Chapter 108: Staggering Emo
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***
"Woah!" Suki gasped as she looked around. The Northern Tribe was stunning! Or at least, the section of the tribe they snuck into. Due to the constant rise in tension between the two parties, the rebels were pushed to the western corner of the city. Hearing the words of the guards, Suki and others who weren't familiar with the Northern Water Tribe expected a dilapidated region but instead, they came across structures made of snow that could support residence while clear, warm water flowed within the icy city.
"Our numbers aren't something to brag about, Master Pakku, but I will make sure to be a proper host!" The waterbender smiled as Pakku frowned, "What nonsense is that? I'm not a guest and this isn't a visit for sightseeing. Gather the children that can bend by tonight and we will start teaching them waterbending, including the girls.
And I also want you to spread the word that Hahn is endangering the spirits of Tui and La amongst the people on the other side supporting him."
The waterbender nodded quickly as an old man called out to them, "Pakku? Is that you?"
Seeing the old man, Pakku's gaze brightened, "Did you think I would die?" the master waterbender smiled before looking at the four youths behind him, "Take a look around and avoid any fire nation scouts, right? We can leave during midnight for that raid you mentioned but until then find something to busy yourself with."
And with that, Pakku left unceremoniously.
The four of them stood in the middle of the snow-layered street with a stream of warm water flowing just a bit away from them all the while they gathered odd gazes from everywhere but almost everyone understood that if the four were here then they opposed the tribe's chief.
"This isn't awkward at all," Nik smiled and looked around, "A cripple, a painted warrior, a waterbender, and an emo left stranded in the middle of rebellious streets."
Looking back, Nik found the girls unamused by his words.
"Just a waterbender?" Katara raised her brows, expecting more.
"A painted warrior? This is Kyoshi attire!" Suki scoffed.
"..." The emo stared back as if she wanted to prove she wasn't emo... by staying gloomy.
"Then I'm just a man with a decorative crutch and was born to limp away," Nik shrugged, "I'm going to find someplace to eat. I'm famished," he added with a soft groan as he looked around. The city was certainly beautiful and pleasing to the eyes but there weren't any telltale signs of what the various structures represented. The area had multiple streams of water that divided the region into even smaller sections all connected by ice bridges.
Suki and Katara looked around, too. There were a few pedestrians around talking among themselves and giving their group weird looks. The lack of explanation and introduction on Pakku's part certainly showed its effects.
"Can you hear them?" Katara inquired with a soft groan. She was feeling quite uncomfortable just standing in one spot cluelessly.
"Well, I took their description of what they think of us, you know. They consider us a cripple, a painted warrior, a waterbender, and an emo. I don't know how they know I'm a waterbender though..."
"And what? I'm supposed to be a cripple?" Katara snorted while Nik looked at her with a sad expression, "I guess you really do see me as a cripple..."
"What? No! I just—" Katara stuttered, instantly becoming a mess as Nik suddenly chuckled.
"Too easy," Katara heard Mai speak up and looked back to find Suki shaking her head while their group was approached by a little girl who wore a light purple overcoat with her head covered by a fur cap, allowing her twintails to bob as she moved one step at a time with a perceivable hop.
"Hello... um, my dad wanted me to bring you around," The girl cutely bowed her head, "I am Uti, nice to meet you."
"Whatever," Mai rolled her eyes.
"Hey, not 'whatever'!" Nik scoffed, surprising the girls as he suddenly caused the ice beneath Uti to rise up. The girl yelped in surprise but she was held steadily by Nik as he smiled, "Uti, huh. As you can see, I'm injured. So bending on my knee is troubling for me. I'm Nik, can you tell us where we can find something to eat?"
The girl looked down and then matched her gaze with Nik with a sense of amazement, "You're like mom and dad! Come on, I will show you Sivret's place. He cooks fish for all of us!"
The girl jumped down the small pillar of ice and began walking quickly, "You must be hungry, right? Ah! Can you walk?" She looked behind to see Nik giving the 'ok' signal as her smile brightened and she began walking.
"She likes you already," Suki smiled as she walked beside Nik. Her glance fell on Katara who stuck next to Nik, too, but she kept her quiet at the moment.
"What was that?" Mai frowned and walked behind the trio. Her meaning was clear as she felt annoyed by Nik's retort.
"A kid is offering to help you. I didn't want her to think that the three of us are going to treat her with the same respect that you just did." The sarcasm was on point and Mai's lips twitched.
"It's hard to think that this place really isn't colonized until so long after the war ended," Katara muttered while looking around, "This place is just too different compared to my village."
"Which one would you prefer to live in?" Nik inquired.
"I would prefer to live in where I don't have to bend over a trench every morning, a place that isn't terrorized by rebels calling themselves freedom fighters, and a place that is far away from war." Katara smiled.
"Wait, what about Fire Nation Soldiers? You left them out," Suki pointed out. Nik's attention and Mai's, too, fell on Katara as she pursed her lips, "I'm not so sure anymore... well, after leaving the village, I have seen enough to realize that it isn't the entirety of the Fire Nation that I dislike but the part that lusts for war... but then again, people like these aren't exclusive to Fire Nation. From what we've heard, Hahn may be the same but you don't see me hating all the waterbenders."
"You've grown, I wonder what may have caused it," Nik hummed thoughtfully as Suki and Katara suddenly felt ominous instinctively, "It's as if something helped you mature overnight."
To Mai, it still sounded that Nik was pondering but those walking next to him, Katara and Suki, could see the despicable smirk over his lips as they realized the intent behind his words causing Katara's face to turn bright red while Suki glared at the youth and suddenly elbowed his side ruthlessly.
"Oh—" Nik gasped, instinctively buckling down when he realized...
"My knee!" He gasped, falling on the ground as hearing his call, Uti quickly looked back with a surprised expression while he gained strange stares from those around him. Mai felt pleasant, and so did Suki, and Katara.
What left in Nik's mind was—
Worth it.
---
"Oh, that's good!" Nik moaned as stuffed himself with another bite of roasted salmon. He sat alone with plates over plates of northern delights placed in front of him. The place Uti brought the group belonged to an aged cook who fed everyone on 'this' side of the tribe. All he needed was materials brought by the hunters daily. The northern water tribe didn't have any scarcity for seafood but what they had, however, was a scarcity of the wood. So furniture made of wood was not only a status of luxury but also completely useless since these items could be made from ice by waterbenders itself.
"A wooden birdcage! This is a genuine wooden birdcage, sister!"
Suki and Katara had small smirks as they sat on ice benches instead with Mai in front of them while they ate their breakfast in small bites. An Old man continued to wave a wooden birdcage in his hand as if holding a treasure while the corner of Mai's eyes twitched constantly.
"Not... interested." She remarked and ate calmly.
"I, for one, really think that Mai is being shy. She loves wood!" Nik, on the next bench, gushed as Suki nodded, "Indeed, Mai enjoys wooden furniture."
'Not what I meant... but eh,' Nik shrugged internally. His jokes... were sometimes too genius that it was terrifying.
Katara hummed, "Didn't you used to sleep on a bed supported by a wooden frame, Mai? I remember cleaning it and readying it."
"Oh! Oh! Lover of wood! Big wooden furniture and two women on that bed?!" The old man gasped, his expression turning excited by the second.
"Huh?" Katara's expression froze while Mai frowned.
"That's right," Nik replied, not giving Katara a chance to refute and balance out the backlash from her effort in teasing Mai.
"Ohhhhh! Salmons, yes, your plate is empty," the old man suddenly got up as he looked in Nik's direction.
"What's the big idea?" Katara glared at Nik.
"Come on, let the old man imagine some good things at the last leg of his life," Nik shrugged.
"Then make the imagination about yourself." Mai narrowed her eyes.
"Me, Katara, and You? I don't think he will like that," Nik retorted.
"Hmm?" Suki hummed loudly and caught Nik's attention as she had her eyes narrowed, "What was that?"
Nik grew silent for a second while Katara and Mai looked ready for the verbal lashing that Suki might deliver.
"Oh, that's right," Nik rubbed the back of his head, "It should have been Suki, Katara, and me."
Suki's and Katara's expressions turned stifled as they stuttered and Mai frowned, instantly displeased.
"Was that all?" Mai questioned Suki but what could Suki reply with? What excuse could she use to refuse a fact?
"He's... shameless!" Suki hissed, "People like them aren't clashed against verbally."
"I thought Avatar Kyoshi said I'm honorable," Nik mused loudly and Suki's expression stiffened.
Even Katara was speechless.
"Here you go! What a delight to put food in front of someone who knows how to really eat!" The old man returned with more food, much to Nik's excitement.
He may be attacked like there's no tomorrow in this world but he had to admit that he really could eat to his heart's fill here. Back in his homeworld, Nik had stayed for a week and had already realized that the individuals there had a rather spread out routine to eat in small servings.
"That's what you get to pair with the despicable," Mai mocked the duo. If it wasn't clear before, it was as plain as the day what Nik meant before.
Nik looked at Mai as if he would stare down a fool.
After all, the daughter just set her mother up for the same irresponsible nature of 'pairing' up with the Despicable and the girls were smart enough to sense the underlying damage Mai opened herself to by saying such a thing causing them to gaze weirdly at Mai.
"I'm done," Mai spat coldly before leaving the icy tavern in remarkably more hurried steps than the usual while Nik lowered his head and began to eat once again.
"So... is Mai going to follow us always?" Suki questioned.
"Who knows," Nik shrugged.
"Well, isn't it obvious that she's following us because of you," Katara frowned, "She probably wants closure."
"Of my life, maybe," Nik scoffed.
"Hey, she did help you," Suki reasoned.
"And before she tried to kill me. Look at that, she's just a neutral individual who can change her mind at any time and last I checked most people... and spirits for that matter, don't seem to take a shine on me."
Suki sighed softly. It wasn't her place to justify Mai's actions in the first place and try to change Nik's opinion since she did attack him the first moment she saw him and that tends to leave quite a bad impression on an individual generally.
"I'm going out to speak with her. Maybe find some base that can help us establish more cooperation even if temporary," Suki groaned and stood up. Being the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors of her village, Suki knew well enough to understand the fact that every member in a team must not hate others and must have some form of understanding so that the risk of betrayal can be minimal at dire times.
"You two be good," Suki left with these meaningful words as Katara choked on her meal for a second and broke into a coughing fit.
Regaining her breath soon after, Katara looked at Nik nervously. The trio hadn't addressed the situation and an attempt at Nik's life did manage to postpone the talk quite a bit ahead but Suki openly admitting to the situation instead of shying away really put Katara in a spot. She didn't know what she was expecting but seeing Nik eat so nonchalantly, Katara finally called out, "Nik... aren't you the least bit worried?"
"Worried?" Nik looked up.
"I mean... what we did..." Katara blushed.
"Why should I be worried?"
Hearing him, Katara felt puzzled, "Wouldn't you worry what Suki might say?"
"No, what I meant was, what is the point of worrying. My worry wouldn't change what's already in Suki's mind. Instead, it may just encourage her to do what she feels is right. Not eating my fill, on the other hand, is worrying since bending really takes a lot of energy."
Rolling her eyes, Katara couldn't help but want to whip him just as she would whip her brother but then again... with Nik, she also had the innate desire to be 'whipped.'
---
Suki soon found Mai being pestered by Uti as she leaned against one of the many snowy white walls of the tribe with her lips puckered up in obvious dissatisfaction.
"Are you done eating?"
"Leave me alone," Mai remarked, her hands crossed while her gaze lingered onto Suki who smiled and knelt down to match Uti's level of sight, "Uti, why don't you let me cheer Mai up, and then you can show us around some more."
"Hmm, sure! But you need to hurry, alright! Those baddies always return during the evening and start calling us names."
Suki blinked in surprise but nodded nonetheless, "Don't worry, Mai is very quick to cheer."
"Fine, I will wait within the tavern. It's warmer in there. And you have to tell me why you paint your face then!" Uti nodded with a smile and began to jog. The sight of the little girl running with her hair bobbing to the rhythm of her speed made Suki chuckle slightly as she stood up.
"Why are you here? Nik didn't have the courage to speak with me?"
Suki shrugged, "I don't really think he cares about anything when eating. It's kind of cute as if he becomes a whole different animal just during the time when he enjoys food."
"Oh, he's an animal, alright," Mai scoffed as Suki leaned against the wall next to her and replied, "What do you want?"
"I want you to leave me alone," Mai replied concisely as Suki looked at the woman with a strange expression, "No, not that broody response. What I meant was, why didn't you stay back with your brother?"
"To see if this tribe is as boring as Pakku. I hate that I guessed it correctly..." Mai sighed softly.
"So, you joined Aang for excitement?"
"I didn't join him. I tagged along."
"I see... by the way, your skills in throwing knives are really amazing. If possible, can we spar sometimes to learn from one another?"
Mai glanced at Suki and after a few seconds nodded.
"Why... are you with him?" Mai then frowned, "You know what he did, right?"
"What? If it's about your mother... to speak honestly, I don't really care," Suki shook her head, "And I think, of all the people involved, you're the one who seems to care but you aren't really involved in the first place."
"He's the reason why my mom did what she did!"
"Or she's the reason why he did what he did," Suki smiled, "And be honest here, did Miss Michi feel bad about it? Or did Nik? Or could it be that he was the one brainwashing her the entire time?"
Mai's expression changed and she replied sourly, "Whatever."
"No one is more excited for you to 'tag' along with us than me... I feel that I can learn a lot from you. Back in my home... I thought I was amazing. But Nik saved me and soon began to last longer than me. Katara's talent in waterbending is a sight to behold.
I've been put into situations that I never considered before leaving my home and all of it certainly excites me."
"What's your point?" Mai's impatience was clear from her tone.
"If you're bored with the ice around you, just think of the battle we might face tonight and think of the victories we can achieve. Fantasizing about it will help you pass the time and... doing all of it will certainly put an end to your boredom."
Mai blinked in surprise and inquired, "What if it's to attack Nik?"
"Then do it. Fantasize and take action. It's all in your mind, right? Of course, how we will react is another matter entirely."
"I thought you liked him," Mai frowned.
"I do, and that's why I know he won't lose easily. Any other man would be depressed by suddenly being crippled but he's in there, enjoying his breakfast like he's eating for the first time. I'd say that he found something he can be excited with regardless of the situation."
"And that's eating?"
"One of the many," Suki pursed her lips and Mai scoffed.
"What did you mean by getting placed into situations you never considered before?" Mai narrowed her eyes.
Suki's shoulders slumped for a moment as she shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it... just thinking of it makes my head hurt."
"Didn't you say this to me? Fantasize and then act."
Suki rolled her eyes. She didn't dare fantasize because it was too enticing and act? They already acted out the stuff from fantasies!
Seeing Suki's cheeks creep up with a heavy blush, Mai couldn't help but frown but she still spoke up, "I would like to fight you..."
Shaking her head and pulling her mind from the situation she ended up fantasizing about, Suki grinned and extended her hand towards Mai, "That's good enough for now."
Taking a glance at Suki's outstretched hands and that honest smile, Mai snorted softly and left Suki hanging, "And I also said for you to leave me alone."
"Boy, Nik was right about her. Such levels of emo..." Suki mumbled while awkwardly retracting her hand.
"Where do you think you're going? Uti is going to show us around, come on!" Suki quickly caught up to Mai and dragged her back. The lack of weapons certainly played a favor on Suki's side this time around.
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