Following her initial entrance, Mymy took her brother aside, and they hadn't heard from him for an hour before he emerged from the room she'd taken him to. Following this, the Count introduced them to his sister one by one. For some reason, she looked like she was examining rotten meat. "Mymy, dit is Chief Hakoda. Ik heb hem en zijn bondgenoten tijdens de reis gevonden. Ze zullen ons helpen de Ruskians te bevechten." (This is Chief Hakoda. I found him and his allies during the journey. They will help us fight the Ruskians.)
His Father nodded upon hearing his name. "It is a pleasure to meet you," he said as the girl cocked a brow before turning to Diederik.
"Is dit het beste wat je kunt doen, Diederik?" (Is this the best you can do, Diederik?) She asked while gesturing to Hakoda. "Ik denk niet dat dit goedmaakt dat je de Gonvesten bent kwijtgeraakt." (I don't think this will make up for losing the Gonvesten.)
The Count sighed. "Kijk, als we niet zoveel mannen hoeven op te offeren in deze onderneming, dan is dat des te beter voor ons," (Look, if we don't have to sacrifice as many men in this endeavour, then all the better for us) He explained as Sokka scrunched his brows, trying to understand what they were talking about.
"Deze barbaren? Je had ze misschien wel mooi aangekleed, maar ik betwijfel of ze veel weerstand zouden bieden," (These barbarians? You might have dressed them up nicely, but I doubt they would put up much of a fight) she replied, her expression smug. "Je probeert alleen maar iedereen af te leiden van wat je hebt gedaan." (You're just trying to distract everyone from what you've done.)
Diederik shook his head. "Ik ga niet tegenspreken. Bovendien doe ik tenminste iets productiever dan safari spelen-" (I'm not going to argue. Besides, at least I'm doing something more productive than playing safari-) He began before Sokka cleared his throat and walked between the siblings.
"Hey, guys, we're all friends here, right?" He said while smiling at both of them. Before either could recover from his charm, he turned to the girl. "Hey, I'm Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. Nice to meet you," he finished with a grin while extending his hand.
Mymy's cerulean orbs glared harshly, her expression morphing into a frown as she looked him over before she got uncomfortably close to his face. "Ik weet niet wat je probeert te doen, maar het enige wat ik mooi vind zijn je ogen," (I don't know what you're trying to do, but the only thing I find beautiful is your eyes) She said before turning away and heading back toward her guards leaving Sokka perplexed while Diederik pinched his nose.
"Uh, was it something I said?" He questioned as she left.
Diederik shook his head. "No. She's just who she is," he said as she and her soldiers exited the building. "Anyway, I think it's time we head back for dinner," Sokka hadn't noticed it before, but the man looked paler than before, and there were droplets of sweat on his brow.
The group nodded, and they followed him outside. They hadn't known how long they'd been inside, but considering the sun had already descended, it must have been very late. They reached the carriage soon after, and the drivers opened a vortex back to the manor. When they arrived, Aang departed to check on Appa while the rest of the group returned inside. They found another man waiting for them instead of the butler. But he was pale-skinned like the Count. "Ah, daar bent u meneer. Uw zus wacht op u in de eetzaal," (Ah, there you are sir. Your sister is waiting for you in the dining room) he said.
"Heel goed," (Very good) Diederik replied before turning to Sokka and the others. "Come, let's go," he said, gesturing for them to follow, only for the man to put his arm in the way.
"Zij niet. Zij krijgen het avondeten op hun kamer," (They don't. They get dinner in their rooms) The new butler stated sternly as the Count shook his head. It's not as though they asked her to eat in her room all these years.
The Count seemed upset by whatever the man had said as he stared him down. "Prima. Maar ze zijn mijn gasten en zullen als zodanig behandeld worden. Als ze dat niet begrijpt, zal ze het met mij moeten bespreken," (Fine. But they are my guests and will be treated as such. If she doesn't understand that, she will have to talk to me about it,) he replied before turning to the confused onlookers. "I'm sorry, but unfortunately, you won't be able to attend dinner tonight, as my sister wants to speak with me. But fear not, you will get everything delivered to you," he explained.
"Very well, we don't want to impose," Hakoda said before turning to his children and their allies. "Isn't that right?"
Sokka felt a little disappointed but nodded. After all, it had been a long day, and he didn't need his mind trying to understand a back-and-forth in a different language. "Yeah, I guess. But at least we still get food!" He cheered as his sister shook her head before walking up to Diederik.
"So, I guess we probably won't see you for the rest of the night?" She questioned.
"Yeah. Knowing Mymy, she'll likely spend all night telling me about boring nonsense, so don't worry about it," the Count said with a smile.
Katara looked away for a moment, her cheeks reddining. "In that case," she began before pecking him on the cheek, much to his and everyone's surprise, while the butler looked on in disdain. "Thanks, for everything," she said before heading for the stairs, with the others following suit shortly after.
Sokka wasn't sure what to think of the whole affair, and his interaction with Mymy confused him. Of course, he knew he had a knack for getting ladies' attention, but this was his first time being rejected by a girl, and he wasn't sure why. "Ugh, why does it feel like nothing in this place is normal?" He questioned, only to pause when he heard the door. Upon answering it, he found one of the dark-skinned servants holding a small silver tray with food of all kinds.
"Hier is jy, meneer," (Here you are, sir) the boy said as he handed him the tray before leaving. As he did, Sokka noted his shoes were practically falling apart.
Diederik arrived to find Mymy sitting at the head of the table, her plate filled with food, mostly meat. "Oh, there you are. Took you long enough," she said before taking another bite.
"Mymy, why did you ask Mr. Dekker to prevent my guests from eating with us?" He asked as he sat down.
"Why do you think?" She questioned once she finished chewing. "They're barbarians! They don't deserve to eat with the likes of us!" She cheered before taking another bite.
The Count sighed as he took some of the food and placed it on his plate. "That may be, but they could also prove useful, so long as you don't alienate them."
The girl shook her head. "Oh, come on, don't start acting all self-righteous now," she said, pointing at him with her fork. "Besides, what do you think will happen when I tell Mom you shared her precious Vos wine with a bunch of savages?"
Diederik's eyes widened, and he nearly choked on his first bite. "And how do you know about that?" He asked with a glare.
Mymy rolled her eyes. "You know, it's not hard to overhear the waiters," she stated in a deadpan tone. "Besides, it's not the first time," she said as his gaze shifted to one of confusion. "Stealing wine, I mean. Not drinking it with savages, that's a new low."
The Count pinched the bridge of his nose. "And once again, you don't understand my reason for doing so," he began with a shake of his head. "As I told you at the cathedral, I plan to mould these people into good allies, and with enough training and weapons, they could aid us in establishing trade in their world and booting out the Ruskians. I mean, they even have abilities akin to magic themselves."
His final statement seemed to pique Mymy's interest. "What sort of abilities?" she questioned with excitement, only to quickly recompose herself. "What I meant to say was, I'm listening?"
"Well, for starters, Katara, the older girl in their group, can manipulate liquid with a, to be frank, terrifying level of accuracy," he explained, his expression turning thoughtful as he finished. "As for the others, I am unsure. Though the scarred one. Zuko, if I remember right, said something about Firebending when I activated the enchantment for the lights at the cathedral."
"Hm, sounds more interesting than people with crazy sword skills," Mymy replied, her expression mimicking her brother's until her eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute, you mean the girl giving you the lovey-dovy eyes when I walked in after you were done playing?"
Diederik felt taken aback as he blinked in confusion. "What?"
Then, much to his horror, she began to laugh so hard she snorted. "Wait, you mean you don't know!?" She asked as he tried to understand what she was getting at. "I may be a sixteen-year-old, but come on! You're about to turn twenty, but can't even recognize when a girl is into you? Sheesh, no wonder you never found a girlfriend, Diederik."
The man glared at her in response. "For your information, I have indeed had a girlfriend!" He replied as she tapped a hand to her chin.
Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "You mean Isa? The girl who took you by the arm after her Dad announced he wanted an arranged marriage between you two when you were, what? Tweleve?"
The Count was blushing profusely by this point, partially out of anger. "It still counts," he said while crossing his arms. "Besides, it wasn't her fault Mom called it off."
Mymy leaned back, her eyes facing the ceiling. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot her Dad was caught trying to embezzle funds," she said before again facing her brother. "Either way, I think it's a good thing you didn't know she was into you so you don't taint the bloodline-" she began, only for Diederik to narrow his eyes dangerously. "Your, bloodline," she finished, her earlier buoyancy diminished to the point even her bow seemed to sag.
The Count sighed while shaking his head before standing up and walking over to her. "Mymy, no matter what, you are still a part of this family. We may not share the same blood, but you will always be my little sister," he said as he hugged her, which she reciprocated before he sat beside her. "Now, how was the trip to Japsterdam?"
It was as though the previous moment never happened, as the girl's smile returned with full force. "Oh, it was great! The city is coming along wonderfully, and soon we'll be ready to strike at the heart of the Shogunate and burn their capital to rubble!"
He nodded. "I see. Did the clans give you anymore trouble?" He questioned.
"Yeah, but it was nothing we couldn't handle," she replied as she waved her hand dismissively. "I mean, it's been ten years since the GIC arrived. You would think they would learn by now, but those stupid Japlanders are too stuck in their ways to overcome our superiority!"
The Count shook his head. It would never fail to amuse him how she could describe them in the way she did with all seriousness, though, on the other hand, he couldn't blame her, considering how she came to be with his family. "Well, I'm glad to hear the conquest is going well. Just try not to destroy all of them while you're at it."
Mymy pouted. "But where's the fun in that?" She complained. "Besides, I don't think they would make good slaves. They have no self-preservation."
"I see... Still, if they are as skillful with the blade as you say they are. We should see if we can glean something from them," her brother replied. "Speaking of which, I ask that you refrain from treating my guests like subhumans. They seem to have the capacity to learn, going by our interactions thus far."
Mymy sighed. "Fine, I won't restrict their access to the house. Just don't force me to sit across from them for too long."
While the rest of the group had gone to bed early, Aang had remained awake, finding it hard to sleep. He'd spent a while with Appa, who he found sitting outside the barn where he'd left him. The bison had seemed on edge for some reason as he stood, facing the structure until Aang came along. Even if some may have found it strange, he spoke with Appa, explaining the day's events and his fears of losing his connection to the Avatar spirit. He didn't know how or why it happened, though he figured it had something to do with the way he died. He never even saw who did it, adding to the confusion. He knew it was a Ruskian, but it could've been any of them, and after everything he'd done, he couldn't blame them. Even now, he saw the faces of those men he killed and the one who got away, their leader. Something was different about him. Looking back, Aang had no idea why he listened when the man asked if he could say his last words, and though Aang understood none of them, there was something strange about how he spoke. He didn't plead or beg. He didn't cry for mercy as some did, nor did he appear to fear the Avatar's wrath. Instead, his words were quiet and solemn, like a prayer, and the next thing Aang knew, his vision went dark. But before it did, he saw something. It was a figure dressed in a pure white cloak pointing to a sign written in blood:
"You shall have no Gods before me."
"AH!" He screamed as he sat up, his hand darting to his side as he looked around, only to sigh in relief. "Phew. Still in the house," he said before lying back against the bed and closing his eyes.
While his Chief was out with the Count, Bato and his comrades had undergone some of the strangest training he'd ever seen. This morning was the same as yesterday when the Genish woke them while the sun had yet to appear. After adorning their new, highly impractical uniforms, the Genish provided them, the Water Tribers linked up with their instructors and began the march down the road from the manor. After about half an hour, they came to the same fortification they had spent much of the previous day marching around. The exterior was nothing to write home about, with low yet steep stone walls protruding at odd angles away from the main structure of the fortress, with a small gate leading inside. While the terrain looked flat upon approach, he also knew there was a deep, dry moat between the walls and the outside, which the gate had a drawbridge over. Though hardly visible, he could also see the glint of the cannons from their perch atop the walls as they marched inside, where the sounds of fifes and drums greeted their ears. To think he'd spent half the day following the Genish as they explained the things he would need to know to be part of a modern army. From cannons to muskets, to bayonets, to briquets, canteens, packs, shoulder straps and their meanings, it was a lot to remember, and that was without being given commands in a language he did not understand. Speaking of which- "Vrijwilligers van de 1e Waterstam, stop!" (1st Water Tribe volunteers, halt!) Their commander shouted once they reached the courtyard. They marched in place before most of their men stopped on the left foot while others stopped on the right or stepped another time to correct themselves as the Sergeant Major turned around, a frown on his face. His hands then flashed violet for a quick moment. "Well, it seems we still have plenty to work on today," he said as he began looking them over. Some other Genish soldiers watched with interest as they stood at their posts or walked by. "But, I suppose we should start with a few exercises from the manual. Now- "Compagnie, vorm een rij!" (Company, form a row!) He bellowed as they moved to execute his commands. First, the rearmost sections turned to their left and right, respectively, before marching forward until they stood formed in three ranks. "Good, now, let's move on to commands with weapons," he said as he marched up to a small wooden cart, and he and his fellow instructors began handing out wooden muskets.
"What do they think we are, children?" Whispered one man to the right of Bato.
"Yeah, we don't need their fancy toys," another said before Bato glared at the others, shutting them up. Of course, he agreed to some extent, but he also saw their ships sink ironclads and provide the first victory against the Ruskians.
Diederik still felt tired when he awoke later the next morning, likely due to the events of the previous day and the fact he'd stayed up all night chatting with Mymy. Or later for him, as he was typically an early riser. The sun had only begun to peak out from beyond the Eastern horizon when he heard a knock at his door, and he answered to find Mr. Dekker standing outside his room. "Sir, the Countess wished to inform you of her return," he explained as Diederik's eyes widened in confusion.
"I thought she was supposed to return tomorrow?" He questioned as the man nodded.
"Indeed. But apparently, they resolved the issue earlier than expected, so she has returned," the butler explained before sighing. "However, she has requested no one to disturb her today, and she will hear your report once she has recovered."
As he finished, Diederik had to resist the urge to smack himself. Of course, he knew something like this could happen, but it certainly didn't help him that his Mother used such things to overcome the stress of managing the family business in place of his Father, rest his soul. "Well, I suppose there isn't much I can do," he replied while pinching his nose. "How bad is she?"
His sister's butler sighed. "She wrote the list of instructions prior to her return, which was likely for the best. She is completely out of it last I saw."
The Count shook his head. Why was he not surprised? "Very well," he replied as he thought of what to do. If she was in as bad a state as Mr. Dekker said, who knew how long it would take her to recover? Of course, having violet blood, one would think the additional constitution and metabolism would make it impossible to do what his dear Mother did. But how wrong they would be. No, it merely took more money and effort. However, he quickly returned his attention to the present. "In the meantime, keep me or Mymy updated on her progress. I need to know when she's sober enough to mediate my proposal to our guests."
The man bowed. "Of course, Sir," he replied before turning and leaving as Diederik shut the door and wandered inside his room to prepare for the day.
"What a way to start the day," he sighed as he opened his closet. "Now, what to wear?" The Count questioned as he peered through his wardrobe while he thought of what he should do to preoccupy his guests. Then, it hit him. Of course, why hadn't he thought of that sooner? He snatched his regimental uniform and burst out of the room before informing one of the household of his plans before disappearing through a vortex.
Azula sat on the side of her bed, watching the Ruskian countryside pass through the window as the train continued toward its destination. Of course, in the cabin with her were Mai and Ty Lee, as the Ruskians felt it best they should get a separate car. Both girls were fast asleep, no doubt tired after spending the night talking about what they wanted to see when they got to the city. Mai had wanted to go shopping, and Ty Lee agreed, while she was more curious about how the Ruskian people and their elites lived and what the city looked like. But, as they passed through another small town, the Princess stared at the large, multi-storied buildings making up the center, each with unique and colourful facades. It seemed the only two types of buildings the Ruskians made were either wooden houses or these large, more complex structures made of stone. But, there was another type she had failed to mention. One which made little sense to her: churches. In every town or village they had passed, she'd seen the towers and domes which signified them. At first, she wondered if they were some form of a citadel for people to hide inside in case of attack, though when she'd asked Ivan, he explained they were where the people of his faith met every week to praise their God. "Why do they need so many?" She questioned aloud, her eyes glued to one of these structures as she stared at its large, golden dome while thinking of how the Firesages and their temples worked. As was tradition, only the Firelord and the Royal Family could gain common access, while most had to worship Agni from their homes or local alters.
"You want to do what?" Questioned General Galong as he sat before a collection of older men dressed in black robes.
"We want your permission to construct a church," the lead one said. "Of course, I don't know how much the Grand Duke spoke to you about our faith, but as there are many of us, we need to have our place of worship."
The General sighed as he wondered why this was so important. "I don't see why it would be a problem for you to do so. But where do you intend to build it?"
The man seemed to think it over, his hand stroking his long white beard. "I think it would be best to begin inside the Bulwark fortress and from there, create more inside the garrisons of our army."
Galong nodded. "That sounds perfectly fine," he replied before gesturing to the man to step forward, which he did before presenting his request. Then, he added a bit of wax before using the stamp the Grand Duke gave him before his departure, leaving it imprinted with the double-headed eagle of Ruskia. "Here," he said as he presented it to the man.
"Thank you, General," the man said, nodding gratefully before he and the others left.
Once the doors to the office closed, Galong allowed himself a deep sigh as he leaned back in his chair. It had already been three days since the Grand Duke's departure, and he was beginning to wish he refused his offer to help administer the city. Of course, he never had to deal with such a great responsibility, nor did he know where to begin, as the only thing he'd commanded was the garrison of the Bulwark. Even then, he mostly read reports and had to account for anyone sick or ill to ensure there were no gaps in security while ensuring the immigration centre remained operational. Now, he found himself in charge of the largest city in the world with little oversight from the Ruskians, save Nikolai's Chief of staff, who was supposed to check in and report on the military situation. From what he knew, two regiments of cavalry accompanied by an infantry unit were heading Southeast toward Chameleon City, though they had yet to hear from them. At the same time, forts Fa Tun and Hun in the outer ring had surrendered to the Ruskians, as the garrisons hadn't even heard about the battle, and the same was true of much of the Western portion of the agricultural zone.
Mymy awoke shortly after her brother and quickly bathed and dressed before inquiring if he would join her for breakfast. That's when she found out he'd run off to the fort to prepare something for his guests. With a sigh, she headed for the kitchen and ordered a large meal for her and the others, which is when she first heard that her Mother had returned. Knowing the Countess, the girl decided to leave her be and instead focused on trying to be a good hostess, as difficult as that was. "Why did he have to leave this to me?" She questioned with a sigh as she leaned back on her chair and lazily stared at the ceiling while waiting for Mr. Dekker to wake the company. After shaking her head, she took a deep breath before righting herself. "Well, if Diederik values them so much, I might as well put in the effort. I need to concentrate-"
"Ik moet me concentreren-" Aang heard as he walked inside the dining room. Unlike the others, he got up early, and instead of going through the house, he'd left out the window and left to visit Appa. When he returned, while the staff were confused, they sent him to the dining room, which is why he was there and had interrupted Diederik's sister in the middle of her monologue. The girl stared at him, seemingly startled at first, before recomposing herself. "Oh, I wasn't expecting anyone this early," she said before clearing her throat. "So, uh, how was your sleep?" She questioned, her tone sounding almost... forced.
The Airbender pondered if he should answer truthfully, especially since this girl was a stranger. Though, unlike her brother, he didn't feel any negativity toward her. So, in the end, he thought it might be a good idea to be honest. Besides, the worst she could do would be to tell the others, right? "It- It wasn't great, I'll be honest," he began as he sat at the opposite end of the table, ignoring the noble girl's confused stare. "I've just had a lot on my mind, and, I mean, I don't know you. But ever since coming here, I've just felt off."
"Really?" She asked, her tone shifting as her eyes narrowed. "And what would you mean by that? This house is the greatest! This colony is the greatest! Is it, perhaps, too good for you?" She asked as she stood up. Aang felt a shiver down his spine as he was reminded of Zuko's estranged sister, at least for a moment.
"N-no. It's nothing to do with that. T-This place is pretty great," he said, though, of course, it was an outright lie. He hated this place, especially after what he saw inside that building last night. But, even before that, he hated Diederik from the moment he started making moves on Katara.
However, for her at least, it seemed his lie sufficed, though not in the way he thought it would. "Well, now you get it!" She cheered, her tone shifting in the blink of an eye, leaving Aang bewildered. "You poor savage. You were just shocked by what real civilization looks like, that's all," she said with the most patronizing grin he'd ever seen before she came to stand behind him. "Just wait until you get to see more of it! Our food, our people, our beauty, our property, our slaves. I'm sure by the end, you will come to realize there's no better place in any world!"
"Wha-" Was all Aang could say before the girl pulled him by the arm and opened a blue vortex. When they arrived on the other side, he saw a giant field stretching as far as the eye could see. Inside it were neat rows of tall sugarcane, with some having been cut down and stacked in bundles. However, as he allowed his eyes to focus, he looked down to see many dark spots, which he realized were men wearing nothing but short pants while men in uniforms watched from afar. Those working in the field seemed to be composed of darker-skinned people, though there were some of the pale skins working alongside them and dressed in the same manner. However, at one point, one of the men working suddenly fell over, and Aang watched one of those in uniform walk toward him. At first, he thought he was going to help him up, only for his eyes to widen in horror as he began to beat him with a leather whip.
Gregori had to turn away as one of those beside him was beaten by a Genish soldier. His body was drenched in sweat, and his hands burned from pulling these damned plants. He hadn't even been there a day, but he was already wishing he were dead. Following his interrogation, the Genish determined he didn't know anything useful. But instead of sending him back to Ruskia, or holding him for ransom, they sent him here, to this hell. "So, this is to be my fate? To be worked to death?" He questioned as the man being beaten continued to scream. The Ruskian could feel his hands burning, but he shook his head and continued working, knowing it would be futile to fight at this juncture.
"Hopefully he learns to work harder," Mymy said, breaking the silence that hung over them, aside from the distant cries of the man being beaten. Aang's eyes were so transfixed he didn't react when she turned to him. "It's a shame you had to see this. Usually, there are no problems," she said with a sigh, only to smile when she realized he was still looking toward the scene. "But maybe you want to see that? Huh? Ah, a man after my own heart," None of her words registered in the Airbender's mind as he watched the unnecessary cruelty against a defenceless man. His mind raced for answers, desperate to understand why this was happening. But, before he knew it, she grabbed his arm and yanked him into another vortex. This time, they arrived outside a gigantic brick building, and she carried him toward the entrance before speaking with someone and going inside. It turned out this was a sugar factory, as he saw the sugarcane stacked up on the far end, with workers taking them cane by cane and putting them under a giant stone press. After being crushed, the juice flowed into large, metal basins sitting atop open fires. "And this is where the sugar is processed! See how brilliantly it all works? This whole place could be run by a team of ten at most, but that would slow production."
"Uh-huh," Aang replied as his stomach contorted in disgust at knowing where the sugarcane came from.
"Aw, still awed I see. Well, you haven't seen nothing yet!" Mymy cheered before she opened another vortex and dragged him behind her. When they arrived, Aang found himself standing before another building, and the energetic girl pulled him inside. Upon entering, the staff welcomed them, or at least they welcomed Mymy, as they had a moment of small talk before bringing them into a room filled with stacks of pancake-like treats. "Well, don't just stand there, try one!" She exclaimed after a moment.
Aang sighed before tentatively doing as she suggested, taking one of them and examining it. It looked like a thin pancake with a square pattern covering the face of it, and when he smelt it, it was fresh, so he took a bite... And, much like the previous day, found himself overwhelmed with the flavour of it, especially the sweet, honey-like syrup in the middle. Gone was the image of the working men, gone was the feeling of horror. Instead, there was only pleasure. "Mmm, this is good!" He exclaimed before turning to her. "What is it?"
Mymy smiled as she took one. "It's a stroopwafel! The greatest thing we've ever invented!" She exclaimed proudly. "This is what I really wanted to show you. But I wanted you to see how we make them from beginning to end."
Aang felt his mind come to a screeching halt in an instant. "What?" He asked.
"What do you mean? What? Sugar is a major component of a stroopwafel!" She expounded. "I just wanted to show you the whole process so you can appreciate the beauty of it more," she said before taking a deep breath. "Woo, all this teleporting is making my mind spin, but I think I will be able to get us back to the house."
Aang said nothing as she pulled out a linen bag and stuffed a fair amount inside before offering another to him, which he refused. Then, she opened a final vortex, and they appeared in the dining room to find the others waiting for them. "Wow, I wasn't expecting you to appear like that," Sokka said. "But now that we're all here, I guess we can eat, right buddy-" He began, only for Aang to storm out of the room in a flurry of motion. "Was it something I said?" He questioned as everyone stared at the entrance in confusion.
"I don't know, but at least breakfast is ready," said Mymy as she sat down, her expression one of blissful ignorance as she took her seat at the head of the table. "Stroopwafel anyone?"
Welp, the cats out of the bag now, so... Tune in next time to see Team Avatar be introduced to "modern" millitary techniques and for the beginnings of the professional Water Tribe army under Genish leadership, and for Diederik's Mother to finally make her appearence. At the same time, hopefully we'll also make it to Krova. Anyway, as always, thank you so much for the love and support you give this story, as I write this for you guys as much as I do for myself. So please, consider joining the Discord: /n9xMHyyn And of course favouriting and following if you enjoyed. And, as always, I greatly appreciate the reviews, so please keep them coming, as I always love seeing what you guys have to say.