Chapter 166: Imitation
The sound of the Shirshu's, named Nyla, footsteps echoed under the brightly glowing cavern. June rode Nyla as Toph walked on the ground next to them to keep an 'eye' out and Suki sat behind June.
"So... still growing fur?" Toph questioned as bluntly as ever but June had grown fond of the little imp. She didn't sound too little when June heard her moans in the manor but the thought of her modest frame taking a beast in human skin made June's body tingle. And she certainly wanted to see how Nik took care of mothers and daughters together but many of them were still on a fence against her. All she could hope to do was take things slowly.
"Not since I started sleeping with him these past two nights," June smirked. Given her afflictions, Nik was assured to help pump some of the cure into June every night. They hadn't believed her at first so they wanted to see if she was lying despite Toph's assurance that she wasn't. Yet, only Michi was allowed to see her. There was no way June was letting a possibly 'long game' see her in such a compromising state.
"Still... it's a wondrous sight every time I come here. It's a pity you and Nyla don't have a vision... you're missing out on good stuff, Toph." June muttered.
"Hey!" Suki scowled. It was insensitive, of course, but when had a woman like June cared about such things? It was their rather outspoken nature that would offend many that allowed Toph and June to bond so well and so quickly.
"I don't mind it. She ain't lying, Suki... but I can still see the crystals. Not the colors alone," Toph gave a snicker, her hands resting behind her head as they walked.
It's as she said. Under the entirety of Ba Sing Se, or Phoenix City, ran a large and complicated tunnel system that had many, many glowing green crystals lighting the surroundings. Toph had discovered the moment she stepped onto the grounds of the city.
"It still does give her the right to just be rude..." Suki narrowed her eyes and June threw her a look, "And? What're you gonna do? Cry on his lap and sic him on me?"
Suki's tone only turned frontier, "Mind your next words well, June..."
"Oh, I am. You have my back at you, right? Give it your best shot!" June licked her lips while drawing her hand closer to the whip on her waist as Toph groaned, "Guys, we shouldn't fight! You know... Nik would say we should hug and make out!"
"Not a chance!"
"Not with this painted one."
Both of them snapped in an instant as Nyla's soft growl made others stop.
"There's... someone... no, a group," Toph whispered.
At this moment, Toph smirked widely and looked to the wall on her left and punched it out, causing a giant boulder to tear from the tunnel's wall and lodge itself between the path of another tunnel as Nyla's growl only grew louder and June whispered, "Oye, Kyoshi... get down and be ready."
"I don't need you to tell me anything." Suki snorted, descending from the shirshu while Toph shouted, "Hey, you sons of bitches! We know you're there carrying a cart full of men... get out here!"
This only allowed the trio to hear muffled grunts, "A girl?"
"Fuck! We got lucky!"
"Sshh, shut the fuck up, dumbass. Capture her alive!"
At this point, June and Suki already leaned against either side of the edge of the hole while Toph stood straight in the middle with one hand scratching her itchy butt and the other one poking her pinky into her itchy nostrils.
Soon, four men of different sizes but overall burly stepped into the path Toph had created. Their eyes visibly brightened as they saw her appearance despite her current conduct and their smirks widened.
"Oye, how'd you get here?"
"From your mom's bedroom," Toph pointed at them straight, grinning in an unsettling and depraved manner that even made Suki and June feel a little cringe, "Why don't you ask her once I'm done with you?"
"Don't you say a thing about my late mum!"
"Well, that's just the effect of my sweet, sweet passion," Toph wiggled her butt before chuckling and tugging her outstretched arm back in a snap. The ground under the four men instantly slid forward!
"Wha—"
Unable to even gasp in surprise, one was knocked out by the butt of a metal knife striking his temple with considerable force while the other gagged and choked for air, his hands gripping against the whip coiled around his neck until his face started turning blue!
"Gotcha~!" June mewled in her slightly overly seductive tone as a slab of the ground shot up and struck the man standing ahead right in between his legs.
"You fuckers!"
The last one scowled, his hands instantly growing slightly stiff as he stomped rather loudly, on the verge of doing some rather slow bending when Nyla's abnormally long, poison-tipped tongue flicked out, scratching the man's neck as he instantly fell victim to the paralyzing poison of the shirshu.
"Ack!" The only man who hadn't lost his ability to speak was the one who faced Toph as he knelt on the ground, clutching his balls while facing them all alone, "You better start speaking," Toph's ghostly green eyes finally fell into his full focus as she held two earthen balls in her hand before clenching it tightly and crushing the two earthen balls, "Who are you and no playing around... if you lie, you lose. Not your life but your balls. A ball for each lie."
It wasn't clear that Toph considered herself the real boss of the expedition before then June's frivolous comment got the answer that made both the woman realize their true place.
"What if he lies three times? I suspect he only has two balls," June smiled.
But in an uncharacteristically chilly tone, Toph's wide milky green eyes bore into the shivering man, "Don't worry about that, hun... he got eyes, right? He can have four chances..."
Instinctively, Suki looked towards June and found the bounty hunter looking back. Both of them sensed the similarly intense goosebumps that their victims felt.
---
*Psst*
"Remember, if the flames are blue, you don't question the devil but only accept all the order they have.
If the flames are red, you may question him. There aren't any risks, but don't expect any decisive response."
Deep underground far away from the civilization that connected to who knows where and exited in an unknown location, under the ambiance of the glowing green crystals, five men and women walked. Leading them were a short woman and a tall, silent youth with the top of his head covered by a conical straw hat.
They soon entered a chamber carved to form something similar to a seating room where a part of the room was divided by a curtain of blue flames.
Behind the curtain of blue flames sat a being in pitch-black clothes and a blue devil mask covering its face. The robes were baggy and the voice that emerged from the being was too distorted and muffled to allow the individuals who swallowed thickly at the haunting sight to be sure if their leader was a man or a woman.
"Jet... why is it that anytime I'm feeling frustrated, you arrive with that gloomy masked face of yours and with what I would most certainly consider bad news?"
This masked woman was none other than Jet, the leader of the freedom fighters that Nik had encountered previously, stopping her from destroying a town with explosives. Next to her was Longshot.
The group knelt instantly. Blue flames... means utter submission.
"We managed to find a way into Phoenix City... but there have been some complications. The group we sent out to capture the patrolling troops with the keys to the sewer gates are nowhere to be found."
"Oh, great, you can't find someone. How very thoughtful of you to tell me instead of actually finding them!" The muffled voice stressed but the mockery in their tone couldn't be hidden.
Jet lowered her eyes further as the being continued, "Well? Go find them."
The group left quickly. Finally, after a few moments of idle silence as the being with the devil mask laid on its back, another one stepped out from the shadows behind.
"You should stop treating them like shit... on another thought, you should stop treating everyone like shit!" This devil was more wrathful from the sound of it.
"Ah, poor Zuzu~ Is that frustration in your voice? How cute. You do know that I've already heard about your outburst for sweet Jin, right? Poor boy, seeing your sister with your crush is that devastating, huh?"
"Shut up!" He snapped, growling as pure red flames instantly rose from the curtain of blue flames but they didn't overpower it. Instead, a strange scene of intertwined red and blue peals of flames could be viewed within the room.
"Where are you going now?" the masked person questioned as Zulon turned away.
"Doing my fucking work so Mom doesn't have to do it for us!"
"Is that how an Emperor should even think? Did you not start this band of merry fuckers trying to imitate lord father until I caught you playing pretend, hmm? What an Emperor, doing fucking chores and tilling the land all day long!"
Azu's frustrated growl made Zulon scoff in return, "And you? Princess this, princess that. You're just like me."
"Not like you, Zuzu... better. I'm a Princess. I can do whatever I want. I'm more talented than you, and will do whatever I want. You, on the other hand, chose to imitate HIM. Mommy would be heartbroken~!"
"Not a word to mother! That's the condition... I stay away from Jin and you don't spout bullshit!"
"Ah, poor Jin, too... now knowing that you chose HIM over her... of course, she can take solace in the fact that the superior of us siblings is taking care of her..."
Zulon turned around silently but he couldn't go far as he was stopped soon enough, "Oh, and Zuzu..."
"What now?"
"Mind your trust in your boyfriend Kei Lo... he'll break your heart~"
"Fuck off."
As he did leave, a sigh escaped Azu's lips. It was muffled, of course. The curtain of blue flames slowly died out, extinguished out of existence while he sprawled over her back lazily.
"And there he goes... honestly, after all SHE has done for us, the ungrateful wretch still looks up to him... like I always told mother... she should have let some things known to Zuzu..." But even as she said this, Azu recalled the sheer enjoyment she'd been having toasting her sibling's nuts every day by doing things he didn't like and DID like.
---
Ursa had been a regular customer of the shop alongside Jin. Granted, it had only been three days, but she knew that the tea she got to drink here wasn't just for the taste. She was communicating through tea and as she saw the strapping lad bringing her cups and pots of tea with a knowing smile, she understood that Nik knew what was going on. Maybe Michi and Poppy, too.
Ursa looked at Jin. She had been wanting to talk to Jin about some things necessary but she would falter whenever seeing the girl's pure-hearted smile. She used to have this smile while speaking to her son back in the day. Ursa wasn't aware of what her daughter had done but she was sure that Azu had something to do with Jin suddenly shifting her attention on Azu while Zulon growing more and more distant from Jin.
Still, Jin was smiling again. Just joking and chatting would relieve the girl's heart of her current frustration and the tea was simply a bonus. Ursa would have given more thought about this if she wasn't distracted by Michi and Nik, too. They made her feel very welcome and she could see that this wasn't the case for everyone. No, SHE was being cared for specifically. Her voice heard, her smile reciprocated, her questions answered, all but except one at this point.
"You... want to work for this store?" Even Jin was stumped. The women had their work, of course, but in this village, mostly, it didn't deviate from chores. They had no need for a huge amount of money. No. Ursa had a son who took to farm in her knowledge. She had a daughter who was more deterring to others than her son... which was mildly comforting since Ursa hadn't tried to snuff out her daughter's passion for strength..., not after the things she had suffered. Jin was there and they would usually help one another at times— sharing meals and such.
So, the thought of Ursa working really made no sense to Jin.
Even Michi's smile had frozen up while Nik's eyes practically glowed, "Sure, you can take my shifts from tomorrow during the morning. I will be back by afternoon."
"Nik!" Michi yelped, her head snapping in his direction as he shrugged. The store was on a roll now. Even those who weren't really taken in by tea had to bring their parents, at the very least. And those who were enjoying it brought even more. Although new, Iroh's passion for tea and knowledge about it had covered up for their lack of fame and had begun to attract more and more customers.
In fact, Iroh wanted to employ another staff in the kitchen to learn to make tea from him... and his suggestion was definitely odd but interesting enough to allow Nik to consider it.
"Is it within your capacity to just agree?" Ursa smiled, "Should you not consult your teacher?"
"Well..." Nik picked up the plates and smiled, "You can discuss your wage with him but as long as I'm concerned, I can hire who asks me to work here. What about you, Jin? Want to have some work to pass your afternoon?"
Jin thought for a moment but shook her head. Reluctantly so. It wasn't clear if she was reluctant to work or about something else but Nik didn't pay that much attention to it either way.
"Great, you can start tomorrow," Nik smiled.
"And my pay?" Ursa questioned.
"I'll ask him and get back to you," Nik added and left for the kitchen. Soon, he returned with the news on her wage. Ten coins per day. It wasn't a lot, really. Ten coins a day is what Ursa used to make a few years ago until she finally stopped doing chores for others with her children growing up and Jin knew this but this time, Ursa didn't seem to have any problem as she nodded.
---
"Forget it!" Katara fumed, her hands crossed under her breasts. She was outraged and instantly came out of his personal space to tear Iroh into a new one for having the audacity to even suggest something like this!
Learning to brew tea? From him?!
There weren't many people present in the Kitchen at the moment. Just Iroh, Mai, Katara, and Nik.
"Please think about it," Iroh gave a bitter smile. He had his reasons why he wanted Katara of all people to learn something like this from him, of course.
"No!" She gritted her jaws and uttered.
Seeing this, Nik finally couldn't help but sigh.
"Do you remember the colonies we visited?" His question made Katara frown but she nodded regardless. She had long realized that things were never black and white... and there has been peaceful coexistence between the two nations for quite some time now. Even if things weren't like that in the Northern Water Tribe, Katara had no delusions and felt that such peace would have gotten there sooner or later, too.
"Well... he's the leader of that side of the fire nation... at least, give him a chance as you did with others."
Katara floundered for a second while Iroh sent a grateful gaze towards his most recent student who could contend with many prodigies of the royal line of the nation.
While she finally agreed to it, Nik knew that his day wouldn't just end here. Once they had returned for the night, the trio made sure that he understood they wanted a word with him. Although they didn't look hurt or anything but they did look the slightest bit serious. Well, all except Toph who was being bathed by her mother, much to the Blind Bandit's chagrin.
"A rebellion?" Nik looked at Suki and June with a mixture of wonder and awe, "You joined a rebellion?" He questioned again.
"Well," Slumping on her couch to give her tired spine some much-needed rest and change the hard leather of the saddle to the soft and springy feeling of the seat, June smiled, "We just impressed the boys with our skills... probably forced them to lead us around and found out that there are many discontented youths all over the poor man's land who answer to the Blue Devil."
Nik looked at Suki as she confirmed with a nod, "Even if we disregard the fact that this blue devil could be the niece or the nephew Iroh is looking for... we can use their knowledge to find prisoners. Although, we have yet to gain their trust... it doesn't change the fact that this rebellion has amassed a large number of people and a few benders."
"Don't forget spies," June cooed, "There are always spies in something this large, and given how easily we were initiated, I can bet there are more than just a few spies."
"And if any of these spies report back that you are here, too... then what?" Nik questioned.
"We stay low... but since these people have traveled into those tunnels more than us, we can cross out dead ends and quicken our search," Suki explained her thoughts. Nik eventually shrugged at this. After all, these three were the search party now. As long as things didn't get too dangerous, Nik didn't have any need to intervene in things.
With things for the day ending and not wanting to leave Yue all alone and lonely, Nik did ask her to help them out by waiting at the table if any of them wouldn't be present. Of course, with this, Nik would be the one to be the least present. He didn't know for how long he would get to train with Iroh. Until now, the only stable apprenticeship he had gotten in bending arts was under Hama and Toph. Meanwhile, Nik felt that Iroh had the potential to be flighty and Aang's situation made it clear that Nik would need to rely on his luck to completely train in airbending.
---
"Work?" Azu raised her eyebrows while eating. Though there was surprise in her tone, she didn't react as much as Ursa or Jin might have expected. Zulon, on the other hand, had a tight frown locking his brows as he finally mustered, "Mom... I thought with me taking over a farm, you wouldn't have to..."
"It's not about that, Zu," Ursa smiled and comforted her son with a pat on his shoulder, "I know you're doing well... but now the two of you are all grown-up and spend less and less time in the house, I just feel like having something to do and if I can earn some money with it then all the better."
"Oh, if it's that, I can loiter around the house, Mommy," Azu gave a coy smirk, making Jin giggle while Ursa glared at her daughter, "Find some work already!"
Azu only rolled her eyes at this.
"So? Why the tea shop? Is it really that good?" Zulon questioned while Jin nodded. She was almost jumping, "The tea is really good and the staff is nice, too... both of you should come with us."
Zulon flinched slightly, looking away while Azu chuckled, "Oh, I might..." Her hand sneaked from under the table and rubbed Jin's thigh as she began to blush slightly, "But what else is there aside from tea?"
"It's relaxing with just the tea... come on, dear. You, too, Zulon. Won't you see your mother at her work on her first day? A little tea is good for your health, too."
Seeing her mother's and Jin's anticipative gaze, Azu eventually agreed while Zulon took some more time but ended up agreeing, too.
***
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