven't had a good smoke for two fucking weeks. Maybe that's why I feel so tightly wound."

"You think?" Jet smirked. "Anyway, I'll be happy to supply the restaurant with this amazing multi-purpose herb of the highest quality."

"Good… good, that's a relief," Zuko sighed. "I was afraid I'd have to delve into the seedy underworld of Caldera City in search for a dealer. Mai was really nervous to let me do that, though. For some reason, she was afraid that I might insult some hardened criminal and get stabbed. Like I wouldn't know how to be cautious and diplomatic."

"Yes, I have no idea how she would arrive at that idea," Jet said, somehow managing to avoid rolling his eyes.

"Anyway, I'm glad that's settled. Mai will also be happy to learn that I've found a source," Zuko smiled.

"Who is this Mai, anyway?" Jet asked.

"My girlfriend and also co-owner of the restaurant," Zuko replied, looking proud.

"Ah, figures that a handsome guy like you would be taken," Jet chuckled, shooting finger guns at a slightly flustered Zuko. "Anyway, maybe I can have a different job title than a maintenance worker? Weed supplier feels a bit too on the nose, though. How about herbalist?"

"Well, no, because you still have to do all those handyman jobs as well," Zuko said sternly. "Remember, fixing that clogged toilet is a priority. But maybe we can combine your job titles. How about herbalist/plumber? Or… plumbalist for short?"

"Plumbalist?" Jet blinked. "That totally sounds like a job title that will make my friends pee themselves from laughing too hard when they hear about it."

Following Sokka's return from the hospital, Azula's greatest challenge was to keep him from intervening in the kitchen. Azula somehow managed to accomplish this by redirecting Sokka to the manager's office and saddling him with the task of double-checking Katara's financial records. Katara had suffered exactly fifteen minutes of Sokka's nitpicking before she had fled the manager's office to declare that for the foreseeable future, she was going to join Yue in running the front of the house.

The kitchen was certainly functioning much better with Suki as the head chef and Azula as Suki's second in command. It was a slightly unusual experience for Azula to work as the sous chef, but she was doing so with the restaurant's future in mind. Azula wanted to establish Suki as the leader in the kitchen, and if that change was to stick, then finding a solid support structure should be much easier. Azula still wasn't sure if she wanted to let Sokka back into the kitchen even as the sous chef, and she wasn't sure if Sokka would even accept a demotion. While Sokka's finger was still healing, they could afford to kick this can further down the road, but Azula was aware that a decision would have to be made soon. Perhaps eventually even Toph could be trained to become the sous chef. She was certainly mastering her role as the prep cook with impressive speed.

It took very little time for Suki and Azula to develop a great chemistry in the kitchen. Suki wasn't used to calling out orders, so she had needed some guidance from Azula, but once Suki got the hang of it, she was directing the show like an experienced professional, calling out orders clearly and concisely. It didn't take Azula long to see that Suki had the exact right leadership qualities that were necessary for this role. Their chemistry had encouraged Azula to make further changes in the kitchen, removing several menu items that were clearly underperforming and weren't selling. It also allowed Azula to remove the final few items off the microwaving roster and they could finally claim that everything they put out was cooked fresh to order. Food was literally flying out of the kitchen by now, and Katara's decision to help Yue proved almost prophetic, because Yue would have struggled to cope all by herself. Tables were being flipped at record speeds for The Northern Lights, and by the end of their second day of working together, they had already set a new record for the most people served per day.

Azula was quite relieved that she could focus on the kitchen for now and leave the management and the front of the house issues for later. It wasn't as if Yue, Katara and Aang needed much guidance, anyway. The biggest issue was that in case of problems like dealing with a rude customer or somebody contesting their bill, Yue was still running either to Katara or to the kitchen for help, because she sometimes became flustered and caved in to customers using intimidation tactics. The front of the house needed someone empowered with the authority to handle these issues on their own. Katara wanted Yue to do that as the head waitress, but Azula still wasn't sure if Yue could develop the necessary backbone for this role. Still, that was an issue that could wait a while before it was addressed.

Also, interacting with Yue was proving quite frustrating for Azula. Following that smoke session on the roof, Yue often acted very flirtatious towards Azula. It was really throwing Azula for a loop. It was almost as if Yue wasn't fooled by her fake het act and Azula couldn't understand why. At the same time, Azula was immensely flattered by Yue's flirting and she desperately didn't want Yue to stop, even though she was terrified of her resolve breaking if Yue kept it up. As much as Azula wanted for something to happen between her and the beautiful blonde, she kept telling herself that it would only lead to more drama and hurt feelings at the restaurant, distracting them from their shared goal.

At least Suki and Katara weren't quite as flirty. Of course, Suki enjoyed winking at Azula as she cracked a lot of sexually charged jokes filled with innuendo as they worked in the kitchen, and Azula often caught Katara looking at her with a dreamy, slightly faraway smile on her lips, so maintaining the act became harder and harder with every passing day. Sometimes, Azula felt like these three girls had thrown the doors of her normally quiet and serene closet wide open, and they were dragging Azula out of the closet regardless of how hard she was kicking and screaming.

Azula was a little concerned for Katara, however. Her mood hadn't been great over the past couple of days. It wasn't just Sokka scrutinizing her record keeping that was getting on Katara's nerves. Even if Katara didn't like to talk about it, Azula knew that she was constantly texting with Jet, still trying to get some of her things back from his apartment. A tomboyish looking girl had delivered a couple of bags filled to the brim with Katara's clothes earlier this morning, but after going through her things, Katara had realized that a lot of her stuff was still missing. So, she had texted Jet to ask about it, and in reply, Jet had sent her a photo with three large trash cans on fire, explaining that in his anger, he had burned some of Katara's belongings. Azula could well imagine why the following exchanges between Katara and Jet had turned very heated and nasty, and also why Katara was in a rotten mood following that encounter.

Azula's second week at the restaurant was slowly coming to an end, and it was Friday afternoon between the services when she returned to The Northern Lights following a relaxing jog in the nearby park. Azula was aware that her coworkers considered her insane because she found jogging relaxing, but she didn't care. Azula enjoyed taking advantage of both the great location of the restaurant and the convenience of having employee showers that passed Azula's standards of cleanliness.

The others were all present, chilling between the services. The Water Tribe siblings were in the manager's office, discussing something, with Katara's voice occasionally rising to a higher pitch. Yue had given Kiyi a written note to let her collect Kya from the kindergarten and take her home, so that Yue didn't need to be in a mad rush between the services. Yue and Suki were currently relaxing upstairs, and as much as Azula was tempted to join them, the fear of Yue doing something to expose her fake straightness stopped her. Instead, once she was done with her shower, Azula headed straight for the kitchen to see if everything was in place for the dinner service. Toph and Aang were chilling in the kitchen. Toph had her feet up on one of the kitchen counters – something Azula wanted to slap her for – with her earbuds plugged in, probably listening to one of her true crime podcasts. Aang looked to have just sat down with a plate in his hand, ready to eat something he had prepared.

"What do you have there, Aang?" Azula asked curiously. Whatever Aang had been making smelled delicious, reminding Azula that her last meal had been almost seven hours ago, back at her apartment.

"Oh, I've been working on perfecting this vegan salad," Aang replied, looking surprised about Azula showing interest. "You know I'm really passionate about veganism. Experimenting with various flavors and trying to come up with new recipes is a hobby of mine. And I think I've really nailed this salad."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" Azula asked, grabbing a fork. Aang grinned, holding the plate out for her. Normally, Azula would find it offensive to eat off from someone else's plate, but Aang was someone who was very diligent about personal hygiene, so Azula felt comfortable helping herself to some of Aang's food. "Oh, that's… that's actually really good," Azula gasped, having finished chewing. "I have a lot of respect for people who make this dietary choice, even if they present an extra challenge to an aspiring restaurant owner."

"Thanks, Azula," Aang grinned at her. "I'm really pleased to hear you think it's good." He made an effort to take the plate back, but Azula ignored him.

"So, what do you have in there, aside from the obvious rice noodles and baked tofu? Great job with the tofu, by the way, it's always a challenge to give it such a great flavor and texture," Azula commented. "There are so many flavors in the dressing, it feels quite complicated. I can clearly taste lemongrass and what I think is toasted sesame oil?" Aang nodded at her. "I like the combination of arugula, iceberg lettuce and julienned carrot for some nice crunch. And I love the finishing touch with fried onions and toasted peanuts. This is one complicated salad, my friend," Azula finished, feeling quite impressed.

"Thanks!" Aang looked very happy as he reached for the plate. "Can I have it back, please?" he asked.

"Just a moment, I'm having all sorts of ideas right now," Azula said, pacing back and forth. "Anyway, this is so good, I think the others need to have a taste as well," she decided, reaching out and poking Toph's shoulder.

"What?" Toph asked, having removed her earbuds.

"This salad Aang made came out fantastic," Azula raved. "You have to try it."

Toph laughed. "No way, I'm not touching Aang's weird rabbit food," she shook her head and then stuck the buds back into her ears.

Azula groaned in frustration at Toph's stubbornness. She wasn't going to give up easily, though. Despite Aang's attempt to get his salad back, Azula simply discouraged him with a sharp glare, and having waited for a minute or so, she poked Toph's shoulder again. "Hey, Toph?" she asked once Toph had removed her buds. "Want to try something that I quickly whipped up?"

"Sure!" Toph grinned, looking excited. "What kind of a question is that? If I had the money to hire a single person in the world to be my personal chef, it would be you."

"Flattered," Azula grinned as she scooped up a generous spoonful of the salad and held it out for Toph. Toph didn't have to be told twice as she chomped down on the spoon and started chewing.

"Alright, that's really good," Toph admitted, once she had stopped chewing. "And I normally hate salad, but this is something I'd actually consider ordering at a restaurant."

"Hmm, funny you should say that," Azula remarked, giving Aang a pointed stare. She didn't get to say anything else, however, because at that exact moment Suki and Yue stepped into the kitchen, the two of them all smiles and giggles. "Hey, you two!" Azula immediately honed down on her next two test subjects. "Would you like to try this salad I just whipped up?" she asked, offering the plate to Suki and Yue.

"But… my salad…" Aang whined, watching Suki and Yue dig in and quickly tearing through the vegan salad.

"Oh, stop being such a baby, it's important to get feedback on this recipe," Azula chided him before turning her attention back to Suki and Yue. "So, what are your thoughts, girls?" she asked.

"It's fantastic," Yue gushed, looking very impressed. "Could we maybe put it on the menu as one of the appetizers? Or maybe even as a special? I think it's good enough to go on the menu."

"I'm tempted to agree," Suki nodded. "I mean, I would replace the tofu with strips of crispy chicken, but it's still really good the way it is. I agree with Yue that it might be a good vegan menu option."

"Interesting, very interesting," Azula mused, taking the plate back and heading towards the exit from the kitchen.

"Where are you going with my salad?" Aang chased after her. "Can I have my dinner back now, please?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Azula sighed at Aang. "We still have Katara and Sokka to poll. You can have it back after that."

"If there's anything left by then…" Aang groaned mournfully as they entered the manager's office to interrupt Katara and Sokka in the middle of what looked like a heated argument, probably about Katara's less than tidy and organized record keeping.

"Sorry for intruding," Azula said. "But I need your opinion on this dish I whipped up just now."

"Alright, hand it over," Sokka said, rubbing his hands in excitement. Aang let out a heavy sigh as he watched Sokka stuff his cheeks like an overzealous hamster before starting to chew. "I don't know, that's very mid for me," Sokka shrugged after sampling the salad. "What is that gross stuff in there? Is that… tofu? Ugh, that's terrible. Now, replace that with some meatballs and we're talking!"

"Sokka, you are such a barbarian," Azula frowned, pushing the plate towards Katara. Katara took a light bite to begin with, but then her eyes lit up and she kept eating while Aang just stood there, watching and suffering in silence.

"Whoa, this is really good, Azula," Katara gushed, as she quickly made short work of what was left of Aang's precious dinner. "This is definitely among the best salads I've ever had in my life."

"Well, the joke is on you, because it was actually made by Aang and not by me," Azula replied. Katara and Sokka both stared at her and Aang wide eyed. "That's right," Azula nodded. "This kid here just might have some hidden talents, and it's giving me ideas." Aang seemed to stand much taller from the praise, glowing with pride.

"What sort of ideas?" Sokka asked.

"It just reminded me that we don't have dedicated vegan options on our menu," Azula replied. "And sure, veganism is not popular in the Fire Nation, but it's slowly starting to pick up here as well. I think it would be wise to add some menu options for vegans and vegetarians."

"Gross," Sokka winced. "But I guess it would be a smart business decision. I guess I don't mind it if you think it's a good idea."

"I think it's a great idea," Katara smiled. "Let's go for it, Azula."

"Thank you," Azula smiled. It was good to have the owners on board, even if she would have pushed on even without their approval. "But this whole episode has convinced me that perhaps Aang deserves a shot at promotion. You don't want to stay a busboy/dishwasher/prep cook for the rest of your life, right?" Azula looked at Aang.

Aang quickly shook his head. "Toph has already as good as stolen my prep cook job," he said. "I can do more as a part of the kitchen staff."

"Well, you just might get that chance," Azula said. "Over the next week, I want you to come up with… let's say, two starters and two mains as vegan options for our menu. They have to be not only delicious and flavorful, but also easy to execute in the kitchen, because there's a good chance that you might be making them yourself in the future."

"Oh! That sounds amazing!" Aang looked thrilled.

"Next Friday, you will present your dishes to me, Katara and Sokka," Azula continued. She then thought of something. "No, not to Sokka, he has no appreciation for vegan cuisine. Let's make it Suki instead."

"That's more than fair," Sokka admitted.

"Thank you for giving me this chance, Azula. I won't let you down!" Aang promised. "Even if you did steal my salad," he added before dashing out of the office. "I'll start working on my ideas immediately!"

"The enthusiasm is bloody infectious," Azula snorted, shaking her head. Inside, she was pleased with this turn of the events. In many ways, Aang was the least problematic employee at The Northern Lights and his unselfishly helpful nature still at times made Azula wonder whether it could actually be real. Azula didn't want to get ahead of herself, but her mind was already wondering whether Aang could prove himself as Suki's sous-chef in the future. The big issue there was that Aang would not work with meat or fish, but perhaps they could get around that. Perhaps Toph would continue stepping up even further, but Azula also admitted that it was too early to speculate. "Anyway, what have you two been up to?" Azula asked instead.

"Sokka's been revising my price calculations," Katara answered, her smile immediately dissipating. "He's been doing a great job depressing me."

"Yeah, because most of your calculations are just… incomprehensible gibberish," Sokka groaned. "Seriously, I'm not surprised that months later you can't make any sense of them yourself."

"It made sense when I was doing them," Katara muttered. " Besides, like I told you, they're wrong because Jet gave me the wrong prices for some of the ingredients."

"That's not it," Sokka shook his head. "I mean, having the wrong prices made things even worse, but even when I corrected the prices, your calculations still made no sense. Let's face it, Kat, but you absolutely suck at this."

Azula expected Katara to fire back an angry retort at Sokka's comment, but when no reply came, Azula looked up to see Katara standing there, shaking lightly, her lower lip trembling. She then turned around and ran out of the office and up the stairs, leaving Azula and Sokka exchanging surprised stares. "Should we… I don't know, go after her?" Azula asked uncertainly.

"Nah, she's going to be fine," Sokka shrugged. He then paused. "Although, Kat has been a bit moody as of late. Maybe I went a bit too hard on her. Yeah, maybe it would be for the best if you talked with her."

"Me?" Azula blinked. "I didn't make her cry, you did!"

"Yeah, but she's probably really annoyed with me right now, so me trying to talk to her would only make things worse," Sokka reasoned logically. "She really likes and respects you, though. You could help."

"Yes, if I knew what to do in situations like these!" Azula huffed in frustration. "Maybe you haven't noticed it, but I am not exactly very good at knowing what to say when someone is upset or crying."

"Well, when it comes to my sister, what you say is not that important," Sokka said. "Sometimes, all you need to do is to just listen as you let her talk. You can listen, can't you?"

"I… guess?" Azula sighed. A part of her wanted to dash out of the restaurant, jump into her rent car and drive off before panic gripped her, but on the other hand, the idea of Katara crying and being unhappy felt insufferable and it persuaded Azula to climb all the way upstairs and eventually find Katara up on the roof, gripping the railing. She didn't seem to be crying, not at this moment, but even with Azula's poor ability to read people, she could see that Katara was deeply upset.

"If you've come to apologize then I don't want to hear it," Katara snapped as Azula stepped closer.

"Uh, sorry?" Azula tried, wincing.

Katara turned towards her with a horrified look on her face. "Oh, spirits, I didn't mean to snap at you, Azula, I'm so sorry," Katara exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it," Azula managed a small smile, coming to stand next to Katara. "That was some… dramatic storming out, just now," she said, deciding to follow Sokka's advice which was to encourage Katara to talk.

"Well, the thing is that I don't always react well to that type of aggressive criticism," Katara sighed.

"It seems to run in the family," Azula smirked. "I'm sure that with time Sokka's stubbornness will become legendary."

"I don't think it's so much about stubbornness with me. Although, some people have also accused me of that," Katara said. "It's more that I just become depressed. You know, for some reason I had actually convinced myself that all these years I had been doing a decent job. I knew that the kitchen was having massive problems, so I thought it was all on them. But to know that I also have played such a huge role in contributing to the restaurant's downfall, well… that's really getting me down. If I'm such a terrible manager, then I also shouldn't be allowed to do this job in the future. And if I can't do that, what can I even be trusted to do? Wash dishes?"

"Okay, loads to unpack there," Azula said. "First of all, you should know that without Jet's stealing, the restaurant would have always operated with profit. Not the kind of profit you should have, obviously, but you wouldn't have been in the red. I think that's an important perspective to keep. The restaurant was never failing because of you. And it could never succeed just because of you, either. This has to be a team effort."

"Motivational speaker Azula?" Katara gave her an amused wink.

"Oh, shut up, you know it's true," Azula growled, giving Katara a playful shoulder bump. "Anyway, if you feel like you can't be the general manager, I would be happy to help you find a more fitting role. But for the next few weeks, I would like to ask you to help out more in the dining room, because I really want to see what Aang can do in the kitchen. Do you think you could do that?"

"Of course," Katara smiled. "I love working side by side with Yue. I know that as an owner I shouldn't be working as a waitress, but it's probably my favorite thing to do at the restaurant."

"Interesting," Azula mused. Katara truly was a people person. Perhaps it made sense to somehow make use of it. Ideas were already forming in her head.

"Anyway, thank you so much for coming up here to talk to me, especially when you didn't have to," Katara smiled at her before unexpectedly leaning in and lowering her head on Azula's shoulder.

Azula relished every second of their physical contact, at the same time feeling intensely grateful that Katara couldn't see the sheer expression of delight on her face at that moment.

"So, I've been doing some research, girl," Ty Lee told Jin with a serious expression on her face. The two waitresses of The Blue Spirit were huddling together over the cash register in the corner of the dining room. "I think Zuko was trying to pull a fast one on us. According to my research, you shouldn't say Bone Apple Tea. The correct phrase is bon appétit," Ty Lee said.

"Are you sure?" Jin blinked. "What even is bon appétit?"

"I honestly have no idea, but I think it's in an old Earth Kingdom dialect," Ty Lee shrugged. "Weird, but go figure."

"It's very weird," Jin said. "I'm not surprised Zuko would know things like that, though. He's so smart. And hunky," she added dreamily.

"Uh, I guess," Ty Lee smiled. She was aware that back in high school Zuko was in high demand with quite a few girls, so Jin's fixation didn't come as a surprise. Ty Lee had never felt any great pull towards the kind of angry intensity that Zuko emanated, however. "Speaking of hunks, though," she added, grinning as she watched Jet poke his head into the dining room and shoot her a conspiring wink. "I may have something planned with Jet. You should let me lock up the place for the night," she winked at Jin.

"Oh? Oh… I see," Jin blinked, taking a moment to figure out what Ty Lee had meant. "You move fast, girl," she chuckled, high-fiving Ty Lee. "Good on you. Hope you'll have fun."

"I have a good feeling about it," Ty Lee grinned. "It's been a hot minute since my last hookup."

"Alright, I'll make sure to get out of your hair as soon as possible," Jin promised. "I'm just waiting for-" she hesitated slightly.

"You're just waiting for Zuko to depart so that you can follow him home in your car, which is a completely normal behavior," Ty Lee said.

"Oh, absolutely," Jin nodded earnestly. "Someone needs to make sure he arrives home safely and does not get into any accidents, because that would be awful!"

"Exactly, you're simply being a very loyal and responsible employee," Ty Lee nodded. So far, she had really enjoyed working together with Jin as they went through their preparations to open the restaurant come the next Monday. Ty Lee knew that she was supposed to be the head waitress and Jin's boss, but she considered it a mere technicality and intended to treat Jin as an equal, because that's what she felt like in relation to her fellow waitress. They had immediately hit it off, because of their similar easy-going and fun-loving personalities. Also, Jin was pretty hot in her own weird and dorky way, and Ty Lee would have totally loved to have her way with Jin in the janitor's closet. Unfortunately, Jin was a bit too bonkers insane for Zuko to notice anyone else. Not that there was anything wrong with being a little obsessed. Ty Lee didn't really buy into that whole deal with the red flags. Red was her second favorite color after pink, so as far as Ty Lee was concerned, she was quite fond of red flags, especially in her cocktails.

As the day slowly drew to a close, employees of The Blue Spirit began to depart. Zuko and Mai were the first to leave, holding hands, appearing in a good mood and for once not bickering. Jin snuck out soon after, followed by Ruon-Jian, speeding away on his yellow Vespa. Unfortunately for Ty Lee, she then had to suffer through a prolonged wait until On Ji finished cleaning up in the kitchen.

Stuck waiting for her promised ride on the Jet, Ty Lee checked her phone one more time, spotting a message she had missed earlier. The message was from Azula. Ty Lee had reached out the moment she had landed in the Fire Nation. She rather enjoyed the prospect of her and Mai competing against Azula. It was a rare and exciting new dynamic for them. During the high school years, Azula had been a good, but also controlling and at times overbearing friend, who would have never tolerated any competition from her or Mai. Ty Lee was eager to prove that she could help Mai run a restaurant that was just as successful as Azula's, and she was not at all worried that this competition might strain their friendship. They would always remain besties, and Azula inviting them to hang out together on Sunday was a proof of that.

Eventually, after a fair bit of waiting, On Ji was finally done in the kitchen, wishing Ty Lee a pleasant evening as she departed. Ty Lee quickly locked the front door, rushing to find Jet and running straight into his arms. They began to kiss in the middle of the dining room, and Ty Lee soon felt herself being lifted up and placed on the nearest dining table. She wrapped her legs around Jet's waist as their kisses deepened. Ty Lee felt her top getting insistently pushed all the way upwards, and then her bra fell by the wayside as well. Ty Lee definitely liked her own boobs, but certainly not to the obsessive extent as some of the guys she had been with. Jet proved to be no exception and Ty Lee braced herself for patient waiting until Jet was finally done being hyper fixated on her tits.

Eventually, Ty Lee became a little bored when Jet still failed to move on from her boobs. She wanted to get into the action herself, tugging on Jet's shirt and sliding her hands across his stomach. Ty Lee loosened Jet's belt and slipped her hand into his pants, grinning when she found Jet already in quite the worked-up state. Ty Lee took plenty of pride in her extensive experience which she now put to great use, forcing Jet to abandon her tits and look up at her with an expression of bliss on his face. Ty Lee decided to go for a slightly firmer grip that tended to drive most guys wild, however, this proved to be a mistake, because Jet's expression shifted from blissful to sheer agony as he let out a cry of pain, forcing Ty Lee to quickly withdraw her hand.

"Fuck… that's not going to work," Jet groaned. "Damn it… I've never hated Azula more than I hate her right now."

"Wait, what did you just say?" Ty Lee asked, tensing up. "Azula as in Azula Nakamura?"

"Yeah, who else?" Jet managed, straightening up despite still being in obvious pain. "The bitch busted my balls… quite literally. On top of getting me fired."

"Hmm, that sounds suspicious to me," Ty Lee mused uncertainly. "Would Azula do something like that without a good reason?"

"What, you're going to side with that complete bitch?" Jet yelled. "Why would you do that?"

Something within Ty Lee snapped, and she slapped Jet across the face, forgetting that he already was in considerable pain. "Azula is one of my best friends," Ty Lee spoke harshly. "Just knowing that she fucked you up like this makes me really wary of you, Jet. I'm starting to feel like it's actually a good thing that I didn't have sex with you."

"Well, you're probably crap, anyway," Jet retorted, turning to hobble away and leaving Ty Lee seething in anger.

Ty Lee quickly got dressed, still fuming as she left the restaurant. She had really wanted a good, satisfying hookup, so this disappointment stung and only added to her hunger. But perhaps it was also a good reminder not to sleep around with her coworkers. At least this way she was sure not to turn into the dreaded social piranha.