Chapter 36 – our parents wouldn't do that
"So," Suki began, turning towards the girl sitting in the passenger seat of her car. "How are you feeling?"
"Terrified and anxious," Mingxia, Suki's foster sister from their old life on Kyoshi Island replied, just about managing to keep the stutter out of her voice.
"Don't be," Suki sighed. "You'll soon see that all my friends are wonderful and supportive people," she added while parking at her usual spot in the car park outside The Northern Lights.
Mingxia had arrived late last night with a ferry from Kyoshi Island, with very little advanced notice. Unfortunately, she had failed to find stable employment before her next payment of rent was due, and the landlord had proven to be completely merciless, kicking her out on the street with barely anything to her name. As soon as Suki had heard about it, she had bought a ferry ticket in Mingxia's name to get her foster sister to Caldera City immediately.
As soon as Suki had picked Mingxia up at the marina late last night, she had instantly regretted not having intervened earlier, but because of the distance, it had been difficult to judge just how bad Mingxia's situation was. The truth was that Mingxia didn't look well at all. She was much thinner than Suki remembered her, suggestion severe malnutrition. Mingxia was very jumpy, with eyes constantly shifting around as if she was looking out for all sorts of dangers, suggesting possible untreated anxieties. At least from the first glance Suki hadn't seen any signs of physical abuse, which would have had her schedule a boat trip back to Kyoshi Island to crack some skulls and exact bloody revenge.
With very little time having passed since Mingxia's arrival the previous evening, there hadn't been many opportunities to talk about any future plans. For now, Suki was determined to have Mingxia stay at her tiny apartment, an arrangement the other girl seemed happy with, appearing very satisfied with sleeping on the hastily procured air mattress. Right now, Suki simply didn't want to leave Mingxia alone, which was also why she had texted both Katara and Sokka, asking if she could bring Mingxia with her to the restaurant where she could help around the kitchen.
Certainly, it was a little inconvenient that this whole drama blew up just as Suki was becoming so used to spending more and more time with Yue and Kya, but she was never going to refuse helping someone she had grown up with and survived the foster care grinder together. Also, Suki wanted to believe that someone as kind-hearted as Yue would understand and sympathize with Mingxia's situation, especially when she had stated her intentions to help earlier.
"Well, it seems like not everyone is here yet," Suki remarked, looking around the car park before getting out of her Honda Civic. "That's probably for the best, we don't want to overwhelm you with introductions."
"Sorry," Mingxia muttered, hesitantly following Suki towards the restaurant's entrance. "I hate being such a wilting flower."
"I don't think you're a wilting flower, Min," Suki said, opening the doors for her foster sister. "You're just someone in a really tough spot. I'd struggle in your situation, too."
"Somehow I doubt that," Mingxia shook her head, making the short and choppy twin braids bounce wildly. "You were always the toughest of our foster care bunch."
"Agree to disagree," Suki shrugged, leading Mingxia through the restaurant's dining room before spotting Yue, emerging with a stack of cleaning supplies to touch up some of the spots missed while clearing down the previous evening. "Yue, meet Mingxia," Suki was quick to introduce the pair.
"Hey, so glad to finally meet you!" Yue gushed, quickly coming over to greet Mingxia, taking her hand despite the other girl making a hesitant gesture as if trying to pull away from the handshake. "Listen, Suki has told us that things have been rough, but that's all in the past. Now that you're here, we're going to make sure that things only get better."
"Uh… hey, and thank you," Mingxia managed, looking slightly overwhelmed and taken aback by the immediate friendliness of the blonde girl.
"Min is still trying to gather her bearings," Suki said, shooting Yue a quick apologetic smile. Thankfully, Yue appeared completely understanding. "I was going to start by showing her the kitchen."
"Of course, don't let me keep you!" Yue smiled. "We'll have plenty of time to talk later, I'm sure!" she added as Suki and Mingxia continued on their way.
"Well, she's certainly… friendly," Mingxia remarked once they had left the dining room and were walking down the corridor leading towards the kitchen. "I didn't expect that. She's the girl you used to hate, right?"
"What?" Suki laughed, shaking her head in bemusement as she held the kitchen doors open for Mingxia. "I don't think I've ever hated Yue? Why would you say that?"
"I'm pretty sure you didn't like her when you started working here?" Mingxia said, sounding a little confused. "I remember that from a few years ago when we still spoke on the phone almost every day. You always had some kind of issue with her, I mean, you complained about that girl a lot."
"Are you sure?" Suki frowned. "I don't remember doing that at all. Why would I complain about Yue?"
"Well, you seemed to-… ah!" Mingxia exclaimed in fright when someone else entered the kitchen, Aang emerging from the walk-in freezer, carrying boxes of fresh vegetables while whistling a merry tune.
"Whoa!" Aang gasped, almost dropping the boxes. He carefully set them down next to his work station and then looked around the kitchen, grinning when he spotted Suki and her foster sister. "Oh hey, you must be Mingxia!" he spoke excitedly. "I'm Aang! Sorry about giving you a scare just now!"
"H-hey… and it's nothing. I shouldn't be so j-jumpy," Mingxia stuttered, seemingly finding it impossible to relax.
"Aang is our sous chef and he's also in charge of the vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu," Suki explained.
"Really?" Mingxia looked curious. "Are you a vegan yourself?"
"That's right," Aang nodded. "What about you?"
"Vegetarian," Mingxia managed a small smile. "I can't give up proper cheese, sorry."
"That's alright, as far as I'm concerned, going vegetarian is the most important choice. Making that next step to becoming a vegan is just a cherry on top," Aang chuckled. "Hey, have you had breakfast already?" he asked. "Or maybe I could impress you with one of my dishes?"
"We planned to have breakfast here," Suki said when Mingxia was slow to reply.
"Y-yes, but I don't want to impose," Mingxia added. "You clearly have a lot of work to do."
"Eh, prepping the veggies goes really quick, I have plenty of time to do that and also whip up something for you," Aang shrugged. "But you can help if you wish?" he suggested with a welcoming smile.
"He's not going to bite you, Min," Suki sighed having noticed the uncertainty gripping Mingxia's frame. "Aang is a vegan pacifist and probably the nicest and kindest out of all of us here. He once accidentally stepped on a spider and cried for three days straight."
"Hey, I'm not that overly emotional!" Aang protested, laughing. "But I did feel terrible for that spider, it's true."
"Well… alright, I'll help," Mingxia finally relented, relaxing slightly.
"Min has worked in some of the fast-food joints on Kyoshi Island," Suki smiled. "She should be pretty useful in the kitchen," she added, watching Aang fetch a spare chef's coat and an apron for Mingxia. As she was watching, the kitchen doors suddenly opened with Yue poking her nose in and once she had managed to attract Suki's attention, gesturing for Suki to step outside.
"What's up?" Suki asked, finding herself face to face with Yue in the empty corridor.
"Umm, not much, just getting ready for the lunch service," Yue replied awkwardly. "Do you think Mingxia will settle in well?" she asked.
"I think so," Suki shrugged. "I left her to bond with Aang. He's good for that."
"True, true…" Yue remarked absentmindedly, making Suki feel a little frustrated, because Yue had been the one to call her outside, ostensibly to tell her something. "So… Mingxia said something loud enough for me to overhear and I can't move past that until I know the truth. She said that you used to hate me?" Yue finally got around to asking the question, looking hurt as she did so.
Suki groaned, slapping a palm against her face. "And I guess you didn't hear my answer where I told her that she was mistaken," Suki sighed. Yue gave her a questioning stare. "I swear that I've never hated you. But there was a time when I was… I don't know, intimidated by you?"
"What?" Yue gasped, looking very surprised. "I don't believe you could be intimidated by anyone, not even Azula! Why would you feel intimidated by me?"
"Well, it was over Sokka," Suki snorted, feeling a little embarrassed for having to explain something like this. "When we started dating, for the first few months I just felt like… I don't know, a bit threatened, because you were still around and you got on so well, sharing custody over Kya. And with you being so glamorous and beautiful, well, I had a lot of anxiety about Sokka feeling like he was settling for a downgrade with me."
"That… that's preposterous," Yue exclaimed, blushing heatedly. "I can't believe you felt threatened by me. I was such a mess! I still am, honestly." Their eyes met and the blush on Yue's cheeks darkened even more. "But… thank you for the lovely compliment."
"Hey, I'm just telling how it is," Suki shrugged, feeling her own cheeks burning slightly. "Anyway, that feeling of inferiority didn't last too long and I eventually got over it. And we've never looked back, right?"
"Right," Yue nodded, grinning. "I'm glad we cleared that up, though. The thought that you might have hated me… well, it just felt very unpleasant."
"I could never hate you, silly," Suki sighed. "I'm sorry about the misunderstanding."
"It's all good now," Yue smiled, then pulling Suki into a quick hug. "Anyway, we should probably get back to our chores, and you need to look after Mingxia. Oh, and let me know if you want to do something together later, I'll be happy to join in and make her feel properly welcome."
"I was counting on it," Suki smiled back at her best friend before returning to the kitchen, where Aang had managed to get Mingxia set up at Toph's station and she was currently working on turning yesterday's mashed potatoes into something that would soon become delicious cheesy and crispy potato croquettes.
Suki used the opportunity to start her own prep and for the next twenty minutes or so, they worked in silence. The only interruption was Sokka and Ty Lee briefly checking in for introductions with Mingxia before Sokka gave his girlfriend a lift for her shift at The Blue Spirit. Ty Lee was still persisting with her librarian outfit for the time being, which everyone found rather amusing. It had never occurred Suki to do something like that in order to impress Hakoda Enuaraq.
"Any idea what plans Toph has for her day off?" Suki asked, eventually becoming bored of the silence.
"Sleeping in, I think," Aang chuckled. "She took two nearly full wine bottles home with us last night and drank most of it. Judging by how she was snoring up a storm, I think she'll be sleeping in until noon. And once she wakes up, she'll probably be hungry and then she'll make her way over here to scavenge the kitchen for lunch leftovers."
"So much for a day off if she ends up at work anyway," Suki shrugged, shaking her head.
"Toph was the blind girl, yes?" Mingxia spoke up. Aang and Suki both nodded. "And this is her work station, right?" Mingxia asked, with Aang and Suki nodding again. "I hope she won't mind me working here. I'll try to leave everything as it was."
"I'll help you with that," Aang offered. "Sokka and I built this station for Toph together, so I know where everything goes."
"Thank you," Mingxia smiled. "You're a great friend. Toph must be so happy to have you."
"Ah, it's nothing, really," Aang blushed. "And I know Toph appreciates me, even if she doesn't always show it."
"I often feel like we on the whole don't appreciate you enough, Aang," Suki smiled. "You're just an awesome little guy, I hope you know that." Aang was very red in the face from all the compliments, but he was also beaming with happiness, which Suki thought was well deserved.
The next one to show up at the restaurant was Ursa Noriko, Azula's mother. "Morning, Mrs. Noriko!" Suki responded cheerfully to Ursa's greeting. "I'm afraid that Hakoda and Katara haven't arrived yet!" she added, watching Ursa become a little flustered at the mention of Hakoda. "Nor has Azula, for that matter."
"That's perfectly fine, my dear," Ursa replied distractedly. Over the past week, she had become a permanent fixture at the restaurant, supposedly because Azula had invited her as a consultant for the dessert menu they were developing. In reality, Ursa seemed to be spending a lot of her time getting to know Hakoda Enuaraq. Katara and Azula both seemed to be in denial about how far that relationship had progressed, but Suki was willing to bet her entire monthly salary that by now Ursa had visited Hakoda's hotel room at least several times already.
Truth be told, Suki didn't mind the presence of Hakoda and Ursa. While it wasn't as if they were children who needed adult oversight (despite what some of their behavior might suggest), Suki rather enjoyed having this parental presence around the place. Suki wasn't one to scrutinize her own feelings too closely, but she supposed it was because she had only so few positive parental experiences from her time in the foster system. Even though she was now in her mid-twenties, a quiet want to have parental figures in her life had never truly gone away.
Another reason why Suki was glad to have Hakoda around was because his embracing of Yue and Kya as family had made Yue positively glow with happiness. Yue was still suffering bouts of depression from her father no longer acknowledging her or Kya, and to Suki it was clear that Hakoda's acceptance of the pair had done wonders for Yue.
"You are quite handy with that knife, Mingxia," Ursa remarked, having watched Suki's foster sister work following their introductions. "Have you worked in a professional kitchen before? Or do you simply love to cook?"
"I, uh… I've worked as a prep cook here and there on Kyoshi Island," Mingxia explained in her usual hasty and rambling way. "But I don't really like cooking. Baking, though…"
"Really?" Ursa suddenly looked interested. "I don't know if anyone has told you yet, but I'm a baker at The Green Dragon."
"S-seriously?" Mingxia gasped, nearly taking off her finger in surprise, almost in the style of Sokka. "I l-love your croissants! And cinnamon buns! And… and everything, really!"
"It seems like you're quite enthusiastic about baking," Ursa remarked. "Maybe you could channel that enthusiasm in seeking employment as a baker."
"Oh… no, I really couldn't," Mingxia stuttered. "I don't have the experience… or the education," she said, lowering her gaze and avoiding Suki's stare. Suki cringed from the feelings of guilt at the pit of her stomach. Lately, she had started questioning whether her foster parents shipping her off to the culinary school hadn't been done just to get her out of the way and make it possible for them to abuse Mingxia. The reaction of her foster sister made Suki suspect that Mingxia was harboring similar suspicions.
"Wasn't there something about The Green Dragon offering apprenticeships?" Suki asked suddenly, sensing an opportunity to help her foster sister. "Maybe you could find a spot for Min?"
"No, really, I couldn't ask for that, it would be too much," Mingxia protested.
Ursa hesitated slightly. "It's usually for younger applicants who have finished high school, but don't have the opportunities to go to a trade school," she replied. "But I could discuss it with Iroh. If he knew the specific circumstances, I'm sure we could figure something out."
"I don't even know how long I'll be here for," Mingxia still wouldn't let go. "I wouldn't want to start something I can't finish."
"You're here to get back on your feet again, with a little help from me and my friends," Suki spoke firmly. "And this could be an important part of that."
"I agree," Ursa nodded. "I would love to personally take you under my wing." Mingxia looked at Ursa, then back at Suki, her lower lip quivering. Then she burst into tears and ran out of the kitchen.
"Is she going to be alright?" Aang asked worriedly. "Should we go after her?"
"I'll go, but I want to give her a few minutes first," Suki sighed. She then shot Ursa a grateful stare. "Thank you for the offer, Ursa. Mingxia really needs a lucky break like that. She'll make for a good student, you'll see, it's just that you can't go too hard on her."
"Yes, I sort of formed that impression already," Ursa smiled softly. "But don't worry, I like to think of myself as a very patient person. Raising Kiyi and dealing with Zuko and Azula's constant competitions taught me all the patience I'll ever need," she chuckled.
"Well, that makes a lot of sense," Suki snorted. She spent a few more minutes dry brining the steaks before placing them back in the fridge and then setting out to find Mingxia. The dining room had been set up and was now empty, with Yue nowhere to be seen. Since she had nobody to ask whether Mingxia had stormed out of the restaurant, Suki decided to instead check out the ladies' room. Her instincts proved to be correct, as she found Mingxia standing by the mirror and wiping her face clean, but Suki hadn't expected to find Yue standing next to her foster sister, a comforting arm around her back. Of course, Suki already knew that Yue's compassion and warmth knew no bounds, and it was the one thing she loved most about her friend. But still, seeing Yue extend comfort and compassion to the closest person Suki had to a family… well, it made Suki's heart flutter in a way it hadn't done for some time.
"Everything alright here?" Suki eventually cleared her throat.
"I think we're going to be alright now," Yue replied softly.
"Thanks to Yue," Mingxia added quietly. "Sorry about storming out like that, Suki. I feel foolish, acting like a silly drama queen in front of your friends like that, but I just became so overwhelmed…"
"For a good reason, though. Ursa's offer is very exciting," Yue smiled. "By the way, are you done with your prep, Suki? I was thinking that the three of us could spend some time on the roof terrace before we open for lunch."
"I still have a few things to take care of, but you two should go ahead and I'll join you as soon as I can," Suki said. "You've given me the incentive to speed things up in the kitchen. And Min… remember to relax," she grinned. "After all, I'm leaving you in the care of someone I have complete trust in."
"I think I'm starting to see why," Mingxia added, smiling at Yue. For once, all anxiety seemed to have bled from her voice.
"Keep up, you slowpoke!" Katara ground her teeth at Azula's impatient shouting as she struggled to keep up with the other girl. For whatever mad reason, Katara had decided to join Azula on her afternoon jogging in the nearby park, an activity that the rest of their friends considered insane. Fifteen minutes into a hard run, Katara was seriously reconsidering her life choices because she was panting heavily, sweat pouring down her face as she struggled to keep up with Azula.
"Let's take a break," Katara gasped, earning herself a disapproving frown from the Fire Nation girl. Katara wasn't much of a jogger, but she still considered herself more fit than the average person because she did long hours of physical labor at the restaurant and it kept her in great shape, but she definitely hadn't counted on Azula running like some kind of psycho or Olympic athlete.
"You said you wouldn't have any trouble keeping up," Azula spoke accusingly as she reluctantly came to a halt and allowed Katara to catch up with her.
"I thought we would be jogging like normal people, not sprinting for fifteen minutes straight," Katara complained, snatching a water bottle out of Azula's hands. "Are you trying to show off?" she asked suspiciously before starting to hungrily drink with big gulps.
"What? No, I'm not showing off, that's ridiculous," Azula protested, unconvincingly. "Anyway, don't you have your own water bottle?" she asked. Katara held up her bottle which by now was already empty. "How did you manage that?" Azula wondered, stepping around Katara and poking her in the back.
"What are you doing, Azula?" Katara glared.
"Checking for a hump," Azula grinned. "You must be part-camel if you can store that much water."
"Oh, shut up, you," Katara growled, playfully pushing Azula away. "Anyway, I'm going to sit down for a few minutes. Feel free to continue if you want to… but then don't be surprised if I don't join you tomorrow."
Azula looked very worried at that as she sat down on the bench next to Katara. "Sure, we can rest," she quickly agreed. "And I'll keep the pace slow when we resume, I promise."
"Good," Katara smiled, leaning back and closing her eyes, enjoying the brief respite. It was a slightly overcast afternoon, an important prerequisite for her to join, because she would have probably already died if she had tried jogging in the sweltering peak heat of a Fire Nation summer. The park was relatively empty at this hour, save for a few groups of seniors sitting on shaded benches and young mothers pushing around baby strollers. In the tree providing shade to Katara and Azula's bench, a pair of ravens perched hopefully, expecting them to pull out some crumb-producing sandwiches, but soon flying away disappointed.
"Is Kiyi still going on with her wild theories about your mom and my dad?" Katara asked a while later.
"Yes, she's worse about it than ever," Azula chuckled. "I haven't been able to dissuade her from these conspiracy theories, even though it's clear that there's nothing going on. Ursa is just way too old for another relationship. She missed that boat years ago. Everyone can see that."
"I hope that's not your best argument, Azula, because your mom is still a stunningly beautiful woman," Katara frowned. "I just don't think my dad is looking for a relationship at this point in his life. If he was interested, then he surely wouldn't have waited so long. It's been more than ten years since… since we lost mom."
"Sorry," Azula muttered awkwardly, briefly touching Katara's hand. "I still don't know the right way to respond when you mention that."
"It's fine, there's no correct way of responding that I expect of you," Katara smiled briefly. "Anyway, going back to those wild theories. I know it's all bullshit because I straight up asked my dad and he denied everything. And I know he wouldn't lie to me."
"Well, there you have it," Azula shrugged. "Case closed."
"Exactly," Katara smiled. "Anyway, I think I'm good to continue."
"Wait," Azula stopped her. "There's something I wanted to say, actually," she continued, looking a little nervous and excited. "I managed to secure the forest cottage for the weekend after your dad goes away."
"Azula, that's wonderful!" Katara exclaimed. "Have you told the others yet?" she asked.
Azula hesitated, blushing slightly. "I haven't, no. You're the first one to know," she admitted.
"I'm flattered," Katara smiled. "But aren't you going to tell Suki and Yue?" she asked, wondering if Azula maybe wanted it to be a private romantic getaway just for the two of them. As much as that thought made her giddy and excited, Katara had to remind herself not to do anything that would upset her best friends. "They're going to be very upset if we don't tell them," Katara said, a little reluctantly.
"That's true," Azula admitted. "Of course, we're going to invite them as well," she added, trying to sound as if that had been the plan all along. "Still," Azula continued, glancing at Katara. "I'm working on some very secret plans that I hope you in particular will enjoy," she added mysteriously.
"Oh, you've got me all quivering with anticipation," Katara laughed. "Are you sure there's no way I can coax some spoilers from you?" she asked. Azula firmly shook her head. "Well, it was worth a try," Katara grinned. She then leaned in, surprising Azula with a soft kiss on the cheek that left them both blushing.
"What was that for?" Azula laughed softly.
"Well, you've been very nice to me lately," Katara smiled. "The whole gift of my father's visit, and now with the cottage? It's enough to make a girl feel very hopeful."
Azula's blush intensified tenfold. "You deserve nice things," she managed, a little awkwardly. "A-anyway, are we here to jog, or to chat the day away?"
"Hey, you were the one who wanted to tell me about the cottage, remember?" Katara rolled her eyes. "Ready to continue whenever, just remember that you promised to take it easy. Also, I still think that you were showing off earlier."
"I might have been, yes," Azula admitted. "Did it work?" she asked hopefully.
"You are such a dork," Katara laughed, playfully punching Azula's shoulder as the two girls resumed their afternoon jog.
Hakoda Enuaraq sighed at the continued insistent knocking on the doors of his hotel room. He definitely had not called for room service, and it seemed very odd for the staff to just blatantly ignore the 'do not disturb' sign he had placed on the doorknob. Still, waiting to see if the intruder would go away seemed to do no good, so having made sure that he and the room were both decent, Hakoda proceeded to open the doors to confront the intruder. He was very surprised to see none other than Yue Taqqiq on his doorstep, together with her adorable little girl, holding her mother's hand.
"Yue? I did not expect to see you until tomorrow," Hakoda blinked, remembering to step aside and let the pair enter.
"I understand, and I'm sorry for intruding at this hour," Yue apologized. "I saw the sign and I assumed that you were probably packing," she added, quickly looking around the room, probably wondering why Hakoda had placed the 'do not disturb' sign on the doors when he clearly was yet to start packing for his flight back to the Water Tribes tomorrow morning. "Anyway, I just figured that tomorrow there will be a big commotion as we see you off as a group. And I wanted to have a word with you in private before that."
"Of course," Hakoda smiled encouragingly. "What's on your mind, dear?"
"Well… really, I just wanted to thank you for the kindness you've showed to me and Kya over these two weeks," Yue said, giving him the softest stare. "It was a wonderful surprise to have you in our lives again, although we are saddened to see you leave."
"It was no less kindness than you deserve," Hakoda said earnestly. "I'm sorry for not reaching out sooner, but with the distance, I was not fully aware of your situation. And as I told you earlier, I expect us to stay in closer contact in the future. I want to know what's going on with you, and especially with this little tyke," he reached down to affectionately tousle the little girl's hair.
"I'll make sure to call often," Yue promised. "And I'm sure Kya will love to Facetime with you."
"Yes, but you will need to visit again, pawpaw," Kya giggled.
"Oh, I will, and hopefully this time you won't have to wait almost two years for the next visit," Hakoda laughed.
"That's wonderful to hear," Yue confessed. "I was so sad when you left for the Tribes last time because I… I guess I was starting to see you as a father figure…"
"Ah… I understand," Hakoda sighed. Katara and Sokka had told him enough about Yue's poor relationship with her father. Hakoda had never met Arnook Taqqiq personally, but even so he already knew that the man was a complete tool for not wanting someone as amazing as Yue and her daughter in his life. "I hope that situation improves in the future, but until then, I'm happy to be there for you and Kya, as much as I'm able."
"Thank you so much, Hakoda," Yue sobbed, giving him a quick hug. "You don't know how much it means to us." She swiftly wiped her eyes, recomposing herself. "Anyway, I know we shouldn't keep you for too long, but Kya had one more request of you."
"Yes!" Kya cheered, producing her Pai Sho set. "How about one more game, pawpaw?"
Hakoda chuckled, shaking his head as they sat down and began to set up the board. Given the circumstances he found himself in, a lengthy Pai Sho game was definitely not ideal at this moment, but there was no way that Hakoda was going to deny the little girl's request. The only solution now was to end the game quickly, which probably meant that he would have to find a way to lose because Kya was already a very handy and hard to beat player at her tender age.
It was about fifteen minutes into their game and Hakoda was on the brink of defeat, when suddenly there was another knock on the doors. "I feel like it's time for me to accept the inevitable and resign," Hakoda told the jubilant Kya as he got up from the bed and walked up to open the doors. "Uh… I did not expect you two to show up…" Hakoda exclaimed upon seeing Sokka and his girlfriend Ty Lee standing outside.
"I know, I know, we should let you pack and rest before the long flight tomorrow, but Ty Lee had something that she needed to tell you in private, so-" Sokka began, peeking into the room past Hakoda. "Hey, and it looks like you already have guests. The more the merrier, I say!" he exclaimed joyfully, pushing past Hakoda and entering the room.
"Hi dad!" Kya raved excitedly as Sokka picked her up and spun the little girl around. "I beat pawpaw at Pai Sho!"
"She's improving frighteningly quick," Hakoda admitted, then turning towards Ty Lee, languishing a little behind. She had gotten rid of all the supposedly sophisticated outfits she had been wearing the entire week, finally wearing something that actually seemed to be her style, white denim shorts and a pink crop top that was so small that it struggled to hold its contents, an observation that Hakoda couldn't help making even if he desperately tried not to stare. "So, you wanted to tell me something, Ty Lee?" he instead asked kindly.
"I, uh… I just wanted to apologize for acting like a fool all this time," Ty Lee sighed, lowering her eyes in shame. "I tried to pretend that I'm something I'm not, but as you could tell from yesterday's disaster, I'm… just a basic, dumb bimbo, there's no way around that. I was hoping to make it seem like I'm smart enough for Sokka, but… yeah, that was a complete failure on my part."
Hakoda felt rather taken aback by Ty Lee's confession. Maybe she hadn't seemed like an obvious match for Sokka, but she had always projected such confidence, and yet here she was clearly admitting serious and unexpected insecurities. It was true that the previous evening had been a disaster, however. Ty Lee had been wearing a classy evening gown, talking about how she was into classical composers like Tchaikovsky and Brahms, but when Sokka had mentioned that he was more of a fan of Vivaldi, Ty Lee had chewed him out for always wanting to talk about football. Everyone had burst into laughter at that embarrassing gaffe, and Ty Lee had awkwardly laughed it off as well, but it had clearly been a hurtful moment for her.
"I don't think you're lacking in intelligence, Ty Lee," Hakoda spoke honestly. Ty Lee gave him a skeptical stare. "And there's no such thing as being smart enough for someone. After all, I married a woman who was clearly way smarter than I was, and yet we spent almost twenty happy years together," Hakoda added, forcing back the bitterness of grief that still popped up every time he was speaking about Kya. "Besides, you really are a smart girl. Just a few days ago, you gave me fifteen facts most people don't know about sealions from the top of your head. I don't know anyone else who could have told me some of those things! You spoke like a true zoologist, and they are some of the smartest people in the world."
"Huh… I never thought about it that way," Ty Lee admitted, allowing herself a small, hopeful smile. "That makes me feel a little better, actually."
"I'm glad, because everything I said is true," Hakoda nodded firmly. He gave the girl a measured stare. "Why do you worry so much about others perceiving you as lacking in intelligence?" he asked.
"Because people have been telling me that I'm stupid all my life," Ty Lee sighed. "And I've been brushing it off year after year, after year. But it piles up, I guess? And when your own parents keep telling you that you're dumb, a failure, won't amount to much, are the least successful from your identical septuplets… I guess at some point you start believing it."
Hakoda sighed inwardly. Some of these girls that his children had befriended were truly cursed by having the worst kind of parents, and it made Hakoda wish he could stick around and help in a supportive parental role that these young adults in their twenties still clearly needed on some level. "You're still so young, Ty Lee. You have your whole life ahead of you, and I have all the faith that you'll prove your parents wrong," Hakoda smiled. "Like I said, I think you're a clever girl, and I hope my opinion counts for something. And I know for a fact that Sokka and your friends all think you're smart, too."
"Absolutely, Ty Lee can be quite cunning and creative when she puts her mind to it," Yue chuckled.
"You're just plain smart, Ty," Sokka added. "We're a good match because I could never solve all those morning paper crosswords without you answering all the nature related questions."
"Oh, you guys," Ty Lee sniffed, throwing her arms around Hakoda in a fierce hug. The embrace was certainly affectionate, but it also made Hakoda feel a little awkward and he did his best not to think about the scant clothing Ty Lee was wearing. Nobody else appeared bothered, however, clearly accepting the gesture as a part of Ty Lee's overly affectionate nature.
"Well, I'm glad we cleared that up and you won't be moping any longer about this supposed failure to impress my dad," Sokka spoke up, looking relieved.
"Hey, I already apologized about acting silly this past week," Ty Lee stuck out tongue at her boyfriend. "Besides, I seem to remember that you got something out of this whole deal as well."
"Oh, definitely," Sokka grinned. "We're keeping that librarian outfit of yours for… reasons."
"Too much information, guys," Yue laughed, playfully covering Kya's ears.
"You say that all the time around your friends and I never understand why," Kya complained.
"That's probably a good thing, poppet," Hakoda sighed.
"Anyway, now that we've all had our heart to hearts, how about a rematch at the Pai Sho board?" Sokka suggested. "But since Kya is such a pro, I'll be teaming up with my dad."
Hakoda sighed inwardly at his son's suggestion. This visit was becoming uncomfortably long already, and he really needed to cut it short without offending anyone. Thankfully, at least he could always count on Yue to display some tact and good manners. "Guys, we barged in on Hakoda without any previous warning," Yue spoke up. "Sokka, I think we should let your dad relax and do his packing in peace. We've taken up enough of his time as it is."
"I guess that's true," Sokka shrugged. "Alright, we'll be on our way, then. We'll be there at the airport tomorrow morning to see you off, dad," he added, but instead of heading for the doors, Sokka instead made a beeline for the toilet, causing Hakoda to panic.
"Where do you think you're going?" Hakoda exclaimed, almost jumping into Sokka's path and stopping him.
"Uh… I need to pee?" Sokka blinked. "If that's alright with you?"
"You can't, though," Hakoda said, having to think fast. "I… uh, had a terrible stomach upset earlier. You don't want to go in there."
"Ugh, that sucks," Sokka frowned. "I'll speak with Suki about our food hygiene. That is not acceptable and should have never happened."
"Oh, it's not because of something I ate at the restaurant," Hakoda replied, trying to come up with something cogent. "I… bought some dodgy ceviche from a street vendor."
Sokka gave him a look that clearly implied suspicion of Hakoda having lost his mind. "Anyway… I really need to go, so I'll just hold my nose. It'll be alright," Sokka shrugged, trying to push past Hakoda, but Hakoda wouldn't let him enter the toilet.
"You don't understand, I seriously clogged it," Hakoda said hastily. "It was so bad that I ended up breaking the toilet and now it won't flush. I was, uh… actually waiting for the plumber to show up."
"Well, in that case, we really should be on our way," Yue said hastily, helping Kya collect the Pai Sho tiles and then, after a round of affectionate farewells, the children were finally on their way, leaving Hakoda to once again place the 'do not disturb' sign on the doorknob before locking the door. As soon as he had done that, the doors to the toilet opened and out stepped Ursa Noriko, stark naked and looking a little blue in the face.
"My goodness, those kids are certainly very sweet, but they can also be a little frustrating," Ursa managed to say despite her teeth chattering lightly. "I regret not having grabbed a blanket because now I feel frozen like a popsicle."
"That, at least, should be easy to fix," Hakoda grinned, picking Ursa up bridal style and carrying her back to the bed.
A while later, with the task of warming Ursa up sufficiently accomplished, the pair were cuddling under the duvet. "Have you ever visited the Water Tribes?" Hakoda asked conversationally.
"I have not," Ursa shook her head. "Is that an invitation?"
"Most certainly," Hakoda nodded.
"I'd love to," Ursa smiled. The smile then turned to a slight frown as she thought of something. "But Kiyi would never forgive me if I didn't bring her along. Visiting the North is something she's long dreamed about."
"Well, she obviously should come with you," Hakoda smiled.
"Are you certain?" Ursa asked, giving Hakoda a questioning stare. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that she can be… a lot. Especially now that she has started to suspect something between us."
"Please," Hakoda laughed. "I've raised two kids. I know what it means to be a parent."
"I suppose," Ursa chuckled softly. "But Sokka and Katara are so polite and well-mannered. I'm sure they were perfectly obedient children."
"Of course," Hakoda rolled his eyes. "I mean, to Sokka's credit, the boy was very easy to raise, but Katara? Now that's an otter of a different color."
"Really? Sweet, lovely, compassionate Katara?" Ursa looked very surprised.
"Well, the thing is… she took her mom's death particularly hard. Obviously, we all did, but… Katara was just… not the same for a very long time," Hakoda sighed. "And the way Katara eventually dealt with her grief was by throwing herself into a different social justice cause every week, because she simply needed to constantly occupy herself with something. And I was supposed to be onboard with all of her causes, or else I risked being labelled as an out of touch boomer."
Ursa laughed at that. "Fair enough, I can see Katara being like that," she said, then growing more serious. "I'm sorry that you all had to go through something so traumatic with Kya's death. And by the way, I haven't asked you about the details because… well, Azula had already looked into it and she told me everything." Hakoda gave Ursa a questioning stare. "Well, you've seen the way Azula is hyper-fixating on your daughter. Borderline stalkerish research of Katara's social media footprint is just one of the things that Azula will do when she becomes seriously invested."
Hakoda laughed awkwardly. "Azula certainly is… something," he shook his head. "But I don't doubt that in this instance, she means well. I'm just… still afraid that she's going to break my daughter's heart."
"I wish I could promise that she won't," Ursa sighed. "But the kids need to figure these things out for themselves. And… well, maybe the kids won't be the only ones who will need to figure things out," she said, giving Hakoda a slightly nervous smile.
"That seems very possible," Hakoda nodded, smiling. This trip would have been amazing only because of seeing Katara and Sokka again, but instead, so many other things had happened to somehow make it even better. Not only had Hakoda reconnected with his granddaughter and her mom, he had also come to meet someone special who made thoughts about future seem particularly exciting.