Chapter 162: Old Ba Sing Se
"Hehe, looking sweet again~!"
Ignoring the indecent hollers, as usual, a dark-haired matured figure in a slightly washed-up light green robes walked with a basket between her arm and waist that caused her hips to have a sway which made many gazes land on her. Pursing her lips but not holding the urge to lash out, she stepped into a small cottage. Her expression visibly livened up when she entered the warmth of her home and set the material for tonight's dinner on the nearest pedestal.
"Did you clean up the stove as I asked you to?" She called out as a fair-skinned woman that looked like the older woman snuck her head out and scowled, "I don't understand why Zuzu isn't the one doing the cleaning!"
Used to her daughter's constant pestering, the woman shrugged, "Because today it's your turn to do so. Besides, where is your brother?"
"He went out playing pretend again. It's honestly pathetic."
The woman thought for a while and then questioned, "Do you mean he's out working on the farm?"
The girl suddenly looked at her side and finding a distinct lack of a pair of swords and a mask, smirked, "No, mother. He went out to play pretend and relieve his fantasies of saving a girl. That's why I take him to the tavern night in and out so he can stop with this foolishness."
The woman rolled her eyes at her daughter's theatrics, clearly not believing the tale, "Fine, fine. You're free to spend your day as you like."
"Of course," The girl shrugged, "I'm the princess. I will do as I like." She asserted but the woman only hummed, "As long as you don't miss out on your chores."
"Yes, yes..." The girl rolled her eyes, too, "Oh, Ty Lee is coming to the city, or so I heard. She's part of that circus. Would you like to accompany me?"
The woman's frame stiffened for a second and she fell thoughtful, "As long as it's out of the inner walls."
"Hmm, I'm going out... oh, I also heard the neighbors begging for a beating before you entered," The daughter mustered and looked over her shoulders with her nails dragging across the wooden doorframe only for the woman to sigh sheepishly, "There's no need for violence, Azu. Besides, what are you going to do if I do find someone attractive? You know, your mother is single, after all."
This made the daughter named Azu snort through her nostrils and she muttered, "We'll see."
"Fine. You keep calling your brother's name but the two of you need to think about settling down soon enough. Alright? If you want, I can ask—"
"I'm not going to marry some peasant!" The girl snapped with cold fury reaching her face, "And as much as you try to act, everything in this filth bothers you just as much as it does to me! And for crying out loud, do something about Zuzu! He's in over his head!"
With that, the girl slammed the doors and walked out while the woman sighed deeply and bit her lips in sadness. She eventually shook her head and heaved a deep sight to clear the frustration in her heart.
"Phew~ Azu! It sounded like a big fight! What, your mum wants you to find a man? I believe I qualify for the task, eh? Now that I see... you've got your mum's—"
The same man who had hollered not too long ago chimed again. Azu turned to look at him. Disgusting, she thought instantly while he continued to speak and the next second, she snatched his mouth with her nails digging into the flesh of his cheek as her growl echoed, "You wanna have a go? Is that it?" Her nails seemed to have gotten hotter. Searing.
The man cried out in pain as the hurriedly patted her hand, "It's a joke! Aye, I'm kidding! You know me, Azu—"
"Zuzu won't be the one who has a drink with you next time you try your luck with my mother. Or do you want me to hand you to the soldiers, hmm? I'm sure they would love to know all about your affiliations with the devils..."
The youth's expression changed as he spat, "Fine! Just— Agh, fine, alright? Jeez! I'm sorry, Azu!"
She snorted and finally let go of him. As she began to walk away, the woman shot him a glance once again, "Oh, and if you see Zuzu, tell him that your mother was asking if he could fuck her. With your pop's being on the farm and all and me rejecting her."
The youth finally looked as if he'd swallowed a bug but Azu coldly stared at him, "Do tell him that... because I will ask him and if you haven't then..."
She smiled and turned away, leaving the youth with a troubled expression.
---
"So... this is Old Ba Sing Se," Nik rode the carriage while Iroh sat beside him. They viewed a village from the distance surrounded by plots and plots of rice with only a few paths to travel.
"Phoenix City, once called Ba Sing Se, was divided into three portions. The Upper, Middle, and Lower rings. The upper and middle rings included higher nobles, wealthy traders, and amazing craftsmen that had made a name for themselves but the lower ring only constituted the desperate and the poor and held the highest number of criminals.
Right now, the Phoenix King is gradually clearing and spreading out the population of the lower ring outside the inner walls and making Phoenix City only for the wealthy."
"So? They didn't like it and made Old Ba Sing Se?" Nik smiled.
"No... the Old Ba Sing Se is... a tribute. A bad one at that. My younger brother wants this village to exist so the world can see what has become of the once-mighty Ba Sing Se."
"I see... so when can we start training?" Nik looked at the man as he chuckled, "As soon as we find a place to settle."
"Wait? We? You're not staying with us." Nik frowned.
"Can't you spare a room for an old man?"
"Nope. You're here to find your relatives, right? Maybe they will spare you a room."
Iroh's face fell slightly but he sighed in the end, "I see... is that how you treat all your teachers?"
"Now... that's how I treat them. Why? Feeling lonely?" Nik pointed at the carriage behind them and chuckled as Iroh shivered for a second and quickly shook his head.
"No... I better find Ursa and others..." Iroh muttered.
"Why did they even run from your brother?" Nik questioned.
"I'm not sure myself," Iroh smiled, "But that's why I'm trying to find them. Ah, my nephew would be around your age... I wonder how he has grown. He's a kind child through and through and has grown under his mother's wings."
"It's the seventh time you're talking about your nephew, Zuko, right? Is your niece that terrible? You haven't spoken about her one bit."
"Azula..." Iroh's gaze turned slightly strange, "I do hope she has grown well. She's... a prodigy, you know."
"And why does it sound so bad from your tone?" Nik raised his brows.
"They are hard to control. A prodigious child is like an untamed fire that needs to be nurtured so that it doesn't burn the forest around it but provides warmth and a source of life... The fire nation, at least, the royalties and nobles aren't the nurturing kinds. But I sincerely wish that her distance from her father allowed a much-needed settlement in her heart."
They traveled the last bit in silence thereafter and soon entered the village.
---
"So? That's your plan?" Katara fumed while Iroh shrank his neck and looked away.
"It does sound a little out there," Nik agreed. Old Ba Sing Se was the largest village to be found between the inner and the outer walls. And Iroh stated that he couldn't just drop in on his long-lost half of the family even if they find them so he wanted to build something of a reputation that attracts others itself. Of course, the old Fire Lord had the same general idea as Michi and Poppy to set up a shop but while the two women were still thinking of a business model, Iroh already had an idea to set up a tea shop.
Of course that irked Katara as Iroh had already shown himself to be a fanatic for the beverage but, in the end, this was more of a mutually beneficial situation and even if Katara hated to admit it, Iroh hadn't done anything to aggravate any of them.
And THAT aggravated her gravely!
But how to implement this plan? It's not like they could suddenly build...
Oh, wait, that's how all the villages in this region came to be. Building stuff on their own and living without giving a shit.
And within a few hours of the evening, an earthen residence with bold titles— Jasmine Tea Shop, came to be.
---
Aside from Nik, Mai, Michi, and Poppy, others finally rejected spending their time in the tea shop. But that didn't mean there was any form of dispute. Katara, as much as he was annoyed by Iroh just due to their circumstances, found her time better spent learning more techniques from the waterbending scroll he had drafted after taking all the knowledge from Wan Shi Tong.
Suki decided to spend her time with Toph as they would try and search for anything suspicious. While Toph can see through many things and refused any help, she did come to understand that her vision lacked the ability to see things midair. Her Seismic Sense itself seemed to have garnered an inordinate amount of interest from Iroh and honestly, Poppy was more than relieved seeing her Kyoshi Master accompany her daughter.
"Right... why am I tasked with making tea then?" Mai drawled with a scowl.
"Haha, Mai, people like you and I are bad for the face of business." Iroh chuckled, causing Mai's expression to turn even bleak.
"So, my mother is just a pretty face?" She narrowed her eyes and Iroh shook his head, "No, no, your boyfriend, Nik is the pretty face. Michi will suggest more expensive tea and Poppy will be adding an ambiance to the shop by counting money. Mind you, we don't need a cashier specifically but if others see that we earn so much money... they'd be willing to spend more."
"No, they won't. They would want to steal from us!" She frowned.
"See? More customers!" Iroh chuckled.
Their appearance did startle the village but just because their ability to make a shop meant that there was an Earthbender with them.
Within the storefront, arranging some rather lucrative chairs that they'd taken out of the manor, Nik sat on one of them while Michi wasn't too far away and Poppy was close to the Kitchen door behind a desk of her own to keep the money in.
"Did the two of you ever work before?" Nik inquired as Michi and Poppy shook their heads.
"I see... hmm, then maybe I have some words of advice for you... first, there would be some customers who say they are god just because they pay... the truth is, they aren't...
There are also a few that try to get handsy in these services. I'm here and all but if someone does try to approach you... you know, break a hand or two. That would get the word out..." He mumbled idly while Michi and Poppy looked at one another with wry smiles. Although Nik had glazed over his past, the two could slightly discern between his words just what kind of life Nik had seen himself. Especially, Poppy.
"It's just never a good idea to let them think you're easy to play around with, you know... oh, and just because they tip you, it doesn't mean you owe them something."
"Nik... this isn't that kind of place..." Michi finally interrupted with a chuckle as Nik gave a snicker of his own, "Believe me. It's a village full of frustrated men and women. This IS that kind of place. Again, I'll be with you guys but it isn't a bad thing to know how to deal with annoyances, you know."
They eventually shrugged. And as he said, he'd be right here with them. Although this wasn't what the two had in their mind but working alongside Nik as he showed them the 'ropes' certainly ignited a lot of imagination within the two mature women.
"Hmm... so let's say," Michi stood and sauntered around the table to sit on Nik's lap, "If someone were to sit on you, what would you do to punish them?" Her hands hung over his shoulders as he looked thoughtful and replied seriously, "Be flattered but reject them nonetheless." Not even expecting a response much less a serious one, Michi went into a daze before giggling, "Then maybe I can allow others to flatter me~ hmm? What do you think of that?"
"What do I think of that?" Nik smirked and gripped her hips, a lust-filled growl making his way through his lips and his eyes glinting with such possessiveness that it overshadowed the grip of his hand over her tushy, "I think I need to punish your needy little ass for even entertaining such ideas!"
Both of his hands suddenly slapped her butt as she shook for a second, her own eyes glazing slightly as she breathed hotly, "I can't wait for this shop to attract some troublemakers..."
Nik chuckled, kissing her lips for a second as she finally stood up after having her fill and walked towards her seat once again.
"Say, Master... you don't really talk about your... you know, new world, too," Alone or with Michi, Poppy took to calling him Master for very lurid and specific reasons as Nik leaned back on his chair and shrugged, "Because I'm nothing there. I don't have any residence of my own. Heck, when I arrived there, I was so lost that I didn't know what I wanted until I met her," he gestured towards Michi with his chin, making her flush with sweet sensation spreading around her body, "But here I have accomplished so much... I'm the Nut Cracking Messiah..."
And then their expressions turned bleak. Everyone around Nik considered him important and felt he had too much potential to keep calling himself the... Nut Cracking Messiah...
They'd tried to steer him away from the moniker but Nik wouldn't budge. There are some things even Nik would stand up for. Food, Well-Earned Titles, and Women wanting his tender touch even if they still don't have such needs yet. Nik didn't care about other morality and decided to go with the flow instead. Forming a rigid moral compass would only serve to restrict him, after all
"Why the sudden interest in my homeworld?"
"I just felt curious. After all, your words suggest that it's wildly different in every way..." Poppy smiled and leaned against her desk.
Before they could continue their conversation, someone finally pushed open the doors of their finest establishment and walked in.
"Right! Don't ya bastards know that ya need to—" One look at the burly 1 and burly 2 with tattoos revealed to Nik that they didn't want any tea... but how would he be a great employee and an equally invested partner of the shop if he didn't persuade anyone who enters to have at least one cup?
The next second, the two men found themselves sinking into the ground, and finally, Nik slapping them until they did apologize... even when they hadn't done anything.
"See? This is what I was talking about. You have to be the aggressive one so that you are in control. Right, Michi, why don't you tell these gentlemen the best tea they will get to drink, hmm?" Nik looked at her, finding both of them gazing at his back with a heavy flush.
"R-right, yes, of course. Do take a seat. Now, would you like a cup of Mint Kell Tea? It costs 30 coins each but I assure you proper satisfaction." She smiled pleasantly and just when the two men were about to have some thoughts of their own, they couldn't help but glance at the overwhelming presence sprawled on a chair not far away from them and nodded, "Y-yes... but we don't have any money..." One of them spoke after a second as Nik waved a pouch, "Oh? How sad... thank you for considering our shop. Now get out."
"My pouch!" The one who spoke hissed but two earthen hands tightly gripped their bodies and set them out of the shop.
"Here," Walking towards the dazed Poppy, Nik winked and set the pouch on the counter, and as he leaned to kiss her, too, Iroh barged out from the kitchen, "I heard customers!"
"They paid and left," Poppy yelped and took the pouch before turning it upside down into the drawer...
"They paid and left?" Iroh muttered, "These people are filthy rich... I wonder why Ozai kicked them out..."
"Crazy world," Nik shook his head and sighed.
Even if Iroh felt something sneaky at play, he was quite shameless and wouldn't deny free coin. That's how government runs a nation.
"Won't they come back and cause more trouble?" Michi finally regained her bearings. She, alongside Poppy, was stunned to see Nik act roguishly. He certainly was one, but seeing him take on the role while still having a job like theirs... heated their thoughts. He certainly seemed like a professional in plundering things.
"Them? Who knows. Didn't you say Iroh is one of the best Firebenders in the world? He can take care of things or we can always run away." He shrugged.
It didn't cost them a thing to set up the shop and they were already earning profits so they could certainly run away.
With that in mind, Nik once again sat down on a seat closer to the entrance and eagerly waited for a new customer.
***
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