A/N; Hey guys! Sorry this took a little longer than expected (as you all know, I usually like to stick with once a week) but I was kinda getting distracted by a host of things and wanted to be sure I got it right.
Anyways, we are at that point now (I hope) so, uh, as usual hope you guys enjoy! Welcome to the Tales of Ba Sing Se :)
Iroh P.o.V.
"Are you sure? I really can't afford to lose the best tea-maker in the city on a beautiful day like this."
Iroh chuckled slightly, feeling very flattered. It was nice, he had to admit, knowing that his many long years had led to him being able to offer something worthwhile to others. He'd said it before - the key to good tea was proper aging, which he had certainly achieved by now. "You are very kind," he thanked his manager, Pao. "But I'm afraid I really do have some personal business to attend to."
"Ah... I can't say no to you, Mushi," the man smiled sadly as he nodded in acceptance. "If you really wish for the rest of the day off, I won't stop you. You can leave as soon as you finish this final order."
Smiling widely, Iroh bowed to the man in Earth Kingdom fashion - he was truly grateful to have received this time. While he greatly enjoyed making tea, today at least he had a promise to keep. He owed someone a visit, and he wanted to be certain he did it right.
Humming softly to himself, he started to brew the final order before he left - one small pot of jasmine tea, nothing complicated, so in the meantime he started to prepare a mental list of everything he would need. A basket, some incense, and maybe a new instrument... yes, that would work out quite nicely. A proper location was definitely in order as well.
Checking around him for anyone watching, he gently placed his hand on the side of the pot and poured some energy into it to accelerate the heating process. It was a trick he had learned decades ago from his father, and was one he certainly found useful - though, for obvious reasons he had to be careful with it - he was all too familiar with the city's tolerance for firebenders inside the walls.
His last... visit, to put it mildly, was certainly a testament to that.
As soon as the tea was ready, he added in the correct herbs and brought the pot out to one of the far tables with a lone girl waiting, her back facing the kitchen so Iroh couldn't see her face. She didn't seem like one of his normal customers, which was a bit odd - seeing as he had been here for weeks now and knew almost every customer - but he certainly wasn't opposed to meeting someone new.
Placing the pot of tea and two cups on a tray, he carefully lifted it and brought the tray with him, gently placing it down on the table as he smiled softly. "Here is the jasmine tea you ordered, miss," he announced cheerfully.
For seemingly no reason, the girl suddenly gasped in shock and nearly leaped out of her chair, and Iroh glanced over in surprise, not expecting such a response from her. Did I do something wrong, he wondered, before meeting her eyes - oh.
His day just got a lot more complicated.
"W-what are you doing here?" Azami whispered, her face having gone completely pale as she watched him with a horrified expression. His thoughts immediately started racing as the girl's eyes widened, as if hit by a realization. "Oh my spirits, if you're here, then... I have to-"
Gently, so as not to frighten her any further, Iroh held up one hand to stop her from panicking while he tried to calm her down, if only momentarily. "You must keep your voice down," he insisted. "I will explain everything in a moment, just let me return this apron and the tray, then we can talk." He quickly went to return the items he described, the weight of her gaze piercing his back every step of the way.
Trying to keep the situation calm, he swiftly returned as fast as possible and sat across from Azami, neither one saying anything while they both took in the situation. For several minutes, the two just sat there, not saying anything, and the silence between them was incredibly tense. Iroh could almost feel the fight raging inside the girl before him, no doubt deciding whether or not to expose his presence here - not that he would blame her for doing so. It certainly would be the logical path forwards, but hopefully he'd made a good enough impression the past few times their paths crossed that she'd hear him out.
Personally, Iroh considered it incredibly fortunate that she had shown up today of all days - Zuko had for some reason gone off exploring the city today, meaning he wouldn't ever have to know she was here. Any other day, and things would've likely ended... well, not well. Plus, it would throw a wrench in the path Zuko was now on, and Iroh wanted to do everything in his power to protect him on that journey.
"Okay, so..." Azami started, her voice still a little shaky but far more calm than it had been before. "Um... what... brings you here?"
Iroh just chuckled slightly at her awkwardness, his own tension fading slightly. "Just making tea," he smiled, pouring them both a cup from the pot he made. "Speaking of which, you should probably drink yours while it is still warm. Jasmine tea is best enjoyed while it is fresh, as the flavor can quickly become too powerful if left for a long time."
"Uh... thanks," she replied uneasily, looking down at her cup as though checking it for poison before taking a small sip. "So... what should I call you?"
"You may call me Mushi," he replied almost instantly.
Sokka P.o.V.
Ba Sing Se was really dull.
Like seriously - Sokka was getting so bored that he was somehow managing to spend more hours asleep than he did awake. Most of the time, he woke up with little motivation to do anything - his concerns for what happened with Azami and the Dai Li had amounted to nothing so far, there were no leads whatsoever on Appa, and the idea of dealing with this for another two months was absolutely agonizing.
Today, though, was a little different. When he'd woken up, Katara and Toph were busy playing some board game while Aang and Azami had both left hours prior - no doubt to continue the search for their lost bison in the outer ring. So far, they'd managed to cover almost an entire quarter of it by Sokka's estimation, but that still didn't amount to much, and there were definitely spots they could've overlooked.
There was still no new information, no new leads, nothing exciting at all about today, but Sokka felt in his gut that today was going to be important. And he had a hunch as to why - he just had a feeling that he should finally do something he'd been wanting to do for months, but hadn't had the courage to do.
Asking Azami out.
The prospect of it terrified him slightly, but it was also thrilling - really, he'd been waiting ages for this opportunity, and it felt like the right time at last. Why, he had absolutely no clue, but he was feeling confident about it for once. And really, how hard could it actually be?
For a couple months now, the two had really rekindled their friendship - he was now spending more time with her than the others in the gaang, that was certain. It had taken a long time, but he really did feel like their relationship had finally been repaired after he... tore it apart...
What if I do it again?
No, that was crazy talk. He'd promised both Azami and himself that he wouldn't mess up like that ever again, and he fully intended to keep that promise. If anything, he felt like their relationship was actually stronger now than it was before, since they'd already worked out several problems.
The whole time he was thinking this, he kept pacing back and forth in his room, both hands resting slightly under his chin. He didn't even notice how much time had already passed by, but eventually he forced himself to sit down on his bed and try to calm his thoughts.
In truth, everything really was set up perfectly for him - they were living in the nicest area of the greatest city in the Earth Kingdom. They were safe, no longer running about, they were getting along great - honestly, he couldn't ask for a better time and place.
You can do this, he assured himself, taking in deep breaths. You can do this.
"Katara, I can't do this!"
His sister just rolled her eyes. "Sokka, what do you want from me? Either ask her out or don't, I really don't understand what the issue is-"
"How can you not see the problem?" he exclaimed, pacing harder than ever in the main living room. "What if I mess things up between us again, what if I make a mistake?"
Katara returned her attention to her game with Toph, clearly bored. "Well, you learned from that mistake, didn't you? And you don't want to throw away your relationship again?"
"Obviously!" Sokka cried, flailing his arms about.
She sighed, moving her piece on the board to take one of Toph's. "Then you won't do it again, simple as that. This really isn't that hard - you made a mistake, learned from it, and now you both have moved past it."
"Okay, but even if you're right, then... then..." his voice trailed off as his mind searched for any other reasons to justify his panicking mental state. "What happens if she says no?"
Toph shrugged as she moved one of her pieces. "Put it this way, Sokka," she offered. "Either she says yes, in which case you get what you want and all this worry is for nothing, or she says no and that's the end of it. But if you sit around and do nothing, you'll never find out and you may miss your chance. Personally, I'd just go for it and get it over with."
"Easy for you to say," Sokka muttered. The blind earthbender was definitely the most practical one in the group, usually having no hesitations on doing whatever she wanted. Still, she wasn't wrong - he'd done enough sitting around and waiting. It was time for him to pull the plug and just do this already - regardless of how it turned out.
Iroh P.o.V.
"What exactly do you need the basket for?"
Iroh grinned, a mischievous look crossing his face. "Oh, an old man like me can't be expected to carry everything on his own, now can he?"
"For spirit's sake, Ir- Mushi," Azami corrected herself at the last second. "There's a lot of things I'd be prepared to call you, but I don't think an old man is one of them."
He just laughed, not explaining himself any further as the two continued exploring the market. After their rather tense meeting, the two had agreed to keep this between them - it was definitely for the best if none of their companions was aware of the others. And for him, he had to admit he was intrigued to properly spend some time with his aunt.
They'd already found the first item he needed, which was a nice, plain basket. It wasn't anything fancy, but then he really didn't need it to be - this would serve his needs today just fine. Funnily enough, the shopkeeper had asked if they were going on a romantic picnic - something the two had agreed never to discuss with anyone ever again, as the idea was just inconceivable for both of them.
"So what else do you need?" Azami prompted as they continued exploring aimlessly. "You've only got a few hours until sundown, if that's when this is all for."
"Just a new instrument," Iroh replied happily. "I often find that music can have a powerful impact on people, and ever since we left the Northern Water Tribe I have been unable to find anything. It is something that I myself have dearly missed the past few months - one of my favorite times used to be music night with the crew. Do you not miss it as well?"
Azami shrugged, seeming uninterested. "Not really. I haven't even really paid it much attention, since I've been preoccupied with... other things. It's a long story."
"I am sure," he mused as they arrived at a small shop selling several different stringed instruments. He'd already come to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to reveal anything, which was probably wise - he didn't intend to say anything about Zuko either, if he could manage it.
Turning his attention to the shop, his eye soon caught an instrument he hadn't played in years, but was very familiar with - a Liuqin. A simple instrument, to be sure, but sometimes there was a beauty in things that were simple. Eagerly, he pulled out a few of his remaining coins and passed them to the lady running the shop, taking the instrument in hand and admiring it.
"Is that new?" the girl beside him asked as she stared at the instrument. "I don't remember seeing anything like that before the-"
Suddenly, her voice cut off as she stiffened slightly, and Iroh glanced over at her in concern. For a moment, he thought he saw a glazed look cross her eyes, but it was gone so quickly he decided to blame it on his aging memory. "Sorry," she quickly apologized. "I don't know what... anyways, as I was saying - I don't remember seeing anything like that before Aang and I went into that iceberg."
"Hm... I believe it was created, oh..." Iroh's voice trailed off as he really tried to think. "Sixty years ago? Maybe seventy?"
Azami nodded, looking satisfied. "Yeah, that would explain it-"
She paused as the two heard a child's crying suddenly erupt from behind them, and Iroh's gaze was quickly met by the sight of a three, maybe four year old boy sobbing into his mother's arms, a little toy Earth Kingdom soldier held in his hand.
Hm... a soldier...
Well, he hadn't planned on playing this song more than once today, but he figured - if it would help the child, then why not? With that thought in mind, he lightly placed the neck of the instrument in one hand and rested the base of it between his other arm and his vast stomach, ensuring it didn't move while he played.
As soon as his hands started to strum the instrument, the child's crying softened slightly, urging him onwards into singing a particularly special song.
"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow.
Like fragile... tiny shells, drifting in the foam."
The child's sobs continued to falter as he opened his eyes and looked up at Iroh in wonder, filling the elder man with a sense of joy he hadn't felt in a while. Smiling, he kneeled down before the two as he continued to play and sing.
"Little soldier boy, come marching home.
Brave, soldier boy. Comes marching home."
As he finished playing, the little boy's face split into a wide smile as he suddenly reached forward and lightly tugged on Iroh's beard. The firebender let out a fake whine of pain, but in truth the child hadn't hurt him - he knew the boy was just playing. A point which was proven only seconds later as the boy suddenly started to laugh softly, his mother sending Iroh a silent thank you before calmly leading him back home.
Smiling, he stood back up to watch them slowly walk away, a feeling of joy leaping within him at being able to brighten someone else's day.
"Wow," a familiar voice beside him breathed out, and he glanced over to see Azami standing just to his right. "I must admit, I wasn't sure I'd ever hear that song again."
Iroh's eyes widened in shock as she spoke. "You know Leaves from the Vine?"
"Of course," the girl replied, a sad smile crossing her features as her eyes met his. "My, ah... my brother used to sing it to me. When I was little."
The man's thoughts instantly started racing back, trying to remember when he had first learned it - he knew the song wasn't that uncommon, but it held a particular meaning to him long before he even had his son. He'd used it so many times in his life - as a final sendoff to fallen soldiers, to comfort families and children, as a way of promising his family he would come home...
He racked his brain for a while, trying to place it - almost giving up entirely until it finally came to him. When he himself was a child, before Ozai was even born.
He, too, had first heard the song from Azulon - his father.
"You must miss him," Iroh admitted as he let the revalation wash over him.
As he returned his focus to Azami, he was shocked to see the girl's eyes watering slightly. He felt like a fool - although he hadn't known her for very long, or well at all, he had never even once bothered to think how everything must be for her. Whether or not she had found a new group of friends, everyone she knew and loved was gone.
In this regard, Iroh actually found a similarity between them for the first time.
"You should know, he never forgot about you," he offered, gently leading her off the main street to an empty courtyard where they could sit in peace. "Even when my brother and I were little, he would tell us stories about you." As he gently helped her sit down beside him, she reluctantly met his gaze, drinking in every word. "And he never gave up on you. Ever. Even in his final days, he refused to believe you were truly gone. And he was right."
Azami smiled softly as she wiped her eyes on her sleeve, a slight blush covering her face in embarrasment. "I... thank you," she replied a little shakily before letting out a laugh. "I'm sorry you had to see that, it's just... I didn't even realize until this morning, but today..."
Her body tensed slightly as she took in a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. "A hundred years ago today was the last time I saw him," she confessed. "Or dad. I-I thought I'd gotten over losing them months ago, but I guess... I guesss it just hit me a lot harder than I expected."
"You say that as if it is a bad thing," Iroh noticed. "Grief is an important part of attachments. As much as it hurts, it shows us that the thing we lost, whether it is a person, a sense of purpose - even something as simple as a portrait - it shows us that they had a great impact on us. That they have played an important role in your life, and that you are better because of it."
Azami nodded, her eyes a little puffy now but not excessively so. "I thought I wanted to be alone," she admitted. "To just have the day to myself, and let me process my thoughts without anyone else. But being able to talk to you... it's been nice. This definitely isn't how I thought today would go."
"There is always a time where we need the help of another," he mused, reminiscing on his own experiences with loss. "Sometimes, it is with those you love - other times, a stranger can offer more comfort than your closest family. Do not blame yourself for this - it is natural to feel grief for those you have lost, especially when they are taken from you before their time."
As she finished cleaning herself up, she looked over at him nervously. "My brother... from what I understand, he died when he was old. Like, really old. Whether it was natural causes or not, it was definitely his time. Did..." she hesitated, as though afraid to say the next few words. "Did you lose someone else?"
Azami P.o.V.
"I-"
As soon as she saw Iroh's voice catch, she instantly regretted asking the question. There was a part of her that wanted, desperately, to know anything she could about her family, but she'd clearly pushed him too far.
"I'm so sorry," she instantly apologized, trying to backpedal as fast as she could. "I didn't realize- shouldn't have asked-"
The man shook his head as he, surprisingly, gave out a small laugh. "It's quite alright," he assured her. "You decided to trust me today, for which I am grateful - I see no reason not to do the same for you."
"Wait, no," she protested. "Just because I told you doesn't mean you have to do the same-"
Not even acknowledging her, Iroh just pulled his basket up into his lap and started to search through it until he apparently found what he was looking for. "I know I don't have to tell you," he assured her. "This is something I want to do."
Without skipping a beat, he passed her a small piece of parchment - a portrait. Taking it gently in her hands, she admired the handsome-looking young man painted on the front. Unsure of what she was looking at, she was about to ask him who it was until her eyes found the characters written in the top left corner.
General Iroh,
I will see you again when victory is obtained.
Your loyal son,
Lu Ten
The realization felt like a slap in the face to her - she may have lost her brother and father, but Iroh... he lost his son. Azami's mind couldn't even begin to fathom how horrible that must be... the idea of having to bury your own child was worse than any nightmare she could imagine.
"Spirits, Iroh... I-" she cut herself off, as the words simply weren't coming to her. What could she possibly say - I'm sorry? How could that ever be enough? As she glanced over at him, terrified to see how he must be feeling, she couldn't deny the small shock that ran through her at the sad smile on his face as he gazed down at the portrait.
Forcing herself to breath, she gulped slightly before beginning to talk again. "What was he like?"
"He was strong, and kind," Iroh replied sadly. "A bit like you, actually. He may have fought in the war, but unlike his peers he was never cruel. Even... even to prisoners, or conquered civillians, he always tried to do right by them. I don't think he ever wanted to fight, but instead simply wanted to do what was best."
As he spoke, a small smile formed on Azami's face as she heard him described to her. "You must have been very proud of him."
"Oh, there were times he was an idiot," the man admitted with a laugh. "Like anyone, he made mistakes. But I don't think he ever let them become regrets. He would always push himself to do better, to be better. Yes, I was - and still am - very proud of the person he became." He then wiped his own eyes gently before smiling over at her. "You two would've gotten along quite well, I think."
As she heard the family she lost described to her - no matter how small a part - Azami felt her sadness over them slowly starting to wash away. Back on the serpent's pass, she'd told Sokka that she was ready to let go of her past - and for the most part, she was. But until now, there was always a small part of her holding on to her family.
Now, though, she finally felt ready to accept the way things were.
Whatever that thing was when she got dragged into the spirit world, it wasn't her brother. Not really. Even if it was a remnant of his soul, it wasn't the person she knew or the person Iroh described. Her brother, she decided, lived only in her memories now - and she was done letting some spirit mess with her head.
As she came to this conclusion, a profound sense of relief filled her. She didn't even realize how tense she was until she finally let herself relax, letting out a sigh as she looked up at the clouds above. "Thank you," she breathed, giving the portrait of Lu Ten one final glance before handing it back to Iroh. "For everything. I'm not sure how yet, but it helped me."
"My pleasure," Iroh replied as he gently placed the portrait into his basket. "Like you, I had expected to spend this day by myself. It is nice, knowing that no matter how broken our family may be, we can still be there for one another."
The two smiled at each other as they both rose to their feet and bowed to each other in the traditional Fire Nation style, a sense of finality in the air as Iroh left with a wave.
Sokka P.o.V.
This wait was becoming agonizing.
Unlike on the evening of the party, Sokka wasn't really concerned that Azami wasn't safe - just really impatient for her to get back. He'd made Aang, Katara and Toph all leave so that it would just be the two of them when she came back, but he was becoming increasingly unsure of his plan.
He'd mostly come to terms with all the possible outcomes - even accepting the decent possibility that she'd reject him - but as every minute, every second even started to feel like an hour, doubt continued gnawing away at him.
What if she says no, and things just become awkward between us? he thought for the thousandth time today. What if she says yes, and it's still awkward? What if my breath stinks, should I have bathed today instead of yesterday - oh spirits, I probably look like crap, my hair's still not great, I should've worn something nicer-
"Hey Sokka," a voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts, and Sokka screamed slightly as he leaped several feet into the air.
The second he landed, he whipped around in surprise to see Azami closing the door behind her. "Uh-um-mhm-I uh- h-hi there!" he stuttered out, a blush already rapidly working its way across his face. Oh, man, I'm blowing it...
"Um... hi?" she asked nervously, taking a cautious step forward as she quickly took in his appearance. "Are you okay?"
"Oh yeah - totally - I mean, yes," Sokka replied, still stumbling over his words. Focus! You're throwing! his mind screamed at him, and he forced himself to pause and take in a deep breath, eagerly anticipating her response to his next question. "I, uh, I was actually looking to ask you something."
Azami's eyebrow creeped up her forehead slightly as he blushed even further. "Okay?"
"Do you... um..." Cmon, Sokka! You can do this! He took one more deep breath, forcing his voice back into its normal register. "Do you want to go out for dinner tomorrow night?"
Her eyes lit up almost immediately, which admittedly was not the reponse he was expecting. "Sure! Sounds great - it's been a while since the five of us actually did something like that together-"
"Uh, that's not what I meant," Sokka quickly interrupted, and she glanced at him with a confused expression. "I meant, like, just the two of us."
Azami frowned, apparently still not getting it. "Just the two of us? But why would..." her voice trailed off as she seemed to get what he was asking, her eyes widening as her face instantly flushed red. "Oh, you mean... oh."
"Yeah, I do," Sokka agreed.
She seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, and if Sokka thought the wait before was painful, this was straight up agonizing. Every single second, he became less sure - she had to be thinking of a nice way to say no without hurting his feelings. There was absolutely, no way she would say yes - why had he done this? Why did he even try-
"Okay."
-asking? This was just a waste of time, now he was going to - wait, what? "Um... sorry, what did you say?"
A look he'd never seen before on Azami suddenly crossed her face - almost as if she were... shy? "I said, okay," she repeated with a hesitant nod. "Let's do it."
A/N; Not really much I want to say here, I think the chapter mostly speaks for itself. Only thing I have to say - to anyone who may live in the Ukraine, or has family who lives there - I wish you all the best of luck in staying safe and returning to peace.