Chapter 21 – the nude calendar
For Jet, there was nothing quite like the feeling of a well-hatched scheme coming together. Having made great progress with both Jin and On Ji, Jet was very happy with himself. Already, On Ji seemed way less obsessed with Zuko and more focused on Jet. As for Jin, it was harder to tell, considering her insane levels of obsession, but she seemed open to the possibility of hooking up again, and Jet was willing to take that as a win.
Of course, Jet's ultimate plan was to secure Zuko's affections for himself. It wasn't only about seeing Zuko as his meal ticket, however, just as it hadn't been with Katara. He'd had genuine and powerful feelings for Katara, even if he had proven unworthy of Katara's returned affections. And by now, Jet was becoming very intrigued by Zuko. Zuko's social awkwardness, obliviousness, poorly repressed anger and broodiness was an enticing combination of traits, and Jet was becoming desperate to get closer to Zuko.
Jet didn't really see Jin and On Ji as serious competition, not anymore. He felt the utmost confidence in being able to distract them from chasing after Zuko. The real obstacle in Jet's way obviously was Mai. Despite Zuko's relationship with Mai appearing a little strained at the first glance, Jet had by now realized that their bond was actually stronger than he had suspected. They had first gotten together when they were seventeen and sixteen, respectively, and had been dating on and off for nine years. Sometimes the off period had lasted for many months, even up to a year, but they were always pulled back together. That spoke of a connection that couldn't be underestimated.
The plan to break up Mai and Zuko's relationship relied on Zuko's intense jealousy. He already hated Ruon-Jian for lurking around Mai's office all the time, simping hard for his girlfriend. Jet was sure that an uptick in rumors regarding Mai and Ruon-Jian having a bit of a fling would light a fuse under Zuko, but Jet also didn't want these rumors to be traced back to him, because that would surely feel too suspicious. That's why getting good with both Jin and On Ji was absolutely crucial – aside from the fact that they were very pretty and Jet would never pass on sex with a hot girl – but in this instance, he needed Jin and On Ji to help spread the rumors about Mai and Ruon-Jian.
Of course, this meant that he had to keep working on both Jin and On Ji to make sure that they trusted him completely. Obviously, it didn't really feel like work since it involved hooking up with them again and again. Still, Jet always had many schemes cooking in his head and not all of them involved sex (although most did), and when he spotted Jin, On Ji and Ty Lee sitting down together during a break in service, having a conversation full of laughs and giggles, Jet suddenly came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea.
Ty Lee and Jin had enjoyed an amazing lunch service, pulling in some very big tips. Ty Lee was a genius at identifying the right customers it was safe to flirt with and who would leave huge tips as a result, and she was only happy to share her insights with Jin, so both girls took in way more than most waitresses. Also, Mai and Zuko had agreed to give On Ji a generous salary bonus for the month of April, because according to Zuko, she had really excelled and deserved a lot of credit for the restaurant's surprisingly fine performance. This meant that the three girls were in a great mood, which was perfect for Jet as he prepared to put his plans into motion.
"So, how are the celebrations going?" Jet put on his best smile as he walked up to the giggling trio. "Don't get too sauced, we still have the dinner service to take care of."
"Don't worry, we've got it under control," Ty Lee laughed dismissively. "Also, I hope we're not rubbing you the wrong way by celebrating. I heard you didn't get any bonus pay."
"Hey, just being able to work at a restaurant with ladies as attractive as you three is its own reward, okay?" Jet winked disarmingly as he sat down with the girls. Despite the attempt to get with Ty Lee having ended rather painfully for him, Jet hadn't given up on the idea of seducing the beautiful Fire Nation girl. He was hoping that the plan he was about to propose would get him closer towards that goal.
"Oh, I like compliments, keep them coming," On Ji giggled, smiling dreamily at Jet.
"Yes, thank you, Jet," Jin smiled. "But also, isn't Zuko the best owner ever? The way he decided to share the profits with the staff. That's such a lovely gesture," she added swooningly, in a way that suggested that she was nowhere near close being over Zuko.
"That's very true," Jet nodded, having quickly overcome his annoyance. "And seeing how we're all benefitting from the restaurant being profitable, I have a plan on how to make this place even more popular."
"Oh, really?" Ty Lee asked, looking curious. "Do tell."
"Well, you should know that I fancy myself something of an amateur photographer," Jet said. "And so, I was thinking how to get the buzz on the street going for real. And then it came to me – why not make use of the fact that The Blue Spirit has the sexiest ladies in Caldera among its staff? Why don't we create something like a nude calendar and call it 'The Girls of The Blue Spirit'? Then we could sell it here at the restaurant and I bet it would attract a lot of big spenders."
"You are literally so smart, Jet," Jin nodded in agreement. "A nude calendar is exactly what people coming into a restaurant want to buy."
"Uh… sure, Jin," On Ji snickered. "Although, I suppose there might be some overlap between hungry customers and horny costumers. It's not a bad idea, Jet. And if it succeeds, Zuko will be even more impressed with us."
"Well, I don't really care about impressing Zuko, but it could be a fun thing to do," Ty Lee grinned. "Considering me signed up!" she exclaimed much to Jet's delight.
"Wait, Ty Lee?" On Ji looked at the other girl in surprise. "Weren't you just telling us about your new boyfriend?" she asked, making Jet feel very annoyed again at the mention of a boyfriend.
"It's way too early to use that word, On Ji," Ty Lee giggled. "We've only been on like three dates. Besides, he's such a sweetheart, I'm sure he wouldn't mind me posing naked, especially for a good cause."
"If you're sure," On Ji shrugged.
"Anyway, with the four of us posing, that means we all get three pages," Ty Lee mused. "I call dibs on March, June and October."
"Wait, four of us?" Jet blinked. "I'm not taking nude selfies of myself, if that wasn't clear. The theme is the girls of The Blue Spirit, remember? And I'm not a girl."
"Debatable," Ty Lee laughed. "Anyway, I obviously included Mai."
Jin and On Ji exchanged stares. "Uh, I have no interest in helping Mai impress Zuko," Jin stated.
"I know, I know," Ty Lee sighed. "But come on, you have to admit that Mai is objectively a hottie, right?" Jet, On Ji and Jin were forced to nod at that, even if they did so reluctantly. "Also, she's our boss as much as Zuko is. If we do a nude calendar featuring the sexy ladies of the restaurant, and we don't even ask her, what do you think she'll do? I'll be safe because we're besties, but you three will be toast."
"That is a fair point," On Ji admitted, frowning. "I suppose we have to ask Mai. She might not want to do it, though. She doesn't seem the type who would do a nude calendar."
"Oh, you clearly don't know her very well," Ty Lee smirked. "Anyway, let's go ask her now! I'm excited and I want to press on with this idea!" The three girls rose from their seats and stormed towards the manager's office, leaving Jet bewildered in their wake. Once again, he had lost control of his own plan and it seemed to have taken a life of its own. There was nothing left for Jet to do than to hurry after the girls as they barged into Mai's office.
Jet arrived on the scene to witness Mai, Zuko and Ruon-Jian watching something on Mai's laptop. "You need to understand that my father is a master at gaslighting," Zuko was telling Ruon-Jian. "This is not the first time when I see him confidently presenting a pile of dogshit as nectar of the gods. And even though people can see that there's something not quite right with the dish, the way my father speaks with such charisma and confidence, it just convinces them that it's the best thing ever."
"Unbelievable," Ruon-Jian shook his head. "I guess the trick didn't quite work this time because there's just no way to hide that the cheese didn't melt at all."
"I'm sure even this terrible grilled cheese disaster convinced plenty of people," Mai snorted.
"You know it," Zuko nodded. "And I bet Azula is one of them. She must be raging at the amount of people calling our father out on this sham. Daddy's little fart sniffer is probably making one apology video after another for him," Zuko said, getting Jet to burst into laughter at his colorful description of Azula.
"I don't think she has made a single video, Zuko," Mai pointed out.
"Huh?" Zuko blinked, raising an eyebrow. "That can't be. Let's check her YouTube channel." Zuko poked around Mai's laptop some more. "Hmm, you're right. That's weird. Normally, she'd be the first to make apologies for Ozai. Father will be so mad at her that she's not leaping to his defense. I guess she might be too busy salvaging that crappy restaurant of hers."
"Don't assume Azula's enterprise is failing just because we're doing well, Zuko," Mai warned her boyfriend.
"Whatever, we are totally kicking her ass, I'm sure of it," Zuko shrugged confidently. "Anyway, I need to check if anything else needs prepped for the dinner service. Are you coming, On Ji?" he asked his sous chef, seemingly completely oblivious to the group of four people having stormed the manager's office for nondisclosed reasons.
"I'll be with you in just a moment, Zuko," On Ji replied while making dove eyes at Zuko, an effort that went both unnoticed and unappreciated.
"Don't take too long, I don't want to do all the prepping by myself," Zuko grumbled before stomping off towards the kitchen.
"Is there any reason why the four of you burst into my office out of nowhere?" Mai turned to regard the foursome, with Jet strategically keeping a little behind the three girls.
"Yes, and it's an amazing reason," On Ji replied proudly. "We have come up with a great way to help the restaurant increase its profile."
"The Girls of The Blue Spirit," Ty Lee continued excitedly. "A sexy yet tasteful nude calendar, sold only to the customers of the restaurant."
"That is an amazing idea," Mai nodded.
"And we want you to be a part of it, bestie," Ty Lee beamed at her best friend.
"That is a terrible idea," Mai shook her head.
"I told you she wouldn't want to do it," Jin said, looking very happy about Mai's reluctance. "Without Mai, we will all get four pages, which is even better for us!"
Jin's excitement at her refusal to take part appeared to give Mai a pause. She was still deep in thought when Ruon-Jian spoke up. "Perhaps you are being a little too hasty about turning down the opportunity, Mai?" he asked eagerly. "I'm something of a budding amateur photographer. I'm sure you will feel comfortable letting me take your nudes."
"There's no way you're a better photographer than I am, buddy," Jet exclaimed, feeling the need to interfere. If Mai was going to be a part of the nude calendar, there was no way he was going to let Ruon-Jian take her pics. It didn't matter that Mai couldn't stand him. She was still absolutely gorgeous and if there was an opportunity to get her naked, Jet was going to pursue it like a determined bloodhound. Also, Mai posing for him might drive another wedge between her and Zuko, further playing to Jet's advantage.
"You are?" Mai gave Jet a suspicious stare. "Let me guess, this whole thing is your idea?" she asked.
"Sure, it was Jet's plan to begin with, but we are all in agreement that it's a really smart idea," Jin gave Jet a supportive nod.
"I'm sure it is," Mai clicked her tongue as she rose from the manager's seat and began to pace slowly. "However, you have forgotten something very important. In the current political climate, a nude calendar featuring beautiful women would be seen as incredibly sexist."
"Do you really think so?" Ty Lee sighed. "Ugh, I hate all this negativity around sex, it's very depressing."
"You think there's no chance even if we make it as tasteful as possible?" On Ji asked, looking disappointed.
"No, I'm afraid that we'd get absolutely savaged on social media," Mai gave what Jet thought to be a very fake sigh. "However, I don't want to abandon this nude calendar angle altogether… it really is a good one, I feel."
"I've got it," On Ji snapped her fingers. "What if we didn't pose ourselves, but instead let Jet take nudes of… I don't know, whatever else is trending right now?"
"You're so full of great ideas, On Ji," Jet ground out, glaring at On Ji, who completely missed his meaning.
"Isn't she just?" Mai nodded. There was a rather wicked smile on her face as she briefly looked at Jet. "The only way a nude calendar is going to work is if we use photos of either unemployed men or grannies. It would give the calendar the necessary oof factor."
"The oof factor, you say?" Ty Lee mused, looking uncertain. "Interesting… I hadn't considered that."
"But will anyone actually want to look at the pictures of naked unemployed men or grannies?" Jet asked desperately. Mai was about to kill his brilliant plan just as he had almost scored a home run with it. "Also, remember our theme? The girls of The Blue Spirit? It's a very strong theme, isn't it?"
"Hmm, true," Ty Lee considered. She then beamed brightly, almost as if a light bulb had lit up above her head. "Why don't we ask our grans to do the calendar?" she asked excitedly. "Then our theme could be The Grans of The Blue Spirit!"
"That sounds amazing, Ty Lee," Mai nodded. "And we could make it very tasteful, too. You know, with potted plants strategically blocking out the riskier bits. It would be an erotic calendar for the whole family to enjoy."
"I'm sure my gran would love to do the calendar," Jin nodded. "She's very adventurous, and it's been said that I take after her. Unfortunately, she's back in Ba Sing Se, but I'm sure we can set up a video chat and figure something out, right, Jet?"
Jet was too stunned to reply, merely nodding, as On Ji spoke up. "My gran is in a nursing home here in Caldera," she said. "She's a little senile and might not understand what's going on, but she has always supported me. If I explain to her that it's for a good cause, I'm sure she'll agree to it."
"My gran will also love the idea," Ty Lee nodded. "I think she'll want to do it even if she's having a hip replacement in a few days."
"You know my gran on my mom's side, right, Ty Lee?" Mai asked. "She'll be up for it too, I'm sure. But I have to warn you, Jet, she has a slightly gangrenous arm, so you'll have to find the right angle to make sure it doesn't get into the frame."
"I don't want to take nudes of grannies," Jet whimpered.
"What?" Jin exclaimed, surrounding him together with On Ji and Ty Lee. "Oh, please don't tell us that you're backing out now? Please?"
"Yes, you can't quit on us, Jet," On Ji begged. "You know why it's so important for us that this succeeds and brings the restaurant a pile of money. You promised you'd help!"
"Yes, surely we weren't wrong about you, Jet?" Ty Lee asked. "You didn't propose this whole plan just because you hoped to snap nude photos of beautiful girls and perhaps entice them into having sex with you, right?"
"Uh… uh, of course not," Jet gulped. He was well and truly backed into the corner, and from the way Mai was smirking at him, it was all of her making, too. Mai was becoming a far more difficult opponent than Jet had expected, and she had put him into a difficult situation. Still, if he could force himself to go through with this terrible plan, there was still a possibility to have sex with Jin and On Ji, and maybe even Ty Lee. "Alright, girls!" Jet exclaimed with fake cheerfulness. "Let's go and round up those grans! The Grans of The Blue Spirit are back on the schedule!"
The rest of Katara's week following the threesome with Azula and June proved rather challenging. Things certainly got better after Azula apologized for snapping at her, but Katara still felt like there was a lot of unresolved tension in the air, and not just between her and Azula.
Katara was very eager to resolve at least the part of the tensions that concerned her future role at The Northern Lights, however, she was forced to wait on that resolution. Azula had clearly stated that she wanted to talk with her and Sokka at the same time, but then Sokka announced that he was taking the entire week off for mental health reasons. Katara's first reaction was to act very unimpressed with her brother's decision, and in her frustration, she had said a few things that she still had to apologize for. Upon closer reflection, Katara realized that what Sokka had said about not having taken a break in years was true and insanely unhealthy.
And even if it was clear that Sokka was spending a lot of his time seeing someone new, Katara was willing to accept that as a valid part of a mental health break, and she resolved to respect Sokka's wishes and not bring up any restaurant related matters for the rest of the week. Seeing Sokka in an increasingly better mood was also starting to make Katara jealous and reminded her that she also hadn't taken a break in a very long time. Katara resolved to take a few extra days off as soon as things at the restaurant settled down and they were running a tight and stable ship.
Yue and Suki were also having a difficult week. Within a few days, any lingering resentment towards Katara had faded and the three of them were back to being best friends. Still, because things between Katara and Azula were a little tense, Katara did not have any luck in helping her friends make inroads with Azula. Yue and Suki gave flirting with Azula their best, but it wasn't leading anywhere, and not because Azula was not responsive. At the slightest hint that there might be any flirting involved, Azula immediately excused herself, taking flight and making sure that she didn't end up in any sexually suggestive situations. Yue and Suki were both growing frustrated, but Katara kept reassuring them, firmly believing that Azula would not be able to keep her distance for much longer.
Suki had managed to secure the apartment she had her eyes on, just a few apartment buildings down on the same street from Yue, and the move was planned for the upcoming Monday to make use of their day off. Suki had already done most of her packing in preparation, and everyone in their friend group had promised their participation, including Sokka. Sokka's promise to help made Katara feel both happy and relieved, because she took it as a sign that Sokka wanted to remain good friends with Suki, as well as a part of their group. Seeing Suki so excited about the move was making Katara wistful about moving out and finding her own place, because living upstairs from her day-to-day workplace was certainly not conductive to a healthy life and work balance. Still, she'd have to wait a couple more weeks before she finally got paid and then actually managed to find a place she could afford to rent.
As the Sunday dinner service slowly drew to a close, Katara had already resigned herself to this having been a very weird week where a massive emotional high had been followed by a crushing low, ending in simply unremarkable average bleakness. However, as she and Yue were saying farewells to the final few guests, Katara received an unexpected text message from her brother. Aware that they were closing early on Sunday evenings, Sokka was asking her if she could meet him at one of the local bars on a short notice, promising to introduce her to someone.
This immediately piqued Katara's interest and for once she was happy to see her friends dispersing quickly following the end of the service. Azula slipped out almost immediately, and so did Yue, wanting to relieve her babysitter as quickly as possible. Suki decided to give Toph and Aang a lift, leaving Katara alone, and she used the time to quickly freshen herself up before jumping into the car. Sokka had sent her a link to copy into her satnav, so Katara had to wait a little until it calculated the route, and only then did she start the car and set out on her way.
Katara was very surprised that Sokka would already be asking her to meet this new girl that he was seeing… or at least, Katara assumed that it was a girl. Sokka was always claiming that he was bisexual and open to dating guys, but Katara knew for certain that he'd never kissed another guy. Still, Katara had not expected that Sokka would want to jump into another serious relationship so soon after Suki, and she had expected Sokka to just do some dating and hooking up for a while. It seemed as if she had completely misread her brother's intentions, however, because Sokka would never ask her to meet his potential new partner if he wasn't at least a little bit serious.
Katara was a little surprised when the directions provided by Sokka led her through the downtown Caldera and well into the harbor district, eventually guiding her towards a half-empty parking lot. Katara climbed out of the car, only then noticing the establishment she had parked next to, doing a double take as she took in the cheap neon lights spelling out the name of the bar as Nyla's Tavern. For a moment, Katara had to wonder whether Sokka had wandered into June's bar purely by accident, or if he was perhaps trying to pull some kind of a prank on her.
Still, Katara's curiosity quickly won over and she made her way towards the establishment. She quickly realized that June hadn't been kidding when describing her place as a bit of a quirky dive with certain character. That much was obvious from the outside, but it became even more apparent when Katara stepped inside the bar and found herself in a very colorful and odd setting. The entire place smelled like it had been soaked in rum for months and the sound of someone (badly) playing an accordion rose above the shouts and laughter.
Katara was still looking around for Sokka, trying to spot him among the very colorful clientele, when she was surprised to hear someone calling her name. "Katara!" it was June, having noticed her from behind the bar and gesturing for her to come over. "I did not expect to see you here, certainly not on your own and at this hour! But I am pleased to see you anyway," June spoke excitedly, smiling at Katara.
"Umm, hey June," Katara blushed lightly, having made her way over to the bar. "My brother is supposed to be here together with his date, and he asked me to join them, but I can't spot them in this strange crowd," Katara said, looking around. Most of the patrons looked like salty old sailors, but there was also a more colorful bunch of people who had dressed up as pirates. They all seemed to have pet parrots, who were flying around the bar, perching wherever they felt like and adding to the chaotic and loud atmosphere by swearing and insulting the patrons. "Umm, those people aren't real pirates, are they?" Katara asked uncertainly. "I'm pretty sure that kind of piracy is long dead."
"Of course," June laughed. "They're pirate cosplayers," she explained. "They were looking for a place to call their own, and since I encourage all sorts of general revelry, I was only too happy to welcome them. They're generous tippers. I think they feel a little bad for all the bird crap their parrots leave behind."
"That seems fair," Katara chuckled. The place looked very chaotic, but also charming in a way, as she began to take in the many pirate-themed decorations. It seemed like June was really embracing the pirate theme by turning her bar into looking like an old-timey pirate den. "Uh, what's up with that guy?" she then asked, pointing at someone hanging out with the pirate cosplayers, but looking very different. Instead of wearing a pirate costume, this cosplayer was wearing a full-sized parrot suit, while the parrot on his shoulder was dressed up like a little pirate with a peg leg, eye patch and everything.
"That there is a reverse cosplayer," June laughed. "I have my suspicions that he's actually a secret furry who doesn't want to admit to it."
"Well, it takes all sorts," Katara shrugged. "Anyway, it was nice running into you again, but I should really try to find my brother… provided he's still here."
"Best of luck, and holler if you need any help," June said, passing Katara a drink she'd been mixing. "Mai Tai, on the house," she added with a wink.
"Thank you!" Katara grinned, happily accepting the drink and leaving the bar in search for Sokka and his mystery date.
It took Katara a while to spot her brother in this busy place, but she eventually managed to find Sokka in one of the corner booths where he was sitting together with his date. The girl accompanying Sokka had her back towards Katara, so her first impressions were limited to that of a long-braided ponytail of brown hair.
"Katara, there you are! That's my sister," Sokka exclaimed as his date turned around to look at Katara. Katara felt a little surprised as she took in the girl's appearance, warm and wide grey eyes and a very friendly, easygoing smile. At the first glance, she didn't really seem like Sokka's type, insofar as Sokka had a type. She just had that vibe of a generic local party girl, even if Katara knew that she shouldn't jump to unflattering generalizations and assumptions.
"Hey, I had a bit of trouble finding-" Katara began to speak, but stopping when she saw Sokka's eyes widening in complete surprise, almost shock.
"Azula?" Sokka gasped, looking over Katara's shoulder. "What are you doing here?"
"I believe I was invited?" Azula, for it truly was her, shrugged.
"Azula!" Sokka's mystery date exclaimed happily as she rose to her feet, forcing Katara to admit that she was objectively a gorgeous looking girl. "And Mai! You made it, besties!" she cheered, having spotted a slightly gloomy looking goth girl lurking directly behind Azula. "I was worried you wouldn't come," Sokka's maybe-girlfriend then proceeded to pull Azula and their other friend into a group hug, further confusing Katara, and a quick glance at Sokka told Katara that he was just as perplexed as she was.
"Uh, what's going on here?" Katara recovered enough to ask. "Azula, you know Sokka's new… friend?"
"Of course, Ty Lee is my childhood friend," Azula replied, having eventually managed to disentangle herself from the overly affectionate attentions of her old friend. "And I literally had no idea that she was dating Sokka."
"Sokka, isn't that the guy who owns our rival restaurant?" the goth girl, Mai, stated. "Ty Lee, you've been consorting with the enemy!" she pointed accusingly.
"Oh no!" Ty Lee cried, looking distressed. "Am I in trouble? Can I keep seeing Sokka, besties? Pretty please, with sugar on top?"
"Obviously, Mai is just teasing you," Azula sighed. "You can date whoever you wish."
"As long as they treat you right, because if they don't, Azula and I will team up to murder them," Mai said in a very serious tone of voice before walking up to Sokka and shaking his hand. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Mai," she gave a thin smile to a slightly intimidated looking Sokka.
"Oh wow… it finally clicked for me," Ty Lee snapped her fingers after she had been staring intently at Katara for several long moments. "I remember now where I saw Sokka before we met at the bar." She turned towards Sokka. "Azula showed us a picture of you and your sister when she was telling us about the restaurant she was working at. But since Mai and I were more curious about the girl that Azula had such an obvious crush on, I guess I just didn't look at you long enough to remember it later…"
"Shut up, Ty Lee," a very red faced Azula hissed, with Katara also feeling her cheeks burning lightly.
"Ty Lee, remember that we are not talking about the elephant in the room," Mai chuckled.
"There's an elephant in the room?" Ty Lee asked, looking around curiously.
"Never mind that, it must have wandered off," Sokka chuckled. "I'm still confused, though."
"Alright," Azula sighed, rubbing her brow and looking to have recovered from her earlier embarrassment. "Since I'm the only one who knows everyone here, why don't you let me do proper introductions?" she said, gesturing for everyone to sit down. Sokka sat between Ty Lee and Katara, but Azula made sure not to sit next to Katara, instead shoving Mai to take a seat to Katara's left, herself sitting down between her two childhood friends.
"I think you two have by now realized who Sokka and Katara are," Azula said, glancing at her old friends. "As for you two," she continued, looking at Sokka and then briefly at Katara. "Mai and Ty Lee are my oldest childhood friends. We were figuratively joined at the hip throughout most of the high school. We've drifted apart a little since then, mostly because my father has kept me very busy and Ty Lee decided to run away with the circus, but it hasn't stopped us from keeping tabs on each other, right girls?" Mai and Ty Lee both nodded at that.
"I have a question," Katara spoke up, turning towards Mai. "You spoke about us being a rival restaurant. What did you mean by that?"
"Oh, of course, you don't know," Mai smirked in realization. "Yes, it has to do with the stupid rivalry of the Nakamura siblings."
"Ahem, it's not a stupid rivalry," Azula protested. "Reminding Zuko of his proper place is always a worthy endeavor."
"Whatever, Azula," Mai rolled her eyes. "Anyway, The Blue Spirit restaurant is technically owned by my parents, but they're letting me and Zuko run it."
"Run it right into the ground, knowing Zuko," Azula cackled gleefully.
"Actually-" Mai began to speak, but then she cut herself off. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I said from the very start that I'm not getting involved in this whole drama between Zuko and Azula. And I'm sure Ty Lee feels the same."
"I do," Ty Lee nodded. "Azula and Zuko are just being their dramatic selves. Mai and I are pretty used to that. It's best to ignore them."
"Well, so far we haven't really felt any direct competition from you, so I don't see why we can't simply coexist peacefully," Katara shrugged. "If Sokka and Ty Lee want to keep seeing one another, I doubt it's going to create any tensions or something of that sort."
"Yes, I think so as well," Ty Lee nodded excitedly. "Also, once you and Azula have sorted out whatever dyke drama you have going on, maybe the four of us can go on a double date or something."
"Ty Lee, what did I tell you about the elephant in the room," Mai hissed.
"I'm still not seeing it," Ty Lee shrugged. "Like Sokka said, it must have wandered off."
"I don't know about going on a double date with my sister," Sokka frowned.
"Oh, I didn't mean anything nasty," Ty Lee said quickly, looking apologetic. "We don't have to end those dates with a foursome or a partner swap, I'm not weird like that." Katara and Sokka both choked on their cocktails at that statement and started coughing like mad, while Mai actually broke her stoic goth character and was laughing her ass off. Azula just sat there with her eyes wide, giving Ty Lee an incredulous stare. "I would have actually proposed a triple date, but I have a feeling that Azula and Zuko would just ruin it by trying to bite off each other's heads," Ty Lee went on, giggling innocently.
"Wait, so… you and Azula's brother?" Sokka put two and two together, staring at Mai.
"It's an ungrateful task, but someone has to do it," Mai let out a long-suffering sigh, making Azula snort at that comment. "I think of it as performing an important public service because Zuko… well, let's just say that he benefits from someone keeping an eye on him."
"So, you're dating Azula's brother, but you're still keeping a neutral stance in this sibling competition?" Katara asked, feeling a little incredulous.
"Listen, it's a skill that Ty Lee and I have developed since we were first introduced to Azula and Zuko at the ages of ten and eleven," Mai replied. "We've been walking that tightrope ever since."
"It wasn't always easy, especially at the start," Ty Lee sighed. "There was lots of drama, but I think we all learned from it. And eventually we had to come down hard on them and make it clear that we're not going to choose sides."
"Needless to say, that I didn't take it well," Azula said. "In fact, I accused Mai and Ty Lee of betrayal. I think it was the longest time we went without speaking, almost three months."
"But you apologized, so everything worked out in the end," Ty Lee beamed, leaning over to Azula to give her friend a quick hug, ignoring Azula's half-hearted attempts to bat her away. Katara observed the interaction with great interest, and perhaps just a tiny bit of jealousy. Mai and Ty Lee clearly had a very long history with Azula that was very important to all of them. It was something that Katara wasn't privy to and it made her feel a little left out. The slightly tactless comments made by Ty Lee also implied that they were well informed about Azula's private life, and it made Katara wonder if perhaps there was also some romantic past between Azula and one or both of these girls. Certainly, they were both currently dating boys, but that didn't have to mean anything. Still, the current vibe between the trio felt platonic, so Katara's jealousy remained at ease for now.
"Well then," Katara began after a brief pause in conversation. "If Ty Lee and Sokka intend to keep seeing each other, then I see no reason why we all can't remain on friendly terms, despite all this restaurant rivalry. But I just want to make it clear that even if I have no personal stake in Azula's rivalry with her brother, I will do whatever it takes to protect my restaurant if it ends up being caught in the crossfire."
"Right there with you, Kat," Sokka gave her a supportive nod.
"That is more than fair," Mai also nodded. "Also, you seem pleasant enough. I don't see why we couldn't be friends." Katara shot Mai a grateful smile at that comment. She had only just met this young woman, but she could already tell that being described as pleasant enough was a big compliment coming from Mai. "As for your brother," Mai continued, staring at Sokka and looking like she was desperately searching for words. "Well… suffice to say that Ty Lee thinks very highly of him," she said. "That's good enough for me, but my earlier warning still applies."
"The message has been received, scary lady, you don't have to repeat it," Sokka laughed, a little uneasily.
"You really don't need to intimidate Sokka, he's as sweet as a teddy bear," Ty Lee giggled, winking at Mai. "But just to be clear, Mai isn't joking with her warnings," she then told Sokka. "She's both an accomplished knife thrower and an archer. She's also… taken care of some of my poorly chosen suitors in the past."
Katara and Sokka exchanged slightly concerned stares. "Perhaps it's best not to ask what you mean by taken care of," Katara gulped.
"Yes, let's not spend time rehashing the past," Azula said hurriedly. "I'm sure that Sokka doesn't need any of these warnings. I would certainly vouch for him myself," she added, looking at Mai. "It's just… this is a conversation that Mai and I are used to having with whoever Ty Lee decides to start dating a little more seriously. Ty Lee is amazing, but… uh, let's just say that she's… not hard to take advantage of."
"I wonder if I should feel a little insulted by whatever you just said, Azula," Ty Lee said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "Well, I can't figure it out. Maybe I'm not tipsy enough," she giggled, stealing a big sip from Sokka's drink.
"All I'm really saying is that Katara and Sokka are good people, and we don't need to be all guarded around them," Azula said. "I know, shocking statement coming from me, right? Telling others to lower their guard, what's wrong with me?" she chuckled.
"Well, we've all grown up and become better judges of character, I suppose," Mai said. "Or maybe you're just simping really hard for certain someone at this table," she added with a smirk, making Azula go all red-faced again.
"How, uh… how about a new round of drinks?" Katara asked in a hurry, feeling very flushed herself. It seemed as if Azula's friends were merciless with their teasing, but Katara couldn't deny that she found it all very exciting.
The past few days had been a true living nightmare for Jet. He had seen way too many naked grans than anyone should ever see during this shoot for the nude calendar, and Jet wasn't sure if he would mentally be the same ever again. After interacting with Jin's gran, it had become very clear to Jet where Jin got her crazy from. Jin's gran was way too enthusiastic about the photo shoot and she had kept Jet on the call for far too long. In the end, Jet had been forced to fake losing connection to the internet by unplugging a cable.
Mai's gran had been the worst and most sadistic, which certainly made a lot of sense. She'd kept showing Jet her gross gangrenous arm because she was clearly proud of it, for some reason expecting everyone to share her fascination. As for Ty Lee's gran, she had tried to demonstrate just how flexible she still was despite being scheduled for hip replacement surgery, and she had tried to do cartwheels to impress Jet, forcing him to physically stop and restrain her.
On Ji's gran kept constantly losing her train of thought and forgetting what they were doing, so when Jet was almost done taking the photos, On Ji's gran had suddenly started shouting about a creepy stranger taking nude photos of her. The staff of the nursing home had raced to her rescue, punches had been thrown and Jet had made a hasty retreat involving a leap from the second story window, returning to The Blue Spirit bruised and battered, complaining bitterly about a society that saw a man who just wanted to take naked photos of old ladies as some sort of weirdo.
Jet had then further traumatized himself by putting the calendar together and ordering a few trial copies from a friend who made his living printing labels for bootleg alcohol. But the worst part of this whole experience was yet to come. When Jet had brought the trial copies back to The Blue Spirit, Zuko had picked up one of the calendars to check it out, and his reaction had been to burst a blood vessel and punch the wall, threatening Jet to remove this filth from his establishment immediately and never mention it again if he wanted to keep his job. Jet had done so, while listening to Mai dying from laughter in her office.
Still, perhaps it wasn't all for nothing, because here Jet was back at his apartment on Sunday evening, with Jin and On Ji in the bed with him. Unfortunately, while Ty Lee had seemed sympathetic to the way he had been treated, she hadn't agreed to the proposed foursome because she was clearly starting to get more serious with the guy she was seeing, spelling bad news for Jet.
Jet, Jin and On Ji were already down to their underwear as the evening got off to a good start. On Ji was kissing him on the lips while Jin was cuddled up to his other side, kissing his neck. As Jet subtly unhooked On Ji's bra, he was sure that this would be one of the hottest threesomes he had ever partaken in, until…
"The doctor has already changed my catheter," Jet suddenly heard the voice of On Ji's gran in his head.
"This gangrenous spot looks exactly like the map of the Fire Nation," the voice of Mai's gran also intervened with Jet's attempt to focus on the two sexy girls in his bed.
"Look at how that hip pops out when I wriggle around like this," the cheerful voice of Ty Lee's gran sounded in Jet's head.
"Let me ride this rocking chair like I rode my seventh husband," Jin's gran laughed, disturbingly straddling the rocking chair.
Jet gasped and rose from the bed, knocking the two surprised girls aside. "Are you alright?" On Ji asked, sounding concerned.
"Yeah, what's up?" Jin added. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"No, it's… it's nothing," Jet replied shakily, trying to dismiss the disturbing memories of the naked grans. "Let's get back to what we were doing," he said, trying to sound confident as he leaned over Jin, pulling her bra down to reveal her breasts as he began to kiss her.
"The doctor has already changed my catheter." "This gangrenous spot looks exactly like the map of the Fire Nation." "Look at how that hip pops out when I wriggle around like this." "Let me ride this rocking chair like a rode my seventh husband." The mental images of all the naked grans began relentlessly popping into Jet's mind, regardless of how hard he tried to focus on kissing Jin. Eventually, all the images became fixated in Jet's head, refusing to go away. The mental images then began to slowly spin around, accompanied by the disturbing tune of circus music.
Jet pushed Jin aside and leapt out of the bed, looking distressed. "I'm sorry, but I… I just can't do it," he sobbed, running out of the bedroom.
"Whoa, what do you think is wrong with him?" Jin wondered, looking at On Ji in surprise. "Was it something we said or did?"
"I don't think so," On Ji shrugged. "Jet is just being weird again." She gave Jin an intense stare. "Anyway… just because Jet bailed on us, it doesn't mean we have to like… stop?"
"True," Jin agreed eagerly. "Now that we're both here, we might as well seize the opportunity, right?" she smiled, moving closer to On Ji. Soon enough, they were kissing passionately, determined to have a great time and completely unaware of Jet out in the living room, guzzling down a bottle of scotch in a desperate attempt to erase the disturbing mental images from his mind.
Ty Lee returned home a couple of hours after midnight, following the very successful date with Sokka where she had been introduced to his charming sister, Katara. After leaving Nyla's Tavern and bidding farewell to friends old and new, Ty Lee and Sokka had driven all the way up to a well-known hookup spot on a cliffside overlooking the city below. There, they had made love in the moonlight, without a care for the slightly uncomfortable cramped space in the backseat of Sokka's car.
Sokka had clearly been dying to ask whether he could come in after dropping Ty Lee off at her apartment. It seemed that he wasn't at all convinced by her roommate story, so Ty Lee knew that she would have to tell him the truth sooner rather than later. Still, this evening had been so perfect that Ty Lee didn't want to ruin it with shocking surprises for Sokka. Perhaps she would be able to find a more appropriate moment to reveal the truth in the coming days.
Determined and resolute, Ty Lee unlocked the doors of her apartment and stepped inside. "Honey, I'm home!" she exclaimed in a singsong voice, kicking off her shoes and stepping further into the apartment. Ty Lee then opened the bathroom doors and leaned in. "And how was your day?" she asked, grinning broadly.