Fae and Jinorah had some time at the forefront. But let's take this story to the Earth Kingdom. There lived an heir to the throne who wanted everything. He would stoop to any corrupt method to satisfy that greed and lust. This story involves somewhat secret lovers, and a few mischievous spirits.
- ML
Chapter 5: Wu and Bo: The Moss King, Part 1
Three Years Ago
Kuvira State, Democratic Earth Nation
House of Ashanti
It was a perfect evening for a quiet dinner in the Tea Palace at the Earth Nation's Palace. Nobleman Bolin Ashanti wore a fine black suit and green bow tie for the occasion. The 19-year-old griffontile man was the sole heir to the Ashanti-Varrick Mover Enterprise. His stepfather rose to power not long after his mother, Naoki Ashanti passed away from an incurable disease. When Bolin was 4, the same illness claimed his father San Ashanti as well. Bolin hardly remembered his face or voice, so the reminder of his death never affected him as much as Naoki.
They had everything they could ever ask for: status, luxurious vacations, freedom, high education, romantic partners, and so much more. Bolin's heartless brother abandoned all of it for a commoner's life in Republic City, only a step higher than the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. Bolin refused to so much as acknowledge he even had an older brother after such a betrayal and abandonment. Mako Ashanti was just another poor, pompous fool.
Instead, Bolin focused even more on pleasing his father in face of the mover company. But on the other hand, he enjoyed having as many men and women as he wanted, and taking all of the glorious nobility for himself. At least one of the brothers was grateful for such pleasures.
Bolin stood in front of his full body bedroom mirror, fixing a definitive curl on his head. He couldn't quite get it to stay put. With an intense concentration in his pale green eyes, he got the curl to hold its hooked shape with a generous amount of gel. Bolin had one secret he kept from the public: his romantic relationship with Earth Kingdom Prince Wu. Same-sex relationships were not exactly frowned upon, but neither man would've been accepted. Mr. Varrick regarded queers as exotic company to stroke his massive ego; royalty are expected to bare future generations of the monarchy.
It was so unfair, but so thrilling!
The sun was still setting by the time the private, small airship arrived at the House of Ashanti deep in the south of Kuvira State. Bolin boarded the airship and buckled himself in the seat beside his trusted pilot, Zhu Li.
Bolin sort of knew she and Mr. Varrick had an affair while Naoki was still alive. However, Zhu Li kept Bolin's bisexuality a secret and even flew him to Ba Sing Se to spend time with Prince Wu. And so, he didn't care that Mr. Varrick messed with the Jack-off-many-trades secretary.
"Zhu Li, I am ready for my thing!" Bolin Ashanti called through his bedroom door. The young woman entered his bedroom to hold his door open. The nobleman stepped out, walking in confident strides down the long hallway toward the outdoors. Beyond those massive doors baring the Varrick-Ashanti enterprise emblem was the private airship named after Bolin himself: Bo the Shanti.
The ship sort of resembled the designs of the early Fire Nation blips. The door was already open, with a short flight of steps waiting. Zhu Li walked him to the steps, then bowed as he ascended with a job. He adjusted his bow tie for good measure, confident about his date with the Prince. He groped the one flight attendant's butt, also for good measure.
She let out a cute giggle, hiding behind a delicate gloved hand over her cheeky grin. He planned to have a little bit of fun on the way. If he wanted it, he could get it, no questions asked.
.
After a quick, vigorous romping of the female flight attendant and fixing his suit once again, they arrived at Ba Sing Se in under an hour. The sun was nearly set, such a gorgeous view from one of the many windows in his airship. Once the door was open, Bolin went down the steps slower. He looked eyes with a certain Earth Kingdom royal. A fluttering in his chest warmed him up inside. The prince wore a dark green suit with black accents and a green bow tie. Coincidentally, it watch Bolin's down to the exact shade.
Prince Wu smiled warmly, taking his boyfriend into a tight embrace, followed by a peck on the lips.
"Welcome back, Bo," he purred.
"You look charming as always, Wu," Bolin smiled back.
"I hope your stepfather didn't trouble you."
"Pssh! He's nothing to worry about!" Bolin chuckled.
"The chefs prepared your favorite, smoked arctic hen with sweet dumpling sauce," Wu beamed, linked his arm with Bolin's as they walked to the Tea Palace. It roughly the size of a small Middle Ring house. Two servants opened the doors for the couple. They were met by three more royal servants dressed in proper aprons and uniforms associated with the historical Jasmin Dragon tea shock, a Lower Ring delicacy of Bolin's estranged maternal relatives. Thank Soirits for rich fathers.
Before him sat a fresh display of the savory arctic hen on two platters, two jasmine rice bowls, two miso soups, a generous basket of garlic bread (Prince Wu's favorite side dish from Kingdom of Men), and Jade Flower Sake, a rare beverage from southern Kingdom of Men. Bolin felt his mouth watering at the mere sight of some of his most favorite food and drink items.
"How did you find this sake? Wait, don't tell me," he grinned as he walked up to the table.
"I'm royalty, I get whatever I want and need," Wu boasted to his boyfriend, straightening his blazer. "For a fair price, of course. I'm no colonizer."
"This looks great! Let's sit," Bolin said.
Prince Wu sat at one end of the table, while Bolin sat opposite of him. The rice and miso soup were within arm's reach. Bolin stood up to pick artic hen fried wings and thighs from a platter. Prince Wu allowed a servant to prepare a smaller portion. Their eating habits were vastly different. Prince Wu had a small appetite while Bolin ate like a glutton with fast metabolism.
Bolin hummed with delight as he tasted a bite of a wing with the soup. "God, I missed finger foods. Varrick is such a stick in the mud about eating with his hands, you'd think I slapped his mother just eating a sandwich!" Bolin and Wu both laughed.
"He is a brilliant inventor, but his quirks are so... quirky," Wu shrugged. He ate slower with a spoon, fork and knife. Bolin only used chopsticks for the rice.
"In other news, remember Fire Lord Zuko?" Wu asked, breaking the silence.
"Is he finally dead?" Bolin asked through a spoonful of rice.
"Yes, but he was poisoned to death, not natural," Wu replied. Bolin's eyes widened in shock. "Someone had it out for Fire Lord Zuko? That's impossible!"
"That's not all. Apparently, there was evidence of an Earth Kingdom assassin," Wu added. Bolin swallowed his food with a sip of the sake.
"Oh, that's good. Anyway, that's bullshit. We're allies to the Fire Nation! This had to be the dirty work of Air Nation or Water Tribe," Bolin shook his head with contempt. "Those power hungry bird brains and snakes."
"I agree, but my great aunt Hou-Ting won't consider anything past her image," Wu sighed in defeat. "Sooner or later, we're doomed if something ends up happening to..."
"Don't say that, Wu. You're not going anywhere!" Bolin protested. Prince Wu only gave a reassuring smile. "Right, of course not. Assassins don't get far past the Dai Li or Kyoshi Warriors, anyway."
Bolin wiped his hands clean of crumbs and grease, then got up. Wu watched as he walked around the table, then pulled him into a tight hug. Bolin might've been a player, but he wouldn't let anyone get away with touching the prince.
"I don't ever want to lose you, I've already lost enough people who matter," Bolin whispered.
"Y-you don't mean that, anybody could take my place," Wu replied sheepishly. Bolin looked into his eyes.
"That isn't true. Nobody can replace you. I love you, Wu. And if I find out someone hurt you, I'll kill them myself!" Wu sniffled. Bolin expected this, the prince was probably the biggest crybaby in royal history.
"Oh, Bo. I love you too," Wu beamed. Bolin shot a glare at the servants who still stood nearby. They bowed in unison, then exited the Tea Palace through the front door. As soon as the door shut, Bolin grasped Wu's neatly combed hair, pulling his head back. The prince let out a sudden, quiet yelp.
"I know an even better way to make you feel better," Bolin purred. Wu blushed as their lips met in a deep kiss. The griffontile pushed Wu up against a wall, but the prince tapped his shoulder.
"Mmh! Slow down, Bo," he squealed. Bolin pulled back, puzzled. "Too rough?"
"No, silly. I would like to freshen up," he replied. "I've been in these clothes all day, sitting through hours of meetings with the queen. Bolin gave him another kiss before letting him go. "I'll miss your slender waist," Bolin lamented. Wu chuckled. "Twenty minutes, relax."
Wu disappeared around the corner to a hallway where the bathroom was. It was set up with a large shower, gorgeous marble sink and a private, smaller room for the toilet. The marble floors were polished and every glass surface was nearly spotless.
Wu went through his whole bathroom routine, minus the servants doing their jobs. He doubted Bolin would willingly wait that long again. Wu stared at his reflection for a few moments. For a split second, bright green irises glowed through his. He rubbed his eyes, looking at the mirror again. Nothing. Odd...
When Wu returned, he wore just his undershirt and black and green checkered pants Bolin gifted him. The fabric was so soft and fluffy. They were perfect.
Bolin was lied across a small couch, feet propped up on one end by the time Wu emerged again. He completed his lounging outfit with a green silk robe baring the familiar Earth Kingdom royal symbol. Bolin perked up, resting his head on his propped elbow.
"Did you shower? I could've joined you!" he pouted.
"Really, you would only shower?" Wu chuckled. "The servants will return shortly to clear our plates."
"Save the sake, I have to finish it," Bolin chirped. Wu giggled. "I know, I love. They never touch the alcohol if you enjoy it. You know that."
Bolin sat up fully, patting his thighs. "C'mere, you kept me waiting long enough, Wu."
"But I have supplies in the other room," Wu said.
"Oh, right. You've gotten tight again, haven't you?" Bolin smirked as he stood.
"Well, not entirely," Wu trailed off, blushing. Bolin grabbed his ass as they went down that same hallway together.
"I can't wait to feel it," Bolin smiled. Wu bit his lower lip, eager for it. Wu opened a door to a bedroom. It was small for both their standards, containing a queen sized bed of silk sheets and pillows, two locked dressers, separate wardrobes, and minimal decor. The wallpaper was many floral designs of both Earth and Fire Nation origin. Bolin shut the door before the two men took their making out to the bed.
Clothes were soon discarded on the floor and Wu was under Bolin. The nobleman was much more muscular than the slim prince, and bore only one tattoo and a small dancing blue griffin and a green dragon.
On a certain ungrateful brother's upper left backside was the same tattoo, but the creatures had contrasting colors: yellow griffin and orange dragon.
Wu watched his lover take a small bottle from the nightstand before he crawled over to where Wu laid on the bed. Bolin's chest fluttered. He enjoyed staring at his boyfriend in that moment. The prince got on his knees, then belt over. Bolin grabbed his ass again, giving it a playful slap. The prince gasped quietly, arching his back and raising his hips a little more.
"You're such a good toy, Wu," Bolin purred.
"Thank you, my love," he replied shyly. Bolin had lubricated his fingers before pushing one into Wu's rear. There was no need to be sweet and slow after months of this act. It was easy to insert the second finger. The prince groaned with pleasure.
Wu really did keep himself soft for me, Bolin thought with a smile.
"I love it when you make it so easy," Bolin praised his boyfriend. His member was already wrapped in a condom. Wu adamantly refused to have in protected sex, which Bolin understood, for obvious reasons.
Bolin grabbed Wu's hair, pushing his face down. He forced his fingers all the way in. "Say thank you," he ordered with a growl.
"T-thank you, Bo," Wu whimpered, clenching around the two fingers. Bolin smirked as he pulled them out.
"Ready for it?" Bolin asked softly, beginning to push the tip of his member in.
"Ih, yes," Wu moaned.
"Me too!"
Both men froze. Bolin had little time to ball his fists in an earthbending stance before thick vines grabbed his arms, legs, and torsos. Wu yelped as vines captured his naked body as well. A purple light flashed around the couple, triggering their alarmed screams.
"W-what is this? Wu, what's happening—" Bolin's voice was muffled by a vibes wrapping itself around his face. He was yanked into the purple light first.
"BOLIN!" Wu shrieked before he too vanished into that same light. The entire palace fell under a deep darkness.
The couple fell for what felt like a 20-foot drop, landing in a massive bed of moss. Bolin groaned in pain. He heard Wu's screaming, then a 100-something pound weight jam his body deeper into the moist spongy plant. The wind was knocked out of him from the impact. After several minutes of struggling to find the other's limbs and faces still intact, the duo wrestled their way out of the moss. Bolin and Wu fell again, then time landing on a soft, grassy ground a couple of feet below. Wu looked up, eyes wide with fear.
"B-Bolin?" he whispered. He looked around, spotting Bolin lying on his back, still recovering from the first fall. However, that moment of peace was soon short lived by a tremor. Then another. And a third, much louder than the last.
The naked Wu crawled to Bolin, trembling. The two were bruised from the vines, but Bolin could barely move.
"I think s-something fractured," he forced out, panting as he tried to sit up. Wu grabbed his hand, tears in his eyes.
"W-where are we?"
"WELCOME, FRIENDS!" a childish, feminine voice bellowed from above. Wu held Bolin, squealing in surprise at the final tremor.
A girl landed hard on her heavy booted feet before them. Her pink and green stockings were fashionable torn from the girl's muscular thighs. Her miniskirt was dark purple and studded at the white edges, matched with a cropped dress shirt and small purple tie. Her coat was light pink with pastel green accents and puffy. Her hair consisted of two thick braids that seemed to stand on her head like antennas. Her eyes were covered with fully black sunglasses.
"Who is that fashion disaster?" Wu whispered urgently.
"Who cares? She hurt you- uurgh!" Bolin cringed in pain, holding his ribs. Suddenly, the pain stopped. Wu glared angrily at the strange girl.
"Where have you taken us? Tell us now!" the prince demanded. The girl giggled. Bolin stood up, punching his fist on the ground. Nothing happened. He looked at his hands in horror.
"My bending, it's gone!"
"That's impossible," Wu frowned.
"Is it sinking in?" the girl smirked widely, raising a thick brow.
"We... we're in the Spirit World," Bolin murmured in shock.
"Bingo!" the girl clapped her hands with glee.
"But how? Our worlds are divided," Wu said.
"Oh, that's changing as we speak," the girl said, taking a step closer. Bolin stepped in front of Prince Wu.
"Don't come closer, I'll beat you up myself!" he snarled as his snort grew longer. Scales and fur formed all over his naked body, including a scaly tail ending in strands of black fur. "If you hurt him, you DIE!"
"I'm a spirit, you silly little mortal!" the girl cackled.
"Bullshit! You look like a regular little kid!" The girl suddenly stopped laughing, her face contorting in anger. She raised her fist, then a wave of dark mass hammered Bolin and Wu to the ground. They were not physically injured, but they could not move. The pain returned to their bodies in excruciating waves. Their voices released nothing, however. The female spirit hovered toward them, arms crossed.
"Don't you ever call me a little kid, or you will die," she glowered. Bolin and Wu could only stare blankly at the girl. Wu was twisted with fear inside, his chest rising and falling with quick, panicked breaths. Bolin was stuck between a humanoid and griffontile form. The pain was blinding. Then it ceased again. Wu gulped and gasped for air. Bolin stayed on the ground, accepting that he was powerless.
How did a night so pleasant and warm turn into this in a matter of minutes? They could die here, and nobody would have a clue what the hell happened.
"I will let you two live. But first, you must survive my legion of spirits," the girl said.
"Challenge accepted!" Bolin declared before his boyfriend could respond. The Earth Kingdom Prince grabbed his arm.
"Are you insane? We won't survive even one spirit, let along thousands!" he protested. Bolin smiled reassuringly.
"Just stay with me and we'll be fine."
"Actually, I have a better idea!" the spirit chimed in. The same purple light glowed underneath the naked Elemental creatures as vines began to restrain them again. They were forced apart, to Wu's dismay.
"No, please!" Wu begged, reaching his arm out to Bolin. Bolin tried to grab him, to no avail.
"Don't hurt him! He's all I have!" Bolin shouted at the spirit. She snapped her fingers, then the men vanished again. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her puffy jacket. She popped a stick of gum in her mouth as she flew off, humming and half singing a certain haunting melody of the Moss King.
To be continued...