FicWad

Jung walked the streets calmly, the strap of the pouch of freshly collected ingredients held firmly within his grasp.

The passers-by had welcomed him to Bai-Jing with nervous stares and whispered rumors of his reputation. Yet where they had expected a gruesome beast, they had found a quiet and powerful warrior who spent his time training and playing the pipa.

Denizens of the village now smiled towards him, giving eager greeting as he passed. He returned each with a quiet nod, his spirit growing more adjusted to the environment he now found himself in.

He glanced towards the main street, admiring the nearly finished displays and attractions as the vendors and villagers continued toiling at them.

Stopping near a fruit vendor, he drew out a few coins.

"Lovely day Demon, isn't it?" The jubilant merchant smiled as he set down a papaya.

"Yes," Jung answered as he looked down towards the fruit.

"The perfect day for moon peaches!" He held up one of the peaches, looking especially ripe. He took great pride in this particular stock.

"Peaches are best for dryer days," the statement was accurate, years of living in the mountainous wilds giving him experience in the matter.

"It is rather moist out, isn't it?" The merchant's smile grew, impressed by the Demon's demonstration of knowledge in the subject. The air of Bai-Jing had a wet coldness to it, signaling an oncoming storm. "I hope it breaks before the fair begins!"

"As do I."

"Tell me," the merchant leaned in curiously, hoping to engage him in further conversation. "If peaches are best for dryer days than this, then what would your preference be for a day like today?"

Jung glanced over the selection carefully, his gaze stopping on one item in particular.

"Mango," he answered as he lifted the fruit, the mask looking up towards the merchant.

"Yes!" he clapped his hands together. Quickly, he pointed a finger towards the Demon. "There's an exception, however! On a day like today, you mustn't have it cold! No, a warmed mango would be best for this weather," he smiled as he folded his arms.

"I had no idea. Thank you for the information," Jung bowed calmly, placing a few coins on the counter.

"It's my pleasure!" the merchant scooped up the coins, bowing quickly. "Thank you for your business! Please enjoy the day!"

The Demon nodded once again, continuing toward the tea house. He stopped at the sight of the patrons grouped together outside, sitting and drinking tea as Sun and Qiu served them in the street.

"Ah, Demon!" Qiu smiled as she saw him, pouring tea for an elderly woman.

"What has happened?" he came to a halt as he neared the group, nodding towards the patrons as they greeted him.

"War," Sun muttered as she accepted coins from one of the customers.

Jung glanced towards the doorway, a hanging cloth dividing the interior from the street. Wondering as to Min's whereabouts, he stepped in cautiously.

A kettle crashed down in front of him, rolling to his feet. Glancing towards the kitchen, he could see Xiu standing on the other side yelling downward.

"Old hag!" the young servant glared angrily.

"Inept twit!" Min yelled back, storming out towards the empty serving area. Grasping the kettle, she ignored the Demon entirely as she made her way back to the kitchen. "Don't take it out on the kettles!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" she tossed a wooden spoon towards the old woman's head, furious.

"How else're you gonna learn!?" Her arm raised, deflecting the spoon before continuing towards the kitchen.

"I'll learn from Sun!"

"I thought you wanted to learn to make good tea!" There was an emphasis on "good" that conveyed many things.

Each one of these things reached Sun's ears as she sighed, glaring towards the tea house doorway.

"I'll ask lady Wen Lan to teach me, then!"

"Wen Lan's too busy getting ready for the festival with the old man, she doesn't have the time!"

"So?! What, now there's a deadline on making tea?"

"You've got to master it by the festival!"

"The festival's in two days!" she shrieked angrily, confident in the old woman's insanity.

"Which is why you should stop throwing your temper tantrum and get back to work!" Min shrieked back with equal fury.

"Why?! Why do I need to learn by the festival!?"

"What, you haven't figured it out?" Min spit the words, each carrying insulting connotation.

"I'm not from here, remember?" Her eyes narrowed, nearly snarling the words.

"Well, let me explain how it works then! People get together and decide to have a festival! Everyone gets excited, throws their hands up in the air, 'Yay, what a wonderful idea! Oh, it'll be so much fun'!" she clasped her hands together, resting them under her chin as she batted her eyelashes mockingly.

"The men all get together and try to think of the best way to make their festival better than all the other festivals, it's how men work! The women," there was a slight grin as she pointed towards Xiu. "The women all start giggling and blushing and trying to look their prettiest so they can impress the men!"

The suggestive vulgarity was not nearly as devastating as the astounding accuracy of the statement. Both brought Xiu to blush, still glaring at the old woman.

"So?!" she countered.

"So!" Min exclaimed, "you're going to get all dressed up and try to look pretty to try and impress the nice general! But you're not just trying for his attention alone, oh no! You're competing with all the girls of Bai-Jing!"

Her jaw dropped as her eyes went wide, staring towards the smirking old woman. She hadn't thought this far ahead; all the girls at the festival would be dressing to be beautiful. What was to stop Seung from paying more attention to a prettier girl?

"That's why you've got to get an edge!" Min pointed the spoon towards her, passion driving her frame.

Xiu blinked towards the old woman, still blushing as she listened for what came next.

"And your edge shall be...Tea!" She held the kettle and spoon up, her upper lip firming as she ended the presentation.

"...Teach me," Xiu grunted in defeat after a long pause, her arms folding on the counter as she buried her chin into them.

"Good! Now get back to the kettles, no more slacking!"

The young servant grumbled in protest of the accusation, her back turning towards them.

"...I've brought the ingredients," Jung held up the pouch, now understanding entirely why all the patrons had chosen to take their tea outside. He had been an unintentional witness to the entire argument.

"When'd you get here?" her eyebrow rose as she walked towards him, grabbing the pouch. She fished through it quickly, raising each ingredient to her eye as she studied. The intensity of her scrutiny increased drastically as the festival grew closer.

He watched as she hoisted the pouch over her shoulder, making her way towards the kitchen.

"This'll do. Tomorrow I'm sending you out for the tough stuff, so don't make any plans." She continued into the kitchen, disappearing behind the hanging cloth.

Nodding his head, he took his pipa before making his way outside. Sitting near the entrance, he began playing softly.

The customers smiled as he played, enjoying the taste of the tea in the noonday sun.




"Settle down!" Yakone shouted as the ostrich horse stomped wildly in the shallow water.

"Ha ha, Ryo's always hated baths," Li Mei smiled as she continued scrubbing Kyo, who sat quietly through the procedure. "Once you get his feathers wet, he'll calm down. Kyo loves the water though, don't you?" Smiling warmly towards the creature, she stroked its neck.

"I don't know why I even agreed to this," the waterbender muttered as he gripped the cloth tightly.

"Lord Bo and Shui are busy training," she explained as she lifted Kyo's wing slightly, the ostrich horse folding it out obediently.

"Doesn't answer my question," he muttered, trying to sneak up on the beast from behind. He lashed out with the cloth, Ryo squawking and storming towards the river's center.

"Ah," Li Mei looked up as she felt a drop upon her shoulder. Lifting her hand, she felt the soft first few drops of rain, a calm storm rolling in.

"Oh, now you want to be in the water?" he sighed, folding his arms as he watched Ryo splash about playfully.

"Yakone, a storm's coming in!" she called out to him. "I'm going to go tell lord Bo and Shui, you finish washing Kyo and Ryo!"

"Whatever," he grumbled, glancing over his shoulder as she hurried up the hill. As she disappeared from sight, he turned back towards the mischievous creature. A grin spread over his face as he cracked his knuckles. "You want to play in the water? Let's play."

He lowered his palms to the water, his stance spreading as he motioned his arms to the right. Water rose up in front of him, squirming through the air. Maintaining a steady rhythm he brought more water into it, the whip extending as the beast tilted its head curiously.

His concentration broke as he felt something press against his back. The water fell into the river, mixing with the gentle rain as Kyo pressed his head against Yakone.

Slightly irritated at the interruption, he turned his attention towards the ostrich horse.

Kyo dipped the bottom of his beak into the water twice before lifting his head again.

"Just wait, I'll get to you when I'm done with him," he motioned his head back towards Ryo.

The beast stepped back, stomping his foot as he dipped his beak against the water again before pressing the side of his head against Yakone's arm.

"Heh," the waterbender smirked slightly, ruffling the feathers atop the beast's head gently. "Fine," he admit defeat as he took the cloth, resuming the bath. He glanced to the side as something caught his eye, Ryo inspecting the spot where the whip of water had fallen carefully.

He grinned as he placed the cloth over his shoulder, motioning with his hands again towards the spot.

The ostrich horse squawked loudly, backing away as the water rose up slightly, startling him. Stepping in towards it, he gave a quick peck with his beak before squawking again.

Entertained, he moved the water quickly away from the beast, watching as he chased it playfully.

Kyo rose up, eyeing the spectacle curiously before helping in the chase.

Yakone laughed, smiling as he played with the two.

Li Mei trudged up the hill, hurrying as she passed its peak. She passed the somber campfire quickly, calling out to her traveling companions as she made out their figures in the distance.

"Lord Bo, Shui, a storm is com..." she had wanted to tell them to pause, to not risk sickness for the sake of training. Her voice trailed off as she watched.

The two stood beside one another, their motions steady and powerful as they breathed deeply. Their eyes had an intense focus to them, the rain doing nothing to hinder the silent determination.

The young girl watched quietly, paying no mind to the rain as it fell against her cheeks. Within her spirit a mixed feeling of admiration and gratitude echoed, inspired by the determined strength of the firebenders.

She smiled softly as she watched, her hands folded politely in front of her. All that remained to separate them from the Kun valley was a few days travel.

The rain swept over them, washing away the doubts and tribulations the journey had tainted her optimism with. In its wake lay confident inspiration.



"Faster now, put everything you've got into it!" Gang commanded as he sidestepped one of the guards. The storm had passed quickly, doing nothing to hinder the intensity of the training.

The guard panted as he continued his assault, flames launching from his fists as he tried to land an attack on the old guard.

Gang dodged back quickly before stepping in, motioning his hand into the guard's stomach before swinging into an uppercut.

The attack took him off guard, leaving him no time to yell before he hit the ground.

"Next!" he barked as he pointed towards one of Seung's earthbenders. He had been pushing the soldiers and guards to their limits over the course of the past few days, claiming it to be compensation for the "night off" they had been charitably provided.

"Ah, Gang. I should have known you would be here," Chin-Hwa observed as he stepped into the former garden. His gaze fell quickly over the grounds, further scorched and scarred by Gang's training sessions. He emitted a soft sigh.

"Yeah? What is it?" Gang glanced towards the old noble, turning his attention quickly back towards the earthbender. Kicking forward, he dodged a sharp spike of earth as it stabbed out from the ground.

"I assume you will be attending the festival?"

"Yeah," he smirked slightly as he stepped in towards the earthbender, head butting him in the face. "Sounds like it might be fun. Next!"

"Then I assume you will need something to wear for the occasion?" He had already provided such aid to general Seung, who suffered the misfortune of having nothing appropriate for such a function.

"What? Why?" He took his stance, the wary guard attempting to maintain a solid distance between them. "What's wrong with this?"

"Armor is hardly appropriate for a festival," the noble explained. "Besides this, there is the fact that in all the time I have known you, you have never had that particular armor washed or treated."

"So?" He crouched quickly, lashing his leg out as he spun. Fire peeled across the ground towards the guard, who spun over it quickly. Keeping the momentum, he rushed towards the old guard.

"So, it is filthy." Chin-Hwa's eyebrow rose as he took note of the flame burning even more of the former garden's soil.

"Armor doesn't get filthy, it gets experienced," Gang grinned as he turned his body to the right, spinning and swinging his fist back into the guard's jaw.

"Be that as it may," Chin-Hwa sighed, "I ask that you at least wear something more formal for the sake of Wen Lan. She hopes to establish a pleasant first impression with the other nobles."

"Fine, fine," he grumbled as he walked towards a bucket of water. The guard he had struck fumbled along the ground, eventually falling over.

"My thanks," Chin-Hwa bowed his head slightly, grateful that the old guard had not given him too much trouble on the matter. "Do you have any particular preference on any aspect of the clothing?"

"Yeah, I want it t'be black and red." He dumped the water on the earthbender he had knocked unconscious earlier, awakening him.

"I do not believe those particular colors would be appropriate."

"Right, right. Red and brown?"

"Is red necessary to the garment?"

"Favorite color," he grinned as he tossed the empty bucket aside.

"Of course," Chin-Hwa sighed, Gang standing as clear and absolute evidence of the "old habits die hard" adage.

"Boots'll wear red and brown too," the old guard nodded his head back towards the beast.

Boots had made the far corner his personal residence, the ground surrounding it littered with chewed footwear.

"I am not having clothing made for your komodo rhino," he asserted, the line drawn.

"Feh, fine," Gang grumbled as he waved another soldier to attack him.

"Ah, I forgot to ask; do you have any idea where general Seung has gone off to?"

He grinned as he awaited the soldier's attack. "Takin' care of somethin'."

"How are you so bad at this!?" the old woman questioned loudly.

"Shut up, I'm trying!" Xiu had no problem matching her pitch and volume, her aggravation pushing her to exceed it.

"This tastes terrible!" Min paid no mind to the novice's words; still busy admiring the poor quality.

"Then don't drink it!"

"Demon!" she poked her head out into the serving area, still vacant. "Get in here!"

After a pause Jung entered, a thin coat of sweat veiled over him from his training.

"Go out and get me all the ingredients you got this morning, twice as many! We're gonna be here all night!"

He nodded, turning towards the entrance as Xiu continued mumbling threats towards the old pain.

"Did you ask Wen Lan to the festival yet?!" she called after him.

Freezing in his tracks, a warmth grew beneath the mask.

"What're you waiting for!? Get out there and ask her!" Min commanded, waving him away.

The Demon stepped out of the tea house, his attention towards the patrons as they stared, each of them having heard every word.

Wen Lan stood there blushing, holding a kettle as she looked towards him.

He could feel tension strain at his body as the patrons continued glancing between the two.

"Wen Lan..." Jung managed her name before a pouch shot out from within the tea house, draping over his head.

"Don't forget this!" Min yelled after him, hurrying back towards the kitchen.

The young noble lifted a hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle at the sight.

"...Wen Lan," he began again as he lifted the pouch from his head. He could feel the break in the tension the old pain had inadvertently caused.

"Yes," she answered shyly, blushing.

"...Would you allow me to accompany you to the Festival of the Fireflies?" Beneath the mask, he blushed nervously. Min's bold question had removed the possibility of privacy between the two, something he had hoped to have when asking her.

"...I would like that," she smiled softly as she glanced towards the ground, her cheeks red as she looked back towards him. "...Very much."

"It's so sweet," Qiu blushed as she held a tray up to cover the lower half of her face.

"Don't be like your grandmother," Sun muttered as she motioned her daughter towards a patron's nearly empty cup.

Jung nodded slowly, a wide smile growing beneath the mask.

Wen Lan's could do nothing to conceal the smile she displayed, motioning her kettle quietly towards another patron's cup.

The Demon turned towards the main street of the village, levity coursing through his body as he held the empty pouch.

"Stop putting in so many different things!" Min growled as she slapped the wooden spoon onto the back of Xiu's hand.

"Ow! It's healthier that way, you old hag," she grumbled as she rubbed the back of her hand.

"You don't want something healthy, healthy tea is for children! You want it to taste good!"

"What's the point of making it taste good if it isn't good for you!?"

"Idiot! All tea's good for you!" Min crossed her arms defiantly.

"Fine! Then teach me how to make it taste good instead of just being annoying!"

"I'm trying, you're just terrible at this!"

Xiu glared, Min returning the expression as they found themselves locked in a tense silence, broken only by the sound of footsteps in the serving area.

"What do you want?!" the two screamed towards the entrance, each freezing at the sight.

"I'm sorry to intrude," Seung began. "I was wondering if you would permit me to have a moment of lady Xiu's time? I apologize for the inconvenience; Gang informed me that she has been helping you with the tea house since business had seen such a sharp increase as of late." He silently criticized himself for being so talkative. Such was a symptom of the general's nervousness.

The two ladies stared in complete silence.

"Ah...Right! Right, yes! Business is so good, I needed as much help as I could possibly get!" Min folded her hands, laughing as she tilted her head to the side. "Thank the Avatar for young Xiu's help; I doubt we'd be able to get by without her!"

Xiu's eyebrow twitched as her gaze fell towards Min, the lie startling her.

"So helpful, so talented! And so beautiful too, all the young men in the village come just to see her and sample her tea!"

The young servant's eyes went a little wider, blushing deeply at the lies.

"Ah, yes," Seung blushed slightly, not surprised by the statement and completely unaware of its false nature.

"You can borrow her, but you have to promise to give her back soon!" Min laughed loudly, poking her head back into the kitchen.

There was a hushed yet heated exchange between the two as Xiu was pushed out from behind towards the general. Her hands remained at her sides, balled into nervous fists as she stared at him with flushed cheeks.

Min kept just behind the curtain separating the serving area from the kitchen. Grinning, she spied upon the two carefully.

"Lady Xiu," he started, understanding that which he hoped to request. His cheeks grew red as he caught sight of her sweet features; the glimpse disrupting the flow of his thoughts entirely.

"Yes?" the words escaped barely, nearly a whisper.

"...Would you...Join me for a walk...?"

"S...Sure," she nodded quickly, stopping as she felt she had nodded too much.

The two left the tea house quietly; both blushing and hoping the words would come to them.

Min grumbled slightly at the scene moving, hurrying out behind them to continue her surveillance.

"What are you doing?" Sun's eyebrow rose as she watched her mother.

"Shush, I'm busy," the old woman continued watching, squinting.

The two continued walking in awkward silence, neither having any idea what to say.

Xiu began building up an inner confidence, pushing herself to speak. Each time she felt ready to open her mouth, doubt sought to keep it closed. This birthed agitation, which further pushed her towards speech.

"General Seung!" she blurted out, blushing at the unexpected volume.

"Ah," he looked towards her quickly, startled. "Yes...?"

"Do you..." she fished through her mind furiously for an ending to the inquiry, falling back upon the first thing to come into her mind. "Like...Tea...?"

He nodded, his cheeks still having a slight tint of red to them. A gentle smile came to him, feeling that conversation brought a welcome end to the uncertain quiet. "Yes, I find it very soothing."

"I see," she smiled nervously, her inner thoughts turning towards a triumphant image of Min, bragging loudly at being correct.

"Do you like tea...?" He felt himself an imbecile the moment the words left his mouth. It was easy to ascertain that Xiu most likely enjoyed tea, what with working in a tea house.

"Yes," she nodded quickly, smiling at any question he would deliver. "I do."

"Excellent," he responded, feeling lost in regards to where the conversation should next turn.

The awkward quiet thundered, the two walking further down the village street.

Seung narrowed his eyes slightly as he turned to look towards the various stands, becoming determined to combat the silence.

She watched as he walked away, her pace slowing as he purchased something from one of the stands. There was a small cloth pouch in his hand as he returned to her. Taking it nervously, she glanced towards its contents, unable to understand the gesture.

"Gang tells me..." his face grew redder as he fumbled for the words, a slight worry that he was being too forward filling him. "That these are your favorite."

Xiu smiled gently towards the leechy nuts, blushing.

"Lady Xiu...Would you..." he trailed off, struggling for the words as her eyes met with his.

Her face grew bright red, her grip on the pouch tightening unconsciously.

"Allow me to escort you to the festival?" The words had a slight hurry to them, driven by his nervousness.

"Ah," she felt embarrassed, conscious of how red her face had grown. "Yes," she nodded very quickly. "Yes, please." The situation had robbed her of rhetoric, leaving her a shy and blushing girl.

"I see," he beamed, relieved by her response. "Will you meet me by the village entrance, the evening of the festival?"

"Yes," she nodded quickly and excitedly, her frame straightening with joy.

"Thank you," he blushed again, bowing slightly. "I have to return to my soldiers now; I look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening."

She watched as he walked in the direction of the estate, her face retaining its brightness as she admired him. After several moments had passed, she regained herself.

Her face took on a more serious expression, finding a new fire of determination within her chest. Hurrying back towards the tea house, she stormed into the kitchen.

"How did it go?" Min grinned knowingly, having watched the entire exchange from a distance.

Xiu stormed past her, opening a kettle carefully before sorting through some ingredients. There was a careful placement to her approach that she had not included earlier.

The old woman smiled, sitting quietly in the corner as she watched, correcting the mistakes calmly and constructively.



"How much longer?" Iwao growled, his frame bouncing slightly with excitement.

"Patience, Iwao. Patience," the handsome firebending wore a sadistic grin as he looked out from the boat.

"I can't be patient, not after what you said," he grinned.

"Are you that excited to face him?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded excitedly. "Absolutely, I want to crush his skull so badly."

"Then you should execute patience. It will make his blood sweeter."

"Nothin'll be sweeter than killin' 'im," his grin grew, gripping the side of the boat tightly.

"You should listen to Kazuki," Hitoshi warned. He was an old man, his height average. Yet his cloak concealed a large body beneath it, his face contradicting the impression. His eyes were dark, his smug expression earned through years of combat.

"Ah, Hitoshi. I trust that you slept well?" the firebender grinned, glancing back towards him.

"Of course, of course. I thank you for your concern," he bowed.

"My only concern is that my warriors be in the best shape possible," the explanation was calm yet impersonal. "I'm afraid you're all quite useless to me if you have any cause for failure."

"Understood," Hitoshi smiled as he looked out towards the riverbank.

"Heh," Iwao folded his arms, body still twitching with excitement.

The valley grew closer.



Wen Lan sat beside her old friend, chatting happily as they overlooked what had once been Chin-Hwa's garden.

"You nervous?" he asked as he took a sip from the saucer.

"Hmm?"

"This whole thing with you bein' introduced to the whole village; you nervous?"

"Ah. No," she smiled. "I am fortunate enough to have met many of the villagers in helping at the tea house. They are kind-hearted and hard working. I feel calm among them."

"You're not bein' introduced t'people though. You're bein' introduced to nobles."

"True," she nodded softly. "I will be sure to leave a good first impression among them."

"That's easy," he smirked. "Just show up."

She laughed lightly, his flattery reaching her. Her focus turned towards someone making their way towards them from the hallway.

Gang turned towards her, grinning as she approached.

Xiu looked down towards him with calm eyes.

"How'd it go with Seung?" he teased.

She said nothing, lowering herself to her knees beside him. Quickly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, embracing him. What few words Seung had shared with her gave evidence of the old guard's kindness.

Closing his eyes, he chuckled softly. His hand patted her shoulder twice before she let go.

"Goodnight, my lady," the young servant bowed deeply towards her best friend, making her way towards her room.

"Goodnight Xiu," Wen Lan nodded her head, smiling in understanding of her friend's expression.

Xiu continued along, her body feeling a warmth as she clutched the pouch of leechy nuts with an indomitable smile.