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Chapter Text

Zhu Li sat on an uncomfortable wooden chair outside the main office of Ms. Mu's employment agency. She'd dressed in her best, most professional outfit, but it seemed drab in comparison to the two other girls sitting in the waiting area. One reapplied her lipstick in a tiny mirror, while the other patted her curls.

"Zhu Li!" A woman's voice shook the chairs.

Zhu Li grasped her bag, stood, and marched into the office.

"Please, have a seat." Ms. Mu gestured to the chair across her desk, her hand very dainty for such a large woman. "You've brought your credentials?"

Zhu Li reached into her bag and presented Ms. Mu with the scroll. The woman balanced a tiny set of glasses on her nose. Her mouth formed a thin line as she glanced over the words in front of her.

"You don't have much experience. One tea shop, one department store counter, a few months of transcribing and filing..."

"I learn quickly and I'm very capable. You'll note the few references I do have, are excellent."

Ms. Mu snapped the scroll shut. She narrowed her eyes and looked Zhu Li over. "I don't suppose you can get rid of the glasses," she said, more a statement than a question.

"No, ma'am."

Ms. Mu sighed. "That's a pity. Take away your glasses and cut and style your hair, and a whole world of options would open up to you."

Zhu Li said nothing.

"Hmm. We do have an opening that might work for you, as of today, in fact. But I must warn you - it's a very demanding job. Have you heard of Varrick Global Industries?"

She had heard the name, seen the logo on shipping crates. She nodded.

"You'll be expected to do a little of everything, but your primary function will be as an assistant to the head of the company." Ms. Mu shot Zhu Li a sideways glance. "You don't get sea sick, do you?"

"No ma'am."

"Very well. Let's give it a try, shall we? But first, let's find you something more professional to wear."

~*~

Zhu Li walked stiffly between the rows of warehouses, glancing at their numbers. Her new, catalogue-ordered outfit was certainly sharper than anything she'd owned before and less comfortable as well. Zhu Li didn't mind - to her, it felt like armor. The click of her heels against the pavement reminded her that she had a new purpose - to be the most capable assistant in all of Republic City.

She glanced down at the paper in her hands. The address Ms. Mu had given her was a peculiar one, down by the docks. She was quickly running out of real estate - soon, all that lay before her would be water.

Walking past the final building, she stopped at the edge of the wharf. She glanced right, to the fishing vessels, bobbing at their moorings and stinking of fish. She turned upwind and spotted, one hundred yards up the pier, a gleaming yacht.

Oh. That was what she was looking for.

There was no obvious sign of life on the giant vessel, though the wide gangplank was down. Recognizing the symbol on the side of the boat as Varrick Global Industries, Zhu Li was relatively confident she was in the right place as she walked aboard.

"Hello?" Her voice echoed through the hull.

A stout man wearing coveralls stepped out from behind a stack of wooden crates. "Hello there, Miss. Can I help you?"

Zhu Li was relieved to find at least one other person. "I believe you can - I'm supposed to start working for Varrick Global Industries today."

"Well," the man said, taking off his hat and mopping his brow, "You're in the right place. Accounting or clerical work?"

"I'm Varrick's new assistant."

"Oh." The man looked her up and down. "Well then, you want the top deck. Take those stairs. At the end of the hall, make a right, and head up one more level. Make sure you do not go left - the cat gators are pretty peckish before their breakfast."

"Thank you," Zhu Li said, nodding to the man and heading for the metal stairs.

"And Miss?" the man called to her. She turned back.

"Good luck."

Zhu Li heard the sound of laughter as she took the second set of steps, heading toward the natural light that spilled from a doorway at the end of the catwalk. As she entered the room, the laughter stopped as two people turned and stared at her. A short lady with a graying bob and a good-looking young man with blue eyes and strong eyebrows sat cross-legged at a table, cups of tea in hand. Clearly, it was their conversation that Zhu Li had interrupted. Meanwhile, a third person sat stretched out on a chaise lounge. The girl had gorgeous wavy hair, but her gray eyes remained fixed on her nails, which she was filing. She was the first to speak.

"You must be the latest assistant. Should I bother to learn your name?"

The young man stopped staring for a moment and looked at the girl on the chaise. "Hey - play nice, Yuki."

"I am nice - I'm just realistic. Shen lasted what - seven weeks, maybe eight, before calling it quits?"

The young man got up, walked over, and offered Zhu Li his hand. As she shook it, he introduced himself. "I'm Nuvuk. I'm kind of Varrick's right-hand man."

"Oh. Are you an assistant too?"

Yuki laughed; Nuvuk blushed. "Ha! Not quite - I'm in the product development game. I liaison between Varrick and our prototypes department. If you'd like to see some of the stuff we're working on, I could show you around sometime."

"Thank you. I'd appreciate that, Nuvuk."

He gave her a bashful half-smile. "And you are...?"

"Oh! Sorry. I'm Zhu Li. I'm Varrick's new assistant and I do plan on staying more than eight weeks."

"Don't they all," Yuki muttered.

Nuvuk gestured to the older woman he'd been sitting with. "This is Song, our herbalist and manager of refreshments." Song gave Zhu Li a bow, which she returned. The little lady reached down and poured her a cup of tea. Smiling, Zhu Li took a sip. She nearly choked as it hit her taste buds, but managed to cover it with a tiny cough - the delicate leaves had steeped for far too long.

Yuki suddenly sat up straight. "Hey, the boss is coming, look sharp."

Everyone fell into their places. Zhu Li stepped back against the wall, watching carefully.

The door swung open, and a wiry, mustachioed man stumbled in. Nuvuk immediately stepped forward and took the long, purple cape off his shoulders.

"How was your evening, sir?"

"Wonderful, Nuvuk!" boomed her new boss. He winced at the volume of his own voice. "It's the morning after I'd like to forget. Song, add a little something to my tea. You know - the good stuff."

Song bowed and scurried off. Varrick threw himself dramatically into a grand armchair.

"My head is killing me. Yuki, get over here."

"Sure thing." The aesthetician grabbed her box of acupuncture needles, ran over, and started sticking long pins in Varrick's hands and face. Song scurried back in and handed him a cup. He took a sip and made a face. "Wrong stuff. You know, Song... do I really have to spell it out?"

"Oh! The stuff."

He waved her off, tossing the cup aside. It shattered on the floor. Song hovered for a moment, torn between sweeping up the pieces and brewing a new pot. Zhu Li caught her eye and nodded. With a grateful look on her face, Song ran out of the room. Zhu Li swiftly swept up the bits of china and disposed of them.

"Ouch!" yelped Varrick. "Careful, Yuki ! How many times do I have to tell you - the bridge of my nose is super sensitive!" He pulled a needle out and pinched the offending spot.

Yuki bit her lip. "Sorry, sir."

Varrick shook his head and leaned back into the plush chair. "Sometimes I wonder about your training, Yuki." Eyes still closed, he whipped his head in Zhu Li's direction. "Shen, get me the... the thing!" Varrick winced as he gestured.

Nuvuk cleared his throat. "Shen quit, remember sir?"

But Zhu Li had followed the vague direction of Varrick's wagging fingers. Her eyes landed on the newspaper folded neatly on the desk. She flipped through, folding the paper so that the business section was in front. It was in his hand before he opened his eyes.

He squinted down at the paper, then up at her. "Oh, yeah. Who are you?"

"Zhu Li, sir."

"Zhu Li, huh?" He closed his eyes and leaned back again as Yuki stuck another pin in him. "Welcome to the team, Zhu Li."

Chapter Text

That afternoon, Varrick took a long nap to recover from his night out.  Nuvuk took the opportunity to show Zhu Li around the boat, the stateroom aside. He'd shown her the galley, the hall lined with fun-house mirrors, and the cat gator deck, where they'd tossed the beasts a few rat eels. Nuvuk walked close beside her the whole time, hands stuck in his pockets.

"You did a good job this morning, helping Song with that teacup. You'll find we all wear a lot of different hats around here."

"So I'm gathering." They stepped out onto a walkway overlooking a cavernous room. Zhu Li looked around the space in wonder.

"And this," said Nuvuk proudly, "is my part of the ship."

"It's wonderful," she stated.

"This is one of the areas where we develop and test new products. Of course, I can't go into detail about all of them," he said, as her eyes fell on what looked like a giant robot. "Company secrets and all."

"I'm part of the company now too," she reminded him. And I have no one to share secrets with, even if I wanted to, she thought. She spotted something interesting in a corner and walked over to examine it. 

"It's a glider," Nuvuk said, though she hadn't asked the question.

She glanced up at him, blinking behind her glasses. "Could I try it?"

Nuvuk laughed and rubbed the back of his head. Then his eyes widened. "Oh wait, you're serious?" He glanced up to the top of the hangar. "Um, yeah. I guess we could."

A few minutes later, they were preparing for flight. Nuvuk buckled the chin strap of her helmet. Zhu Li was momentarily annoyed. She was perfectly capable of doing such a minor thing on her own. Then it dawned on her - Nuvuk wasn't helping her because he thought she was incapable. He was helping her because he appeared to be fond of her.

Oh.

They stepped out to the ledge together. "Are you ready?" he asked. He'd described the process to her as they'd prepared the craft. Zhu Li nodded, then took a running leap.

It was amazing - she was really flying! This must be how airbenders felt, soaring above everything, the world below so small and - quickly growing larger .

Zhu Li attempted to regain control of the glider. She gritted her teeth as she forced the wings up to the proper angle to catch the air current. For a second, she righted the craft. But the sudden change in pressure was too much for the wings - Zhu Li heard fabric ripping and she hurtled down toward the ground.

"Oof!" 

She hit the rubber mat, hard, and tumbled to a stop. Nuvuk came running down the stairs. "Zhu Li!"

Gingerly, she sat up. Nothing seemed broken; that was a positive sign. Zhu Li glanced down at her throbbing knee. A small gash in the skin was starting to bleed. She'd managed to pull a run in her stockings, which she found far more annoying than the actual injury. 

"You're bleeding!" Nuvuk yelped as he skidded to a stop, kneeling beside her. His hands flailed as he looked for something to hold to her wound. Zhu Li hobbled to her feet.

"You need an easier way to control the wing angle. And a more durable material for the wings."

Nuvuk inspected the craft. "Hmm... You're probably right." He frowned. "But what about you?"

Zhu Li gestured to the clearly marked first aid kit on the wall, not twenty steps away. Nuvuk ran and got it. He opened it and rifled through the box, gauze and bottles flying like snow. "What am I looking for? Breathe, Nuvuk, breathe," he muttered under his breath.

"Here." Zhu Li held out her hands. Meekly, he handed her the kit. As she cleaned and wrapped her knee, he considered her carefully. "You're not like a lot of girls, Zhu Li."

"How so?"

"Well, first, you want to try out the glider, then when you get hurt, you don't cry or faint or anything."

Zhu Li leaned on her bad leg, testing the elasticity of the bandage. "You must not know a lot of girls," she replied, putting the first aid kit away and filing a mental note that the antiseptic needed to be restocked.

Her fingers twitched for an imaginary pen. She needed to find a notepad as soon as possible. 

~*~

It took a good week before her boss assigned her the sort of task she actually would have expected when she came on board. After days of bringing him the paper and taking notes on what seemed to her to be inane gibberish, usually for only about 15 minutes each afternoon, Varrick requested that Zhu Li set up a visit to one of his factories. 

It was getting close to the time they needed to leave. A car was ready, waiting outside to escort them to the working-class district where the factory was located. Zhu Li had reminded Varrick of the trip that morning, but thought it might be prudent to let him know the time was drawing near. 

She looked in the stateroom, the theater, the top deck, the dining room, and even the hall of mirrors before stumbling upon Varrick and Nuvuk in the research and development hangar, pouring over what looked to be blueprints. It was a bit of a surprise to her to find her boss actually working . Nervously checking the time on her small, scuffed pocket watch, she wondered if perhaps she should let him focus on his work and reschedule.

Nuvuk glanced up, spotted her, and immediately looked back down at the plans, a faint blush showing on his brown cheeks. Varrick must have noticed the movement, as he spun around.

"Ah, Zhu Li! It's time already? C'mon, Nuvuk, wrap that up and come with us."

Nuvuk did as he was told. They made a twenty minute stop upstairs so Varrick could pick out just the right jacket for the occasion, then they headed down to the dock where the Satousine was waiting. Nuvuk held the door open for his boss, then motioned for Zhu Li to climb in. Varrick sprawled in the very back of the car while Zhu Li sat primly across from Nuvuk, who seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with her. In between scribbling down various notes for Varrick, she watched the city pass by out the windows of the vehicle.

The wide boulevards of the city center gradually narrowed into smaller ones. The buildings on either side grew closer to the road, tall and cramped. Produce and tea was hawked from storefronts, laundry hung overhead, and kids played their own, smaller versions of probending in the streets.

Zhu Li glanced away, embarrassed, as they passed the building where she used to live. Some children were yelling outside - she couldn't bring herself to look and see if they were her cousins.

Soon, they entered the food manufacturing district. The streets in this neighborhood smelled like sugar and a faint cloud of flour dust hung over them perpetually. The driver pulled to a stop in front of a tall, yellow building with a sign reading Varrisnacks, Inc. above the door.

The manager bowed deeply as they entered. 

"It's such an honor to have you visit our facility, sir..."

“Good to see you again, Peizei. How’re the new line of products coming along?”

“Wonderfully, sir. But follow me and see for yourself.”

Attendants held out white jackets for Zhu Li and Nuvuk. She slid hers on and took the hairnet with a complete lack of enthusiasm. They were concerned about her and Nuvuk contaminating the food, but if Varrick did so, well, that was all right - finding a wavy, brown hair in your snack food was clearly less objectionable than...

Her boss did have really nice hair.

Zhu Li gave her head a little shake. Where had that thought come from?

The manager led them through the facility. Their first stop was at a window that looked out over an assembly line. Tiny cakes plopped out of the oven onto the conveyor belt. A fan cooled them before they fell neatly into a gridded tray. A sharp set of spikes clomped down on them, piercing each one through the top. The tray rose and tipped, depositing the cakes back on the belt. A few meters down stood the first set of people, armed with piping bags filled with red jelly. After each cake was filled and placed neatly back on the belt, they travelled down to a second set of people with piping bags, this time filled with white icing, which was slathered on top. Once iced, the cakes fell into another gridded tray and were stamped with the blue Varricorp logo. 

Peizei gestured for them to follow him down a set of metal stairs to the factory floor. Varrick rubbed his hands together. “Taste-test time!” 

A worker brought out a tray. Varrick wiggled his fingers over the cakes, taking his time choosing. “Varricake formula five, test one!” he announced before popping it into his mouth. He chewed for a minute, then swallowed. Peizei looked as if he was holding his breath, a nervous smile plastered on his face.

“Scrumptious!” Varrick shouted, clapping a relieved Peizei on the back. He flicked his head. “Zhu Li, Nuvuk, dig in.”

Zhu Li reached for a cake, but Nuvuk was there first, handing her one. She nodded, still a bit put off by his attention. She lifted it to her lips and took a small bite. It really was quite good.

“Up next,” Peizei was saying in a cheerful tone, “Varripuffs!” 

Walking through the different areas of the factory, they must have sampled six or seven different snacks. All seemed to meet with Varrick’s approval, or only had minor modification notes. Zhu Li dutifully scribbled everything down in her notebook, from recipes to sales projections.

Peizei led them to the end of a corridor and escorted them into a room that smelled like oil and salt. “And here is the newest product in our fried snacks line - Varricrisps.”

Another tray was whisked in front of them and they each grabbed a thin slice of fried potato and munched thoughtfully. The crisps were salty, but there wasn’t much else to them.

“Hmmm.” Varrick frowned slightly, but then, he had done that for several snacks before claiming them extraordinary. Zhu Li wondered if he liked seeing Peizei sweat. Varrick cocked his head. “Nuvuk, what d’you think?”

Nuvuk chewed faster to get to a reply. “Mmm. Delicious.”

“Zhu Li?”

It was the first time he had asked her opinion on any matter. She had noticed that when Varrick asked questions, people tended to flatter - in fact, she couldn’t remember anyone giving him negative feedback of any sort. Zhu Li preferred honesty, but she didn’t know if she could be both honest and employed. As quietly and imperceptibly as possible, she took a deep breath before responding. “They taste a bit... bland , sir.”

All three men stared at her for a long moment. She wasn’t sure if she’d done the right thing, but she found she wasn’t nervous about it. Whatever happened, would happen.

Finally, Varrick spoke. “If there’s one thing a Varrisnack should never be, it’s bland!” He spun around, waving his arms. “Shut down production!” He whipped back and pointed at the factory manager. “Peizei, clear your schedule! Whip up a couple new formulas. Nuvuk, get me the original data. Zhu Li, grab some average Zhangs off the street. I need a focus group, yesterday!”

“How much of a stipend should I offer, sir?”

Varrick’s hands went to his hips and he tapped a foot impatiently. “A stipend? They should be paying me!” Zhu Li stared at him, her pen hovered above her notepad. “Fine. Twenty yuans each.”

Moments later, Zhu Li was out in the street, notepad clutched tight in her hand. She had never set up a focus group before, but she imagined it would be best to find a wide cross-section of people, while also targeting those most likely to buy the product. She scanned the street for possible candidates. The two old men playing pai sho in front of a tea shop, the group of school boys shoving one another as one of their classmate picked out a pear for an afternoon snack, the harried mother trying to soothe her crying toddler who had dropped a toy, the couple laden with bags moving purposefully along…

Zhu Li approached the boys first.

“Who would like to make twenty yuans taste-testing snacks?”

Several of the boys looked skeptical, but the one picking out a pear set it back in its crate as his eyes went round.

“Sign me up!”

Zhu Li approached the mother next, then the old men, rounding out the group with a couple of shopkeepers and three other random stragglers. Back at the factory, she confidently led them to the most likely place for a conference room - it was there, luckily - and asked them to be seated. Nuvuk arrived a moment later with an impressive-looking ledger. 

“Please jot down your address, your age, your weekly budget, and the number of times per week you purchase snack food.”

By the time the book had completely circulated, Peizei had brought in the first bag of chips. Nuvuk had the group rate them by color, crispiness, and flavor. They repeated the process four more times. As Peizei escorted the group out of the room, Zhu Li thanked each person for coming, handing them two crisp bills. Once everyone was gone, Nuvuk shook his head in dismay.

“I don’t know how successful that was. This data is all over the place.”

Zhu Li peered over his shoulder. “The last column remains consistent. With only a couple of exceptions, each person we interviewed purchases snack food multiple times a week.”

The large mirror on the wall behind them banged several times, startling her. Nuvuk jerked his head. “Varrick wants to see the results.”

As they entered the hallway, Varrick stalked past them. “Walk and talk! I feel an idea storm brewing.”

Nuvuk’s long-suffering sigh went unnoticed by their boss. 

Once they arrived back at the ship, Nuvuk disappeared immediately. “Zhu Li!” Varrick barked, “Have Song prepare the supplies!”

Zhu Li had no idea what supplies he could be referring to, but figured Song would know. She found her in the kitchen, chatting with Yuki.

“Varrick needs supplies for his…. idea storm ?”

Yuki rolled her eyes while Song busied herself in the dry goods cupboard. “Wait till you get a load of this,” the young woman said. “It’s wild.”

Song produced a small bowl of facing-heaven peppers. Zhu Li recognized them from her aunt and uncle’s shop. Fried, they had been a popular snack with their fire-bending customers. 

Returning to where she’d left him, she found Varrick sitting on the ground - legs crossed, eyes closed, his fingers held to his temples as if trying to hold in his thoughts. When Nuvuk rushed in with an odd looking pair of boot-like contraptions, Varrick squinted an eye in his direction. Zhu Li was entirely perplexed, but tried not to show it as he strapped the boots on. Then her boss grabbed the nearby chin-up bar and flipped himself upside down. 

Varrick snapped his fingers at Zhu Li and she instinctively held out the bowl. He grabbed a few peppers. “Increases blood flow to the cranium,” he said, by way of explanation, before popping them in his mouth. He rubbed his hands together as his face turned a wicked shade of red. “Alright… here it comes!” He squeezed his eyes shut.

“Water...proof...noodles. Sun… powered… watch. Invisible… disposable… napkins. Remote… controlled...detonator. Purple… fashion… glasses. Double… sided… pen. Foldable… traveling… shoes.”

Zhu Li’s pen raced across the paper. For ten minutes, Varrick spewed combinations of words - some ridiculous, some with possible merit, some truly interesting - but none related to Varricrisps. Finally, his arms dropped to the floor and he let out an exasperated huff.

“Nuvuk, can you help me down? I’m getting pretty dizzy.” Nuvuk did as asked and Varrick sprawled out on the floor. 

Meanwhile, Zhu Li picked up a single pepper and examined it. She thought of the market where she used to buy the peppers, just blocks from Varrick’s factory. The stalls were run by sellers from all corners of the map - Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, Water Tribe. Zhu Li had always enjoyed nibbling on the weird and wonderful samples the hawkers would push on her as she shopped. 

“You know,” she finally offered, “we did leave out one important variable.”

Nuvuk turned to look at her as Varrick cracked an eye. “Yeah?”

“May I see the ledger?”

Nuvuk handed it over. Zhu Li neatly pencilled in another line. “Heritage,” she said as she wrote. “Three of our subjects were clearly from water tribe families, at least four were earth kingdom, and two were fire nation. Our water tribe participants were all disappointed by the lack of salt, those from the fire nation weren’t happy with the level of spice, and our earth kingdom taste-testers wanted more umami notes.”

Varrick suddenly sat up bolt-straight, eyes wide open. “Wait a tick - what if we offered multiple flavors? Komodo Chicken, Octopus Fritter, Tomato Carrot, Cabbage, Kale, Fire Flake, Seal Jerky, Sea Prune, Five-Flavor, Mung Bean, Onion Banana, Pickled Radish, Loco Moco, Instant Noodle…” He ticked off his fingers as he spoke; Zhu Li scribbled furiously to keep up.

Nuvuk made a face. “Those sound horrific.”

“ So horrific... they’re terrific ! People will buy one of each, just to try the wacky flavors! They’ll be collectibles, especially if we only offer them in certain markets. I’m a genius - I love it!" he roared.

Nuvuk raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhu Li. She bit back a smile. She didn’t mind not getting credit - anything to help the company - but Varrick’s shameless obliviousness was so blatant, it was almost amusing. 

"Zhu Li, get Peizei on the line! Set up another meeting this afternoon! I want Varricrisps to be the top selling snack in Republic City this quarter. Next quarter - the world!"

A dozen new types of Varricrisps were on shelves in a fortnight, each with its own brightly colored bag. In the ship’s galley, Song, Yuki, Nuvuk, and Zhu Li sampled some of each. 

“The Cabbage Crisps are my favorite,” Song pronounced.

“I can’t choose between the Komodo Chicken or the Instant Noodle,” Yuki mused.

Zhu Li silently decided she was partial to the Octopus Fritter flavor.

“The Sea Prune tastes like home,” said Nuvuk, wistfully. He gently nudged her. “Nice work, Zhu Li.”

Chapter Text

Zhu Li squinted up at the buzzard wasps circling high overhead, counting two more than had been there ten minutes ago. They'd driven far out into the Earth Kingdom flatlands to find a place Varrick deemed suitable for filming his first mover. She was fairly confident she could find her way back to civilization, if need be, so long as they all survived this dry heat. And their director.

"Cut!" her boss yelled through the megaphone, waving his free arm. He had tossed Zhu Li his jacket a good hour ago - after several weeks of meetings and evenings out on the town in Republic City, it seemed odd to see him in his vest and shirtsleeves, plus the ridiculous hat he'd insisted on wearing today. He'd retied his cravat around his neck as a scarf. "Cut!" he screamed again, hopping down out of his special chair.

"This isn't working," he said, stalking over to the cameraman. "The speed of the background compared to the speed of the animal is making the whole mover blurry. The ostrich horse has to run in place, or we have to keep up with it."

A couple of stable hands rushed forward, giving the panting animal buckets of water and feed.

"Either we need to build a moving walkway going in the opposite direction of the ostrich horse's movements - tricky - or we need to rig up a moving platform that's big enough to hold the crew."

Nuvuk rushed over with the little notebook he always kept on him for jotting down Varrick's mechanical ideas. "A wheeled platform - excellent idea, sir! Unfortunately, all the supplies for building a prototype are back on the ship, but if we come back tomorrow, I'm sure we could have -" 

Varrick cut him off. "Time is money, kid!" His wild eyes danced around, before landing on one of the vehicles they'd driven out to the flatlands. "Tear down the body of that Satomobile. Remove the roof, doors, and windows, but leave the steering mechanism. Song!" he bellowed. " Get everyone some of that iced lemon tea!"

Song started to reply that they were almost out of ice, but Zhu Li stopped her with a hand on the older lady's arm. "I made sure Yin put extra in the trailer."

Song clasped her hand. "Thank you, dear. I don't know what we would do without you."

As Zhu Li and Song passed tea out to the crew, Nuvuk and a few members of the crew worked on tearing apart the vehicle. Zhu Li handed him a glass with a sympathetic smile. He knocked it back like a shot, his mouth set in a determined line.

"Come on!" Varrick demanded, pointing to the sky. "We're losing the light!"

"Sorry, sir," replied Nuvuk through gritted teeth. "None of us have ever dismantled a Satomobile before."

"Out of the way!" Varrick tossed his tea aside and hopped over the half-dismantled hulk of the vehicle. He pulled on a pair of gloves before twitching a hand in her direction. "Zhu Li, hand me the thing."

She grabbed the wrench, large as a man's arm, from the array of tools spread out on the ground and passed it to him. He staggered a bit as she let go, glared at her sideways as if it were her fault it weighed so much.

"The bolts are here... here... and here..." he said, finding each one and, with great effort, loosening them. On the final one, he stumbled backwards before bringing the wrench down on it with a heavy clank. The entire Sato shuddered, then what was left of the outer body fell to pieces around him.

"Ha!" He leaped down off the Sato's base, heaving the wrench aside. It narrowly missed a crew member.

"It won't fit a lot of people. Just me, you," he jabbed a finger in the cameraman's chest,  "and a reliable driver. Nuvuk!"

Nuvuk stepped up onto the platform and sat in what was left of the driver's seat.

"Zhu Li, you come too. Nuvuk can't drive and record my thoughts at the same time."

Zhu Li set down the tray. Nuvuk offered her a hand up, then handed her the notebook.

Their first pass was not successful. "Too slow!" Varrick hollered. Neither was the second. "Too fast!" Finally - "Nuvuk, let Zhu Li have the wheel, before this ostrich horse drops dead of exhaustion."

Zhu Li had been holding onto the back of the seat for dear life. "Sir, I don't even know how to drive a Satomobile. Wouldn't it make more sense if -"

"Nonsense! Daylight's burning, and I need someone who I can depend on to do the thing properly. You've never let me down before." 

Something tiny twisted inside Zhu Li's chest. 

Varrick waved impatiently. "C'mon - steering wheel, gear shift, gas, break. Swap places with Nuvuk."

Nuvuk glowered as she took the wheel. He was upset at being replaced, but Zhu Li was too preoccupied with getting her foot on the gas and her hands on the wheel before Nuvuk released either to worry about that.

The rig bounced along. The speed was alarming - she'd been telling the truth about never driving a Satomobile before - but exhilarating. She took a deep breath and steadied her hands on the wheel. 

"Just a tiny bit faster, Zhu Li," Varrick wheedled, his eyes fixed on the ostrich horse. She pressed down on the gas, the tiniest fraction of pressure. "There - perfect!" He grabbed her shoulder. "Keep it that exact speed."

Hands clutched on the wheel, she did as he demanded for what felt like hours but was clearly only minutes. The ostrich horse galloped steadily alongside the rig. Varrick let out a joyful whoop as the cameraman declared, "We got it!"

Zhu Li let up on the gas and glanced back for confirmation. Varrick wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and grinned down at her. The sun, hanging low in the sky, illuminated the fluffy edges of his hair - the stupid hat had blown off at some point - and the wiry elegance of his frame in shirtsleeves. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Zhu Li, watch that komodo turtle!" Nuvuk yelled. Her eyes whipped back to the road and she stomped on the brake just in time to avoid running over the creature's huge shell and possibly flipping the vehicle.

"Whoa!" Varrick grabbed the back of her seat to keep from sliding off the rig. Meanwhile, Nuvuk broke the fall of both the cameraman and his equipment.

Everyone was silent for a moment as they watched the komodo turtle creep out of their path. Zhu Li braced herself for Varrick's next words, certain she was about to be fired. Finally, he spoke.

"Nuvuk, take a note - patent the Varirig for use in filming." He paused for a moment. "And maybe add some sort of safety doohickey to the front end."

~*~

Back on board the yacht, Zhu Li was finding it hard to sleep. It was ridiculous, given the hot, exhausting day in the Earth Kingdom and the tiring journey back to the boat. Despite taking a long bath, Zhu Li was certain she'd find prairie dust in her ears for weeks.

But it wasn't the prairie dust that was keeping her awake. It was her boss. He was impetuous and childish and maniacal and unthinking and demanding...

...and brilliant .

Varrick's face, silhouetted by the sun, gazed down at her and smiled again. Zhu Li rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. She did not have a crush on her boss. She did not have a crush on her boss.

Spirits help her.

~*~

Mercifully, the week after filming was too jam-packed to think much about her feelings. Meanwhile, a crowd of the well-to-do and bright young things of Republic City had gathered aboard the yacht, all in their finest, and all fawning over Varrick.

The evening everyone had been looking forward to had arrived. The sun began to set and the lights of the city twinkled along the harbor. Song ordered around waiters, hired for the night, carrying trays of drinks and canapés. Inside the room which had been recently converted to a theater, Zhu Li nodded and smiled at the cameraman as he began to unpack the parts of the projector. He jerked his head, motioning for her to come over.

"Hey, kid - want to help me set this thing up?"

Despite hating being called "kid", she really, really did. She watched, intently, as he snapped the spools into place and screwed on a part that looked like a telescope. "Hand me that reel, will you?" She did so, watching as he cracked the case open. 

"Now, be careful not to touch the print - you'll smudge it. But see how it hooks on here and passes by the lens round here?"

Zhu Li was paying attention, but she was also staring at the tiny images illuminated on the long strip of film. The ostrich-horse was in the center of each one, moving ever so slightly from one frame to the next. She held it up to a light to get a better look.

"Hey now. Don't spoil the surprise." Varrick's guests were starting to enter the room, finding seats on overstuffed chairs and plush pillows. Zhu Li lowered her hands. As her boss entered, she focused intently on spooling the film through the sprocket.

Once everyone was settled, Varrick took to the front of the room. With a large grin, he addressed the audience.

"You are witnessing history - the premiere of the world's first moving picture, or as I like to call it - the world's first mover !"

A waitress hovered between the guests with a tray of newly patented, buttery Varripop. 

"Whatever you may see or experience - do not be alarmed. The images you see before you are just that - images - and nothing to be afraid of. Enjoy the show!"

As he moved to sit down, he snapped his fingers in her direction. "Zhu Li, do the thing."

She hopped up and shut off the lights. The projector whirred to life and a glowing picture emerged on the wall in front of them. The audience gasped and shrieked. One woman fainted. Zhu Li was entranced. There was the ostrich-horse, just as she had seen it - or not seen it, as she'd been driving the rig at this point, she reminded herself. It was so realistic, as if she could reach out and touch it. But she knew better - she'd seen the whole process, from film to projector and knew how it worked.

That didn't stop it from being amazing. She had been a part of something important.

As if he'd heard her thoughts, Varrick swiveled round in his seat and gave both her and the cameraman a grin and a thumbs up.

Zhu Li found herself glad he could not actually hear her thoughts, but she knew, then and there, that she'd follow this man anywhere, so long as he let her be involved in things like this.

Chapter Text

Following the success of the mover, the party made its way through the boat and finally, out into the night. Glad to have a few quiet moments to herself for the first time in over a week, Zhu Li headed for the galley. She was looking forward to brewing herself a nice cup of tea and getting a chance to sit down with the book she'd barely started when she'd secured her new job. The Adventures of Pao Ji  was a popular and epic historical fiction, over a thousand pages, and had gotten great reviews. Unfortunately, Zhu Li had barely had time to get through the first few chapters in the last month or so, so it was with great dismay that on her foray to the galley, she stumbled upon Song, crying over a teapot.

Her first instinct was to quietly back out of the room, but Song sniffled and glanced up. "Oh - Zhu Li, is that you?"

Swallowing a sigh, Zhu Li walked over and sat down across from Song. She picked up the pot and started to pour.

"It's empty," Song wailed. Silently, Zhu Li took the pot, tossed in a handful of leaves, poured in the hot water and left it to steep. She came back and sat across from Song, who she now noticed, held a letter in her hands.

"It's from my son. He wants me to retire - to move back to Omashu and help him with his shop."

"Is it a tea shop?" Zhu Li asked, wary. 

"Oh, no, no - it's a pharmacy."

Zhu Li was relieved. "So what's the problem?"

"I've been with Varrick longer than almost anyone. He's been so good to me."

Zhu Li raised her eyebrows. Song did not miss it.

"He can be brash and rude, but underneath it all, he has a good heart. Have I told you the story of how we met?"

Zhu Li started to shake her head, but Song was already in memory mode.

"On his first trip to Republic City, there was a terrible storm. Varrick had to pull aground in the Earth Kingdom to make repairs. This was back when he only had the one ship - he started in the Southern Water Tribe, you know, with only a single canoe, but he'd managed to grow his business to the most successful trading company in all of the South. He knew that to truly be successful, he would have to travel to all the nations, so he took his ship and set off for the United Republic.

"My husband had died the year before, and I'd had to leave my son with my sister and her family while I sought my fortune. I was hoping to gain passage on a boat to Republic City, but I'd been stuck at the port in Hang Wei for a month while attempting to secure my visa. I'd almost given up hope when I ran into a gangly young man in salt-stained clothes. I felt so sorry for him - he looked to be even worse off than I was - so I insisted he let me make him a cup of tea. He sat down with me and complimented my tea - said it was just like his mother used to make. Once he had finished, he thanked me for my kindness and left. I was sure I'd never see him again.

"The next day he returned, with a visa and a job for me aboard his ship. We sailed to Republic City, where he made a deal that allowed him to buy four more ships, and then ten the following year. Soon, he was shipping things to all corners of the world."

Zhu Li stood and busied herself with the tea as Song wiped her eyes. The older woman happily accepted a cup.

"I know the tea I make is terrible, just as the tea his mother made was terrible. But he gave me a job and a life when no one else would, and I tried to repay him in my own way. I think, with you here, maybe I can leave now."

Zhu Li said nothing. In her mind, she was adding up the pros and cons of Song's possible departure. She took a sip of tea to cover up the awkward silence.

"This is very nice, Zhu Li." Song reached across and patted her hand. "It just needs a spot more honey."

~*~

The next morning, as Zhu Li and Nuvuk were having breakfast, Song came into the galley with a smile on her face. "Well, it's done,” she said. "Of course he threw a fit, protested, but in the end, he told me he'd secure a ticket for me on the next boat to Omashu's nearest harbor and give me a handsome severance." She set the tray down and dusted her hands before hanging up her apron. "He asked for you to come in," she said, nodding to Zhu Li.

Zhu Li grabbed the paper and headed for the stateroom. The curtains had been opened, but Varrick was still in bed, despondently staring at the canopy.

"Song is leaving," he said, instead of a greeting. "Did you put her up to it?"

"No, sir," said Zhu Li, handing him the paper.

He grabbed it from her, giving her a calculating glare. "No, I suppose you didn't," he sighed. "Well, if I'm up this early, we might as well get some work done. Do you remember Rinzen, Hikari, Kaito, Bansi and the Hae Jun family?"

Zhu Li ran through the list in her mind, connecting each name to the face of a person she'd overheard Varrick talking to last night, immediately after the mover.

"Come on, Zhu Li, keep up!" he demanded, snapping his fingers.

"I do, sir."

"Good. I need you to get in touch with each of them and set up a meeting. Now that they've seen the future, let's let them be a part of it. I need financing for my first feature-length mover!"

"And if they want details about the project?"

"I don't know, make something up. We can always change it all later, claim it was a creative decision . But make it something impressive, something epic.... what's that book you're always carrying around?"

Zhu Li was surprised he'd noticed. She rarely bothered taking it out when he was present, knowing she'd be given some menial task every few moments anyway.

"It's called The Adventures of Pao Ji , sir."

"What's it about? Carrying a book that size is like carrying a brick, so I assume it's interesting if you bother."

Zhu Li shrugged. She hadn't gotten far enough to decide quite yet. "It's about an earth bender," she told him, "and her adventures during the Hundred Year War."

"Boooring," Varrick sighed, flopping back on his bed and tossing the newspaper aside. "The Hundred Year War has been done to pieces. But wait! What if we made up our own war? And what if Pao Ji was a man - a dashing, hunk of a man? And what if he was - wait for it - " He drew his hands across the air in front of him as if he were polishing a marquee, " - a waterbender ."

Zhu Li didn't refrain from rolling her eyes; Varrick was still gazing into space. "Yes sir. Clearly, that would be preferable."

"Ha! Yes! It's brilliant! I'll call him Aklaq , Hero of the South . Or wait, no... maybe Taktuq... eh, we'll do a focus group."

Zhu Li folded back a page of the notepad she'd brought out. "Very good, sir."

"And hire some artists to do some of those what-d'ya-call-ems... picture board things."

Zhu Li scribbled it down.

"And I need you to buy Song a ticket for Omashu. Grab some money from the safe." He gestured vaguely toward one wall.

Zhu Li blinked and examined the length of the wall. There were a couple of framed paintings and mounted animal heads that could be hiding a safe, along with a wardrobe in which it could be located. Varrick seemed to realize he'd been too vague. "Behind the elk leopard," he grunted. Zhu Li ran her fingers around the edge of the wooden plaque the elk leopard head was affixed to and found the invisible hinges. She opened the door and stared at the safe.

"What's the combination, sir?"

"Snowdrop," he muttered.

She knew better than to ask. She put in the three-character combination and opened the safe. Reaching in amongst the stacks of money - more money than she, or her entire family, had ever seen - she took out a dozen yuan bills to cover the ticket.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, that's it for now. Report back as soon as you set up those meetings - no sense in me getting up and dressed until I know when and where I'm going." He glanced down at his hands. "Send in Yuki," he said. "I could use a manicure."

She nodded, picked up his empty breakfast tray, and turned to go.

"And Zhu Li?"

"Yes?" She glanced back.

He looked surprisingly fragile and tired, sinking back into the sky-blue pillows. "Don't you ever leave me."

Chapter Text

The morning paper hit the deck with a sound thunk. “United Daily News!” called a voice from below, before the delivery man peddled off. Zhu Li tucked her book back on its shelf and went upstairs to begin her new morning routine. It was the same as her old morning routine, with several of Song’s duties added. She glanced at the date on the paper before tucking it underneath her arm with the rest of the post. It was official - she had successfully outlasted Shen. The past two months had flown by, but at the same time, it was hard to remember what life was like before Varrick.

Before this job, Zhu Li mentally reprimanded herself.

Soaring into the galley, Zhu Li glanced at the breakfast tray. “Thanks, Yin - oh good. You were able to get the melon." She gave the knock-kneed teen a small smile. Yin, looking terrified as usual, nodded back. Zhu Li paced over to the tea cupboard, pulling out a bag of leaves and the jar of honey. Pouring the not-quite-boiling water into the warm pot, she took a moment to glance at the front page of the paper again.

AVATAR KORRA JOINS TASK FORCE TO SNAG EQUALIST AMON, the headline read.

“Scary stuff,” said Nuvuk, peering over her shoulder as he entered. He grabbed a bun from the basket. “Good thing the Avatar is involved now. Is there any tea left?”

Zhu Li nodded to the kettle she’d placed back on the stove - “The water’s ready,” - before scooping up the breakfast tray and spinning to push the door open with her back. Nuvuk reached out, as if to hold the door for her, but she was already halfway down the hall. 

Arriving at the stateroom, she knocked once, as Song had instructed her, then spun again to open the door. As soon as she reached the bedside table, she set the tray down, then went around opening all the curtains. She turned back to see Varrick yawning and stretching till his blue silk pajamas sleeves fell down to his elbows. His brown skin was bathed in warm, morning light and his hair was hopelessly tousled. A tiny something in her chest twisted at the sight.

“Morning, Zhu Li.” He reached for the tray.

“Good morning, sir.”

His eyes fell on the newspaper headline. He skimmed the first few lines of the article as he blew on his tea. “Nasty business with this Amon character. Makes me glad I’m not a bender. I mean - aside from a biz-bender.” He paused for a beat. Was he waiting to see if she would laugh? 

“Indeed, sir.”

He looked put out for a moment, before continuing rifling through the morning post. “Councilman Tarrlok requests the honor of your presence at his... pfft. Throw this in the trash.” He chucked the fancy envelope aside and reached for the teacup. As he took a sip, his eyes widened. He looked from the cup to Zhu Li and back again. “This tea is amazing . We should patent it.”

Zhu Li frowned. “There’s nothing to patent, sir. It’s just tea.”

“Nonsense. How d’you make it? Walk me through it.”

“I… pour hot water over the tea leaves.”

“You’re leaving something out. There’s gotta be a trick.” He tossed aside the bedspread and swung his feet to the ground. “Meet me in the galley in ten minutes.”

~*~

“Varrick’s coming,” Zhu Li said as she cleared the breakfast tray.

Yin was gone before she finished speaking. Yuki picked up her tea with a little eye roll and sauntered out. Nuvuk gave Zhu Li a nervous smile. “Great! Maybe I can remind him to take a look at the studio blueprints.”

“How are they coming?” she asked.

He scratched the back of his head. “Pretty well. But we’re on hold until he decides which of the seven lots he wants to build on, so we can secure a permit.” 

“Seven lots?” Zhu Li repeated, with mild surprise. 

“Varrick was… very excited about this project.” Nuvuk was still smiling crookedly at her as she turned to the stove. 

It was odd. They had many of the same interests and he was quite a good looking young man. But, she thought as the gas clicked and the flame under the kettle sparked to life, there was just something missing.

“Ah, Nuvuk!” Varrick boomed as he entered. “Perfect - you can take notes on our newest product, Zhu Li Tea !” 

“She makes very good tea, sir,” Nuvuk concurred.

Zhu Li frowned. She was starting to think this might be a joke at her expense. She got the tea back out of the cupboard and tossed it in the lacquered pot. 

“How much tea was that?” Nuvuk interjected. 

She removed the lid. “I don’t know,” she said, peering in. “A small handful? Two or three grams?”

“Precision is key,” Varrick said drily, one hand on his hip, the other leaning on the counter. Nuvuk kept scribbling. 

The water in the kettle was steaming at just the right rate - not quite boiling yet. She flicked off the burner and brought the kettle to the counter. Varrick squatted so that he was eye-level with the water and squinted at it, as if he was expecting some magic to happen as she poured. Nuvuk echoed his posture.

Zhu Li glanced at both of them, frowning slightly, before picking up the box of tea and taking it back to the cupboard, returning with the pot of honey. She poured the tea from the pot into a teacup, then put a small dollop of honey in it, before presenting the cup to Varrick.

He took a sip and looked mildly surprised. “Huh. You were right. It’s just really good tea.”

“To be fair, it’s been a while,” Nuvuk said.

“You know what else has been a while?” Varrick shot back. As he swung round to face Nuvuk, tea sloshed on the floor. Zhu Li quickly grabbed a mop. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen those studio plans!”

“I was hoping to speak to you about that! I have them here, but we really need to decide which lot we want to build on.”

“Well, I’ll be able to do that once Zhu Li here buys me a house!”

“I don’t think I can afford that, sir,” Zhu Li remarked, putting the mop back in the closet. 

He ignored her quip. “I’ve circled a few options in today’s paper.” He jerked his head back toward the stateroom. “Go visit them and narrow it down for me while Nuvuk and I go over the plans. Be back by lunch.”

Zhu Li nodded. As soon as the two men had exited, she hurried to the stateroom to grab the real estate section. He’d circled eight properties, she noted, and she had approximately four hours to complete the task. At least two of the properties she could immediately discount - one was on a slightly rough street, another had far too few bathrooms - but the others were split between three different agencies. She was certain Varrick had to have his own real estate agent, but she didn’t know if it would be worth wasting precious minutes discovering the information and then contacting them. She was better off doing  it herself. 

Four hours, five properties, three agencies, and sixteen flights of stairs later ( that option had been discounted), she returned to the ship, flyers in hand.

“Zhu Li! What took you so long?!” 

She chose to ignore the remark, catching her breath. 

“Two of the places you circled had already been purchased and three weren’t great options, for various reasons.”

“Zhu Li, never give me bad news before good news!”

“I thought it preferable to end with the positive.”

“So there is good news?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so!” 

Again she ignored his indignation, handing him the real estate flyers. “These three properties would be suitable. This one has the most square footage, this one is closest to most of the lots, and this one is somewhat between the two in both size and location, but looks like a good option overall.”

Varrick mused for a moment. “I’ll take… that one.” He pointed at the third flier.

Zhu Li blinked. “Wouldn’t you like to see it first, sir?”

“Nah. Get the papers, I’ll sign ‘em. Bank info’s in the safe.” 

Zhu Li managed to grab a bao from the galley before heading out again, to purchase a million-yuan apartment.

~*~

Within a month, the apartment had been furnished, a lot had been chosen, and construction on the studio was well underway - starting with a number of onsite offices. Today, they were using one to meet with the writer Varrick had hired to script Taktuq, the Hero of the South . 

“...and then ,” the writer was saying, in a nasal voice, “Taktuq infiltrates the villain’s secret lair!”

Varrick had been tapping his foot impatiently for the past three minutes before jumping up. Zhu Li was honestly impressed it had taken so long.

“I need to see it in action,” Varrick said. He grabbed the script from the writer. “Yuki - read the girl part. Nuvuk, you’re Taktuq. Zhu Li, you can be the evil villain.”

The three of them crammed around the single booklet. “Taktuq!” Yuki cried, rather convincingly, once she’d found her spot.

Nuvuk cleared his throat and put on his best hero voice. “I’ll save you, Hamigua!”

“Cut!” bellowed Varrick. He looked at the writer. “Eesh. Hamigua ?”

“It’s an authentic water tribe name.”

“Tuh. I know that. Dated a couple Hamiguas. Hami.” He made a face. 

Yuki glared over the script. “Sir, if we’re counting out the name of every gal you’ve dated, our list is gonna be pretty limited.”

Varrick pointed at her. “Save that sass for your lines.” 

“Hami does flow better,” the writer nervously cut in. “Is it an authentic nickname?” He turned to Nuvuk. “Taktuq, could we hear that line again, but with Hami instead?”

“I’ll save you, Hami!” Everyone looked to Varrick. 

“Blech.” He shook his head. “Find something snappier. Authenticity is overrated!” 

They made it to the end of the scene. (“With more feeling , Zhu Li. Is your super-villain power boring Taktuq to death?”) The writer scurried off with a vast list of edits to be made. 

The satousine was headed for the ship when Varrick interrupted Zhu Li’s read-through of his afternoon schedule to rap on the partition. “Let’s swing by the new place.”

“You haven’t seen it yet?” Zhu Li was in charge of his schedule, and still, was moderately surprised. 

The doorman bowed deeply as they entered the grand building. The lobby looked like it belonged in a fancy hotel, all carved wood and marble and overflowing bouquets of flowers in large vases. The elevator girl took one look at their group and squeaked, “Penthouse, coming right up.”

The elevator deposited them directly outside a shining gold door. “Okay,” said Varrick, hands on his hips. “Who has the keys?”

A few minutes later, Zhu Li had retrieved the spare keys from the front desk - the originals were on his desk on the ship, where he had requested she place them - and unlocked the apartment door. Varrick was the first to enter, closely followed by Nuvuk.

“Wowzers,” Yuki breathed, stepping in behind them. “What a view.”

“The indoor koi pond is a nice touch,” Nuvuk said. 

Varrick flopped onto the overstuffed sofa Zhu Li had purchased and surveyed the room while Nuvuk and Yuki explored. 

“That bathtub’s the size of a swimming pool,” Yuki said as she emerged from the east wing.

“The chandelier in the dining room is very impressive,” Nuvuk called from the west. 

Zhu Li stood and waited for Varrick to comment… on anything.

He was still gazing around the room. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and he sat up straighter. “Wait a tic… these drapes look familiar. Come to think of it, so does the view. And the koi pond...”

Yuki twisted her mouth to one side. “Sir, I think this is the apartment you sold last time you left Republic City.”

Zhu Li was aghast. 

“Yep, definitely.” Nuvuk popped his head out of the hallway. “I recognize the candelabras.” 

They all waited for Varrick to say something.

“Hmm.” Varrick sprawled back on the sofa. “Must be why I like it. Feels like home.”

He waited until both Nuvuk and Yuki had covered their faces in exasperation before winking at Zhu Li. 

Chapter Text

Zhu Li returned to the ship carrying a box of cookies from Golden Guo’s Bakery. She could have had them delivered to the ship, but last time the delivery girl had brought them six boxes of coconut sesame cookies (to which Varrick was allergic) instead of macadamia ginseng, and it turned into a whole thing. In any case, the long and short of it was - her boss went through cookies in a way that couldn’t be healthy, allergies or not. 

The galley was typically empty or only occupied by Yin (which was pretty much the same thing) at this time of night. This evening, the space was crowded with Yuki, Nuvuk, Yin, and several members of the crew. They were huddled around a small radio, which Nuvuk seemed to be tuning to the proper station.

“Heeey… toss me one of those cookies, Zhu Li,” said He Bao, a particularly burly deckhand. Zhu Li did so; the man caught it in midair and it was gone in a flash. Zhu Li set one box aside for the group as she poured another into the cookie jar and put the rest in the pantry. 

“That’s it, that’s it! Go back!” Yin exclaimed as a channel fuzzed in and back out again. Zhu Li bit back a smile. She had never seen Yin so animated - apparently the young cook was a big fan of pro-bending. 

Zhu Li placed the box of cookies on the table by the radio and pulled up an empty shipping crate. She perched on its edge. The whole scene was weirdly reminiscent of being back in the small apartment above the shop with her uncle and aunt and cousins, all crowded around the radio following dinner. She hadn’t listened to pro-bending for several years, no longer knew every team and player as she used to, as any kid growing up in Republic City would.

- anticipation is palpable as we are just moments away from the championship match. 

“Shh,” Yin motioned for them all to quiet down. “It’s on!” 

Will the Wolfbats’ ferocity help them repeat as champs? Or will the underdog Fire Ferrets serve up a surprising bowl of smackdown soup?

As she leaned in, chin on her fist, Zhu Li was surprised to realize she’d missed Shiro Shinobi and his bizarre idioms.

Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!

There was a smattering of applause and a couple of boos.

And their opponents, the three-time defending champions, the White Falls Wolfbats!

“Woo, Wolfbats!” Yuki cheered. “I’ve got 200 yuans on them,” she told Zhu Li.

“Eeh… they’re old news. I’m rooting for the Fire Ferrets,” said He Bao. 

“Boar-Q-Pines forever,” Nuvuk inserted. Across the circle, Yin gave him a high-five. 

The champs and challengers face off at the center-line and here we go! Tahno tries to clean the Avatar's clock with some dirty water boxing. Ming shakes off Mako's attack and returns the favor. Shaozu gets fancy, but Bolin ricochets a disk off the ropes and says 'No, thank you sir!'

Sialuk, a wiry deckhand, shook his head. “I can’t believe they let the avatar pro-bend. It’s such an unfair advantage.”

“She’s a bender just like you, pal,” Nuvuk replied wryly. 

“Yeah, so I should know!”

“Quiet down!” hissed Yin.

The waterbenders slug it out, looking evenly matched. Tahno gets a little too worked up and unleashes a deluge on Bolin that would certainly elicit a foul. Or apparently not.

He Bao shook his head. The buzzer sounded to open the next zone.

And the Wolfbats advance despite Tahno exceeding the waterbending time limit. A questionable call by the officials. Ming trips up Mako with another dirty trick!

“Boooo,” Nuvuk jeered, cupping his hands around his mouth as if the ref could hear him. 

The Ferret brothers are backed up to zone three and the Wolfbats smell blood. Looks like Tahno snuck in an illegal icing move but once again there's no call. 

Yuki rubbed her hands together. “C’ mon and double my money, cutie!” Nuvuk, his fingers currently laced through his hair, shot her a disgusted look.

I don't know what match the refs are watching but it's obviously not this one. Oh ... a splash-and-clash sends the Avatar to zone three as well. It's a knockout! 

Both Yin and Nuvuk threw their hands up in exasperation. He Bao shook his head and grabbed another cookie before turning to leave.

The Wolfbats win the championship for the fourth year in a- 

Yuki did a little dance, miming fresh cash between her fingers. 

Hold on a second, folks! Scratch that! 

He Bao froze in the doorway. Everyone leaned toward the radio, on the edge of their seats.

The Ferrets are still alive, but just barely. 

“What?! WHAT?!” Yin glanced crazily around the room, as if to check that everyone else was hearing this. 

What an unbelievable move! These Ferrets aren't just bending the elements, they're bending my mind! The underdogs survive to see round two.

Zhu Li couldn’t help but grin and clap along with (most of) the rest of the group. 

The bell rang and the ref's voice could be heard in the background. “Round two!”

The opening salvo is a brutal call as both sides give it their all. But once again, Tahno sneaks in a little ice to get the upper hand. Wowzers! Those look like illegal head shots to me! 

Round two will be decided with a tie-breaker!

Everyone started talking at once. By the time Yin had ferociously shushed them all into submission, the fire ferrets had won the tiebreaker, with Avatar Korra knocking out Tahno. Yuki crossed her arms, sourly.

One round apiece: who wants it more? The Wolfbats fly out of the gates, swinging with bad intentions. The challengers are showing a lot of heart but the champs are really starting to find their rhythm now. Can the Ferrets hang in there with the best, especially when the best are frankly getting a little help from the refs? It's all down to this final round! Mako is leaving it all in the ring but it looks like Tahno and Ming are up to more shenanigans! Oh, this has gone too far! That water had rocks in it!

There was another chorus of boos and half a cookie was chucked at the radio. Zhu Li turned to frown at the thrower, whoever it had been. “Hey - those were expensive.”

“It’s alright Zhu Li! I’m gonna buy you a whole box with my winnings!” Yuki smacked a kiss on her cheek. Zhu Li could feel the thick lipstick mark she left. 

Well, folks it's a controversial call but the Wolfbats notch a nasty knockout to win the match! For the fourth year in a row, they'll be crowned tournament champions.

“That!” He Bao pointed emphatically at the radio. “That right there is why I didn’t place a bet.” He crossed his arms. “The whole thing’s rigged.”

Folks, there is some sort of electrical disturbance in the stands. Metalbender cops are dropping like bumble-flies. 

Everyone turned back to the radio.

There appear to be masked members of the audience wielding strange devices on their hands. 

Yuki gasped and Yin looked grey. “Amon,” muttered Nuvuk. “He threatened to do something if the match wasn’t cancelled.” Zhu Li pressed her palms together and steepled her fingers over her nose. Was this happening? Really - right now? For once, she was glad everyone she knew was either too poor to attend a match or right here with her.

Except for Varrick.

She felt an icy chill of dread as she realized, she didn’t know where he was. 

“Hey,” said Sialuk suddenly, “is the boss at the match?”

All eyes swung to Zhu Li. 

She swallowed. “His schedule was open for tonight.”

“He’ll be okay though, right?” said Yuki. “He’s not a bender.”

One of them is in the booth with me right now, folks! He is leveling one of those glove devices at me now and I believe he is about to electrocute me. I am currently wetting my pants.

“Neither is Shiro,” Nuvuk said, gritting his teeth. As a new, emotionless voice took over, Yuki scooted closer to Zhu Li and clung to her arm. She could feel the other girl shaking. 

I believe I have your attention, benders of Republic City. So once again, the Wolfbats are your probending champions. It seems fitting that you celebrate three bullies who cheated their way to victory, because every day you threaten and abuse your fellow non-bending citizens, just like the Wolfbats did to their opponents tonight. Those men were supposedly the best in the bending world and yet it only took a few moments for me to cleanse them of their impurity. 

He Bao swore loudly. 

“Did - did he just take the Wolfbats bending?” Yin asked.

Let this be a warning to all of you benders out there. If any of you stand in my way, you will meet the same fate. Now, to my followers... for years the Equalists have been forced to hide in the shadows, but now we have the numbers and the strength to create a new Republic City! I'm happy to tell you the time for change has finally come.

Nuvuk put his arm around Yuki’s shoulder. Tears streamed down her face, creating little mascara trails in her usually flawless makeup. Zhu Li slipped from Yuki’s grasp and bolted for the deck. Her heels clicked on the wooden surface as she sprinted to the bow of the boat. 

The dock was relatively close to the Pro-Bending palace, but the view was obscured by a couple of tall ships and buildings on nearby piers. Still, there was no way to miss the giant airship hovering over the golden arena, emblazoned with the equalist symbol, nor the police airships half-sunk and burning in Yue Bay. 

How long would it take her to get to the arena if she ran? How easy would it be to steal one of the speedboats docked below? An explosion shook the arena, and even from this distance, she heard shouts and cries coming from the building as people swarmed out into the night. If she didn’t arrive in time, what hospital should she check first?

Just as she was making up her mind - she knew where the keys to the satousine were kept - she heard someone whistling down the dock. Her head snapped in the direction of the noise. 

Varrick - slightly tipsy, she would guess, from the way he was weaving - was strolling toward the yacht without a care in the world. 

“Varrick!” she cried out, with far more feeling than she’d meant to express.

He squinted up at her, shielding his eyes - yep, definitely at least a little drunk - then waved. “Zhu Li! What’s with the welcoming committee?” 

She hurried down the gangplank to meet him. He raised an eyebrow as she approached, his eyes drawn to a particular spot on her face. She raised a hand to her cheek. She’d forgotten about Yuki’s lipstick smudge. "You weren’t at the arena?” she managed to gasp out.

“Nah. If I wanted to watch a fixed match, I’d have filmed the last two. Hey, there’s an idea - write that down, Zhu Li. How much did the Wolfbats win by this time?”

She shook her head and pointed. “Sir, the arena is under attack.”

He followed her finger to the chaos. “Wow.” Walking a good deal straighter and more briskly now, he headed for the end of the pier. She followed him. From this position, the view of the golden building was much clearer. Sirens pierced the air as people continued to evacuate in droves. Tiny figures were now running along the top of the glass dome. Every few moments, a new flash of fire or a burst of electricity sparked to life.

“Firebenders?” He squinted.

“Possibly the Avatar. Amon and the Equalists attacked as soon as the match was finished.”

His brow furrowed and he looked thoughtful. “Huh.”

His under-reaction concerned her slightly. 

“Are the Equalists using… lightning bending?” he asked, after a moment.

“No sir. Shiro Shinobi said the Equalists had hand-held electrical devices they were using to threaten the crowd.”

Varrick’s expression turned shrewd. Slowly and quietly, he said, “Sell any stock we have in Cabbage Corps and Future Industries.” 

Zhu Li frowned. “You think - ?”

“I think mechanical stocks are about to take a nosedive. We can pick them up again once they’ve bottomed out.”

A few more blasts shot up from the arena roof. Varrick winced, then turned to her, hand on his hip.

“Well, what are you waiting for? An engraved invitation? Hurry! Time is literally money here.” 

Zhu Li, still dizzy from the emotional whiplash, ran to make the call. 

Chapter Text

COUNCILMAN TARRLOK DECLARES CURFEW FOR NON-BENDERS

Varrick took one look at the morning paper and tossed it across the room, muttering about, “power-grabs” and, “northies” and, “show him what I think of his curfew .”

He hopped out of bed just as Zhu Li was turning back from opening the curtains. The sudden motion made her jump - most mornings, Varrick woke up slowly. Very slowly. “Zhu Li, we’re headed out,” he announced, grabbing a pair of trousers from the wardrobe. “Have the crew do their thing.” She hustled out of the room to do so, a little worried that he was going to start changing before she could reach the door.

Every week or so, the yacht weighed anchor and did a few laps around Yue Bay, sometimes venturing out into the Mo Ce Sea. It was partly to keep the ship in good running order, partly to keep the crew on their toes, and partly because Varrick just really enjoyed practicing donuts around Aang Memorial Island. The boat had a couple of deckhands (whose advice he rarely listened to), a helmsman (who Varrick frequently bumped from his post), and an engineer (the same). 

By the time she had managed to rouse the crew and brew and pass out several cups of the strongest tea they had on board, Varrick had arrived at the bridge, tugging on his jacket. 

“What’s our heading, skipper?” the helmsman asked.

“Fire nation beaches are nice this time of year. Zhu Li, do I still have that timeshare at Cinder Sands?”

After a few quick calls via the ship’s radio, Zhu Li determined that yes, he still had the time share, and yes, it was currently available, and they charted a course for the Fire Nation.

~*~

One would imagine a beach vacation would entail relaxing with one's toes in the sand and possibly a fruity drink. With Varrick, it meant lots of late evenings schmoozing with the other guests at the resort. Zhu Li found herself working more hours than she had back in Republic City. 

“Mrs. Lung! So nice to see you again, looking lovely as always!” He turned to Zhu Li and spoke sotto voce. “Her family owns the second most profitable courier service in the Fire Nation. If they’re here this time of year, they’ve had a great last quarter. Mark down their competition as a possible acquisition.” 

“Mr. Junjie! This guy makes the best red bean custard you’ve ever tried. Seriously, Cui - you got a sample?” Once the man left, he turned and said, “I need to get that recipe. It would make a great Varricake filling.”

“Fang Meili, you minx! Still leading on a string of admirers, I see?”

“I try,” replied the ancient woman, with a wink. 

“Big investor,” was the only note he had on that one.

~*~

It wasn’t until they’d gone two and a half weeks without a day off that Yuki put her foot down.

“No more pedicures until we get a beach day!” she cried, storming out of the stateroom.

“But - !”

She whipped back round to the still-open door.

“No.”

There was a long-suffering huff, and then, “Fine.” 

“C’mon Zhu Li,” Yuki said, linking their arms together. She winked. “Let’s go enjoy the scenery. Get your bathing suit on; I’ll meet you here in five.” 

Zhu Li changed into her sensible green swimsuit and tossed a loose cotton dress over it. She grabbed a straw hat and towel and slid into a pair of sandals before exiting her room.

Yuki had donned an adorable polka dot two-piece and a big, floppy hat. “You coming with us, Nuvuk?” she hollered down the hall. He bounded out of his cabin in navy blue trunks. “Oh, good,” she said. “You can carry the umbrellas and the cooler.” As they dropped by the galley for ice, Yin joined them as well, in a shapeless black one piece. 

The public beach was a little way down from the resort. The sand wasn’t quite as pristine, and cliffs with scrubby trees overlooked the cove. Their slightly spicy, herbaceous smell mixed with the salt of the sea air. Zhu Li inhaled deeply. It had been too long. 

Yuki shook out her towel and placed it for optimal sun as Nuvuk pitched both umbrellas in the sand. Zhu Li placed her towel under one. Yin cracked open a book. Zhu Li wished she’d thought to bring hers.

Nuvuk bounded into the water, like only someone from a cold climate could. A few minutes later, bored of sitting, Zhu Li left her glasses on her towel and decided to follow.

The pebbly sand sloped around the half-moon curve of the beach. At the center of the curve, where they were located, the water was relatively calm. Small waves broke on the shoreline. Zhu Li waded out past them, until she was chest deep. Then, she dived under the surface. Staying parallel to shore, she practiced her freestyle, turning when she reached the choppier waves at either end of the cove. After several passes, she took a break, rolling onto her back and floating.

A shape popped up, brown skin glistening in the sun.

“You can swim?” Nuvuk asked, sounding surprised. He slicked his hair back with one hand.

Apparently so, as I’ve been doing it for the past ten minutes Zhu Li thought. She settled for a simple nod. 

“Where’d you learn that?”

“In the Mo Ce Sea.” It wasn’t a lie, more of a… misdirection. “You?”

“The Northern Ocean, of course.” He paddled on his back next to her. “Every kid has to take the polar bear dog plunge, as soon as you’re old enough to walk into the water.”

“Sounds cold.”

“Freezing.” Nuvuk shuddered at the memory. “Hey - I’m famished. Are you ready for lunch?”

They headed for the shore, their strokes almost in sync. Zhu Li squinted as she emerged from the water. The umbrellas looked too similar. Nuvuk grabbed her hand and led her toward their spot. Zhu Li found her glasses, then toweled her hair. Nuvuk dried off as Yin brought out the picnic basket for the four of them to share. Yin opened the container of seaweed-wrapped spiced rice, while Yuki dug into the peaches. Nuvuk tossed them each a bag of Varricrisps and a glass bottle of malted yuzu juice. 

Yuki had chosen an ideal day to set some boundaries - the late autumn air was warm, the sky a cloudless blue. Zhu Li munched thoughtfully on her octopus fritter crisps as she gazed into the distance. A ways down the beach, where the cliffs were the tallest, a gaggle of kids took turns jumping. They bobbed in the waves, cheering on their friends as each one attempted to climb the highest, then dove into the water below.

“We should have brought the glider,” Nuvuk commented, following her gaze.

Yuki overheard. “Nuvuk, if you’re going back to the ship, be a doll and grab my baby oil.” 

“Well, I wasn’t actually planning on it…” He trailed off as Yuki shot him a look over the top of her sunglasses.

Nuvuk sighed but dutifully did as she’d requested.

Yuki wrinkled her nose as Nuvuk jogged away. “He’s the best. If he were slightly more exciting, he’d be dateable.” 

If the comment was meant for Zhu Li, she missed it. Her eyes were still trained on the cliffs. They were almost as tall as the ones that surrounded Haizun. 

“I’ll be back,” she said, standing suddenly. Yuki hummed in acknowledgement. 

It took a few minutes to find a clear pathway to the top of the cliff. When Zhu Li emerged from the scrub, she was a little worried she had missed her window. Glancing back down to the beach, she could see Yuki stretched out on the sand, hat over her face. Nuvuk wasn’t in sight and she assumed Yin was still under the umbrella, blocked from view. She felt relieved. She wasn’t sure why she didn’t want to let any of her compatriots witness this. Maybe because it meant personal questions, possibly a scolding, possibly praise - none of which appealed to her very much. 

She walked to the edge of the cliff and peered over. The children were out of the water, pushing one another and hooting as they walked up a sandy path to the village. From the time it had taken them to spring up after each dive, she knew the water below was deep enough. She could see the outlines of a few rocks and made note of the location of each. She shook her arms and legs to loosen up. Unsure of what to do with her glasses - the last time she’d tried this, she hadn’t yet worn glasses - she tucked them down the front of her suit, then strolled several yards back from the edge. Placing her hands on her hips, she blew out, then turned back to face the sky.

Zhu Li took a running start, her bare feet smacking against the stone. She pushed off from the edge and was airborne, her body straight as an arrow. Her toes pointed out toward the horizon, her back parallel with the water. After the first long moment of mindless calm, muscle memory took over. As she turned in the air, head facing down, she brought her knees to her chest then kicked them out to right herself. Her legs straightened and every muscle in her body tensed to prepare to slice through the surface. Toes first, she ripped into the inky, cold world below. 

She had always tolerated the water. She’d done it for the air. 

Her heart was going a mile-a-minute as she surfaced, gasping for breath. She was shaking from the thrill of the jump, the thrill of survival, the thrill of something she’d lost and never expected to find again. She swirled around in the frothy waves, locating the golden strip of beach. Ducking back under the water, she kicked toward it. 

The beach was rather steep here and the waves broke close in. As Zhu Li reached the shore, she patted the front of her suit. Her glasses were gone.

Of course they were. How could she have been so reckless? She patted herself down again, hoping they’d just been relocated by the impact. No dice. Frantically, she groped around in the shallows for anything that glinted, coming up with only oyster shells.

After a minute, she glanced up and saw a dark shape in front of her. Zhu Li blinked the water from her eyes - not that it helped clear her vision much. Wordlessly, the figure bent over then stood and held out something shiny. Her glasses. 

“Thank you so much,” she said, relief rushing through her as she reached out. She wiped the glasses quickly on her suit and perched them on her nose.

The dark figure came into focus. Yin was staring at her, wide-eyed. 

Zhu Li cocked her head. “You won’t say anything, will you?” Yin made a cross-my-heart symbol. She patted the cook on the shoulder. They arrived back to the umbrellas just as Nuvuk jogged up with the folded glider and baby oil.

After a few hours of messing around with the glider, the afternoon clouds began to roll in and Yuki announced she was done for the day. They packed everything up and trudged back to the ship. Zhu Li took a quick shower, rinsing bits of sand and grit from her hair. She changed back into her everyday uniform - skirt, blouse, jacket, nylons, heels. She decided she’d better check in on Varrick, make sure he’d eaten something for lunch and had everything squared away for the evening. She tied her hair up in a ponytail, then ventured down to the stateroom and knocked softly. 

“It’s about time, Yuki!”

She entered. “Sorry sir - not Yuki.” Had he been sitting here, waiting on a pedicure all day?

The overstuffed chair by the desk spun and she could tell immediately by his blotchy sunburn that he had not. Her brows creased. What could even make that pattern? 

“Zhu Li, you wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had...”

She perched on the edge of the wide desk and let him talk, the rhythm of his voice punctuating each sentence like bare feet slapping against a cliff top, the hang of the air, the tumble back toward the sea. 

She’d had a pretty remarkable day herself.

~*~

Following their beach day, Nuvuk, Zhu Li, and even Yin had several notes on the glider. Somehow, retooling the glider had turned into retooling the snowmobile, which had turned into retooling the rocket boats. Zhu Li was a bit concerned the prototype deck was going to start bowing under the additional weight. 

Varrick and Nuvuk had been sequestered below for a good portion of a week, so it was a surprise when she turned a corner and nearly collided with a wet, lanky, man in a blue and gray bathing suit, toweling his hair dry.

Varrick dropped the towel to his shoulders. "Zhu Li - just the person I wanted to see!"

Zhu Li had managed to suppress her feelings for weeks. Attraction to someone's mind was a deeper, quieter ache than pure physical attraction. It suited Zhu Li better - she was good at keeping her thoughts to herself. It was easy to bury such thoughts under the pile of day-to-day demands that allowed Varrick's brilliance to work unfettered. Quite honestly, his own personality made it easy to forget what she felt for him at times. But in moments like this, when she was reminded that not only was her employer incredibly clever and inspiring, but a rather good looking man as well... well, they were more than one woman should fairly be expected to bear.

She tried to keep her eyes focused on his face while he spoke.

"The rocket boats need some... tweaking. I went over some ideas with Nuvuk while we were out testing them, but honestly, half the stuff I tell that kid goes right out the other ear."

"Specifically, sir?"

"We need to figure out a way to make sure the rocket doesn't cause the water in its wake to boil ."

Oh dear. Zhu Li lowered the notepad and gave her boss a purely professional once-over. He didn't seem to be scalded. "Is Yuki taking care of Nuvuk's burns?"

Varrick at least had the decency to look sheepish. He rubbed the back of his head with his towel, making his hair stand up. Zhu Li fought the urge to reach up and fix it.

"I'll make a note about the boats, and send them to prototypes, sir."

"Good." He turned to go before doing a 360 and walking back toward her. "Ooo... and are we all out of those cinnamon cookies?"

"I'll bring you some with your tea."

Zhu Li arranged the cookies as the leaves steeped. Between the tinkering and the mover rewrite, she kept a pot of water on constant boil these days. Satisfied that the hibiscus blossom tea had reached its potential, she stirred in a spoonful of honey, picked up the tray, and headed down the hall.

A blood-curdling shriek came from the stateroom. Zhu Li set the tray down and ran toward the noise.

"It's horrific !"

Varrick had changed out of his swimming trunks and was halfway back into his normal daywear - namely, his trousers. He was standing in front of the full-length mirror, shirtless, examining his own back. Zhu Li could see large pink splotches in the mirror's reflection.

"Are you seeing this, Zhu Li?"

"It's hard to miss. Were you burned as well?"

"No!" Varrick yelped. "I don't know what it is, but I want it off me, now."

Zhu Li walked over and examined his back from the safe distance of an arm's length.

"What is it?" he demanded.

She squinted, pushing her glasses up a bit. "It appears to be some sort of rash."

Immediately, Varrick reached back and started to scratch.

Zhu Li took a step back. "Please don't scratch it, sir. It can only make it worse."

"It doesn't feel worse," he panted, frantically trying to bend both arms to reach the center of his back. After trying a variety of contortions, he gave up. "Help!" he cried, plaintively. 

"I'm not touching your rash with my bare hands, sir."

He made a noise of frustration and threw a shirt on, not bothering to button the front. "Please?"

Zhu Li sighed, almost imperceptibly, and set to scratching.

"Ooo... lower, lower... no, stop. Now, to the right. There! That's the spot." She dragged her fingertips across the thin fabric stretched over his back and Varrick's frame loosened almost instantly.

"Right there. Don't stop!" He closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped.

Zhu Li felt more and more awkward the longer they stood there, her running her short nails across his back, him with his shirt open. "Wouldn't this fall under Yuki's job description?" she asked.

"Yuki's not here, you are. More scratching, Zhu Li, less talking!"

Her arm was starting to ache when she heard a familiar voice from the hallway.

"Hey, what's up? I almost tripped over a tray someone left in the haaa..." Yuki's eyes took in the entire scene and narrowed.

"Get in here, Yuki, we need your opinion on this." Varrick shrugged out of his shirt. Yuki's expression changed from a calculating look to one of pure revulsion. The two women stood side by side, staring at his back for a few moments. Varrick turned his head as far round as he could manage, a look of desperate expectation on his face.

"Beats me," said Yuki, finally. "Though it looks a bit like your foot thing."

Foot thing? Spirits fortify her. Yuki was never allowed to leave.

~*~

“Muahahahaha… my evil plan is working! I’ve captured Taktuq’s beautiful girlfriend.”  

Zhu Li’s super-villain voice had improved. Now that Varrick had taken to rewriting the Taktuq mover, she’d had a good deal more practice, as had Nuvuk and Yuki. This evening, it was just her boss and herself, sitting on pillows on the floor of the saloon. The windows were open and every so often, a crisp autumn breeze cut though the otherwise balmy night air. It was well past midnight. Zhu Li’s eyes swam behind her glasses as she stared at her script. 

“Not so fast, evil Tarrlok,” Varrick shouted, dramatically sticking a finger in her face. “I will save my true love. And Republic City! And then, waterbending… waterbending…” They both flipped past a couple pages of stage direction. “He confronts Tarrlok… And now, your time is up. ”

“You are too late, Taktuq,” she said. “I have made a new ally in my plan to defeat you.”

“Equalist Amon!” Varrick gasped. 

“It’s no use fighting, Taktuq. I will remove your bending - permanently!” Zhu Li replied.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa - stop. Remember, I asked you to use a different voice for Amon?”

Zhu Li lowered her script and peered at him. “What kind of voice, sir?”

“I dunno. More gravitas. Scarier. Workshop it.”

Zhu Li sighed, then repeated, “It’s no use fighting, Taktuq.”

“Mmm. Better. But it could still use some work.” He put his Taktuq voice back on. “No. Please. Power... Weakening.” Varrick fell back on the floor, clutching his chest. He played dead for a moment before his arm holding the script sprung up and he continued reading. “And then the little pet thingie makes a funny comment. Y’know, to lighten the mood, make sure the kids come back for the next installment.”

Zhu Li yawned.

“Hey,” Varrick said. “ No yawning. We have two more scenes to go through.”

“Sorry, sir.” She tried her best to swallow the yawn.

“Okay, fine. Let’s go over the last scene. I don’t think it’s working quite yet.” He stood up and paced back and forth. Zhu Li flipped through the pages till she found it. 

“The animal sidekicks have defeated Amon. Tarrlok escaped in Amon’s airship with Taktuq’s girlfriend. He’s currently dangling her over the city. Taktuq has secretly stowed away onboard and confronts him. Waterbending fight… sploosh! Splash! Whooosh!” Varrick flopped onto the chaise. 

“Where’s Taktuq getting the water, sir?”

“Good question. Um, let’s scratch the word city and put Avatar Aang Island instead.”

“Which helps… how?”

“The bay , obviously. It’ll be an iconic shot. Keep up, Zhu Li.” He snapped his fingers a couple times, then reached down and grabbed her wrist. 

She blinked up at him in surprise. “Sir?”

He nodded to the script. “Next line. Taktuq’s girlfriend. What are we calling her this week? Shiya?”

Zhu Li felt her face grow warm. The saloon lights had been dimmed enough that he wouldn’t notice. She hoped her pulse wouldn’t give her away, wrapped beneath his fingers. She cleared her throat.

“Forget about me. You must capture the evil Tarrlok before he gets away.”

“No! I’ll never leave you! And then he heroically hauls her back onto the airship with a single arm.” He tugged on Zhu Li’s arm, as if to pull her up to the chaise, but there was too little effort in it.

“Oh, Taktuq! You saved me!”

“Of course I saved you, Shiya. Just like I’m going to save Republic City!”

“You don’t think…” Zhu Li began, then trailed off.

He dropped her wrist. “What?”

It was the perfect moment for Shiya to kiss Taktuq, or vice versa, but she felt completely inappropriate suggesting it - just the two of them, reading the characters’ lines, late at night. “Nothing.” Her eyes snapped back to the script. “ Go get ‘em, Taktuq! ”

He glanced down at her and frowned, but continued. “Big waterbending fight ensues, the ship gets close to the water…”

“What if Tarrlok takes the ship closer to the water, because he needs it for his bending?”

“Good call, Zhu Li - pen it in. Just remember, legal said it’s got to be Evil Tarrlok. Your line,” he prompted.

Zhu Li resumed her (evil) Tarrlok voice. “You’re too late, Taktuq. Soon this airship will shoot my doomsday device into the earth’s core, freezing the entire planet. And I will be the ruler of ice earth! ”

“I don’t think so,” Varrick cried. “Final fight ensues, swish, swoosh, splash… Evil Tarrlok inches toward the button that will fire the doomsday device, Taktuq shoves him away with more waterbending, splash, crash, BOOM!”

“Taktuq, look out!”

“Taktuq sees his foe getting ready to use a massive water whip to hit the button from across the bridge. He repels his attack by freezing him into a block of ice, which crackles like a spring thaw as it travels from the end of the whip to his body. The airship is mere feet from the water…”

“What’s the budget on this again, sir?”

He gave her a look. “C’mon, Zhu Li, final line.”

She sighed. Then dramatically as she could muster - “Nooooo…”

“Taktuq takes Shiya in his arms and jumps from the ship, using his waterbending to propel them away as it crashes. The evil Tarrlok is defeated, the music swells for the big finale, Taktuq takes his heroic stance in front of Avatar Aang’s statue. The animal friends and Shiya join him. Everyone lives happily ever after.” He flipped the script down. “What d’ya think?” 

Zhu Li raised her eyebrows. “Well, I think the crew has their work cut out for them.”

“But what about the story ?” He flung his arms out. 

She looked at him. “I… I think it’s quite good. Not realistic in the least, but it’s entertaining. I think you’ve finally got it.”

Varrick stood up with a whoop. “Let’s celebrate!” He pulled Zhu Li to her feet, reaching out to flip the radio on. He swung her around to a couple of bars of music before it cut off and the urgent voice of the broadcaster replaced it. 

“We interrupt Jazzy Jin’s ‘In the A.M’ Hour of Swing to bring you extraordinary news from the Mo Ce Sea. Following the unmasking and escape of the Equalist leader Amon, who has now been linked to the disappearance of Republic City Councilman Tarrlok, bits of a scorched boat were recovered only hours ago. According to reports of people on the ground, it appears likely that both men have perished in the blast.”

Zhu Li and Varrick looked at one another in shock for a long moment. Then, Varrick’s face dropped and his shoulders slumped. He switched off the radio before reaching for his copy of the script. He crumpled it into a ball. “Back to the drawing board,” he said, chucking it over his shoulder as he stalked out of the saloon. 

Chapter Text

They’d cast off for Republic City the morning after hearing the news about Amon and Councilman Tarrlok. It was a weird sort of voyage - everyone seemed rather subdued and almost hungover, following their beach “vacation”. It was currently late morning and Varrick was at the helm, feeling sea-captainy in that slender window between a late breakfast and early afternoon, when he typically began thinking about doing actual work. Zhu Li was running him through the list of meetings she’d scheduled for the upcoming week. The skyscrapers of Republic City had just barely appeared on the horizon when the boat lurched to one side. Zhu Li dropped her notebook as she stumbled and grabbed the back of his chair to stay upright.  Her first thought was of a tsunami, her second was that they were under attack.

Varrick punched the button to radio down to Sialuk, who was currently on watch. “Which is it, Sialuk - pirates or police?”

“Uh sir… it’s neither. It’s your ex-girlfriend.”

Varrick visibly gulped. 

He handed the wheel to Shesh, strode to the port side of the boat and looked out the window. Zhu Li followed and peered past him. A woman with a thick, stylishly tousled bob was furiously waterbending the largest wave she had ever seen.

“She’s going to capsize the ship!” Shesh growled, as the wave made impact. 

Varrick swung around. “Did we ever get the permit to install those torpedoes?”

“No , sir,” Zhu Li replied, eyes widening. Thank goodness.

“Can we outrun her?” Varrick asked, turning to Shesh.

The grizzled helmsman shook his head. “We can try.” 

Varrick took over, flipped a few switches, and throttled the clutch. The engine shuddered for a horrifying moment, then the boat seemed to leap forward. Zhu Li heard Yuki shriek two decks below. 

Another wave plastered the window, this time on the starboard side. 

“How much distance do we have?”

“She’s gaining on us!”

Another wave, this one long and parallel to the sea, curved round the bow. They slammed through it roughly. More waves crashed over the railings. There was a brief respite, then the entire boat tilted at an unnatural angle. 

“You need to go down and talk to her, sir,” Zhu Li shouted over the creaking of the ship and the splash of massive amounts of water rolling across the deck. 

“Talk?!” He gestured to another wave breaking across the bow. “With that ?!”

“She is your ex-girlfriend, correct?”

“Emphasis on the ex !”

Zhu Li narrowed her eyes. "I thought you hated people leaving, sir."

"Ehhhhh... not this person."

That wasn’t the answer she’d been going for, trying to connect the dots in some vain attempt to tap into his empathy. If he had any. She fixed him with a look. “ Sir. ”

There was a sudden, deafening creak, and the ship halted. Zhu Li was still holding on to the back of Varrick’s seat; somehow, he’d ended up cowering behind it.

“Could you go instead?” he hissed. 

There was no way that she would ever...

“Who’s going to pay your salary if she shoots an icicle through my heart?”

...though if there was a chance of physical violence, maybe it would be best if...

“Please?” he asked, meekly. 

It was the please that broke her. She wasn’t happy about it. 

Zhu Li carefully made her way down the stairs - which tilted a good fifteen degrees -  to the deck. The ship’s bow was encased in a massive block of ice. On either side, smaller chunks floated in the sea like miniature icebergs. The bender perched on the portside railing, water surrounding both her arms like tentacles and fire burning in her pale grey eyes. 

“Who are you ?” she spat.

Zhu Li held out her hand. “My name is Zhu Li Moon. I’m just an assistant and I’d really rather not die today.”

The woman stared at Zhu Li’s extended hand for a long moment. Finally, she dropped the watery octopus arms. They fell to the deck with a splat. Her eyes flicked up to the ship’s bridge. “Did he send you to talk to me?”

Zhu Li decided honesty was the best policy. “Yes.”

Varrick’s ex-girlfriend laughed bitterly and crossed her arms. “What a coward.” Zhu Li remained poker-faced, but the other woman’s eyes narrowed and a smile crept around the corners of her mouth. “You agree,” she said, sounding a little surprised. 

The waterbender slumped to the deck. Zhu Li reached out a hand to guide her safely down. She considered the other woman for a moment. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please,” she said, in a voice that suddenly sounded congested. 

Zhu Li dashed off to the galley. She found Nuvuk and Yuki crouched on the floor, hiding. Well - Nuvuk was crouched. Yuki had her long legs stretched out and was painting her nails. “What’s going on?” Nuvuk hissed. “Are we still under attack?”

Zhu Li shook her head. “It’s just a personal matter.” She opened the cupboard and quickly located the best, most expensive tea they had on board. 

“Ooo… Anaaya?” Yuki said. “Yeah, that makes sense. I’d probably try to sink this boat too.”

“What happened?” Zhu Li asked, as the tea steeped. 

“Y’know how a real stand-up guy will be honest about the direction of a relationship?”

Zhu Li nodded.

“Yeah… well, that ain’t Varrick. I don’t even think he bothered to break up with Anaaya. A few months ago, we up and left the North Pole, middle of the night - just weighed the anchor and took off. There was this guy I was kinda sweet on,” Yuki said, dreamily, before snapping back. “Didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

“There may have been a telephone call,” Nuvuk said, carefully. Both women looked at him. He held up his hands. “Not defending Varrick, just adding some info. He made up some important, top secret  “project” in Republic City and said he’d be back in a few months’ time.”

“And now it’s a few months later,” Zhu Li finished. She sighed one of her almost imperceptible sighs and turned to pour the tea. She grabbed a handful of wagashi and spread them out on a small plate. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck!” Nuvuk said with a nervous smile. Yuki just examined her fingernails.

Anaaya was exactly where she’d left her, thankfully. “Here you go,” Zhu Li said, handing her a cup from the tray. She set the tray down between them, kicked off her heels, and joined her. The two women sat at the railing with their tea, their feet dangling off the side of the boat. When Anaaya kicked, little waves splashed against the hull below.

“So…” Zhu Li started slowly. “What happened?”

“What happened?” Anaaya let out a throaty chuckle.  “I got to Republic City and it became apparent that Varrick broke up with me three months ago and I didn’t even realize it. I’ve been played for a fool,” she said. “And I shoulda known better. I really shoulda known better. All my friends were telling me, Anaaya, he’s a millionaire playboy - it’s never going to end well! But did I listen?” She shook her head.

Billionaire, thought Zhu Li, then wondered why she thought that distinction mattered.

“Six months. Six months of my life down the drain, and for what? I mean, in terms of chemistry, it was great. We had such a blast…” Anaaya sighed. 

Zhu Li hid her face in her cup of tea. 

“But who treats someone like that?” The anger was back in her voice. “He’s so used to manipulating people to get what he wants in business; it’s like he can’t distinguish between working relationships and personal ones. He can’t handle the... vulnerability of having actual emotions. It’s probably something to do with his childhood. Has he told you anything about his childhood?” Zhu Li shook her head. “I don’t even know the full story, but it’s no wonder the man can’t commit to a lunch date, let alone something long-term, when he’s never had a stable relationship in his life. Physically? Amazing…” Zhu Li took another well-timed sip of tea. “...Emotionally? A wreck.” 

They each finished their cup in silence. Zhu Li poured more. “How are you feeling?” she tentatively asked. 

Anaaya set down her cup with a clatter. “I’m just so angry . And sad and upset and frustrated . It’s not fair. I mean… I really thought we had something.” 

The image of her boss smiling down at her, the day they’d filmed the ostrich horse, popped into Zhu Li’s head. She grimly pushed it away. Those feelings were worth reexamining, but -  later.

“He’s a brilliant, frustrating mess. One day, it’s all fun and games, and the next, you realize he’s an emotional vampire wolfbat. Just… sucks you dry.” She wiped at the corner of her eye.

“Are you going to be okay?” Zhu Li asked quietly, staring into her cup.

Anaaya blew out. “Eventually, I guess. I mean, for the most part, I was fine when I thought this was long distance. It wasn’t until I arrived in Republic City that it all hit me.” She hung her head. “I don’t know. He’s probably doing me a favor, to be honest.”

She picked up a maple leaf sweet and examined it before popping it in her mouth. “Mmm… that’s the first thing I’ve eaten today.”

“The galley’s just over there. Would you like something to eat? I could -”

“Nah. Ugh. Now I’m embarrassed.” Her eyes flashed up at Zhu Li. “Sorry for, you know - trying to sink the ship with you on it. You’re a good listener. Which I guess is why he hired you.” Her mouth set in a thin line. 

Zhu Li shook her head. “I don’t think listening was part of the criteria. I was hired last-minute via an employment agency.”

She was a little surprised she had shared this, especially with a total stranger. Though maybe, that was the reason why she had felt comfortable sharing - she didn’t expect she'd be seeing Anaaya again. 

Anaaya looked at her shrewdly as she stood. “Criteria or not, things happen for a reason.”

“Do you need any assistance getting back to Republic City? We’re headed that way.”

Anaaya shook her head. “I can be there in half the time it’ll take you to dock. I’m headed south in a couple of hours anyway - just wanted to drop by for a quick surprise lunch date. Hah. Look how that turned out.”

She climbed onto the edge of the boat, but at the last moment, turned back from the rail. “Hey, Zhu Li...”

Zhu Li glanced up, half-full cup of tea still in her hands.

Anaaya smiled down, almost sympathetically. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

It had been kind of her to say, though Zhu Li wasn’t entirely sure why she’d said it. Zhu Li continued to sit with her elbows leaning over the lower railing, her legs resting against the hull of the boat as Anaaya disappeared in the distance. Slowly, she sipped her tea, savoring its flavor and focusing on the wind on her face and the smell of sea air. Once she’d finished her cup, she gathered everything, stood, and walked back toward the galley. 

“That was faster than I expected,” Yuki said, looking vaguely impressed. 

“I can’t believe she left. What did you say to her?” Nuvuk asked.

Zhu Li set down the tray and rinsed out the cups. “I listened.”

“Oh.” Nuvuk paused, in thought. 

“Good call,” Yuki interjected. “Hey - you better let the boss know.”

As she climbed the stairs to the bridge, Zhu Li noticed that something had changed. For once, she wasn’t looking forward to seeing her boss’s face. She’d never really realized that she did, every time, until all of a sudden, that feeling was missing. It was a little sad… or confusing, possibly? With a heavy heart, Zhu Li pushed open the door. Shesh was at the helm; otherwise, the bridge was empty. 

“Where is Varrick?” Zhu Li asked.

Shesh grunted and shrugged. “Dunno. Disappeared fifteen minutes ago, told me to pilot the boat into harbor.”

His stateroom was empty too. Zhu Li checked several decks, getting increasingly worried, until she found him down by the pool. He was sitting by its edge. The lights were low and the reflection of the water cast the entire room in an eerie shade of blue. Several miniature boats were floating in the water. Zhu Li hadn’t seen them before, but she recognized the material from the prototypes bay. Had he just made them? He held one in his hands, examining it, his face unreadable. He gave no sign he’d heard Zhu Li enter, but when she got within a few feet of him, he spoke without turning around. “Is she gone?”

“She’s gone, sir.”

Still staring at the boat in his hands, he continued, with less pep than usual. “New project, Zhu Li. I need to build a boat fast enough to escape any crazy waterbending ex-girlfriends.”

“How many more do you have?” she asked wearily.

Chapter Text

Zhu Li practically lived in the satousine during the next few weeks. It felt like almost every minute of her day was spent driving between the dock, the shipyard, the studio, and the apartment. Varrick had decided to retreat to dry land for a while, which had meant moving his entire wardrobe from the ship to the penthouse. By this point, the doorman and elevator girl greeted both her and Yuki by name.

“Morning, Miss Moon.” The doorman doffed his cap and held the door wide as she carefully balanced a stack of hat boxes - the last few - in her arms.

“Good morning, Jung Hee.”

Her heels clicked against the marble as she walked past the extravagant flower arrangement in the middle of the lobby.

“Good morning, Miss Moon.”

 Zhu Li ducked in order to enter the elevator, boxes intact. She leaned around the side of the stack to see the girl’s face. “Good morning, Soomin.”

“Penthouse coming right up, madame.” 

The boxes weren’t heavy, but Zhu Li’s arms ached. Why did Varrick have so many hat boxes? She'd only ever seen him wear two - the silly director’s hat that had blown away, and a captain’s hat on occasion. His hair was too nice to cover it up with…

No. She’d told herself. She wasn’t doing this anymore.

The elevator dinged. 

“Soomin, could you give me some help?”

“Of course, madame.”

It felt even weirder to be called Madame than it did to be called Miss Moon , but Zhu Li ignored it. “The key is in my left pocket. Could you unlock the door for me?”

Soomin pulled the stop on the elevator and accompanied her to the door. She reached in Zhu Li’s pocket and dutifully unlocked it, before slipping the keys back in her pocket.

“Thanks Soomin - please check my right pocket before you go.” Zhu Li had slipped a fresh yuan note inside. Upon retrieving it, the girl bowed deeply.

“Thank you, madame. Should I open the door for you?”

“Yes, please.”

Soomin’s hand hovered over the knob for a moment, uncertain. “Should I knock first?”

It was nine in the morning. Varrick likely wasn’t even awake yet.

“No Soomin. You can just let me in.” 

Soomin did so, then scurried off to the safety of the elevator. Zhu Li stepped over the morning papers and into the apartment - avoiding twisting her ankle on the edge of the koi pond - and headed for the sitting room. As she entered, she barely glanced at the spectacular view of the city, glittering under a cloudless blue sky. The hat boxes in her arms toppled onto the blue velvet sofa in a less than controlled manner. Zhu Li grimaced. Maybe this time she’d grabbed a few too many, but everything seemed to be intact.

After retrieving the morning papers and closing the main door, she stashed the hat boxes in the overflow hall closet, then headed into the east wing, where she made a cup of tea. She glanced over the headlines as she did so. Things seemed to have evened out following the Equalist Uprising - buildings that had been damaged were being repaired or rebuilt, including the dome of the Pro-Bending arena. That was good - they were in talks to debut a mover there. 

Grabbing a tray, Zhu Li stacked the newspapers and placed the cup of tea just so. She headed for the west wing, heels clacking on the marble floors. As always, she knocked once, then turned to push the door open with her back. Her boss was softly snoring. She placed the tray on his nightstand, then walked over to the windows, pulling aside the drapes. Turning back, she looked at Varrick, the sun shining brightly across his bed. He was still out like a light. 

Until the afternoon casting session, their schedule was clear, which hadn’t happened in a while. She bit her lip. She’d let him sleep in.

Zhu Li went to go examine the lunch situation - the refrigerator was tragic - before phoning in the usual Dim Sum order from the Lucky Unicorn. With the possibility of (likely) two hours to spare, Zhu Li went to the library. Most of the books here were for show, dry tomes with pretty covers. But she’d made sure to order and hide a couple for her own enjoyment, including another copy of The Adventures of Pao Ji. It had been ages since she’d managed to read a chapter, she thought as she hooked her index finger over the spine. She’d probably have to backtrack to remember what had happened. 

She returned to the sitting room so that she could attend to Varrick or the Dim Sum order - whichever situation arose first. She grabbed a throw pillow for her back and burrowed into the plush couch. Flipping open the book, she skimmed the chapter list (there were over two-hundred) and found the last bit she could remember. Pao Ji had just had an encounter with Prince Raizen - a fictional character, though he was partly based on Azulon’s older brother, who had died young. There had been so many chances for history to right itself, she mused, before picking up where she’d left off. 

~*~

“This is the land of my father, and his father, and his father before him,” Pao Ji breathed, her foot on the edge of the cliff. “I will defend its honor with my life.”

“So many before you have died doing so,” Prince Raizen said. The flame in his hand lowered and flickered out. “Wouldn’t the more honorable thing be living to fight again?”

Pao Ji breathed in and out deeply, her rain-soaked clothes heavy across her back. A bolt of lightning split the sky. “What would a prince like you know of honor?” she spat, moving her other foot to the cliff’s edge.

“Morning.”

Varrick’s sleep-hoarsened voice startled Zhu Li, who jumped a good couple feet off the sofa. 

“Or is it afternoon?” he asked, coming around the far side of the sofa and plopping down by her feet. He rubbed his eyes. He was still in his silk pajamas, which were a few shades lighter than the couch and a few shades darker than the cloudless sky beyond the wall of windows. 

She picked up the book. She was pretty sure she’d made it through a hundred pages or more, but for now, she’d completely lost her place. She set it on the coffee table before remembering he’d asked her a question. Pulling out her pocket watch, she was relieved to see he hadn’t overslept after all. 

“No - brunch should be here by the time you get dressed. At half-past noon, Shesh will pick us up for the casting call.” The drive to the studio should have taken ten minutes, but Zhu Li was building in a twenty minute buffer. Their helmsman wasn’t nearly as skilled on land as he was on the sea - they’d had two fender benders since returning to the city. Zhu Li had suggested getting a dedicated driver following the last one, but Varrick had simply bought a new, shinier sato. Shesh drove much more slowly now. 

“The Fancy Unicorn?” 

“The Lucky Unicorn, yes.” He could never remember the name. It was his favorite. 

He sat for a moment, still blinking away sleep. Then he nodded and stood, looking a little lost.

“Clothes, sir,” she reminded him.

“Right.” He shuffled toward the west wing. She tucked the book under her arm and headed for the kitchen to put another pot of water on.

Varrick ducked his head in. “Are you sure all the budding starlets wouldn’t get a kick out of these pajamas?” 

“Very funny, sir.”

“I’m serious.” He wasn’t serious.

“Clothes.”

He popped back in a few minutes later, thankfully fully dressed. He dangled his cup between his fingers. “Zhu Li - why is my tea cold?”

She swapped a fresh cup into his hand without a drop spilling and tossed the cold tea into the sink. The doorbell buzzed and she sailed out of the room around the koi pond, to the door. She grabbed the bags from the delivery man, tipped him, nodded to Soomin standing straight as a guard by the elevator, then trod back to the dining room. She was placing plates on the low table when Varrick leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms.

“Let’s just eat in the sitting room,” he said, jerking his head in that direction. Zhu Li started carefully stacking china. “No plates. We won’t have time for you to wash them and I sure as heck don't want to.” She picked up the bags of food and followed him back to the sitting room. Settling in on the blue, handwoven earth kingdom rug, Zhu Li quickly arranged and opened the boxes of food. She handed him a set of chopsticks and they both dug in. Maybe she shouldn’t have let him sleep so long. He seemed uncharacteristically mellow. Hopefully he’d be back to his usual manic self by the afternoon. Zhu Li felt it unfair to let the hopeful actresses meet a producer who by all appearances seemed normal, only to be greeted by, well… Varrick every day after. 

He perked up a bit after stuffing his face with shrimp dumplings and lotus leaf wraps. Shesh arrived on time and they made it to the studio only three minutes later than Zhu Li had hoped.

The line of beautiful young women which wrapped around the small building grew shorter and shorter as the afternoon wore on. 

“Forget about me. You must capture the evil Ozai before he gets away.” They’d heard the line about forty times already. The disposed Fire Lord was a cheap shot - the Fire Nation had been the antagonists in every work of fiction for the past seventy years. Zhu Li was almost certain he’d be replaced by the time they got around to filming.

“No. I’ll never leave you, ” one of the crew members intoned flatly. She’d been much more animated the first two-dozen times.

“Oh, Tag- Tan- Taktuq! You saved me!” The actress stumbled over the line.

“Cut!” Varrick yelled, not hiding the boredom in his voice. “Thank you, Miss…”

“Ryung,” Zhu Li supplied. 

“...Miss Ryung. We’ll be in touch.” The actress smiled nervously, then scooted for the door.

“Or not,” Varrick said, as soon as it had closed. “How many more of these do we have to do?”

“Six more, sir,” another crew member reported.

“Ugh.” Varrick stretched his long arms, contorting beyond what the folding chair could manage. Zhu Li held out an arm to keep it from tipping over.

“Any winners so far?”

“The one girl - what was her name, Won Ree? - was good.”

“So far, none have been as good as Yuki,” Zhu Li commented, off-handedly. 

“Yuki…” Varrick frowned in thought. Finally, he sprung out of the chair with such force it tipped over. “Yuki! Of course! I just need to hire Yuki!” 

“Sir?”

“Zhu Li, cancel the rest of the auditions, write up a contract. I’m gonna make Yuki a star!”

As Zhu Li headed out to disappoint a gaggle of starry-eyed young women, she hoped Yuki was up for a career change.

Chapter Text

Yuki, as it turned out, was thrilled. Zhu Li allowed her to review the contract and make a few (completely reasonable) changes before sending it off to legal. Today, Varrick had a late lunch planned with a potential acquisition, so after she saw him off, Zhu Li decided to check in on the newest ship in the fleet. Shesh dropped her off at the docks. She was just signing in to the log book at the harbor master's office when Nuvuk jogged up to her, blueprints rolled in his hand. 

“Come to see her? She’s almost finished.” He waved for Zhu Li to follow him, then headed along a maze of walkways to the dry docks. At the last minute, he turned. “Hey, cover your eyes, would you?”

He was genuinely excited. She did as he requested. Nuvuk, hands on her shoulders, guided her around a corner then stepped ahead of her.

“Presenting the new and improved Spirit of Independence.” 

Zhu Li opened her eyes. It was an impressive boat.

“She’ll be ready to be launched later this week, so make sure you order a bottle of champagne. Not the good stuff.”

“I’ll make a note. She’s lovely.”

“Thank you. We tried.”

“And the two pieces on the sides are for balance?”

“Exactly. With the outriggers, this yacht can go almost thirty percent faster than the old one. It’s the same layout - we even kept the catgator desk, spirits know why. But the design is based on traditional water tribe canoes - ones built for long distances - just sized up for better stability.”

“Nuvuk, you’ve done a great job with this project.”

The tips of his ears grew red, but he responded earnestly. “Thanks, Zhu Li. I’m proud of my work and I think Varrick is too. Things are changing around here.”

“For you,” Zhu Li said. “And Yuki.” She must not have been successful at keeping a rueful tone out of her voice, the way Nuvuk looked down at her. “Sorry. Not trying to rain on your parade.”

He shrugged. “You’re not. But you’re doing important work too.”

“Sometimes,” she admitted, “I feel a little bit like I’m standing still while everyone else is moving around me.”

“First - you never stand still. Second - you probably feel that way because you’re the one who makes sure everything else runs smoothly. You’re the fulcrum.” Nuvuk laughed. “You should change your last name from Moon to Sun - even though you’re constantly in motion, everyone else orbits around you.” 

She shook her head. “No - that’s Varrick.”

He gave her a look that was hard to decipher. “Not for me.”

Zhu Li blinked. There was a long, awkward silence.

“...But yeah, as far as the business goes,” Nuvuk finally rushed on, “Varrick’s definitely the star.”

“What’s that?” Zhu Li asked, eager to change the subject and curious about the massive, striped hull that loomed over them as they rounded a corner.

“Oh - that’s the new battleship.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Battleship?”

“Yeah. The Gang Haibao Corporation is building a fleet for the United Republic Forces, but Varrick managed to slip in and order the first one.”

“What does he need a battleship for?”

Nuvuk sighed. “Spirits only know.”

~*~

Later that week, Zhu Li entered the galley to find Yuki perched on the counter next to one of the industrial-sized sinks. She was reading the side of a box as intently as if it was a novel. Zhu Li set down the tea tray and Yuki looked up, startled, then grinned. 

"Hey, Zhu Li - I bet you'd be real swell at this. Wanna help a girl out?”

“What is it?” Zhu Li asked.

“It's an experimental product Varrick and Nuvuk have been working on. It changes the color of your hair to crazy shades, like yellow or red. Varrick wants me to use it in the mover. Product integration, I think he called it? Here, catch." She tossed Zhu Li the box.

Zhu Li snatched it out of the air and skimmed the directions. They were more involved than she’d expected, but seemed easy enough to follow. She glanced at the front of the box, which read Varribleach & Varridye: Ruby Red. She frowned. “Are you the first person to try this?”

“I think so. They’ve tested it on cut hair and on a couple of animals.”

That explained the appointment at the rabaroo farm. She’d been busy planning the pre-production schedule that day. 

Zhu Li glanced up at Yuki. “And you’re sure you want to do this?”

“Sure, why not? It’s only hair, and mine grows real quick.”

Hopefully, you’ll have some left when we’re done, Zhu Li thought, glancing over the list of ingredients involved for a second time.

“Please, Zhu Li? It’s so much easier to do another person’s hair - believe me, I know.” 

Zhu Li nodded. “Okay, Yuki. I’ll help.” She grabbed an apron from the closet and opened the kit to retrieve the pair of gloves it came with. 

“Ooo, hold up. I like this shirt. Let me go get my cape.” She bounded out and returned a few minutes later with a foil shawl wrapped around her shoulders and a case in her hand. She set the box on the counter and opened it. Inside was an array of styling tools - clips, combs, and brushes. Yuki settled onto the stool Yin usually used when peeling vegetables and Zhu Li began clipping her hair into sections, as the box said.

“Y’know, this is how I got started,” Yuki said. 

“As a hairdresser?”

“Yeah. A cousin of a friend of my aunt got me the job here. The travel and pay are nice, but I miss getting to chat with lots of different people. It’s gonna be so much fun working on a mover set! I just hope Varrick casts someone dreamy as Taktuq.”

Zhu Li concentrated on mixing the little packet of bleach powder with the developing fluid. It reminded her a bit of the darkroom process the crew used to develop film reels. She hesitated, brush in one hand, a section of Yuki’s dark waves in the other. “You’re sure?”

“Yes!”

As Zhu Li started applying the mixture, working from the ends of her hair, Yuki continued chatting. “Speaking of potential beaus, what’s up with you and Nuvuk?”

Zhu Li’s hand slipped. “Sorry?”

“Oh come on, Zhu Li. He follows you around like a lost puppy.”

Zhu Li felt herself going red. 

“I mean, you’re either into him, or you’re not.”

“I’m… not,” she admitted after a long pause. 

Yuki nodded as Zhu Li unclipped the next section of her hair. “I get it. He’s a dear boy, but about as exciting as a glacier. Is there someone else?” 

A lean silhouette, in memory almost golden-colored, played in her mind for the dozenth time.

“Not really.”

“I’ve bet you’ve had a string of beaus though - the quiet ones always do.”

There had been a few boys at school, the charming guy who delivered crates of tea to her aunt and uncle’s store each week, a couple of customers, all of whom had been little more than crushes. Her first real relationship had been with Mr. Hao’s nephew, Huang. Zhu Li preferred not to dwell on it, given the way it had ended. Though, she supposed, had it not happened, she wouldn’t have ended up here.

“Zhu Li?” Yuki snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Not recently.”

“Well. I’ll be on the lookout for eligible bachelors for you, if you promise to do the same for me.”

Zhu Li had no intention of being fixed up with any eligible bachelors Yuki found, but didn’t mind being put on the lookout for her sake, which she was pretty sure was the entire point of this conversation. “How old are you?” Zhu Li asked.

“Twenty-two, next summer.”

“I have a few cousins your age, but I don’t think they’re your type.”

“And what type is that?” Yuki asked, sounding offended.

“Poor.”

“Oh. Yeah, you’re right. What about pals?”

Zhu Li had been more interested in books than in people growing up. Living in the cramped apartment above the shop, there had already been too many people around at any given moment to wish for more. She’d had a few close friends at school, but given the often transient nature of the city, most had moved away or otherwise fallen out of touch. 

“I don’t really have any.”

Yuki’s eyes flew open and she scowled. “Hey - what am I? Chopped liver?”

Zhu Li smiled. “I don’t really have any not on this boat.”

“Mmm… I’ve exhausted the possibilities here.”

“Really?” Who?

“I had a little fling with Sialuk. I mean, he and Nuvuk are about the only age-appropriate guys on board, and Nuvuk’s just so moony.”

Zhu Li shook her head. “Okay. According to the directions, we should be ready to wrap and wait.” She did so, then pulled out her scratched pocket watch and noted the time. Yuki examined her wrapped head in a hand mirror.

“Hey Zhu Li - why don’t you go grab the script so we can run some lines while we wait?” 

For the next half hour, Zhu Li kept one eye on her watch while she and Yuki practiced dialogue. She was surprised at how well Yuki had honed her penchant for the dramatic into actual acting talent, in the short time she’d known her. Signing her as the first mover actress had been a good decision on Varrick’s part. While Varrick had sworn up and down that they didn’t need a replacement aesthetician - that he could take care of his own grooming - Zhu Li silently assumed he would cave and ask her to find a new one within the week. 

“Just another minute,” Zhu Li said, as they reached the end of a scene.

Yuki tossed her script to the side. "Maybe I should get a stage name - you know, like real actresses do. Something unique - not like Yuki."

"Yuki's a pretty name."

Yuki wrinkled her nose. "Every other girl in the Northern Water Tribe is named Yuki."

Zhu Li was faintly surprised that she had not known Yuki was from the North Pole. She said as much.

"Oh - I'm not really. My mother is Water Tribe. She moved to Republic City to find a job and ended up meeting my pops. Pops is a little bit of everything, so it's not like I grew up in touch with my Water Tribe heritage or anything. How about you?"

"I'm from a village south of the city, so - a bit of everything too.”

“Huh. I always figured you were a city girl like me.”

“I came to Republic City when I was twelve. My parents thought I'd have more opportunities here."

"That's nice," Yuki replied, with a distracted frown. “Hey, Zhu Li - is this Varribleach supposed to burn?”

Zhu Li hurriedly unwrapped Yuki’s hair and rinsed it in the sink. She gently patted it dry before Yuki held up a mirror for a critical examination. She fluffed her curls out with her other hand. They were now the color of a wheat field, the tips tinged the sandstone orange of an earth kingdom canyon.

“Wow. It really is yellow .”

“Are the ends okay?” Zhu Li asked, concerned.

“Oh sure - once we give it a chance to sit for a week, we can add the red. It’ll cover the ends right up.” She patted her bob into shape and inspected it from another angle before setting the mirror down. "Okay. Now it's your turn."

Zhu Li jumped down off the counter. Most definitely not.

Chapter Text

“That’s the last delivery for the trip south. You’ve got this, Yin,” Zhu Li said, gently patting the young cook’s shoulder as the delivery men carried the final crate, full of quacking turtle ducks, into the galley. Yin blushed. 

They’d spent the best part of the last month preparing for the journey to the Glacier Spirits Festival. Both Nuvuk and Yuki assured her the festival was a blast, but for now, Zhu Li was glad to be done with party planning. Varrick, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to get enough of it. He’d been involved in every aspect - the food, the entertainment, the guest list. He had invited fourteen guests in total. Zhu Li wasn’t superstitious, but the number made her slightly wary that the guests might become concerned. She had pointed this out to Varrick.

“Swami makes fifteen,” he’d said, as if it should be obvious.

Zhu Li had doubts. “Does he count as a guest if you’re paying him?”

“No one is going to notice. They’ll be having too much fun.” Varrick had glanced at the dinner seating chart. “Let’s switch Nattiq and Turtok, and put Kiku here instead.” 

The Swami was another thing entirely. For about a month, Varrick had been practicing meditation. Zhu Li was all for meditation, but the Swami promised levitation as the end result. She didn’t think Varrick was expecting to get anything spiritual out of the experience, but he did seem very excited for the opportunity to use it as a party trick. She’d attempted to broach the subject with him multiple times, creating a bit of a cushion for the inevitable disappointment. Yuki had other advice. 

“Just go with it,” the newly-minted actress and freshly-dyed redhead had said with a shrug. “What’s the worst that can happen? He thinks he’s flying. Big deal.”

Zhu Li had decided to try one more time. “Sir, I’m not sure if the results Swami Naqalee delivers are precisely what you’re looking for.”

He’d put his hands on his hips, indignant. “What’s more impressive than levitation?!” 

She’d sighed, remembering what Yuki had said. “I’m sure it will be.”

“Hey - I’ve got a money back guarantee.”

And more money than you know what to do with, Zhu Li had thought, as she’d filled out yet another order form.

~*~

The sun had gone down and the wide metal gangplank to the Spirit of Independence was flanked by strings of golden lanterns. The warm lights reflected in the harbor, glittering on the black mirror of Yue Bay. At half-past six, Satousines started pulling up to the dock. Well-dressed ladies and gents exited, followed by porters with a ridiculous number of trunks, suitcases, and other assorted bags. While their belongings were stowed in their cabins, Varrick greeted his guests in the saloon on the fourth deck. 

Currently, eight of the fourteen guests had arrived and were standing about the saloon with canapes and aperitifs in hand. Professor Jinhong and Dr. Sonamu (of the history and philosophy departments of the University of Republic City) were chatting with the young and eager Lord Ganlan. General Jandi (formerly of the Earth Kingdom army) was regaling Dr. Yu (renowned reflexologist) and Professor Taozi (paleontologist) with an old war story. Captain Turtok (recently retired from the United Forces) and Miss Kiku were having a quiet conversation in the corner. He briefly rested a hand on her arm. She laughed and blushed as scarlet as her jacket. 

Zhu Li’s eyes snapped away from the crowd as another couple entered. The man, who had a rather pleasant face and wore a fur-lined jacket, suddenly glowered. “Varrick, you scoundrel - you still owe me that boat!” he said, plunging his finger into the front of Varrick’s plush coat.

Zhu Li held her breath. They hadn’t even set sail and one of the guests already seemed to want to fight her boss. She’d been hoping that wouldn’t happen until at least day three of the voyage. Sensing the energy in the room, the other guests went dead silent. The tension grew unbearable. Then, both men burst into laughter. Varrick slapped the other man on the back.

“Kaz!” he exclaimed, “You old devil! It’s been too long.” He wrapped his arm around Kaz’s shoulders and turned to the party at large. “This man is my oldest and dearest friend. His father set me up with my first boat and Mr. Nattiq has been asking for it back ever since.”

“...One like this would do nicely,” Kaz replied, gesturing around the lounge. 

“ Hilarious,” Varrick replied, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

“Ahem.” The pretty woman standing next to Kaz gave a little cough.

Varrick sobered up and gave her a nod. “Lady Kona.” 

Zhu Li noted how coldly Varrick received her, compared to his exuberance toward the other guests, but Kona replied with a warm smile. “Is Lady Anaaya going to be joining us?” she asked. “I’ve been so looking forward to spending more time with her!”

Zhu Li cringed internally yet again, but Varrick was saved from answering by another set of guests who had just appeared at the door. 

“Kaz, Kona - enjoy yourselves. Ah, Ms. Meigui!” He leapt forward and pumped the woman’s hand. “ Loved your most recent novel! Couldn’t put it down!” (He’d had Zhu Li read it and then retell an abridged version while he’d practiced holding his breath one evening.) “And this is your partner…”

“Ms. Ajisai,” the sweet, greying woman introduced herself, “of Ajisai Woolens Incorporated.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance Ms. Ajisai. Make yourself at home! Grab a drink... Zhu Li!” 

Zhu Li grabbed a tray from the nearest waiter and scooted forward. 

“Thank you, dear,” Ms. Ajisai said, taking a flute from the tray. The rose-clad novelist took a drink as well and gave Zhu Li a smile. As they walked off toward the other guests, Ms. Meigui leaned in to her partner and whispered something. Ms. Ajisai nodded. 

While Misses Meigui and Ajisai had a comforting softness about them, the next couple to board was their polar opposite. The man was striking, young, and wearing a charcoal suit so dark it was almost black. The young woman on his arm would have been lovely as well, had she not worn such a false, pinched smile. She had clearly been the recipient of a sample of Varridye; her hair was the pale shade of a wheat field at harvest, matching her pearlescent evening gown. Across the room, Zhu Li noticed Yuki cross her arms and give the woman a once-over. 

Varrick bowed. “Sir Onikisu.” Her boss’s sudden attention to deportment told her this was someone who had value to him. 

The man bowed back. “Sir Varrick.” As he rose, he said, “Allow me to present my companion, Miss Jinju.” 

“Charmed, I’m sure,” the lady responded, holding out her satin-gloved hand. Varrick swooped to kiss it. 

“Jinju, eh? Are you the daughter of Ruon-” 

As a porter tried to take the bag from the woman standing several steps behind her, Jinju turned quickly, tearing her hand out of Varrick’s grasp. “No, no - my valise contains all my valuables. Mingyun will take it to my cabin.” She gestured lazily at the pretty but rather stressed-looking young woman in a maid’s uniform. Zhu Li felt a pang of pity - it was what she’d half-expected this job to be. Looking away, she caught Ms. Meigui’s eye. The novelist seemed to be mentally filing away the exchange. 

It would be an interesting trip. Possibly one worth writing about.

~*~

They had cast off and were under way. After settling into their cabins, the guests dressed and made their way to dinner. Nuvuk and Yuki had spruced up as well, him in a navy, fur-lined jacket, and her in a long, pale gold gown. The room was full of jovial chatter as they converged around the long table. Varrick had yet to make his entrance. Zhu Li’s attention bounced from one conversation to another. 

“...why, back during the Battle of Ba Sing Se…”

“...in Ba Sing Se last month!”

“...what color would you call that?”

“...new project, still working on the funding…”

“...favorite tea shop, the two of you just have to try it!”

“… going to be in his first feature mover!”

“... what an exciting opportunity for some ethnographic study…”

“I assure you, it’s as dreadful as Avatar Day…”

“... the design of the ship is perfectly balanced to…”

“...couldn’t find my opals. I must not have packed them.” 

Zhu Li’s full attention was suddenly on Kona.

“You don’t need gems to look lovely, darling,” Kaz replied, patting Kona’s arm. She smiled up at him.

A light elbow to the ribs interrupted Zhu Li’s train of thought. “Look sharp, Zhu Li! And keep an eye on those two,” Varrick muttered, dropping his voice. “Her, in particular.”

He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket as he walked past. “ Ladies, gentlemen! Please, find your seats.”

As the guests - plus the Swami, Yuki, and Nuvuk - located their place cards, Zhu Li stood sentry several feet behind Varrick’s chair. He’d originally had an additional place for her on the seating chart, but she’d anticipated having to hop up every three seconds. It would be quite distracting. As the first course was served, between various requests from Varrick and things she spotted that needed to be attended to, the average was probably closer to eleven seconds. Dinner was going smoothly, from the turtle duck soup to the roast arctic hens. Soon, dessert plates were cleared and the deckhands - cleaned up and on their best behavior, as ordered - appeared to move the table and chairs away.

Varrick turned momentarily from his conversation with Dr. Yu. “Do the thing, Zhu Li!”

Zhu Li snapped the dust cover off the phonograph and tossed a record on its turntable. As she flicked the needle down, jazzy music began to play. 

“Care to dance?” Kaz had crossed the room and was offering Kona his hand. Zhu Li briefly wondered why Varrick hadn’t seated the two of them together, before scurrying out to redirect a deckhand clutching a Yi Ming dynasty chair and looking lost. When she returned, she noticed the waiters weren’t replacing the champagne trays fast enough. Zhu Li grabbed one and headed for the galley, via the starboard promenade.

General Jandi was leaning on the rails, enjoying a cigar. She blocked his smoke cloud with the tray, carving a cylindrical hole in it as she quickly passed through. “Lovely evening. Nice sea breeze,” he coughed after her, by way of apology.

The galley was a mess. Yin was cowering in a corner. Zhu Li calmly bestowed a few well-chosen words on the knot of chatty waiters, who dispersed immediately. After a quick check of the wine closet, she headed back to the saloon. As she stepped onto the promenade, Swami Naqalee hurried past her, almost knocking her down. “So sorry! Seasickness!” She made a mental note to deliver some ginger pills to his room.

With the saloon doors open to the night air and the lights shining brilliantly, the party was on full display. Kiku danced a little rag while Meigui and Ajisai executed a well-practiced swing. Lord Ganlan was busy tearing up the floor in a two-step with Professor Jinhong. Dr. Sonamu kept shooting them dark looks as he chatted with Nuvuk and Sir Onikisu in the corner. As Captain Turtok waltzed her past, Kona laughed and clutched his arm. Nearby, Kaz was dancing with Professor Taozi, who looked quite lovely in a peach silk gown. Zhu Li cocked her head. 

“That,” a voice hissed in her ear. It was Varrick. “That right there.” He pointed at Kona and Turtok. 

They were far enough from the door to not be heard, or even noticed, by the dancers. “They’re only dancing,” Zhu Li observed. 

“Keep an eye on her,” Varrick said between gritted teeth, before vanishing. Moments later he appeared through the doors on the opposite side of the room, smoothly sliding into Sonamu and Oniksu’s coversation. A few minutes passed and Miss Jinju pulled him away for a dance. Zhu Li was suddenly exhausted. She thought she’d retire for the night. Before she could, someone tapped her on the shoulder. 

“Could I have this dance?” It was Nuvuk, extending his hand to her. She was too tired to come up with an excuse not to.

“Fine.” She took his right hand and put her other hand on his shoulder. He pulled her onto the floor in a foxtrot. 

“So, um… how was your day?” he asked.

“Busy. Long. Yours?” 

“Not too bad. Mostly prepping the hangar bay for the activities later this week.”

He started to steer Zhu Li toward the center of the floor. She gently but assertively took over and led them back toward the edge of the room.

“Are the rocket boats ready?” she asked, absent-mindedly. 

“They’re safe, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Zhu Li smiled ruefully. “That’s good.”

“Just trying to get everyone to the south pole in one piece,” he said, nodding. There was a long awkward silence. She started going over tomorrow’s schedule in her head.

“Zhu Li?”

“Mmm?”

The song drew to a close. Nuvuk practically jumped away from her as the couples around them applauded or took one last dip. Yuki nodded to Dr. Sonamu, who she’d been dancing with, and wove her way toward them. 

“Ha!” he said nervously - “Nothing. Never mind. I’ll catch up with you later,” - before bolting.

“What’s gotten into him?” Yuki asked, jerking her head in Nuvuk’s direction.

“I couldn’t say,” Zhu Li replied.

Chapter Text

The revelers were late to rise the following morning - or afternoon, as would be more accurate. 

At first, Zhu Li made her way to the stateroom with the breakfast tray and a telegraph of the day’s headlines at the usual time. Varrick, still mostly asleep, had tossed his alarm clock at the door and mumbled at her to come back in an hour. 

An hour later, the first guests had begun to rise and help themselves to the breakfast spread laid out in the saloon. The long table from the night before had been replaced with smaller, round ones. While most of the guests chose to eat near the buffet, Ms. Meigui and Ms. Ajisai chose to take their tea on the desk. Zhu Li checked on them before heading back to the stateroom.

“Ladies.” She bowed. “How are you this morning?”

“Marvelous,” Ms. Meigui replied. “This sea breeze is enchanting.”

“Can I get you anything?” Zhu Li asked. 

“No dear, the brunch is just lovely,” Ms. Ajisai replied.

“Actually,” her partner interjected, “may I ask you a question?”

Ms. Ajisai cast Ms. Meigui a reproachful look. Zhu Li blinked. “Of course.”

“How long have you been working for Varrick?” Ms. Meigui asked. 

“Ten months,” she did some quick mental math, “a week, and five days.”

“My, what a memory! I wish mine were half as good. That may be why I write everything down,” Ms. Meigui said, turning to wink at her partner. Ms. Ajisai pulled out her knitting. “I would have guessed longer though… you’re very in sync.”

“It’s my job.”

“You’re quite good at it. And how many of the guests do you know?”

Ms. Ajisai put her knitting back down again in exasperation.

“None, until yesterday.”

“Well,” said Ms. Meigui, reaching out and squeezing her wrist, “it’s lovely to meet you.”

Snaking by the galley and grabbing the second tray of the day - “Thank you, Yin!” - Zhu Li headed down the corridor to the stateroom. A few doors were open. Miss Jinju was hissing at poor Mingyun, who looked about ready to cry. Professor Jinghong was straightening his cravat as he spoke to Dr. Sonamu over his shoulder. 

“...shouldn’t be tricky at all. I’d imagine the old codger would appreciate a bit of a thrill…” He stopped talking as Zhu Li passed by. “Miss Moon,” he nodded, formally. 

“Good morning, Professor.”

She turned her back to the door of the stateroom and pushed it open.

“Zhu Li! Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

“I did sir. You threw a clock at me.”

He had the decency to look chagrined. “Well, next time, chuck it back. Are my guests awake?”

“Most of them.”

“Have you seen Onikisu this morning?” he asked as she pulled back the drapes.

“Not yet, but I didn’t see him in his room either.”

Varrick stopped rubbing his eye and looked at her.

“Miss Jinju had the door open and was scolding her maid.”

Varrick raised an eyebrow. “She’s a piece of work. But Onikisu seems to like her and I need him to like Varrick Global Industries. His family is the biggest name in cameras and film. Until we can start producing our own, I’d like to hash out an exclusive deal.”

Zhu Li nodded and gazed out one of the large windows at the calm sea. She could feel her mood brightening - it was a beautiful day. 

“What’s on the agenda for today?” Varrick asked, as if reading her thoughts.

“This afternoon you have a visit to the cat gator deck and the hall of mirrors planned. After that is dinner. Following dinner, you’re going to debut your mover in the saloon.”

“Excellent!” He rubbed his face. “Hey, send Yuki in. I need a shave.”

“Remember sir, it’s in her new contract - she’s not doing that anymore.”

He blinked up at her. “I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

“You said you could take care of it yourself, sir.” 

“I always miss spots. Here,” he said, pointing to the shadow under his jaw, “and here.” He pointed to the dimple in his chin. “I’ll end up looking like some sort of scruffy street pauper, and then no one’s going to want to sell cameras to me, let alone Onikisu! We can’t let that happen. Zhu Li… ” he wheedled.

She was feeling charitable this morning. “Fine.”

Just this once.

~*~

Apparently, Lord Ganlan was on a very strict diet which necessitated a few changes to the menu. Zhu Li was hoping the party was still feeding the cat gators, but of course, they had moved on to the hall of mirrors. Down below deck, she opened the door to the labyrinth and was confronted with her own reflection, three feet tall. Zhu Li sighed. 

For the most part, she had the maze memorized. But there were a few tricky spots, and if you were looking for someone else rather than trying to find the exit… well, it was difficult. 

Faced with the pentagonal room, she counted three to the right. Five Zhu Li’s wavered past before disappearing. She heard giggling to her left and decided to take a few steps toward the sound. Even if it wasn’t Lord Ganlan, it would be good to check to make sure he hadn’t broken off from the party.

There was a gentle smacking sound, and then, “Aliiq, not here !” Zhu Li quickly changed direction. Another obstacle she hadn’t considered. 

Next, she found Dr. Yu and General Jandi. General Jandi was proclaiming his certainty that his unerring sense of direction would lead them out. Dr. Yu looked quite fed up. “Miss Moon… would we find the exit to our left or to our right?” 

“Go right and then curve around and take the middle fork,” Zhu Li offered.

“Thank you.” She turned to General Jandi, “As I said at the fork…” He spluttered in response as Zhu Li continued on. 

She passed a stretched-out Zhu Li and a squat Zhu Li, a Zhu Li that wavered like a mirage and a Zhu Li in negative. That effect always gave her a tiny shiver. A moment later she heard her boss’s unmistakable voice. She couldn’t quite make out the words yet. She stepped closer, making another turn, and found herself in a long hall. He was on the other side. Maybe if she called out…

A second man was speaking. “I don’t need much, and not for long.” 

“What’s it for this time, Kaz?”

“Hey - a man’s got a right to his privacy.”

“Not when he’s asking for five grand,” Varrick chuckled. There was a hint of an edge to his voice that Zhu Li had only heard when he was plotting a tricky course - through water or a business deal. 

“I’d ask my father but… Hey. Did you hear something?” 

As quietly as she could, Zhu Li stepped backwards - and bumped into another person.

“Mmpft!” 

“I’m so sorry! Are you alright?” Zhu Li whispered, steadying the other woman. What was Mingyun doing down here?

The maid nodded and had the good sense to whisper back. “Have you seen Miss Jinju? I was supposed to come find her to get ready twenty minutes ago.”

“Not yet. Follow me,” Zhu Li mouthed, beckoning the girl forward. 

They reached the end of the maze three minutes later. Miss Jinju was standing there, tapping her foot with a sour look on her face. Onikisu was placid, possibly bored. “Where have you been?” Jinju snapped.

“I’m - I’m sorry, Ma’am.”

“Thirty minutes! Thirty minutes late! Now we won’t have time to - “

“Dear,” Onikisu interrupted. “It’s hardly the end of the earth.”

Jinju cast her eyes over her maid and then over Zhu Li for good measure. “Good help is so hard to find these days.”

Mingyun threw her an apologetic look over her shoulder as they walked away.

“Help!” a voice came from the maze. “I’m hopelessly lost!”

Zhu Li recognized it as Lord Ganlan’s. She took a deep breath - “I’m coming!” - and dove back in.

~*~

The rest of the guests had completed the maze by four thirty and were in their cabins, getting ready for dinner. Zhu Li took the opportunity to get some fresh air. Of course, her plans were interrupted only a few moments later. Kiku, in a brilliant red bathing suit that accentuated her trim figure, was wandering the promenade in a zig-zag pattern. Her eyes were locked on the deck.

“Miss Kiku,” Zhu Li said gently, snapping her out of her reverie. “Are you alright?”

The girl jumped and looked up at her, clearly in distress. “No! I’m not. My ruby ring has gone missing!”

“And you’ve been retracing your steps?” Zhu Li asked her. 

“Yes! All the way back to brunch. But it’s nowhere to be found.”

“Let’s look again. I’ll help you. Where were you last?”

“I’ve been sunbathing for the past twenty minutes. Before that, I was in the mirror maze.”

Zhu Li sent a quick prayer to the spirits that Kiku had taken her ring off to sunbathe. They headed for the bow, where they found a few more helpers in Professor Taozi and Lord Ganlan. 

“...only need a bit of seed money to get it started,” Taozi had been saying. “Do you think… oh, hello!”

“What’s going on?” Lord Ganlan asked, looking relieved to have an escape from the conversation.

“My ring has gone missing!”

“Oh no,” said Professor Taozi. “Your lovely ruby?”

“Yes! Oh, my mother will be so upset - it’s been in our family for generations.” 

“It could have slipped off when we were tossing fish,” Ganlan suggested. “Do you think one of the cat gators got it?”

Kiku shuddered. “No, I put it in my pocket before we began. I’m sure I put it back on - I’ve checked that deck twice!”

Zhu Li pasted a neutral look on her face. “The next place to look would be the hall of mirrors, I suppose.”

Both Ganlan and Taozi suddenly looked very interested in a pod of panda porpoises off the starboard bow.

Kiku stopped her pacing and paused for a moment. “There is one other place it might be,” 

“Let’s go look,” Zhu Li said. 

“Oh! No - that’s quite alright. I can check myself.” She bounded off toward the guest cabins.

It was odd, but Zhu Li let it go. 

“Well, that’s a relief,” said Lord Ganlan. 

~*~

After making sure Yin was set in the galley and the waiters were all present and ready, Zhu Li quickly changed, then headed up to the saloon-turned-dining room. Miss Kiku came in right behind her, in a slinky, sequined red dress. 

“Did you find your ring?” Professor Taozi inquired.

“I did - thank you so much for your help this afternoon!” She flashed the gem on her finger. It danced prettily in the light.

“Where did you find it?” Lady Kona asked.

“It was in my room after all,” Kiku said, but she blushed and didn’t sound convincing at all.

Zhu Li took her place near Varrick’s chair. Sir Onikisu and Jinju entered the dining room. They looked as sleek and gorgeous as always, but it was Mingyun who caught her eye. The maid wasn’t wearing her usual black and white uniform. Instead, she was wearing a beige version of… well, it looked a lot like what Zhu Li was wearing. And to top it off, she held a little book and pen in her hands. It was disconcerting. 

The five flavor soup was served, followed by a platypus bear egg omelette, then the hippo cow steak - with a bland but beautiful-looking rice cracker rose for Lord Ganlan. Every once in a while, Jinju would twist her head and make some remark - not looking at Mingyun, but definitely meant for her to copy down. Mingyun scribbled furiously in her book. Zhu Li wondered if she appeared that ridiculous to other people. 

After-dinner drinks were served. Zhu Li took this as her cue to retrieve the mover from its canister. She threaded it through the projector and finished just in time to hear, “Zhu Li, do the thing.”

The ostrich horse flickered to life yet again, met with gasps and applause, its plain confined to the wall of a boat at sea. The ostrich horse ran, perfectly centered in the frame, never making any progress, just ran and ran and ran...

Zhu Li turned away from the mover, straightened her spine, and checked to make sure everyone had a striped box of Varripop clutched in their hand.

Chapter Text

Zhu Li had been fooling herself if she’d thought the morning shave would be a one-off. The following day, Varrick acted as if it was expected, as if it had always been this way, and would always be this way. There was no war in Ba Sing Se, she thought, as she grabbed the lather brush and coated his face. He leaned back in his chair, looking far too smug and comfortable.

“What’s on today’s agenda?”

“Rocket boat rides, followed by a game night.” 

“Great,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “A few of these guests could stand to lose a little. Have we dropped anchor?”

“Yes. Shesh wanted me to pass along the news that we’ve docked off Whale Tail Island.”

“Perfect. What’s the weather look like?”

“Clear all day, sir.” 

“Any other news to report?”

“Regarding what, sir?”

One eye popped open. “About my guests! Especially the one I asked you to keep an eye on.”

Zhu Li remembered the noises in the maze, and the Oh, Aliiq! She had not identified the other party, so she said nothing. However, the question made her recall the other conversation she’d overheard. It was a rather forward question, but Zhu Li thought it was worth asking.

“Does my watching Lady Kona have anything to do with Mr. Nattiq asking you for money, sir?”

“You heard that, did you?” He raised an eyebrow. When she didn’t reply, he continued. “Kaz is my oldest and dearest friend. I lend him a couple of yuans from time to time. Nothing to worry about.”

Five-thousand was more than a couple, Zhu Li thought, but said nothing.

“Anything else out of the ordinary?”

Zhu Li thought about Miss Jinju’s clear mistreatment of Mingyun and the way she’d had her dress almost as a parody of herself the evening before. She thought of the snippets of conversation she’d overheard between Professor Taozi and Lord Ganlan, and between Professor Jinhong and Dr. Sonamu. She thought of Miss Kiku’s missing ring that she’d mysteriously found again, and Ms. Meigui asking how long she’d worked for Varrick.

“No, sir.”

“What was the deal with the ring Taozi was asking Kiku about last night?” he asked, as if he were reading her thoughts. He had an uncanny knack for doing that, once in a blue moon.

“Miss Kiku lost her ring yesterday afternoon. It turned up.”

“Good,” Varrick replied. “What do you think of her? She’s a pretty young thing. Wealthy family, tho- ouch !”

Zhu Li looked down. She was alarmed to see blood on the razor and coming from a small knick near his cheekbone. Immediately, she reached for a tissue, tore off a small square, and pressed it to the cut.

“I’m so sorry, sir.”

“Are you trying to murder me, Zhu Li?”

She blushed crimson. “No, sir. I would never…”

He looked at her sideways. “I was asking about Kiku because I was thinking of adding another role to The Adventures of Taktuq...”

They had talked about writing in Azula as Lord Ozai’s evil sidekick. Kiku would be physically perfect for the role. Zhu Li felt her face grow even hotter.

“...but since I can see you’re going to cut my throat if I add one other item to the budget...”

“I wasn’t trying to -”

“No, no.” He held his hands up. “Forget I ever said anything!”

Zhu Li reached for the razor again, but he quickly hopped up out of the chair. 

“I’ll finish up for today. I have guests to entertain - don’t want to be slaughtered while we still have two full days left. Then you’d have to keep them all distracted. Ha! I’d like to see that,” he muttered, picking up the razor. “Go check in with Nuvuk and make sure everything is set.”

“Yes, sir.”

Out in the empty hallway, Zhu Li took a moment to smack her forehead against the wall, then went to go find Nuvuk.

~*~

After brunch, Zhu Li had gathered the guests below deck and waited expectantly by the great metal doors as Varrick held court. “Welcome,” he said with a flourish, “to our prototypes bay. Here you will see some of the creations that put Varrick Global Industries at the forefront of technological innovation. Nuvuk, do the thing!”

Nuvuk hit the button and the metal double doors slid open. The guests oohed and aahed appropriately as they filed across the catwalk and down the stairs to the floor. Most of the guests immediately headed for the biplane which filled the central space. Any guest who had been in Republic City during the equalist uprising had seen them in action, and naturally, was curious.

Sir Onikisu surveyed the wings, putting a curled hand to his chin. “Incredible,” he said, clearly impressed. “The folding wing structure is ingenious.” Trailing behind with Miss Jinju, Mingyun started to jot his words down. Varrick suddenly appeared behind her and snatched the notebook from her hands.

“Put this away!” He waved it at her before handing it back. “No stealing trade secrets.” He winked affably, but Zhu Li detected that same edge to his voice as when she’d heard him talking to Kaz in the mirror maze. Blushing, Mingyun glanced at Miss Jinju - who gave her a single, sharp nod - before tucking the notebook in her pocket.

“It’s incredible, the contraptions that exist now!” General Jandi blustered. “Back in my day, you had to fight with your own two hands and feet. Now you’ve got all sorts of gadgets. Why, back when we were securing the villages to the south of the Si Tong Desert -”

Zhu Li noticed Professor Jinhong and Dr. Sonamu exchange a significant look. Dr. Sonamu threw his arm over the general’s shoulders. “That campaign was such an interesting moment in Earth Kingdom history, General. I’d love to hear more about it! What was your involvement in the raid on...” He steered him away from the main group. Professor Jinhong followed closely behind.

“And what’s that?!” Lord Ganlan asked, for the third time already.

“That,” replied Varrick, “is a snowmobile. You should take it for a spin when we get to the South Pole.”

“Can I? I’d love that!”

“Sure, kid.” Varrick clapped him on the back. 

Zhu Li felt a gentle hand on her arm. “What is this, my dear?” Ms. Meigui asked. She was pointing to the camera dolly, greatly adapted since that day they’d filmed the ostrich horse. Zhu Li explained its purpose.

“This is incredible. I would love to write my next mystery about a murder on a mover set. Do you think Varrick would be open to the idea of me using some of your technical details in exchange for name-dropping his latest project? Not as the murderer scene, of course! Just to flesh out the world.”

Zhu Li smiled slightly - Varrick would be thrilled with the free publicity. “I’m sure we can arrange that.”

“It must be so incredible, getting to be a part of all these ideas as they come to life.”

Zhu Li glanced over to Varrick, who was animatedly telling Ganlan, Kaz, and Turtok about the snowmobile. She gave a little nod. “It is.”

“And what’re those?!” Ganlan asked, pointing toward three generations of gliders, hanging on the walls.

The snowmobile crowd all shifted their eyes to the wall. “Those? Those are our gliders.” 

“Ooo… could we try them?”

“I’ll do you one better - Nuvuk here can demonstrate how to fly one right now.”

At the sound of his name, Nuvuk swiveled away from showing Miss Kiku the rocket boats. “Oh! I’m not really sure if - I mean, Zhu Li’s much better at... Smaller space, smaller person,” he finished, lamely.

“Zhu Li! Do the thing.”

“Your biplane is in the way, sir.”

Varrick made an exasperated noise. “Fine. Hey, everyone - it’s time to test these suckers out! Get your suits on and we’ll meet on the deck in ten. Rocket boats with me on the starboard outrigger, gliders with Zhu Li on the bow! Nuvuk - get the boats ready!”

The gliders had not been part of the daily plan. As Zhu Li hurried back to her cabin to find her swimsuit, she grimly wondered if this was payback for this morning. 

By the time she arrived on deck, He Bao and Sialuk had brought up all six gliders and were lowering the  rocket boats into the water. Varrick led Kaz, Turtok, Onikisu and Jinju (who were doubled up) out, while Nuvuk stayed behind, talking Jandi, Yu, Sonamu and Jinhong (also doubled) through some of the finer points of handling. Zhu Li leaned over the railing. Nuvuk gave her a thumbs up. “Whenever you’re ready!” he called through cupped hands. “Have them try not to go too far, so we can pick everyone up quickly. The water’s chilly.”

As she unlatched the chains in the railing, preparing the space to jump, Zhu Li gazed out at the mountains along the coast. The sun was shining brightly, though they’d gone far enough south that the air had a bit of a bite to it. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt the wind on her face.

“I admit, the appeal of the rocket boats is a little lost on me.”

Zhu Li jumped. Lady Kona was standing practically right next to her, in a fashionable blue one piece. 

“Sorry,” Kona said, noticing she’d startled her. She nodded at Kaz and Varrick, now chasing each other in wide circles. “It makes sense for non-benders though.”

“You’re a waterbender.” Zhu Li was mildly surprised. She hadn’t really thought about which of the guests were benders. Most of Varrick’s crew were not and the ones who were - like Sialuk - rarely seemed to use their abilities. It had been years since Zhu Li had needed to mediate an elemental spat between her cousins. Jin Zhang and Zheng Zha, the last set of twins, had been particularly bad. The clumps of scorched rubble they left in their wake had been a large part of her decision to apply for the job at the department store and move out.

Kona smiled. “I am.”

“Oh, good. Since you won’t get in trouble with the water, do you mind if I give you one of the older gliders to use? It’s perfectly safe and the same type as I’ll be using - it just has a few quirks.”

 “Of course!”

Within minutes, Lord Ganlan, Professor Taozi, and Kiku had joined them. Yuki had come up on deck in her polka-dot suit to sunbathe, lounging on a deck chair. Ms. Meigui and Ms. Ajisai also appeared, though fully clothed. Meigui had her notepad and Ajisai her knitting. They settled in beside Yuki to watch.

“Okay, I think this is everyone -” Zhu Li started.

Mingyun shyly crept into view in a drab, grey suit. “Is it alright if I…?”

Zhu Li nodded. “That’s perfect - six total. Okay -” she began. “A few important things to know about the gliders.” She spent the next three minutes walking them through the steps and pointing out the differences in handling for each set of gliders. She gave Ganlan and Mingyun the newest - Ganlan because she felt he would need all the help he could get and Mingyun because… well, she thought Mingyun probably deserved something nice, for once. Then it was time to demonstrate.

“Once you get close to the water, you want to make your landing as gentle as possible. Keep your head up, but try to keep your body parallel to the waves. If you’re not a very strong swimmer, I’d suggest a life vest.”

At that, every guest but Kona put one on.

“So remember - toward you to go up, away from you to go down. But really, you want to let the wind carry you.” She glanced out at the rocket boats. “Try not to go too far. Nuvuk will be coordinating rocketboat pickups. Does everyone feel ready?”

They all nodded or murmured their assent. 

“Good. I’m going to go ahead and demonstrate now. If you’re not feeling comfortable or have a question, just wait for me to get back and I’ll spot you. You want to give the person in front of you a full minute to clear the area.”

At the last moment, Zhu Li remembered to set her glasses on a deck table. She took several steps back to get a running start. “Remember,” she said, nodding to the olive and beige blurs that were Ganlan and Mingyun, “you can simply jump with yours. Is everyone clear?”

“Clear,” they all dutifully replied.

Zhu Li ran. The moment she felt her toes slip over the edge of the deck, she punched the button and the wings of the glider sprung out wide. The first two prototypes were the only ones that weren’t waterproof - the wings were technically water resistant, but when plunged into the ocean, they tended to get soaked and heavy. She was glad Kona had been willing to take the other - as a waterbender, she could handle it.

She soared across the outrigger and over open water. The tinny engine noise of a rocket boat ripped past far below. She knew she should set a good example for the guests and bring the glider down as soon as she safely could, but she couldn’t help but want to enjoy soaring just a little longer. She tilted the grips slightly toward her. 

She lifted her face up away from the waves, and lightly, skimmed the surface of the ocean with her toes. She hadn’t mentioned this technique to the guests - without practice, you could easily drag too much and smack head-over-heels into the water - but it was a good way of slowing down, once mastered. Eventually, her toes were submerged, then her feet, then her knees, and soon she was stopped, up to her neck in water. Kicking her feet, she unbuckled the glider and flipped to float on her back. She pressed a button for the wings to collapse and held the glider to her body, mostly out of the water.

Nuvuk had been right - the water was quite chilly. Soaring this far hadn’t really been prudent. Zhu Li’s teeth were chattering by the time the whine of a rocket boat finally approached. It slowed, then stopped on a dime, splashing her with its wake. Blowing saltwater out of her face, she reached for Nuvuk’s blurry, extended arm. Grasping it, he hauled her onto the back of the rocket boat with some effort. She set the glider across her lap and put her arms around Nuvuk, who felt far more lean and wiry than she’d expected.

“Brrrrr! Zhu Li, you’re colder than an iceberg!”

The ice in her veins seemed to shoot to the pit of her stomach as she realized she was tightly embracing her boss. “Sorry, sir.” She immediately scooted back, hands barely on his waist. 

“No, hold on tight,” Varrick said, taking her hands and yanking her arms around him again. “The sooner I get you back to the boat, the sooner I can thaw out!”

She did as he requested. He revved the rocket boat, then hit the gas and they shot off. The wind stung her eyes - she closed them and fought the urge to burrow her face against the back of his neck. With each wave they hit, the bump forced them closer together. 

Lord Ganlan soared above their heads. “Wheeeee!”

“He’s got one of the newer ones, right?” Varrick asked, sounding concerned.

“Yes. I gave Kona the other first-gen.”

“Good thinking, Zhu Li. I still need Ganlan to invest, and if Kona drowns, well… ouch. Hey, I’m kidding, no need to choke me to death. Second attempt on my life you’ve made today.”

Zhu Li relaxed her grip a bit. “Why don’t you like her, sir?”

“I don’t like or dislike her. I don’t trust her.” He slowed as they neared the yacht. Zhu Li was about to point out that Kona was far from alone in that regard, but the rocket boat swung round and stopped within a foot of the boat. As far as the rocket boats went, Zhu Li had to admit, Varrick had impressive handling. She leaned over and placed her hand on the side of the outrigger, running it across in search of the ladder. 

“It’s right the-” he started in exasperation. Then he stopped. “Oh, right. I forget you’re as blind as a wolfbat.” He reached back and took her right hand, placing it on the metal ladder before putting both his hands on her waist to steady her as she stepped from the boat to the lowest rung. 

Zhu Li imagined her face would be burning if she weren’t completely frozen. “Thank you.”

“Of cour- WHOA. Hey - watch that turn! The general’s about to flip his boat. And… yep - there he goes.” Varrick zoomed off. Zhu Li let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, then climbed the ladder onto the outrigger, continuing on to the bow. Mingyun was the last of the gliding guests left on deck. As Zhu Li emerged, she took a running leap, and with a delighted laugh, soared out over the rocket boats. Zhu Li smiled as she located her glasses. 

She grabbed a couple towels from the equipment bin, wrapping one around her hair and another around her body. Immediately, she felt warmer - particularly her sides, where she could still almost feel two large hands on her waist. Zhu Li reached up and rubbed the towel harshly against her head, attempting to dry her hair and scrub her thoughts in the same motion. She slumped down into the deck chair beside Yuki, who had nodded off. 

“That looked like so much fun,” a warm, female voice said to her left. She turned - it was Ms. Ajisai. 

“It is,” Zhu Li replied. “Would you like to try it?”

“Oh, no. Too much excitement for me! I’m just having fun watching.” 

Ms. Meigui glanced up from her writing and gave Ms. Ajisai a wink. “It’s so nice to have a partner who catches things I don’t.”

“The very few things,” Ms. Ajisai corrected her.

“Such as Miss Kiku’s glass ring.”

“Mei!”

“Oh, look at her, Aji. She can keep a secret.” The novelist turned back to Zhu Li. “The color and the way it shines - it isn’t quite right. I assume it’s a copy of the original jewel, which is probably sitting back in a Fire Nation pawn shop! The family is near bankrupt, such a shame.” 

Zhu Li raised her eyebrows. She usually wasn’t one to listen to gossip, but she was supposed to be keeping an eye on the guests for Varrick.

“She’s not the only one.”

“Not by far! Professor Taozi believes she has discovered the location of a secret cache of dragon bones, in the Fire Nation, but she needs funding for her trip. Her last three digs have been fruitless - almost ruined her standing in the academic community. She’s asked Lord Ganlan to sponsor her expedition, but she’s barking up the wrong tree there! That young man spends far too much time at the poodle pony track. He’s a Lord, yes, but a practically destitute one.”

That explained the conversation she’d walked into the day before. Zhu Li gazed out at the rocket boats. Lord Ganlan had been rescued by Nuvuk and was clinging tightly to him as they speedily made their way toward the yacht. Kona had Kaz in just as tight a grip, but the couple looked to be having infinitely more fun, laughing as Kaz hit the propulsion brakes and sent them spinning.

Zhu Li frowned. She felt almost dirty asking, but if anyone would know… “What do you think of Lady Kona?”

“Oh, no financial worries there - she comes from a very old and respected Northern Water Tribe family. Though, I’m a little surprised at how long she and Mr. Nattiq have been an item. Wasn’t there some gossip, back in the day, about her and an admiral?”

Zhu Li followed Ms. Ajisai’s gaze to the rocket boats. “Or was it a captain?”

“And then there’s the whole north-and-south issue,” Ms. Meigui continued. “It’s been seventy years since the south was industrialized, yet the water tribes tend to get so… well, tribal , when forced to interact with one another.”

Ms. Ajisai pointed at Dr. Yu as the elderly woman did a quick spin in the water, then zoomed off in another direction. “Oh Mei, that does look like fun. Zhu Li - is it as fun as it looks?”

Again, Zhu Li felt the warmth of hands on her waist. She blushed slightly. “It is.”

Ms. Meigui looked to Ms. Ajisai. “Should we get our suits on?”

“Yes, let’s.” The two women left, leaving Zhu Li alone with her thoughts and a still-unconscious Yuki. 

~*~

Rather than joining the group for dinner, Zhu Li grabbed a quick snack in the galley and headed for the bridge. Sothaya and He Bao were currently moving large tables with green felt tops into the room, while Siuluk set up decorative screens to block the controls, and Shesh, from view.  

“Sothaya, can you move that one a little to the right?” she asked, taking a small bite of a mushroom bao. 

“Where should I put these chairs, miss?” 

“Four at each table. Thanks, Chulyin.”

After a couple of hours of setup, the deckhands had just enough time to go change into the suits Zhu Li had ordered for the occasion. Nuvuk hopped up the stairs. “Is everything ready? Hey - this looks great, Zhu Li!”

“Thanks. I’m just waiting on the crew to man the tables.” She set a bag of Pai Sho tiles on either end of the table before moving on to the Mah Jong table. 

“Here, let me help you…” Nuvuk took the dice and cards. The deckhands returned and took their stations behind the tables. He Bao’s cravat looked a little tight as he attempted to adjust his collar. Zhu Li stepped in and did it for him.

“Thanks, Zhu Li.”

“Look sharp,” said Nuvuk. “Here they come.”

The guests trickled up the staircase, all appreciatively commenting on the transformation of the space. Varrick had requested extra drinks be on hand tonight, and everyone seemed to be glowing with a happy buzz. 

Yuki sauntered over. “Are you going to play, Zhu Li?” When she shook her head, the actress shrugged. “Suit yourself. Nuvuk?”

“Want to partner up for Six Tigerdillos?” 

“Are you any good?” 

“I can hold my own,” he replied. The two of them left for the card table. Within minutes, everyone was settled in, either playing a game, or watching closely. The only other person who stood at a distance was Mingyun. She was back in her black and white uniform, Zhu Li was relieved to see. She still wondered what the purpose behind the change of clothes and the notebook had been. Putting Jinju on the same level as Varrick? It had been bizarre. She glanced at the dice table, where Sir Onikisu was shaking his hand. Jinju grabbed his wrist and planted a kiss on his closed first.

Onikisu paused. “Darling, where are your lucky pearls?”

Jinju patted him on the shoulder and glanced around the table with a simpering smile. “Ever since he gave them to me, he hasn’t lost a hand when I’m wearing them. Mingyun,” she called over her shoulder, “go fetch my pearls for me.”

Mingyun nodded and disappeared. A minute later, she returned - empty handed and looking distressed - and whispered something in Jinju’s ear.

“WHAT?!”

“They’re not there!” Mingyun wrung her hands.

Jinju’s eyes narrowed and she glared at Mingyun. “You…” she said, her crimson lips curling in a snarl. 

Next to her, Sir Onikisu grabbed Jinju’s hand. “Darling, calm down,” he said in a low voice. “You’re causing a scene.” She snatched her hand back.

“I don’t care. She’s stolen my pearls.”

Mingyun jumped back. “I swear, Madame. I don’t have them. Search my room, please! Here -  here’s the key!” 

“Don’t think I won’t!” Jinju stood, grabbed Mingyun by the ear, and stomped out. All the other guests looked at one another for a long minute, then stood and hurried after her. It was half out of concern for the maid, Zhu Li thought as she followed, and half for the entertainment value. She felt sick to her stomach.

By the time the party had arrived at the maid’s quarters, Mingyun’s few outfits lay on the bed, from which the sheets had been torn. The contents of every drawer or shelf had been tossed on the floor.

“I swear to you, I didn’t take them!” Mingyun said again, tearily. 

Jinju, fire in her eyes, spun around and surveyed the guests. Her eyes fell on Varrick and narrowed. “If it wasn’t my servant, then it was yours.”

“Servant?” Varrick looked blank.

Onikisu stepped forward and put his hands on Jinju’s shoulders. “Darling,” he said, in a warning tone.

Jinju shrugged him off. “Her,” she snarled, pointing directly at Zhu Li.

“Zhu Li’s not my servant - she’s my assistant,” replied Varrick, sounding both confused and indignant. He whipped around and looked at her, hands on his hips. “Zhu Li, did you take Miss Jinju’s pearls?”

She held his gaze cooly. “I’m more partial to jade, sir.”

“Zhu Li has been so busy setting up this game night, she’s still wearing her swimsuit under her clothes,” Ms. Meigui stated calmly. Zhu Li started - the woman was right, and scarily observant. 

“Her then,” Jinju spat, swinging her finger toward Yuki. “She actually looks the type to wear pearls.”

Varrick turned to Yuki. “Yuki, did you take ‘em?”

“Of course not!”

“Well, that’s good enough for me,” Varrick shrugged.

“It’s not for me,” Jinju hissed. “She was late to dinner.”

“I took a nap and overslept,” Yuki retorted. “I got too much sun today.” Her deep bronze tan confirmed it. 

“I demand their cabins be searched.” Jinju said, dramatically crossing her arms.

In the ensuing silence, Onikisu turned to Varrick. Varrick looked perplexed - it was clear he was uncertain whether he should choose between his trust in his employees or the deal he wanted to make. Zhu Li intervened. 

“Miss Jinju, I’d be happy to let you look around my cabin,” she offered. “I’m sure Yuki would as well.” Yuki’s faint blush told Zhu Li she had a couple of items to stash away first. 

“Sure! Lead us all to one cabin while the other has the chance to hide the stolen goods!”

Ms. Meigui and Ms. Ajisai exchanged glances. “Miss Jinju,” Ms. Meigui offered, “I’d be happy to accompany you to Zhu Li’s room while Ms. Ajisai escorts Yuki to hers. That way everything is beyond reproach.”

For a moment, Jinju seemed ready to implicate the famous novelist and knitter as well, but then thought better of it. “Fine.” 

“Alright everybody,” Varrick turned and announced. “Show’s over. I’ll stay with the ladies and Sir Onikisu while we get to the bottom of this. Go enjoy yourselves!” He waved them back up the stairs. They went slowly.

“Zhu Li, lead the way.” Varrick sounded more serious than she had ever heard him. 

“You’re sure they’re not in Miss Jinju’s room?” Zhu Li asked Mingyun quietly, as they walked along the corridor and down the stairs.

The maid shook her head. “Believe me, I looked everywhere. Twice.”

They arrived at Zhu Li’s door. She got her key out of her pocket and unlocked it as Ms. Ajisai escorted Yuki into her room across the hall. The group filed into Zhu Li’s room, filling the small space. Varrick, the last one in, squinted. “Is it always this dark in here?”

Zhu Li rarely spent enough time in her cabin to notice. “I suppose so.”

“Take a note, Zhu Li. Install better lighting in staff and crew rooms.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can we get on with it?” Jinju looked ready to rip the room apart. 

Zhu Li walked past her. “Allow me.” 

She didn’t have much to hide because she didn’t have much. She began by stripping her bed, shaking and folding each sheet as she went. She took the books off the ledge by her bed and flipped through them to show none were hollow, placing them neatly back on the shelf. She opened her nightstand and dumped the contents - her papers, a flashlight, a bottle of ginger pills for headaches, some hand cream, a few pencils and pens - out on the bare bed. She’d turned to open her closet, when a startled yelp came from the room across the hall.

Everyone turned to see Ms. Ajisai and Yuki, standing in the hall. Yuki looked pale beneath her tan. In her hand, she held an elaborate loop of pearls.

Chapter Text

Zhu Li rarely had trouble sleeping, but she’d tossed and turned all night long. She’d risen before daybreak and taken a short walk on the deck. The sky was iron grey and the air was decidedly colder this morning. Islands with snow-capped mountains could be seen in the distance on either side of the boat. It was good they had decided to schedule indoor activities for today. 

After gathering the news telegram from the bridge, Zhu Li made her way back down to the galley. She set the kettle on, and in another deviation from the normal routine, made a cup just for herself. She brought the steaming oolong to her face and inhaled deeply before taking her first sip. 

Halfway through her cup, Yin entered the kitchen, took one look at Zhu Li, and wordlessly threw an arm around her in an awkward half-hug.

“Thanks,” she said, hugging back. “I needed that.”

Yin nodded stoically and went into the pantry to start preparing breakfast.

With a sigh, Zhu Li finished her cup, then made a pot of green tea for Varrick and took the tray to his room. She was surprised to find him awake, though judging by the theatrical yawns and stretches, he had slept a bit more than she had. 

“Well, you look awful,” he said, by way of greeting.

“Yuki’s in the brig, sir.”

“Not for long! And anyway, she agreed to it.”

Zhu Li shook her head as she opened the curtains. “You know it was a set-up.”

“I know that and you know that. But they don’t know that,” he said, jerking his head toward the hall. “Yuki can spend a couple days in the brig and then as soon as we get this deal signed, everything can be swept under the rug.”

“Sir, is making this deal with Onikisu more important than Yuki’s freedom?”

“Obviously not...”

She was glad to hear it.

“She’s one of the stars of my mover!”

Her gladness was immediately tempered. 

“In the meantime, why don’t you look into it?” he said, between sips of tea. “You know, since you’re already supposed to be watching my guests. Just take it one step further, do a little poking around.”

“I’m not a detective, sir. I doubt your guests would look kindly at me investigating them.”

“Discreetly, Zhu Li! Tuh. What do I pay you for?” 

“Would you like me to list the reasons, sir?”

“No, we’d be here all day.”

~*~

After getting Varrick ready, Zhu Li headed back to the galley and prepared another tray. She took this one down to the brig, along with a few other items.

At the sound of her footsteps, Yuki hopped up, clutching the bars with excitement. “Didja bring the polish? And the file?”

Zhu Li handed Yuki the entire nail kit. “You’re not going to use it to cut through the bars?” she asked wryly. 

Yuki returned to the chaise in the corner and flopped back onto it. “Nah - I’m okay being stuck down here. These people are exhausting. And it’s not as if Varrick’s idea of a brig is anything close to what it should be. This joint is nicer than our cabins.”

It was true. Aside from a chaise, the brig was equipped with a king-size bed, a phonograph, a library, and a minibar. 

“Mind if we intrude?”

Zhu Li turned around. It was Ms. Meigui and Ms. Ajisai.

“Come on in,” Yuki said, filing away at her nails. “Are you ladies gonna get me off the hook?”

The two older women exchanged a look. “Well,” Ms. Meigui said, “we would like to get to the truth of the matter.”

Yuki pointed the file at her. “If you put me in your next book, make sure I’m fabulous.”

Ms. Meigui smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of anything else. So, regarding the pearls…”

“I swear, they weren’t in my room earlier that day.”

“When you got ready for dinner?” Ms. Meigui asked.

“Yes! No… I don’t know. I was late, and in such a rush,” Yuki admitted. 

“But you would have noticed had they been there before dinner?”

“Definitely.”

Ms. Meigui looked pointedly at Ms. Ajisai, who nodded. “Thank you so much, dear, for your cooperation. You’ve been most helpful.”

Zhu Li hoped Ms. Meigui was as good at solving mysteries in real life as her heroes and heroines were in her novels.

~*~

Post-brunch, the guests took full advantage of the pool deck, steam room, and spa. The day had been planned as a restful pause before reaching the festivities at the south pole, but a nervous energy seemed to have come over the guests. Lord Ganlan had been overcome with anxiety and retreated to his room. Taking extra towels down to the pool, Zhu Li ran into Kaz, Kona, Kiku, and Turtok having a serious-looking discussion in the hall. They stopped talking when they spotted her and didn’t continue their conversation until she had left. Dr. Yu peered over the top of her book, watching Zhu Li’s every movement as she plopped the extra towels in the bin. Varrick’s plan of having her watch the guests had a hitch in it, now that they all seemed to suspect her of theft. She wondered what Jinju had been saying when the guests were alone.

Walking back up to the deck, Zhu Li bumped into just the right person to ask. 

“Mingyun! Hello - you startled me.”

“Sorry,” the maid said. “I’ve been looking for you. First, I just wanted to apologize for last night.”

Zhu Li shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“No, but I’m only here because Miss Jinju is here. And she’s horrible.”

Zhu Li sat on a stair. They were in an out-of-the-way corridor, where no one would bother them, or overhear them. Mingyun followed her lead.

“I also wanted to ask you… how did you get your job? With Varrick, I mean?”

“I went through an employment agency,” Zhu Li said, smoothing her skirt. “Ms. Mu, in Republic City. I can get you her information if you’d like.”

“Yes! Please!” Mingyun's brow crinkled. “I don’t know if my resume is good enough though.”

“You’re a hard worker, a people-person, and you handle stress relatively well. Those are all important qualities.”

Mingyun reached for the little notebook she'd carried the day before. “Is it okay if I write that down?”

“Of course.”

“And what are some qualities I need to work on?”

“I don’t really know you well enough to say…”

“Please? Be honest?”

Zhu Li thought for a while before speaking. “Show a little less emotion. Stand your ground. I know it’s hard when you have a… demanding employer, but being steady, someone they can rely on, can help defuse situations.”

Mingyun nodded. “I notice you do that. I wanted to try, but with Miss Jinju, sometimes she’ll just keep escalating a situation until I crumble under the pressure.”

“That’s probably a sign that you’ve got the wrong job.”

“I really do. Thank you so much, Zhu Li, I -”

Mingyun never got to finish her sentence. A sharp pair of heels clacked their way down the hall, paused, then turned and grew closer. “Mingyun? Mingyun?! ”

Mingyun went white as Miss Jinju turned the corner and scowled. “There you are. Sitting and gossiping - I should dock your pay. In fact, I think I will. I pay you to take care of the things I need and when you’re not doing that, you’re worthless. Go.” Mingyun scampered off down the hall.

“And you,” Jinju turned to Zhu Li. Zhu Li stood, dusting off her jacket, and narrowed her eyes. Standing one step above, she was eye-level with the platinum-haired woman. “Stealing my pearls wasn’t good enough for you? You’re going to sabotage my relationship with my employee next? Steal her away to work on your little ship?”

Now there was an idea, Zhu Li thought. She wondered if Mingyun was possibly interested in working as an aesthetician.

“Don’t even think about it!” Jinju snapped. “She came with me and she’ll be leaving with me, and there’s nothing you or your boss can do about it, even if he will be looking for at least one new employee following this voyage. But you and I know that redhead didn’t steal my pearls alone. The two of you will be sorry you ever crossed me.” 

The woman was positively unhinged. Why did Sir Onikisu put up with it? Zhu Li wondered. Unless she’d managed to act normal until they’d arrived on board. Zhu Li doubted it somehow - if she were that good an actress, Varrick should hire her. 

“When we get to the South Pole,” she hissed, “I’ll see you both in prison.” 

Zhu Li held the other woman's gaze cooly. “Miss Jinju, if I can help you with anything, please let me know. If not, please let me go do my job.” She started up the stairs. 

Jinju reached out and grabbed her arm. Without thinking about it, Zhu Li twisted her own, lightning fast, knocking Miss Jinju away. The other woman looked alarmed, grabbing her hand as if injured.

“Varrick will hear about this! His employee, assaulting me!” 

Zhu Li knew she needed to relieve herself from the situation before Jinju escalated it any further, especially given the lack of witnesses. It had already gone too far. Without another word, she bolted up the stairs and onto the deck, and straight into General Jandi.

“Whoa there, miss. Steady on.” The man was built like a mountain. 

“Sorry, sir.” 

“Of course, of course. Tell me - where would a man be able to get a moment of peace on this boat?”

“Have you tried the library?”

“I haven’t. Do the other guests know about it?”

Zhu Li thought back. “To my knowledge, only Ms. Meigui and Ms. Ajisai have asked about it.”

Jandi raised his shaggy eyebrows. “I’ll take those two snoops over that insolent pair of young whippersnappers any day. Now… where would I find this library?”

“It’s the door to the left of the catgator deck. Do you remember the way?”

“Yes, yes, thank you!” General Jandi hurried past Zhu Li. Interesting. She continued on toward the galley and ran into Professor Jinhong and Dr. Sonamu.

“Excuse me, Miss Moon - have you seen General Jandi?”

She wasn’t sure what was happening between the three of them, but decided space was safest for everyone. “Not recently,” she smoothly lied. “Have you checked the steam room?”

The pair headed off in that direction. “Pardon me miss -” another voice interrupted her thoughts. It was Professor Taozi, wearing a towel over her swimsuit and shaking a bit in the brisk air. “Have you seen Lord Ganlan?”

“I believe Lord Ganlan is still confined to his room. Seasickness.”

“Ah… how about Sir Onikisu?”

“I believe he’s still down on the pool deck.”

“I must have missed him,” she mumbled, and headed back downstairs. Zhu Li made it as far as the central hall before she was stopped again, this time by Varrick. 

“Zhu Li! Have you seen Kaz lately?”

“He’s down by the pool, sir.” 

“Great! And Onikisu?”

Zhu Li gritted her teeth. “Everyone’s on the pool deck, or in the steam room, or in the spa, unless they’re hiding from someone else. Or locked up.”

Varrcik held both hands up and backed away. “Geeze, settle down, Zhu Li.”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Sorry, sir.” 

“You know what you need?” he said, slinging an arm over her shoulder.

“What, sir.”

“A nice steaming cup of that green tea - the new stuff. In fact, make a full pot. And bring it down to the pool deck for me. Ooo… and throw in some of those ginger cookies.”

She sighed and ducked out from under his arm. “Yes, sir.”

She skipped the cup for herself, but prepped the rest of the tray and brought it down to the pool deck. Varrick was regaling the guests with a story about practicing with Swami and the atmosphere seemed slightly more jovial. Miss Jinju was noticeably missing, as were Ganlan and Jandi and Yu. 

Not for long, however. Dr. Yu returned to the pool deck, fully dressed, and gestured to Varrick. He wrapped up his story, toweled off, and walked over. The doctor spoke quietly with him, and Varrick’s face once again turned serious. 

“Ms. Meigui! Ms. Ajisai! Come help us with a thing… Zhu Li, you too.”

Zhu Li trailed behind them, following the small group up to Dr. Yu’s cabin.

“I know it was here this morning, before breakfast,” she was saying, as she unlocked the door. “But when I went to change for dinner, it was gone!”

“Describe it for me again, please?” Ms. Meigui asked, pen to her lips.

“It’s a jade comb, about this big, carved with chrysanthemums. It was a gift from the queen of the earth kingdom, in thanks for my service. I imagine it’s worth a few yuans,” she said drily. 

“Any ideas who might have taken it - people who knew you had it with you?” 

Dr. Yu shook her head. “Not a clue. Though I find it interesting that it was stolen, after your girl mentioned preferring jade.”

“I didn’t -” Zhu Li started, at the same moment Varrick began, “She’s not -”

Dr. Yu cut through both of them. “Oh, I’m not accusing her. Heavens knows, she’s been far too busy this morning to go sneaking through my things. I’m simply saying, I find it interesting.” She gave Ms. Ajisai and Ms. Meigui a pointed look.

“As do we,” Ms. Meigui said with a nod, snapping her notebook closed.

~*~

News of the missing comb spread quickly and dinner was a rather subdued affair. The wine bottles that were typically emptied remained half full, as if everyone was on their guard. Varrick still wanted to carry on with after dinner entertainment, this evening in the form of charades. Half the guests had begged off, citing tiredness or headaches or seasickness, so Varrick had enlisted the crew as well. Sothaya was currently attempting to mime the word elevator, despite never having been on one. (Zhu Li, responsible for handing out the cards, had tried to give him another one, but Varrick had insisted that was cheating.)

“Flying!” Kaz said. “No, jumping.”

“Climbing?” Kona offered.

“Otter-penguin!” Varrick interjected.

“Chin-ups!” Taozi cried.

“Stooping. Standing!” Meigui offered.

“Rising?” Ms. Ajisai asked.

“Ooo! Ooo! Elevator!” Varrick blurted out. Zhu Li shot him a look. She’d reminded him this morning, it was bad form to win at your own game, even if you hadn’t seen the cards.

Sothaya turned to Varrick and threw his arms out in confirmation. As he did so, the lightbulb above his head flared, and then burst. The ship made a horrible shuddering sound before stopping, and the party was pitched into blackness. 

“ZHU LIIII.” 

“Do the thing, I know,” she sighed. 

Aside from those difficult stretches of the mirror maze, Zhu Li knew the ship blind-folded and backwards. Now was her chance to prove it. She exited the saloon and made her way down through the decks. She swung open the door to the machinery deck and started down the catwalk. 

“Oh, Aliiq!” whispered a voice off to the side. Zhu Li froze in her tracks.

“Shh…” The second voice was male. She realized it was Captain Turtok - he would know the ins and outs of a ship well enough to find a spot to abscond with…

“What is it?” the female voice whispered. Zhu Li found herself relieved to recognize it as belonging to Kiku, though she couldn’t have said why. The captain was far too old for the socialite, in her opinion. Zhu Li hurried past their hiding place and continued on toward the ship’s power source.  

As she opened the heavy metal door, the smell of ozone wafted over her. Zhu Li found a flashlight and stuck it between her teeth. First, she tried a handful of breakers. No dice. She shone the light in the direction of the generator. It wasn’t showing any obvious signs of damage, which was a good thing. She slid down the metal ladder to the lower level and turned her head, and the light, toward the distribution system. She frowned.

The box was open and the exposed wires were covered in scorch marks, as if something had exploded. 

“Zhu Li?” 

Another flashlight bounced around on the upper level, shining through the metal grated floor and temporarily blinding her. She threw an arm up to shield her eyes. “Down here!” she replied. She’d never in her life been so glad to hear Nuvuk’s voice. 

He climbed carefully down the ladder, then stood beside her and peered at the distributor.

“Oh, that’s not good,” he said. She thought he was understating things a bit. “I need gloves, safety goggles, and electric tape,” he said, after a long silence, the sort of silence in which a person sees their life flash before their eyes. Zhu Li nodded and hurried up the ladder, only to have her glasses knocked askew by Varrick, who was descending. 

“Zhu Li, when I said do the thing , I meant get Yoshi, not try to rewire the dang thing yourself.” He spotted Nuvuk. “Oh good - you’re here.” His eyes flickered between the two of them and he jumped down several rungs short of the ground. “What’s the problem?”

“The distributor is blown.” 

Varrick walked over and examined it, his eyes narrowing. “Huh. Zhu Li, grab the things.” She was already halfway back down the ladder, having grabbed the gloves, safety goggles, and electric tape. He took them from her. “And the other thing.” 

“The other thing?”

“C’mon Zhu Li… the other thing is always the heaviest wrench within reach.”

“I should have guessed,” she deadpanned. Really, though, she should have. She retrieved it and set it down near his feet. 

Varrick took the roll of tape and chucked it at the wires. Nuvuk cringed, but nothing happened. Varrick grabbed the wires in his gloved hands and yanked them away.

“Hmm. Nuvuk, go get me more wire.”

Zhu Li wondered at Nuvuk getting an exact direction, rather than being told to retrieve the thing. He clattered up the ladder. Zhu Li held the flashlight steady. Varrick, who had hauled the handle of the wrench upright and was wrapping it in tape as he examined the scorched distributor, muttered, “Who built this thing?” He glared at Zhu Li out of the corner of his eye, as if daring her to truthfully reply, You. 

Nuvuk returned with an arm full of wire in a rainbow of colors. 

“Nope,” said Varrick, tossing a bunch aside. “Nope. Ah, here we go.” Using his teeth, he attempted to peel the coating off the end of a wire. “Blech.” He made a face, but not much progress. 

Zhu Li held out a hand. “Let me.” She easily stripped the coating from the end of each wire. 

Varrick shot her a look as she handed them back. “Your tiger shark fangs are definitely in contention for your top five secret weapons.”

She was glad it was too dark for either man to see her blush. 

“Clearly, an earthed system doesn’t work on a boat this size,” Varrick muttered as he spliced the wires together, wrapping tape around each set. “Blows the entire circuit! We need to move the fault to the load.”

“But won’t removing the fault from the alternator make it more dangerous, sir?” Nuvuk asked.

“For the electrician, sure.” He attached each wire carefully to its matching color and wrapped them in a thick layer of tape. “But it’s safer than sailing into an iceberg because we can’t steer! Alright, let’s see if this works.” He propped his goggles on top of his head and tossed her his gloves. “Zhu Li, hit the switch.” 

She slid the thick gloves on and did so. Nothing happened. She tried it again, to no avail.

Varrick picked up the wrench, with some effort. “We currently have no power,” he brought it down on the machine, “no pumps,” he hit it again, “no steering,” he hit it again and finally, something made a tinny, whizzing noise. The lights flickered, then burst back to life.

Varrick let the wrench clatter to the floor and dusted his hands together. “Well, there we go.” 

Just at that moment, the ship’s engineer popped his head through the stair opening. “Everything under control down here?”

“Where the heck have you been, Yoshi?! Nuvuk, fill him in on the new system. That patch job should get us south, but the two of you are going to need to clean it up for our return journey. Zhu Li, follow me - I need you to document everything I say. New idea - an insulated neutral system...”

Zhu Li followed him up the ladder and through the bowels of the ship, transcribing all the while. 

“...will maintain the continuity of operation across the system... Get a room, Captain!...” They flew past Turtok and Kiku, both crimson red at being caught in flagrante by their host. “The insulated neutral distribution system would require two earth faults on two separate lines…”

They burst into the lounge to applause. The guests who had removed to their rooms earlier in the evening had found their way to the saloon with flashlights, now switched off. Kaz clapped Varrick on the back. “Everything good?”

“Everything’s great !” Varrick said, grabbing a bottle of bubbly. “Who’s ready for another round?”

The game of charades continued, this time with the air of a pajama party, helped by the wine. Even Miss Jinju, wrapped in a white silk robe, seemed to be strangely calm and happy. She was wearing the recovered pearls, Zhu Li noticed, as Lord Ganlan mimed being a sabertooth moose lion. Miss Kiku’s ruby had turned up, then Miss Jinju’s pearls - though in Yuki’s room. Were the two events even connected? Now that Dr. Yu’s comb had disappeared, Zhu Li wondered. Why would someone steal something, then return it? Who would have any reason to frame Yuki? When Varrick had asked her to keep an eye on the guests, had he known what they were in for? Or had it simply been to keep an eye on Kona, and if so, why? Zhu Li had been operating under the assumption that Varrick didn’t want to see his best friend get hurt, but she would not have been surprised in the slightest had he revealed he cared because of corporate espionage, or some other less sentimental reason. And then there was the whole issue of Kaz and the money - though he’d told her not to worry about that. 

Eventually, the game drew to a close. As the guests returned to their staterooms for the night, Zhu Li brought Varrick the fresh pot of green tea and tray of ginger cookies he’d requested. He met her at the door for once, and took the tray from her. “Get some sleep, Zhu Li.” He sounded almost concerned.

“Will do, sir.”

“You look terrible,” he said, popping a cookie in his mouth and closing the door.

Zhu Li checked to make sure the saloon was back in proper order and ready for landing tomorrow. She gathered a few empty bottles and glasses and returned them to the galley. Yin, still washing up, gave her a nod. She checked in on Yuki, who was sleeping peacefully in her gilded cell, fancy eye-mask in place. Back in her room, Zhu Li looked in the mirror. She had to admit Varrick hadn’t been wrong. Even in the dim light, she looked tired. After scrubbing her face, she reached back and undid her ponytail. Her hair fell down around her face. Tilting her head to one side, Zhu Li reached for her hairbrush. Something felt off. Zhu Li frowned. Glancing over, she froze. 

Underneath the hairbrush lay a jade comb.

Chapter Text

Zhu Li stared at the comb for a moment in disbelief. Then, wordlessly, she wrapped it in a handkerchief, folded the handkerchief in her hand, and headed out the door and up the stairs. 

She knocked softly on the stateroom door. “Sir?”

“Spirits, what is it now, Zhu Li?” the voice on the other side groaned. Quietly, she turned the knob and let herself in. 

Varrick was sitting up in bed, his hair mussed. She ignored the little flip her heart did and stepped closer. “This was in my room.” She unfolded the handkerchief and showed him the comb. 

He glanced up at her with a flat look. “Zhu Li, I’m honestly impressed you’ve found the time to steal my guests’ valuables.” 

“I didn’t do it.”

“I know, I know." He waved off her indignation. “But when did it show up in your room? And why?!” 

And who put it there? Zhu Li thought vehemently. 

There was a rapid knock on the door. Zhu Li grabbed Varrick’s dressing gown and held it out for him to slip into. He took the wrapped comb and slid it into his pocket, just as Miss Jinju barged in.

“I’ve really had it. Now my cloisonne locket is missing! Oh - you!” She looked Zhu Li up and down and then turned to Varrick with a disgusted look on her face. She was still wearing her white silk robe and pearls. “It seems locking up one of your employees didn’t do the trick. She’s clearly in cahoots with the other one! I demand you search her room.”

“No,” said Varrick, carefully, as he folded his arms. “I’m not going to do that.”

For a moment, Miss Jinju was left gaping. Finally, she recovered and pointed at Zhu Li, her thin hand shaking with anger. “You know, she assaulted me earlier today. Completely uncouth and unprofessional. Are you willing for your company’s reputation to be dragged through the mud like this?”

Zhu Li was a little surprised to notice Varrick swallow the tiniest of smiles before responding to this charge. “Miss Jinju, I assure you, my company has been through plenty.” He struck a contemplative pose. “But I do find it odd that we’ve never had an issue with theft onboard until this lot showed up.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I know about the little deal you want to make with my boyfriend. Don’t be surprised to find it’s off the table, in the morning!”

“Ha. We’ll see about that!”

Zhu Li bit her tongue. She didn’t mind seeing someone finally stand up to Jinju, but she also didn’t want Yuki’s sacrifice to be in vain. 

“Is everyone alright? What’s going on?” a second, softer voice asked from the doorway. Zhu Li, Varrick, and Jinju turned to see Ms. Ajisai and Ms. Meigui enter. 

“We heard the commotion and came to investigate.”

“It’s fine,” Miss Jinju exclaimed, “if you’re content sailing with a pack of jewel thieves!”

Ms. Meigui looked her up and down. “Where is your partner, Miss Jinju?”

“He’s in our room. Asleep.”

Ms. Meigui raised an eyebrow. “With all this racket?”

Miss Jinju’s voice rose in pitch as her words devolved into apoplectic gibberish. “Of all the rude, impertinent, meddling…” 

“There, there dear,” said Ms. Ajisai, patting her on the arm. With a firm hand on her shoulder, she escorted Miss Jinju out the door. 

“Another missing item?” Ms. Meigui asked.

“A cloisonne locket, apparently,” Zhu Li reported. 

“Mmm.” Ms. Meigui jotted this down in her journal. “Curious how that’s the second of Miss Jinju’s jewelry pieces to go missing in as many days. Though her first item was recovered, unlike Dr. Yu’s.”

Varrick and Zhu Li exchanged a look. Zhu Li spoke first. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Miss Jinju, but…”

“Zhu Li found something in her room - this.” Varrick produced the comb from his pocket.

Ms. Ajisai slid back into the room just in time to catch a glimpse of the carved jade piece. Her eyes flashed up to Zhu Li’s. “When did you discover it, dear?”

Zhu Li shook her head. “Just a few minutes ago. I was getting ready for bed and it was under my hairbrush.”

Ms. Meigui and Ms. Ajisai exchanged a glance. 

“That tracks with our current theory.”

“Well?!” Varrick crossed his arms. “Are you going to tell us?”

“Not quite yet, I think,” said Ms. Meigui. “We’re waiting on one more very important piece to fall into place.”

Zhu Li fervently hoped it fell before they arrived at the South Pole.

~*~

Varrick had, begrudgingly and despite the late night before, asked her to wake him earlier than normal for their final morning at sea. He took his tea and looked over the news telegram before plopping down in the armchair for a shave. There he looked at the second telegram, from one of the captains of the Varrick Global Industries fleet. Zhu Li had already seen its contents on the way to the stateroom.

NWT WAR SHIPS HEADED SOUTH OFF FN SHORES STOP

“Zhu Li, send a message to Republic City. Let’s get the film crew on the next boat down here.”

“Yes, sir.”

He was quiet while she did her work, which made it easier, though perhaps she was getting faster with practice. As she finished, he asked, “How’s the weather looking?”

She wiped his face with a warm towel. “Cold, but clear. Shesh did raise some concerns about the recent disappearances...”

“He knows to keep an eye out. We should be fine. For now. What time do we arrive?”

“In three hours.”

Varrick nodded and steepled his fingers, looking out the windows at the steely grey water. Zhu Li couldn’t help but notice his eyes were a similar blue this morning - somehow sharper and colder than usual. 

“Sir - do you think you’ll be able to salvage the deal?”

“I’ve salvaged worse. Onikisu’s not an unreasonable man.” He shook his head. “But it’s got to happen today. Sato’s on the schedule for tomorrow afternoon?”

“That’s correct.”

He narrowed his eyes. 

Zhu Li went straight from the stateroom to the bridge to send the telegram. Then she returned to the galley, grabbed some breakfast for Yuki, and headed for the brig.

“Ugh, thanks,” Yuki said, taking the tray through the slot in the bars. “I’m famished.” She speared a piece of melon and popped it in her mouth. “Any news?”

“Well,” Zhu Li said, “to start, Dr. Yu’s jade comb went missing yesterday and last night I found it in my room.”

Yuki dramatically sucked in a breath. “You didn’t?!”

Zhu Li nodded. “I took it to Varrick immediately. At about the same time, Miss Jinju stormed in, claiming another piece of her jewelry had been stolen.”

“It’s gotta be her doing this. I mean, right?”

Zhu Li felt she was probably right, but didn’t have any evidence, so said nothing. “Finally, Ms. Meigui and Ms. Ajisai said they had a theory, but were waiting until they’d figured out one last thing.”

“Well, I hope they feel like sharing before we hit land and I get booked! When are we due, a coupla hours?”

“Two and a half.”

Yuki looked up at Zhu Li, and she could see that despite her flippant attitude, the actress was worried. “Varrick’s gonna get me outta this, right?”

Zhu Li nodded. And if he doesn’t, I will , she promised silently.

The sound of a door slamming above broke the tension. Nuvuk came thumping down the stairs. “Hey, Yuki! I grabbed those magazines you asked for. How are you hold… oh! Zhu Li. You’re here. That’s - that’s good. I’ve been looking for you.”

Zhu Li had a bad feeling about this. She met Yuki’s eye. Yuki made a cutting gesture across her neck and tossed her thumb over her shoulder. She could practically hear the redhead’s voice - Get outta here. 

The stairs were behind Nuvuk. “Um, Nuvuk. Let’s talk later. I really need to go see how Yin is doing, and if the guests need anything.”

Nuvuk let out a puff of air. “No, Zhu Li. If I don’t say this now, I may never get up the courage again. You see, last night put a lot of things into perspective for me…” 

“ Ugh, ” Yuki interrupted. “Could you guys please do this somewhere else? I’d make like a tree, but…” she gestured at her gilded cell. 

Nuvuk ignored Yuki. “...and I wanted to ask you…”

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no…” Yuki buried her head in her arms as Zhu Li felt a mounting sense of dread and secondhand embarrassment. 

Nuvuk sank down to one knee and held out a carved necklace. “...Zhu Li Moon, would you marry me?”

“What?!” Yuki squawked, jumping up and grasping the bars. “Are you kidding me, Nuvuk?” 

He blinked, looking between Yuki’s gaping jaw and Zhu Li’s blanched face and readjusted. He stuffed the necklace back in his pocket with a blush.

“Will you… will you go on a date with me?”

“You coulda led with that…” Yuki interjected. 

Zhu Li sank down to her knees, so that she was face to face with him.

“Nuvuk, you’re a good friend, but I… I don’t feel that way about you.”

His brown skin reddened slightly and he stood abruptly. “Right.” 

Zhu Li stood as well. “I’m sorry,” she said, as he rubbed his hand through his hair, looking a little lost.

Ms. Meigui swung the door open and popped her head down the stairs. “Nuvuk, could we borrow you for a moment?” She paused, taking the temperature of the room. “I’m so sorry if we’re interrupting anything.”

“You’re not. Sure,” he responded, numbly.

“Good man. Yesterday, when the power went out and you headed down to the engine room, did you happen to…?” Ms. Meigui’s voice carried as the three of them walked up the stairs, until the door slammed shut behind them. Zhu Li walked over to Yuki’s cell and clasped the bars.

“What… just happened?” she whispered, still a little in shock.

Yuki sighed. “You got Nuvuk-ed”

Zhu Li looked up. “Nuvuk-ed?”

Yuki sighed. “Every once in a while, Nuvuk gets it in his head that he’s madly in love with a girl and proposes. I thought he’s learned from the last two, but apparently not.”

“Last two ?”

“Just since I’ve been on board. One was another assistant in prototypes. She was so embarrassed, she put in her notice the next day. Don’t you dare think of doing that,” Yuki said, pointedly. 

“I won’t.” 

“I’m only telling you this because I feel like you’re the type of person to worry about whether or not you’ve broken the poor boy’s heart. Spoiler alert - you haven’t. He’ll be fine, once he has a few weeks to get over it.”

Zhu Li felt like locking herself in her room, or sinking into the floor, or throwing herself into the ocean, just to get off this boat. She had reached her absolute limit - she couldn’t deal with one more thing happening on this trip. 

But she had to. It was her job. Just knowing those two things gave her the strength to carry on. With a sigh, she straightened her back and headed for the saloon. Every guest was assembled for breakfast, chatting in small groups in low tones and casting suspicious looks at the others. 

“Oof.” Someone collided softly into Zhu Li’s back. She turned to see Mingyun, holding a pot of tea to her chest as if it were a bomb she was cradling to keep from exploding. The maid looked horrified. “I am so sorry, Zhu Li! Here, let me.” She set the pot down on the nearest table and grabbed a napkin, blotting the droplets that had sprayed on the back of Zhu Li’s jacket. Noticing Zhu Li’s expression, her face fell further. “Are you alright? I am so, so sorry…”

Zhu Li brushed her off. “It’s not you, Mingyun.” She noticed Varrick, looking at her and jerking his head in an invitation to join the small group that had formed around the fruit platter. Kaz was holding a filled plate in his hand, forgotten, as he intently whispered to Varrick, Ms. Meigui, and Ms. Ajisai. “Excuse me…” She crossed the room to join them. 

“Something else has gone missing,” Ms. Meigui murmured, once she was within earshot.

“Can you describe it?” Ms. Ajisai asked Kaz. 

“Sure - it’s a purple silk ribbon with a carved amethyst pendant. It’s been hidden in our room the whole time. I checked on it last night before dinner, but this morning, when I went to look, it was gone.”

“Purple… silk… carved… amethyst… pendant,” Ms. Meigui repeated quietly as she scribbled it down.

“Wait - a what amethyst pendant?” Varrick interjected, swinging his head to face Kaz. 

Kaz turned toward him and raised an eyebrow. “You heard me,” he said, quietly. Zhu Li’s eyes widened as she remembered the pendant Nuvuk had offered her, only moments earlier. It had been mother-of-pearl rather than amethyst, but Zhu Li now knew what the significance was. Unfortunately. 

“You sure you want that back?” Varrick asked. He held up his hands to ward off Kaz’s glare. “I kid, I kid.”

“I know you have your weirdly specific arguments with the North, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t extend them to my girlfriend.” 

Ms. Meigui and Ms. Ajisai seemed to catch on. 

“Congratulations, Mr. Nattiq,” Ms. Ajisai said with a smile. She nudged her partner. “Pay up, dear.”

“But that doesn’t necessarily preclude…”

Zhu Li thought she knew what they were talking about. “It’s been Kiku all along,” she cut in quietly, before either could say anything that might cause embarrassment to anyone. “We saw her,” she nodded toward Varrick, “with Captain Turtok in the engine room while the power was out.”

“And what does that have to do with me and Kona?” Kaz asked, crossing his arms, at the same time Ms. Meigui said, “While the power was out? Before, during, after?”

“Before and after,” Zhu Li replied.

“Well,” said Ms. Ajisai, looking at Ms. Meigui, “that answers that.”

Kaz shook his head, unsure of what was going on and wanting to return to the matter at hand. “So, what do you think the chances of finding the necklace are? This is proving to be an expensive trip, between that and Kona’s opals…”

“Opals?!” Ms. Ajisai swiveled to Kaz. Her voice was sharper than Zhu Li had ever heard it.

Kaz stepped back. “Yeah - at first, we just assumed she left them at home, but once things started going missing…”

Zhu Li nodded, remembering. “The first night aboard, I heard her say she couldn’t find them.”

“They went missing the first night?” Ms. Meigui asked.

“Yes - before dinner.”

Everyone was silent for a long moment. Then Ms. Meigui looked to Ms. Ajisai. “Do we know who-dunnit?”

The greying woman nodded gravely. “Sir Varrick, I believe this ship is registered in the Southern Water Tribe?”

“Of course it is - same as all my ships! Have you seen Republic City’s tax structure?” he chuckled.

“Good,” Ms. Ajisai replied. “Are we in radio range?”

Varrick squinted out the windows at the passing formations of glacial ice while Zhu Li checked her pocket watch. They glanced at one another, then nodded.

“Zhu Li, be a dear and let the Southern Water Tribe know we'll need local law enforcement to meet us at the docks.”

Zhu Li hurried out of the saloon and up the stairs to the bridge. “It’s been smooth sailing. Probably one more hour to the harbor, twenty minutes to dock,” Shesh grunted, gesturing to white, mountainous landmass on the horizon. 

“I need to send a message ahead.”

“Have at it, missy,” the grizzled helmsman said, chewing on the end of his long pipe. 

Zhu Li picked up the radio. It buzzed with static. “Harbor Master, this is the Spirit of Independence.” She repeated the phrase twice before getting a reply.

“Harbor Master to Spirit of Independence, reply channel 22, over.” The radio crackled. 

Zhu Li switched the frequency before replying. “Spirit of Independence requesting local law enforcement meet us at the docks upon arrival. Estimated time, one hour. Over.”

“Affirmative, Spirit of Independence. Over.”

As Zhu Li set the radio down, Shesh raised one very hairy eyebrow. “You need backup down there?” 

“I think it would be a good idea.” 

After quickly gathering the deckhands, Zhu Li instructed them to wait outside the saloon. He Bao stepped forward with his burly arms crossed. Zhu Li nodded up at him before reaching back and grabbing Sialuk’s arm. The waterbender looked surprised as she pulled him forward to stand beside He Bao. “Keep your eyes open,” she said, softly but firmly. She didn’t know who Ms. Ajisai and Ms. Meigui were about to accuse, but she had her suspicions and could still see the electricity-scarred distribution system in her mind’s eye.

Chapter Text

“Attention everyone!” Ms. Meigui called, standing on a chair. The quiet buzz of conversation stopped and the whole group looked at her. The novelist clasped her hands and addressed the group. “For our final morning’s entertainment, I thought I would tell you a story.” 

Dr. Yu’s eyes narrowed. Lord Ganlan looked pale. Mingyun accidentally overfilled Sir Onikisu’s cup with the tea she was pouring - he grabbed a napkin and quickly mopped it up, his eyes on Ms. Meigui all the while. Miss Kiku twisted her red-glass ring and glanced at Captain Turtok while Miss Jinju nervously toyed with her pearls. As she watched the guest’s various reactions, Zhu Li silently slid over to stand just behind Varrick. 

Ms. Meigui smiled down at them and began. “You all know me as a writer - one who specializes in mysteries. However, it might surprise you to know that most of my works are not as fictional as you might imagine. Twenty years ago, my oeuvre was quite different - mostly light, fluffy stories... some adventures, some romances. Then, my life changed when I was introduced to a most fascinating person. It was during a long weekend party not dissimilar to this one. On the second evening, one of the guests turned up dead. It was a horrible tragedy, but one person in our party correctly deduced it was also a murder. In a matter of hours, she figured out which guest had committed the foul deed and ever since then, Ms. Ajisai and I have been partners in crime , so to speak. I write the mysteries - she solves them. And so, I will turn the rest of this story over to Ms. Ajisai.”

Professor Jinhong and Dr. Sonamu shifted in their chair, exchanging an uncomfortable glance.

Ms. Ajisai stepped forward, her hands clasped behind her like a Republic City attorney. She began quietly, but each person in the saloon hung on her every word - you could have heard a pin drop. “All of you are aware that Yuki is currently sitting in the brig, stolen pearls having been recovered from her room. However, since she has been locked away, additional items have gone missing. It seems we have a jewel thief in our midst... but a very peculiar one. Several of the items that were stolen were later recovered. The motive is unlikely to be money, which to me, ruled out several of you as suspects.” Her gaze swept across the group. Miss Kiku blushed and stopped fiddling with her ring, while Professor Taozi and Lord Ganlan seemed intent on examining her tea cup and the floor, respectively. Zhu Li noticed Varrick and Kaz exchange the briefest of glances.

“No, the motive appears to be a frame-job. But who would gain from implicating Yuki and Zhu Li in particular?” She paused. “It wasn’t Dr. Sonamu or Professor Jinhong. They were too busy trying to get General Jandi to divulge his part in the shameful suppression of the Si Tong Uprisings, for the book they’re writing.”

General Jandi turned as green as his jacket. Sonamu and Jinhong looked shaken.

“It wasn’t the General or Dr. Yu. It wasn’t Sir Varrick. It wasn’t dear Nuvuk, or the cook, or the crew. It wasn’t myself or Ms. Meigui.” 

“And we’re just supposed to take your word for it, I assume?” Sir Onikisu asked, dryly. 

“Never, my good man. In fact, in going back through each robbery, we were able to ascertain that it could not have been any one of you.”

Every person looked around at the others, confused. 

Ms. Ajisai shook her head. “No. In order to commit every crime - most damningly, to disable the power distributor and steal the most recent missing item room - it had to be two of you.”

“I identified my first suspect on our first day at sea, when I observed her drop something into Captain Turtok’s pocket,” Ms. Ajisai continued. “Later, thanks to some additional information provided by Zhu Li, I realized that the object she had dropped had been a ruby ring. This all struck me as very odd. I knew the ring was a fake -” Kiku gasped, “- but the whole affair didn’t make sense until only moments ago. We will return to this point later.”

“As for the pearls, the only person who had the proper timing to plant them in Yuki’s room was someone who was on board, alone, for at least ten minutes during the second afternoon. Framing Yuki was clever, as she stayed on deck all day. However, myself and Ms. Meigui were right beside her for most of it. And in the small window of time in which we weren’t, several of the rest of you returned to the ship. Zhu Li had returned, but was busy. Lord Ganlan and Professor Taozi returned, though I do not suspect them, as had they been the thief, each would have kept the jewels for financial gain.” Both the paleontologist and the dapper young man looked down, relieved but embarrassed. Ms. Ajisai continued. “Mr. Nattiq and Lady Kona returned, as did Captain Turtok and Miss Kiku.”

“The crew was here all day,” Captain Turtok pointed out, affronted at being named. 

“Yes, but again, none of them fit the particular motive which will soon become apparent. Two things occurred on day three which helped me begin to narrow down my list of suspects. First, Miss Jinju’s insistence that Zhu Li was Yuki’s accomplice made me consider the possibility that our suspect had a partner. And then there was the mysterious power outage, during which one of the culprits planted Dr. Yu’s comb in Zhu Li’s room, judging by the scratch marks around her lock.”

Ms. Ajisai gestured in her direction. “Zhu Li is quite a steady-handed person, I have noticed. The scuff marks looked fresh, suggesting a break-in. And a hasty one at that. The timing made it impossible for one person to both short out the power and plant the goods. And it gave me one more important clue - the curious scorch marks around the ship’s power distributor. Sir Varrick tells me they were not consistent with a blown fuse, but with a strike from the outside. A strike from a firebender.”

Everyone looked from Miss Kiku to Sir Onikisu to Miss Jinju, the three known guests from the Fire Nation. Miss Kiku looked nervous, while Sir Onikisu remained as cool as ever. Miss Jinju, however, scowled right back.

“Kiku still occupied a place on my list, thanks to the fishy business with her ring. Had the suspect been slipping it to her partner in crime? Had the two criminals been using Captain Turtok as a patsy? Through talking with various witnesses, I learned that the Captain and Miss Kiku had been spotting canoodling by at least four people during and after the power outage. While they could have worked together to sabotage the boat, I thought it less likely. And now, my suspicion fell on Sir Onikisu and Miss Jinju.”

Onikisu drew himself up, looking indignant. Jinju glared daggers at Ms. Ajisai. 

Ajisai fixed her with a sharp school marm look and shook her head sadly. “Sir Onikisu and Miss Jinju. Who better to commit a crime than a pair of lovers? But there was one problem - on the night that Miss Jinju barged into Sir Varrick’s cabin with claims of a lost locket, I checked in on Sir Onikisu. He was fast asleep. I took a whiff of the champagne glass on his bedside table - he had, in fact, been drugged.”

Onikisu’s handsome face was frozen in shock. He blinked, then looked at Miss Jinju, who kept her narrowed eyes on Ms. Ajisai.

“The motive was clear, if tawdry. Miss Jinju - my first suspect - had drugged her partner in hopes of spending the night with Sir Varrick instead. She visited his room under the false pretense of another stolen bauble, possibly hoping to ensnare him in more ways than one. However, she had overplayed her hand - Zhu Li had arrived moments earlier, to show Varrick Dr. Yu’s jade comb, which she had found planted in her room.”

“Blackmail was the name of the game and the puzzle became a little clearer. However, it wasn’t until this morning, when Mr. Nattiq let us know that Lady Kona had lost a pair of earrings the very first evening aboard, that every piece fell into place. The only time the earrings could have gone missing was before we all retired to our cabins to dress for dinner. Every person in the party was in the saloon that entire time.” 

“Every person... except for Mingyun.”

Everyone looked to the maid. She was frozen, white as a sheet.

“Despite Miss Jinju’s apparent mistreatment of her maid, the two have been working together the entire time. Mingyun stole Lady Kona’s opals when she was supposed to be unpacking Miss Jinju’s things. Miss Jinju took Miss Kiku’s ring when she set it aside while feeding cat gators and later deposited it in Captain Turtok's pocket. Mingyun slipped away for several minutes while waiting her turn with the gliders and planted Miss Jinju’s pearls in Yuki’s room. While Miss Jinju distracted Zhu Li with unrelated threats, Mingyun stole Dr. Yu’s comb and planted it in Zhu Li’s room. Finally, last night, one of our suspects blasted the power while the other entered Mr. Nattiq and Lady Kona’s room, under the cover of darkness, and stole a personal item.”

Kona looked at Kaz questioningly. Meanwhile, Mingyun was shaking her head tearfully, while Miss Jinju stood, trembling with anger and pointed at Zhu Li.

“It was Yuki and Zhu Li all along! Yes, I found Miss Kiku’s ring and thought it would be amusing to slip it into the Captain’s pocket, as they were clearly carrying on a secret affair. But Yuki was late to dinner that evening because she was stealing the pearls! Zhu Li had plenty of time to steal Dr. Yu’s comb when she was skulking around the decks that afternoon. She could have stolen Mr. Nattiq’s necklace then as well! In fact, I bet she has it on her right now.” Jinju glowered. “Turn out your pockets!” she demanded. 

Zhu Li resolutely reached into her pockets… and was horrified when her fingers brushed against a silk ribbon and cool stone. As the guests watched, aghast, she withdrew the amethyst pendant from her pocket. In the background, she heard Kona gasp and exclaim, “Kaz!” But Zhu Li could only focus on the expression on Varrick’s face. He looked like a child who had just witnessed his pet sparrowkeet get eaten by a feral cat.

“Zhu Li?” His voice was deeper and quieter than she’d ever heard it.

Her throat was dry as she forced out her next words, directly to him. “I swear to you, I didn’t do it.” 

There was a long, deafening silence. They all watched as Varrick frowned, then shook his head. He placed his hands on his hips. “No. No , of course you didn’t!” He whipped toward Ms. Ajisai. “Explain this!” 

“Happily,” said Ms. Ajisai. She turned back to Miss Jinju. “My dear, you have revealed yourself. I never said Mr. Nattiq’s missing item was a necklace ...” 

Miss Jinju’s mouth started working like a fish, her finger still pointing at Zhu Li. 

“...And I observed your sister bump into Zhu Li and slip the necklace into her pocket only moments ago,” Ms. Ajisai continued. “I do not think it a coincidence that you boarded this vessel posing as a glamorous socialite and a maid - though that was a misjudgement, which you later attempted to correct by dressing Mingyun as some pale copy of Zhu Li. You were hoping, with both Yuki and Zhu Li out of the way, to worm your way into Varrick Global Industries and you were willing to blackmail Varrick to get there, had everything gone to plan. As you’ve been blackmailing Sir Onikisu this entire time.”

Everyone looked to Sir Onikisu, who slumped in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s - it’s true. My company is in trouble - our numbers aren’t what they appear. I am so sorry, Sir Varrick - Jinju did blackmail me into bringing her along, but I swear to you, I had no idea about Mingyun...” 

“No hard feelings,” Varrick said, stooping to sling his arm around Onikisu’s shoulder. “Blackmail wouldn’t have worked on me anyway. You need shame for blackmail to work, and I’m shameless.” He stood and glared from Jinju to Mingyun, adjusting his jacket. Zhu Li recognized the little tell - she was surprised to see that he was actually shaken. He gave a sharp laugh before blustering on. “Shamelessly rich !” 

Mingyun, who had been eerily still and calm since Varrick had dismissed Zhu Li as the thief, contorted her face into a thunderous expression at his last two words. She raised her hand and Zhu Li heard a high-pitched crackling sound before her brain could register the lightning springing from Mingyun’s fingers. 

“Suzi, NO!” Jinju reached toward her partner in crime, but was too far away to do anything. With a snarl, Mingyun pointed at Varrick.

Zhu Li’s heart stopped, but her feet were moving. Her hands reached out and grabbed Varrick’s lapels, spun him so that her back was to the lightning bender. The hair on her neck stood up as electricity shot toward them.

There was a tremendous crashing and splashing sound and the smell of over-boiled tea filled the air. Zhu Li breathed deeply, her fingers shaking as she released Varrick’s jacket. They were still alive. She turned to see every teapot in the room lying on the floor, shattered. In the center of the floor was a large brown puddle, with eerie pink volts still running through it. Everyone jumped back, except for Lady Kona, whose hands were raised, a furious look on her face. Sialuk raced into the room to back her up, water bent over the ship’s rail and through the window behind him.

“If you so much as twitch a finger, a single facial muscle -” Kona warned the two women as Sialuk froze cuffs of ice around their wrists. He Bao followed a moment later with the actual, platinum cuffs. 

Ms. Ajisai stepped forward again. “I’ve heard of a pair of sisters named Shizuka and Isuzi who have been blackmailing rich men across the Fire Nation for the past three years. And while they steal and plant various expensive items to gain standing with their targets, aside from the money they extort, they only ever keep one thing - opals.” She turned to Kona. “I assume you’ll find yours in Miss Jinju’s - I’m sorry, Shizuka’s - room. Sir Onikisu, could you escort Mr. Nattiq there to look for them?”

He shook his head. “Gladly.” 

~*~

They arrived in port and docked twenty minutes later. As promised, a paddywagon and a group of burly men were there to greet them. The guests had all bundled up in their winter best to wait on the deck for one last show. Yin had broken out a bottle of sparkling wine and everyone standing on deck had a glass in their hand. 

Shizuka scowled as the Southern Water Tribe authorities escorted her down the gangplank in handcuffs. “My name should have been on mover posters! I would have made you so much money!” she shouted back up to Varrick. Isuzi went much more quietly, her face still contorted with icy rage. Zhu Li had half-expected Jinju to be involved, but the idea of the girl she’d known as Mingyun being a master criminal and lightning bender, ready to kill at a moment’s notice - that was a much harder truth to accept.

Varrick turned to face Zhu Li, leaning on the rail. “Jinju…” he said thoughtfully. He peered down the rail to Yuki, who’d been recently released from the brig and was happily sipping her bubbly. “What d’you think?” 

Zhu Li raised an eyebrow. “For Yuki, sir?”

“As a stage name.”

Yuki overheard them. “Since she accused me of stealing her jewels, I am completely in favor of stealing her fake name!”

“Jinju,” he repeated slowly, rolling the name in his mouth. “It’s still missing something. Needs to be a little… peppier.” 

Zhu Li glanced between Varrick and Yuki’s head of red curls, anticipating the name before he said it, waiting for him to get there...

He snapped. “I know! Ginger! ”

There was a tinkling noise. Everyone turned to see Kona tapping her glass with one long icicle finger. 

“ Attention! Attention, everyone! ” Kaz said. He cleared his throat. “We just wanted all of you to be the first ones to know, Kona has agreed to marry me!”

Kona smiled and gestured to her neck, where the amethyst pendant now lay. The group burst into cheers and applause. Ms. Meigui reached in for the first hug and General Jandi pumped Kaz’s fist in congratulations. Zhu Li glanced up at Varrick. “Well,” he muttered with a little shrug, “I guess she’s alright.”

Kaz and Kona made their way down the line of well-wishers and soon arrived at Varrick, Zhu Li, and Yuki. Yuki kissed them both on the cheek, leaving little lipstick smudges that Kona affectionately washed off Kaz’s face before taking care of her own. Zhu Li smiled as she noticed Kona was also wearing her opal earrings. As Kona approached Zhu Li, she extended her hand. Zhu Li clasped it tightly and put her other hand to her heart. “I can’t thank you enough for saving my life…”

She was a little surprised when the other woman responded by embracing her like a sister.

Meanwhile, Kaz pointed at Varrick. “You’re coming to this wedding, right?”

Varrick pulled his friend into a bear-hug. “Of course I am!” He thrust a finger into the air. “Zhu Li - save the date !”

“Yes, sir.”

Chapter Text

The South Pole was beautiful.

Zhu Li wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting - she’d seen photos of course, but the black and white images failed to capture the way everything glistened. The snow wasn’t just stark white - it was pale blue and lavender and pink and sometimes - if the sun hit it just right - golden. The ice wasn’t clear. It reflected the same hues as the snow, but in it swirled a depth of cool colors, dark blues and greens and violets. 

Her breath created a puff of warmth that fogged her glasses, much like the coldest days of the year in Republic City. Here, however, tiny crystals formed around the rims of her glasses as the fog cooled, adding a twinkling frame to the world. She could have stood on deck and watched the scene, punctuated by colorful tents and sparkling lights, for hours. She was looking forward to having the chance to wander... once they’d sealed the deal the entire voyage had hinged on. Most of Varrick’s guests had disembarked, off to enjoy Harbor City and the festival. Sir Onikisu, still looking sharp and sleek in black despite the numerous layers he’d added, lagged behind.

“Sir Varrick, could we speak in private?”

“Sure!” Varrick said, doing a very good job of swallowing any glee at the prospect of finally getting time alone with Onikisu. “Zhu Li, what’s the most private spot on this boat?”

“Probably the library, sir.”

“Excellent!” He paused. “Where’s the library, again?”

“Follow me.” Zhu Li motioned to both men. Onikisu looked as if he wanted to point out that Zhu Li had not been a part of what he’d meant by private, but felt unable to press the matter. She wasn’t sure if Varrick didn’t notice, didn’t care, or noticed and cared but was pretending he didn’t just to irk the man. Given the stress of the last five days, Zhu Li rather favored the last explanation. “Here you go,” she said, holding the heavy oak door open as Onikisu and Varrick entered.

The library was one of the cozier rooms on board. Its position below deck meant there was no natural light, but green lamps illuminated each corner. The walls were floor-to-ceiling shelves, filled with more of the serious-looking books no one ever bothered to read. (As she had for the Republic City penthouse, Zhu Li had made sure to surreptitiously include some of her favorites, along with a maritime section, and the complete works of Ms. Meigui - specifically purchased for this voyage.) The center of the library was filled with an elaborately carved oak desk and two leather armchairs. Zhu Li silently slid behind the higher of the two, where Varrick had seated himself. He folded his fingers together, ready to listen, secure in the knowledge that he held all the cards. 

Onikisu seemed to know it as well. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then cleared his throat before speaking. Finally, he said, “I am so sorry for the embarrassment and inconvenience my actions and inaction caused. How can I make it up to you?”

Varrick left him hanging for a disconcerting moment. Finally, as Zhu Li feared it had gone on just too long, he smacked one hand on the desk and leaned across its surface. “Consider it forgotten - let’s talk business!” 

Onikisu bowed his head with a sigh. “Jinju - as I knew her - was correct. Our company has had some missteps in recent years. The numbers aren’t good. I’m hoping a partnership with Varrick Global Industries could help spark a turn-around.”

Varrick sat back and chuckled. “Talk about right-time, right-place! You stick with me and we’ll have Sonikisu-brand film and cameras at the top of the market in no time.”

“You propose to do this with your movers?”

“I do indeed. For now, I’m the only one pioneering this technology. But as soon as the first mover premieres, every Tan, Dae, and Hiro is going to try to copy it. Your cameras and film are the best in the biz - that’s why I’d like to sign an exclusive deal. I’ll only use your top-of-the-line products and you’ll only sell to me .”

Onikisu frowned slightly. “The danger in entering an exclusive deal is always in its profitability. How many movers do you expect to make?”

Varrick waved his hand through the air. “Scores of ‘em. Our current projection has us at one a week. We’re expecting a large portion of our audience to be families and children, so we’ve gotta keep ‘em snappy. Short attention spans, y’know? We crank out a couple of hours of footage on Monday and Tuesday, edit it down to thirty minutes or so on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday - BAM! You’ve got an epic saga that’s going to keep rears in seats for weeks! And I haven’t even gone into the possibility of sequels, spin-offs, product integration.” He leaned forward again, speaking in an almost-conspiratorial tone. “We show Taktuq using a Sonikisu lens to reflect the villain’s death ray and all of a sudden, you can’t keep up with demand. Which is why I want first dibs.” Varrick jabbed his thumbs into his jacket before continuing.

“Of course, in entering an exclusive deal, I need to be sure your biz stays afloat. Here’s what I propose -” Varrick continued to lean forward, now definitely encroaching on Onikisu’s personal space. “I want you to diversify your product line. Sonikisu is failing because the average Zhao doesn’t need a lens as good as the ones you make. Steryuvision and Matsufoto are flooding the market with basic lenses and cheap film at a lower price point. You give me a share of your business and I’ll give you a loan to start a new, consumer-grade line. Meanwhile, you’ll continue to make your current lenses and film - under a professional-grade label. You can sell them to any photographer you want, but anything that’s created for movers - that goes to me and me alone.” 

Onikisu nodded slowly, trying not to flinch at Varrick’s uncomfortable proximity. “That… sounds fair.”

Varrick let his chair tip back onto all four feet with a heavy thud and spread his arms wide. “Well, of course it’s fair - I make you money, you make me money!”

Onikisu looked thoughtful. He cocked his head. “Can I ask one thing of you?”

“Sure, name it!”

“I realize the irony of this request, given the events of the last few days...” Onikisu raised his perfectly arched eyebrows. “...The fire nation as villains. I feel like it’s a played-out trope. I know movers are a new medium, but it would be nice to mix it up, after all the books and stage adaptations and radio plays over the last seventy years.” 

Varrick’s eyes narrowed as he smiled. “Oh, I can promise you a new sort of villain.” 

For once, Zhu Li was uncertain what her boss was thinking - the last script had been written around Evil Ozai and while she’d never expected that to last, Varrick’s expression indicated he’d already settled on someone else. She made a mental note to figure out who, as quickly as possible, for her sake and legal’s. 

Onikisu extended his hand. “Then we have a deal.”

Varrick took his hand and shook it ecstatically. “Great! Zhu Li here will draw up a contract while we go enjoy ourselves and then she’ll find us once it’s done. Say, have you ever tried leopard seal steaks? I know the best place for them in the entire south pole! Not that that’s saying much…” He led Sir Onikisu out of the room, an arm slung around his shoulder, going on about the burgeoning culinary scene of Harbor City. 

Creating contracts involved one of Zhu Li’s favorite tasks - namely, making sure everything was as legally airtight as possible - and her least favorite - using the ridiculous palmato pigeon typewriter. Varrick and one of his Republic City lawyers had already hashed out most of the details weeks before they’d set sail. Zhu Li just needed to make a couple of adjustments, add a few clauses, and then type the damn thing. It was tedious work, despite having full control over the placement of the characters. By the time she’d completed the document and put on her new fur-lined coat and boots, the sun was low in the rose-tinted sky.

She doubted Varrick and Onikisu were still at the restaurant, but she thought she should check to be sure. It took her fifteen minutes to ask around town for the name and another five to reach the address she’d been given. The owner was able to tell her the two men had left a couple hours before after meeting up with friends who had been talking about the carnival down by the harbor. 

Zhu Li headed for the tent city. Once she left the city center, it was easy to spot the brilliant observation wheel. A few minutes later, she was walking past a colorful banner welcoming her to the Glacier Spirits Festival. Carnival music tinkled from a stall where kids attempted to flip rubber otter penguins onto miniature floating icebergs using a mallet. The smell of fried food wafted from a nearby cart. A group of laughing teens, clutching an enormous plush badgermole, cut across her path. Zhu Li hugged the documents to her chest to avoid the sprayed snow left in their wake. 

“Zhu Li, there you are - what took you so long?!” Varrick, hands on his hips, was standing beside Onikisu and about a half dozen of the other party guests. They were cheering for Professor Taozi as she calmly took down half the targets on the earth kingdom-themed rock launching game. Beside her, General Jandi and Dr. Sonamu were struggling a bit. 

“You’ve got the contract?”

Zhu Li nodded.

“Great, hand it over!” Taking the contract, Varrick wiggled his fingers in her direction. She placed a pen in his hand. He scribbled his signature on both copies and passed them over to Onikisu. 

“Could I have a few moments, alone, to look the documents over before signing?”

“Of course you can!” 

“Preferably someplace quiet,” Onikisu said, as the group exploded into cheers at Professor Taozi’s best hit yet.

Varrick looked around for a moment, his eyes settling on the observation wheel towering over them. “How about up there?”

“But if I have any questions…”

Varrick jerked his head toward Zhu Li. “We’ll come with you. Not with you, with you, but in the next car. You see anything you want clarified, just holler down.” 

It hardly seemed a conducive way to finalize a business deal, but that was probably the point. Once Varrick asked Zhu Li to draw up a contract, there would be no further changes to it - in part for business reasons but also in part because of the boundaries she’d managed to set regarding the typewriter, on the day when he’d decided he wanted to dictate his memoirs as she typed. They hadn’t gotten beyond what he’d had for brunch the previous Tuesday before Varrick had grown impatient and given the whole thing up, finally having an understanding of just how long the process took.

Varrick strode past several people waiting to board the observation wheel (“Hey!” “Mister, there’s a line here!” “Who d’you think you are, pal?”) and handed the attendant four tickets. Meanwhile, Zhu Li dug into her pocket and handed a crisp ¥10 bill to each of the people they’d cut, which seemed to mollify them. 

Varrick pulled Onikisu to the beginning of the line, but as the cars swung round and the last occupants disembarked, he slid in front of him and grabbed the first empty car. “Zhu Li, up here with me!” he commanded. She nodded to Onikisu, who boarded directly behind them, pen in hand. 

“Gotta be able to get off first and make sure he doesn’t make a run for it,” Varrick muttered, adjusting the tail of his coat underneath him and taking up a good seventy percent of the bench as he did so. “That’s my favorite signing pen.”

The favorite signing pen lived in Zhu Li’s lapel pocket - they had a set of twenty identical ones back on the boat. She knew his real worry was having signed a document before the other party, something he rarely did, unless the other party’s confidence was wavering. Despite their good footing with this deal, Varrick was nervous. Zhu Li wondered if he had reason to be, or if it was just the stress of the past few days finally catching up to him. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the crackling sound of electricity in the air.

“Zhu Li, you’re going to shake this doohickey right off the thingamabob. I told you to bundle up when we got to the South Pole!”

She’d hardly flinched and they were in no danger of the car separating from the wheel. “I’m not cold, sir.” 

“You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” he asked with a frown, glancing down at their feet dangling over the color and light and noise of the carnival. She gave him a flat look. He was talking to the person he’d put in charge of his gliders, just days before. It took him a moment, but he seemed to realize that. He narrowed his eyes, the cogs working overtime behind them. “Wait a tic - I know what’s going on.”

Zhu Li’s heart flip-flopped. Had he guessed? Was he about to actually thank her, for once?

“You’re worried that I’m not going to notice that I need to add ‘bodyguard’ to the list of duties I pay you for! Something you added without consulting me first,” he muttered as an aside. “Well... you’re wrong!”

Her hopes, unlike the observation car, came crashing back down to earth. “Perceptive as always, sir,” she replied tonelessly. 

He continued to examine her through narrowed eyes, as though he’d detected her sarcasm and was about to call her on it. For whatever reason, that seemed to be a challenge he wasn’t willing to take on at the moment - he unscrewed his face. “Eh, I can’t take all the credit. Kaz and Kona brought it up at dinner.” 

Zhu Li was simultaneously stricken that they had been talking about her at all, and curious to know what exactly had been said.

Varrick slouched and flopped an arm across the back of the car, using the other to gesture to the carnival at their feet. “We’ll head back to the boat once everyone’s frozen themselves silly. Onikisu’s probably going to want to split as soon as the deal is done - once you have the contract, lock it up in my safe. Then go have some fun. Eat some festival food, ride some rides. Win yourself a stuffed animal.”

Her brows crinkled together. “What would I do with a stuffed animal?” 

He shrugged. “Go win me a stuffed animal, then.” He turned and pressed a finger into her lapel. “And don’t forget to grab my pen!”

~*~

The contract and pen were safely stowed, Sir Onikisu was on his way to board the early morning boat back to the fire nation, and Zhu Li had spent the last two hours exploring the glittering pathways of the carnival. She’d seen Nuvuk trying his hand at one of the games and veered sharply away, only to run into Yuki, who’d insisted she try one of everything from a nearby food stall. They’d watched He Bao spit on his hands before grabbing a hammer and giving the high striker a resounding DING and saw Sialuk get caught cheating at one of the water spray games. He’d grinned and shrugged it off. Zhu Li still couldn’t believe Yuki’s confession that she’d had a brief fling with the deckhand. Not that it should have been surprising - Yuki was currently engaging with admirer number six, just in the time since she’d caught up with her. Zhu Li’s fingers and toes were starting to ache with the cold when Yuki grew bored of the strapping local water tribe guy she was chatting with and took her by the arm.

“It’s time for us to turn in. Ta, Kevnik!”

She wrapped the enormous stuffed sky bison he’d given her around her shoulders like a stole and winked at the disappointed young man as they departed.

As they neared the boat, it became clear most of the party had already returned. Music, chatter, and the occasional roar of laughter echoed around the otherwise still harbor. Zhu Li returned her coat, scarf, gloves, and boots to her room before checking in.

“Zhu Li!” several of the guests cheered as she entered. There seemed to be some drinking games going on, in addition to dancing. Varrick greeted her with arms spread wide, dropping several of his cards in the process. From the looks of the ones on the floor, he seemed to be losing. “Where’s my stuffed animal?”

“I didn’t think you were serious, sir.”

“Of course I am!” he said indignantly. “I want the biggest one you can find.”

It took Zhu Li twenty minutes to get her winter clothing back on and ten more to reach the carnival grounds. It took her five to win a life-sized otter penguin, which she stashed in the stateroom before heading back to the saloon. If anything, the party had gotten louder in the hour she’d been absent. Ms. Ajisai and Ms. Meigui were exiting as she arrived at the door. 

“Good evening.” Zhu Li nodded to them, they nodded back.

“I’m afraid we’re turning in for the night!” Ms. Ajisai’s eyes twinkled and Ms. Meigui’s cheeks glowed with the effect of an evening well enjoyed.

She stood to one side to let them go, then paused. “I did have one question…”

The two ladies turned back. “Yes, dear?” Ms. Meigui responded.

Zhu Li cocked her head. “Why didn’t Jinju try to plant Miss Kiku’s ring? Wouldn’t it have had the same effect, despite being fake?” 

Ms. Ajisai took a deep breath and nodded. “Had Miss Kiku’s ring been uncovered in either of your rooms, it would have suddenly faced great scrutiny. Had it been discovered to be glass, and Miss Kiku on the brink of financial ruin, it would have become much more likely your boss would have looked to her as a possible ingenue for his upcoming mover, rather than Miss Jinju - who by all appearances, was in no need of a job.”

Zhu Li smiled and bent her head again. “Thank you. Enjoy your evening.”

Ms. Ajisai patted her partner’s arm. “Oh, we intend to. You do the same, dear.”

While about half the guests were dancing to the jazzy music pouring from the phonograph, the other half had coalesced in a circle. “Earth, fire, air, water” they chanted. Dr. Yu playfully flicked Lord Ganlan’s forehead. “Ow!” he said, but didn’t seem to mind. 

“What is going on?” she asked Yuki in a low voice. 

“It’s a riot. Come on, Zhu Li, live a little!” Yuki pulled her toward the circle.

“I don’t know how to play.”

“Just watch! Okay, so both players have to say two bumbleflies both land on a flower, and then play a game of earth-fire-air-water.”

Every child was familiar with the rules of earth-fire-air-water - or water-earth-fire-air as it had been called when she was a kid. While the rules had never really made sense to Zhu Li, based around the avatar cycle rather than the quality of the elements, it was a simple way of solving schoolyard disputes. Earth beat fire beat air beat water beat earth. If the same element was thrown, the players went again. If opposing elements were thrown, they had to come to a compromise or go their separate ways. 

“Only difference is,” Yuki was saying, “you lose, you get flicked. You win, you do the flicking. Instead of go-again, you drink. And instead of compromising, you kiss.”

None of those options sounded especially appealing to Zhu Li. 

“Here, I’ll show you. Who’s up next?” she asked the group at large. Kiku raised her hand with a giggle and hopped into the middle. 

“Two bumbleflies both land on a flower,” both women said in unison, the latter half slurred as Kiku attempted to catch up with Yuki. “Earth! Fire! Air! Water!” Yuki wiggled her fingers upward for fire while Kiku formed a wave with her hand. The group burst into laughter as Yuki and Kiku leaned across the table and lightly pecked lips. Looking around the circle, Zhu Li noted most of the other players already bore a lipstick smudge in Kiku’s crimson or Yuki’s slightly brighter red, if not both. Turtok and Kaz were up next - Kaz lost with fire to the Captain’s earth and received a flick for his troubles. Play continued around the circle. Zhu Li went twice, both times managing to guess and mirror her opponent’s hand. In fact, the majority of players seemed to be drawing - and drinking - as a result. On the third go-round, she came up against Varrick. 

Her instinct was that he would go for anything but the obvious choice of water, then second-guess that and go for water because it was obvious, then throw that train of thought out the window entirely and attempt to predict what the other player would throw, with mixed results. The question was - how well did he know her?

“Two bumbleflies both land on a flower,” they said in unison. “Earth! Fire! Air! Water!”

Zhu Li released her fist and held her palm up straight for air. Across from her, Varrick’s hand was still in a ball - earth. Everything around them suddenly seemed to be going very slowly, cheering voices stretched and deepened. Zhu Li felt her eyes go wide and almost met his before pulling her gaze back to their hands. 

At the last second, just before it could be considered cheating, Varrick flicked his fingers upright as well.

Time and sound returned to their regular speed. “Bottoms up!” Kaz roared. 

As she and her boss threw their glasses back simultaneously, Zhu Li cringed at the prospect of tomorrow morning's hangover. 

~*~

She woke in the middle of the night with a start. “It’s going to be Evil Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, isn’t it?” she sighed, before rolling over and falling back into a slightly-inebriated sleep.

Chapter Text

Despite the cushion she was kneeling on, Zhu Li’s knees ached. Her hand, gripping her pen, ached. Her eyes ached, her head ached, her everything ached. 

The rest of the party had fared much better than she had, thanks to an open breakfast bar which seemed to have been successful in delaying the onset of a massive group hangover. Meanwhile, Swami Naqalee had finally crawled out of his room, no longer seasick now that they’d reached dry land. 

And then there was Varrick. Her boss currently sat on a cushion in the center of the room, eyes closed and fingers to his temples. Zhu Li would have preferred to deal with the bright light of morning in a similar fashion, but before this demonstration, Varrick had been as manic as usual. He’d asked Zhu Li to take notes on the demonstration he was about to entertain the guests with. She’d created a t-chart with Varrick-notes on one side and reasons why she should never drink again on the other. The latter half of the chart had run over to the next page, while the former was still rather sparse. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a man and a woman enter the room. It must be Varrick’s midmorning appointment - Asami Sato, heir to Future Industries. Varrick had asked Zhu Li to pencil in a meeting with the younger Sato on the day her father was arrested for his part in the Equalist Uprising, but after dumping the Future Industries stocks, Varrick wanted to wait until the company was near bankruptcy to engage. It had taken several months and a trip halfway around the world, but here she was: leverage accomplished.

“Did you see that? Levitation!” he burst out suddenly, opening his eyes and grinning. “I was a foot off the ground! Was that incredible or what?” He’d been firmly seated on the pillow the entire time. Even Zhu Li wasn’t sure if he was convinced he’d been levitating or was messing with them all. Regardless, the whole party clapped in admiration as Varrick stood and bowed.

“How does he do it?” someone murmured. Zhu Li was fairly certain it had been Kaz, taking the piss. 

“It looked like you were just sitting on a pillow.” A young, male, skeptical voice made everyone freeze. There were several gasps. Zhu Li glanced up and noticed two things. First, Asami Sato was absolutely gorgeous. Second, the man behind her was actually just a burly teen, with an ember ermine perched on his shoulder. The voice seemed to have come from the latter - the teen, not the ermine. 

Sato put her palm to her face at her assistant’s earnest honesty as Varrick strode forward to accost the teen. “Are you saying, I wasn’t levitating?”

“Uhhh… no?” the young man said, bending over backwards as Varrick pulled his typical move of completely invading his personal space.

“Well, why didn’t anyone tell me? Now I look like an idiot.” He smacked his head. “Swami, you’re fired.”

Swami Naqalee bowed and shuffled up the stairs and out of the room backwards. It was frankly more impressive that anything else she’d seen from the man in his month of employment. 

“I like you kid; you’re a real straight shooter. Just like me,” Varrick said, slapping the teen on the back hard enough to startle the ember ermine away. Zhu Li recalled Varrick’s recent obsession with blindfolded archery and thought this sentiment debatable, both figuratively and literally. “Miss Sato, he’s with you?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Brought your tiger shark with you to do business, huh? Now that’s moxie!” 

Sato’s little sigh of relief did not escape Zhu Li’s notice. Varrick seemed to be holding a full deck - his assumption of Future Industries financial state appeared to be correct given the girl’s nervousness, though she was hiding it well. There was a wild card, however. While Varrick often nicknamed things, to this point, she’d only heard him use “tiger shark” twice: for his newly-painted-as-of-yet-unnamed battleship, currently docked in the Republic City harbor, and for her. Hearing him assign it to this kid he’d just met made her a little nervous, though she couldn’t have articulated why. 

“Ha-ha! Get over here and pop a squat.” 

As he led Miss Sato and “Tiger Shark” over to the two closest cushions, Zhu Li waved Kona and Dr. Sonamu out of the way, mouthing an apology all the while. Varrick practically shoved the kid down onto the cushion Kona had just vacated. She grabbed the tea tray from the table by the projector and handed it to “Tiger Shark” as Varrick requested, “Zhu Li - get some tea for my guests.”

Asami Sato remained standing. “Thank you for meeting with me. As you know, Future Industries is looking for a partner to handle our shipping.”

“Sure! But first - you gotta check out my new venture. Moving pictures. Zhu Li, do the thing. You’re gonna love this.” 

“Tiger Shark” was taking his time choosing a tea treat, so she shoved the tray at him and hopped back to the table. In a fluid motion, she uncovered the projector and switched it on. The ostrich horse continued its run. After a moment, Varrick popped up. His shadow obscured the animal, making it look like he was standing in a sepia version of the earth kingdom plain where they’d shot the footage. She’d replayed that day in her mind so many times that seeing him standing there in a different set of clothes was a little jarring. 

“Mind-blowing, right?”

“Yeah,” the kid said, sounding genuinely impressed.

“Now, forget that! That's the past! Shut it off, Zhu Li!” 

She did as he requested, then hopped down to take the tea tray from the kid before Varrick asked Yuki to do her mover-poster poses. It was something he’d pulled a handful of times for possible investors. Yuki had it down to a science, and at least 60% of the time, it resulted in spilled tea. There’d been one unfortunate incident during which Zhu Li had needed to assist a guest who’d choked on a candied walnut.

“Imagine watching this. Ginger, come over here and do your poses.”

Yuki pulled herself from the chaise where she’d been lounging and, vamping it up, dropped her white fur jacket before striking several poses. The kid was practically drooling.

“Spectacular! And we tell a story - there's romance, action, some funny animal stuff for the kids. You know, whatever. Thanks Ginger! Go rest your gams.” Varrick plopped down between the teen and Miss Sato. “How about that, tiger shark? We're gonna do big business with these movers, as I call 'em.”

“Okay…” interrupted Miss Sato, “But I'm just concentrating on getting Future Industries back on track. If we could hammer out a deal -”

“Stop.” Varrick raised his hand, right in front of her face. “Look me in the eye.”

If he’d invaded “Tiger Shark’s” personal space earlier, it was nothing to what he was doing to Miss Sato now. He bent over swiftly, his nose and forehead actually pressing against hers. At first, Miss Sato had the normal human reaction of looking completely unnerved by this, but a moment later, her eyes narrowed, and she glared right back at him. He’d been right, Zhu Li thought - the young woman did have moxie.

Varrick pointed and smiled. He wanted to make the Future Industries connection regardless, but there would be more sport in it now. “We got a deal!” he shouted, jerking back quickly enough to disturb Miss Sato’s balance. As she tipped backwards, Zhu Li took pity and hopped into the circle to set her back on her feet before darting out of the way.

Varrick shook Miss Sato’s hand enthusiastically. “We'll hammer out the details at the royal feast tonight. Now, who wants a rocket boat ride?”

Everyone but Miss Sato and her “Tiger Shark” cheered and followed Varrick out the door. Zhu Li lagged behind. She had successfully managed to avoid Nuvuk since the proposal. It looked as if that had come to an end. Just then, Varrick called back, “Zhu Li! Change of plans - I’m going to spend the night in town after the feast. Go pack my overnight bag while we’re out on the water.”

Zhu Li felt vague gratitude for the timing of this request. She was also more than a little curious. She was aware, of course, of the existence of the Harbor Town house. From the property records, she knew it was the first house Varrick had purchased, and the largest in square footage. She made her way to the stateroom and got out the luggage. Technically, when Varrick said “an overnight bag”, he meant at least three - one for clothes, one for toiletries, and typically one for a ridiculous hat that he thankfully never got around to wearing. She spent the next hour gathering everything and had just finished folding a pair of pajamas and placing them inside the last bag when she heard a hullabaloo in the corridor. She checked her pocket watch - the guests must have finished with the rocket boat rides. 

Varrick burst in, toweling his hair. “Zhu Li! You packed my toothbrush?” 

“Yes, sir.”

He threw the towel on the floor and headed for the bathroom, leaving the door open. “Floss?”

“Yes.” She picked the towel up and tossed it in the hamper. 

The shower was switched on. “Nose hair trimmer?” he called over the noise.

She raised her voice, keeping her eyes far away from the door to the bathroom or any mirrors. “Yes!”

He continued shouting out items during the five minutes he spent in the shower. She considered asking if he would like to unpack and repack the bags himself, just to be sure everything was accounted for, but bit her tongue when the water switched off and he emerged from the steamy bathroom wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Top hat?”

“Yes.”

“The blue one?”

“No - the dark gray with the blue band.”

“Mmm… yeah, that’s probably for the best. Stuffed otter-penguin?” She found it sitting on the chair where she’d placed it the evening before and stuffed it in its own bag. It barely fit. “Well, I guess that’s everything. Go pack your stuff and meet me back here in ten.”

Oh. She was going with him?

~*~

Varrick narrowed his eyes as the heavy double doors to his South Pole property swung shut behind them. "Home Sweet Home," he said, in a dark tone.

Zhu Li set all six bags down with a thump. On the ride over, he’d explained he had to sleep here at least one night a year, for tax purposes. While from the outside, the house blended in with the other grand downtown buildings, its exterior made of packed snow and ice and beautifully carved architectural decorations, the interior was strangely cozy. Massive, but cozy.

“Might as well give you the tour. Pool, study, billiards room, conservatory, guest rooms - take your pick - library, badminton court, kitchen, dining room, ballroom, skating rink, lounge, office, suite, aquarium. Probably a lot of dead fish in there, come to think of it. Wouldn’t recommend checking it out.” He rattled through the list with vague gestures and little enthusiasm. “Where’s that stuffed otter-penguin you won me?”

Zhu Li picked up the bag.

“You can put it in there with the others.”

She opened the door he’d gestured to and fumbled for the lights. As they flickered on, she was able to see it was a largish closet. The walls were lined with various oversized stuffed animals, from polar bear dogs to sky bisons to badgermoles. There had to be at least fifty of them. She placed the otter penguin between a saber tooth moose lion and a koala sheep. 

She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know what all that was about. Returning to the hall, she started to pick up the rest of the bags, but Varrick spoke first. “You can finish unpacking later. Right now, we’ve got business to attend to.” She followed him to the door he’d said was the office.

It was a large and long room, with three beautifully arched windows at the far end. The walls were painted in a warm shade of sienna and trimmed with painted slate blue designs. Various expensive-looking cupboards, cabinets, and trunks lined the edges. It looked like the home of someone who traveled - the home of a shipping magnate. Which Varrick was, but oddly, none of his spaces she’d seen so far reflected this part of him.

There were also an awful lot of stuffed animals. Not the plush kind - the taxidermied kind. Aside from the mounted heads of several different species of elk and what looked like a grizzly hawk, a giant platypus bear stood directly across from the fancy desk. 

And there was a hatrack. Of course. With more ridiculous hats. 

Varrick must have noticed the direction of her gaze. “You can toss the top hat on there,” he said. “Later.” She skirted between the white pelt rug and the platypus bear as he sat at the desk. “That’s just Ping Ping. He’s not going to bite. First thing we need to take care of  - tonight’s entertainment.”

She’d secured Wacky Wushu’s Dancing Otter Penguins weeks earlier. That must have been on her mind when the carnival barker asked her which stuffed animal she’d like before asking her to please not come back, as the ease and speed at which she’d beaten the games made them look fixed.

“You’d like to call Wushu and cancel?”

“No! I’d like to pay him double for twice the act!”

Zhu Li was uncertain how long people would be willing to watch a clown and some egg-laying sea mammals perform tricks - she’d never seen the act herself - but she wrote it down.

“After that, I need you to send a telegram to the ferry that’s bringing the film crew. They should be getting in tomorrow. Make up a list of different angles - I want some establishing shots we can use for Taktuq, but I also want them to throw it out the window if anything interesting happens.”

“Interesting?”

“Northern Water Tribe-making-moves interesting. Do I have to spell it out, Zhu Li?”

She got the gist, scribbling that down as well. 

“There’s one last thing I’d like you to do this afternoon - draw up a new contract for Nuvuk.” He said this casually, rearranging papers on his desk and not quite looking at her. 

Zhu Li blinked. “I wasn’t aware…”

“I’m promoting him to director of operations. For our South Pole headquarters. He’ll be staying here.”

There were so many things she wanted to ask. Whose idea had this been - Nuvuk or Varrick’s? What did Varrick know? Zhu Li felt herself going a little pink. “I’ll get right on that.”

He rapped his knuckles on the desk and sprung up.

“Well. Good,” he said, and left.

Zhu Li raised her eyebrows and blinked again as she stared at the paperwork in front of her, not quite seeing it.

Varrick popped his head back in. “Actually, let’s switch the second and third thing. Give Wushu some time to prepare. The film crew will have loads of time to plan, so long as you get to the telegraph office on time.” 

~*~

After talking down Wushu from an anxiety attack brought on by changing the program at such a late date and spending a couple of hours on the phone with legal, hammering out the details of Nuvuk’s new contract, Zhu Li rushed down to the telegraph office. She’d made it just in time. By the time she reached the house, the sun was hanging low on the horizon. It had started to snow. 

As she let herself in, she almost tripped over the five bags still sitting in the entry. She took Varrick’s to his room first and unpacked, then took her own to explore the wing with the guest rooms. The first door she opened looked more than fine, despite the polar leopard head snarling at her from its mount high on the wall. Her small bag only took a few minutes to unpack.

She realized the whole place was quiet. Too quiet. Maybe living on a ship with a whole group of people for the last week had dulled her senses, but she was fairly sure the only time she’d been around Varrick and it had been quiet for this long, he’d been asleep. She’d just been in his bedroom, however… she wondered if he’d gone out. Checking her watch, she hoped not - they needed to leave for the feast in less than an hour.

She returned to the study to file a copy of the telegram receipt and tidy the desk. She was a little alarmed to find Ping Ping no longer standing, but lying on the floor. It didn’t appear the animal had fallen over - it was lying as she imagined a live platypus bear would lie, right down to the crossed front paws.

Ping Ping’s beak moved and Zhu Li jumped.

Varrick peered out of the bear’s open beak.“You sure you’re not an airbender, Zhu Li? Because you cleared a good three feet there.”

Zhu Li clutched her chest and slumped back on the desk. “You startled me, sir.”

“Heh. I’ll say.” His voice still sounded flat, tired even. 

She sat, carefully folding her legs under her. “What are you doing inside the platypus bear, sir?” 

“What are any of us doing anywhere, Zhu Li? Deep questions.” 

She rarely called him by his name, but felt it was excusable in this situation, maybe even warranted. “Varrick… are you alright?”

“Just contemplating my place in the universe.” They were both quiet for a long moment.

“Would you like some tea while you contemplate?” she asked finally. 

He waved a listless hand. “Yeah, go do the thing.”

She went to the kitchen and managed to successfully find the kettle. The tea in the elaborate, inlaid box was only slightly stale. She fixed them each a cup - his green with honey, hers oolong - making a note to get up an hour early tomorrow morning and visit a bakery to solve the whole ‘no food’ issue. Entering the study, she kneeled to hand him his cup before sitting down beside him. 

“You gave yourself that raise we talked about?” he asked, after taking a few sips of his tea.

“Not yet, sir.” She’d half-thought he hadn’t been serious. 

“Do it. We’ve got a lot coming down the pike.”

She took a sip of her tea. Despite the whiff of staleness, it was passable. She supposed it made sense that the water tribe would have good water. She rolled the cup between her hands, staring at her reflection in the hot, dark liquid. “Do you think those warships are on their way here?”

“I do. Unalaq is up to something.”

She made a mental note to call legal and run Evil Unalaq by them. “Is there anything else we should do to prepare?”

He raised his eyebrows. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to transfer some money from the accounts, make sure all our ships are out at sea.”

She nodded. 

“I’ve got my escape plan right here.” He reached out of the platypus bear’s mouth and patted Ping Ping on the head.

Zhu Li set down her cup and frowned. “The platypus bear is your escape plan, sir?”

“Yes, good ol' Ping Ping. It’s surprisingly roomy in here.” He perked up a bit. “Would you like a tour?”

“I’ll take a rain check.”

“Zhu Li?” He grimaced and scratched the back of his neck.

“Yes sir?”

“I think I might be allergic to Ping Ping.”

Chapter Text

One intense back-scratching session (it had to be the rocket boats, not the bear) and an evening shave (how did his beard grow in so fast?) later, they arrived at the feast fashionably (his choice) but reasonably (hers) late. Varrick schmoozed while Zhu Li located their seats. Yuki had beaten her there.

“Zhu Li! Just who I wanted to see!” Yuki reached out and placed her hand on Zhu Li’s wrist fondly, but her voice sounded nervous. Zhu Li raised a questioning eyebrow. 

“Hey, just a heads up - remember last night when you were off winning Varrick that stuffed turtle seal and the rest of us were playing drinking games? Well, Nuvuk went and locked himself in his cabin to mope and I may have spilled the beans about his proposal.”

Oh dear. Zhu Li sat. “Who did you spill the beans to?”

“Oh just a few people. You know, Varrick, Kaz, Kona, Kiku, Turtok, Dr. Sonamu -”

“The whole party?”

Yuki hung her head. “The whole party.”  

A traditional watertribe instrument was struck, indicating everyone should find their places. Zhu Li didn’t even have time to react to Yuki’s confession before Nuvuk sat at the table, one chair down from hers. “Good evening Yuki. Zhu Li,” he said, stiffly.

Yuki leaned across the table. “Oh, both of you gotta remember to call me Ginger now. At least in public.”

“Whoa … look at this place,” a familiar teenage voice said in awe. Zhu Li looked over in time to see Miss Sato’s “Tiger Shark” take a seat directly across from her. He was accompanied by a slightly older boy who had his arms folded across his chest, not nearly as impressed with the surroundings. The older boy nodded to Nuvuk as he sat down next to him. 

“Which fork do I use?” “Tiger Shark” was staring down at his place setting and sounded as if he was having an existential crisis.

“How should I know, Bolin?” the older boy retorted grumpily, his eyes fixed on the head table.

Bolin - the “tiger shark” now had a name - looked around nervously. He caught Zhu Li’s eye. She tapped the outside utensil and then gestured in.

“Oh. Riiiight. Thanks! Joo Lee, was it?”

“Zhu Li,” she said with a smile and pretended to not see Nuvuk shoot her a dirty look. Thankfully, Professor Taozi chose that moment to find her seat between them. Meanwhile, Bolin noticed Yuki sitting one seat to his right and blushed scarlet. 

“Heeey, Ginger.”

“Hmph,” she replied, checking her lipstick in the golden plate charger. 

Varrick plopped down between Yuki and Zhu Li. “Do I have something in my teeth?” He bared them and leaned in way too close. 

“No, sir.” 

He leaned back, closing his mouth and rubbing his tongue over his gums. “I feel like I have something in my teeth.” He noticed Bolin. “Hey tiger shark - I didn’t catch your name.”

“Tiger Shark?” the boy next to him repeated, mildly amused.

“Long story,” Bolin said. “I’m Bolin and this,” he gestured with both hands, “is my charming brother, Mako.” He leaned in and stage-whispered behind his hand conspiratorially. “He’s dating the Avatar, which is why we got invited.”

Mako sighed and pinched his nose. “Everyone can hear you.”

A muffled chirrup came from Bolin’s jacket and the ember ermine poked its head out. Professor Taozi yelped in surprise. “And this is Pabu…”

Looking again, Zhu Li decided the ember ermine was too brilliantly orange to be anything but a fire ferret. 

“Your employer’s going to be joining us, right? No cold feet?” Varrick asked, noticing Yuki checking her reflection in the charger and reaching for his own.

“Yeah, about that… I’m not really an assistant.” Bolin twiddled his thumbs nervously. “I mean, I’d be Asami’s assistant, anytime she asked! She’s great and I know you guys will do good… business with her?” The end of the statement came out like more of a question, as if the kid was a little unsure what business entailed. 

“Asami’s here,” Mako said, answering Varrick’s question. “She just has a few other deals she’s considering while she’s down here.”

“I see blunt honesty runs in the family,” Varrick remarked. 

“What other deals?” Bolin whispered, loudly. Mako ran a hand down his face. Asami came over and took her seat, flashing a smile at the entire group, just as dour-looking Chief Unalaq stood to speak. They all turned to listen, with the exception of Varrick, who was now holding up his own charger and rubbing his teeth in its reflection.

“As your chief, it is my honor to speak at this festival, which was founded to bring our tribes together and restore the ancient balance between our world and that of the spirits. But I am saddened to see what it has become: a cheap carnival that celebrates greedy and trivial humans. I feel the time is fast approaching when the North can no longer stand idly by while our Southern brothers slip into total spiritual decay. Angry spirits are already attacking ships in your waters. I only hope we are not too late to change course.”

Varrick saying he suspected trouble was brewing was one thing. Hearing it from the mouth of the man who had the power to order said trouble was another entirely. Zhu Li’s skin prickled. Though she’d turned to listen to the chief’s speech, her chair was facing away from him. She’d quite honestly had enough of having her back to dangerous people already this week. 

Varrick stood - it was his turn now. She held her breath. Was he going to make some sort of incendiary statement?

“Chief Unalaq everybody; always great to have him in town. Now! Let’s have some fun with Wacky Wushu’s dancing otter penguins!” 

No. He wasn’t.

The titular otter penguins slid onto the stage and Varrick perched on the edge of his seat like an excited child. As Wacky Wushu performed, the traditional six-course meal was served. 

“So,” Miss Sato started, “about this deal…”

Varrick leaned across Yuki to reply. “We’ll have plenty of time to hash out the fine print later. Zhu Li here will write it up for you. But tell me - didja bring any prototypes along?”

Miss Sato’s face lit up. “Actually, we did! The newest Satomobile in the line and one of our mecha tanks.” 

Mecha tanks? Zhu Li turned toward Miss Sato, interest piqued. They’d seen the newspaper photos of the damage done to Republic City during the Equalist Uprising. To get the opportunity to study the plans, maybe even secure the proprietary tech in a buyout - Zhu Li could see why Future Industries could be so useful to Varrick.

Especially if Unalaq was planning to strike soon. She glanced up to the head table. Aside from a brief conversation between the Avatar and her parents, things seemed about as awkward and quiet up there as they were at their table, aside from Varrick and Miss Sato’s conversation. Bolin was currently leaning forward to see around Asami, trying to catch Ginger’s eye. The fire ferret - Pabu? - had craned its neck out of his jacket and was licking Bolin’s plate clean. Professor Taozi looked a little ill, seeing this, and both Mako and Nuvuk were sipping their drinks and gazing off into space or at the ceiling. 

As their plates were cleared, the music started up. The central tables were moved away leaving an open space for dancing. The Avatar came over and grabbed Mako’s hand, leading him to the floor. Zhu Li noted Miss Sato pretending to ignore this as she chatted with Varrick. Interesting. Mako’s seat vacated, Bolin leaned across and spoke to Nuvuk. 

“Sooo… you’re water tribe, right?”

Nuvuk cleared his throat. “Northern, yes.” 

“If I was going to impress a local girl, where would I start?” 

“How should I know?” Nuvuk replied, miserably. A moment later, a pretty girl in blue robes tapped Nuvuk on the shoulder and asked him to dance. His face lifted immediately. With a not-quite glance at Zhu Li, he stood and followed her out to the center of the floor. The look on Bolin’s face made it clear he thought he’d just been played. 

Zhu Li took pity on him. “Bolin, have you met Professor Taozi? She’s a paleontologist at the University of Ba Sing Se.”

Bolin looked immediately impressed. “Wha… is that like, digging up dragon bones?”

Professor Taozi took a sip from her glass, her eyes fixed on the bump in Bolin’s jacket. “When I can afford to, yes,” she said, archly. 

“That’s awesome,” Bolin replied.

“And what do you do, when you’re not assisting?” Zhu Li asked, with a little smile.

“Oh. Mako and I are - were - on a probending team. But he’s a policeman now, so I had to replace him. It’s been rough, not to mention losing Korra…”

Zhu Li put two and two together. “You play for the Fire Ferrets?” 

Bolin perked up. “Yeah! You follow probending?”

Zhu Li shook her head. “Follow is probably too strong a word. But I grew up in Republic City, so it was always around. Last year’s championship was amazing...”

“Aw, thanks,” Bolin blushed. 

“...right up until it wasn’t,” Zhu Li finished.

“Yeah,” Bolin said, with a little shudder. “Scary stuff… Hey, you’re a girl!”

Zhu Li sat up a little straighter. The kid was at least a decade younger than she was. Where was this going? 

“If I wanted an in with someone I haven’t even really met yet, where’s a good place to start?” 

Zhu Li’s eyes narrowed. Well, first - don’t propose to them right off the bat, she thought, caustically. “If they’re here tonight, you could ask them to dance,” she suggested.

Bolin’s eyes were drawn up to the head table, and not, to her surprise, to Yuki, who was out on the floor dancing with a well-built local. She followed Bolin’s gaze to Unalaq’s twins. Her eyebrows shot up. Oh. Well, the kid definitely didn’t seem to have a type, then. 

“Thanks, Zhu Li,” he said, looking as though he was gathering up his courage. “I… might… do that.”

Zhu Li felt the need to stretch her legs. Varrick was still blustering on about Taktuq, Hero of the South; Asami looked bored but unable to politely get away. “I’ll be right back,” Zhu Li murmured, placing her hand by Varrick’s momentarily. He nodded without looking at her. 

The tables that had been in the center of the floor and laden with food had been moved to the back and converted to light refreshments, drinks and rather intriguing desserts. “Care to dance?” a young man asked as she looked over the table. Zhu Li glanced up. He looked like he could be Nuvuk’s brother, or cousin. Zhu Li shook her head; the man shrugged and moved on.

The bartender wandered over. “Can I get you something to drink?”

Zhu Li wasn’t looking for a repeat of the night before. “Just some punch,” she said.

The bartender dipped a ladle into a large bowl that looked like a blue lagoon, complete with sherbet icebergs floating in it. “Here you go, miss.”

Zhu Li tipped him, then turned to look over the party. She spotted the bald head and distinct orange and yellow robes of the airbending monk. Which must mean that the elderly woman in blue sitting at the same table was the famous Katara. How strange, she thought, as Korra and Mako danced by - Korra jitterbugging up a storm, Mako awkwardly attempting to keep up - to know the person the love of your life had been reincarnated into, and to watch them start an entirely new life without you. At that moment, Nuvuk danced past with the cute watertribe girl, who was chatting away happily. He caught Zhu Li’s eye for a moment before spinning the girl away. Zhu Li remembered Yuki’s words - he would get over her quickly. But Zhu Li doubted their friendship, as she’d perceived it anyway, would have ever recovered. A new start - it would be good for him, as hers had been for her.

Varrick interrupted her thoughts as he sidled over. “I mean - for a water tribe shindig, it’s not bad.”

“Should I be making any changes to the Future Industries paperwork?” she asked, looking up at him. He was examining one of the tiny desserts. He set it back down on the tray and dusted his hands. 

“No, leave it as it is for now. This is just the first step in Operation Future Buyout.”

Zhu Li felt a little sorry for Asami Sato, currently being spun around the dance floor by Bolin, who it seemed had not had the courage to approach Unalaq’s daughter. Zhu Li thought it was probably a wise decision. Varrick followed her eyes beyond Miss Sato and Bolin to Nuvuk, who was swinging the cute water tribe girl around the floor. “You wanna dance?” he offered. 

Zhu Li shook her head.

“You wanna go check out the Future Industries prototy- ?”

“Yes,” Zhu Li said, before he could even get out the last syllable.

~*~

Miss Sato and the other friends of the Avatar had come down on a chartered ship from Republic City. She handed them the keys to the rented corner of the hangar bay with a smile that was definitely masking some trepidation. “Don’t worry,” Varrick had offered. “Zhu Li’s responsible enough.” She noticed he didn’t speak for himself.

Despite all the glowing lights, the city was frigid after dark. Zhu Li was glad Varrick insisted on calling for the car - despite her eagerness to check out the Future Industries tech, she was fairly certain they would have frozen on the walk down to the harbor. Once inside the belly of the ship, a deckhand showed them into the cavernous room, hitting the lever for the lights, which took a few minutes to warm up. The hulking shape of the mecha tank slowly emerged from the darkness. 

“Huh. I thought it would be bigger,” Varrick said, inspecting the exterior. Zhu Li wasn’t sure what he was talking about; the thing was massive. She climbed up the metal scaffolding at the mecha’s side and peered through the glass dome to the internal workings. The basic controls looked fairly straightforward, but there were a number of buttons and levers that stoked her curiosity. She wondered if Ms. Sato had an instruction manual somewhere. Her eyes caught on a folded piece of paper that looked to have some technical jargon on the side she could see. 

“Well,” said Varrick, “aren’t you going to do the thing?”

Zhu Li looked down at him. “You promised Ms. Sato I was responsible.”

“You are. I’m the one egging you on here, and I’m your boss, so what I say overrules your responsibilitible- responsibiliful- respons... you know what I mean.” 

Zhu Li found the button that released the glass dome. It hissed as it cracked open. Carefully, she stepped into the cockpit of the mecha. She slid into the seat - relatively comfortable, she thought - and reached for the booklet she’d seen a moment ago. 

“Does it work?” Varrick called from below.

“I’m sure it does, sir.”

“Then why isn’t anything happening?” His voice was closer now. A moment later, he was peering into the cockpit, resting his arms on the rim beside her. “Reading?! Zhu Li, this is no time for one of your hobbies.”

“I’m being responsible, sir,” she said as she skimmed and flipped past the third page.

“What does this switch do?” She swatted his hand away as she turned to page five. That would be the rappelling cannon - best to not puncture the hull this evening. “How about this one?” She closed the booklet and grabbed his arm before he could touch anything. 

“Sheesh, easy,” he muttered, shaking it free.

“This, this, this, and these are the buttons you never want to press when you’re in an enclosed area,” she relayed. 

“Oh, so those are the exciting buttons.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Yes, if trying to escape the hull of a burning ship into freezing water brings you excitement,” she replied. She pulled a lever by her right foot and the mecha whirred to life, lights turning on. 

“Whoa,” Varrick stumbled back a bit and clung to the scaffolding, though she hadn’t actually gone anywhere. 

The mechas were bipedal, with each foot resting on a set of tracks. There was a third thin leg in the back with a small wheel that formed a tripod for balance. Each arm ended in three metal prongs, good for pinching and grabbing. Without engaging the helmet, Zhu Li slid her right arm into the corresponding limb control and grabbed the grip at the end. Carefully and slowly, she lifted her arm up. The right arm of the mecha followed, only a few milliseconds behind. She turned the grip in her hand. The mecha’s arm turned with it. She pulled the grip toward her and the claw snapped open and closed. She gently put her foot on the pedal and the mecha glided forward a few feet. Foot still pressed lightly, she tilted her toe to the left and the mecha turned in that direction. 

Varrick was practically jumping up and down as she reversed back into the space by the scaffolding. “My turn!” he shouted gleefully. Zhu Li climbed out of the cockpit and he clambered in, all knees and elbows. She grimaced.

“Watch that button sir.”

“What, this button?”

“No, the other one. By your elbow!” she yelped, as he narrowly missed the flamethrower. 

“Oh, that one.”

Zhu Li leaned across him, into the cab, to be very, very clear. “Again, sir - this, this, this, and these. Do not press them. ”

She pushed up off the mecha and grabbed the scaffolding to regain her balance. Varrick saluted her before snapping the helmet shut. Zhu Li sighed and gripped the rail as the mecha jerked forward, a muffled “Whoa!” coming from the cab. 

“Gently, sir!” she shouted, as it jerked forward another few meters. 

“I am being gentle!” he hollered back.

“Slow, steady pressure.”

“I know what I’m doing.” One of the mecha’s arms waved wildly overhead, narrowly missing some chains hanging from the ceiling. The claw of the other arm snapped open and shut. Zhu Li put a hand to her forehead.

The mecha jerked forward again and then back, with an audible grinding of gears. Somehow, she thought he’d be better at this. She felt the tips of her ears go pink as recognition of all the double entendres that had been thought or said in the past few minutes hit her.

“Hey, I think I’m getting the hang of this!” He spun in a wide circle, just a little too fast for the space.

Zhu Li’s eyes went wide. “Varrick, watch out for the - !” 

There was a crunching noise. “ - Satomobile,” Zhu Li finished, dropping her head in dismay. 

The sleek, shiny new car now had a dent in it the size of an ostrich horse. The mecha’s helmet popped open and Varrick leaned out to assess the damage. “It’s okay, I was going to buy one from her anyway.” He shrugged. “Just throw a second one in the contract.”

Zhu Li decided it would be simpler to roll the scaffolding to the mecha than ask him to back up. 

Chapter Text

“Finally, back off dry land,” Varrick sighed as they stepped onboard the Spirit of Independence. Zhu Li headed to the stateroom where she dropped the pile of bags - they’d left the stuffed otter penguin, yet somehow had accumulated more stuff in the twenty hours Varrick had spent in his southern water tribe home. She’d finished unpacking his things and hers and returned to the saloon where Yin had just set out lunch for the remaining guests, when a familiar female voice joined in.

“There you are.”

“Miss Sato!” Varrick was immediately by her side, one arm slung over Asami’s shoulders, the other over Bolin’s. “Hey kid, how’re you doing? Help yourself to some of the spread.”

Bolin looked hopefully toward the buffet, but Asami replied, “Thank you, but we’ve already eaten. We just came to get the key to the hangar.”

Varrick exchanged a sideways glance with Zhu Li. “About that…” He led Asami out of the saloon. Bolin took the opportunity to sidle over to the buffet and start stacking his plate with spring rolls. 

“You what ?” Asami’s voice rang out from the promenade.

Zhu Li sighed. She probably shouldn’t have let Varrick handle that one on his own. With one more glance around the saloon to make sure everyone was happy and well-fed, she walked after them.

“Well, then, I’ll buy ten Satomobiles from you!” Varrick was saying.

“That’s not the point!” Asami retorted. “That Sato was specifically brought as a gift -”

“We’ll ship in more! Better ones! Newer ones! It’s not even an issue.”

Asami opened her mouth to reply, but Zhu Li cut in. “Varrick Global Industries deeply regrets the destruction of your property and formally apologizes for it. We would like to make amends, contractually. What would you see as a fitting settlement?”

Asami crossed her arms and thought for a moment. “First month's shipments are free.”

“Ha! First week’s,” Varrick counter-offered.

“Three week’s.”

“Two, final offer.”

Asami let out a little huff of air out through her nose and twisted her mouth. “Deal,” she replied. Varrick took her hand and shook it vigorously. Inside, Zhu Li died a little at the fact she’d need to type up a new set of contracts.

“Zhu Li will draw up the paperwork. In the meanwhile, why don’t you take a day off, compliments of Varrick Global Industries.” He turned and hollered over his shoulder, “GINGER!”

A moment later, Yuki appeared at the door to the saloon. “Yeah?”

“How about you take Miss Sato here out for a day on the town - visit some spas, do some shopping?”

Yuki’s eyes lit up. “Sounds swell to me!”

“Miss Sato?”

Asami sighed. “All right. I guess another day off can’t do any harm. I am on vacation.”

“That’s the spirit!” Varrick thumped her on the back. “Your tiger shark can tag along too.” Yuki’s cheerful expression suddenly melted.

“He can’t,” Asami replied. “Bolin has offered to go with the Avatar when she sets out for the South Pole this afternoon.”

Varrick raised his eyebrows. “The Avatar’s going into the Everstorm?”

“The Everstorm?”

“Yeah, the swirling cloud of snow and doom that few return from…” Varrick wiggled his fingers in the air in a way he often did when talking about anything spiritual.

Asami smiled a small smile, though her eyebrows crinkled up in concern. “That sounds about right for Korra. Her uncle thinks he’s found a way to stop the spirit attacks.”

“Well then, that’s good for both of us. Hey, kid! Bolin!”

Bolin glanced up at the same time as his fire ferret, both of their mouths stuffed full of food. Bolin gulped - Zhu Li held her breath, not looking forward to having to break out the Heimlich yet again - but impressively, he managed to swallow it all. “Yes?”

“If you’re following the Avatar to the South Pole, you’re going to need a few… provisions.”

An hour later, Asami and Yuki - no, Ginger now - were off to the spa and Bolin had been gifted the same model snowmobile as Varrick had given Tonraq upon their arrival in the south. Zhu Li had a feeling Bolin would be more in need of some of the life-saving provisions that came with the package than the Avatar’s father. As Bolin set out, he waved brightly to Varrick and Zhu Li. From their perch on the bow, they waved back. Through a gritted smile, Varrick muttered, “Yeah, we’re never going to see that kid again. C’mon, follow me to the bridge.” Once there, Varrick grabbed the telescope and gazed out at the open sea.

“Any sign of trouble, sir?” Shesh growled, feet propped up on the control panel. 

“Not yet. While Unalaq’s out on his little Avatar field trip, I think we can slip in a few more deliveries.” Zhu Li wasn’t sure this was prudent, but wrote out the telegraphs and sent them to the ships in question as Varrick directed anyway. 

He peered through the telescope again. “I do see the afternoon ferry on the horizon. Zhu Li, you sent the list of shots?”

She had. It appeared the film crew would make it to the south pole before the northern fleet. Maybe luck was on their side.

~*~

“Taktuq, take twelve!”

Yesterday, they had said goodbye to the remaining guests from the cruise south. Some, like Kaz and Kona, were planning to stay on in the south pole, while others had made alternate arrangements for getting home. Today had been spent snowmobiling out into the frozen tundra, filming footage for Taktuq, the Hero of the South. The Republic City-based film crew hadn’t truly been prepared for the elements. Luckily, Zhu Li had made sure a dozen extra Varrick Global Industries snowsuits had been packed for the journey, and each person now wore a thick, drab green suit. The sun was getting low on the horizon and while the incredible colors of a polar sunset would not show up on the black and white print, the long shadows made the scenery especially dramatic. 

Zhu Li reached into her pocket and checked her watch. She approached the PA, a bespectacled young woman named Kim.

“We should head back before it gets dark.” She left the, ‘Or we might get attacked by dark spirits,' bit unsaid. It was the sort of thing she felt someone from Republic City would scoff at, until they saw it with their own eyes. Considering the cost of the equipment they were carrying, Zhu Li would rather that be avoided.

They returned to the Spirit of Independence an hour later. Zhu Li could hear the stocky grip, Hyun’s, teeth chattering a snowmobile back. After parking on the dock, Zhu Li raced up the ramp to let the deckhands and Yin know they’d returned. While He Bao and Sothaya stowed the vehicles, Zhu Li quickly fixed some steaming hot tea to serve to the film crew. 

“Good work today, everyone!” Varrick said, raising a toast. “Except you, Guo Dong.” He narrowed his eyes and pointed at the kid who ran audio, who looked totally lost at being called out. “ You know what you did.” Zhu Li rolled her eyes. Guo Dong had beaten him at a snowmobile race the evening before, and apparently, Varrick still hadn’t let it go.

The film crew stuck around for dinner, which Yin served a half hour later. Ginger, Nuvuk, and the rest of the boat crew joined them as well. It was a warm, friendly sort of meal - Yin had created a frankly incredible seaweed noodle dish along with steamed dumplings and a few other hearty, filling shared plates. Toward the end of the meal, Varrick yelled, “Nuvuk, get over here!” 

Nuvuk did so, blushing slightly and avoiding eye contact with Zhu Li as he nodded to the others. 

Varrick jabbed a finger into his shoulder. “This guy has done such an excellent job these last few months that I thought it was high time he was promoted! To Nuvuk, the new head of South Pole Operations for Varrick Global Industries!”

Ginger glanced at Zhu Li as both the film and boat crews raised their glasses. “To Nuvuk!”

They’d all taken a swig of whatever drink they were holding when suddenly, Ginger shrieked. “Look!”

Zhu Li followed her finger to the window and froze.

The sky had been beautiful each night they’d been in the south - a deep spread of dark blue velvet punctuated by thousands of glittering, diamond-like stars. Zhu Li couldn’t remember ever seeing stars that clearly - despite the glow of Harbor City, something about the cold just seemed to make everything sharper. Right now, however, unearthly green streaks of light danced across the heavens. 

“The Northern Lights,” Nuvuk murmured.

“But… we’re in the south!” said Ginger. 

Varrick tossed his glass aside with a crash. “Moshi,” he yelled to the director, “get your gear set up! It’s time for Taktuq, take thirteen!”

The entire group scurried on out to the deck, the film crew with their equipment in hand. As Moshi and Kim barked orders and the others got the camera rolling, Zhu Li wrapped her arms around herself and walked to the rail, gazing up at the sight.

It was like nothing she’d ever seen. The lights peacefully rolled and flowed, undulating from one form to the next. As one would dim and fade, another would glow more intensely, taking its place. Unlike clouds, each streak of light seemed to be like a ribbon lying on its edge - thin but tall, fading into the darkness above. While the lights glowed the same green as a lady-lightning bug in summer, wisps of violet and lavender licked their edges. Here and there, individual lines in each streak shone brighter as they moved, looking like figures walking along a path. 

“Wow,” she whispered.

“It’s pretty incredible, isn’t it?” Zhu Li looked up to see Nuvuk standing next to her, hands in his pockets. 

“It’s… it’s beautiful.”

He stepped forward and leaned against the rail beside her. They stood and watched the lights together, not speaking for some time. 

“I think this is a sign it was supposed to be like this,” he finally said. “It’s like coming home.”

Zhu Li nodded, and felt jealous, for a brief moment, of someone that had something this beautiful to come home to. They watched a wide arc of light encircle one of the mountains above town, embracing it before flowing on. “Congratulations on the promotion. I know you’re going to be great,” she said.

He smiled, still a little strained. “Thank you.”

A heavy arm was thrown over her shoulder at the same time she heard Nuvuk utter an, “Oof!”  

Varrick squeezed in between them. “I mean, it’s just a bunch of fancy green squiggles,” he said with a shrug, “but some people like it.” 

~*~

When Zhu Li had gone up to the bridge to pick up the morning news telegram, she’d spotted the fleet on the horizon. There was no mistaking the silhouettes - the Northern battleships had arrived. She called down to alert Shesh, hurriedly fixed some tea, and went to wake Varrick.

He was already up and had drawn the stateroom curtains, standing in his pajamas and robe. His hands were on his hips as he gazed out at the dozen ships fast approaching. “I’m getting dressed and then we’re outta here,” he told Zhu Li, walking over to his chair and taking a seat. 

“Shesh should be readying the crew,” she said, getting out the shaving cream and brush. Speed was of the essence this morning; she was glad she’d finally gotten their routine down to a science. 

They were only part way done when there was a great rumble. Zhu Li and Varrick turned to see a wall of water rise between the Sokka Memorial Watchtower and the divider between the commercial and personal sections of Varrick Global Industries’ marina. With a massive crackling sound, the water froze in place. They were blocked in. A moment later, a second wall was raised and frozen on the commercial side, sealing the three cargo ships in as well.   

Varrick, face still half-covered in shaving cream, stood and walked to the windows. He peered out the starboard side of the stateroom at the various other cargo ships along the general waterfront, still floating freely. “Okay, now that’s just personal,” he yelled, gesticulating toward the ice-wall at the stern of their boat.

~*~

The rest of the week had only gone downhill from there. The harbor lockdown had happened on Wednesday morning, it was now Friday and there was no sign of the Northern troops packing up and going home. They had just attended a meeting of southern tribal elders and other members of standing in the community. Zhu Li’s ears rang as they exited the modest home where the Avatar had grown up. That had been... terrible. 

Varrick had brought up his personal hygiene issues (and involved her in them), ate entirely more cookies than was polite (she had gotten the recipe), and smashed several plates (she would be sure to send a new, nicer set). But all that paled in comparison to that one, awful moment.

"Rhetorical question, Zhu Li, you've gotta keep up."

Maybe she’d been spending a little too much time with Varrick, gotten a little too comfortable interjecting… as they entered the waiting Sato, he rapped on the glass partition.

“Drop us off at the palace.”

Zhu Li glanced up, surprised. 

“I have a bone to pick with Unalaq,” Varrick said, his eyes narrowed. 

If Zhu Li had been a betting person, she would have placed good money on the two of them ending up in Water Tribe jail before lunch time. She wished she’d given Ginger an emergency checklist just in case, but it was too late now. Trailing behind Varrick as he strode into the massive ice hall of the palace throne room, his first words certainly didn’t set her nerves at ease. 

“Hey chief, how’s it hanging?”

Oh, this was going to go well. 

“Varrick.” Unalaq looked down at her boss with disdain.

“I think you know why I’m here.” Varrick stopped at the base of the dais; she remained a few, unobtrusive steps behind. 

Unalaq steepled his fingers under his long, narrow chin. “Enlighten me.”

“Oh, come on. You know that I know that you know that you’ve got a massive wall of ice blocking three of my ships in the harbor. Not to mention my personal vessel.”

“The blockade is for the safety of everyone. That includes you, as a citizen of the Southern Water Tribe.”

Varrick put his hands on his hips and leaned forward. “The only thing you’re saving us from by blocking in my ships is the privilege of breathing sweet, fresh polar air. You can practically smell the shipment of halibut from here! That cargo’s not even good for polar bear dog food at this point.”

“All of us will need to make sacrifices as our tribes reconnect with one another - and with our roots.” He looked down his long nose at Varrick. “Not only when it’s convenient for business.” 

Varrick straightened and glared back up at him. “You know I’m as Water Tribe as you are,” he said in a quiet and steady tone.

Unalaq raised his eyebrows. “Of course, the Chuje Islands are an ancestral home to many people of the Southern Water Tribe. Once our tribes are reunited, we will be strong enough to right many past wrongs.”

“Be civilized and leave my mother out of this; that old argument is not even remotely what I’m here for. Regardless of north or south or anywhere in between, the Water Tribe has a reputation to uphold. What are the other nations going to think when ships going to and from the south pole, not to mention the world’s largest shipping corporation - Water Tribe-run, may I add - are suddenly dead in the water? It’s not only bad for business, it’s bad for diplomacy - makes the Water Tribe look foolish, plays into every backward stereotype the rest of the world has about us.” 

Unalaq considered him for a long moment. “You may be right,” he finally said. “I will release your ships, send an order for the barriers to be dissolved.”

“Thank you, Chief Unalaq.” The words sounded sincere, but the bow was overly-theatrical, even for Varrick.

As they turned to go, Unalaq called after them. “A new spiritual age is coming, Varrick. I do hope you’re ready for it.” 

“A new spiritual age is coming…” he mimicked as they exited the great double doors of the palace. With the balance of an acrobat, he hopped down the icy steps two at a time; Zhu Li followed as quickly and carefully as she could. Continuing to mutter under his breath, he said, “I’ll show him a new spiritual age.” He whipped around. “Zhu Li, have you run Evil Unalaq by legal yet?”

“Already taken care of, sir.” 

“Excellent. I’m having a meeting at the house in an hour. I need you to make sure everyone who’s on this list is present.” He handed her a crumpled sheet of paper. Skimming down the list of names, she recognized them as most of the people who had been present at Tonraq’s that morning. 

She nodded. 

“Take the car, it’ll be faster.” He jammed his gloveless hands into his pockets. “I feel like walking anyway.”

He looked like he felt like kicking things. Zhu Li settled into the backseat and gave the driver the Avatar’s parent’s address. She would start there, get a list of the other addresses from Tonraq and Senna. Possibly apologize for all the broken dishes.

In the margin of her notebook, she scribbled a quick note - Research Chuje Islands.

~*~

“Thank you all for showing up on such short notice.” Varrick addressed the group that Zhu Li had escorted through to the study. 

She’d managed to round everyone up, bringing the last few in the Sato with five minutes to spare. She could understand why he’d chosen the house for this meeting rather than the boat. Varrick, with his fancy clothes and lean frame, stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the other water tribesmen. Having the meeting on the boat would have made it feel like an outsider was rallying an insurrection, even that technically wasn’t true. Here, in the dimly-lit room lined with animal heads and pelts, it felt much more like a home-grown effort. At the front of the pack stood Tonraq, muscular arms folded.

“What’s this all about, Varrick?”

“I see this as a continuation of this morning’s meeting. We’re all adults here. We know where this conflict is headed, and we know we can put a swift end to it, now .” 

Tonraq’s eyes narrowed. “And by swift end, you mean…”

“A preemptive strike. I know Unalaq is your brother, but he’s not from the south. He shouldn’t get to tell us how to live our lives. He has to go .”

Tonraq threw up his hands. “I can’t be a part of this.”

Varrick nodded. “I thought that might be the case. Zhu Li will see you out. Anyone else who feels the need to leave is welcome to join them.”

Several others filed out behind Tonraq. Zhu Li walked them down the long hallway and to the front door. She held it open as the men departed, but Tonraq lingered for a moment. “Varrick needs to be careful,” he said. “I understand where he’s coming from, but my brother’s talk of balance isn’t entirely all spiritual mumbo-jumbo.”

Zhu Li nodded.

“Just… keep an eye on him,” Tonraq said, before heading out into the still night. The air felt unusually sharp, like before an ocean storm. Zhu Li glanced up at the moon. Amidst the lights quietly dancing in the sky, it was encircled with its own bright halo. She closed the heavy door and returned to the study, silently slipping inside. The group, five men plus Varrick, were huddled around the desk. A schematic of a large building lay on it.

“So once the guards are disabled…” a burly man with a wide-set nose was saying.

Varrick glanced up and caught Zhu Li’s eye before glancing quickly back down, almost guiltily. 

Chapter Text

BAM, BAM, BAM.

Zhu Li was jolted out of a deep sleep by an urgent pounding on the front door. In the unfamiliar guest bedroom, she fumbled for her glasses. She found them, then pulled on the fur-lined robe which hung on the back of the door and raced to the entry. On either side of the hall the frosted, arched windows shone with a dim blue light. The sun had yet to rise.

BAM, BAM, BAM.

Zhu Li peered out the peephole. Illuminated by the lamps framing the front doors, a pretty but disheveled water tribe woman was reaching up to knock again, worry etched on every line of her face. Zhu Li’s heart sank as she unlatched the lock and opened the door.

“Oh thank goodness,” the woman breathed, slipping inside. “Where is Varrick?”

“Right here, Kirima.” Zhu Li turned to see her boss walking toward them, pulling on his own robe. His hair was hopelessly tousled. 

“Oogrooq didn’t come home last night. Then, this morning, Shila comes running over, saying that Siqiniq, Oogrooq and the others were arrested for trying to assassinate Unalaq! She said you put them up to this.”

“Put them up to it? That may be overstating things a little. I may have helped with a few suggestions, but I’m sure Oogrooq and Siqiniq were just doing what they thought was right. As Southern patriots.”  

Kirima put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, right into Varrick’s face. “Fine for you to say. Some of us still have to live here - can’t sail away on some fancy yacht. What about our kids? How do I tell them their father’s in prison?!”

Varrick held up his hands, looking greatly uncomfortable. “Alright, alright.”

Kirima continued, “They’re being tried this afternoon, by some Northern Water Tribe judge Unalaq brought with him.”

“Yeah, bringing your judge pal along on vacation isn’t suspicious at all,” Varrick muttered under his breath.

“You got them into this mess,” Kirima hissed, jabbing a finger into Varrick’s robe. “You’re getting them out of it.” 

Varrick confidently placed both hands on the woman’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Kirima. It’s already being taken care of.”

“Before anything can be taken care of, I’ve gotta take care of me,” he said to Zhu Li the moment Kirima departed. “If there’s going to be a trial, Unalaq’s rigged it. Go get dressed, Zhu Li - it’s time for Operation Hatching a Plot.”

Zhu Li was ready in minutes. She knocked on the door of Varrick’s suite - there was a lot of thumping coming from within, as if he were tossing things.

“Sir?”

He opened the door, holding an arm full of stuff. “Hold this,” he said, passing it off to her. She looked over the items within the pile as she balanced it in her arms. There was a large shoulder bag with ¥10 bills leaking out the sides, a small wicker picnic basket, his shaving kit, a thick book, and a flashlight. 

“The rest of the stuff we’ll need is already in Ping Ping,” Varrick said, closing the door behind him. 

“We?” she asked as she hurried down the hall to the study behind him. 

“Yes, we! You were at that meeting, same as the rest of us.” He whirled around, walking backwards as he spoke. “If I know Unalaq, he’s probably out arresting his own brother and sister-in-law as we speak! He’ll be coming for us next - don’t think for a moment he won’t have you arrested and tried too.”

She slowed down and stared at him over the pile of stuff. He threw his arms out, frustrated, then stepped close, putting his hands over hers.

“Zhu Li, we still have capital punishment down here and Unalaq will not hesitate to use it,” he said in a low, strained voice. Ice trickled down her spine and her feet froze in place. They stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Varrick made a noise of exasperation and threw his hands up. “Or you could try to make a run for it on your own, see if I care.”

She narrowed her eyes, shifted the weight in her arms, and started walking again. 

“Thank goodness.” He flung the study door open and held it for her, sounding truly relieved. “Somebody’s got to be in charge of refreshments and handing out cash! Alright, you get in first and I’ll hand the supplies down to you.”

“How do I…?”

He yanked the beak down and threw up an arm as an invitation. Zhu Li sighed one of her imperceptible sighs and grabbed either side of the platypus bear’s jaw, pulling herself up. She managed to get her head and shoulders inside the beast’s mouth. She paused. “Now what?”

“You just kinda… wiggle in,” Varrick offered from below. 

She did as he said until most of her upper body was inside the bear, then was able to let go of the mouth. She used her arms to pull herself forward, then used them to brace herself as she carefully lowered her feet and slid into the bear’s cavernous interior. Varrick had been right - Ping Ping was roomier than she’d imagined, though that wasn’t saying much.

“You in?” came a muffled voice.

“Yes sir.”

“Good - here comes the money!” The beak opened again and a second later, the large and heavy handbag stuffed with yuans hit Zhu Li, knocking her glasses askew. Glaring up at the beak opening, she firmly shifted the bag into one of the hollow wells that made up the bear’s legs. “Are you ready for the tea set?” he asked.

Wooden trusses around the cavity of the bear’s chest held it up and allowed some support for climbing. Zhu Li quickly pulled herself up before Varrick could chuck the china down on her. She thrust her arms out the beak. “Gently, please.” She felt the wicker basket being placed in her hands and carefully lowered it to rest on top of the bag of money.

“Hurry up!” Varrick complained, grimacing and glancing toward the door. “I’m going to get thrown in jail and murdered and it’s going to be all your fault!”

“I’m going as fast as I can sir,” she said, taking the shaving kit, flashlight, and book. She was a little surprised to see it was a copy of The Adventures of Pao Ji.

“Alright, I’m coming in.” She held out her hands to help hoist him up. Despite his height, he was surprisingly easy to lift, she thought. Zhu Li winced as a foot thudded against the bear’s belly, then another, as Varrick scrambled up like a mountain climber. 

“Almost… there… Pull harder, Zhu Li!”

She did and the mass of Varrick’s weight suddenly tipped forward. He tumbled in head over heels to the bottom of the bear, landing solidly on Zhu Li. From their pile of twisted limbs, she glared up at him. 

“Ow, sir.”

He readjusted her glasses and patted her on the cheek.

~*~

The distant thud of the front doors echoed down the hall, signaling Bolin and Asami’s departure. Zhu Li massaged her own neck. Her shoulders ached where Varrick had sat on them for so long. At least he was finally doing something to help Ooglooq and the others. She hoped Bolin could be trusted - well, not trusted, maybe - the kid seemed to be as honest as the day was long. (And this day, inside a platypus bear, was proving interminable.) She just hoped Bolin would have the wherewithal to get the bribe money where it needed to go. The fact that Asami was with him eased her mind. 

“There’s really not any honey in here?” Varrick asked, settling in across from her. The supports by the bear’s hips were just wide enough to perch on, if you set your legs down inside one of the bear’s or balanced your feet on the opposite side. Varrick kicked up his shoes next to her, crossed his legs, and slouched into as comfortable a position as he could manage. 

“No sir,” she said, holding open the small wicker basket so he could see its contents. 

“Take a note, Zhu Li - add honey to escape kit.” 

She snapped the basket shut and set it in a leg well. “Yes sir.” 

Varrick sighed and twiddled his thumbs. He gazed around the cozy space, currently lit by the flashlight resting next to Zhu Li’s feet, before patting the wall. “Never imagined my old pal would save me, yet again.”

“Old pal, sir?”

“Sure! Ping Ping and I go way back.”

Zhu Li frowned. “Ping Ping was your pet?”

“Well, not my pet, exactly… circus animals aren’t really pets.”

She raised her eyebrows until they were completely obscured by her bangs. “Circus... animals?”

“Quit interrupting, Zhu Li! Do you want to hear the story or not?!”

Against her better judgement, she very much did. 

Varrick started the tale, putting on his smoothest narrator voice. “As a young man with a sense of adventure, I struck out to travel the great, wide world in search of my fortune. By chance, I soon happened upon a traveling circus, which was in desperate need of someone with my particular skill set.”

Zhu Li folded her hands in her lap. “Which was?”

“Pitching hay and feeding livestock,” he replied, torn out of the moment. “I was nine, okay?!”

Zhu Li kept her expression neutral, but something inside her twisted. Varrick had run away from home as an absolute child.

“Anyway... I quickly rose through the ranks of the circus folk, for I possessed an uncanny, nay, almost mystical knack with animals. Soon, my lion vulture act became a marquee event. Meanwhile, another act - nowhere near as good as mine, obviously - had a platypus bear named Ling Ling, and when her egg hatched, the trainer turned it into a mother-and-son show - Ling Ling and Ping Ping.” He made a marquee motion with his hand.

“Then - a bout of komodo rhino flu swept through the Fire Nation, where we were performing at the time. We all did our best to save her, but Ling Ling…” he paused for dramatic effect, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, “tragically perished. Her trainer was too torn up about the whole thing to give Ping Ping the attention he deserved. Started hitting the firewhiskey a little too hard, if you know what I mean. Next thing I knew, the ringmaster had asked me to take over Ping Ping’s act.”

“What happened to the lion vulture, sir?”

“Mr. Buzz?” Varrick waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, he’d passed on too.”

“Yet you didn’t stuff him.”

“I’m getting there, geeze.” He resumed his story-telling voice. “We had some great times together, Ping Ping and I - a boy and his platypus bear. Some daring adventures, some wacky hijinks... he stuck with me through it all. Of course, after a few years, I’d achieved absolutely everything I possibly could with the circus, from stall-mucker to understudy Ringmaster. I returned home to the South Pole, started my business, and the rest is history!”

“Once I’d expanded operations to Republic City, I caught up with my old friends at the circus and found Ping Ping, still doing his thing. I decided to give him the retirement he richly deserved and leased an Earth Kingdom farm where he happily lived out the rest of his days in comfort. He died at the ripe old age of nineteen. I mean - that’s pretty good for a platypus bear.”

“And when he died, you had your old friend stuffed.”

“Of course! This way he’ll always be by my side,” he mused, in a nostalgic tone. 

She recalled him saying something similar about her to Bolin, about a half hour ago. “That’s weird, sir,” she remarked.

He glared across at her, crossing his arms. “It’s not weird! Wouldn’t you hold on to your childhood animal friends, if you could?” 

“I never had any childhood animal friends, sir.”

“Not even a sparrowkeet? A mousekoi?” Varrick goggled.

She shook her head, remembering the smell of her father’s shop, down by the harbor. “Fish were food.”

Varrick made a face. “Every kid should have an animal to take care of. Makes them responsible. Though I guess that doesn’t account for you.” He raised an eyebrow. “Okay, now it’s your turn.”

“My turn?”

“For a story, Zhu Li.”

“I don’t have any stories, sir.”

He sighed. “That’s what I was worried about. Where’s that book you lugged along?”

Zhu Li reached for the Adventures of Pao Ji. “It’s here sir, and technically you chose to have it lugged along.”

He gave a little scoff of a laugh. “I figured if I needed a nap, it would put me right to sleep. Go on, let’s hear it...”

“I thought we were trying to be quiet.”

“So get over here,” he said, scooting over and patting the support. 

Zhu Li gave him a suspicious look. He threw his hands out in a gesture of supplication. Carefully, she crawled over and settled into the sliver of space next to him. She cracked the heavy book open on her lap.

“Should I start at the beginning?”

“Nah,” he said, resting his head against Ping Ping and closing his eyes. “Pick a good part - whatever you want.”

Zhu Li thought for a moment, then flipped through and found chapter seventy-four. As quietly as she could, Zhu Li started to read. 

“Chapter Seventy-Four; The Battle of Yu Dao.”

“Brevity wasn’t Pao Ji’s strong suit, huh?” Varrick asked, eyes still closed.

“Pao Ji isn’t the author, sir. She’s the protagonist.” Varrick didn’t interrupt again, so she read on. 

Pao Ji gazed westward, into the setting sun. The sky was painted crimson, making the ocean look like blood. On it sailed the Fire Nation fleet. 

“They will arrive by daybreak,” she told her trusty squire, Feng. “Prepare the troops.”

“But milady, the troops have headed for the mountains. The Shadowcaster has predicted a terrible defeat.”

“That old fool,” Pao Ji spat. “He’s writing our fortunes himself, with his poorly thought-out words.”

“The Shadowcaster is the bad guy?” Varrick mumbled.

“Sort of,” Zhu Li said quietly. “The war was long… it was complicated.”

“Mmm.”

“Let the troops know - every man who does not return to the shore by daybreak may find himself alive tomorrow. But I promise, if it takes days, or months, or years… I will come for them. I will come for their wives. I will come for their parents, their children. Prince Raizen will not take Yu Dao from us.” She stared into the sunset. “He cannot.”

A quiet snore escaped Varrick’s throat. Zhu Li lowered her book and glanced over at him.

“Sir?” she whispered, nudging him gently with her shoulder. “Varrick?”

He’d nodded off. Below, the flashlight sputtered. She closed the book and cranked it for a few cycles, but the noise seemed extraordinarily loud in the small space. Zhu Li flicked it off. They would need it later, once Bolin and Asami returned with news of the trial.

Zhu Li leaned back against Ping Ping and kicked her feet up next to Varrick’s. The inside of the bear was warm. It was making her drowsy, as was the gentle rhythm of Varrick’s breathing. She would rest her eyes, only for a minute…

~*~

“Can’t… breathe!”

Zhu Li jerked awake. At some point, she must have dozed off too. She blushed in the darkness - somehow, she’d ended up more on Varrick than next to him. Carefully, she lifted her hand from the fur collar of his coat and gingerly untangled her legs from his. She wiped a tiny trail of drool from the corner of her mouth. Slowly, she tried to remove her head from Varrick’s shoulder without disturbing him - tricky when his head was resting against hers. She could hear his teeth chattering.

“So… cold…”

She slipped her glasses back on her nose. Maybe she should wake him?

“ … Snowdrop! ” he yelped. It was loud enough to be heard outside the bear. 

That decided it. Zhu Li placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him harshly. “Varrick,” she hissed. “Varrick!” 

He woke, gasping for air like a dying man. 

“Shh.” He was still too loud. “It’s okay, sir.” She pressed her other hand against his. “Breathe. You were just dreaming.”

She felt him shake his head, as if clearing the nightmare away. “Zhu Li?” he whispered, in a husky voice that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Zhu Li fumbled for the flashlight, switching it on then immediately back off again as the door creaked open and voices filled the room. They both froze and listened.

“We’re back!” called Asami Sato, her voice muffled through the layer of skin and fur.

“Hoist me up, Zhu Li,” Varrick grunted. She ducked down as he looped a lanky leg over her opposite shoulder, then stood. Once Varrick had his elbows outside Ping Ping’s mouth, she was able to guide his feet onto a support and ducked out from under him.

“I’m afraid I’ve got bad news,” Asami said.

“Never give me bad news before good news!” Varrick replied.

“There is no good news - Unalaq's a liar and a traitor!” cried a female voice. She sounded Asami’s age or younger, despite the depth and ferocity of her tone. It had to be the Avatar. 

“I've been trying to tell you that from the get-go,” Varrick said, exasperated.

“What happened?” grumpy older brother (What was his name? Oh yes - Mako.) asked.

“I found out the truth about my Dad's banishment,” the Avatar spat. “Unalaq hired the barbarians to attack their tribe. Then he told them to hide in the spirit forest, knowing my Dad would go after them.”

“Unalaq wanted your dad out of the way so he could become chief,” Mako replied, sounding surprised. “It was a setup!”

“Just like the whole trial,” said Avatar Korra. “I can't believe I trusted him. I'm busting my father and the rebels out of jail. I need your help.”

Mako paused for a moment before speaking. “If you do this, there's no going back.”

“I know. Will you help me or not?” the Avatar asked.

“Of course I'll help,” her boyfriend replied.

Asami chimed in, “Me too.”

Zhu Li felt rather than saw Varrick lift Ping Ping’s arm. “Count me in!”

The doors creaked open and there was a lengthy silence, the sort in which you might be able to hear a cricket chirp or a pin drop.

Finally, Mako spoke. “I don't even want to know.” Zhu Li could practically hear him pinch the bridge of his nose by the tone of his voice alone. 

Asami sounded a little more amused. “So I'm guessing the breakup with Eska didn't go well?”

“No, no,” Bolin replied sarcastically. “The honesty thing worked out great. So great that she decided we should get married. ”

“Sorry,” Asami replied. She had been the one to tell him to stand up for himself, hours earlier.

It sounded as if the Avatar was biting back a smile as she said, “I'm pretty sure the guy is supposed to give the girl the betrothal necklace.”

“I guess Eska didn't get the memo,” Bolin retorted.

Varrick leaned forward. “Look, the only way to deal with crazy women is to lie big and leave fast. Lucky for you, Varrick's got your back. Now gather 'round Ping-Ping. Let's talk plan.”

~*~

As the Avatar, Mako, and Asami went to sneak into the Southern Water Tribe prison, Varrick and Zhu Li were working on getting Ping Ping into flight mode. Varrick had made getting the bear quadrupedal look easy the other evening, but that had been minus a good deal of stuff.

“Pack it in the middle!” Varrick said as Zhu Li picked up the wicker basket. “We’ll need all four legs clear.” She hoisted the ridiculous bag of money. “Make sure you can reach that. We might need a distraction.”

Varrick had, of course, installed a bellows directly under Ping Ping’s tail. The tip was wide enough to fit several fists full of cash through at once. Between the stuffed animals, the circus story, and this, it was all starting to make sense - clearly, her boss had been emotionally and comedically stunted when he’d run away to join the circus at the age of nine. 

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready, sir,” she replied.

“Here… we… go…” With each word, he shook the bear forward until, with a thunderous crash, it tipped onto the floor of the study.

“Ow.”

“Are you guys okay in there?” came Bolin’s worried voice.

“We’re just swell, kid. You’ve got the leash?”

“Right here.”

“Good - now put it round Ping Ping’s neck. Heh. The three of you match.” Varrick had taken a good couple of minutes while Bolin was searching for the leash to describe to Zhu Li the ridiculous and archaic set of wedding robes the teen and the fire ferret were wearing.

“Zhu Li, how’re you doing back there? Found your legs?”

Zhu Li gritted her teeth as she slid both her legs into Ping Ping’s back set, still crouching on the ground. “Yes, sir.”

“Lift off in three… two… one…”

With a good deal of effort, she pushed her body into a stooping position. It was awkward and uncomfortable and made her miss bipedal Ping Ping. In front of her, the front half of the platypus bear rose to its feet as well.

“Phew. Bolin, never get put in a prison that’s not of your own making.”

Zhu Li raised an eyebrow. This was exceptionally deep, coming from Varrick.

“I’m serious. If you pay to have the prison built, they give you certain privileges.”

She sighed. She wasn’t sure what she had expected.

“And... we’re walking!” Varrick announced. “Left, right, left, right…”

By the time they’d reached the front door, all four legs were mostly in sync.

~*~

Just past midnight, Zhu Li stepped out of the shower, toweling her hair with a relaxed sigh. There was no way she could possibly express how freeing it felt to not be inside a half-ton platypus bear to someone who had never experienced it. Which… would be every sane person in the world. Thanks to the help of the Avatar and her friends, they’d been able to break through the barricade formed by the Northern Water Tribe battleships, rescue Tonraq and the rebels from a prison ship, and outrun Bolin’s frankly abusive girlfriend. And through it all, Zhu Li had been in the hind end of Ping Ping, uncomfortably navigating the shared space with her boss. After crawling out of the platypus bear, she’d immediately sent Varrick’s rocket-powered plane idea ahead to Republic City so that Research and Development could get started on it. Bolin had been exceptionally worried about the biplane the kids had scuttled; Varrick assured him it could easily be replaced, this time with the ability to actually take off from the yacht’s deck.

She should check to be sure the new guests were settled in and everything was on course before turning in for the night herself. Yin had managed to whip up an amazing late meal for the water tribe rebels and the Avatar and friends, and Ginger had shown the teens to their cabins after the men had departed. Before doing so, she’d tossed a key to Zhu Li. “New digs,” she’d said, with a wink. “I already moved your stuff.” Examining the engraved key, Zhu Li saw it was for the top deck. She wasn’t sure if the move had been Varrick’s idea or if Ginger had mutinied while they’d been trapped on dry land, but she wasn’t about to say no to a sea view. From her new window at the stern of the boat, Zhu Li watched as the lights of the South Pole faded away, twinkling in the distance like cold stars.

View aside, she could swear the hot water lasted longer up here.

Zhu Li pulled on her favorite set of pajamas and headed for the stairs. At the top, she paused, then crossed the hall to the bridge instead. Upon entering, she stopped short. She’d been expecting Shesh to be at the helm, but Varrick was sitting there instead, in his blue silk pajamas. His hair was still slightly damp and his bare feet were propped up on the console. She winced - she’d have to remind Shesh to give everything a good scrub-down before taking the controls again. Following the recent rocket boat rides, the foot thing had returned with a vengeance. 

Varrick glanced back. “Oh, hey, Zhu Li.” 

“Good evening, sir.”

“Ginger got you all set up?” She nodded. “Good. How’re our guests doing?”

“I’m going to check right now.”

He nodded. She started to leave.

“Good work today, Zhu Li.” She stopped. “We actually pulled it off.” He sounded a little astonished. 

“Yes, we did sir.”

“Don’t get complacent.” He waggled a finger toward her. “Tomorrow morning, I need you to send a telegram to President Raiko’s office, set up a meeting with me and the Avatar as soon as he’s available. Scratch that - as soon as I’m available.”

“Yes sir.” She pulled her notebook out of her pocket and penciled it in. “Are you still planning on attending the pro-bending match the night we get back?”

He made a face. “Yeah. It’s been too long since people have seen my gorgeous mug around town. Gotta show it off, remind them what they were missing.” He kicked his feet down to the floor and turned to fully face her. “But while that’s going on, I need you to organize a march.”

Zhu Li glanced up at him.

“A peaceful protest, outside the Southern Water Tribe Cultural center. We need to get Raiko on our side in this war. What else is on the agenda?”

“You’re meeting with the sound effects guy in the afternoon.”

“The one who does the funny voices? Keep that appointment. He gets kinda wriggly if you change things up on him, but no one does a tiger seal impression like he can. The man is irreplaceable. How much time do I have between that meeting and the match?” 

“Four hours, sir.”

“Good. Just enough time for dinner and a game of cards. Pencil it in, Zhu Li.”

Zhu Li peered at him over the notebook again. He typically didn’t talk about his visits to shady card parlors, let alone put them on the schedule. The games were all run by triads, the same triads that had frequently threatened her uncle’s shop for “protection” money when she was growing up. During the lean times, living above a store had left her and her oldest cousins scrambling to find whatever odd jobs they could - not to put food on the table, but to extinguish the threat of arson and live to see the next month. While she knew from a practical standpoint that running a successful business in Republic City meant rubbing elbows with gangsters, it didn’t stop her from feeling uneasy about the idea of Varrick - loud-mouthed, impulsive Varrick - operating in that world. 

Then again, he’d survived so far. She wondered, at exactly how many yuans did you become untouchable?

Something out the window caught her eye. Zhu Li squinted. “What is that, sir?” 

He turned back to look. Seeing it too, he leaned forward.

Ahead of them, the water glowed. The shades of violet and green it emitted almost looked like a reflection of the southern lights, though the sky overhead was dark and clear. 

As they drew closer, Zhu Li could begin to make out a ghostly shape. It looked like a giant ikajira, the type her great-grandmother used to tell stories about. In these stories, the ikajira had the power to pull even a lion turtle to the bottom of the ocean with its numerous, powerful tentacles. Involuntarily, Zhu Li let out a shudder and stepped closer to the back of Varrick’s chair. Varrick pulled the largest lever toward him, slowly but steadily. The speed of the boat decreased in turn.

They both held their breath as the glowing creature paused in the water, the boat bobbing closer and closer. They were near enough to see its full hulking form, its tentacles, and the eerie green markings down its spine. Zhu Li was certain, this was not a creature of this world. 

Then the ikajira turned, and faster than earthly possible, shot through the water in another direction.

Zhu Li realized Varrick was clutching her hand on his shoulder at the same time he did. He released it, clearing his throat. “Let’s get outta here,” he said, reengaging the lever. The boat started moving once more, headed swiftly north... toward home. 

Chapter Text

The boat had arrived in Republic City on the morning of the third day - in one piece, thankfully - and the Avatar and friends had disembarked and gone their separate ways. Well - most of them. Bolin had remained on the dock, looking like a lost puppy, so of course Varrick had immediately scooped him up. 

Zhu Li, meanwhile, scooped up the five bags from the back of the Sato, and followed Varrick and Bolin into the Republic City apartment building. 

“Mornin’, Jung Hee,” Varrick said to the doorman.

“Good Morning, Sir Varrick,” the doorman said, bowing deeply and holding the door open for her boss, herself, and Bolin.

“You’re a sir?” Bolin whispered loudly as he followed Varrick into the lobby, clearly impressed. 

“Yeah, long story.”

Bolin nearly stopped upon entering the building. He gazed around the marble-floored, wood-paneled space with his jaw slack. Had Zhu Li had a free hand, she would have closed it for him. Instead, she gently nudged him forward with a hatbox.

“Mornin’ Soolin,” Varrick said to the attendant as they entered the elevator.

“It’s Soomin, sir,” Zhu Li corrected him.

Soomin made a little squeak at Varrick’s greeting, but turned absolutely crimson when she spotted Bolin.

Varrick looked thoughtful as the elevator rose up. “I knew a Suyin, once. Went by Su.”

Meanwhile, Bolin nodded in Soomin’s direction without really looking at her, completely oblivious. “Hey.” The elevator attendant was still blushing when she reached into Zhu Li’s jacket pocket for the keys, holding the penthouse door for the three of them. 

“Thanks, Soomin,” Zhu Li responded, nodding to her other pocket for the tip she typically gave the girl when she unlocked the door. “A courier will be here shortly - it’s okay to let him up.”

“Yes, madame,” Soomin breathed, gazing around her after Bolin. Zhu Li gave the girl a tight smile and gently closed the door with her heel. After stashing the suitcases in the hall closet - she would unpack them later - she removed the Future Industries contract from the top bag and went to call the courier service to have it taken over to legal. Her next call was to the Lucky Unicorn to put in a request for a large order of dumplings. Unsurprisingly, Bolin ate like a horse. 

“Zhu Li!” Varrick’s voice rang out from the sitting room.

“Coming, sir.”

She’d put it off as long as possible, she thought, setting the phone down with a sigh. Ginger - Yuki, then - had given Varrick a pedicure at least once a week. Zhu Li had sat in on a few, while going over other business, so she knew the drill. This was not, however, technically part of her job description. She’d expected him to cave and hire another aesthetician, but instead, she seemed to be picking up all the tasks Yuki used to do, just as she had upon Song’s departure. Maybe it was partly her fault, for not drawing a line, but so long as a task didn’t cross into lawlessness or otherwise morally shady territory, she felt it unprofessional to refuse. 

A knock came from the door. Zhu Li raced to open it, Asami’s contract in hand. She passed the envelope and a tip to the courier. He nodded. “Thank you, ma’am.” Again, Soomin craned her neck to see into the apartment, looking disappointed when she didn’t spot Bolin. 

Zhu Li grabbed the pedicure kit and headed for the sitting room, where Varrick was lounging on the blue velvet sofa. Bolin had pulled up an ottoman and was perching on it nervously, as if he was going to damage the leather. Varrick’s eyes lit up as he saw the kit and he rubbed his hands together.

“Ahhh, yes! Don’t mind all this kid. In fact - you wanna pedicure?”

Zhu Li, her back to Bolin, raised her eyebrows at him. He didn’t seem to notice her displeasure, but Bolin stammered, “No - no thanks!” anyway. That may have been due to the fact that Varrick had just kicked his boots off. The foot thing seemed to be going into remission, but was still visible. Zhu Li wasn’t taking any chances. She snapped on two pairs of disposable gloves - the kind they’d started manufacturing as part of the Varridye kits - one over the other. Varrick propped his feet up on the hot towel she’d set on her knees and she got out the file. 

“Before we go out on the town, I have a few other things on the schedule. After lunch, I’ve got a meeting with Baey Bak Di. Ever heard of him?”

“No?” Bolin responded.

“He’s going to be providing all the talking animal voices for my mover.”

“It’s sooo cool that you’re making a mover. I mean, with people in it! And a story!”

“It’s going to be an incredible tale, kid - just wait and see.”

“What’s it about?”

“It’s about injustice and evil, and a heroic figure that stands up to both! Taktuq, the Hero of the South.”

“Wooow.” Bolin had a habit of making one-syllable words longer when he was impressed. And the kid was easily impressed, Zhu Li thought, as she filed away at Varrick’s toenails. “Who’s going to play Taktuq?”

“We’re still working on that - got a few promising leads, some irons in the fire I’m gonna follow up with later this week.” Varrick had already hired and fired two actors for the part. He was looking for a quality he couldn’t quite articulate, even after he thought he’d found it. It was easier for him to express his displeasure when the actors had - according to him - hit a false note. 

“Then we’ve got Taktuq’s girlfriend - the lovely Ginger.”

“Yeah, Ginger,” repeated Bolin, sounding a little dazed. “What’s her character going to be called?”

“Ginger’s just gonna be Ginger.”

“And who’s the bad guy?” Bolin asked.

“Unalaq, of course. Art imitates life, kid!” Zhu Li was pretty sure the saying went the other way around, but said nothing as she set to sanding his calluses with a pumice stone.

“Who’s going to be Unalaq?”

Varrick glanced down at Zhu Li. “Puyi Dao’s still on board, right?”

“I informed him of the role change. He signed off on it, sir.” The esteemed stage actor had gotten a lot of work due to his resemblance to Fire Lord Ozai and seemed thrilled at the chance to expand his repertoire with a water tribe villain. Aside from a few bloodbending baddies, there’d been relatively few in recent theater productions. 

Varrick made a face. “We’ve gotta move toward standardized contracts. These theater actors make me nervous, with all their union stipulations.”

Zhu Li almost replied, “Yes, spirits forbid the workers have rights, sir,” but remembered they were not alone and said nothing.

“Anyway, we’ve got a few evil henchmen to round out the cast. We’re running lean and fast,” Varrick said, slapping a hand on his thigh and sending bits of exfoliant flying. Zhu Li ducked out of the way just in time. “Our crackerjack team has promised they can turn around production in a week.” 

Zhu Li had great faith in the film crew, but it seemed like a tall order, even to her.

Just then the doorbell rang. Both men looked at Zhu Li, her hands currently gloved and covered in exfoliant.

“I can get it!” Bolin said, hopping up.

“Thank you, Bolin,” Zhu Li replied. “It should be lunch - there’s a jar with tip money by the door.”

“Sure thing,” said Bolin, and disappeared down the hall. 

“So about this peace march,” Varrick said, the moment he was gone. “I want you to go to the cultural center and talk to Sedna. She’s a real firebrand - you let her know what kind of protest you want and she’ll do it.”

“And what sort of protest do you want, sir?”

“Peaceful. Solemn marchers, candles, the whole nine yards. Let her know, she has an unlimited candle budget. It’s gotta be cinematic.”

“Would you like the film crew to be present?”

“No, I need them to sit this one out. Alert the media, though - I want this to be headline news in every paper tomorrow morning - just in time for my meeting with Raiko.”

Bolin returned, bag in hand and a huge grin on his face. “Dig in, kid,” Varrick said. Bolin very daintily unwrapped each package before doing so with gusto. “Hey, save a couple for me! How’s it coming, Zhu Li?” 

“Ready for the footbath, sir.”

“Excellent.” She set the towel on the floor while she went to go fill it. Varrick set his feet on the towel and leaned forward to grab some chopsticks. 

Zhu Li rummaged through the medicine cabinet. There it was - Yuki had said there were medicated drops to add to the bathwater whenever he came down with one of his rashes. Zhu Li read the label, then added double the dose, to be safe. Whatever was going on with his feet was not your typical prescription-strength deal. 

Varrick and Bolin were stuffing their faces when she returned. She’d have to grab some street food outside the cultural center. Setting down the tub in front of Varrick, he plopped his feet in.

“...So after I show you around the studio lot, I figure we go get some dinner, play some cards, then head on over to the Pro-Bending arena.”

Bolin perked up. “I used to live there!”

“Seriously? Get out of town!”

“I did! Right up until the Equalists attacked. Then we moved in with Asami until we could find places of our own. I do miss that pool,” he said, wistfully. “Hey - do you have a pool here?” 

“Nah. It’s one of the reasons I sold the place. Of course, then Zhu Li went and bought it for me again -”

“At your request, sir,” she cut in, lest Bolin get any ideas about the status of her wealth. Her bank account was healthier now, yes, but not a penthouse-in-Republic-City healthy.

“Anyway, I figured, why do I need a pool? The only good ones in Republic City come with a mansion attached and I like to keep my operation here streamlined. Ready to go at a moment’s notice. If I want a pool, I just order a car and it takes me to my boat.”

“You must’ve been everywhere,” Bolin said, around a mouthful of dumpling.

“More or less. Everywhere worth visiting.” Varrick examined his nails, then polished them on his jacket. “Speaking of places worth visiting, you’re gonna need clothes for tonight.”

“I could… I could run back to my apartment, see what I have?”

“Nah - no time.” Varrick snapped his fingers. “Zhu Li, do the thing.”

Zhu Li peeled off the gloves and grabbed the fabric tape measure from her pocket. She stood, pulled Bolin up by his elbows and removed the chopsticks from his hand. The kid looked extremely startled. With great speed and precision, Zhu Li measured his back length, sleeve length, and collar. “Arms up please.” Chest, waist, hips, cuffs. “Arms down.” Inseam, outseam, knees.

“How did you do that so fast?” Bolin asked in wonder, returning to his seat as she scribbled the numbers down. 

Zhu Li started to respond, but Varrick waved off the question. “Zhu Li is as fast as an eel hound and has the memory of a camelephant, get used to it kid.”

She tucked the notebook away, along with fourteen-years-worth of memories of measuring customers at her uncle and aunt’s shop. “Fang’s or Hu’s sir?”

“Eh, let’s go with Hu’s - they do better Earth Kingdom wear.”

She went to go make the call to Hu’s Haberdashery. Upon returning (and re-gloving), she patted Varrick’s feet dry and took care of his cuticles while he and Bolin finished off the dumplings. Once she was done, Varrick held up his foot and wiggled his toes, examining them. “Aah… thank you, Zhu Li. Even better than Yuki.”

“Who’s Yuki?” Bolin asked, curious. They ignored the question as Zhu Li handed Varrick fresh socks and boots. She took the old ones away, firmly planning on burning them. As she returned to the sitting room, Varrick finished sliding on his spats and popped back to his feet. “Ready to get your first look behind the silver screen?” he asked Bolin.

“Yeah!!” The teen hopped up. “Oh, Zhu Li! Before you go, I saved these for you.” Bolin retrieved a parcel of dumplings from under the table.

She thanked him as she took the parcel. She would eat in the car. On the way out the door she noticed the porcelain tip jar that usually sat on the credenza was gone. She realized she hadn’t been clear enough with her instructions about the tip - he’d probably handed the delivery boy the entire jar. The kid had a heart of gold. She hoped hanging out with her boss wouldn’t tarnish it.

~*~

Zhi Li took the steps of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center two at a time. She glanced up at the large statue of Councilman Sokka, light glinting off the boomerang he held aloft. Someone exited at the same time Zhu Li reached the thick, carved doors and she breezed through into the lobby. She’d only been here a few times before, for a gala Varrick (well, she) had organized. The hall was impressive - great timbered beams etched with tribal symbols arched to hold up the frosted glass ceiling that tinted even the brightest daylight blue. The clicks of Zhu Li’s heels echoed in the massive space as she walked straight for the large front desk, its shape reminiscent of a ship’s bow. Behind it flowed a massive water feature, complete with an ice garden at the bottom. The girl and the guy at the desk glanced up. Both looked like university students, both in the age and dress - the girl wore glasses and had bangs just like Zhu Li’s, but managed to look hopelessly hip with a scarf wrapped around her head and a spiky ponytail.

“I’m Zhu Li Moon. I’m here for an appointment with Sedna.”

“Sure thing!” the girl replied, reaching for the phone and dialing. “Hey Sedna - a Ms. Moon is here to see you.” She put her hand over the bottom part of the receiver. “She’ll be right down.”

“Is it true there’s going to be a protest tonight?” the guy asked, arms folded.

“That’s what I’m here to coordinate with your boss,” Zhu Li responded. She saw no harm in telling him - Varrick had said Sedna would organize the student volunteers.

“Good!” the boy said emphatically. “We can finally take action against these colonizers.”

“Tomkin,” muttered the girl out the side of her mouth. “She’s a civilian; tone it down a bit.”

“She works for Varrick,” Tomkin said heatedly. “She’s on our side of this, Miki - aren’t you Ms. Moon?!” He turned to Zhu Li, who was saved from a response by a woman who emerged from the stairs behind the waterfall. She wore flowing robes in various shades of blue and light glinted off her layers of chunky silver jewelry.

“Ah, Zhu Li! Welcome! I see you’ve already met Miki and Tomkin.” With a gentle hand against Zhu Li’s shoulder, the older woman guided her up the stairs. 

“Some of your university volunteers?”

Sedna smiled. “They’re very devoted, if a little intense. So,” she said, welcoming Zhu Li into her office, where boxes of files and piles of books were stacked on every available surface. “Varrick wants me to organize a march.”

“Yes,” said Zhu Li, flipping open her notebook. “A peaceful protest, this evening after sundown. Is that reasonable?”

“Well…” Sedna said, “We could have done much more, of course, with a little more notice. But I think, given the past week, we can manage two-hundred, three-hundred people by tonight.”

“That would be perfect. I’ve gotten in touch with a candle factory out in Dragon Flats - they’ll deliver boxes with candles before dinner. Any signs your volunteers can create would be appreciated as well. I’ll place a delivery order with Narook’s Seaweed Noodlery to feed your staff beforehand. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

Sedna smiled. “That sounds wonderful. I’ll dust off my megaphone and I think we’ll be set. As the movement grows, will this be a regular event?” 

“I have yet to receive word on that,” Zhu Li said, closing her notebook. “But I’ll let you know when I do.”

~*~

Zhu Li stopped by the candle factory and Narook’s in person - with such short notice, she’d found a lot of bungling was avoided when directions were delivered face-to-face - then headed back to the apartment. Bolin’s new clothes were waiting at the front desk, neatly boxed and tied with a bow.

Zhu Li and the box were greeted at the elevator by Soomin, exhibiting more nervous energy than a lightning bender in a typhoon. She pressed the button to the penthouse, then turned to face Zhu Li, hands balled up under her chin. 

“Madame Moon, earlier today - was that - was that Bolin?! From the Fire Ferrets?!”

“It was.” Zhu Li balanced the package on her hip. “I’m sure he’d be happy to sign an autograph for you. Maybe on tonight’s pro-bending program?”

“I have the program from last year’s match against the Boar-Q-Pines. It was totally his best game last season,” she gushed. “I could go grab it from my room! Oh -” Soomin deflated a bit. “But I’m on the job… I’m not supposed to bother the guests…”

“Give it to me the next time you see me alone. I’ll take care of it,” Zhu Li said with a wink.

Soomin looked like she was about to faint as she profusely thanked Zhu Li. As the elevator girl grasped her hands till they went numb, Zhu Li made a mental note to make Soomin’s next New Year’s gift a pair of pro-bending season tickets.

~*~

Bolin readjusted his new, perfectly fitted jacket and glanced around the red room yet again. Zhu Li had noticed him checking his reflection in the mirror above the bar at least once every five minutes during dinner at Kwong's Cuisine. He seemed a little disappointed there were no mirrors here. Zhu Li thought about offering him the one she kept in her jacket pocket - for Varrick rather than herself, naturally - but she thought the Agni Kais would frown at it being pulled out in the middle of their gambling hall. While there was no sign advertising the bootleg casino as a triad-affiliated business, it was clear from the Fire Nation-inspired decor and hulking, amber-eyed goons standing near every doorway that this was exactly what it was. 

Why the Agni Kais? Zhu Li wondered, as she watched Varrick lose yet another hand through narrowed eyes. “Such bad luck,” he said, shaking his head, though he seemed almost happy about it. “You wanna give it a shot, kid?”

Bolin sat up straighter. “Uh... sure!”

Varrick surreptitiously slid Zhu Li a ridiculous wad of cash. “Sit tight and keep the kid out of trouble. I gotta meet a guy, about a thing.”

~*~

Varrick wasn’t watching the Raberoos beat the Tigerdillos. Varrick was scheming. Zhu Li could tell even by staring at the back of his head. He radiated a certain energy - not quite nervous or excited, but kinetic, as if he’d been set on a downhill track and wouldn’t be able to stop until gravity interfered. Bolin, despite being a pro-bender himself, had been suitably impressed with the red carpet treatment upon their arrival at the bending palace. Varrick had been impressed at the kid’s responses when Shiro Shinobi had dragged him into the booth for an impromptu interview. That had been when the scheming had started and Zhu Li had not been present to see what had sparked it. 

One of the arena staff entered their box, holding a telegram. “A message for Sir Varrick.”

Zhu Li stood. “I’ll take it.”

Without taking his eyes off the match, Varrick asked, “What’s the news, Zhu Li?”

“It’s… it’s bad news, sir,” she replied, her hands shaking. “There’s been a bombing at the cultural center.”

For once, he didn’t remind her of his good news-bad news policy. Instead, Varrick twisted around in his seat. “At my cultural center?”

“Yes sir.”

“Anyone hurt?”

“Not that we know of so far, sir.”

“Well, that’s a relief. Get down there and see what happened, Zhu Li!”

Zhu Li raced down the spiral stairs to street level and caught a cab. “Where ya headed, miss?” the driver asked.

“The Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center.”

The driver tilted his rearview mirror down to get a better look at her. “You sure, doll?” He gestured to his radio. “Sounds like trouble in that direction.”

Zhu Li bristled at the pet name (she hadn’t had to engage in a shouting match with a sexist cabbie since starting work for Varrick) but swallowed it down when she noticed a family photo pinned to the man’s dash. He had two daughters not much younger than her. “I’m sure,” she replied, grimly. “Step on it, please.”

One tense, silent fifteen-minute ride later, they arrived at the Cultural Center. Or at least, as close as the driver could get. A barricade had been set up a good block away. Zhu Li hopped out of the cab and handed the driver a couple of bills. “Keep the change.” He did a three-point turn and headed off into the night as Zhu Li walked toward the chaos. 

“Sorry ma’am, I need to ask you to stay back,” said the officer at the barricade. 

“Go get your commanding officer,” Zhu Li instructed. “I’m here as a representative of Varrick Global International, the owner of this building.” After a brief conference with the rookie cop down the line, the man did as she had asked. Moments later, a tall woman with iron grey hair and a distinctively scarred face sauntered up.

“Chief Beifong. You’re here on Varrick’s behalf?”

“I am.”

“Follow me.” She motioned over her shoulder and Zhu Li followed, as the other cop moved aside the barricade for her.

“You arrived back in town this morning,” Beifong stated.

“Yes.”

Beifong nodded. “I saw you on the docks. One of my rookies was aboard your vessel.”

“Mako, yes.”

“Sounds like stuff went down while you were at the South Pole.”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

Beifong sighed. “Pity they couldn’t keep it out of the city. We’re still gathering evidence, but the obvious conclusion is that Northern Water Tribe agents bombed the Cultural Center to disrupt your peace march.”

“Were there any casualties or injuries?” 

“Thankfully, no, aside from a few minor burns. The center was closed to the public and all of the workers and volunteers were participating in the march when it happened.” Beifong stared up at the smoking building, hands on her hips. “It’s a good thing so many waterbenders were assembled, to be honest. They were able to keep the flames under control until the fire department arrived - it would’ve been a pile of ash otherwise. Some of the Northern picketers even joined in. It’s still a mess, but at least it’s standing.”

Gazing up at the burnt-out shell of a building she’d admired only a few hours earlier, Zhu Li couldn’t share the chief’s optimism. 

~*~

Zhu Li looked at the study clock with heavy eyes. She was still on hold with the insurance company, the sun had come up, and Varrick and Bolin had yet to make a reappearance. She pressed a button and switched to the other line. The phone aboard the yacht, connected now that they were in harbor, rang a dozen times before someone picked up.

“Hello?” It was Varrick.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Zhu Li?!” He sounded far too chipper for this set of circumstances and hour of the morning. “Where’ve you been?!”

“I’m at the apartment.”

“Well, get down here!”

“Have you had breakfast, sir?”

“Yin rustled up some grub - Hey, kid - don’t aim at… Zhu Li, I gotta go.” The phone clicked and the dial tone buzzed dully in her ear. Zhu Li punched the button to return back to line one with a little more force than necessary. 

“RepLife, how may I assist you today?” the representative on the other end of the line chirped. 

~*~

Back on board the Spirit of Independence, Zhu Li wearily climbed the steps to the bridge. Her arms were full of paperwork the insurance company had rushed over, completely filled out aside from Varrick’s signature. She heard the whizzing of an arrow moments before emerging from the stairwell and ducked.

“Whoaaa… nice one!”

“If I was trying to hit a pigull, sure.” The bow clattered to the deck as Varrick tossed it aside. 

Zhu Li glanced around the room as she entered. The number of arrows stuck in the walls made it look like a boarcupine had been set loose. At least someone had had the good sense to set up the screen in front of the control panels - a few arrows stuck out of it as well. Both Varrick and Bolin wore blindfolds, though Bolin’s was currently hanging around his neck like a scarf and Varrick’s was in his hair, making half of it stick up wildly. She made her way over to her boss and handed him a pen.

“Zhu Li!” Bolin cheered. “Guess what?!”

She was too tired to guess as she pointed to the first blank and Varrick signed. “What?”

“I’m going to be Nuktuk!” 

Zhu Li racked her bleary memory for the name and came up blank. “Who is Nuktuk?” she asked, pointing to the second and third blanks. 

“Our Southern Water Tribe hero, of course,” Varrick said, pen scratching as he signed the fourth and fifth lines. “The sound effects guy suggested it - some of the catchphrases that incorporated the name Taktuq sounded oddly suggestive. Heh. Don’t want the kids repeating that.”

“That’s nice,” Zhu Li said flatly, mentally cataloguing all the paperwork that now needed to be changed.

“So anyway, Bolin’s going to need a contract. The kid’s a real natural. Already did a read through with Ginger.”

“Oooo… are you going to tell her what else we did last night?” Bolin asked, deviously. Zhu Li wished he realized how suggestive that sounded, but again, was too weary to figure out a way to diplomatically redirect him.

“Sure. Zhu Li - I bought you a sato.” He scribbled his signature three more times, then handed her the capped pen.

She put it in the inside pocket of her jacket. “That’s nice, sir.”

“...But we kinda forgot where we left it.”

“I’m sure it will turn up.” She made a mental note to track it down, before she incurred too many parking tickets.

“Hey,” Varrick nodded to the documents in her hand. “While you’re sending those to the place, have a car sent to pick up the Avatar. It’s almost time for our meeting with Raiko.”

“Oh, Korra likes to ride Naga - that’s her polar bear dog - around town,” Bolin interjected.

“Good to know,” Varrick replied over his shoulder, rolling his eyes as he turned back to her. Then he frowned in concern. 

“Zhu Li, you’re looking a little worn down.” He clapped his hands on her shoulders; she jerked forward slightly with the force. This seemed to startle him; she was typically as solid as a rock. He removed his hands and patted her upper arm gingerly instead. “I have just the pick-me-up you need! While I’m at this meeting, I want you to have a spa day with Ginger.”

“What about your guest, sir?”

“Eh, Bolin? We’ve been up all night, he’ll probably just take a nap.”

Zhu Li sighed. 

Chapter Text

“Zhu Li? Zhu Li, are you even listening to me?!” Ginger’s voice cut through the warm haze.

Zhu Li blinked her eyes open. She was lying facedown on the massage table, a towel wrapped around her waist. She could feel drool pooling in the corner of her mouth. She wiped her cheek and swallowed.

“Mmmph. Yes?”

“I was saying, I can’t believe he went through two perfectly gorgeous actors and settled on Bolin. Ugh. And waking me up in the middle of the night to run lines so he could get a sense of our chemistry?! No. Thank. You. Mister.”

“I had to give my first pedicure yesterday,” Zhu Li mumbled.

“...Okay. So you got the raw end of the deal there. But Bolin is a child, Zhu Li. A child.”

Despite being barely older than a child herself, Ginger was technically right.

“If he was going to go for a child, at least he coulda gone for the older one. Mako - now there’s a face that could sink a few ships.”

Zhu Li rolled her head toward Ginger and made a face. “The grumpy one?”

“Not grumpy… brooding. Anyway, it’s a moot point. I got all the deets out of Asami Sato during our South Pole spa day. Apparently, Mako’s dating the Avatar. Broke up with Asami in the process! Bolin slipped Asami the news that his brother had been getting hot and heavy with Korra when they’d just started seeing one another. I mean, you know and I know what Republic City guys are like. But that’s pretty low down and dirty, even for our local talent.”

Zhu Li tried to untangle the relationship knot Ginger had just described in her head - and gave up. “So it’s a no-go on Mako then?”

“Nah. I got myself a date with a real man.” Zhu Li raised her eyebrows at this revelation. “Sialuk introduced us, actually - an old friend of his. Guy’s a real sweetheart. Knows how to treat a woman ladylike.”

Zhu Li wondered what ladylike for Ginger entailed, but knew better than to ask.

“How about you?” Ginger asked. “Anyone on the horizon since Nuvuk?”

Zhu Li groaned. “It’s been a week, Ginger. And Nuvuk was never a thing.”

Ginger tssked. “Life’s passing you by, Zhu Li Moon. You’ve gotta grab it.”

“Mmm. I’m too tired to grab anything at the moment.”

Just then, the massage therapists came in. Zhu Li took the opportunity to pass out yet again. 

~*~

Zhu Li hung up the phone, having put in a request with Research and Development to get started on prototypes for pink mint lemon tea, radio for pets, and hand shoes. (“Wouldn’t the last one just be gloves?” the engineer on the other end had asked. It was a valid question.) She’d been feeling slightly refreshed following her nap at the spa - the masseuse, knowing Varrick had a line of credit there, let her sleep on the table for an extra hour, bless her. 

Then Varrick had gone and suggested the Avatar commit some light treason before lunch time. (The meeting with Raiko had obviously gone south - or gone north, as Varrick would have put it.) Pushing Asami Sato into war profiteering was more in line with what Zhu Li had come to expect, but she still didn’t like it. 

The bridge radio crackled to life. “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY. This is the Ice Princess, I repeat, this is the Ice Princess, calling for assistance.”

The Ice Princess was one of their ships. Zhu Li waited for a tense moment for the harbormaster to reply. The radio was silent, aside from the static.

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY,” the call came again. “This is the Ice Princess, requesting assistance. We are currently at 20.8° west, 4.2° north.” 

Zhu Li glanced at the navigation chart. The ship was at the mouth of the harbor, setting out on the Mo Ce Sea. Zhu Li snatched up the radio to reply. Just then, the harbormaster crackled through. 

“Ice Princess this is Harbormaster, I repeat, Ice Princess, this is Harbormaster. Come through.”

“Harbormaster, this is Ice Princess. We are under attack, I repeat, we are under attack. Waterbenders are taking the boat and -” There was an enormous BOOM. The radio fizzled for a moment, then crackled back in.

“We are under attack. The waterbenders are armed with explosive devices -” There was another BOOM and the radio went silent. 

“Ice Princess, this is Harbormaster. Ice Princess this is Harbormaster, come through. Do you read me? Ice Princess, the United Republic Coastal Guard have been notified of your distress signal and are sending aid.” Zhu Li watched as a small boat whizzed out of the harbor, in the direction of the coordinates relayed. She picked up the phone and dialed the harbormaster. After several rings, someone picked up.

“Harbormaster’s office, to whom am I speaking?”

“This is Zhu Li Moon with Varrick Global Industries. You are assisting our vessel, the Ice Princess, which sent out a distress signal. Could you assign someone to keep us apprised of the situation?”

“Just a moment please -” She heard the muffled noise of a hand clamped over the phone. “Eh, it’s Varrick,” she could hear, just barely, through it. “Uh huh. Yup. Okay.” The hand was removed and a different voice responded. 

“This is the Harbormaster speaking. We have the Ice Princess on record as a class two freighter, is that correct?”

Zhu Li dug out the company shipping index beneath the control panel and quickly flipped through its pages until she found the Ice Princess. “That is correct.”

“We’re sending aid, but just to manage expectations, we may not arrive in time. That type of ship isn’t the largest freighter, but it is the fastest. The coastal guard boats are built for speed, not distance. If this is a piracy situation, depending on how long the crew manages to hold out, that boat may have the capability to outrun us.”

“And the crew?”

“Rescuing the crew will be our top priority, unless we hear otherwise from you.”

Zhu Li swallowed and closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure how Varrick would have responded, but she was the one on the phone, not him.

“No - that… that’s exactly what we want.”

“Noted. I will keep you apprised of any new developments.” 

“Thank you.” As she hung up the phone, the wireless telegraph machine began tapping away to Zhu Li’s right, startling her. She picked up the thin strip of paper and read the message. 

VARRICK - UNITED FORCES ARE NOT YOURS TO COMMAND STOP NEITHER IS THE AVATAR STOP DESIST OR FACE CHARGES OF TREASON STOP 

THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT RAIKO

After burying her head in her hands for a minute, racking her brain for something positive to lead with, Zhu Li stood and walked to the saloon. Varrick and Bolin had taken a break from blindfolded archery and were now shooting darts at the ceiling. “What’s the news, Zhu Li?” Varrick asked, aiming carefully skyward. He squinted and stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth before releasing the dart. The dart hit another one, which came tumbling down to the floor with a clunk. 

“Woo-hoo!” Bolin cheered, raising his arms.

Zhu Li drew a deep breath. “Research and development are already making great strides with hand shoes, sir. But I’m afraid I have some bad news as well… one of your ships, the Ice Princess, is under attack. The harbormaster will call back as soon as he has more information.”

Varrick gasped. “My ninth favorite ship! How dare they?”

“Also, there’s this…” Zhu Li handed him the telegraph. 

Varrick narrowed his eyes. “Looks like we need a new strategy. I feel an ideastorm fast approaching. Zhu Li, go get the supplies!” 

The imagivation session only lasted as long as it took for him and Bolin to discover that swinging forward and backwards while hanging upside down was a really good way to chuck darts at the ceiling and Zhu Li’s note taking devolved into keeping score. 

Between the moments of brilliance, Zhu Li often wondered how this company stayed afloat.  

~*~

“What does she think this is, a polar bear dog daycare?” Varrick muttered, closing the door to his new studio office behind them. 

They’d started their first day of principal photography on the Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South. So far, it was going well, aside from the massive creature the Avatar had dropped by and left in the care of Bolin. At least it could be used for arctic ambiance, if it was going to be hanging around the studio anyway. 

Varrick narrowed his eyes and tapped his lips thoughtfully. “Mako obviously ran his big mouth to Raiko about our United Forces plan - maybe I can use that.”

Zhu Li thought this sounded rather petty, but she masked her distaste as she asked, “What good would turning the Avatar against her boyfriend do, sir?”

“Absolutely none!” Varrick chortled. “That relationship’s done for.” Zhu Li must have looked skeptical, because he continued. “I know women, Zhu Li. And that one -” he pointed to the door - “is either about to break up with her boyfriend or be broken up with. If I were a betting man, I’d choose the latter. Hey, write that down - relationship betting. No,” he continued, back to the original subject, “next time I need Raiko to know something - true or not - I’ll just run it by Mako and he’ll go and blab it to his best friend.” 

The telephone on Varrick’s desk rang. They both looked at it in surprise; no one had called this number before. Varrick snatched it up before Zhu Li could reach for it. “Varrick speaking. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Why, that’s shocking! Uh-huh. Okay. Update me on any further developments.” He hung up.

Zhu Li crossed her arms over her notebook and patiently waited for him to explain.

“Someone has hijacked yet another of my ships. My fifteenth favorite this time!”

“Varrick Global Industries only has fifteen ships, sir.”

“Well… she was named the Sea Witch for a reason.”

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Varrick called.

One of the security guards poked his head into the room. On his shoulder, he was carrying a bag of what smelled like charcoal. It rattled slightly as he shifted its weight. “Where do you want this?” the burly man grunted. 

“You know the unfinished storage building?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Pick a room and dig a shallow pit. Make it as wide and as tall as yourself...”

The security guard’s eyes widened. 

“But only a couple inches deep.”

The guard let out the breath he’d been holding.

“Once you’ve made the pit, pour the charcoal in it and light it on fire. Then smother the fire so it’s juuust smouldering. I’ll be over after we wrap this scene.”

As the guard left, Zhu Li turned to her boss. “Sir, I don’t believe walking on hot coals is an effective therapy for fungal infec...”

“It’s that or daily pedicures,” Varrick replied flatly.

Zhu Li closed her mouth. She knew when she’d been beaten.

~*~

A week from that day and true to their word (and their contract), the film crew had delivered. Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South was premiering in six select locations across the city. The theaters had been rented for the occasion and converted to mover theaters, with large screens placed where the curtains typically hung. Varrick had decided to attend the rather low-key premiere at the most central theater - it had box seating - along with Ginger and Bolin. Zhu Li was supposed to attend as well, but between the insurance paperwork for the hijacked ships and the planning for the premiere of the final installment of Nuktuk, there was no way she’d make it.

Varrick dropped by the bridge with five minutes to spare and found her amidst a sea of paperwork, the phone pulled down beside her. She was currently on hold. 

“You know, if we had to leave on short notice, all this…” he gestured to the paperwork, “would be a problem.”

She blinked up at him. “Are we planning on leaving on short notice, sir?”

“No,” he said, fiddling with his cufflink. “But you never know what’s going to pop up. Darn it!” He dropped the cufflink to the floor. 

Zhu Li picked it up, stood, and - still balancing the phone with her shoulder - fastened it for him. 

“You’re not dressed,” he said, gesturing at her usual workday clothes with his free hand.

“No sir.”

“You’re not coming.”

She glanced at the papers spread across the floor. Well, that much was obvious.

“Zhu Li, we started this journey together,” he said wistfully. She knew he was putting it on to guilt her. “And now you’re not even going to enjoy the fruits of our labor…”

“RepLife, how may I help you?” a voice on the phone chirped.

Varrick grabbed the phone before Zhu Li could respond.

“Why has my assistant been waiting on hold? Do you know what percentage of your business relies on Varrick Global International?”

Zhu Li couldn’t hear every word of the apology, but it sounded profuse.

“The next time she calls - from any number, I don’t care if she’s calling from the middle of the Si Wong Desert or the top of Mt. Makapu - you pick up. ”

There were more garbled apologies on the other end, despite the fact it would be literally impossible to fulfill Varrick’s request.

It was nice of him to make it, though.

He handed the phone back to her and headed out the door. Forty minutes later, a now familiar refrain crackled through the ship’s radio. “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY. This is the Rocky Bottom, requesting aid. This is the Rocky Bottom, requesting aid.”

Zhu Li grabbed a handful of papers and buried her face in them, letting out a scream of frustration. Then she headed to the phone to wait for the Harbormaster’s call. In the past week, she’d discovered his name was Aiguo and he had two daughters and a son - two of whom were in the United Forces, the other at university. Aiguo was pleasant enough; she didn’t mind chatting with him. But the reason behind their correspondence was completely absurd. Meanwhile, the police were being tight-lipped about both the ships and the cultural center - Bolin said they were tracking down several Northern Water Tribe leads, though his brother Mako had some crazy theory involving fire benders and explosives. 

So far, one of Varrick’s buildings and three of his ships had been targeted. Unalaq had to be behind it, didn’t he?

Yin, having heard Zhu Li’s muffled scream, appeared at her shoulder and handed her a cup of tea. “Thank you, Yin,” Zhu Li said as she took it and breathed the steam in deeply to calm herself. The cook nodded and disappeared. 

After getting the full report from Aiguo, Zhu Li called for a car and headed to the theater. Peeking through the small windows in the doors that led to the center aisle, she noted it was a packed house. The crowd definitely skewed young - it was mostly families or children on their own. Their ¥1 price point - much debated - seemed to have been worth the gamble.

As Zhu Li climbed the dim stairs to the box seats, she heard the announcer exclaim, “Will this be the end of Nuktuk? Can he escape from Unalaq's trap and save the beautiful Ginger? Find out next week on the Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South!”

Ginger passed her on the way out of the box, rolling her eyes. Oh dear. What had happened now? In any case, Zhu Li didn’t have time to worry about it at present - she’d catch up with the redhead later. She walked down to the left corner of the front row, where her boss was seated. “Varrick, another one of your ships has been captured.”

“Darn it, Zhu Li, haven't I told you I hate getting bad news without first getting good news?” He hopped to his feet. 

She cast around for something - anything - positive to say. “Oh, well…” She forced a smile, “The good news is it looks like your first mover has gotten a great reception.”

“That's old news!” he said, dismissively. “Let's go.” She hurried after him as he galloped down the stairs. “I’ll head over to the precinct, see what Beifong makes of this. Meanwhile, I need you to get in touch with Sialuk, tell him to go do the thing.”

“...Should I specify, sir?”

“No, he’ll know what I mean.” 

Back at the ship, she found the deckhand and relayed the message. Sialuk just nodded and slunk off past the docks, toward the rougher part of town. Zhu Li watched him go, thoughtfully. What were he and her boss hatching? Another attempt on Unalaq’s life? With a sigh, she turned back to her paperwork, marginally neater than when she’d started. More would be headed her way to replace what she’d finished; she reached for the phone and dialed.

“RepLife, how may I help you?” The representative picked up immediately this time. 

“This is Zhu Li Moon, calling for Varrick Global Industries.”

“Yes, Ms. Moon… just a moment.” There was a long pause. “I see here that your account has been flagged. Let me get my manager.”

Just then, Varrick entered, took the phone from her hand and hung up.

She looked up at him, taken aback. “Sir, if we don’t get started on this claim, you’re going to lose the payout on a two-million yuan ship.”

He crossed his arms. “Zhu Li, I want you focused on the premiere. Just…” he waved his hand, “delegate the insurance stuff.” 

The last time she had delegated something of this nature, the paperwork had been delivered late, and sloppily, and she’d spent twice as much time correcting it.

“Send it down to Nuvuk, he’s supposed to be in charge of the ships now anyway.”

She raised her eyebrows. He oddly hadn’t made her contact Nuvuk since leaving the South Pole. She supposed it was inevitable, sooner or later… “What did Beifong say?”

Varrick sat in the captain’s chair, folding his arms behind his head and kicking his feet up on the dash. “They suspect exactly what I do - Northern Water Tribe belligerents are behind it.”

Zhu Li started stacking papers. “Bolin’s brother seems to think firebenders might be involved,” she said, distractedly. 

“Yeah, I got an earful of that too.” He paused. “Zhu Li, before you start on anything else, pull our contract with Future Industries. I want to look it over again. Bask in the glow of all that money we’re going to make!”

It was a strange request. He never looked at documents after signing them. She nodded all the same.

As he left the bridge, Zhu Li finished stacking the papers, taking extra time and care to do so. She always took extra time and care when she sensed a storm was brewing. But amidst the typhoon, it was hard for Zhu Li to determine which direction it was coming from.

Chapter Text

“And action!” Varrick yelled.

It was a late night, last minute reshoot. The finale was in five days and even the usually unflappable director, Moshi, was sweating bullets. Not that anyone would have known there was a deadline from the way Varrick was acting. He’d started in one of the folding chairs, fingers laced together, behaving himself. As the night wore on, he’d given more and more notes, hopping up to do so and even sometimes acting scenes out. By this point, he’d grabbed his own megaphone and had completely taken control from the director. 

“Forget about me,” Ginger cried. “You must capture the Evil Unalaq before he gets away!” In Zhu Li’s head, she silently ran the same lines Ginger was saying out loud. They’d gone over them often enough since nailing down the dialogue back at Cinder Sands. The airship may have changed to a giant drill, but the words had remained the same. 

“No! I'll never leave you.” Bolin leaned back - and then swooped forward and planted a kiss on the helpless Ginger. 

“Mmmff!!” she protested, flailing against her bindings. Well, Zhu Li thought - it had been nice knowing Bolin.

“Cut!” Varrick cried. “There's no kiss in the script.”

“Uuukgh!” Ginger sat up and made a face like she’d just been kissed by the polar bear dog.

“Sorry, I just kinda lost myself in the moment. It just felt so right,” Bolin said dreamily. To his credit, Zhu Li had pinpointed that moment as needing a kiss in their first read-through. Unfortunately, everything else about the situation was not to Bolin’s credit. 

“It did, huh?” Varrick replied. For a soaring moment, Zhu Li thought he was going to call Bolin out. He put a hand on his hip. “Your girlfriend's about to die and instead of untying her, you kiss her. Wait a minute! Maybe that will work. Yes! It's genius!” Yep, there it was. Disappointment. Zhu Li was becoming used to it. “Everybody take five. Except for you, Zhu Li.” She jumped at the sound of her own name. “Grab the tweezers, I've got some neck-hair issues to resolve.”

She followed him back to the office, reaching into her pocket. He waved her off. “Put the tweezers away Zhu Li. Pop a squat.” He gestured to the chair across from him.

“This isn’t about your neck hair,” she stated as she sat. 

He rubbed the side of his neck where two thick, random hairs grew unnaturally fast and long. “I can feel them coming in, but they haven’t fully sprouted yet.” He shook his head, snapping back to the present. “No, I didn’t want the kid to overhear us - he’d get too excited. Zhu Li, I want you to draw up a contract for Mako. We could use more security around here, frankly, and I know I can pay him more than Beifong does.”

Zhu Li peered over her notebook, expressionless. Everything about this felt off. 

“After that, make room in your schedule for a pedicure. A pedicure for me,” he clarified when she raised her brows. “This foot thing is just not going away.” He kicked off his boot to demonstrate. 

Zhu Li grimaced. “Please no more hot coals, sir. It’s not helping.”

“Alright, has it been five minutes?”

Zhu Li pulled out her pocket watch. “More or less.”

“Back to the set, then.”

She paused in the doorway. “Sir - I think if you don’t want Ginger to walk off the set tonight, you should give her a little more time. And - someone should talk to Bolin. That... wasn’t right.”

“Duly noted, Zhu Li. Of course the kid needs lessons on the proper way to woo a lady. You can’t just attack her. You’ve got to trick her into thinking she -”

She interrupted him with a scowl. “Fine - I’ll do it.” 

Zhu Li found Ginger, steaming in her dressing room. She sprang up as the door opened, her volume loud enough to be heard back on set. “Can you believe the nerve of that guy?! The kid is deluded, Zhu Li!”

Zhu Li nodded, closing the door behind her. “I know. That was extremely unprofessional of Bolin. I’m going to speak with him.”

“Do that! Give him a piece of my mind!” Ginger sank down in her chair and put her head in her hands. “Ugh, Zhu Li. This day.” 

Zhu Li perched on the back of her chair and rubbed Ginger’s shoulder comfortingly.

“First, I almost get stood up this evening at Kwong’s. Finally, my date shows up, smelling like the whole harbor. Then, halfway through dinner, when he’s almost managed to salvage it, our waiter waltzes over. Miss Ginger, telephone for you, ” she mimicked in a surprisingly posh tone. “He put in the time and I had to be the jerk and leave early. Shin’s a nice guy, Zhu Li. You know how many nice guys I meet these days?” 

“I’m sorry. You have a demanding job - I’m sure he understands.”

“I sure hope so, Zhu Li.” She sighed. “I really like him.” She straightened up and shooed Zhu Li away. “Now go give that kid the what-for!”

Zhu Li found Bolin just outside the studio doors, petting Naga. His hand was streaked black with the paint they used to transform the polar bear dog into Roh-Tan, the arctic panda. 

“Careful there,” Zhu Li said as she sat beside him. “Shujia is going to have a fit if you smear that.” 

Bolin sighed and put his messy hands in his lap.

“You know why I’ve come out to talk to you.”

Bolin shook his head. Zhu Li was taken aback. Though maybe she shouldn’t have been - his sense of boundaries couldn’t be healthy, given his recent relationship with the Northern Water Tribe princess. Did he really not know? 

Then he spoke. “I just don’t understand girls, Zhu Li.”

“Girls are people, Bolin. I think you don’t understand acting.”

Bolin sat up straighter. “What?! Did Varrick say something?! Is he unhappy with how I -”

“No, Bolin. No. But Ginger’s really unhappy with you right now.”

Bolin let out a puff of air. “First she likes me, then she doesn’t…”

Zhu Li frowned. “Bolin, she’s acting. The character Ginger likes Nuktuk. The person Ginger doesn’t feel the same way about Bolin.”

“But… I… am Nuktuk?”

Oh boy. Back in the studio, she could hear Varrick ordering Hyun, the grip, around. They needed to get back in there. 

“Look Bolin -” she said with the kind of patience and firmness that only came from helping to raise eleven cousins - “We’ll revisit this conversation at a later date, but right now, I need you to get this. If you have an urge that involves kissing - or anything more -” she threw in, to be safe, “- you need to stop and ask permission first. Understood?”

Bolin looked properly ashamed. “Yes ma’am.”

“Okay.” She waved him away. “Now go be Nuktuk.”

The kid grinned from ear to ear.

“And wash your hands!” she called after him. 

~*~

Two days later, Zhu Li strolled across the studio lot, checking off items in her head. She’d mailed copies of the Future Industries acquisition paperwork south, she’d pinpointed the shipment of the roll of red carpet from the Fire Nation rug distributors (it would make it on time after all), she’d ordered a cake for the “animal friends”, she’d had a new evening suit made for herself at Fang’s (at Varrick’s insistence), she’d stifled Butakha’s latest attempt to change the wording in the contract for the pro-bending palace rental, she smelled something burning...

Wait.

Zhu Li froze and whipped her head around, attempting to discern what direction the whiff of smoke was coming from. She pinpointed the smell - it was wafting from a half-finished shed that was being built to store scenery and extra film. Zhu Li dropped her papers and sprinted toward the building. 

Upon entering the cavernous space, she paused. There were no lights, but her nose led her to the hall of offices along the back of the structure. Outside the farthest door stood the burly guard Varrick had carting around charcoal earlier in the week. It did smell more like a barbeque than a house fire.

“Whoa - hey, miss.” The burly guard threw out a hand as she neared the door. “Varrick told me not to let anyone in. Even you.”

She stared him straight in the eye and quietly asked, “Have you looked at the signature on your paycheck each month?”

“Uh, yeah. Zhu Li Moon, right?”

Zhu Li jabbed her thumb into her own chest. The man’s eyes widened with realization. “I… I think I’ll go for a smoke break.” He shuffled aside. 

“That would be wise,” Zhu Li whispered intensely, staring at the wooden door. She stepped forward and slammed it open. The door vibrated on its hinges as it hit the back wall. 

“Zhuang Han, I told you not to… oh, hey Zhu Li,” he finished in a small voice. 

It was the hardest she’d had to work to stay calm in a very long time. She took a deep breath and blew out through her nose, then turned around to face her boss. She pointed to the smouldering pit. “What is this?”

“A pit of burning hot coals, of course.”

She pointed to the shelves. “And what are those?”

His eyes darted in that direction. “Reels of film.”

“Highly flammable reels of celluloid film.”

He sank lower in his chair.

“Are you secretly a waterbender?”

“No?”

Zhu Li marched out of the office. A moment later, she marched back in carrying a bucket and doused the smouldering pit. The coals hissed in protest.

“Never again, sir.”

“Does this mean you’re gonna help me take care of this pesky foot fungus?”

She set her mouth in a steely line. “If that’s what it takes.”

Varrick looked as if he’d just won the lottery. 

“Get your shoes on.”

He obeyed, trailing behind her as she stalked out of the shed. She stopped in the middle of the lot to pick up the papers she had dropped. A dozen were blowing around. Varrick leaned down and picked up a few, handing them to her cheerfully.  

“You know my battleship is finally seaworthy?”

She jumped for a floating page and gritted out, “That’s nice sir.”

“I was thinking about what to call it. And I realized… who better to name it after than you?” He paused and pointed at her face. “Yep. That expression. Right there. That’s the last thing I want my enemies to see before they go sinking to their doom.” He reached up and grabbed another page she’d been hopping to reach. “This is probably a good time to tell you - I’d like to move some more money around. Transfer everything into the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation banks, would you? I mean - not everything. Leave just enough to avoid suspicion. Not that a man moving his own money around should strike anyone as suspicious. Heh.”

She thrust out an empty hand. He passed the last paper to her.

“And maybe change the schedule so none of our ships are in harbor on the night of the finale,” he finished, quickly, before continuing on to the studio, hands tucked in his pockets. He even had the nerve to whistle a couple of bars before the door slammed shut behind him.

Her boss was about to do something colossally stupid.

~*~

Mako was arrested that night for stealing Asami Sato’s merchandise from the Future Industries warehouse. The police found money and an explosive device in his apartment. They seemed to think he’d been coordinating with the Triple Threat Triad. 

“I mean, yeah, we used to work with them as kids. But Mako can’t stand those guys. I don’t know Zhu Li. This is all just so confusing.” Bolin hung his head.

Zhu Li had patted Bolin on the back then set about making emergency preparations.

First, she wrote up a list for Ginger. It was something she’d wished she’d done when she feared they were going to be arrested at the South Pole. And while Zhu Li didn’t know exactly what was coming, she knew where she should begin.

1) Extra sets of clothes if she and/or Varrick were arrested.

2) A general statement for the press, just to tide them over until Zhu Li could draft a more detailed one, depending on the circumstances. 

3) A copy of every local paper, so she could get a sense of public opinion as she drafted the second statement.

4) The number of the three best criminal defense attorneys in Republic City, with directions to call them.

She completed the letter, then folded it up and stuck it in the handbag she knew Ginger would bring to the finale. Ginger had a lot of handbags - she wouldn’t check that particular one until the day after tomorrow, Zhu Li was sure.

Next up were the go bags. Zhu Li withdrew money from her own account, then put in an expense request for the total amount. She divided the money five ways - two-thousand yuans each. Her savings would be decimated until the check came through, but she felt she couldn’t afford not to.

She sent Varrick’s measurements to Hu’s Haberdashery but attached a different name. The sheer difference in the style of clothing along with the instructions to create five of the same set would have made Mr. Hu send over an inquiry, to be sure he’d gotten her message correct.

She stopped by the department store where she’d worked for a few short months and purchased the most drab, unremarkable women’s suit she could find. Finding the balance between just stylish enough to avoid attention, yet not too stylish to do the same was more of a challenge than she thought it would be, but eventually she found just the right one. She bought five sets.

She stopped by an adventurers’ store and purchased a small satoload of stuff. Knapsacks, hammocks, crank flashlights, thermoses, maps, emergency rations. She couldn’t risk asking Research and Development for samples. 

Once each bag had been stuffed with equipment and cash, she headed out to five Varrick Global Industries warehouses around the edges of the city and hid two knapsacks at each. She tackled the warehouses one at a time, taking public transportation. She wore the only set of clothes she’d kept from the years before she’d worked for Varrick - slightly threadbare and dulled by seasons of washing - and carried the bags in a grocery cart, with a patchwork blanket tossed over the top.

No one batted an eye.

The fifth warehouse was out in Dragon Flats, a rough corner of the city. The wheels of her cart squeaked as Zhu Li passed a couple of young men standing on a street corner.

“How you doin’ gorgeous?” one of them asked. Zhu Li looked straight ahead and kept her pace steady.

“Hey! Hey! I’m talkin’ to you! Eh, you ain’t that hot… keep walkin’,” he called after her.

She’d entered the gates to the warehouse and stashed the goods, depositing the cart on a junk heap in the abandoned lot next door. Nose down toward the pavement, she made her way back toward the tram stop.

Something glinted against the top rim of her glasses. Zhu Li tipped her chin up a fraction of an inch and caught a glimpse of jewelry and bright colors. In Dragon Flats, jewelry and bright colors meant one thing. Zhu Li swiftly changed direction. She confidently stepped into the closest alleyway, as if it were the route she took every day. Once around the corner, she hid behind a dumpster and held her breath.

The triad passed by. “- heard the dumb kid got himself locked up.”

“Ha! What a riot. Did Viper get the full cabbage yet?”

“Nah - Two-Toed Ping said Shady Shin was complaining about that yesterday. Guy flimflammed. But Shin knows how to get his mitts on ‘em.” The gangsters’ polished shoes clicked on down the sidewalk, until Zhu Li could hear them no more.

She let out a long, shaky breath. Shady Shin - now there was a name she hadn’t heard in a while.

A memory of her aunt grasping the youngest three children to her as her uncle stood stone-faced in front of a firebending gangster, flame snapping up in his hand, appeared in her mind’s eye. Zhu Li and the older kids had stood motionless, worried that a single twitch would set him off. The firebender smiled and turned away. “Maybe I’ll come back to visit tomorrow, see if you’ve got the cash by then.” She’d seen her aunt close her eyes in relief.

“Or maybe I won’t,” the firebender roared, spinning on his heel and tossing the flame through the window the earthbender had already broken. The arching words WAXING MOON EMPORIUM were stenciled neatly above the hole in the glass. Her cousin, Qiang Da, had painted that. The girl had always been a gifted designer. Right now, she clutched her smoking fists by her sides, containing her rage. Even for benders, things rarely went well when going up against the triads. 

“Stop, please!” her uncle had begged, dropping to his knees. “I’ll - I’ll have the money for you by tomorrow. In cash!”

“Ya hear that, Shady Shin? He’ll have it by tomorrow,” the earthbender said in a sing-song tone.

“What d’ya think, Shady Shin…” The firebender propped his arm on his compatriot’s shoulder. “You feeling generous today?”

The blue-coated young man flicked his pompadour out of his eyes and splashed water between one hand and the other. “I might be.”

“Please!” her aunt begged, looking back at the storefront. One of the tables where she served tea and noodles was ablaze. Her voice cracked with tears.

“You’re making the lady cry, Shady Shin,” the earthbender mocked. 

Shin twisted his mouth. “When’s that payment comin’ through, Shang Ren?” he asked, addressing her uncle. 

“Tomorrow, I promise!” Zhu Li could feel the heat against her back. 

“Eh, fine.” Shin lazily bent the water from the barrel by the front door into the store, extinguishing the small fire. 

She and her uncle, aunt, and oldest cousins had spent a sleepless night scrambling to find extra work to come up with the cash, but somehow, they had. It had taken months to save up enough money to replace the window; their regular customers shook their heads sadly at the sight of the thin board Feng Fu and You Fu had nailed across the hole. Everyone in this section of Republic City knew what it meant, just as everyone knew why merchants kept barrels of water by their front doors. Officially it was a sign of hospitality, left over from the days of ostrich horses and buggies. Unofficially, it meant you lived in a neighborhood that had firebenders as part of the local triad. 

She’d helped her aunt drape the bolts of cloth over the rafters in the attic. The smoky smell never really aired out, and they’d sold each yard at a loss. 

“Shin’s a nice guy, Zhu Li. You know how many nice guys I meet these days?”  

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no.

Sialuk had set Ginger up on a date with his old friend, Shady Shin. Varrick had sent Sialuk to “do the thing” after the latest ship had disappeared. Asami Sato’s warehouse had been wiped clean immediately afterwards. The following day, Varrick had bought a controlling share in Future Industries. Mako had some crazy notion about firebenders with explosives being involved; Mako had been arrested with money and explosives in his apartment the night before. Their first night back in Republic City, Varrick had taken her and Bolin to an Agni Kai gambling den and left to go talk to a guy about a thing. The Cultural Center had gone up in flames a few hours later. 

Zhu Li closed her eyes. Unalaq wasn’t behind any of this. Varrick was. 

“Zhu Li… I want to… bask in the glow of all that money we’re going to make!”

To sell Future Industries tech, he didn’t need to take out Unalaq. No, that would negate his purpose. No…  

Her eyes shot open. Varrick needed to take out President Raiko. 

~*~

It took a nerve-wrackingly long time to track him down. She found him sitting in the captain’s chair, just after sunset. The city glittered through the glass, silhouetting him against the bright lights.

“I know,” she said, quietly.

He swiveled the chair slowly around to face her. “Know what, Zhu Li?” His voice was calm, steady. She wanted to shake the composure off his stupid face. 

She stepped forward. “You sabotaged your own ships so you could take over Future Industries. You had the Agni Kais bomb the cultural center to push the United Republic closer to war.” 

“Zhu Li!” he boomed, a grin spreading slowly across his face. “You actually figured it out!” He hopped up out of his chair and planted a kiss on her forehead.

She took a step back and wiped it away. 

“Who are you?” she asked. 

He sighed, holding her shoulders at arms length. “I get it - you’re sore I didn’t loop you in. But I couldn't have you giving away the plan!"

Zhu Li just stared up at him, the same expression on her face.

"Plausible deniability! I needed you for an alibi!"

When she didn’t flinch, he changed tack. 

"Why did you think we were making that mover, anyway?"

"I thought it was propaganda meant to influence the masses into siding against the invasion of the Northern Water Tribe into your homeland and to encourage President Raiko to take action, sir."

"I mean... sure, partly.” He swung an arm around her shoulder. It was too heavy. “But you gotta look at the big picture, Zhu Li."

“Does the big picture mean assassinating the president, sir?”

Varrick stopped in his tracks. His arm fell back by his side.

“...Zhu Li. I can’t believe you would think that of me.”

She crossed her arms. “You’ve already tried it once with Unalaq, sir.” 

“That - was - I was -” He shook his head. “No, I didn’t! I mean - not directly. As far as I knew, my rebels were going to dump him on an iceberg somewhere.”

“That would almost be believable if Unalaq wasn’t a waterbender, sir.”

“Even if that was the case, that’s not what I’m planning on doing with Raiko.”

“What are you planning on doing with him, sir?”

“That thing you said…” He twirled his finger, trying to remember the right words. “Making an emotional appeal, all that… stuff.”

“You’re not planning on taking out the president.”

“Cross my heart.”

She narrowed her eyes. “That’s not good enough. Swear on your company.”

He solemnly held up his hand. “I swear, on Varrick Global Industries and all its future success, I will not attempt to assassinate President Raiko.”

Later, she would wish she had called him on his emphasis.

Chapter Text

Zhu Li hugged the clipboard to her chest as she ran through the halls of the pro-bending palace.

“Lu Wei, how are concessions looking?”

“The Varripop machines are up and running, ma’am.”

“Good. Have the palettes of Varricakes arrived from the factory yet?”

“No ma’am. They’re scheduled to be here by six, last batch of the day and still warm.”

As she headed out the grand entrance to check on the banners being raised, the hired hands were busy unrolling the red carpet. Zhu Li crouched down, tilted her head, then pointed. “I see a wrinkle there, there, and there.” The wrinkles were immediately smoothed away. 

The truck from the bakery pulled up and the delivery man hopped out. His partner carefully helped lower a massive cake into his hands. “All animal-friendly ingredients?” Zhu Li confirmed. The bakers nodded. “Follow me.” She led them through a side entrance to the make-shift kitchen and the large refrigerator they’d had installed earlier that day. 

“Zhu Li!” She heard Kim calling her and raced down the hall.

“The projection is working fine, but we’re still having a few issues with the speakers.”

“Have you tried the backups?” 

“The guys are working on them now. Just wanted to let you know, in case they fail too.” 

“I’ll call Sonikisu, have them send a replacement set.”

Butakha, the pro-bending owner, came up to her and opened his mouth, presumably to try to renegotiate their contract one final time.

“No,” Zhu Li said, and walked on.

“Ma’am! Ma’am! Can I get you to sign off on this?” a harried worker asked.

Zhu Li scanned the delivery form and scribbled her name at the bottom.

~*~

Three hours later, all the chaos seemed to have paid off. Everything was in its place, functional, and ready for this evening’s event. Zhu Li had just enough time to run back to the ship, quickly shower, and change into her new outfit. Dashing out of her cabin and down the stairs, she grabbed her pocket watch…

And bumped into Varrick. Hard.

She straightened up and adjusted her glasses. “Sir, what are you still doing here?! You were supposed to be at the arena -” she checked her watch again, “- twenty minutes ago!”

“I couldn’t get these darn cufflinks…” She took them from him and attached them quickly. He adjusted his cravat askew; she fixed it. “So, how do I look?” he asked.

He looked incredible. The cut and color of the dark blue suit was absolutely doing it for her. The fur around the collar and gold buttons down the front showed off his broad shoulders and trim waist in a way his everyday clothes didn’t. The jacket and vest combo even seemed to correct his typically horrible posture. The deep navy blue brought out his eyes in a way that was completely unfair. One little curl that sometimes escaped the swooping shock of hair that framed his face was making a break for it; Zhu Li reached up and slicked it back in place. 

“You look fine, sir.”

“Fine, just fine? Do you know how long it took to look just fine ?” he asked, shocked and disgusted.

“You look perfect. Now come on - Shesh is waiting.” She hurried him out the door with her clipboard. 

Once in the satousine, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “Hand me the thing?” He waggled his fingers in her direction without looking up. She handed him a pen. He set to work, crossing out and rewriting sections of the scribbled text. It must have been his speech for tonight - he hadn’t run it by her, which was unusual. Usually, he would deliver an over-theatrical monologue, have her write it down and tone it down for him, then have a second and third go at it. She considered asking him if he’d like her to proofread it, but it felt a little forward, since he hadn’t requested her help this time. 

The press had just started to congregate as they arrived at the golden arena. Zhu Li hopped out and held the door for him as he exited the vehicle and began schmoozing with the photographers and journalists. “Varrick! Over here! What’s going to happen to Nuktuk this week? Varrick! Care to comment on your recent acquisition of Future Industries? Varrick! Look this way please! Varrick - is this film a political statement? Varrick! Any statement on the relationship between your two stars? Varrick! Hey! Varrick!” 

He just waved and grinned. “Always happy to collaborate with other great and innovative minds. Stick around to find out what happens to our dashing hero.”

Zhu Li groaned internally. She was ninety-five percent certain he was referring to himself, not Nuktuk. 

Ten minutes later, they’d made it inside. Varrick set off to practice with the sound and light guys, while Zhu Li was pulled aside by the animal wrangler.

“You sure this thing isn’t gonna try to take a bite out of any of the kids?” He gestured up at Naga, whose tail was happily thumping against the floor.

“I’m sure and we’re insured,” she replied. “Have you practiced with a flashing camera?”

The trainer’s look made it clear he hadn’t. 

“Please do that.” Zhu Li was actually more worried about Pabu, who was prone to startling when Bolin wasn’t around to offer a jacket to hide in.  

Bolin and Ginger arrived, posed for photos, and were seated in their box. Another cheer came from the open doors - President Raiko and the First Lady must have arrived. Zhu Li checked her watch again. Ten minutes and counting. She checked back in with Kim.

“Everything set?”

The other woman clapped her on the shoulder. “We’re set. You’ve done an amazing job, Zhu Li - I’ve got it from here.” She reached out for a hand shake.

“Thank you Kim. Break a leg.”

Kim winked and shot her a finger arrow before turning on her heel and heading back into the audio-visual fray.

She’d done everything she could do. Zhu Li hugged her clipboard tightly, then made her way to Varrick’s box. She settled into her seat just as he walked down the bridge to the central platform. The lights dimmed and people began to quiet down as the spotlight narrowed onto Varrick.

“Thank you all for coming to the finale of Nuktuk: Hero of the South. You know, when I first started this project, there were a lot of naysayers out there. You can't make pictures move, they said. You can't take some knucklehead earthbender and make him a star, they said. You can't teach a polar bear dog to speak, they said. Well, they're wrong.”

“Thanks to the magic of the movers, our furry friends have found their voices, and you'll be shocked to hear what they have to say. They speak of the injustice that's happening in the Southern Water Tribe right now. My hope is that their words and this epic mover will inspire a real-life hero to rise up and help. Thank you again; enjoy the show!”

It was a good speech. The tone and emphasis, in the last half especially, had been masterfully delivered. It reminded Zhu Li of why she’d fallen for her boss in the first place. As of late, that feeling had been replaced with stress, and resentment, and heartache. Maybe tonight was the turning point. 

Varrick entered the box and plopped down in the seat next to her, rearranging his coattails. 

“Refreshments?” he asked.

She handed him a still-warm box of Varripop, with extra butter.

“What’d you think of my speech?” he muttered.

“It was very good, sir,” she replied. 

He grinned and turned forward to watch the mover. 

On screen, Bolin bowed to the tiger seal costumed as a “lion seal”. The editing was a little sloppy, but given the time constraints and animal talent… that tiger seal had been the worst. “Thank you, wise sage. I will travel to Republic City and seek help.”

Nuktuk entered the presidential office and encountered an incredibly good Raiko-stand in. The actor knew it and had charged accordingly - it was clear by the framing of his shots versus Bolin’s that the film crew had known it as well. “Have a seat, I'm just working on a cure for the common cold. No longer will my citizens suffer from the sniffles,” film Raiko said.

“Mr. President, there's something more important than the sniffles right now. I need your help to stop the Evil Unalaq.”

“Did you say help? If there is one thing I love doing, it's helping people.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to believe that about a world leader, for once, Zhu Li thought.

It actually was rewarding, seeing all their hard work and late nights come together like this. The story had taken some twists and turns from its original incarnation, but so many of the basics remained. Their ostrich horse had run so Roh-Tan and Juji could speak. Zhu Li did not fail to notice the part where the little snow raccoon was killed off then brought back to life with some deus ex machina, nor did she miss her boss wiping away a happy tear at that moment. 

A sudden yell from the next box over made her jump. “I don’t think so.” It sounded like Bolin’s voice, repeating the same words he had just uttered onscreen. What was he doing in President Raiko’s - 

There was a lengthy cry from the level below the box seats, followed by a splash.

Oh. Oh no. This was not a planned part of this evening’s entertainment.

Three more men went flying, one landing on the bridge to the bending ring with a metallic thud. Bolin sprang out onto the bridge after him. He cracked his neck and ripped the sleeves off his jacket before sauntering toward the three waterbenders raising their hands.

“Looks like there’s nowhere to go.”

Zhu Li stood. “Sir, I think we should -”

Varrick held up a hand, entranced by what was unfolding on stage. “Wait -”

Bolin narrowly missed being hit by a thrust of water. Three-against-one were not good odds, but Bolin had the home field advantage. The kid had been in similar spots as a pro-bender. 

“Sir -” Zhu Li had an awful, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Beside her, Varrick stood, but didn’t look away from the action.

Bolin ducked and tumbled out of the way of multiple waterspouts, spinning on his back and directing a pair of earth disks with his feet. The action on the screen behind him and the dramatic music echoed the real life drama almost absurdly. As Unalaq directed a deluge toward Nuktuk onscreen, Bolin used two stacks of earth disks to deflect the same attack below.

Zhu Li felt like she might be sick. He hadn’t… He’d promised...

Bolin punched the last remaining waterbender into one of the speakers. “Tell me who sent you!”

“It was Varrick - please don’t hurt me, Nuktuk!”

Zhu Li turned to look at Varrick, who was looking straight back at her. 

He had. Oh, spirits, he had. And this time, he’d only invited an audience of about a thousand witnesses. 

“I think this is our cue to exit,” Varrick said, before she had the chance to bury her face in her hands.

The chief of police’s voice cut across the box. “Where do you think you’re going?” Beifong stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed. Varrick glanced back at Zhu Li, nervously. Within moments, policemen had snapped metal cuffs on both their wrists. 

As Bolin was being interviewed on the steps of the bending arena, a few photographers turned their way and snapped Varrick and Zhu Li being marched into a police van. Varrick went first, taking the incredibly high steps with relative ease. Two policemen boosted Zhu Li by her elbows, helping her into the back. She scooted down the metal bench to sit next to Varrick. There was a rap on the side of the cab and then they were moving. It was dim in the back of the van, but she saw Varrick’s head turn toward her, out of the corner of her eye.

“Zhu Li, you look upset.”  

She took a moment before speaking, quietly. “I am upset.”

“Ha! No need to worry. Wait till you see the cell they’ve got ready for us!” He leaned back against the side of the van, looking far too comfortable for the situation. “Varrick Global Industries built the jail, so I made sure if I ever ended up there, I’d be living in style.”

She felt a tear leak from the corner of her eye and trickle down her cheek. She hoped it was too dark for him to notice. It wasn’t. 

“Hey! They’ll let you in too. When I built the jail, I put a clause in my contract that any associates arrested with me would be able to share my cell, blah, blah, legalease. They’ll never be able to hold you on the Raiko charge, but remember that Satomobile I bought in your name? It’s currently buried in a pile of tickets so deep, it’ll buy us a couple of months at least.”

Upon arrival at the police station, they led him one way and her another. “See ya in a sec!” he said, as if they were going on separate rides at an amusement park and not to be booked for a crime of which he was definitely guilty. 

Zhu Li was taken to an interrogation room. After about fifteen minutes, Beifong entered. She held a thin file in her hand. She dropped it on the desk, not bothering to sit, and peered down at her. “We’ve talked to all three of the Triads Varrick’s been working with and their stories are consistent. None of them mention you.” Beifong tapped her metal handcuffs, which sprang open. “You’re free to go.”

Zhu Li rubbed her wrists and thought for a moment, looking around the room. “Chief Beifong, please check your records. I believe there is a car, registered to me, which has incurred a lot of parking tickets.”

The metal bender crossed her arms, her mouth twisting as she realized what Zhu Li was doing. “I was planning on ignoring those. You want to be locked up with Varrick?”

“Yes.”

She cocked her head. “Is your job really worth this much trouble?”

Zhu Li didn’t reply. At this moment, she honestly didn’t know what her job was worth, but her sense of self-worth compelled her to see this through. She knew what she had to do. 

Beifong leafed through Zhu Li’s file with a sigh and pulled out the offending paperwork. “Fine. I’d fight it, but it is in his contract.” She slid a blank form across the desk and tossed a pen at her. “Start writing.”

As Zhu Li finished scribbling her confession and passed it to the Chief of Police, she looked up at the other woman apologetically. “I’m sorry to ask for one more favor, but do you have an extra sheet of paper?” 

~*~

The door to the ridiculous cell clanked open. 

“Zhu Li!” Varrick sprang up out of an overstuffed purple armchair, threw his arms around her, and swung her around in greeting. 

“I’ll be back in a few hours if you want to recant your statement,” Beifong said. The door clanged shut and her footsteps echoed down the hall. 

“Please put me down,” Zhu Li requested. He did so. She reached into her pocket.

“Recant your statement?” he asked. “What did ya tell ‘em?”

“The truth - that I have a mountain of parking tickets.” 

Varrick punched the air and laughed. 

Zhu Li shook her head and put up a hand between them, not quite resting on his jacket. “Sir, I asked Chief Beifong to hold me because I needed to do this face to face.”

His smile finally dropped. “Do what face to face?”

She pulled the letter from her pocket. “Give you this.”

“What is it?” He looked at the paper suspiciously, but didn’t take it from her. 

Zhu Li kept her chin raised. It was her best defense against tears. “It’s my letter of resignation.”

He looked at her, dumbstruck for a moment, before exploding into motion. 

“Zhu Li, you can’t quit! For starters, you’re locked up with me for the near future.”

“It goes into effect as soon as we get out. It’s all in the letter.” 

“Who knows how long that’ll be!” He paced around the purple chair.

When she didn’t reply, he tried another tack. 

“How? How could you do this to me?”

“You lied to me.”

“About what?!”

“About trying to assassinate Raiko. You swore , on your company.”

Varrick gave a short bark of a laugh. “Oh, is that what this is? Zhu Li...” He took both her hands in his. “Of course I didn’t lie to you. You made me promise not to try to assassinate him, not to not try to kidnap him.”

“You tried to kidnap the president,” she repeated flatly, sliding her hands out of his grasp. 

“Tried. I didn’t even succeed! And it wasn’t as though I was planning on hurting him. Just getting the United Forces to join the war!”

“So that you could make more money?”

He threw his arms out to his sides. “Yes! ” 

They stared at each other for a long time. Finally, she spoke. 

“This job has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I wake up every day, not knowing what problem we’ll solve or what adventure we’ll go on. It physically hurt to write this letter. But do you understand why I can’t, in good conscience, continue to work for you?” 

He scowled. “Conscience is overrated - it’s easier not to have one. A conscience makes you do dumb things, like… like… wanting to quit the best job in the world!” He swung a finger in her face. “Hey - you owe me two weeks’ notice.” 

“Two weeks' notice, concurrent with jail time. And I’ll need a letter of recommendation.”

Varrick looked maniacal. “Great. Grab a pen and paper - I’ll draft it right now.”

She scrambled for a sheet of paper, settling for her notepad. He didn’t wait.

“To whom it may concern - this is a letter of reference for Zhu Li Moon. I’m sure she will stab you in the back as quickly as she did me. Her loyalty is questionable, at best. She’ll abandon you in your darkest hour...”

“I’m literally in a jail cell with you, sir,” Zhu Li interjected quietly. 

“Any employer would be lucky to have her desert them as she did me. Don’t call me if you have any questions. I look forward to never hearing from you. Have a horrible day for even thinking of taking - here, hand me the pen. Lemme sign my name.” 

“I’m not writing any of that.”

“Fine.” He plopped down in the purple chair, crossed his arms, and stewed. 

Zhu Li stepped into the bathroom where she took off her glasses and let herself have a good 90-second cry. The last time that had happened… well, it had been on the only other occasion she’d lost her job and been betrayed by someone she’d deeply cared about in the same day. It was becoming a horrible habit. Her next job couldn’t end like this - twice could be written off as a bad coincidence, but three times meant she might as well give up and return to the family store. She had just finished washing her face when she heard a racket coming from the jail hallway. Apparently, the Avatar and friends had a few words for her boss.

“Zhu Li, c’mon, we’ve got guests!” he yelled, more agitated than usual. “Whip up a pot of that green tea I love.” 

She popped back into the main room. “Yes sir.”

“Zhu Li’s in prison with you?” she heard Korra ask.

“Of course. I don’t go anywhere without my assistant. Do you?” 

Zhu Li wondered which one of them he thought was Korra’s assistant. Mako, possibly? Well, that was an interesting interpretation of that relationship. 

“Don’t tell me you’re still mad about everything that happened,” Varrick went on. “I did some good things too.”

As Zhu Li poured the tea, he ticked off the positive things he’d done for each of them. With the exception of Mako. Yes, jail was a bad thing, she thought, as he seemed to come to that realization out loud. Good of you to finally notice. 

“...The Future Industries stuff?” he was saying. “It’s on my battleship.”

“You have a battleship?” Korra asked. 

“Of course I do! I bought the first one they made. Named her the Zhu Li.”

“You named your battleship after your assistant ?” Bolin asked, incredulous. 

“Yep. They’re both cold, heartless war machines.”

She handed him the cup. “Your tea sir.”

“Look. I am truly sorry for the mess I caused. Let me make it up to you. Take Zhu Li.” He jerked his head toward her. She glanced down at him. Was this his way of getting back at her? Attempting to send her off with the Avatar and her friends?

“My battleship,” he clarified. “It’s yours. And everything on it.”

“It’s not the fleet we were looking for,” Korra said, “but it’s the next best thing.”

“Alright!” said Bolin, punching the air. “Team Avatar is back in business!”

Lin Beifong grinned, then attempted to hide it by pulling an even more dour face than usual. “Zhu Li - have you had time to rethink all… this?” The police chief gestured to the ground and drew a circle with one long finger. 

“I’ll be staying.” She checked her pocket watch. Three hundred and thirty-five hours and forty minutes to go. 

Beifong just shook her head.

Chapter Text

“There’s only one bed, sir.”

The jail cell had been icily silent since the Avatar and friends had departed. But it was getting late, and Varrick’s exaggerated yawns meant he was probably going to collapse soon. He really shouldn’t do so in his nice dress coat.

And she really shouldn’t care, she reminded herself. Three hundred and thirty-four hours and twenty minutes. 

His tone was still edging on combative as he replied, “I guess I didn’t think that through.” 

Like everything else, Zhu Li responded in her head.

“Well,” he said, stretching dramatically, “better go change.” He slid open one of the drawers and produced a set of blue silk pajamas, then disappeared behind the screen. After a moment, a bare arm stuck out.

“You wanna wear this?” It was his pajama top.

“No thank you, sir.” 

“Eh, suit yourself.”

“LIGHTS OUT IN FIVE,” an announcement echoed over the prison loudspeaker. 

Zhu Li headed for the bathroom. Unbuttoning her jacket, she folded it carefully into a pillow, then curled up in the tub and closed her eyes. 

“Zhu Li?” Varrick popped his head around the corner. “What if I need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?”

She stood, smoothing her clothes, tucked her jacket-pillow under her arm and marched out to the main room. As he clambered into his canopy bed, she found a corner of floor by the bookshelf and lay down. There was an echoing clunk as lights started turning off down the hall. Eventually, the chandelier and other assorted lamps in their cell clicked out, leaving only the dim emergency light from the jail hallway, shining through the bars.

“Zhu Li?” Varrick’s voice sounded ten times louder in the dark. “What if I get up and accidentally trip over you and injure myself?”

She rolled toward him. “What would you be doing in the corner, sir?”

“I don’t know! Sometimes I sleepwalk - so I’m told.”

Zhu Li got up and walked over to the purple chair. She hadn’t done this in ages - she wasn’t sure she could still manage it. She sat, then tucked her legs in beneath her. Yes… there was just enough room to get comfortable. She lay her makeshift pillow on the plush armrest. She would probably be sore in the morning given her cramped position, but the tradeoff was the thick cushioning of the armchair.

After a few minutes, Varrick’s voice cut through the quiet again. “Zhu Li, that’s my favorite prison chair. You’re gonna mess up the padding.”

She sat up and turned to look at the dark lump sitting up in bed. “I exist sir. I hope you can forgive the eleven square feet of space I take up in your jail cell.”

He sighed and thumped the spot next to him in bed. “Just - get over here and stop making me feel bad.”

“I’m not going to assuage your guilty conscience by hopping into bed with you, sir.”

There was a moment of brief hesitation, as if he was scrambling to choose the right words. “First, I think that came out way more sexually than you intended, and secondly, why not?”

Zhu Li crossed her arms. “As someone who will soon be job-hunting, I don’t want to get a reputation for sleeping with my boss, in any sense of the word.” 

“Oh, come on, Zhu Li.” She could hear him gesture, the backs of his hands smacking the bedspread. “How is it any different than Ping Ping?”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“That little nap you took - I know. I woke up to you drooling on my collar.” 

Zhu Li was grateful the lights were out as she felt herself go brilliantly red. 

“Just get in bed with the man already, geeze!” came a muffled yell from across the corridor. “Some of us are tryna sleep here!” This sentiment was met with scattered applause. Somebody else hollered, “Lady, I’ll come and sleep with your boyfriend if it shuts him up!”

“You hear that?!” Varrick hissed, pulling the blanket to his chin. “We’re locked up in here with common criminals! I need you to watch my back - literally.”

Zhu Li stood with a sigh and crossed the room. As she lay down on top of the covers, balancing on the absolute farthest edge of the bed from him as she could manage, he muttered, “Just don’t let me wake up to find you practically in my lap, like last time.”

“I’ll try to contain myself, sir,” she said drily. 

~*~

Zhu Li woke to the smell of tea. 

She blinked. A cup sat on the nightstand, inches from her nose. Even without her glasses, she could see the steam rising from it, illuminated by the dim light shining through the bars. It must be early, if they hadn’t cut the lights on yet. She glanced down past her toes to the rest of the room, noticing the blue blanket carefully laid over her. A blurry figure - Varrick - was sitting in the armchair. He was bent over the tiny table next to it. It sounded like he was scribbling something. Finally he turned, seemed to realize she was awake, and capped the pen. “Good Morning.”

“Good Morning,” she replied, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.

He walked over and handed her the paper he’d just finished writing. “This is for you. Please don’t use it.”

Zhu Li carefully unfolded the letter and reached for her glasses.

To whom it may concern,

Zhu Li Moon has served as my personal assistant for the past year. 

During that time, she has helped oversee the day-to-day functions of the largest shipping corporation in the world, a company worth three billion yuans.

Zhu Li is an efficient multitasker who requires minimal supervision and has an uncanny knack for knowing exactly what she’s needed to be doing at any given moment. She goes above and beyond her duties as a personal assistant on a daily basis. I would feel safe leaving my entire company in her hands. In short, she is the most incredibly competent and deeply moral person I know. 

You would be a fool not to hire her. I wish you both the best of luck. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you’d like to speak further about Ms. Moon’s many exceptional qualities. 

Sincerely,

Here he had scribbled his name, illegible except for the giant 法. 

She knew, with Varrick’s signature, this letter would get her any job, anywhere. People would hire her for the opportunity to have an excuse to contact him alone. 

She swallowed. “Thank you.”

He stood there for another minute before nodding to the nightstand. “Your tea’s getting cold.” Then he disappeared into the bathroom. 

Zhu Li took a sip. It tasted like over-sweetened, over-boiled leaf juice. But it was the thought that counted. As she read the letter again, the lights clicked on. She checked her pocket watch. She had three hundred and twenty eight hours to make a decision. 

~*~

Varrick was taking the longest shower known to man and Zhu Li was beginning to wish she hadn’t finished off that cup of tea. When a buzzer sounded and Ginger appeared at the cell door, it was a welcome distraction.

“I brought you that stuff you asked for,” she said, holding up a bundle of clothes in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. She handed them to Zhu Li sideways through the bars.

“Thank you so much, Ginger… wait, where’s the front page of the United Daily News?” 

Ginger gave a long-suffering sigh and dug it out of her oversized bag. 

WORLD’S LEADING SHIPPING MAGNATE ATTEMPTS TO “SEAS” PRESIDENT RAIKO, the headline read. Below a picture of a ruffled Raiko and a picture of herself and Varrick being escorted into the back of the wagon in handcuffs, there was a large photo of Ginger and Bolin making out on the arena steps.

“Really?” Zhu Li said acidly, holding the paper up with her fingertips. 

Ginger shrugged. “I mean, you saw the kid in action. And seventeen and twenty-one ain’t that big a difference.”

“What about your other boyfriend? Shady Shin?”

Ginger blushed, then scowled. “Hey, Zhu Li - who's bringin’ you the stuff you asked for, in jail?”

Zhu Li sighed. “Point taken. But,” she looked back down at the newspaper, “really? ”

“Hey, not everybody just happens to get locked up with their billionaire work-husband,” said Ginger, wiggling her eyebrows and crossing her arms. “Some of us have to find love the old-fashioned way."

“Varrick is not my work-husband.” Zhu Li winced as the pitch of her voice went up an octave.

“Pfft. Yes he is. You work-divorced Nuvuk so you could work-marry him.”

“I did no such thing.” Her face was turning pink and it wasn’t entirely due to her aching bladder. “I am work-single!” she hissed. 

Varrick chose that moment to emerge from the bathroom, fully clothed, thankfully.

“Hey boss,” Ginger said, with a mischievous grin at Zhu Li.

“Ginger! How’s my favorite starlet this morning?” His eyes lit up as he saw the stack of papers. “Ooo… you brought us reviews?!”

“Oh, thank spirits,” Zhu Li whispered, as she made a bee-line for the now vacant bathroom. 

~*~

It was so weird, how they fell back into familiar rhythms, even given where they were and everything that had happened the day before. After reading all the reviews of the Nuktuk finale over a prison breakfast (the boiled eggs had smelled dicey - Zhu Li refused to let him eat one), Varrick had a variety of ideas on what direction future installments of the saga could take. He lay on the carpet while Zhu Li sat in the overstuffed chair, her feet tucked under her, taking copious notes. 

He stopped abruptly and sighed. His arms flopped out to his sides.

“Zhu Li, I’ve been thinking. I need you…”

Despite everything, her heart still flipped like a panda porpoise as he said those words. 

“...to man the glider that's gonna get us out of here.”

“You’re planning on staging a jailbreak, sir?” Her tone was disapproving.  

“Think of it as research and development - we’re testing our product to see if there are any flaws in the design.”

“And doing so requires jumping from the building.”

“Yes - Operation Winged Freedom.” He crawled over to the bed then pulled himself under it. There were some thumping noises, then an, “Ow.”

“Sir, are you okay under there?”

“Yes, yes…” he slid back out from beneath the bed and held up a folded glider in triumph. “Gotta keep it down here where Beifong can’t find it.”

Zhu Li examined the glider. “It’s a third generation.”

“Is that good?” he asked.

She forgot he wasn’t always up to date on every product he created, especially some of the more technical ones. “Yes, that’s good. It means it’s waterproof and doesn’t require a running start.”

“So in theory, we could just stand on the edge of the roof and… jump?”

“Yes, in theory. But how are you planning on getting to the roof?”

He tapped the side of his nose and winked. “Leave that up to me,” he said, confidently. He glanced back down to the glider. “I always meant to try one of these things out, but never found the time. Better late than never, I guess.”

“And after we jump from the roof - assuming that we manage to avoid crashing into another building - then what, sir?”

“We make a break for it, Zhu Li. Either the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom are our safest bets. You moved the money like I asked you to?”

She nodded. 

“Good. So in order to access it, we need to get to a bank in the Royal Caldera, Ba Sing Se, or some other major city.”

Zhu Li had a sudden thought and walked over to the bookcase to investigate. Sure enough, there was an atlas. She was also a little surprised to see another copy of The Adventures of Pao Ji - maybe she’d finally have time to finish it. She pulled out the atlas and brought it back to the rug. She flipped through until she found a map of Republic City and spread it open on the floor. Varrick leaned over the map to examine it with her.

“Ginger said Shesh had the good sense to take the yacht out to international waters when the reports started coming in, so that’s off the table,” he said. “The Zhu Li is long gone.” She glanced up at him. “My battleship. First time I’ve used someone’s actual name for a vessel,” he muttered, frowning. “That’s going to be really confusing, isn’t it? Anyway, in order to get to the Fire Nation, we’ll need a boat. How good are you at hijacking things?” He held up his hands defensively, anticipating her expression. “I kid, I kid. Maybe we can disguise ourselves and catch a ferry west.”

“It would be difficult in Republic City, sir. Our faces were in every paper.” Zhu Li turned a few pages and pointed to the western edge of the United Republic. “There’s another ferry at Shizi Gui Wan. If we can get to a station where we won’t be noticed, we could take the train there.”

He sat back on his heels and looked at her. “We don’t need the train - we’ve got your Sato!”

“So you do remember where it’s parked?” Zhu Li said, sitting up straighter and crossing her arms.

“Tuh, obviously. I’m not some blithering idiot. I had Sialuk check up on it once a week, make sure it hadn’t been impounded.” He flipped the page. “The less risky option, of course, is the Earth Kingdom. We could drive all the way to Ba Sing Se. The issue there is the queen.” He drew in a deep breath. “She’s… not exactly a fan.”

Zhu Li’s maternal grandparents had picked up their lives and left Ba Sing Se’s lower ring when Hou-Ting was preparing to take the throne, simply due to the then-princess’s bad reputation. She could only imagine what egregious offense Varrick had caused. She scanned the rest of the Earth Kingdom. 

“What about Omashu?” she asked.

“Of course!” he brightened. “Why didn’t I think of Omashu! We can look up Song, maybe crash with her while we’re waiting for the money to come through.” His brow furrowed. “That brings up the issue of cash - can’t exactly waltz into a bank and make a withdrawal right now.” He frowned at the paper. “I should’ve asked Ginger to sneak in some yuans...”

Zhu Li flipped back to the map of Republic City. “I’ve got money and supplies waiting for us at five warehouses - here, here, here, here, and here.” She dotted the locations on the map with her pen. “If we’re headed for Omashu, either the Industrial Sector or the Dragon Flats location would be on our way, depending on the route we take. We’ll need to drive south and catch a ferry, probably in Baowan.” She traced the zig-zag route with her finger.

The way he looked at her just then…

...she looked back down at the atlas. It wasn’t her he was beaming at, as if she’d invented starlight. It was her escape plan. Which had been necessary because he’d decided to kidnap the president. And lied about it. 

Three hundred and twenty one hours, she reminded herself.

~*~

As their first full day in prison wrapped up, Zhu Li found it harder and harder to push away Ginger’s nagging voice in her head. 

“Not everybody just happens to get locked up with their billionaire work-husband.”

They’d had their evening tea and completed their nightly rituals - Zhu Li making her way through several chapters of Pao Ji while Varrick practiced his breath holding and did his calisthenics. (He’d put in for a trademark on both.) Varrick had taken at least an hour in the bathroom, while Zhu Li had taken eight minutes. Despite this, he knocked as she was brushing her teeth - he’d forgotten to do the same - and insisted on sharing the sink. 

It was all so… domestic. As Zhu Li lay down on top of the covers in her pajamas - thankfully, Ginger had brought her baggiest, least flattering pair - she found herself having great difficulty not wanting to lean into the whole situation. 

“G’night, Zhu Li,” Varrick mumbled. He rolled away from her and was softly snoring within minutes. She closed her eyes and let herself drift off to the rhythm of his breathing.

In the middle of the night she woke to him muttering in his sleep.

“So… cold. Sn...no...”

Cautiously, she shifted away from the edge of the bed, her back still toward him. She could feel the heat of his body, an inch from hers. Slowly, carefully, she leaned back and closed the gap. Even through two sets of pajamas and a thin blanket, the contact ran through her like an electric shock. He sighed and slumped back, all his tension melting into her. She felt the rise and fall of his back against hers as his breathing evened out.

Three hundred and eight, his heartbeat seemed to say. She breathed to its tempo until her eyes grew heavy. In. Three. Hundred. And. Eight. Out. Three. Hundred. And. Eight.  In. Three... Hundred... And...

Chapter Text

It happened quickly - one minute, Zhu Li was enjoying her book, the next, she was hurtling through the air. She landed on the other side of the room. Adjusting her glasses, she looked up to see the huge hole a spirit vine had knocked through the wall of their cell.

As Varrick inspected their sudden means of escape, Zhu Li ducked under the bed and grabbed the glider. She was already strapping it on when he announced, "Zhu Li, commence Operation Winged Freedom!"

She leapt over The Adventures of Pao Ji as she ran toward the gaping hole in the wall. It was a shame she would have to leave it; she had reached the halfway point and all the different plot lines were starting to come together in intriguing ways. She knew the glider could only hold a specific weight and they were nearing the limit as was. Besides, it was unlikely she'd have any time for reading over the next few days. 

They hadn't had the opportunity to rehearse a tandem jump - for all either of them knew, they were plunging to their doom. But Zhu Li had experience with the glider and Varrick seemed to have faith in her. His trust was a comforting final thought before hopping on her boss's back like a koala sloth, wrapping her legs around him and snapping the safety brace in place as she encircled him with her arms.

They fell through the night sky. The wind whipped her hair against her face with the sharpness of knives. Over the whistle of air passing her ears as they hurtled through space, she heard Varrick yell, "Do the thing!"

With a sharp intake of breath, she reached up and squeezed the handle. Bat-like wings erupted from the sides of the glider. Gently, they rose up. Republic City sparkled beneath them. The wind blew under her glasses, making her eyes water. For just a moment, she buried her face in the back of Varrick's jacket.

A loud noise, like the sound of a thousand foghorns, startled her. She looked off to their left, toward the harbor. The gigantic dark spirit that had shone up about the same time spirit lights had filled the evening sky was blasting a pink ray of light that hurt her eyes and made the city below tremble.

"Zhu Li, take a note," Varrick shouted over the wind.

"I'm afraid that's rather difficult at the moment," she yelled back, digging her fingers into the front of his jacket.

"Take a mental note, then! Spirit energy power - we've got to figure out how to harness it."

"Noted."

They soared above the rooftops, avoiding the tallest of the buildings, which were growing close to level. Zhu Li mapped out the city in her mind, marking the shortest route to the closest warehouse. It was ten, maybe twelve blocks away. Given the chaos around them, it was unlikely anyone would detain them. They could make a run for it and be out of the city by daybreak.

"Are you ready, sir?" The pavement was coming up, fast. 

"I'm always ready, Zhu Li."

"Try to land at a run," she advised.

"I've already told you, I've got this!" He sounded annoyed.

The ground rose up to meet them. Zhu Li raised her hands to the grips, adjusting the glider's flaps for landing. She leaned in, her cheek against Varrick's jacket and her eyes closed as they braced for impact. Varrick managed to get in a few running steps before the speed at which they were going caught up with him and they toppled head over heels, still strapped together.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow..."

They bumped to a stop. 

Varrick unbuckled the harness and popped up to his feet, dusting off his jacket, no worse for the wear. As Zhu Li stood, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. She gritted her teeth. This could not have happened at a more inopportune time. Nevertheless, she rose to her feet and started walking east.

“Hey, hold up - we’ve gotta get your car.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her around the block. There, in a narrow alleyway, was a modest sato, its windshield and hood completely papered in tickets. Varrick hopped in the passenger seat. She opened the opposite door and stared across at him.

“You left the Sato you put in my name behind the Police Station.” 

“That was the whole point! Well, that and this. You’ve got your keys, right?”

He seemed to forget, she had never seen this car in her life. Her hands clutching the steering wheel, she glared at him.

“Fine. Scoot over so I can hotwire it.”

As Varrick pulled the wires out from under the dash, Zhu Li hit the spring-loaded window wipers. Tickets flew through the air like fresh snow. The engine rumbled to life. 

“The sweet sound of freedom!’ Varrick exclaimed.

“Not so fast,” Zhu Li glanced behind them, backing up and pulling out of the illegal parking spot. “We have to make a stop by the warehouse first, to pick up the go-bags.” She reached in her jacket pocket and handed him the torn-out atlas pages she’d marked up. “The Industrial Sector is still our best bet, with Dragon Flats as a back-up if that fails.”

Varrick stared at the papers in silence. While he didn’t always choose to use maps or navigational charts, she knew he could read them. Zhu Li glanced over then noticed she’d also handed him the letter of recommendation he’d written her. She snatched it back, tucking it safely inside her blazer. 

“Right. So, you wanna turn left up here…” She followed his directions. “Okay, now three streets down, you’re going to make another left.” 

She frowned. That didn’t sound correct. “Are you sure you’re holding the map the correct way, sir?”

“Of course I am, Zhu Li, what do you think - oh, wait. Never mind.” He reoriented the map as the Sato bumped down a street toward the harbor. As Zhu Li threw the vehicle into reverse, they caught a glimpse of the two monstrous figures battling it out in the bay beyond. Varrick turned completely around in his seat and squinted. “So the blue one’s the Avatar, obviously, but the giant walking manta-squid seems oddly familiar too.” 

Zhu Li glanced back in the rearview mirror. “Let’s just focus on getting out of here, sir.” She didn’t want to repeat the same mistake they’d made at the pro-bending arena, hanging around long enough to get caught, just because Varrick was entranced by some action sequence.

“Right… okay… the first bridge to the Industrial Sector should be on your right… now!”

She turned quickly; Varrick thrust a hand up to the roof to keep from tipping over. Immediately, Zhu Li hit the brakes. The road was filled with rubble and twisted metal. Beyond the blockage, the bridge stopped mid-arc, having been destroyed by the battling spirits or enormous vines that had sprung up in the chaos.

“Let’s try the next one down - six blocks,” Varrick said. The next bridge was in worse shape than the first, the top half of a building sitting where it’d once been. “Dragon Flats it is,” said Varrick. 

The bridge to Dragon Flats was, thankfully, intact. As Zhu Li drove across it and into the neighborhood, she switched off her headlights. Varrick frowned. “What are you doing that for?” he asked, reaching across the wheel to turn them back on. Zhu Li intercepted his hand and shook her head.

“I know what I’m doing, sir. Trust me.”

He sat back, arms folded. “You visit Dragon Flats often, huh?”

“Once a decade is enough for me.”

They arrived at the warehouse six turns later. Zhu Li pulled the vehicle behind some machinery but left it running. “Come on.” She left her door slightly ajar and winced as Varrick slammed his shut. 

“I own this junk heap?” Varrick asked, sounding disgusted, as they entered the warehouse.

“Rent’s cheap,” Zhu Li replied as she clambered over some barrels of industrial waste. She lifted the moth-eaten tarp and was relieved to see both bags were still there. She tossed the first one to Varrick. “Clothes are in the pack. Go change.”

He looked around the grim space. “Where?!”

Zhu Li sighed. “Anywhere, sir.”

“But my clothes are going to get dirty.”

Behind the barrels, Zhu Li was already pulling her new skirt up under her dress. “I’m afraid that’s a given, sir.” 

He’d obviously looked in the sack, because a moment later his voice was dangerously near, complaining, “Zhu Li, I can’t wear these.”

“I’m changing back here, sir, and I suggest you do the same. These clothes are going to help us blend in.”

He huffed, “Well, that’s an understatement,” and stalked off. 

As she wriggled her dress off over her head and slid her new blouse on, there was a crash across the room. Zhu Li popped her head up over the barrels but couldn’t spot Varrick. “I’m okay!” he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the cavernous space. Zhu Li finished buttoning her blouse and pulled on her new jacket. She kicked off her trusty grey heels and fastened the double straps on her new taupe ones. She’d just pulled on her gloves and hat and emerged from behind the barrels when Varrick appeared holding the sack in one hand and his old clothes in the other. “What do we do with these?”

“We leave them.”

“But this is my favorite jacket!”

“You can buy a new one later. Let’s get back to the Sato before someone else discovers it.”

Varrick shook his knapsack. “What else is even in here?” he asked as it clanked, then walked straight into Zhu Li’s back. She had frozen in the doorway of the facility.  Another set of headlights - no, two sets - were pulling into the lot. Immediately, Zhu Li ducked down and started rifling through the bag. “You pack any weapons in there?” Varrick asked, crouching beside her. 

“No sir.” Zhu Li found what she was looking for, rolled it up tightly, and stuck it down the buckle-side of her shoe. Varrick made a move as if he were going to run. She grabbed his collar and shook her head. The warehouse was surrounded by a high fence, and the other Satos were currently blocking their exit. Growing up, she’d seen time and time again that it was better to stand your ground than make a run for it. Runners got burnt, shattered bones, or worse.

“Security!” a voice called out as the car doors slammed. “Just checkin’ up on the joint, makin’ sure it’s real secure .” A second gangster laughed as the men drew closer. A flame sprung up in one’s hand, casting light on the entrance and revealing Varrick and Zhu Li.

“Breakin’ and enterin’? At this time of night?! Well, I’m shocked. Let’s get a better look atcha.” He held the flame down close to Zhu Li’s face and grinned. She stared right back at him with a stony expression. The firebender moved on to Varrick, tipping his hat up to see his face. “Heeey! Whaddya know? It’s Varrick!”

“Varrick - just the fella we’ve been looking for!” the earthbender exclaimed.

“Where’re your fancy duds, man?” the waterbender asked.

Varrick jerked his head back into the warehouse. “They’re in there, if you’d like to go shopping. Might have some motor oil on them, though.”

The firebender passed the flame a little closer, singing the end of Varrick’s moustache. He flinched. The firebender stood up and crossed his arms. He jerked his head. “Search ‘em.”

Zhu Li and Varrick were both pulled roughly to their feet and patted down. Zhu Li held her breath as the gangster’s hands skimmed her ankle, dangerously close to the buckles of her shoe. The items from their bags clattered as another goon dumped the contents on the ground, kicking through them.

“You two goin’ on a camping trip?” the earthbender asked, holding up a canteen. “I know you’re not plannin’ on splittin’ town before you pay up.”

The waterbender glanced up. “Hey, Flash - we got some cabbage over here.”

“How much?” the firebender asked, over his shoulder.

“At least a gee. No, wait -” he counted again. “Fifteen-hundred.”

The firebender nodded his head back and forth and and put on an exaggerated expression, as if he were considering the amount. “Okay…”

“Look,” said Varrick, in a cool and steady tone. “The job was two grand. I gave your organization a grand up front, you’ve taken that much more plus twenty-five percent interest. Viper will be more than pleased. He won’t be pleased if you put a damper on our business relationship.”

“I dunno. I don’t think Viper likes doin’ business with some sap who’s gonna flake out when payment comes due. What d’you think, boys?”

The boys didn’t get a chance to answer; just then, a red sports car pulled up. Zhu Li recognized the lanky waterbender who climbed out of the driver’s seat. She narrowed her eyes. 

“And how are we doin’ this fine evening, gentlemen?” Shady Shin asked.

“We’re doin’ just fine. He ain’t.” One of the gangsters pointed to Varrick.

“Well, well, well.” Shin sauntered closer. “If it isn’t our esteemed philanthropist. Man of the hour. Viper’s been lookin’ for you.” He turned his blue gaze to Zhu Li. “And who’s this little lady?”

“Leave Zhu Li out of this,” Varrick gritted.

Shady Shin’s eyes widened. “Zhu Li, huh? Pleased to make your acquaintance. My girl can’t shut up about you.”

“You seen day-before-yesterday’s paper?” the earthbender cracked. “I don’t think she’s your girl no more!” The other goons laughed.

Shady Shin shrugged. “She knows what she’s doin’. Kissing that kid for publicity don’t mean she’s not coming home to me at the end of the night.”

The other waterbending gangster hooted. Zhu Li felt her hands tremble with rage and carefully hid them from view.

“We got fifteen-hundred from ‘em,” Flash reported. “We were just considerin’ if he’d covered the interest, late fees, pain and sufferin’ - all that.”

“Fifteen, you say?” Shady Shin cocked his head and let out a hiss. “That’s cutting it close.”

“We’ve got a Sato -” Varrick blurted out. “Brand new. It’s just around the corner.”

Shin nodded. “Okay. Now that sweetens the deal.” He jerked his head and the earthbender went to go check it out. A minute later he pulled it up front. He leaned out the window and patted the side.

“Like my new ride?” he asked, with a cheeky grin.

“That’s Viper’s,” Shin reminded him. He looked Varrick and Zhu Li up and down once more. “You splittin’ town?”

They nodded.

“Probably for the best. Heard what happened with the president - can’t believe the two of you almost pulled it off.”

Varrick must have given Zhu Li a sideways glance because Shin chortled. “Wait - you didn’t loop her in? No wonder it didn’t work.” He turned to face his compatriots. “Alright, let’s split, fellas.” 

“We’re just leavin’ ‘em here?” the firebender asked.

“My girl adores the one and gets paid by the other,” Shin said, climbing back in his car. “She’d be real torn up if anything happened to ‘em - I’d never hear the end of it.”

“Have fun on your camping trip!” the earthbender cackled, as he drove their Sato out of the lot. The other three cars followed closely behind. 

Varrick looked at Zhu Li as if to say, well - now what?

~*~

Varrick set his knapsack down in the middle of the street and sprawled out. “I’m beat!” he exclaimed. 

Zhu Li hitched her pack over her other shoulder. “Sir, we’ve gone less than a mile. We’re still in Republic City.” She walked back and held out her hand to help him up. 

He waved her off. “No, no… Just leave me here for Beifong to find me.”

Zhu Li let out a deep sigh. This was the third time he’d pulled this stunt in the last forty minutes. They had to keep moving; he didn’t seem to get this. She looked around the abandoned street. They had made it to the outskirts of Dragon Flats; the neighborhood was becoming increasingly suburban. A few restaurants, some clothing stores, a barber shop, and a small corner grocery dotted the street. In the alley between the last two was a dumpster, filled with rotten produce and buzzing with bumbleflies. On its side next to the dumpster lay an abandoned barber’s chair, missing its pedestal. Zhu Li had an idea. 

“Zhu Li?” Varrick called out. “I didn’t actually mean leave me, leave me. I was speaking figuratively. What are you -? Oh.”

Zhu Li had pulled a length of rope from her knapsack and had strung it to several key points on the back of the barber’s chair. Using her knapsack as padding, she slid her arms through two of the loops.

“Hop on,” she gritted out. Varrick did so, happily. 

Using all her strength, Zhu Li managed to push one knee up off the ground, then the other. Shakily, she stood, leaning forward to balance the weight on her back. She took one step forward, then another, and discovered the chair was easier to carry when in motion. Her walking strides quickly turned into a jog.

From behind her, she heard Varrick sigh. “Ahh… this is the way to travel, Zhu Li.” She almost lost her balance as he leaned over the edge of the chair at the same moment she placed her weight on her injured ankle. “Hey, did you pack any of that green tea I like?”

It was going to be a long trip to Omashu.

Chapter Text

Zhu Li’s ankle was throbbing. They’d been on the move since midnight. Judging by the sun filtering through the leafy trees overhead, it was now afternoon. It had been twenty hours since she’d slept. Zhu Li had never in her life imagined she’d find herself longing for a prison bed, but it had been comfortable and warm... and full of Varrick. 

Half-lost in daydreams, Zhu Li lost her footing on an ill-placed rock in the road. Her knee seized up and buckled. She tried to fall as gracefully as she could manage, but it was hard with the contraption on her back. She landed, with an, “Oof,” on her hands and knees on the dusty dirt track. 

“Why are we stopping?” Varrick’s voice came from the chair. When she didn’t answer, he hopped down and strolled around to look at her. “Huh.” He squatted down to her eye-level. “Zhu Li, are you broken?”

“I - I think so, sir,” she replied, hanging her head.

He stood up, hands on his hips. “Well, why didn’t you say something?! C’mon, let’s get you out of the road.” He helped her untwine herself from the ropes tied to the back of the barber’s chair. As she scooted into the grass, he tugged on the back of the chair. “Whew…” he said after a minute of exertion. “This thing will not budge.”

“Try pushing it, sir.”

He did so, to little effect. Zhu Li hobbled to her feet and hopped forward. She tipped her weight on the back of the chair as Varrick pushed and it tumbled over toward the roadside.

“Eh,” he said, dusting his hands. “That’s good enough. Alright - let’s see the damage.”

Shakily, Zhu Li unfolded her legs from under her - first her left, then her right. Her ankle was roughly the size, shape, and color of a ripe mango. Varrick leaned down and examined it. He reached out a finger and poked her ankle; Zhu Li hissed. 

“You know what that ankle needs?” he said, in a quietly sincere tone that could almost be mistaken for caring.

“What, sir?”

He grinned widely. “Exercise!” ...And there it was.

Two hundred and forty-eight hours, she reminded herself.

~*~

First, he’d tried on the chair. “Yeah, that’s not going to work.” Then he’d tried lifting her on his back. He’d managed three very labored steps before dumping her in the grass. Ten feet at most and now her tailbone was throbbing as well. “I guess I could walk for help,” he thought out loud.

“I think you’re going to have to,” she said. She unbuckled her shoe and fished out the money she’d managed to hide from the Triple Threats - ¥500.

“Ew, you hid our money in your shoe?!”

“Better mine than yours, sir.”

“Truer words were never spoken, Zhu Li. No, no… you hold onto your shoe money,” he said as she offered the bulk of it to him. “Let’s see that map again.” Zhu Li dug the torn-out page from the pocket inside her jacket. Her fingers slid over the folded letter of recommendation she was keeping there as well. 

“It looks like Makapu is a few miles ahead. I’ll go find a Sato and we’ll be on our way.”

Zhu Li’s eyes narrowed. By find, he clearly meant hot-wire and steal.

“Or, I guess I could let them all know we’re escaped fugitives fleeing from justice and we’d really like their help, please and thank-you,” he said in a tone that made it clear he found her moral objections ridiculous. “Zhu Li, we can’t possibly walk all the way to Omashu, even with four perfectly good ankles.”

He honestly couldn’t be left alone. Zhu Li, clutching the nearest sapling, rose to her feet. Just as she did so, a silver Sato purred over the hill and zoomed past. A half-second later, the convertible slowed down and pulled to the side of the road. The woman in the driver’s seat exchanged a few words with the man next to her. Despite the fact they were both visibly Zhu Li’s age or younger, the woman turned back and called out, “You kids need a ride?” 

A grin spread across Varrick’s face. “You’re darn tootin’!” He hurried to the car; Zhu Li kept up as best she could on one foot. 

“Hop in the back!” 

Varrick easily cleared the body of the convertible and plopped into a leather seat. As Zhu Li climbed in more gingerly, he seemed to remember she might need some assistance and offered her his hand. Taking it, she sank down into the seat behind the driver, set her bag next to Varrick’s, and slid off her right heel. Blessed relief.

“He’s Shimu, I’m Xue,” the driver said, glancing back. “How about you?”

“The name’s Bohai, Bohai Blackstone. And this is my wife, Beryl.”

Zhu Li eyebrows shot up. She took a break from massaging her ankle to shoot him a look, but Shimu turned around in his seat to shake Varrick’s hand at the same moment. 

“Nice to meet you. Where’re you folks headed?” Shimu asked.

“Omashu,” Varrick replied. “Visiting my aunt till this spirit nonsense gets cleaned up.”

Shimu nodded. “It sounds like a mess up there in Republic City! Our instruments were going crazy - looked like serious seismological activity. We got in the car to drive up, but when we switched on the radio, we heard about the Harmonic Convergence business.” 

“It’s good that you did. There are giant vines everywhere! Had one tear through the wall of our…” Zhu Li gave him a warning glance, “... living room. Decided it was best to get out while we still could.”

Xue glanced in the rearview mirror. “If you’re headed for Omashu, you’ve got a long trip ahead of you.”

Varrick gave Zhu Li a pointed look. “We were just discussing that. What’re our options, transportation-wise?”

“A ferry is probably your best bet. You can catch one from Baowan - it’s the southernmost town in the United Republic.”

Varrick frowned. “Isn’t Omashu inland?”

“It is - but it’s still close enough to an inlet that it’s quicker to sail there than to drive. If you want to drive, you practically have to go to Ba Sing Se and back.”

“I can’t believe there’s not a better network of roads.”

“Oh, there are roads,” Xue laughed. “But once you hit the Earth Kingdom, they’re mostly just ancient cobblestone tracks for ostrich horse buggies.”

“You’d think Future Industries or Cabbage Corp would petition the Earth Queen to build some. Or subsidize it themselves, to help expand their market.”

 “The Earth Kingdom’s too large to make that cost effective, sir,” Zhu Li said without thinking. She immediately paled at her slip. Shimu, still turned around in his seat, glanced between them. 

Varrick played it off expertly. “Gee, thanks, madame.” He lightly tapped her nose and gave her a grin. “My wife’s the Earth Kingdom expert in this family.”

Shimu shook his head. “Your wife’s right. But it also doesn’t help that the Queen is stuck in the past. If the project doesn’t benefit the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, it never gets off the ground. Anyway, as I was saying, the ferry’s your best bet, though it can be a little pricey.”

“How pricey?” 

“¥300 per person.”

Zhu Li and Varrick exchanged a glance. They were ¥100 short of two tickets, even with no other expenditures.

“We’re headed back to Makapu today,” Xue said, breaking the awkward silence, “but we’re traveling to Pohuai, day after tomorrow. I’m sure you could find someone there who could give you a lift to Baowan.”

Varrick opened his mouth. Zhu Li was certain he was going to push further, so she intervened. “Thank you. We’d appreciate that.”

Varrick leaned back, slinging his arm across the top edge of the seats. “The two of you came along just in the knick of time. Beryl here sprained her ankle and I was going to have to carry her. It wouldn’t have been pretty.”

Xue glanced in the mirror. “Yikes. That’s a nasty bruise! You should elevate it till we can get someone to look at it.”

Unexpectedly, Varrick reached down and plopped her stockinged foot in his lap. “So you folks are seismologists?”

“He is,” Xue said. “I’m technically a volcanologist. We work at the observatory in Makapu.” 

Usually, Zhu Li would have been fascinated by the subject, but as Varrick and the couple chatted about rocks and lava and explosions, it was hard to not be intently focused on his hands, which had completely encased her foot. The right hand folded around her toes, his warm palm to the ball of her foot. With the left, his thumb gently rubbed her arch. He didn’t even seem to realize he was doing it, but spirits, it felt amazing. She let herself melt into the car’s upholstery and gazed up at the leaves as they whizzed down the road. Turning a bend, they caught sight of Mount Makapu and the conversation turned in that direction.

“The last time Makapu erupted?” Shimu let out a long breath. “It’s been what, seventy years, seventy-five? Of course, technology has come a long way since then.” 

They hit a bump in the road and Zhu Li flinched. Varrick finally seemed to realize what he was doing and released her foot. 

They arrived at the observatory five minutes later. Varrick helped her out of the car, but completely forgot about the bags. She slung them over her shoulder, hobbling after Xue and Shimu, who were still chatting about the campus. 

“That rock formation behind the building was created by the Avatar when he saved Makapu during the last eruption. It runs around the entire town,” Xue was saying. “Goodness, Beryl - let me help you with those!” 

Varrick jumped slightly, and guiltily grabbed both bags. He hitched one over his back, stooping with the weight, and dragged the other behind him as they entered the white, modern building. 

“Our geochemist just got recruited by the Fire Nation, so we’ve got a free room.” Shimu showed them down the hall. Zhu Li was relieved to see the room was dormitory style, with two beds. As much as she had enjoyed the past two nights - maybe a little too much, if she was being honest - it was time to wake up and return to reality. From here on out, it would be two beds or the floor for her. She hobbled to the far bed, where she sat and propped up her ankle.

“Xue and I need to take care of some work, but the whole gang usually heads down to the Shirshu Shack on Friday nights. If you’d like to come with us and grab some dinner, I can give you a yell. The food’s nothing to write home about, but the atmosphere is fun.”

“That would be great. Thanks, Shimu,” Zhu Li said, leaning to maintain eye contact as Varrick practically closed the door on the scientist. 

He dropped their bags with a heavy thunk. “Yeesh. I thought he’d never leave.” 

“He’s just being hospitable. Speaking of which, thanks for the foot rub, dear,” she said caustically. 

He flopped down on the other bed. “Hey - you took care of the costuming, I’m in charge of backstory. Staying incognito is our best bet. We may have left Republic City, but we’re still technically in the United Republic and I wouldn’t put it past Beifong to come down here and drag us back herself.”

“I think Chief Beifong has other, more pressing matters to deal with right now, sir.” Zhu Li sighed. “At least we have two beds.”

His head popped up. “You don’t have to look that happy about it.”

The innuendo was fairly harmless, but still, she narrowed her eyes. Boundaries were important, especially when you had a crush on your boss and then he’d gone and broken your heart by attempting a coup d’etat. “If we’re supposed to be married,” she explained, “then logistically, I’m just not looking forward to sleeping on the floor every night.”

He tutted. “No need to worry about that, Zhu Li. Given our budget, after tonight, we’ll both be sleeping on the ground, or in a tree! (You said you packed hammocks, right?) Anyway, it was the simplest explanation. We’re clearly not blood-related and of course you’d be married to a handsome guy like me. Any other story would be unnecessarily complicated.”

She wasn’t sure if he’d intended to pay her a compliment or if he was paying himself two. 

He continued. “I think we should keep up this crazy charade at least until we’ve left the United Republic. And it’s not as if we haven’t slept together before. Oh, don’t give me that look - you know what I meant. Where’s that map again?”

She dug the pages out of her jacket pocket and spread them across her bed in order. He came over and sat down at the foot of it.

“So right now, we’re…”

“Here.” She pointed to the volcano marked on the map.

“And to get to Omashu, we need to go…”

“Here.”

He frowned. “We can’t just cut across here?” he asked, gesturing down a less mountainous route.

She shook her head. “That’s the Great Divide. Trust me, we don’t want to bother.”

“So we’re here, and we want to go here, and Pohuai is…”

“Pohuai’s here, sir.” She pointed again.

Pohuai’s miles out of the way!”

“It’s where the nearest bridge is. We’ll end up walking the same distance, but this way, we won’t have to pay someone to row us across.”

“The infrastructure outside of Republic City is ridiculous.” He shook his head. “So we go here, and then there, and then we catch the ferry here.”

“Then you catch the ferry,” she said. “Remember? It’s ¥300 per person. We only have five hundred... less after tonight.”

“So we’ll make more money!”

“There aren’t a lot of opportunities to do so along the way, sir.” It was why her parents had sent her to Republic City in the first place.

“So we’ll find more money.”

She shot him a sharp look. He frowned back. “Then what do you propose, Lawful Ling?”

“Either you go to Omashu and wire the money back when you get there or I walk and meet you there.”

He crossed his arms. “Finding money sounds much simpler.”

There was another option she hadn’t considered. They would be passing through Haizun; it might be possible to ask her parents for a loan. Under normal circumstances, Zhu Li would never have dreamed of asking her mother and father to lend her money, but since she’d been working for Varrick, she’d been able to send a generous amount to her parents (and her uncle) every month. By this point, they almost certainly had a healthy cushion…

“Zhu Li, hand me the thing.”

Varrick was still intently examining the map, now measuring distances with his index finger. She passed him a pen and continued considering their predicament.

She was also aware that the disruption to their lives could very well translate into disruption of her paycheck. She’d wiped out her savings in preparing the go-bags and didn’t know when she’d next be able to send money home. And besides, she didn’t want her parents involved in this fiasco. They were citizens of the United Republic of Nations as well. What would they think if they heard she’d been involved in a plot to kidnap the president, even tangentially? What would they say if they discovered she’d been in jail, even if it was technically for a traffic violation? No, it was better to pass through Haizun unnoticed and leave her parents out of this.

Plus, how would she even begin to explain Varrick? Varrick, who was currently lolling at the foot of her bed and scrawling thick, dark lines across their only map. Varrick, with whom she’d shared a platypus bear suit for a full day, who’d bought her a car for the sole purpose of earning her a misdemeanor so she could join him in his fancy jail cell, who’d trusted her with his life without a second thought as they jumped from a hole in a multistory building. Varrick, who’d made her carry him twenty miles and suggested her badly swollen ankle simply needed exercise, Varrick who gave frankly amazing foot rubs and had called her his wife?

Two hundred and forty two hours. 

The knock on their door made them both jump. Varrick stood and hurriedly gathered the pages back up, stashing them in his bag.

“We’ll be leaving in ten,” Shimu called. 

“Be right out!” Zhu Li called back. 

Varrick fixed his cravat in the small mirror as Zhu Li gingerly got to her feet and hobbled to the door. He must have caught her reflection as he turned and asked, “Where’s your hat?”

Zhu Li sighed as she looked back to her bed, where the hat sat. Varrick strode over to her bed, grabbed the cloche, and pulled it snugly onto her head as he met her at the door. 

“You can’t not wear your hat. It’s part of your disguise!” He offered his arm as support. She gladly took it. “C’mon, rabaroo. Hand over the cash and let’s hop our way to some dinner.” 

The sun was just setting as they met Xue and Shimu at the car, casting a fiery glow over the dormant volcano that loomed above the observatory. Another scientist joined them - Zhu Li slid to the middle so Shimu could squeeze into the back. Xue switched on the headlights before starting down the curved drive, then headed south. For the next twenty minutes, Zhu Li listened to the scientists and Varrick chatter about a few of their current projects. Apparently, all the damage that had happened in Republic City was due to a new spirit portal being ripped open, like the one they’d observed at the South Pole. The effect had been similar to a minor earthquake, and because of that, everyone was keeping a close eye on the tectonic plates, the volcano, and the tides at the nearby beach.

“Speaking of seismological events...” Shimu quipped as they turned off the main road.

Zhu Li heard the Shirshu Shack before she saw it. The drive up to it was just as winding as the one up to Mount Makapu, and the jazz being played was loud. The building itself looked ancient and about ready to shake apart at the seams. The front door swung open and the music blared even more deafeningly as a small group stumbled past the cloth banner that hung by the entrance.

The interior was what you’d expect from the exterior, every inch of it constructed from wobbly wooden beams. The space was multiple stories and possibly functioned as an inn, though Zhu Li was skeptical of how much sleeping could possibly go on upstairs. The center of the room was open to the ceiling. Tucked under the second-story walkway, a wide bar took up an entire wall. Varrick helped Zhu Li to a stool. Xue leaned on the counter between them

“Hope you don’t mind. Our well-researched data indicates the bartender is quickest to respond when I’m the one ordering,” she yelled with a wink.

“Not at all,” Varrick yelled back. “First round’s on me!” Zhu Li watched helplessly as ¥20 slid across the counter.

Soon, a few more of the Makapu crowd had joined and a second round was ordered (thankfully, not on their tab this time - Varrick had reached into his pocket but Zhu Li had managed to catch his eye and shake her head. They had ordered a few plates of bar food, as had the others, to share. Currently a platter of Komodo chicken skewers and a row of pentapus stuffed with turtleduck egg sat on the bar in front of her. Varrick, in his element, was meeting new people and schmoozing his way round the room.

 A girl approached the bar and plopped down next to Zhu Li. “Hi,” she yelled over the music. She stuck out a hand. “Mei Pei. I work with Xue and Shimu. They said something about an ankle?” 

Zhu Li shook her hand and nodded. “Zh-Beryl. Nice to meet you. I think it’s just a sprain.”

“Is it alright if I take a look at it? I might be able to help.”

Zhu Li nodded and Mei Pei hopped off the stool so she could prop her foot up. 

“Yikes! How long were you walking on this?”

“A while,” Zhu Li admitted.

Mei Pei signaled for the bartender. “A glass of water?” The bartender rolled her eyes, but brought a glass. Mei Pei bent the water out of the glass so that it encased both her hands like gloves. She hovered them over Zhu Li’s ankle before engulfing it. The water was cool and soothing, but she could also feel some sort of current running through it. Not electricity… energy, perhaps? As Mei Pei worked her hands in fluid motions wrapping around and around again, the pain in Zhu Li’s ankle built and then subsided.

She carefully rotated it and was amazed to find it only slightly ached. The swelling had gone down completely, and the color was close to normal. “Thank you so much.”

Mei Pei smiled. “Happy to help! I don’t often get to practice. I’m not a master so it’s not perfect - I’d still take it easy for a day or two.” 

“I will - Xue and Shimu have kindly offered to drive us to Pohuai, so we have an extra day in Makapu tomorrow.” 

“So I heard! That’s your husband, right?” Mei Pei nodded to another table where shots were being poured. People standing round the table were stacking cards into buildings; Varrick was building a veritable skyscraper, much to the delight of the group. Cheers rose when one of the smaller structures toppled and its builder threw back a shot for every six cards that had landed flat. 

“Yes,” Zhu Li sighed. “Bohai Blackstone. That’s my husband.”

~*~

They made it back to the observatory a few hours later, fed and only slightly worse for the wear. In the women’s bathroom, Zhu Li scrubbed her teeth and allowed herself a full ten-minute shower for once, thankful she’d packed basic toiletry kits. She dug through her bag for plain cotton pajamas and headed back to the room. Arriving before Varrick, she pulled the blanket over her legs and started taking notes for the day in her journal. Distance traveled, money spent, people who had helped - when they got to Omashu, she wanted to look into the best way to thank each of them for their generosity. 

Varrick entered, winced as the door slammed behind him, and flopped face-first into his bed. He’d managed to use a deck and a half before his tower had come tumbling down. The base had been sturdy enough that only thirty-seven cards landed flat on the table. Even so, it was probably good they weren’t setting out tomorrow morning. Wrapping himself in the blanket, Varrick flopped again, dragging his pillow over his head.

“I’ll be done in just a minute, sir.”

“...never be able to sleep with all that scratching,” came a muffled mutter.

By the time she finished her log entry, only moments later, he was snoring softly. With a slight smile, she quietly put the notebook away and clicked off the light.

Chapter Text

Zhu Li was alarmed when she woke up the following morning and Varrick was not in his bed. The sunlight streamed through the tall windows into the whitewashed, utilitarian dorm, falling across his crumpled sheets. Checking her pocket watch, she was surprised she’d slept so long - this was typically an hour when he’d wake up, never her. But before she could get up and go searching for him, the door opened and he entered the room backwards, holding a tray with two steaming cups of tea and two bowls of rice.

“Ha! I tried your trick.” He jerked his head toward the door with a grin, handing her a cup. She blew on it before taking a sip. It was awful. She took a bite of the food, to help swallow it down. The rice wasn’t bad, topped with scallions and a fried egg.

Varrick was busy digging into his own breakfast, sitting cross-legged on the bed across from her. “Shimu saw me making tea and threw in the rice to go with it. Such a great guy! You’d think we were guests at the Four Elements back in Republic City, the way they’ve treated us.”

She experienced his manic side almost every day, but when coupled with actual considerate behavior, it was rather disconcerting. Zhu Li waited for the other foot to fall. Why was he buttering her up? Had he stolen a car? Tried to depose Fire Lord Izumi? Done something worse?

He glanced over and noticed her assessing him. 

“Eat up, Beryl! We’ve got a full day! The sun is shining! We should take advantage of all Makapu has to offer!”

~*~

Makapu didn’t have much to offer. 

Apparently a hike up the volcano was a popular pastime, but Zhu Li’s ankle wasn’t quite ready for mountain climbing yet. They walked around the central square, pretty with its white plaster, gold-roofed buildings, and peeked in several shops. THE AVATAR SAVED MY TOWN seemed to be a popular tunic slogan, displayed alongside painted wooden models of an erupting volcano. Oddly, there were several tea shops with signs out front advertising leaf readings, at a hefty cost. Zhu Li was about to suggest a walk down to the river when Varrick’s attention was caught by a faded sign, hanging from the large building directly in the shadow of the volcano.

AUNT MENG

THE ORIGINAL MAKAPU FORTUNE-TELLER

He pointed. “That looks like a fun way to waste an hour.”

“I don’t know, sir.” He cleared his throat dramatically. “Dear,” she corrected herself, still not managing to keep the hard edge from her voice.

“C’mon, Beryl! Don’t you want to see the future?” He wiggled his fingers as he typically did when talking about anything metaphysical.

“How much does the future cost?” 

Varrick gestured to the small lettering at the bottom of the sign. “That’s the best part - it’s free!”

“You still need to tip if someone’s providing a service,” Zhu Li said. 

“Well, how much does that cost?” Varrick asked. “Ten, twenty yuans each?”

Zhu Li winced. The man really had no idea what a yuan was worth. “Closer to five. For both.”

“Oh come on, Beryl - we can spend five yuans. Think of all the money waiting for us in Omashu!” 

She dropped her head slightly in concession.

Giddily, Varrick reached up and tugged on the golden cord. Inside the building, a distant bell rang. A young girl with a long, thick ponytail, threaded through with colorful ribbons, answered the door. “Hello. Welcome to Aunt Meng’s. Please have a seat.” She gestured to some moth-eaten embroidered cushions along one edge of the room. “Would you like some tea and beancurd puffs?”

“Yes, please!” Varrick exclaimed. He elbowed Zhu Li as the girl bowed and exited. “Look at that, Beryl! Lunch is even included. What a bargain!”

Zhu Li mentally added another three yuans to their tip. 

On the wall hung a painting of a middle-aged woman with an impressive amount of hair woven in a large braid around the back of her head. Next to her was a smiling man of similar age, handsome, but with very prominent ears. At their feet sat three teenage daughters. Nearby was a black and white photo of the couple, many years older. There were several other photos of the girls as well, older now and with husbands and children of their own. One of the little girls pictured looked very much like the girl that had let them in.

A stout woman swept into the room, garbed in long pink and purple robes. She was even older than she’d looked in the photograph. 

“Aunt Meng? The name’s Bohai. Bohai Blackstone. Pleased to meet you!” Varrick hopped up and pumped her hand enthusiastically.

“Why, yes dear. But please have a seat - ladies first.” Varrick looked disappointed for a moment, but Aunt Meng flashed him a cheeky wink that seemed to appease him, just as her granddaughter appeared with the tea and beancurd puffs. 

Aunt Meng escorted Zhu Li down a dim and slightly smoky hallway. She slid a partition aside to reveal a room with a sunken center, covered in thin, red carpets and more ancient pillows and poufs. “Come in my dear, come in.”

There was so much to look at - while the center of the room was clear, aside from a copper brazier, the edges of the room were packed with various curios and knick-knacks. Ancient cabinets loomed, chests, books and scrolls were displayed haphazardly, and a large bell stood against one wall. A monkey with jeweled eyes stared down at Zhu Li from a packed bookcase, almost hostilely. A portrait of the big-eared man, dark-haired and youthful in the painting, rested on a shrine in the corner with several sticks of incense burning in front of it. 

As the woman stooped around the room, lighting candles, she asked, “You are with the watertribe man you came in with, I presume.”

Zhu Li wasn’t exactly sure what Aunt Meng meant by with, but she said, “Yes,” all the same.

“Hmph,” Aunt Meng replied. Zhu Li didn’t how to take that - was the old lady xenophobic or did she detect something was amiss in their story? She sat and motioned for Zhu Li to follow her lead. She held out her hand. “Let me see your palm.” Aunt Meng put a pair of glasses on her nose and carefully turned, poked, and prodded Zhu Li’s hand. “Hmm…” she said. “What do you know about the ancient art of palmistry?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Zhu Li replied, truthfully.

She started with the line that ran across the top of Zhu Li’s palm. “This is the heart line.” She moved closer and touched the line in the very center of her palm. “This is the head line.” She moved her finger down to the line that hugged the curve of her hand by her thumb. “This is the life line. Think of them as body, mind, and soul.” Moving backwards, she traced each one as she spoke. Zhu Li shivered. Aunt Meng grabbed her hand tighter and pulled it forward. 

“My, you have a long heart line! You are patient, a good problem solver. And steady - see how it runs parallel to your head line? There are several fractures in your past, where your trust has been broken, but the line only continues to grow deeper and stronger. There is one more break not far in your future.” She tapped the spot with a long nail. “Maybe a few years down the road - be mindful of that. Your head line is straight as well, long and deep. You are clear and focused. But see these crosses? These indicate life-changing decisions you have made or will make.” She glanced up at Zhu Li. “In fact, it would seem you are facing one right now.” 

Zhu Li said nothing, but was acutely aware of the letter of recommendation buried inside her jacket pocket, just above her heart. 

Aunt Meng continued. “Your life line is straight and shallow. You are cautious in relationships, afraid of being hurt. And here, it breaks twice in close succession. This is another major life change to watch for, though it may be a career change rather than a personal one - difficult to tell. Your line of destiny starts higher up and crosses your life line. You are a very private person, though you are influenced deeply by others. It runs up into your earth finger, meaning you shoulder a great amount of responsibility. And this cross here - you are a bender,” she glanced up at Zhu Li’s impassive face and back-peddled, “or may have been strongly influenced by one. A parent perhaps - it’s in your blood, but the elemental origins are difficult to decipher.” 

“Speaking of family…” She turned Zhu Li’s hand on its side, “Oh my goodness - so many children!” When Zhu Li made a bewildered face, she hurried on, “These may not be your own children of course, but young people you have had a strong influence on. Maybe nieces and nephews, or students. And looking at major romantic relationships - you see here, there are two. Close together - and how unusual! The one arcs over the other. Very interesting.” When Zhu Li said nothing, she paused. “Do you have questions about anything I’ve said, lines of inquiry you’d like to pursue further?”

Zhu Li didn’t believe in palm reading in the slightest - the accuracies in Aunt Meng’s reading had been offset by the obvious blunders. But to be a convincing fortune-teller, you had to be good at reading people, at feeding them information they needed or wanted to hear. And right now, Zhu Li had no one else to talk to.

“When I’m facing an important decision,” she asked, “how do I know when I’ve made the right choice?”

“Let me see your other hand.” Reluctantly, Zhu Li extended it to her. The old lady studied it for a minute.

“The hand I’ve already explained to you is what is. This hand,” she placed her fingers in Zhu Li’s left palm, “is what could be. In examining both, I see some differences and similarities. Here is what I can tell you -” she squeezed the sides of her palms. “You have great resilience. You have a serious work ethic. You are loyal. You have the ability to do important things, to tackle difficult problems, to guide many people.” She looked from one palm to the other. “No matter what you decide, you will be fine.”

She released Zhu Li’s hands, finally. Zhu Li nodded and stood to go.

“But, my dear…” Aunt Meng looked up. Zhu Li paused and turned back to the old woman.

“Choose happiness. Always choose happiness.” 

Aunt Meng waited a moment to let those words settle, then sighed. “Alright.” She raised her voice. “NEXT.”

While she and Varrick traded places, Zhu Li considered happiness. She wasn’t an unhappy person. But happiness had never made it onto her list of priorities. Doing good work and being appropriately compensated for it, steadily building security for yourself and the people you cared for brick by brick… That in itself was happiness, wasn’t it?

It might have, in the past. Until Huang showed her the possibility of more. Then broke her heart.

Zhu Li sighed and helped herself to a beancurd puff.

“Excited about the future, I see,” Varrick deadpanned as the girl led him back into the waiting room. Zhu Li thanked the child and slid her eight yuans. “Now what?”

Zhu Li stood. “I wouldn’t mind a walk down to the river.”

“Great idea! Exercise that ankle, get it ready for tomorrow. Hey, do you think we could get Shimu and Xue to swing back by and pick up my chair?” She glanced sideways, ready to respond cuttingly, but his eyes sparkled with glee. He honestly got too much delight out of teasing her, but it would never have worked if the situations he put her in weren’t so outlandish in the first place.

A nice, riverside stroll. No ridiculously-rigged chairs, no triads, no plots or schemes or machinations. Just an employee and her boss, having a nice stroll. With two hundred and twenty-six hours for her to decide if that’s what they would remain. 

Planted along the muddy riverbank, deep blue wisteria hung heavily on low branches. Patches of long-cooled lava crept onto the gravel path here and there, looking like the swirls and lines of a giant palm. In the trees across the river, a chorus of cicadas hummed in unison. Varrick drew in a deep breath. “Let me guess, you’re going to marry a short earthbender named Trang, move to Ba Sing Se, and have six children before dying in a tragic ballooning accident at the age of ninety-one.”

“Your insight is uncanny, sir,” Zhu Li said drily. “Were you satisfied with your fortune as well?”

“Eh, it was mostly some mumbo-jumbo about my head and heart being all wavy. She said my line of destiny was deep though, which is good for business. Oh, and that our upcoming journey would be successful. Y’know, back when I was in the circus, I was a palm reader for a few days...”

As he continued chatting, she realized that it was a little unusual that she had been considering her two weeks notice as something that could be reversed at any time. But given Varrick’s words to her back when Song had retired, as well as what he’d said to her while handing her the letter, she felt secure in the fact he wouldn’t order her away once time was up, if that ended up being her choice.

“Hey - watch that rock.” He grabbed her elbow. “Don’t want you stumbling and breaking your other ankle.”

In fact, it was hard to imagine Varrick ordering her away at all.

~*~

The next day, they packed their things and were in the car with Xue and Shimu by midmorning. The journey from Makapu to Pohuai was a breezy forty-minute drive along a smooth road. Zhu Li had to admit to herself, driving was so much nicer than walking. There was no simple route to where they were headed, even by car, but Zhu Li was feeling confident that things would work out for the best.

At least, until they hit the first bridge going into the center of town.

Xue slowed the Sato as a short line of cars appeared in front of them. “Ugh, another checkpoint,” she sighed, motioning for Shimu to reach into the glove box for their papers. “They’ve been running so many recently. Sorry for the delay.”

An officer finished with the car in front of them and started strolling their way. Zhu Li felt her heart rate increase. She should have been prepared for this, had identities and papers in place and in the go-bags the moment she’d figured out he was using the triads. Instead, here they were, sailing along on Varrick’s improvisation - an improvisation that was about to come to a screeching halt. 

The officer reached the convertible and squinted down at them. “Papers.” As Xue and Shimu handed over their identification, she ducked down and dug through her bag in a panicked attempt to buy a moment. Think, Zhu Li, think.

“I’ve got them here, dear.” Varrick smoothly reached into his bag and passed the officer two realistically well-worn documents. Where had these come from? Had he had them the entire time, stashed in his jacket when they’d jumped? If so, couldn’t he have spared her a near-heart attack by letting her know?

The officer glanced at Xue’s pass, then handed it back, repeating the same with Shimu’s. When he came to the ones Varrick had handed him, he held them up together, then squinted over the top at the two of them. Zhu Li was worried the officer would hear her heart thumping out of her chest as he took his time examining them. He rubbed a thumb across one, as if checking to see if the paper was legit. Had Varrick bought some bogus IDs off one of the triads? If so, they were surely on their way to lockup. Again. 

Finally, he handed them back. “You’ve got water damage.”

Zhu Li blinked. “Pardon?”

“You’ve got water damage - your first names are smudged.”

Varrick feigned surprise as he looked at the documents. “So they are!”

The policeman nodded.“It’s typical - Earth Kingdom papers never last as long. Get that fixed once you get home.” He touched the bill of his hat. “You folks have a safe trip.” 

“Whew,” said Xue as she put the car into gear and rolled forward. “He was intense.”

“Here, honey,” Varrick muttered. “You might want to hold on to yours.”

She took it from him. She didn’t want to rouse Xue and Shimu’s suspicions by staring for too long, but a quick check confirmed what the officer had said. Her papers looked completely legitimate, right down to the headshot she'd had taken as part of her application for Ms. Mu’s employment agency. The first two characters read Blackstone, the final character and birthdate were smudged and warped where the document had clearly come into contact with water. 

Xue and Shimu dropped them off at the second bridge, exchanging handshakes and hugs. “Good luck!” Shimu called out, as the Sato made a U-turn and headed back to the center of town.

“Now what?” Varrick asked, readjusting his bag.

Zhu Li glanced around. This would be the place to flag down a vehicle headed south along the coast, but following their encounter with the officer, she was feeling less and less inclined to try their luck, especially given the fact that Varrick was probably vaguely recognizable to most citizens of the United Republic. 

“I don’t think it’s safe to hitchhike, sir. You’re too famous.” She decided to appeal to his vanity, leaving her final concern unspoken - they were starting to get to a part of the world where someone might recognize her, as well. 

Hitching her bag higher on her back, she said, “So now - we start walking.”

Chapter Text

Low, heavy skies forced them to stop by late afternoon, earlier than Zhu Li had hoped. The gray clouds were threatening to burst when they came upon an impressive pair of carved badger moles guarding a mossy stone stairway. She thought she knew where they were, but checked the map to be sure. “Let’s camp here for the night,” she said, and motioned for Varrick to follow her up the steps. 

They’d barely made it to the first ruin when the sky opened up. Varrick dropped his bag; its clunk echoed off the stones. “What is this place?” he asked.

“The ruins of Taku. It was one of the first cities destroyed in the Hundred Year’s War.”

“Huh. Was that in your book?”

It was in The Adventures of Pao Ji, but that’s not how Zhu Li had learned of it. Many people in her hometown still spoke of the golden days of Taku with reverence, as their ancestors had arrived in Haizun as refugees after the Fire Nation destroyed the city. Zhu Li gazed out from their sheltered terrace. Stone buildings, now broken and overgrown, sprawled up the hillside as far as the eye could see. You could still tell how beautiful and vibrant the city must have once been. 

Behind her, Varrick leaned back against one of the large tree roots that poked through the walls, folding his arms behind his head. “So what’s for dinner? I’m starving.” He looked disappointed when a packet of Flameo Instant Noodles fell into his lap with a thump. Meanwhile, Zhu Li stood and went to explore further.

As she carefully made her way up an uneven staircase, Zhu Li was struck by the silence. The pattering of rain provided a steady hum in the background, but there were none of the sounds she’d grown used to living in Republic City. The engine noises, the honking, the loudspeakers of protestors and police alike, the music leaking from apartment windows, the people chattering and laughing and grumbling all around… she wondered why Taku had never been rebuilt. Its grand architecture was beautiful even now, but there was a sadness to it.

The steady drizzle probably wasn’t helping, she thought, as the stairs opened up to a tiny terrace. She walked across it and sat on the sheltered ledge, watching the fog roll through. Eventually, she reached into her jacket pocket, took out the letter of recommendation, and reread her favorite part.

...she is the most incredibly competent and deeply moral person I know… You would be a fool not to hire her. 

She traced the 法 with her finger. 

One hundred and ninety-something hours. She couldn’t be bothered to check her watch.

A noise from the doorway surprised her. Varrick was there, holding two canteen lids full of noodles. His eyes dropped to the letter in her lap. “Oh… sorry. I’ll leave you alone.” He turned to go.

“It’s okay,” she replied, folding the letter and putting it back into her blazer pocket. He approached her and handed her the noodles, then flopped down next to her with his own. They both stared out at the rain as they ate. The instant noodles were still a little crunchy. He’d used cold water, straight from the canteen, she was sure. 

“We’ll buy some real food in the next town,” she promised. 

~*~

The skies had cleared by the following morning. They made great time that day, camping in the woods overnight. Varrick had barely complained and had only needed a little help setting up his hammock, as opposed to the night before when he’d managed to tie it into a gigantic knot and claimed he’d rather sleep on the stone floor anyway. They woke, rested, and after some tea, dried provisions, and a few wild strawberries, set off. 

As they reached the top of a piney ridge, Zhu Li spotted the ocean in the distance. She pulled out the map and pinpointed their location. “If we keep this pace, we can make it to Haizun in a couple hours.” 

Varrick peered over her shoulder. “Where d’you see a Haizun on this map? I sure don’t.”

Zhu Li folded the map quickly and stuck it back in her pocket. “It’s there.”

Sure enough, a couple hours later, they’d come close enough to smell the salt in the air. The occasional pigull swooped overhead. They crested another ridge and Zhu Li spotted the familiar cliffs. She’d expected them to seem shorter after almost eighteen years, but they stood tall and golden as ever. The path in front of them began to steeply descend down the mountainside, toward the sea. 

“So I figure,” Varrick said from behind her, “today we can be Jeon and Jade Blackstone.”

“What happened to Bohai and Beryl?” she asked as she continued walking.

“Gotta change it up, make sure not to leave a trail.”

“But we’re keeping the same surname.”

“Well, yeah - that part’s on our papers.”

“So then why…”

“This way we’ll have the papers just in case local law enforcement stops us, but we’ll manage to elude Beifong by using new names in every town. Besides, how many couples do you know that go around calling each other by their surnames? Oh! Why my darling Mr. Blackstone, how are you doing this fine day? Very well, Mrs. Blackstone, my dearest, how far is this town you’ve been yapping about?” he mimicked. 

“We’re here,” she said, gesturing to the salt-bleached green roofs below.

He looked at the small collection of buildings huddled along the coastline. “You’d call this a town?” he remarked, skeptically. “Well, If we’re headed down there, we should at least get our story straight.”

“I thought we were escaping from Republic City, on our way to stay with your aunt in Omashu.”

“Sure we are. But that doesn’t explain these clothes or how light my wallet is.”

She started to reply that he didn’t own a wallet. He bought everything on credit aside from minor expenses, on which he relied on her to carry his money for him - currently, in her shoe, though a couple of bills were folded neatly in her breast pocket. 

“Metaphorically speaking,” he cut her off. She glanced back in time to see his eyes shift with excitement as he clapped his hands together. “No… on our journey from Republic City, we were set upon by pirates and just barely managed to escape with our lives. And we had to disguise ourselves to outrun them!”

She turned back to the trail. “Or we could just be poor, sir.”

He brushed off the suggestion with a wave of his hand. “Been there, done that - boooring.”

As the path darted beneath the sea cliffs, Zhu Li noted new signs had been posted at regular intervals. They read NO JUMPING. Finally, they arrived at the narrow grid of streets that made up Haizun. 

“Okay.” she said. “I’m going to buy us some food and then we can be on our way.”

“What, we’re not staying overnight?” Varrick asked, shifting his bag.

“It’s not even noon - staying would be a complete waste of a day.”

“Probably not even a decent inn here anyway,” he grumbled. He wasn’t wrong. He paused and examined her. “One last thing - lose the glasses,” he said, plucking them off her face and stuffing them in his jacket pocket. 

“I can’t see without them, sir.”

“Yeah, but you sure look unrecognizable!”

“Thanks,” she said, drily. 

He followed her down a familiar street, until something in a shop window caught his fancy. Nervous at staying still for long, she muttered, “Stay here,” and continued toward the wharf without him. Zhu Li kept her bag hitched high on her back and her head low. There really hadn’t been any way of telling him that this was the one place in the world her glasses would serve as a disguise without inviting dozens, if not hundreds, of questions. She pulled her hat a little bit lower. 

The road ended along the harbor, where most of the produce stalls were located. She’d come down the southern path to Haizun on purpose - Sakanaya owned the fishmonger’s shop on this end of town. She could smell it from here. Casually, she approached the first stall and examined the fruits and vegetables. After determining they were fresh, she filled half a basket with lychee nuts, bayberries, daikon, tomato carrots, and snap peas. Weighing an oblong green vegetable in her hands, she hoped it was a winter squash instead of a cucumberquat. It was hard to tell the difference without being able to see.

A familiar voice stopped her mid-shake.

“Zhu Li? I thought that was you. My, how you’ve grown!” 

It was Lian, a good friend of her mother. Zhu Li froze. If her parents heard she was in town, the whole story would eventually come out. Her mother and father could be in danger. 

“Your parents must be so happy you’ve come to visit.”

This had been a horrible idea. Zhu Li’s face remained placid as she set a few yuans on the counter. “I’m sorry. You must have the wrong person.” 

Just then, Varrick clanked up behind her, drawing a long breath. “There you are, Jade! Been looking all over for you!” 

Lian’s voice changed as she handed Zhu Li the burlap sack and a few coins. “Your groceries, ma’am.” 

It was clear from Lian’s tone that she assumed Zhu Li had done what many other local girls had done - moved to Republic City, refashioned her entire identity (complete with a more fashionable name), and married “up”. Zhu Li wished she could tell Lian the truth, that she couldn’t be Zhu Li at the moment, not because she was ashamed of her past, but due to the fact they were on the run from the law. It wasn’t any better in the grand scheme of things, but it meant something - to her, at least. 

Another figure crowded into the space in front of Lian’s stall. “Hey Lian, got any ash bananas today? Wha- oh my goodness, Zhu Li? ”

“Well this is awkward,” Varrick said, at the same moment Lian stiffly replied, “It’s not her, Ishi. It’s someone else.”

Ishi. Ishi had been one of her school friends, when she was eight or nine. Her father sold fish to Zhu Li’s father. “Sorry. Sorry - I -” Zhu Li’s words failed her. She gathered up her groceries and hurried away.

“What’s going on?” Varrick demanded as he caught up with her. “Zhu Li, why do all those people know you?”

She shook her head and kept walking. “I never should have brought us here.”

“Zhu Li.” He put both hands to her shoulders, stopping her. “What’s going on?”

She breathed deeply through her nose. “This is where I grew up.”

“You?! Grew up here? Ha! ...Oh wait, you’re serious.”

She shook her head and started walking again. “Let’s go.”

~*~

Varrick complained about the hunger that was making him weak and slow all the way up the trail out of town, suggesting they return so that Zhu Li could take him to the finest restaurant in town, stay at the nicest hotel Haizun now obviously possessed, introduce him to all her lovely friends... His tone was sincere - if whiny - but she was still fairly certain he was mocking her. After an hour or so, he’d worn her down to the point that she stopped at one of the many sea caves that pocked the coastline and started a driftwood fire. Zhu Li put on a pot of rice and chopped up a few of the vegetables while Varrick snacked on lychees. As she roasted the vegetables, she wished she’d been able to buy some fish. This would have to suffice.

“I always thought you were from Republic City,” he said, peeling another lychee and popping it into his mouth.

“I moved to Republic City when I was twelve,” she answered, sticking to the most basic facts. 

“Huh,” he replied. A few minutes later - “Wait, do you still have family here?”

“My parents live in Haizun.”

He sat up straight, almost choking on a lychee. He spit it to the cave floor. “You mean - we could have stayed at your parents’ house? With a real roof, and walls, and beds? And food?”

Zhu Li just shook her head and stoked the fire. 

“I mean, I guess I’m assuming they have all those things,” he muttered, almost to himself.

“They do,” she snapped.

“No need to bite my head off. Half my family didn’t.” He leaned back again, considering her carefully. “I get it, though. Families can be embarrassing.”

She prickled a bit at this statement. Her parents may not have been rich, but they were intelligent, hard-working, and honorable. “Mine’s not.”

“Sure, sure. But if you’re not embarrassed by them, then…” He squinted, then his eyes widened as he came to a realization. “Wait a tick. You’re embarrassed of me?!”

She sighed. “Just eat your lychees, sir.”

“Zhu Li, how do I embarrass you?” 

She poked the fire again, harder than necessary, and sparks crackled to life. Typically, she would have held her tongue, but something about being so near home, when mixed with the way he’d been needling her constantly since they’d left Haizun, made her snap. “Hi Mom and Dad, let me introduce you to my boss. He’s attempted to take out two world leaders in the past four weeks which is, I’m sure, exactly what you wanted for me when you sent me to Republic City hoping I’d be able to make something of myself there.”

He glowered and spat out another lychee pit. “Hey now, that’s completely unfair. You have made something of yourself. You’re the personal assistant to the man who runs the largest shipping company in the entire world.”

Zhu Li looked up at him, feeling the heat of the fire on her face. “You think that means anything to people in a town like Haizun? They grow their own vegetables. They eat the fish they catch. There’s a woman in the village who’s been weaving cloth for the past sixty years - people make their own clothes from it. They don’t have flashy Satos. They have boats that have been in the same family for generations.”

“I get it…” he said, holding his hands up for her to stop. “But maybe set down the flaming stick before you burn yourself,” he muttered. She did. He continued. “They’re honorable, salt of the earth people. You’re proud of them. But Zhu Li - your parents sent you away for a reason. You can’t change the world from a town like Haizun.”

He’d hit on something she’d never really admitted to herself. She did want to change the world - in giving up a happy home, she felt that was an opportunity she was owed. Pao Ji in her story, Avatar Aang and his friends in real life - they’d all made incredible sacrifices, but in turn, those sacrifices had enabled them to do incredible things. Somewhere in Zhu Li’s heart, she’d always hoped that if she sacrificed enough, maybe she would be able to do something halfway as meaningful. 

She sat back and looked away. The sound of the waves below almost obscured her soft voice as she spoke. “Why bother changing the world if you’re not going to change it into something better?” 

“Sure, that would be nice,” he said, and somehow she could almost feel the invisible emotional wall that rose up around him as he spoke. “But sometimes, you’ve got to break a few platypus bear eggs to make an omelette.” 

“You’re always breaking eggs, sir,” she said miserably. “And the awful thing is, you don’t need to. You’re brilliant. I know you could figure out another way.”  

“Your vegetables are burning,” he said, coldly, after a moment. 

“Clean up your lychee pits,” she replied, turning back to the fire.

Chapter Text

After two more rough days of hiking, they arrived in Baowan late in the afternoon. The daily ferry to Omashu had already left, but they headed straight to the ticket office to buy one for the following day. Zhu Li discreetly passed Varrick a wad of cash and stood off to one side. After waiting in a short line, Varrick arrived at the window. “One ticket to Omashu.” 

The woman behind the counter’s eyes flicked over to Zhu Li, as if silently wondering why she wasn’t coming along. “The next ferry leaves at noon tomorrow.” Varrick nodded. “That’ll be ¥300 and I’ll need to see your papers.” He slid both across the counter to her, leaning casually against it with one elbow.

“Sir?” She glanced over his passport.

He stood up. “Yes?” 

“I can’t accept this as proof of identity. Your name is smudged.”

“Of course you can accept it!” he said brightly. “It’s just a little water!” 

She remained stone-faced.

“Look…” he turned on the charm, leaning forward. “I can see you’re as sharp-witted as you are beautiful. I’m in a bit of a bind here - I need to get home to Omashu to collect an inheritance. And when I pass back in this direction, I know I’ll remember the lovely lady who helped me get there in time to say goodbye to my beloved, dying, very rich aunt. Dinner? Here or in the best restaurant in Republic City - your choice.”

“Hey bub, are you going to buy a ticket or not? Some of us have got places to be.” A man had sauntered up behind him, wearing the sort of gaudy gold jewelry that would clearly mark you as a triad member in Republic City. However, he had paired it with a stuffily old-fashioned Earth Kingdom robe. Zhu Li recognized the combination of styles for what it was - new money. Massive amounts of new money, judging by the attractiveness of the woman on his arm, when compared to his own.

“Of course I’m buying the ticket,” Varrick gritted out through a grin. He turned back to the ticket seller. “Private yacht ride?”

The woman behind the counter crossed her arms. The man behind him cleared his throat obnoxiously. 

“Jewels?” Varrick’s smile was straining around the edges. The woman slid the papers and the money back to him.

Zhu Li dropped her head and closed her eyes. They’d come so far, only to be turned away now? When she glanced up again, she caught an important detail they’d missed in their eagerness to reach their goal. Both of their faces stared down at her from the wall, with the words WANTED imprinted underneath. The number of yuans offered below Varrick’s picture was twenty times larger than hers. Surreptitiously, Zhu Li slid her glasses in her pocket. “Sir,” she muttered.

“Not now, Amethyst, I’m getting a ticket from this kind lady.”

“Clearly, you’re not…” said the guy behind him. “Let an actual paying customer through!”

“Zihao,” she said, stepping closer and nudging him with her elbow.

“What, dear?” he snapped, turning to look at her. “Oh.” He spotted the WANTED poster her head was tilting towards. It bore an identical photo to his passport. “Well, if you won’t take my perfectly legal tender, I’ll be forced to take my business elsewhere!” he said, snatching his papers and money from the counter and hightailing it out of the ferry office with Zhu Li on his heels.

“That was almost a disaster,” he muttered, once they had made it a few blocks away. “Now what? Do you think she got a good look at you? Maybe you can try tomorrow morning.”

“I don’t think I’d have any more success than you did, sir.”

“So what’s the back-up plan? You always have a back-up plan.”

She sighed. It wasn’t an answer he would like. “We could walk to Omashu.”

“Ha! How long would that take?” he asked, once he realized she was serious. 

“Seven to nine days, I’d estimate.” On her own, she would expect to do it in six. With Varrick, it would probably take ten. 

“And you’re still dead-set against stealing a car?”

“Yes. It wouldn’t do much good. The Earth Kingdom’s border isn’t far from here and roads become scarce.” His face brightened. Zhu Li was very confused. “Sir?”

“Look, Amethyst!” He pointed to a handwritten sign that read DISCOUNT FERRY TICKETS at the entrance to a shifty-looking alleyway. “We’re saved!”

“I’m not sure about this, sir,” Zhu Li said, but he was already halfway down the narrow street. She hurried after him.

A second arrow pointed to the open doorway of a shack. Smoke and cruel laughter drifted out. Varrick glanced at Zhu Li sideways. “Maybe… just wait for me out here.”

She did as he requested. A bony stray cat fished a half-eaten fish out of a nearby trash can. Varrick came bustling out of the shack much faster than she expected, looking both ways as though worried they’d been followed. “So, it’s discounted, but there’s a fifty yuan service charge.”

Zhu Li crossed her arms. “How much is it total?”

“Three twenty.” 

It was a reasonable mark-up, if the ticket was legit. She narrowed her eyes. “Let’s see the ticket first.”

He held up his hands, glancing back toward the shack. “I’ve got this. Just hand over the extra money, okay?”

She did as he requested. He emerged a few minutes later, holding a ticket in his hands. “C’mon, let’s split,” he said. She wondered at his jumpiness. The man had literally taken her and a teenager to an Agni Kai gambling hall, but some local thugs in Baowan had him on pins and needles. “It looks official,” he said, scratching at the seal. 

“Please don’t, sir.” It did indeed look official, so long as he didn’t destroy it.

They walked until they found an inn near the wharf, a five minute walk to the ferry terminal. The neighborhood smelled of rotting fish, which explained the sign - CHEAPEST BEDS IN TOWN.

A bell sat on the counter. Varrick hit it; it clicked. He picked it up and banged it sideways against the edge of the counter. It rang loudly this time, startling an old man who had apparently been asleep on the floor below. “Five yuans for a dorm bed,” the gentleman coughed, hopping to his feet. Varrick started to set down the money Zhu Li had handed him.

“We can’t risk it, sir,” Zhu Li murmured under her breath. A dorm would be full of people who may have seen the posters in the ferry office. She would see him on that boat safely tomorrow, especially now that the bulk of their money was gone. 

“Do you have any singles?” Varrick asked.

The man behind the counter grinned widely, displaying multiple missing teeth. “Honeymoon suite is twenty. Bathroom’s one level down.”

Zhu Li nodded, handing over the extra cash. They were given a key to the room and instructions on which staircases to take to get there. They climbed to the very top of the rickety structure and entered a room the size of one of Varrick’s smaller closets back in Republic City. It was stifling hot; Zhu Li walked to the shuttered window and threw it open. The stench of fish hit her in the face like a wet towel. Turning back to the room, she could now see the thick coating of dust that covered every surface, including a tiny bed that reeked of mothballs. 

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” she said, wearily.

“I’ll fight you for it,” he replied. 

~*~

He ended up in the bed after all. His muttering woke her in the middle of the night, but she let him dream as she lay awake planning. It was seventy hours until her resignation went into effect. If everything went perfectly, he’d arrive in Omashu by tomorrow afternoon and wire her the money. She’d lay low in Baowan until it came through - hopefully the same day. The following day, she’d catch the ferry to Omashu, arrive in the afternoon, and spend the next six hours helping him get his affairs in order for the next assistant he hired. Six hours was a ridiculous amount of time; practically nothing. What was he going to do without her? Whatever he’d done before she’d come along, a voice in her head bit back... 

Zhu Li sneezed herself awake. Sunlight was pouring through the open window, and the sounds of a fish seller hawking her goods cut through the murmur of foot traffic below. Zhu Li frantically checked her pocket watch. She hadn’t slept late this morning, thank goodness. She stood, feeling grit on the wood floorboards under her bare feet, and shook Varrick awake. 

“Mmph. A few more hours, Zhu Li,” he sighed, burying his head under the frankly disgusting pillow. He hadn’t even bothered with his pajamas the night before and was wearing an undershirt and striped boxer shorts. She picked up the pillow with the very tips of her thumb and index finger. He pulled it back over his head.

“It’s time, sir,” she said, and gathered what she’d need for the bathroom. When she arrived back upstairs, dressed for the day, he was lying there, awake now, but staring morosely at the ceiling. “Why don’t you go change while I repack the bags,” she said. “I’ll leave you anything you need, but I can carry the rest.” She crouched down to start redistributing the load. 

He muttered something.

“What?” She popped her head up. 

“Nevermind.” 

He got up and returned half an hour later, dressed, though his shave left something to be desired. “You missed a spot,” she said, without really thinking. 

“Well, it was dark in there!” 

“Here,” she held out a hand. He passed her his shaving kit. He sat on the edge of the bed, gripping its metal frame while she took care of the stray patches of hair. “There. That’s better.” He cast her a baleful look. As she put his things away, he peered into the open sack. 

“What? No spending money for Omashu? How am I supposed to get to Song’s house? Strike that, where does she even live?” His voice rose a little with panic. 

She handed him several yuans folded together, along with a piece of paper. “I’ve written Song’s address down. Omashu’s not as big as Republic City. You’ll be fine.” 

They headed down to the ferry in silence. Zhu Li released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding once they cleared the sketchy area around the docks and the neighborhood grew more touristy. The part of the harbor where the ferry terminal was located seemed a bit of a vacation destination, with sailboats and smaller recreational watercraft berthed nearby. They found a bench under a shady tree with a view of the ferry, its gangplank currently up. Zhu Li checked her watch. They had half an hour until boarding. 

“You hungry?” he asked. She shook her head. “Well, I’m going to get some food.” He returned fifteen minutes later with a bag. 

She frowned. “What did you buy?”

He passed it to her without comment; she opened it. It was full of junk food and tourist tat. “Really, sir?”

“Really, Amethyst.” He reached into the bag. “Gifts to commemorate the day I got out of this awful mess. Here - I bought this one especially for you.” He handed her a clear bottle of liquor, no bigger than her hand. 

“Why is there a scorvipeon in it?”

He shrugged. “I dunno.”

“Where did you buy it?”

“That store.” He pointed. “Or maybe that one.” 

Zhu Li would try to return it as soon as he was safely on the ferry. Any little extra bit of cash would help.

The whistle sounded. The ferry was boarding. This was it.

“Remember,” she said as they both stood, “Put the money in Song’s account to make sure it gets to me as quickly as possible.”

“Will do.”

“And make it out to Amethyst Blackstone,” she said, with a sad smile.

He didn’t catch her expression, gazing past her to the boat. “Will do.”

“Sir, I…”

“Well,” he cut her off. “See you soon.” He hitched his bag over his shoulder and walked onto the ship without so much as a backward glance. Zhu Li watched him go, her hands falling to her side and balling into fists. She dug her fingernails into her palms. It felt wrong for it to end like this. Even if she arrived in Omashu without a hiccup, somehow she knew - this was the end for them. 

A bald man the size of a small mountain, wearing a rather loud-but-worn suit, followed Varrick up the gangplank. He was carrying the world’s most petite suitcase - odd enough for his size - but he also seemed to be struggling to carry it, given the way his arm hung tense. What was in it? Solid gold bars? Weights? Zhu Li narrowed her eyes. 

As Varrick walked around the edge of the deck, taking in the scenery and ambiance, blissfully unaware, the man continued behind him. Zhu Li walked further down the promenade, following their progress. Varrick stopped at the rail. He glanced out over the pier. Several feet back, the giant of a man stopped too.

Something was terribly wrong. Zhu Li cupped her hands. “Zihao! ZIHAO!” He didn’t seem to hear her, much less respond. The large man drew closer, hefting the suitcase to shoulder height. Frantically, Zhu Li screamed, “VARRICK! LOOK OUT!” 

He locked eyes with her, as if to yell back and scold her for using his real name, but in a millisecond, knew something was amiss. He turned just in time to see the muscle-bound man raise his heavy suitcase and deck him with it. There was a splash and Varrick was in the water.  Zhu Li prepared to vault herself over the rail. Was he conscious? Was he breathing? 

Just then, a motorboat came zooming out of the shadow of the ferry. Before Zhu Li could dive in after him, one of the two men on it fished Varrick out of the water and pulled him aboard. Once he was fully in the boat, the driver put the pedal to the metal and zoomed up river. 

Zhu Li raced down the dock to the line of speedboats. The first boat moored there had no keys; neither did the second. The third, however, did. She jammed them in the ignition and turned it. The engine started phlegmatically, like a cough rather than a purr, but then roared to life with unmistakable power.

“HEY!” came a voice from the dock. It was the wealthy man from the ticket office the day before, a porter straining to carry his copious luggage just behind him. “What are you doing on my boat?!”

“I’ll return it as soon as I can!” Zhu Li shouted as she unwound the rope from its mooring and sped off after the boat that had Varrick. 

It had been ages since Zhu Li Moon had piloted a boat. She’d never had access to one quite as fancy, or as fast, as this one. Zhu Li knew just enough about river sailing to know this was foolhardy, even dangerous - to pilot a boat safely on a river, you needed to go slowly at first, learn the currents, the water speeds, the depths and shallows. Zhu Li had time to do none of those things and so she sped on, doing her best to stick to the path of the speedboat in the distance. 

The ticket had been a scam, but not in the way she’d thought. Baowan had once been a pirate port. Now their descendents seemed to be in the business of bounty-hunting. She should have known better the second she saw their faces on the WANTED posters, should have insisted they take the long way to Omashu, dragged him kicking and screaming if necessary. 

The pilot of the other boat clearly knew the river well, but the boat Zhu Li had stolen was faster and she was making up for lost time in the first boat’s wake. They were well beyond the outskirts of Baowan when she caught sight of Varrick’s head, wobbling as he dizzily sat up. She was close enough to see his eyes widen as he spotted her. 

“ZHU LI!”

“I’M COMING SIR. HOLD ON!”

She drew even with the other boat and jerked the wheel to her left, hard. The boats bumped, the impact running up her arms to her spine. Pure adrenaline kept her holding on. She glanced over her shoulder. The man in the back of the boat that had been standing over Varrick was now sprawled out. 

“SIR!” she yelled. “JUMP!” 

Zhu Li heard a splash and looked back. Varrick was in the water. As hard as she could, she jerked the wheel to the right. The boat arced, scraping its side along the rocks in the shallows at the river’s edge as she turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees. She zoomed past the other boat; its driver yelled some choice words at her, then banked hard to follow. 

She could see a dark head of hair downstream, bobbing in the water. Zhu Li slowed as much as she dared and readied the rope in her right hand. As she grew closer she tossed it to him.

“GRAB ON SIR.”

Varrick caught the rope with both hands. Zhu Li slowed even further and wrapped it around her arm, reeling him in as he pulled himself hand over hand toward her. The other boat was quickly approaching.

“Hurry, sir!”

Varrick clambered aboard, gasping like a fish. Without glancing back, Zhu Li stepped on the gas and they took off. Headed with the current now, the boat went even faster. And this time she had no guide to follow.

She should have known something was wrong when the other boat backed off slightly. She glanced in the rearview mirror and furrowed her brow. “What am I missing here, sir?” Varrick glanced from her to the boat behind them, then pulled himself up beside her to look at the river in front of them.

“Do I look like a riverboat captain?” He glanced down at her. “Wait - don’t answer that. It might be bad for my self-esteem.” Suddenly he pointed. “There! See where the current speeds up? We need to enter it where it starts or avoid it entirely.” 

“Will do,” she said, maneuvering the boat to the opposite side. 

There was a roar behind them. The other boat was gaining again. In the rearview mirror, Zhu Li could see the man in the back had recovered and had a line of rope in his hands. He was tying it around the metal cleat on the side of the boat. Zhu Li planted her foot down as heavily as it would go. The motor whined and strained. The sound of the second boat grew closer; they had slipped seamlessly into the fast current. The man standing on the back made a lasso and started swinging it over his head. The other boat was four yards back. Then three.

“He can’t make that shot,” Varrick poo-pooed. “It’s one-in-a-million!”

And then the world tipped sideways.

If she replayed it in her head in slow motion, Zhu Li could work out what happened. The apparent bounty hunter made the one-in-a-million shot and the lasso attached to their engine, pulling it off. With the force of the drag, the back of their boat wobbled into the swift current. With the sudden difference in speed between the front and the back of the vessel, the engineless boat spun around. As it did so, it knocked against the other boat. While the other boat was merely pushed deeper into the swift current, their own boat toppled sideways and they both went flying from it moments before it crashed against a rocky shoal.

They landed in the water, about two boat lengths apart. Varrick swam toward her with startling precision. Far ahead, the other boat was slowing for a turn back upriver. 

“Swim for the shoreline,” Varrick called out. She followed his instructions. The bank would be hard to scale in time - while a thick forest of fir trees lay beyond, the river was lined with smooth, rounded boulders that would be tricky to climb. They met at one of the larger rocks as the bounty hunters’ speedboat got closer. Glancing up at the riverbank hopelessly, Varrick grabbed Zhu Li by the shoulders. “Hold your breath. Biggest one you can manage.”

Zhu Li had just gasped in enough to fill her lungs when Varrick pulled her down beneath the water. Still holding onto her by the strap of her knapsack, he swam for the bottom. The river had been clear at its surface, but the light down here was green and murky. Varrick found a tree limb and stuck his foot under it, wedging his arm against the base of the boulder. He gestured for her to do the same. Once she had, he released her. Both of them looked up at the surface. 

The shadow of the motorboat slowed and hovered overhead for an interminable amount of time. Seconds dragged on, ticking into a full minute, then longer. Zhu Li’s lungs got tighter and tighter and red spots started to enter her vision. She blinked furiously, trying to ignore the inevitable. 

She was out of breath. There was no saving herself. The least she could do was save him. She locked eyes with him, sadly shook her head, and kicked off toward the surface.

A hand grabbed her ankle. Varrick pulled her back down, animatedly gesticulating his displeasure all the while.

She gestured frantically to her chest as he hooked his leg around her ankle. Out of air. She willed him to read her thoughts.

Or maybe he had. Maybe this was how it all ended, with him expecting her to drown for him.

He crossed both arms and swooped them out to the sides emphatically. No. He tapped an imaginary watch on his wrist and held up two fingers.

She'd been right. She was going to die down here, following one of Varrick’s ridiculous requests. As the edges of her vision went black and fuzzy, she was shocked at how accepting she was of this fate.

Then she felt fingers pinch her nose. Her mouth opened in surprise, the last few bubbles of air escaping. Before she had a chance to suck in any water, a firm hand grasped the back of her neck and then his mouth was clamped over hers, breathing into her, filling her lungs with badly needed oxygen. She saw stars, and wasn't sure if it was from the hypoxia or the…

...kiss?

He held her tightly to his chest, as if afraid she would head for the surface again. Overhead, the water churned as the motor started up once more, and then the shadow was gone. He released her and they both swam toward sunlight. Gasping for breath, they clung to the boulder.

“Thanks a lot, Zhu Li!” he spat out. “We could have been doomed by your average lung capacity!”

Zhu Li gasped in several more deep gulps of air before wheezing out, “Sorry, sir.”

“Just breathe, okay,” he said, looking a little chastened. “Big breaths. You’ve got it.” Once she had effectively recovered, they floated down river with the current until the shoreline became more manageable and clambered up the southern bank, one behind the other. Once they’d reached the tree line, Varrick collapsed back into the grass. Zhu Li crumpled to her knees behind him. 

“So much for not stealing vehicles, huh?” he said after a minute.

“I had to act, sir.”

“Well, if you’d let me act sooner, maybe you wouldn’t have had to act then. Ever think of that?”

She just sat there, hands planted on the steady ground, focusing on the feel of the grass between her fingers. Varrick sat up.

“My bag’s gone. How about yours?” 

Zhu Li reluctantly removed her satchel from her back and dumped out its sodden contents. The thermos would still be usable. Some of the emergency rations would be salvageable. The flashlight was dead for good. The hammocks, packed on top, had floated away. She checked the inside of her shoe and spread out each waterlogged bill. She stared at them blankly. Forty yuans were floating downriver somewhere - nearly half her money. They now had fifty five for the rest of their journey and two people to burn through it instead of one.

“Great,” Varrick said, looking over what was left of their supplies. “Now what?”

“We start walking to Omashu.”

In silence, she repacked the remaining supplies in her bag. She pulled out the soggy map, flaking at the Ba Sing Se edge. They’d gone at least a few miles down river. They needed to head southwest, toward the sun. Zhu Li hoisted her bag back on her shoulders and the two of them set off. Ten minutes went by before she spoke. “I don’t think we should return to Baowan.”

“Ha. No kidding!” Varrick glowered behind her. 

“Senlin is the next major town, right on the border of the Earth Kingdom.” 

“Then Senlin it is,” Varrick sighed. 

Between the freezing water, the slump of lethargy following the adrenaline rush, and the discomfort of walking in wet clothes, once she felt they’d gotten a safe distance away from the river and the bounty hunters, Zhu Li suggested they stop for the day and set up camp.

“With what?” Varrick asked, flatly. 

“We should at least start a fire,” she said, disheartened. “Make some tea.”

Once she’d gathered the wood, lit it with the sparkrocks (which thankfully had been deep in a pocket of the knapsack), and hung the kettle over it to boil, Zhu Li set to emptying her pockets. She removed a soggy notebook, a pencil, a fabric tape measure, a miniature mirror (now cracked), a pair of tweezers, and her pocket watch. The face was full of water and the hands had frozen in place. Zhu Li stared down at it sadly before setting it beside the other items, on a smooth, sun-dappled log. 

“They forgot to engrave half your name,” Varrick remarked, sitting down next to her belongings. 

She shook her head. “They didn’t. It was my grandfather Li’s. His father gave it to him when he set out to make his fortune in Ba Sing Se. My mother gave it to me when my parents sent me to Republic City.” 

He looked up at her, his expression unreadable. Then he looked back down to the watch. “Hand me the thing.”

“Sorry sir?”

“Your pen.” He wiggled his fingers toward her. The action rather than the words jump-started her brain. She removed it from her breast pocket. Yet another thing that had been ruined - it was just starting to leak. She handed it to him. He unscrewed the nib of the pen and detached the metal from the inkwell. Then he jammed the blunt end of the metal nib into one of the longer cylinders and pinched it tight.

“Sir, what are you -?”

“Shh,” he replied. He held up her grandfather’s watch. First he twisted the back, which came off relatively easy. He set it aside on the warm log. Next, he unscrewed the bezel. Water came pouring out the front. The hands made a few feeble twitches, but didn’t start up again. He flipped it back over and carefully used the pen nib as a screwdriver, opening the casing. More water came seeping out the sides. “I’m not a watchmaker,” he said, his voice low and full of concentration, “so I don’t want to mess with it any further. But I figure it’s got a better shot open than closed.” He gently laid each piece in a pocket of sunlight. Sitting back up, he winced as a branch brushed his head.

She’d forgotten the whole thing had started when he’d been decked by a heavy suitcase. She stood and walked around behind him. He threw his hands up to protect his head. “Don’t. Just leave it.” She ignored him and gently probed his scalp. She found the knot by sound as well as touch, her fingers running over broken skin as he suddenly hissed. 

She returned to her bag and dug through the pockets until she found the tiny bottle of liquor. The miniature scorvipeon stared at her with dull, glassy eyes. She really hoped the alcohol had killed any poison - or more likely, bacteria - the creature had been imbued with. Uncapping the bottle and sniffing it made her hopeful. As she turned back to Varrick he brightened. “Hey, that’s not a bad id-” She poured the alcohol onto a handkerchief. “Oh.” His face dropped.

As carefully as she could, she parted his hair and found the knot again. It was a deep shade of purple and had obviously been bleeding earlier. She followed the thin, dried trickle of blood down the back of his neck, mopping it up. He shivered. She dabbed at the knot itself and he cringed away from her touch with each swipe, but didn’t complain, for once. 

A stream of steam exited the kettle, whistling slightly. He nodded to it. “Water’s ready.”

As they sat on either end of the log, drinking their tea, a single faint tick, then another drew their attention. They both watched as Zhu Li’s grandfather’s pocket watch ticked forward and backward a dozen times, then crept onward to a second minute and a third. By the fifth, it became clear the watch was still in working order, now that the sun had dried it. 

As Varrick toasted her with a wide grin, Zhu Li realized she’d stopped counting hours.

Chapter Text

Camping without hammocks or sleeping bags the night before had been miserable. Zhu Li wasn’t looking forward to stopping for the night, but as the sun grew low in the sky, she supposed they had to. The oak forest they’d been walking through most of the day obscured a good deal of light already. It would be pitch black soon.

As the last bits of sunlight filtered through the trees, they came across a small clearing with an ancient, worn carving in the middle. Smaller, rounded carved rocks lined the edges of the clearing. “This looks like as good a place as any,” Varrick said, dropping his bag and stretching. 

Zhu Li started a fire and they roasted the last of the vegetables on sticks. She could hear Varrick’s stomach growl in protest of the meager dinner from five feet away. “We should get to Senlin early tomorrow,” she said. “We’ll be able to buy more food and a few supplies there.”

Varrick peered up at the creature thoughtfully as he chewed. “What do you reckon that is?”

“It’s a bear sir.”

“Well, I can see that, Zhu Li. But who put it here? And why?” He glanced around nervously. “Do you think there are actual bears in these woods?”

“It’s unlikely, sir.”

Just then, some forest creature picked the most inopportune moment to let out a hair-raising screech.

Varrick reached for his bag and started throwing things in it. “Maybe we should start walking again.”

“In the dark? That’s probably not advisable...” 

“Is staying put advisable? We’re sitting turtle ducks out here! Quick, Zhu Li - make a weapon.”

“With what, sir?”

“I don’t know… use your imagination!”

“Isn’t that more of your wheelhouse?”

He scooted closer to her. “My imagination’s too scared to work properly. C’mon, Zhu Li - what would the heroine in one of your books do?”

Zhu Li thought for a moment. “We could set up a perimeter. Create a sort of fence so we’ll know if anything gets close.” 

“What’s that going to do? Give us advance warning that we’re about to get eaten?” He shuddered. “Remember I’m still paying you to be my bodyguard. If something eats us, you’re going first.”

She’d never been a fan of prolonged suffering. “Gladly, sir,” she said drily.

His eyes darted back and forth. “Wait a minute - which is worse? Being eaten or watching someone else be eaten, knowing you’re up next?”

“I don’t know sir; the situation has never arisen.”

“Forget the whole getting eaten thing, then.” He tossed a few more pieces of wood on the campfire, making it blaze higher. It illuminated the circle of trees around them, but the woods beyond were still dark and unknowable. “We’ll take turns sleeping. Three hours on, three hours off. Though, given the amount of sleep it takes to keep my brain power functioning at its typical rate, maybe it should be more of a four-two deal. To make it fair, we’ll draw straws.” He pulled two blades of grass from the ground, then ripped one in half and discarded the other bit. Lining up the tips neatly, he rubbed his hands together to make them switch places several times, then held his fist out to Zhu Li. She drew one. It was clearly the shorter of the two.

“Ha!” he clapped his hands together in glee. “I sleep first; you guard me.” 

Zhu Li poured herself a cup of black tea and settled in for her watch. Meanwhile, Varrick attempted to get comfortable as close to the carved bear as possible. “Zhu Li, if something comes to attack me, exactly how long is it going to take you to get from where you’re sitting to where I am?”

She set down her tea, hopped up, and was by his side in a matter of milliseconds.

“I’d be a goner,” he groaned. “You know, I really thought you were faster than that…”

Shooting him a look, she went back to retrieve her cup of tea, then returned to his side and sat. He seemed satisfied with that solution; as she leaned against the bear and stretched her legs out, crossing them at the ankle, he scooted closer so that his back was almost touching her thigh.

“I am never going to be able to fall asleep out here,” he grumbled as he closed his eyes. A few minutes later, his snores would have scared off the most ferocious grizzly panther in the four nations. 

Zhu Li dug out her pocket watch and checked the time. As quietly as she could, she pulled out the map and marked the progress they had made that day. She pulled out her notebook, its pages wavy with water damage, and used her pencil to record notes for that day and the previous one. Having done everything she could think to do while remaining relatively still and quiet, she looked around the circle. The smaller carvings seemed to be little bears. In the flickering fire light, she could almost imagine they were alive. Maybe it was silly to ascribe energy to inanimate objects, but theirs seemed almost protective, as if nothing bad would happen within this circle.

Zhu Li gazed up at the small patch of sky she could see and examined the stars. The great summer dragon curled overhead, the red star in its tail flickering amidst the velvety blackness. Varrick mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over, his head falling directly into her lap, his hand on her knee. She knew she should gently push him back, but paused. Instead, she ran her fingers through the dark waves of his hair. He sighed. She closed her eyes. It was completely unfair, after everything, how much she cared for him. He was so easy to love when he was still and she could reflect on all the incredible things about him without having to dwell on rest. During waking hours, it was all jumbled together and as changeable as a chameleopede on rainbow rocks - the amazing, the awful, and everything in between.

The fire grew low as the night wore on. Zhu Li felt her eyes growing heavier, and heavier… she sat up with a start. The muscles in her neck must have spasmed. Still in her lap, Varrick stirred. She quickly scooted away, lowering his head to the mossy base of the statue moments before he woke up. 

He stretched and yawned. “Ugh. Has it been four hours already?”

She checked her watch. It had been five. She must have snuck in a couple hours of sleep as well. “Just about.”

He pushed himself into a sitting position beside her. “Fine. You sleep, I’ll do the thing. Two hours.” He held his hand out for her pocket watch; she passed it over. Zhu Li curled up, her back to him. The moss actually made a nice pillow...

The next thing she knew, Zhu Li was waking up to the sound of birds chirping. Morning light broke through the leaves, dappling the forest floor. Varrick was asleep behind her, his back pressed to hers. She sat up, slightly stiff from spending the last two nights on the ground. His right arm was outstretched, her grandfather’s pocket watch clasped in his palm. Putting her glasses on, she strained to see the time, then got up to make some tea and check their rations. She recognized the bacui berries on a nearby bush, but crushed one and smeared the juice on the inside of her wrist to be sure. When it hadn’t caused a green, bumpy rash in the next thirteen minutes, she knew they were safe to eat. She popped one in her mouth, savoring the sweet flavor, so familiar from her childhood. 

By the time Varrick groggily stirred, she’d managed to fix a meager breakfast with the berries and the supplies that were left in their bags. Smelling the freshly brewed tea, he sat up straight, as if she hadn’t noticed he’d drifted off while on watch and he might be able to salvage the situation, dignity intact. 

He cleared his throat. “Good Morning.”

She glanced up. “Good Morning, sir.”

He stretched. “Zhu Li, you sleep like a log. By the time your two hours were up, the birds were making a racket and the sun was shining, and I was just certain you’d wake up on your own, so I decided to take a little nap.”

“And no one got eaten,” she said, biting back a smile as she handed him a cup of tea. “Imagine that.”

~*~

The rest of the morning was productive. After cleaning up their makeshift campsite and gathering their few belongings, they set off for Senlin. Zhu Li estimated it was eight miles away, ten at the most. Over the next two hours, Varrick only flopped to the ground dramatically twice and needed little cajoling to get up and move along. Then, on the third such flop, everything changed. 

“Ugh. Zhu Li, how much further is this dang town?” 

“An hour at most, sir, though it’s going to be longer if you keep lying there.”

He pulled his knees to his chest and shoved his fingers into his hair, not an unusual reaction at this point in the breakdown. This time, however, he froze. His eyes flew open and he frowned. He sat up straight, forgetting the dramatic performance he’d been committed to only seconds before. 

He ran a hand through his hair. Then he repeated the motion.

“Zhu Li.” His voice started at barely a whisper and increased in volume until it startled a squirrowl from its roost in a nearby tree. “There’s a lump on the bump. On my head. ”

“Let me see.” She walked over. 

“Right there!” He flailed, pointing. 

Zhu Li methodically carded her fingers through Varrick’s hair, feeling his scalp. And there it was - a huge, swollen tick. She parted his hair to examine it more closely. Usually, she would have faith in her ability to remove a tick neatly with the tweezers in her pocket, but this one looked ready to burst. She squinted up at the sun, then reached in her pocket for the broken mirror.

“Stay very still, sir.”

“What is it?!” 

“It’s a tick.”

“A tick?! Why do I have a tick?!”

“You probably picked it up when you were flailing about on the ground.”

“I don’t flail,” he huffed.

“You’re doing it right now.”

He pouted, folding his arms, but stayed frozen in that position.

Zhu Li held the mirror up at a slight angle. The sun bounced off its surface and shot a pinpoint of light to the ground. She tilted it slightly and the tiny point of light slid across Varrick’s head and hovered on the spot where the tick’s mouth had latched on to his scalp.

She pressed the hand that was still parting his hair down a little more firmly. “Don’t move.”

After a moment, the bloodsucking insect started to smoke. Its tiny hooks released from Varrick’s bruised skin and it backed away. Zhu Li quickly and carefully flicked it off his head. The engorged insect landed on its back on a rock, its legs wiggling helplessly in the air. Varrick reached out his leg to stomp on it - just as Zhu Li started to say, “Please don-”, the tick splattered beneath his shoe. When he raised his foot, a splotch of dark red blood and grey tick skin remained attached to the still-wriggling legs. Varrick turned a greyish-green and looked ready to faint or vomit. Zhu Li steadied him with a hand on his back.

“That’s my blood!” he said, sounding on the verge of hyperventilating. “Why is it in him?! It should be in me!” 

“You’ve never had a tick before, sir,” she stated, trying not to find his reaction as humorous as it seemed to her, in the moment. 

“Not a lot of ticks at the South Pole, Zhu Li! And I’m not exactly a nature and camping kind of guy.” That was putting it mildly. 

“It’s fine,” she said, reaching for the bottle of scorvipeon liquor again. “I’ll clean the bite and then we’ll watch it to make sure it’s not infected. The big ones are less likely to carry Lyme Disease, so that’s a plus.”

“Lyme Disease?! I think I’ve heard of that.”

“Mmm…” she said, focusing on dabbing the bite with alcohol. “It’s nasty, but rarer than you’d think.”

“Nasty how?”

“Weakness, fever, joint pain…”

He wiggled his fingers. “I think my hands are already seizing up!”

“The symptoms take longer than seconds to show, sir. The best indicator is to watch for a ring around the bite.”

“Well, how am I supposed to do that?! I can’t see my own scalp.”

“I’ll check every few hours.” 

“How do I know I can trust you? My entire head might look like a pit bull shark's-eye and you’d just say it’s fine, sir in that calm voice of yours.”

She bent down so she could look him straight in the eye. “Varrick - take a deep breath.”

He did.

“Okay,” she said, maintaining eye contact all the while. “You are going to be fine. I am going to check your bite multiple times a day. If a bulls-eye shows up, I will take you to a doctor where we will get medicine. It was a forest tick, not a catdeer tick. Forest ticks are unlikely to carry Lyme Disease.” She felt it prudent not to mention the other diseases forest ticks could carry. “Every child I grew up with, including myself, had multiple forest tick bites over the years and not a single one of them is any worse for the wear today.”

Varrick shuddered. “I’m going to die.”

“Unlikely, sir. You know what that bump needs?”

“What?” he asked, sounding almost childlike as he gazed up at her.

She narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Exercise,” she replied, lightly cuffing him on the non-injured side of his head. She tucked the bottle back in her bag and stood to set off. 

“I’m going to regret ever making that remark, aren’t I?” he asked as he followed her lead. “I’ll have you know, it’s a proven motivational technique, guaranteed to work on… Zhu Li! Wait up!!”

~*~

Senlin Village, much to Zhu Li’s delight, was exactly what its name suggested - a sleepy little border town, deep in the woods, not too big to get lost in, or too small to go unnoticed. Being on the edge of Earth Kingdom territory, it had multiple shops where adventurers could buy gear without arousing any suspicion whatsoever. Food was cheap and they managed to find an inn with a single room (with two separate beds and its own en suite) for ¥10 a night. Before she could close the door all the way behind them, Varrick had already removed his jacket, vest, and shirt in a race to get to the bathroom.

“What are you doing?” Zhu Li asked, worried he’d gone mad. Well, madder than usual.

“I need to check for ticks!” his voice echoed from the other side of the heavy wood door.

She sighed. “You do that. I’ll go shopping. Be back in an hour or so.”

He cracked the door open and stuck his head out. Zhu Li got a glimpse of a bare thigh before averting her eyes, quickly. “But what am I supposed to do if I find one?!” he asked. 

“You can remove it, with tweezers,” she said, placing the ones she kept in her pocket on the nightstand. “Or, you could wait for me to get back.”

“I think I’ll just come find you.”

“Sir, if you do - please remember to put some clothes on first.”

His voice was dampened by the thick door as he closed it again. “Ha! You should be so lucky!”

Zhu Li wasn’t entirely certain which state the lucky was supposed to refer to - clothed or unclothed. 

~*~

That night, just as Zhu Li was falling asleep in her clean, comfortable, single bed, she heard her name whispered from across the room.

“Zhu Li?” His bed creaked as he rolled toward her.

“Mmm?” she replied, only half awake.

“Sooo… if I’m counting correctly,” he said delicately, “it’s been two weeks.” 

“It has,” she said. 

“Could I have that letter back, then?”

She put her hand to the front of her pajamas, touching the fabric that protected the creased, ink-splotched and water-damaged letter in her breast pocket. She could feel her heartbeat through its thin parchment. She smiled into her pillow. “No.”

He didn’t press the matter.

Chapter Text

The following morning, over complimentary tea and hotcakes, Zhu Li spread the map out on the table. They had a major decision to make - should they head east for the bridge at Gaipan (which would make the journey almost a week longer), or walk southeast to the place where the Tianluo River narrowed, dividing around Woniuke Island, and try their luck there? “Once we’ve crossed the river, it’s fairly equidistant,” she explained, pointing. “The difference is how long it takes us to get to the river.” 

“Dang it, Pearl, let’s do the thing,” Varrick replied, stuffing the rest of the hotcake into his mouth and licking his fingers clean of powdered sugar. “Even with fresh supplies, we’ll be cutting it close if we take another ten days. We’ve already nearly drowned in one river; might as well try our hand at a second. So what if we show up to Song’s a little worse for the wear?” He rubbed his scalp and his eyebrows creased together. “You’re sure there’s not a ring?”

There wasn’t, but she checked again all the same. 

Their bags were a good deal heavier following Zhu Li’s shopping expedition the previous day, but Varrick said nothing about it. In fact, he was in a chipper mood this morning, even whistling as they strolled along the well-maintained forest path out of town. They crossed paths with several other travelers, all of whom he greeted with a hearty, “Good morning!” Not too far out of town, the trail took a turn, and suddenly they found themselves faced with a signpost - NOW ENTERING THE EARTH KINGDOM. It was strangely unguarded. 

“I’m a free man again,” Varrick cackled, leaping past the sign. “C’mon Pearl, join me!” She did, walking a few feet forward. He hopped back to the other side of the sign. “Wanted. Not wanted! Wanted, not wanted!”

“I have a feeling it’s not going to be quite that simple, sir.” She nodded to a discreet wooden booth, further down the path, almost obscured by the trees. His mood immediately dampened as they approached and pulled out their documents. While a few key characters had been blurred before, the entire paper booklets were now wavy and warped. Surprisingly, the ink that hadn’t been affected before remained clear. The blurred names and dates, while appearing accidental, had been very intentionally obscured. 

“Morning, sir.” Varrick passed the guard their papers. Behind him, Zhu Li put on the most natural, friendly smile she could manage. 

“Names?” the man asked, stone-faced. 

“Park Blackstone,” Varrick said, as Zhu Li cleared her throat and offered “Pearl - Pearl Blackstone, sir.” Varrick twitched slightly, presumably at hearing her use the word sir for someone other than him. 

“And where are you headed today?”

“We’re returning to Omashu.”

“Mmmhmm. What ward?”

“The third.”

“What street?”

“Shayan Way,” Varrick smoothly lied. To be fair, it wasn’t a total lie - it was Song’s address she’d made him memorize the night before. 

“You do know your papers have water damage,” the man remarked, peering up at them over his reading glasses.

Varrick chuckled. “Do I ever. My wife, Pearl here, accidentally dropped them off the sightseeing boat, trying to snap a picture of Avatar Aang Memorial Island. A waterbender was kind enough to snatch them up for us, before they got too wet. We’ve been having a dickens of a time trying to get home ever since. Couldn’t rent a sato, couldn’t take the ferry…”

In the background, Zhu Li gave an apologetic wave. “Sorry.”

The guard, to their surprise, let out a hearty laugh. “Just make sure you get them fixed when you reach your final destination.” He stamped both passports and waved them through. “Welcome home.”

Aside from the regularly scheduled tick checks, the rest of the walk that day flew by, being mostly downhill. At night, they camped in a hillside hollow, well-fed and snug in new sleeping bags Zhu Li had purchased for a fraction of what the same would have cost in Republic City. Their objective for the following day was to make it to the river, ford the first half, and camp on Woniuke Island that night. 

~*~

The river was slightly more treacherous than anticipated. While the boulders that had lined the river by Baowan had been rounded, the ones that lined the Tianluo were sharp, spiky peaks, jutting up from the swift current. Zhu Li was a more-than-proficient swimmer, but the look of the water daunted even her. 

Varrick seemed to have no such misgivings, as he stripped down to his shirt and trousers. 

“We could still head for Gaipan, sir.”

“Nonsense, Zhu Li. What - you’re scared of this bubbling brook?!” he said, in mock amazement. “No need to worry. All the way here, I’ve been thinking… I need you -”

Why did he always seem to pause after those three words? It was infuriating.

“- to help me rig this zip-line. We’ve still got plenty of rope, right?”

She dug it out of her bag.

“Good. I’m going to tie this rope around my waist and swim across. Once I’m to the other side, I’ll attach it to a tree. You do the same on this side, just make sure it’s a little higher. After we’ve created the zip-line, we can tie our bags to it and slide them across. Our stuff stays dry, nothing gets swept away, and we’re good to go.”

It was a surprisingly reasonable and well-thought-out plan. 

He tied the rope around his waist, knotting it several times. Rubbing his hands together, he said, “Here goes nothing…” then dove into the river. 

Though she’d noticed it in Baowan as well, she couldn’t help but be impressed by what a strong swimmer he was. At first jump, he disappeared under the surface just long enough to worry her. Her hands tightened around the rope, ready to drag him back to shore, but then he emerged, farther out than she would have imagined. With one arm and then the other, he cut across the river swiftly, stopping with his back to a rock a few times to catch his breath and chart his next course. Soon, he was clambering up the other side, untying the rope from his waist and looping it around a sturdy tree trunk, then waving at her like a madman. 

Zhu Li looped what was left on her end around her shoulder and tested the lowest branch of a nearby pine. It was stiff enough to hold her weight. She carefully climbed, hand over hand, about fifteen feet up. There, she tied the end of the rope tightly around the trunk, her fingers getting coated with sap in the process. 

“Ready?” he called through cupped hands.

“Ready sir.” She slid her knapsack off her back and pulled a shorter length of rope from it. Luckily, the rope was well woven and slick enough for two pieces to slide together with minimal friction. She poured some water from her canteen over the shorter loop, just in case, then used her knife to cut it into three pieces, each a few feet in length. She tied the first around the straps of her bag, looping it over the line. The line sank a few inches with the weight - a good sign. 

“Do the thing, Zhu Li!” 

“Here it comes, sir.”

She let go and her bag went soaring over the water. On the other side, Varrick caught it and untied it. Meanwhile, Zhu Li climbed down the tree and retrieved his bag. She repeated the process, sending it across. This time the rope caught a third of the way down, but a quick jerk of the line on her end had it soaring into Varrick’s open arms. 

Alright. She took a deep breath. Now it was her turn. 

They hadn’t actually discussed her coming across on the line, but Zhu Li was more optimistic about her chances in the air than she was about her chances in the water. From the look on Varrick’s face, he had realized what she was about to do, and nervously knotted the rope around the tree one more time on his side. She looped the ends of the short rope around her palms several times, perched as far out on the branch as she safely could, and let out a long puff of air. Here went nothing.

Pushing off from the tree, Zhu Li soared above the water. Her shoes dangled ten feet over the tops of the rocks below. Wind against her face, she let out a little laugh of joy. 

“Oof.” Varrick caught her, firmly, on the other side. Broad hands on her hips steadied her. He stood back and frowned. “Zhu Li, what did you do that for? I thought you were going to bring the rope over with you.”

Oh. In her rush to zip-line rather than swim, she hadn’t considered that.

“Fine.” He sighed heavily. “I’m already wet - might as well do it myself.”

“Thank you, sir.” Impetuously, she raised herself to her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. 

Despite his propensity to do the same to other people, Varrick looked a little shell-shocked. “Right… Well…” He dove back into the water, not even bothering to attach the rope this time.

Zhu Li grimaced. What had gotten into her? In the seven minutes it took Varrick to climb the tree, detach the rope, and swim back across, she finally managed to stop blushing. As he climbed out of the water, his clothes clinging to him, shirt clearly displaying the shape of his torso beneath his undershirt and the subtle, wiry musculature of his arms, she worried she might start again and never be able to stop.

“Let’s go,” he said shortly, trudging past her. He slung his dry clothes over his shoulder as she picked up both bags, following him along a sandy path. 

The island was well-named - microscopic snail shells, mixed in with the sand, crunched under foot with every step. Their gooey trails marked the trees along the path. Their tiny, sticky bodies clung to the ferns that grew and the mossy rocks that lay to either side. After walking for another half-hour, Zhu Li and Varrick found a dry, sandy clearing sheltered by trees that seemed relatively snail-free, and decided to camp there.

There was a waterfall nearby. Zhu Li located it by sound and was surprised at how clear and cold the water was. She refilled their canteens as Varrick gathered firewood, then left him to stoke the fire as she gathered water in a pot to boil some instant noodles. She came back to find him talking to the flames. She didn’t question it, but as she chopped up vegetables to toss in with the noodles, the one-sided conversation became impossible to ignore. 

“That is the stupidest idea you’ve had in your very short and no doubt uneventful life. Though, if I was you, I might just want to end it all too, put myself out of my bored, slimey misery…”

“Sir, what’s going on?”  Zhu Li asked as she walked over to hang the pot from the spit they’d rigged up. 

“This snail has a death wish.” Varrick poked it with a stick. “Trust me, little guy. You don’t wanna go in there.” 

Zhu Li adjusted her glasses higher up on her nose and leaned over next to him. “What is it doing?” They watched the snail’s progress as it climbed back up the stick Varrick had just knocked it off of, inching closer and closer to the fire. Suddenly, there was a loud pop. The snail exploded and the flames around it hissed and turned a brilliant shade of blue. Both Varrick and Zhu Li jumped back. 

“Hurry up, Zhu Li - let’s gather some snails!”

“With all due respect, sir, I draw the line at helping you toss snails in a fire for fun.”

“Not for fun, Zhu Li. For science!” The fire popped again, on the far side of where they were standing. This time, the flames shot up pink. “Look, I promise I won’t toss snails in a fire,” he mimicked. “They’re doing a pretty good job of that themselves. Interesting to know that’s your limit, though,” he muttered, as an aside. “No, I want to collect a few so we can run some experiments once we get to Omashu. These little critters have got to have some use we can profit off of!”

As far as his capitalist experiments went, it was a rather tame one. Making sure the water hadn’t started to boil, Zhu Li crouched down and started looking for snails.

“Whoa,” Varrick said, raising his palm. “I’ve got one! ...Oops.” The fire popped and turned purple as he accidentally dropped the snail. “Eurgh… they’re slippery little buggers,” he said, wiping his hands on his jacket. “What are we going to put them in?” 

Zhu Li went to her sack and dug through, coming across the broken flashlight. The bulb at the top detached from the crank-shaft compartment - she unscrewed it and brought the two pieces over. “Quick, quick,” Varrick motioned with his hands. “I’ve got another one!” She held the hollow flashlight base steady as he deposited about a dozen snails in it, gently pushing them back in when they crawled their way to the top. She tucked a coil of fern on top before sealing them in. 

The noodle water was steadily boiling by this point; Zhu Li handed Varrick the snail-filled flashlight and went to finish making dinner as he examined his prizes. They ate their noodles in front of the campfire, which had become an impromptu miniature fireworks show bursting with pops and sparks in all colors of the rainbow. 

With the snails oozing tracks across the sandy clearing, the idea of sleeping on the ground was less than appetizing. After dinner and washing up, Zhu Li found a tree with smooth bark that seemed unappealing to the slimy gastropods. The limbs seemed broad enough to safely hold a person, even a sleeping one, so long as they were secured. For the first time since they’d left Senlin, Zhu Li wished she’d chosen to invest in hammocks, instead of sleeping bags. She pulled the long rope from her bag and looped it over her arm, stuck her sleeping bag under the other, and with great determination, headed up the tree. 

“What are you doing?” Varrick asked, looking up at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“I don’t really care to wake up to a snail in my ear,” she replied. “I’m sleeping up here.”

He stood. “Save me some rope. I’ll join you.” A few minutes later, he had tossed his sleeping bag strap over his shoulder and was huffing and puffing his way up the tree. He found a branch on the opposite side of hers, just a little bit higher. Once Zhu Li had gotten as comfortable as she could manage, the rope tied tightly around her knees and chest, she tossed the rest to him. A few tugs and grunts later, he seemed secured as well. Zhu Li closed her eyes and folded an arm under her head. 

Five minutes later, there was a yelp and then a horrible clattering sound on rocks below. Zhu Li attempted to spring up, on high alert, forgetting all about the tree and the rope in her groggy state. Her head bounced back onto the tree branch as the bindings held her body firmly in place. Ouch - that was going to leave a welt in the morning. “Varrick?!” she cried out, alarmed, as something rattled below. 

He sounded sheepish. “I’m okay. Just dropped my snails.”

The flashlight full of snails continued to roll across several more rocks before coming to a standstill.  Zhu Li thumped the back of her head against the tree branch again, intentionally this time. 

“Goodnight,” he muttered, in a small voice.

~*~

Their snail-free perch wasn’t entirely so. In the morning, Zhu Li found one crawling up the arm she’d flung over her head in the middle of the night. Shuddering, she dropped the snail to the ground, then carefully untied herself, rolled up her sleeping bag, and crawled down.

Varrick was still fast asleep. Groggily, Zhu Li made her way toward the waterfall. Stripping down to her underwear - she wasn’t going to take the chance of Varrick waking up and coming looking for her (though that particular scenario already found itself being tucked away for later examination in the depths of her mind, despite her most professional protestations) - she dove into the freezing water. 

The cold must keep the snails away, she thought, flipping over onto her back and swimming from one edge of the pool to the other. Acclimated to the temperature, she kicked over to the waterfall and plunged herself underneath its spray. She scrubbed her hair with her fingers, wishing she’d bothered to bring her soap, but even the pure water on its own seemed to be getting rid of a good deal of the grime and grit she’d picked up over the past couple of days. She scrubbed herself from head to foot before shaking dry and pulling her dingy clothes back on. 

Heading back from the pool, she must not have been paying close attention, as she found herself on a different path. A little concerned, she attempted to back track, but only managed to get more lost. She stopped. She took a deep breath. The island was not that big. She closed her eyes and listened. In the distance, she could still hear the waterfall, off through a thick grove of trees. With a sigh of relief, she forced her way through the thick foliage. She pushed her way through a clump of vines...

...and teetered at the edge of a cliff above the river, her arms windmilling. 

Zhu Li knew how to fall, when she was ready for it. She hadn’t been ready for this. Instinctively, she thrust out her arms to protect herself, as much as she could from a 50 foot drop into rocky waters. A bubble of air exploded in front of her, pushing her back. She wrapped her elbow securely around a gnarled tree and stared at her hands. 

“ZHU LI?!” Varrick’s voice echoed through the trees. 

She couldn’t quite find her voice to answer; her eyes were still fixed on her hands, which were now trembling. For the first time in months, Zhu Li thought of her tiny, wizened great-grandmother. When Zhu Li was a little girl, Chae Moon had been almost eighty, but possessed the energy of someone half that age. Zhu Li could remember walking several houses down to sit on the porch as her great-grandmother swept - dust swirling out from her broom with more bluster than it had any natural right to do - and told fantastical tales. Some days, she wove together chronicles of pirates and princesses, of waterbending fish-people and secret portals to the spirit world. Other days, she spoke of the time the Avatar had passed through their village, when Zhu Li’s grandfather had been a little boy. Zhu Li’s favorite had always been the saga of the great mother lion turtle, who bestowed the gift of energy bending on her children. She lived in the vast ocean on the other side of the world and the void benders dwelled on her back. 

The lion turtles and the void benders were not the stories that sprung to mind today, however. Instead, it was the story her great-grandmother told of the air nomads who had escaped the Fire Lord’s wrath. Some had set aside their monkhood and assimilated into one of the other nations generations before, some had been wandering the world when the Fire Nation attacked and had hidden themselves on foreign soil. Any children born to these nomads had their chakras blocked and grew up unaware of the powers they possessed. In time, the secret airbenders were forgotten. Chae Moon had once told Zhu Li the story of the day her grandfather had taken her to see the shaman - a day the old woman could hardly recollect, faded by the passage of time. Her grandfather had not seemed convinced of the efficacy of the ceremony, but little Chae Moon had never shown any signs of bending any element. Here, Zhu Li’s great-grandmother had winked and tapped a single finger to her lips, before shaking out the straw mat and sending a veritable blizzard of cherry blossoms swirling through the air.

As a child, Zhu Li had enjoyed the story on the same level as the story about the fish-people - a fairy tale created by a sweet old woman to entertain her - but now, for the first time, she wondered. 

“ZHU LI, WHERE ARE YOU?! I CAN FEEL A RING ON MY SCALP!” 

Zhu Li shook her head to clear her thoughts. It had to have been an updraft, a random gust of air. And if secret airbenders existed, there must be dozens, if not hundreds, of them. Meanwhile, Varrick had only one assistant.

“COMING, SIR!”

She knew where she was needed most. Even if that most was currently checking Varrick’s unblemished scalp and reassuring him for the eighty-seventh time that he was not dying of Lyme Disease. 

Not on her watch.

Chapter Text

Following another, less eventful, river crossing and two more days of hiking through Earth Kingdom forests, the Kolau mountain range rose in front of them, one final obstacle before reaching Omashu. Zhu Li wished, back when she’d bought clothes for the go bags, she’d known this much hiking would be involved in their escape from Republic City. Her heels had held up remarkably well, but weren’t really meant for mountain climbing. Even so, when garish billboards for the Cave of the Two Lovers started popping up along the dusty track, Zhu Li thought she’d rather climb an entire mountain than endure such a popular tourist trap. Varrick, for his part, didn’t seem to notice them at all until one advertised -

IT’S A LONG, LONG WAY TO BA SING SE, BUT WE’VE GOT THE SHORTEST PATH TO OMASHU - A STEAL AT ¥3!

- and suddenly, he became very invested.

“Look -” he said, practically dancing in front of her, “- it’s only three yuans, per person!”

“We have eleven yuans left, sir.”

“Zhu Li, I’m surprised at you. A visit to such an important cultural landmark is priceless. And we could be in Omashu by tonight! Actual beds! Indoor plumbing!”

To be honest, that did sound amazing… and once he’d put his mind to something, she really didn’t have much say in the matter.

As they drew closer, the path they were on joined with the main road from the ferry port, congested with more people and vehicles than they’d seen in weeks. Hawkers walked up and down through clusters of tourists and travelers. One had even rigged a phonograph to be portable, wearing it strapped to his copious belly as it piped out a catchy tune.  “Buy the album! All your favorite songs included!”

“Torches! Get your authentic torches!”

“Buy your authentic flute here, right now! Its dulcet tones tame any stubborn badgermole!”

“Crystal nightlights! Five yuans! Crystal nightlights!”

Varrick squinted at a passing sign. “The authentic Avatar experience, as recounted by a group of musical nomads,” he read. “Huh. Have you heard of this?”

Of course she had. How had he not? 

“Couples passes, half off!” yelled a hawker in front of them.

“C’mon, Ruby! He’s singing my song!” Varrick strode in the direction of the most recent crier. “Half off, you say?” Varrick asked the man, once they’d caught up to him.

“Yes indeed - lowest price available!”

Varrick held out his hand and Zhu Li passed over three yuans, which he handed to the hawker.

“Follow me sir, right this way. First, I’m going to need you to sign this liability waiver.” Zhu Li raised her eyebrows at this; Varrick skimmed it in seconds and signed his (fake) name with a flourish. “You too ma’am.” Zhu Li was more restrained as she signed on the dotted line. She handed it back and the hawker led them through the crowd, right up to the mouth of the cave. “Alright…” the man said, rolling up both scrolls, “now Po here is going to take real good care of you folks.”

“My name’s Po, and I’ll be your guide for the experience today. Thank you for choosing Tran’s Terrific Tours.”

“Hey, these aren’t badger moles!” said a nearby father of four, clambering onto a large animal with TRAN’S TERRIFIC TOURS emblazoned on the saddle. “They’re painted gopher rats!” Po hurried them on toward another of the creatures.

“Pleased to meet you, Po,” said Varrick, pumping his hand enthusiastically as he climbed up to the saddle, which had three rows of wooden benches installed inside. “The name’s Ryu Blackstone! This is my wife, Ruby Blackstone.”

“You folks been here before?” Po asked.

“Never!” Varrick exclaimed as he scooted down the bench, Zhu Li right behind him.

“First timers! Well, sit back, relax, and enjoy the tour. I’ll be telling you a little about the history of the cave, some facts, some legends.” The gopher rat started waddling forward. Zhu Li scooted toward the center of the bench; Varrick clutched her arm as the saddle dipped and swayed with the gopher rat. 

“The legend of the Cave of the Two Lovers was passed down through earthbender history as a tale of a cursed mountain. For years and years, locals avoided the caves. Folks would go in and never come out.”

The guide and gopher rat in front of them paused for a moment before shuffling into the darkness of the cave. A flashlight shone across the rocks, then disappeared as the group went around a bend. 

“All that changed, when seventy years ago, the Avatar and his friends braved the shortcut to Omashu - and discovered the secret of the tunnel,” Po continued. “See all the rubble around these here statues? Well, they’ve been rebuilt - the Fire Nation chased the Avatar into the cave, then purposefully caused an avalanche to block him in, hoping the cave would be the end of him. But what they forgot about was the Avatar state.”

The saddle listed and Varrick grabbed her arm again.

“Now, here we can see where Avatar Aang used the Avatar state and caused another massive cave-in.”

“Why?” Varrick asked, frowning. 

“Uh, to keep the Fire Nation from following them?”

Varrick let go of Zhu Li’s arm and leaned forward, grabbing the front of the saddle for support instead. “But you just said the Fire Nation blocked the Avatar in.”

“Hey man, I just read what’s on the cards they give me. I can assure you, it’s all been carefully researched and recorded.”

The gopher rat ambled along the long tunnel amiably. Ahead of them, a tour group using an actual badger mole opened a door directly through the side of the passage with earthbending. A moment later, another badger mole exited and headed for the light at the far end of the tunnel.

“Avatar Aang used the Avatar state to light the way. He was able to communicate with the spirits of the original builders, the two lovers from the legend - Oma and Shu. The nearby city of Omashu was named for them. They told him to trust in love and let it lead the way. He and the other nomads he was traveling with were able to sing a stirring, long-forgotten love song. The music reverberated off the rocks, and a magical doorway through the mountain opened to them.”

“Pfft. That’s a lame story,” Varrick said, leaning back and clutching the seat on either side of him. It was certainly not the version of the tale Zhu Li had read. The discount tour seemed focused on moving people through as quickly as possible, however, which was fine with her.

“It’s what really happened, sir. Every word of it.”

“Where are your marketing opportunities? Your product placement?” Varrick hung forward in his seat. “You’ve got the romance angle; that’s great. But you need to sell it. These spirits - were they terrifyingly bizarre creatures or moderately attractive by human standards?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Which is better?”

“I mean, you can work with either. But let’s go with attractive. It’ll make it easier to cast for the mover version.”

“The what, sir?”

“Mover. Moving pictures. Geeze, don’t you all get the papers down here?”

“My cousin has a subscription.”

“Imagine a picture book - but the pictures move.”

“Whoa,” Po replied.

“So you’ve got the spirits of these two devilishly attractive lovers. What’s their problem?”

“Their problem?”

“Yeah, you need a problem to overcome, something that drives them, to move the story along.”

“Well… I guess, maybe they got stuck in the tunnel?”

“Okay, yes! Then what?”

“Then… they died?”

“And their spirits haunt these pathways to this day,” Varrick proclaimed dramatically. “I like where your head’s at. But it’s not very family friendly - you need to throw in something for the kids.”

“I mean, Gaoqi here is pretty friendly,” Po said, patting the gopher rat’s head. It made an affectionate noise.

“Stuffed animals sell, but you’re still thinking small. Picture this -” Varrick waved his hand through the air in a marquee motion and put on his story-teller voice, “- back at the cave-in hall, that’s where you put your mover theater. After your tour group gets that intro, you stick ‘em into cars carved into the shape of badger moles. Nothing against this fellow here, but I imagine the paint and feed get expensive.”

The gopher rat let out a noise of protest.

“Shush, I’m talking now. Anyway, you move the cars through the tunnels… I don’t know, with earth bending, maybe.”

“Maybe,” Po said. “But then I’m out of a job too. Can’t get work in the mines without earthbending.”

“So we figure out a different way.” Varrick shook his head and waved his hands. “Regardless - you pipe some music in, have some animatronics along the way reenact the story.”

“Anima-whatsits, sir?”

“Moving robotic statues.”

The gopher rat brayed again, this time Po shushed it. “You can make those now? Republic City sure must be some place.”

“Hey, I never said I was from Republic City.”

“No, but you sure talk like it, sir.”

“Families hear the music, see the props being used. Then, at the very end, before you can leave, you have a gift shop. Maximize that profit!”

The gopher rat bleated in fright and reared up. “Whoa there, boy. What’d you spot?” Po asked, staring into a dim tunnel off to one side. “Darn badger moles, leaving things open that they shouldn’t,” their guide muttered under his breath. 

Just then, something came pelting out of the tunnel. Varrick, Zhu Li, and Po ducked as the thing screeched overhead. Po flailed his flashlight at it, illuminating a single scraggly wolfbat. “Get lost!” It continued swooping back and forth, frantic. Gaoqi, having enough excitement for his entire little gopher rat life, pelted into the nearest hole - the tunnel that had been left open. “Whoa, boy, easy!” Gaoqi bounced off the wall and down a second tunnel. Knocked off her seat, Zhu Li braced herself against the sides of the saddle. Varrick, sliding into her lap, clung to her for dear life. Finally, still panting in panic, Gaoqi decided he’d outrun the danger, plopped to his belly, and rolled to one side, depositing them on the ground. 

Zhu Li helped Varrick up as Po stood, rubbing his head. “Aw, man… third time this week.” Zhu Li drew a deep breath. Of course they couldn’t have had a calm, boring, normal tour, a simple twenty-minute stroll through the mountain. When did anything of that description ever happen to them? “You all stay put with Gaoqi here,” Po said, handing Zhu Li a second flashlight. “I’ll be back in a minute, once I assess the wolfbat situation.”

“Can’t we just walk out?” Zhu Li asked him, switching it on.

“Best not to - too easy to get lost, the way the tunnels change around.”

Varrick stared at Po’s retreating back, then to her. “The tunnels change around?”

She sighed. “Yes, thanks to the badgermoles that live in these caves. I can’t imagine wild ones would stick around though, given all the people and noise. It must be all the different tour groups, cutting into each other’s territory.” She shone the flashlight along the roof of the cave, inspecting the space.

“So be honest...” He turned to her. “What did you think of my idea for this place?”

Zhu Li thought for a moment. “I like the introductory mover idea. The animatronics sound rather creepy, though.”

Varrick crossed his arms. “Well, what would you do?”

“I’d start by hiring guides that know the actual story...”

“So Po was just making stuff up?” Varrick sounded affronted.

“I think he’s telling the story he’s been told to tell, sir, to move us through the cave as quickly as possible.”

“See…” Varrick said, sinking to the floor. “This is what half price gets you.” He squinted up at her. “How come you know all this stuff and Po doesn’t?”

“Because I bothered to read Councilman Sokka’s autobiography, apparently.”

“Huh. I read that too, but I must have skipped that chapter.” To be fair, it was a rather lengthy autobiography. “So what’s the real story?”

She carefully sat down beside him. Guoqi huffed. “According to Sokka, they’d met with a group of nomads who told them about a secret tunnel through the mountains to Omashu. At first, Sokka was skeptical, but after unsuccessfully attempting to fly past a Fire Nation blockade, he, Avatar Aang, and Katara decided to join the nomads. The Fire Nation did block them in,” Zhu Li said, “but the second cave-in happened when a wolfbat caused a torch to be dropped, scaring Appa…”

“Always liked that guy,” Varrick inserted.

“Sokka and the nomads were stranded on one side of the cave-in, while Avatar Aang and Katara were trapped on the other.” Varrick wiggled an eyebrow suggestively. “They were twelve, sir. Anyway, Sokka and the nomads discovered that the tunnels were changing due to the badgermoles - the original earth benders - who inhabited them. After accidentally finding out the badgermoles seemed to enjoy the instruments that the nomads were carrying, they were able to ride them to freedom. Meanwhile, Avatar Aang and Katara discovered the true legend behind the cave.”

“Isn’t true legend a bit of a contradiction in terms, Zhu Li?” Varrick crossed his arms on his knees, planting his chin in the middle. He was attempting to go for aloof and bored, but Zhu Li knew him too well - the pose meant he was invested in the story.

“Long ago, Shu and Oma fell in love after meeting on the mountain that divided their warring villages. Longing to see one another, they observed the badgermoles that dug tunnels through the mountains and followed their example, becoming the first earthbenders. They created a labyrinth in the mountain where they would be able to meet, but those who did not know their secret would be lost, and perish.”

“Then, Shu was killed in the war between the two villages. Heartbroken and enraged, Oma went to the battlefield and stopped the fighting with her powerful earthbending. Instead of destroying both armies, she declared the war finished and created a new city, on the mountain between the villages, where all would live. Today, that village is the city of Omashu.”

Varrick made a noise like a foghorn. “Ugh. I think I’m allergic to this beast,” he said, shooting Gaoqi a dirty look. Zhu Li pretended to be very interested in the flashlight as he wiped the corners of his eyes. Then, she remembered another detail of the story. 

“I’m going to turn off the light for a second, sir.”

“Wha- why would you do that, Zhu Li?!”

“It may be nothing, but… just trust me.”

He huffed and crossed his arms. She switched off the light.

At first, there was nothing but blackness. Disappointed, Zhu Li went to switch the light back on. Then she felt Varrick shift by her side. “Whoa…” 

Her eyes adjusted further and green crystals suddenly seemed to glow out of the dark along the ceiling of the cave. Excited, she hopped to her feet and gazed overhead. Okay. Maybe this shortcut-detour had been worth their time. Seeing something she’d read about, in person, and having it live up to her expectations was always intensely satisfying. 

“I wonder if the other tours include this,” she breathed. 

Varrick stood up next to her, craning his neck as well. “What is it?”

“It’s the way Oma and Shu were able to navigate the caves when no one else could. They relied on these glowing crystals instead of torches. Love is brightest in the dark,” she quoted. Zhu Li felt a smile creep across her face as she gazed from one end of the crystal path to the other, fading around a dark corner far ahead. She caught Varrick staring at her. “What?”  

The dim green lighting softened his features and made it hard to make out his exact expression. “Zhu Li, you are -”

“Hey folks, I’m back!” Po announced, blinding Zhu Li with his swinging flashlight. 

“- sitting on a goldmine!” Varrick’s eyes widened and he grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking her slightly. “Do you have any idea what an epic mover that story could make?”

“Hey, why’re you all sitting around in the dark?” Po pulled a bunch of tomato carrots from his pocket. Gaoqi hungrily sprung up, wolfbat trauma forgotten. “Hop back on, let’s get out of here before they close off this tunnel for good!”

~*~

The rest of the way to Omashu was spent listening to Varrick retell and embellish the story of Oma and Shu until it had passed all recognition. “And, then, in the final battle scene...” he was saying, as they crested the final hill and the city appeared before them. “Oh, hey! We’re here.” 

They looked at each other for a long moment. At times, it had felt like their journey would never end. But here they were - back in civilization, back in a city with people they knew and a bank that had access to Varrick’s accounts. 

Zhu Li, strangely, felt a little like she was losing something.

If Varrick felt the same, he certainly didn’t show it. A grin spread across his face and he let out a whoop. “C’mon, Zhu Li! We get in early enough, and I bet Song will make me her famous roast turtleduck. Wow, I’ve missed that!”

She trailed down the stone path after him, following him across the massive stone bridge into the city of Omashu.

Chapter Text

OMASHU, DAY ONE

“Do I look presentable?” Varrick asked Zhu Li, as they stood on Song’s doorstep. It was a simple but pretty home, with yellow stone walls and a green tile roof, blending in with every other building in the ancient, terraced city.

Honestly, both Varrick and Zhu Li looked a mess, but she doubted Song would hold it against them. “You look fine, sir. Just… ring the bell.”

It was honestly a little sweet that he seemed almost nervous about seeing Song again for the first time since she’d left his employment. Varrick’s Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he gulped, but he reached out and pulled the chain all the same. 

“Coming, coming,” a voice inside trilled. 

As the door opened, Zhu Li hardly recognized her old coworker. The woman who stood before them was still short and round, with glasses, but retirement seemed to be treating Song quite well. She was dressed in a flowing green and gold robe, her hair was cut more stylishly and adorned with a silk scarf, and while she’d typically worn a small, simple pendant and little else in the way of jewelry as Varrick’s tea server, she was now decked out in an assortment of abstractly-shaped, gleaming necklaces, rings, and earrings. 

Upon recognizing them, Song let out a little scream and dropped her pruning shears. 

“Varrick, my dear boy!” Song wrapped her old boss up in a stifling hug.

“Alright, alright… it’s nice to see you too, Song. Oof.” He winced over the top of the older woman’s head. Zhu Li bit back a smile. Finally, Song released him.

“And Zhu Li, how lovely to see you too.” She turned back to Varrick, grasping his hand. “What are you doing here?! Come in, come in!”

She led them into a low-ceilinged, airy sitting room. Small toys were scattered across the floor - Varrick almost slipped on a miniature train; Zhu Li steadied him just in the knick of time. Song, oblivious, continued chatting. “...so glad you’ve come to visit! You can meet my son and his children, and I’ll fix us all a lovely dinner.” She clapped her hands together. A little girl with Song’s round face popped up from her hiding spot behind the couch and gazed up at them from under thick bangs. Song swooped over and scooped her up. “This is my granddaughter, Tianshi. The boys are around here somewhere. RENAO! MOGUI! Come out and say hello to our guests.”

“Hewwo,” Tianshi lisped shyly.

“Well, aren’t you adorable!” Varrick replied, earning himself a beaming smile from Song. Once her back was turned, he made a face. Zhu Li frowned at him - he didn’t have to like kids, but he didn’t have to be rude about it. She could only imagine what an absolute terror he had been as a child.

“We don’t mean to intrude. A few weeks back, we ran into a bit of trouble up in Republic City...”

“Oh yes, I read about that.” 

“...So we decided to head down this way, and figured, why not see our old friend Song while we’re at it! We thought maybe we could crash with you for the night, just until we can visit a bank tomorrow.”

“Oh, of course, of course,” Song waved. “But nonsense on only staying one night! You must stay with me the entire time you’re in Omashu!” 

Varrick and Zhu Li exchanged another glance over the top of Song’s head. They had no idea how long they’d be staying in Omashu, but had no intention of becoming permanent residents at Song’s abode. Just then, two little boys - Zhu Li would have guessed four and six - came racing through the room. The one was pelting the other with stones.

“OW! Nana, make him stop!”

“ENOUGH, Renao.”

The older boy dropped the rocks, petulantly. “Sorry Nana. Mogui started it!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!” 

“Quiet, both of you! We have guests - introduce yourselves. Stand up straight!”

“Yes ma’am,” they both muttered, before shyly sharing their names and darting out again.

Song sighed. “Those two will be the death of me. Not like this little darling here.” Her voice devolved into baby talk as her granddaughter grinned up at her. “Oh… the two of you will just love Omashu. There’s so much to do! I have my pottery classes three times a week and my bonsai group meets on Wednesdays… Come, let me show you around!”

The house was pretty yet modest on the inside as well. A patio attached to the back was lined with tiny, pruned trees - one of Song’s retirement projects - and a tinkling fountain. It overlooked the city, which was quite impressive from this angle. Song bustled back inside to fix a pot of tea for her guests, leaving them alone for a moment. Varrick peered over the ledge.

“I can’t believe they still use earthbending to move goods around the city,” he said, craning his neck and leaning as far as he could. Zhu Li stuck an arm in front of his chest to keep him from toppling over. She’d gotten him this far, he was not about to get injured - or worse - in Omashu, at Song’s house of all places.

Song returned with a tea tray, setting it down in the center of the patio. Tianshi toddled out after her, dragging four pillows. Song arranged them neatly in a circle and invited Varrick and Zhu Li to sit. 

“So… tell me all about your trip!” she said, brightly, handing them each a cup. Zhu Li took a sip. It was boiled and bitter, just as she remembered it.

“Aah!” Varrick exclaimed. “Song, I’ve missed this. Zhu Li does alright, but it’s just not the same.”

“Yes, Zhu Li…” Song’s smile dropped a little as she glanced her way. Curious. Zhu Li noticed but didn’t react, sipping her tea quietly. “The two of you traveled all this way alone? Where’s Shesh? Where’s Nuvuk? Yuki?”

“Let’s see…” Varrick checked off his fingers as he spoke. “Yuki is now Ginger - made her a bigtime mover star, living it up in Republic City. Nuvuk got promoted - he’s in charge of boats and shipping at the Harbor City headquarters. Shesh is sailing the Spirit of Independence somewhere around the Fire Nation, last time I heard. And Zhu Li and I just finished walking all the way from Republic City. Well, there was one short car ride, when we got picked up by a group of seismologists, but otherwise, we did the whole thing on foot.”

It was clear from the look on Song’s face that she thought he was pulling her leg. “More tea?”

“Yes, please.” How had he downed that so quickly? “It all started one fateful evening at the pro-bending arena, when I was framed for a dastardly crime…” He continued to tell the story of their journey, largely embellished, and with many parts left out. Somehow, in the past three weeks, he had bravely fought off presidential assassins, triads, pirates, bears, and a sea monster. He’d contracted, but bravely born, Lyme Disease. (“Yes, I think I’ve heard of that,” Song said sympathetically.) He hadn’t - Zhu Li noted - lolled on the ground or been carried by his assistant or argued about who would get eaten first in the event of a bear attack. There was also no mention of sleeping arrangements, aside from the tale of how he’d foiled the sea monster using a hammock from his bag, though she thought that was prudent. In fact, Zhu Li played hardly any role in his story at all. 

Song listened, in rapt wonder. “My, what an adventure…” she breathed, the last of the pot of tea poured into Varrick’s cup. “Oh my goodness! Look at the time - I need to get busy if we want to have dinner before midnight!” She bustled inside, Tianshi right behind her.

“Zhu Li, you’re unusually quiet.”

Zhu Li raised her eyebrows till they disappeared under her bangs. “Just listening to your amazing story, sir. Wish I’d been there to see it.” She took a small sip of tea and immediately regretted it. 

He pointed at her. “Hey - never let the truth get in the way of a good story, Zhu Li.”

What hadn’t been good enough about the real story, she thought to herself. The one that the two of them had experienced, together?

The children broke the awkward pause. “Daddy, daddy!” they yelled, as the front door opened and a young man who could only be Song’s son appeared.

“Hello, Mother! Wow - that smells amazing. Are you making turtleduck?”

Song waltzed out of the kitchen. “Chang, my dearest - you’ll never guess who’s come to visit! It’s Varrick! And his assistant, Zhu Li,” she tacked on, as an afterthought. 

Chang, looking a little confused at the whole situation, but still being good-natured about it, shook both of their hands. After putting away his hat and jacket and hugging each of the children, he invited them to the sitting room for more tea (his was far better than his mother’s) and chatted politely about their trip, Omashu, and his job at the pharmacy he’d bought a few years earlier. Dinner was ready an hour and a half later and they gathered around the long, low table. 

“Chang, you were saying Omashu is pretty traditional with the earthbending?” Varrick asked, his mouth full of roast turtleduck. 

“Yes, most of the infrastructure is still run the way it was one hundred years ago.”

Varrick frowned. “Why no innovation? I mean, you’re Earth Kingdom - you have access to the finest metal benders in the world!” Tianshi, sitting beside Varrick, put a small, carved camelephant in his hand. “Thanks, kid,” he muttered without looking down, passing the toy quickly on to Zhu Li. Zhu Li added it to a growing pile.

Chang glanced at Song. “It’s a holdover from the year the Fire Nation colonized Omashu. Bad memories. But maybe in time, as the older generation passes away…”

“Tcch. Never. If Omashu has one thing, it’s a long memory,” Song broke in. Tianshi gave Varrick a hogmonkey; it ended up in her hands too. 

“Mother, that was delicious,” Chang said. “You’ve outdone yourself, as usual.”

Song smiled. “It’s been a while since I fixed it. I do think it could have used a little more five-flavor spice. But I’ll have the opportunity to practice again tomorrow night!” Varrick passed Zhu Li a tiny earth bender figurine. With a start, she recognized it as Pao Ji.

“Well,” said Chang, picking up Tianshi, “I’ve got an early start tomorrow, so I should start getting the children to bed. But it was lovely meeting you both.”

“Chang, dear, Varrick and Zhu Li are spending the night, so I’ve shuffled things around a bit,” Song informed her son. “Varrick’s going to sleep in your room. I’ve already moved your things into the children’s room. Tianshi can sleep with me. And Zhu Li… Zhu Li, dear, I’m going to fix up the couch for you!” 

The situation was exceedingly awkward, though Varrick didn’t seem to notice, picking at his teeth while staring at his reflection in a soup spoon. Zhu Li felt immensely guilty. Once they had withdrawn some money, they really needed to get out of poor Chang’s hair.

OMASHU, DAY TWO

The following morning, Zhu Li waited until they were at the bank, sitting in a private office as their withdrawal transferred, before broaching the subject.

“Sir, I’ve been thinking - maybe we should find a hotel...” Varrick choked on the complimentary tea. “...So that we don’t impose on Song and Chang’s hospitality any further,” she finished, frowning.

He cleared his throat and set down his porcelain cup. “Zhu Li, I couldn’t agree more. It’ll be impossible to get anything done with Song fawning over us every minute of the day and night.”

“Fawning all over you, sir.” He waved this off. “And I was thinking more of Chang, to be honest. Song rearranged the entire household to accommodate us, which isn’t very fair to him.”

“Yeah, but don’t tell her that’s the reason we’re leaving, or the poor man will never hear the end of it. But what are we going to do, hide out in the hotel room for as long as we’re here?”

Zhu Li considered it for a millisecond, before snapping back to reality. “No. We need to be honest with her and explain that we don’t know how long we’ll be staying in town.”

“Tell her that, and the woman will make her son buy a larger house. I know Song, Zhu Li. I don’t think we can get around sleeping there… but if we get a suite, during the day, you can make your calls and get all your mess straightened out while I take care of mine.” By the gestures he made, she assumed he meant her mess was his business and finances, while his seemed to be completely self-care related. “Speaking of which, these feet are an absolute mess.” He wiggled the scuffed toes of his boots. “Zhu Li, first item on the agenda for this afternoon - buy a new pedicure kit!”

As patiently as she could manage, she replied, “Sir, I think we need to divide and conquer. After we find a hotel and check in, I think you should take care of you while I take care of payroll and any other issues that have arisen while we were away.”

“Not a bad idea… I suppose a spa day is in order,” he mused. Zhu Li refrained from rolling her eyes, though she sorely wanted to - heaven forbid he take care of himself by himself. 

The teller reappeared with two beefy earthbenders, moving a large stone cart. On the cart was the most money Zhu Li had ever seen in one place. “One million total,” the teller said, nervously. “We can talk about options for carrying it, sir…”

“Shh… give me a moment here!” The teller fell back with a silent bow. Varrick sighed happily as he walked around the cart, inspecting his money. Suddenly, he leaned over and hugged the top of the pile, squishing the green earth kingdom bills to his face. “Ah… how I’ve missed you.” Straightening up again, he removed one brick of bills from the top and waved at the mountain of cash. “Okay, you can redeposit the rest. I’ll take this...” he counted out the majority of the bills in the stack, pocketing the change, “...in traveler’s checks.”

~*~

Sitting on a plush couch in the suite of the Omashu Four Elements, surrounded by bags and boxes from the city’s finest clothing stores, Varrick propped his foot up and examined his toenails. Below him, Zhu Li sat cross-legged on the floor, balancing a phone in the crook of her shoulder.

“Good. Yes. That is acceptable. Yes, I’ll hold.”

“They didn’t do as good a job as you do,” Varrick said, wiggling his toes. “Any chance of a touch-up?”

She ignored him. 

“When are you going to be ready for lunch?”

She checked her pocket watch and covered the receiver with her hand. “You should go, sir. I have at least a dozen more sets of paychecks to reroute.” 

“Eh, maybe I’ll just order in.” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “Except I’d need the phone to do so.”

“There’s another line in your room, sir.”

“Fine,” he huffed, disappearing into the palatial master bedroom.

Half an hour later, three carts worth of food appeared at the door. Zhu Li pulled out the last of the yuans to use for tip money, hoping the foreign currency wouldn’t offend. She’d have to go back to the bank the following day, once payroll and reimbursements were sorted, to make her own withdrawal. Varrick appeared again, rubbing his hands at the sight of all the food.

Zhu Li covered the phone with her hand again. “You do realize Song is fixing roast turtleduck for you again tonight?”

Varrick looked less than thrilled. 

OMASHU, DAY THREE

Zhu Li, curled up on Song’s lumpy sofa, was shaken awake. She groggily slipped on her glasses. It was still dark outside. 

“Zhu Li,” Varrick hissed, “You’ve got to get me out of here. I can’t stay here another minute!”

“Song is being incredibly hospitable toward you sir,” Zhu Li replied, her voice hoarse with sleep.

“I know, and I can’t stand it! It’s suffocating - but that’s not the issue at present.” 

Zhu Li sat up. “What’s wrong?”

Varrick pointed down the hall. “I got up to head for the bathroom and almost tripped over that little monster.” Curled up by his doorway was a tiny, sleeping child. “It’s out to get me.”

“Tianshi is not out to get you,” Zhu Li whispered. “She probably had a bad dream and wanted to be close to her father - and you’re currently occupying his room.”

“Kids do that?” Varrick hissed, still looking spooked. Zhu Li sighed, got up, and quietly padded down the hall to pick up the sleeping child. She hardly stirred as Zhu Li gently placed her against her shoulder. She walked a few steps further to Song’s door, which was ajar. As quietly as she could, Zhu Li snuck in - Song was snoring away peacefully - and tucked the toddler in next to her grandmother. The child stuck her thumb in her mouth and rolled toward Song, burying her face in her grandmother’s arm. Zhu Li carefully closed the door on them and headed back to the sitting room. 

Varrick was sitting on the sofa. “We need to figure out an escape plan,” he muttered, under his breath. Zhu Li agreed, though not for the same reasons. “What’s on our schedule for today?”

“I’m checking in on the shipping operations with Nuvuk and getting in touch with Shesh to see how long it will take him to sail here. I figure the yacht can be home for the next few months, at least...”

Varrick sunk back into the couch and closed his eyes. “Home sweet boat.”

“...but I do think you should consider where you want to base yourself, now that Republic City is no longer an option,” Zhu Li finished.

~*~

The call to Nuvuk went smoothly. The call to Shesh was a whole other story. The yacht had run aground on a reef in the Fire Nation and was currently in dry dock. Repairs would take several weeks. Varrick was already climbing the walls of the Omashu Four Elements, not to mention Song’s home. At the moment, he lay sprawled out on the rug of the hotel suite as she went through their options. 

“We could ask Nuvuk to send a cargo ship, take us to the South Pole.”

“Ugh. Giant kite or no giant kite, that place is depressing.” They had finally gotten the full account of what had gone on during Harmonic Convergence, and Unalaq was now and always would be ‘giant kite’ to Varrick. 

“The Northern Water Tribe?”

“Bleck.”

“The Fire Nation?”

“Probably our best option, though I’m a little concerned about burning my bridges with Fire Lord Izumi this early in the game.”

Seeing as she was the only world leader Varrick hadn’t offended at this point, Zhu Li thought that was wise. “So a possibility, but not the first choice. Any other spot in the Earth Kingdom?” she asked. “Ba Sing Se?”

“Out.”

Zhu Li attempted to think of other Earth Kingdom cities big enough for Varrick. “Gaoling?”

“The absolute worst.”

Now he was just hating places for no reason. She really should have kept the next, spiteful thought that popped into her head to herself, but it came spilling out anyway. “The Chuje Islands?”

Varrick cracked an eye and frowned at her suspiciously. “Why would you even suggest that?” 

“It’s already on our passports,” Zhu Li deflected.

He sat up suddenly, full of sarcastic cheer. “I know. Let’s go back to Haziun!”

Zhu Li knew he was trying to get a rise out of her and calmly countered, “We could have, if you hadn’t tried to take out President Raiko.”

He actually looked crestfallen at this reminder. It took her aback. “We’ll figure something out,” she promised, her eyes falling to the map.

~*~

That evening, as Song prepared the third roast turtleduck in as many days, Zhu Li heard childish squeals of joy and disgust coming from Chang’s room. Varrick was currently out on the terrace, talking to Chang, who was enjoying his after-work smoke. She went to investigate and found Renao and Mogui holding the broken flashlight. Renao was just unscrewing the bulb.

“Don’t!” Zhu Li said, but it was too late. An awful odor filled the room. Mogui dropped the flashlight in surprise and several dead snails rolled out. Zhu Li thought she was going to be sick, but maintained her composure. Holding her nose with one hand, she swept up the dead snails with the other, depositing them back in the shaft of the flashlight. She carried it out to the terrace and dumped them over the edge, into an alleyway, as Chang watched, bemused. 

“Yeah,” said Varrick, “I guess we forgot about those.”

“Dinner’s ready!” Song trilled. Chang snubbed out his cigarette and headed inside. 

As they followed, Varrick muttered to Zhu Li, “If I ever have to eat another turtleduck in my life…”

Following dinner, as Song continued to fawn over Varrick, Zhu Li escaped to the terrace. Chang had just lit another cigarette. As he noticed her, he waved the smoke away.

“Sorry. Awful habit. I’d more or less broken it, but…” he trailed off.

Zhu Li held up a hand, waving the apology away. “I’m so sorry for barging in on your family like this, with no warning.”

Chang shook his head. “It’s not your fault.” He glanced toward the sitting room, where his mother was still hovering. “Believe me, I know.”

“She’s a very sweet woman,” said Zhu Li, with an honest smile. 

“My mother is incredible. After my father died, she made great sacrifices to provide for me. I was able to go to university, start my own business. But she can be... a lot.” He smiled, ruefully, and pushed his glasses up his nose. Zhu Li raised her eyebrows, as if to indicate she was very familiar with the concept of a lot. Chang chuckled. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Zhu Li saw Varrick do a bit of a double-take through the window, as he noticed her and Chang standing next to one another. Moments later, he’d persuaded Song to join them. She coughed as she stepped onto the terrace. “Chang, all this smoke is horrible for my bonsai…”

Zhu Li made a mental note to send Chang a gift certificate for a relaxing weekend at the Omashu Four Elements, as soon as they departed.

OMASHU, DAY FOUR

They set out for the hotel later than usual the following morning. Zhu Li had gotten dressed and returned to the sitting room to find Varrick and Tianshi playing with a small magnetic train set. Noticing her, Varrick hopped up with excitement and grabbed her by the arms. 

“I’ve got it, Zhu Li. I’ve solved everything.”

“Define everything, sir.” He motioned for her to sit as he crouched down next to the miniature track.

“This tiny train -” he pointed to a metal tab running under the tracks, “- runs on magnets. That’s it! That’s how I’m going to build it!”

“Build what, sir?”

“Well, first the badger mole carts for the Cave of the Two What-sits, but then - a train system. One that covers the entire earth kingdom. Lemme see your map.”

Dutifully, she removed it from her bag while Tianshi continued to play. Varrick squinted at the Earth Kingdom, counting the individual states. “Sure, it’ll be a nightmare to coordinate. The cost will be exorbitant. We’ll need to explore alternate power sources to keep the electromagnets up and running. But once the infrastructure is in place, it’ll be clean, it’ll be fast… Zhu Li, what’s wrong?”

She realized she’d put a hand over her mouth to keep her smile in check. She prided herself on being professional and having a handle on her emotions at any given moment, but the glow that was building inside her chest had to find an outlet somewhere. 

This. This is what happiness felt like. 

She cleared her throat and regained control over her facial muscles. “I think it’s an excellent idea, sir. Where do you want to begin?”  

~*~

After listening to Varrick’s plan, Song thoughtfully examined the miniature train car in her hands. “As I mentioned earlier, Omashu doesn’t have much of a metalbending tradition. No… Zaofu would be the place to go for that.” 

Zhu Li glanced at her map. Zaofu was a tiny town, south of Omashu, almost all the way to Gaoling. 

“It won’t appear on older maps,” Song said. “It’s grown incredibly in the past twenty years, since Ms. Beifong first founded it.” 

Varrick narrowed his eyes. “ Which Ms. Beifong?”

“Oh, Suyin Beifong. Toph Beifong’s younger daughter.”

“Suyin?! I know Suyin! We go way back. Zhu Li, this is amazing - do the thing!” 

“Um… we don’t have a phone here, sir,” she replied, knowing the thing meant ‘get in touch with Ms. Beifong immediately’. She stashed her notebook and pen for a quick flight to the hotel.

Meanwhile, Varrick swooped in and kissed Song on the forehead. “We’ll be right back!”

As Zhu Li followed him down the narrow, sandstone streets of Omashu, Varrick reached back and impatiently grabbed her hand. “C’mon, Zhu Li. Time is money!” Her heels clicked on the stones as she raced behind him. Five minutes later, they were through the hotel lobby - Varrick waving off any and all pleasantries - and on the phone with the operator.

“Can you connect me with a Suyin Beifong? In Zaofu. Yes? Thank you.” Zhu Li covered the phone receiver. “They’re patching us through.” Varrick hurried to his bedroom and returned with the other phone, dragging its long cord into the sitting room. He sat as close as he could get, six feet away.

“This is the office of Su Beifong,” a young man’s voice smoothly answered. “How may I help you?” 

“This is Zhu Li Moon, calling on behalf of Varrick Global International. Varrick would like to speak to Ms. Beifong, if she has a moment.”

“Let me check…” There was a long silence, during which Zhu Li dragged her phone closer to his and scrolled the proper number to bring him onto the call as well.

“Hello?” A friendly voice rang down the line.

“Suyin!” Varrick burst out; Zhu Li held the phone several inches from her ear and he toned down his next few words accordingly. “How’ve you been?!”

“Varrick?! Bataar Jr. gave me your name, but I couldn’t believe…. How are you?! It’s been what, twenty-five years?”

Varrick winced. “I guess it has, Su. But it’s great to hear your voice! Hey - I have a proposition for you.”

“Let’s hear it!”

“So, I ran into a little trouble up in Republic City...” Su let out a throaty laugh. Obviously, she read the papers. “...And so I’m considering a few different offers from cities in need of my talent. I just finished up a vacation in the Earth Kingdom and I’ve had a devil of a time getting from place to place. You’ve got this massive, fabulous land, and no way to get across it.” He paused for dramatic effect. 

Suyin tentatively bought into it. “Go on...”

“I’ve been toying with the idea of a magnetic train system. At this point, it still needs a lot of research and development, but obviously, it would make the most sense to explore this project close to the best metalbenders in the world. And let me tell you, your name has cropped up in every conversation I’ve had.” He waited.

“I... think it’s a wonderful idea, Varrick!” Zhu Li’s eyes met his as they both let out a silent sigh of relief. “My husband, Bataar, has done something similar locally, but I think the idea of taking it nation-wide is great! We could use your technological expertise on a few other matters as well. By all means, come set up a lab in Zaofu - I’d be happy to host you here and invest in your research.”

“That’s great, Su - we’ll be on our way as soon as we can figure out a route.”

“Don’t you have your own airship?” Suyin asked. 

“Not at present -” Varrick made a scribbling motion; Zhu Li wrote BUY AIRSHIP A.S.A.P. in her notebook and held it up to show him, “- though I love the idea. No, it’s been very humbling to travel the Earth Kingdom, to see through the eyes of the common citizen…”

“All right, all right…” Suyin laughed. “Don’t make me wonder who I’ve invited down here, because that does not sound like the Varrick I know.”

“Looking at the map, it seems you aren’t connected to any major roads.”

“No, and that’s very intentional. Makes us one of the safest places in the four nations. You could always take the ferry -  you, know, the one from Baowan? It continues down the coast once a week. Though I think you’ve just missed it.” 

“Yeah, I know the ferry,” Varrick said, making a face. “I think we’ll walk. We’ll see you in...” Zhu Li scribbled a number and held it up for him to read, “...six days.”

OMASHU, DAY FIVE

“Thank you so much for your hospitality, Song!” 

The older woman had tearily hugged Varrick goodbye five times in the last four minutes. As far as Song knew, they were headed straight to the port. In truth, they were headed back to the Four Elements, to sleep all day, before setting off for the next leg of their journey once the sun had set. Zhu Li had spent the previous afternoon at yet another adventurer’s store, this time buying goods for desert travel. 

Chang stood slightly behind them, leaning against the doorway. He’d already shaken hands with Varrick and Zhu Li. He looked, to be honest, relieved to see them go. Zhu Li couldn’t blame him. Tianshi, meanwhile, had attached herself to Varrick’s leg. “Alright, alright,” Varrick muttered, prying her off and handing her back to her father. 

Zhu Li was a little surprised when Song embraced her too. After releasing her, Song patted her cheek gently. She fixed Zhu Li with a very direct stare. “Take good care of my boy,” she said quietly. It somehow sounded like a sweet plea and a threat at the same time. 

“Remind me to send that kid the world’s largest train set once we make it to Zaofu,” Varrick said, as they (finally) moved on.

Chapter Text

As she regained consciousness, Zhu Li’s mouth felt simultaneously dry and sticky. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. She scrunched up her face against the daylight pouring through the windows. Instinctively she turned away and burrowed into her pillow. It felt bony. 

Bony? That couldn’t be right.

She opened her eyes. The world was a blur of colors and shapes, typical of what she saw every morning before putting on her glasses. But she usually didn’t have such a pounding headache upon sitting up and there usually wasn’t another blur in bed with her. 

Zhu Li stumbled out of bed, almost tripping when her foot caught in a sheet. Was that Varrick? Had they…?

She frantically patted the nightstand, looking for her glasses. They weren’t in their usual spot.

She had checked every corner of the room - under the bed, on every surface, even swept the floor with her hands - before grabbing the sheet and shaking it out. She would have been relieved to hear a clatter of glass and metal, a sound she usually tried desperately to avoid. But it didn’t come. She paused and thought for a moment. There was only one other place in the room she hadn’t looked.

Gingerly, as if scared of awakening a sleeping sabertooth moose lion, she patted her boss’s face. He was wearing her glasses.

Relieved, she removed them and perched them on her nose. 

Varrick lay on his back, sprawled across the bed almost completely horizontally. Zhu Li must have used his ribcage as a pillow. Thankfully, they were both clothed, though she didn’t recognize the leaf-printed robes either of them wore. Rubbing her cheek, she looked around the room. It was a mess. What had happened here?

Perplexed, she wandered into the bathroom. The tub was filled to the brim with bubbly water, all of their clothes submerged in it. Zhu Li sighed as she pulled the plug to drain it and continued to examine the room for clues. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was half mussed from sleep and half beautifully braided, with a wilting flower stuck behind her ear. As she pulled it out of her hair, she blearily forced her aching mind to remember the previous evening.

Sixteen hours earlier…

Zhu Li had known this would be the most difficult part of the journey. She wasn’t fool enough to enter the Si Wong desert properly - they only had to cross a small corner - but even what should have been a three-day trek (four, with Varrick) required preparation. 

Given Suyin’s adamant warnings, they had loaded up on food and water before they left Omashu. Zhu Li had rationed it carefully, making sure they had enough to both stay hydrated. She’d purchased a lean-to tent designed specifically for desert camping, made of blazing white material to reflect the sun and open on the front, to release any heat. It was strapped to the top of her ever-growing pack. They camped during the day, in the shade of tall dunes and strange rock formations that jutted out of the desert floor, and traveled at night, under the stars.

On the third day, they’d packed as the sun was setting, making the dunes to the east glow red in the weird light. They’d only hiked thirty minutes or so when Varrick let out a yell.

“Zhu Li! Are you seeing this?!”

At first she’d thought she was delirious, that the cluster of buildings near the bottom of a tall set of dunes was a mirage. She removed her glasses, wiped her eyes, and put them back on. Varrick was already running down the dune. He picked up some uncontrolled speed near the bottom, tripped, and flipped head-over heels.

Zhu Li winced.

“I’m alright!” he shouted, popping back up. He waited at the bottom of the dune as Zhu Li made her way down, far more carefully. Varrick was grinning ear-to-ear. He gestured to the large, blinking sign that read GOLDEN DUNES CASINO AND SPA.

“What d’you say, Zhu Li? We deserve a vacation. Zaofu can wait - let’s take the night off!” For once, she agreed. 

Spa seemed to be overstating things, Zhu Li thought, as she followed Varrick into the lobby. A large window behind the front desk revealed a dusty-looking oasis with a few shabby palm trees surrounding it. The lighting inside the hotel was dim - less for ambiance and more to conceal the years of sand and grime in the corners. A bored-looking employee sauntered over. 

“Two?” he grunted.

“Yessir. The missus and I are on our honeymoon. Any discounts or upgrades you can offer us?”

The man scratched his head through a pile of dreadlocks. “Our most popular option for couples is the Enlightenment Package. It includes a free drink at the bar and a healing session with our shaman.”

Varrick turned to Zhu Li. “Free drinks, Topaz!” He turned back to the man at the desk. “Sign us up!” 

The man produced two scrolls filled with tiny print and pointed to the bottom. “Sign here and here.” Zhu Li peered over Varrick’s shoulder as he signed the name 黑石 陶 with a flourish. 

Zhu Li raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t want to read that first?” 

“It’s just your usual hotel mumbo jumbo. Who cares?”

Zhu Li was sometimes astounded no one had relieved Varrick of his fortune years ago. Though he typically did have good instincts about whether to sign or not to sign a document. With a sigh, she took the pen and inked the name 黑石 黃玉 at the bottom of the second scroll. If he was already committed, she was along for the ride. The man behind the desk handed Varrick a key. 

“Your appointment with the shaman starts in an hour. If you don’t show, we’ll come find you. Here are your drink tickets…”

“Excellent!” Varrick grabbed them from the man. “C’mon, Topaz - to the bar!”

If the lobby had been dim, the bar was positively dark. It seemed to be carved out of a desert cave. The bar itself had been earthbent out of large chunks of rock and had a kind of wavy, organic shape. Varrick and Zhu Li perched on two stone stools.

“What’ll it be?” the bartender grunted, polishing a glass.

“We’ve got the drinks package,” Varrick said, proudly producing the tickets. “What’s your house special?”

“The special?” The bartender nodded. “Two specials coming right up.” He lumbered off to fix their drinks. 

Zhu Li glanced around. About a dozen people were scattered throughout the room, some in small groups, some alone. All looked like nomads - unwashed hair, bright and unmatched clothing, loops of flowers decorating their necks. One guy in the corner tunelessly strummed a guitar, while a woman lazily beat on a bongo drum. Across the way, another man was passed out on the table, his drink still in his hand.

“Varrick, I don’t like…” she began, in a whisper. 

He cleared his throat and jerked his head toward the bartender, who had produced a machete and was hacking away at some fruit.

“Tao, I don’t like the clientele. Something’s off here.”

“Don’t be such a snob, Topaz. They’re just a bunch of weary travelers, like ourselves. I mean - look at us - we don’t look too hot either!”

“Here you go.” The bartender deposited two round bowls in front of them, made of a chunk of cactus with the top lopped off. His eyes slid to the tip jar. 

“Thanks!” Varrick said, completely missing the cue. Zhu Li dug deep in her pocket for a single Earth Kingdom gold piece. Seemingly satisfied, the bartender nodded and stalked off. 

Varrick raised his bowl. “Bottoms up!”

“I don’t know…”

He set his drink down, managing to prick himself. “Yikes,” he said, sticking his injured thumb in his mouth and sucking on it. “You gotta watch for the needles.” He looked at her and frowned. “C’mon, Topaz. We’re on vacation, and like you always say, we need to hydrate.”

She was completely parched from all the desert walking. Sniffing the drink, she couldn’t detect any alcohol in it, just fruit juice. Carefully, she raised the cactus bowl to her lips. Varrick grinned. “Cheers!”

Zhu Li sipped at her drink, while Varrick chugged his down. “Whoa.” He shook his head. “That was... bracing.” He turned to her to say something else, but froze, staring. 

“Sir?” Zhu Li set her bowl down. Varrick’s pupils were blown out; she could hardly see the blue of his eyes.

It hit her a half second later. The guitar music in the corner sped up and grew louder, a cascading symphony of sound surrounding her. Then, the walls started moving in time to it. 

Varrick grabbed Zhu Li by her lapels and with a glance to the bartender, hissed, “Should we tell him?”

“About the walls, sir?” she whispered back. “I’m sure he knows they’re dancing too.”

“Not the walls, the ceiling, Zhu Li! He’s so big - he’ll be the first casualty.”

Zhu Li looked up. The ceiling was sinking at an alarming rate. She looked back at the bartender and knew the truth, in her heart of hearts. She narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on Varrick’s shoulders. “I think he’s in on it. We should run.”

Varrick nodded.

~*~

“It is time for your session,” the shaman said, in a sonorous voice.

Zhu Li wasn’t sure how they’d gotten here, sitting in front of a blazing fire in the round, stuffy tent. Maybe they’d dropped in through the hole in the roof. Was the man right? Was it time? Zhu Li pulled out her pocket watch. She blinked. It had nine hands. Human hands.

“First, each of you must decide on an intention,” the shaman said, tearing up some herbs and tossing them into the flames. “It can deal with the past, present, or future.” 

“Future!” Varrick said, rubbing his hands together. 

“And what is your intention for the future?”

“Trains! I want to build trains all over every square inch of the earth kingdom so I never have to walk so much as five feet ever again!”

The shaman paused. “Typically, people chose a more personal project. Some form of self-actualization.”

“Trains are very personal. And self-actualizing,” Varrick retorted. His moustache gestured the way his arms typically did as he talked. Zhu Li stared at it, nodding along. 

“Very well,” the Shaman said. “In order to know the future, we must understand the past. Tell me, where did your journey start?”

Varrick took a deep breath. “Well... our journey started when we tried to kidnap the president - sorry, when I tried to kidnap the president - and Zhu Li got put in a jail cell with me because of her parking tickets and then Unalaq turned into a giant kite and a spirit vine smashed through the prison and we flew away and then I lost my favorite jacket and a firebender burned my moustache and Zhu Li carried me in a barber’s chair for twenty miles and we met a volcanologist who took us to a dive bar and then Zhu Li went home and got mad and said I broke too many eggs and then pirates tried to kidnap me ,” he paused and muttered, “karma, heh... And then Zhu Li didn’t have enough air so her watch drowned but I resuscitated it and then the wooden bear didn’t eat us but a tick ate me instead and then the border guard totally bought that we were married and Zhu Li forgot about the zip-line and the green crystals only glowed in the dark for the real badgermoles and then Song bought new glasses and I hugged a million yuans and now we’re only allowed to walk at night.” 

The shaman stared at him for a long time. “I understand this may be new for you, but if you’re not going to lean into the experience with honesty, it can do greater harm than good.”

“Sorry,” Varrick said, looking very contrite. “I left out the glowing snails.” 

The shaman turned to Zhu Li. “Perhaps we should start with you instead - past, present, or future?”

Zhu Li opened her mouth to respond, but at the last moment, turned back to Varrick. “We really should have kept those snails.” 

His moustache curled both ends out emphatically. “That’s what I’ve been saying!”

The shaman sighed, got up, and left. 

~*~

“Why, Snowdrop, why-y-y-y,” Varrick sobbed. 

Zhu Li hugged him close and patted his back. “There, there, sir.”

~*~

“Hey - the oasis isn’t for swimming!” the desk clerk called from the door.

“Tuh. Says you,” Varrick called back.

“Sir, if you don’t get out of there, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“I can’t leave my beautiful wife.” Varrick gestured to the nearby palm tree he’d decided to marry.

The clerk’s dreadlocks sighed and followed him out of the courtyard.

Varrick turned to her, floating at his side. “Zhu Li, do you think we should get out of the oasis now?”

Zhu Li was staring up at the shooting star birds, filling the night sky with color. She squinted as they flew into the moon and splashed in her surface. “In just a minute. Why do you think the moon is so bright here?” Its surface was glowing aggressively as the birds disintegrated into it. 

“Because she’s happy she doesn’t have to live in the north any longer. Way to stick it to ‘em, Yue” Varrick shouted, shaking a fist at her. As he did, he fell back under the water, getting a mouthful. He popped up to the surface flailing his arms until he was floating again - “I’m okay!”

Zhu Li supposed she’d never looked at the moon’s situation like that.

~*~

Varrick dumped an entire armful of tiny soaps and shampoos on the bed and inhaled deeply. “I want everything I own to smell like this.” He flopped backwards onto the pile of toiletries and rolled around in them, bottles clinking together.

Zhu Li had a better idea. She leaned over the bed and grabbed him by his wet collar. “No, sir, no. Let’s do laundry!”

Zhu Li dumped all the little soaps into the tub and ran the bathwater as Varrick changed into the hotel-provided robe, and then they swapped places. When she returned, he had uncapped every tiny bottle and lined them up around the edges of the tub. As she kneeled down next to him, he knocked one in with his finger. They watched as violet liquid escaped the top, bubbling as its contents hit the churning water from the tap.

“Woooow. More,” Zhu Li said, eyes like saucers behind her glasses.  

After every bottle was at the bottom of the tub, she tossed in her clothes and he tossed in his. They both peered over the rim, whispering so that they didn’t scare the bubbles away. 

“Look at all the bubbles.” 

Unable to control herself, she reached out to stroke the surface of a particularly large and colorful bubble. It popped under her finger and she gasped.

“Do the thing again, Zhu Li,” Varrick whispered, clinging to the edge of the tub.

Zhu Li reached out and popped another one. 

Varrick cheered. “Again! The thing, Zhu Li! Do ittt... ” 

~*~

Laundry completely forgotten, they lolled on the emperor-size bed, heads on a single pillow, noses a few inches from one another.

“You’re so pretty, sir. I like your face.” Zhu Li patted both his cheeks, then grasped them firmly. “Please don’t let it slide off again.”

Varrick stuck a very serious finger under her nose, before tapping the tip of it. “Zhu Li Moon, I promise you - I will never let my face slide off again.”

“But how?” she asked, grasping his finger. “How can you be sure?”

He thought for a moment. “Well… faces are attached to hair, right?”

“Mmm… most of them.”

“So what if we make sure our faces stay on by making sure our hair stays together?” When she gave him a blank look, he elaborated further. “Braids, Zhu Li, braids.” She giggled. He frowned. “I am an amazing braider, I’ll have you know. Here - lemme show you...” He sat up and took a chunk of her hair and gently divided it into three parts. Looping one piece over another, he paused. “This isn’t gonna work… wait, I know!” The world became blurry as he put her glasses on the end of his nose and blinked a few times before looking back at her. “Oh good,” he said, “now there’s just one of you. Here… budge up.” He leaned against the headboard; she rested her head on his chest. Face screwed up in concentration, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, Varrick set to braiding. The gentle tugging sensation was so soothing. Zhu Li closed her eyes. 

“Sir?” 

“Yeah?”

“Varrick?”

“Yeah?”

She sighed. “It should always be like this.”

He gave a throaty chuckle. She felt it reverberate through her back. “Yeah. It really should.”

~*~

Staring in the mirror as she harshly scrubbed her face, Zhu Li decided to forget absolutely everything about the previous night. The blurry snippets of shameful memories were enough to tell her she was better off not remembering any more than the few embarrassing seconds she could manage at present. Zhu Li rinsed their clothes and hung them out the window to dry. She gathered all the tiny bottles and slimy soap remnants from the bottom of the tub and put them in the waste can. She carefully unbraided her hair, tossing the flower on top of the empty shampoo bottles. Then she attempted to wake Varrick. A gentle shake of his shoulder had him sitting bolt upright, eyes wide, pupils still completely shot. 

“Nope,” he said, flopping back on the bed and covering his face with a pillow. “Zhu Li, wake me up again once the room stops spinning.”

She brought him a glass of water. “Drink this.”

He dumped it on his face. Some of it went in his mouth. She guessed that would have to suffice, for now. She’d just turned to start gathering their scattered belongings when he scrambled past her into the bathroom. She heard an awful retching noise. At this point, it was probably better out than in. After a long spell of quiet, she stepped into the bathroom, where he lay on the floor, gripping the edge of the commode. 

“Are you okay, sir?” she asked.

“What does it look like?” he rasped. Sitting up sharply, he turned and heaved. Zhu Li perched on the edge of the tub and handed him a towel.

“Ugh.” He wiped his mouth weakly. Then he hiccuped. “Oh no. Please, spirits, no…” With the next hiccup, he bent over the bowl again, his arms hugging the edges. When he was finished, he curled up in the fetal position, weeping punctuated by pathetic hiccups. 

She rubbed his back encouragingly. “Big breaths, sir. You’ve got this.”

“I prefer yours,” he muttered into the tiles, then promptly sat up and vomited again. She ignored the urge to dunk his head into the toilet, deciding to blame the quip on the lingering effects of the cactus juice. They’d both said things they didn’t mean last night - she was sure of it, even if the little she did remember was hazy at best. After several more bouts of sickness, it seemed like everything had finally evacuated his stomach. He flopped backwards with a weak groan, head falling into her lap. His skin was an awful greyish-green, covered with a sheen of sweat. She smoothed his hair away from his brow. He opened one eye a crack and looked up at her, pitifully.  

“Cactus juice. Never. Again.”

Chapter Text

As Zhu Li’s pack caught on yet another vine, she knew she should’ve agreed to stay at Golden Dunes for at least one more night. At the time, she hadn’t been able to bear the thought; they’d already long outstayed their welcome. The shame she felt when faced with the reproachful looks of the staff who’d dealt with their shenanigans the night before had been too much for her to handle. The moment their clothes were dry, she’d insisted on splitting.

They'd started walking as soon as the sun had set and reached the outskirts of the swamp by midnight. After camping on its edge until daylight, Varrick had suggested they just cut through it, to which she’d agreed. The swamp was only a few miles wide on the map, should have taken a couple of hours at most. She really should have known better, but Zhu Li was definitely still not operating at 100%, given the past two nights. 

“Not that I expect we’ll see anyone today,” he’d said as she’d folded the map, “but just in case - we’re Iknik and Garnet Blackstone.”

“Iknik?” Zhu Li had raised an eyebrow, then winced at the sharp pain that ran through her head every time she moved her face. 

Varrick had shot her a put-out look, but said nothing. 

Untangling her pack from the vine, she switched it around to her front. “Zhu Li!” came a yelp from over her shoulder. She turned back. He was stuck yet again, in a veritable net of vines. She wished she’d brought a larger knife than the one she used to cut vegetables with. Her hands were raw from struggling with vine after vine, all while walking through a constant six inches of water. When one stubborn vine gave her a rough time, she resorted to using her teeth to bite through it. The final vine defeated, Varrick wriggled free. 

“Come on,” she said, guiding him slightly in front of her. They needed to get out of here by nightfall. Instead of walking, he flopped miserably forward onto a leaning log. 

“I can’t do it.”

“You can, sir. You have to.”

He muttered some indistinct words into the log before enunciating enough for her to understand. “Zhu Li,” he moaned, “how’s your ankle holding up?”

She was confused. “My ankle is fine.” If he’d asked about her head, however...

He peeked out of the crook of his elbow at her. “Really?”

She crossed her arms over her pack. “Yes.”

“Excellent!” he shouted, scaring a bird from a tree. It let out an unearthly shriek. Varrick, meanwhile, planted his hands on her shoulders and hopped onto her back. The stress of the sudden weight traveled up her spine and embedded itself in the front of her brain, throbbing against her skull. 

Looping her arms under his legs, she gritted her teeth and dropped her aching head. This might actually be more efficient…

After walking for another hour, she paused, uncertain of which way to go. The few rays of sunlight that managed to permeate the canopy were growing lower and lower. It had to be late afternoon. She checked her pocket watch and glanced at the map. He examined it over her shoulder.

“How far do you reckon we’ve gone?”

“I honestly don’t know sir.”

“Time seems to operate very strangely in here,” he murmured. She probably wouldn’t have been able to hear him if his chin hadn’t been resting on her shoulder. He peered through the dim haze. “Is that…” He shook his head with a shiver. “Nah, it’s just a tree trunk. I think we should go the other way.”

She followed his request. Zhu Li had been catching glimpses out of the corners of her eyes as well. A sweeping broom had turned out to be a clump of moss, blowing in an invisible breeze. A familiar face had been sunlight on a peculiar pattern of vines. It had to be an after-effect of the cactus juice, she was certain.

~*~

Though it made her nervous, given how low the sun was in the sky, they’d stopped on a massive fallen tree for a quick bite to eat. Zhu Li was unscrewing the lid to her canteen when she noticed the blob hanging off Varrick’s elbow.

“Um, sir…”

“What?”

She pointed, in voiceless horror. 

“Oh. Great,” Varrick said sarcastically, pulling the thing dangling from his arm. It made a disgusting popping sound as it released his skin, leaving a star-shaped mark behind as Varrick tossed it. It landed, out of sight, with a splash. 

“You’re okay with that, but not a tick?” she asked, incredulous. 

“You know if you’ve got an elbow leech attached to you, Zhu Li.”

A few minutes later, they packed their things. Zhu Li hopped down over the other side of the tree first. The water came up to her thighs. She was fully expecting Varrick to hop onto her back again, but instead, he gave a short bark of a laugh. “Yeah, that’s not happening…” He sat down on the tree and reopened his bag. Zhu Li waited, impatiently, hands on her hips.

Varrick finally found what he was looking for - a piece of rope. “Zhu Li, find me a thing.”

For once she was totally stumped. Stumped and soaked. It wasn’t a good combination.

“A rock,” he explained, clearly perturbed that she hadn’t kept up. “Find me a rock.”

Digging around on the muddy bottom, Zhu Li found three rocks and tossed them to him. He caught them one-handed like a juggler, tying the first one to the rope. 

This was clearly going to take a while. Wearily, Zhu Li clambered back up onto the tree trunk and sat, dripping, beside him. Tongue poking out the corner of his mouth, Varrick tossed the rock and rope in to his left. The rock sunk quickly. Judging by the amount of wet rope as he pulled it back up, the water appeared to be even deeper than the spot where Zhu Li had jumped in. Next he threw it to the right of where she’d been standing. It was slightly shallower, but apparently still not to his liking. Finally, he cast it just beyond where she’d been standing. He tugged on the rope. It didn’t come back. He frowned, and tugged again.

An enormous, leathery green creature erupted from the pool with a roar. The catgator gnashed its razor-sharp teeth twice, then spat the rock back at them before sinking into the water. 

Varrick looked at Zhu Li, who was completely frozen in place. After a long moment, she managed a single, slow blink. 

“New plan,” Varrick said, hopping up. “Let’s go that way!” He pointed down the tree trunk, to a spot where it crossed another. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to her feet and tugged her along behind him. 

~*~

The sun had set. They’d been trudging through ankle-deep water in the dark for what felt like hours. The beams of the new flashlights, purchased in Omashu, bounced off weirdly-shaped trees and flashed off murky pools of water. Occasionally, they’d caught the glowing eyes of larger creatures, who so far, thankfully, had slithered farther into the trees or plopped into deeper water each time.  

Zhu Li was starting to shiver, Varrick’s palm warm and clammy against her own. He hadn’t let go of her since the sun had set - a good idea in theory, but right now, it was only serving to remind her of how cold she was. A nearby bird let out a massive, echoing shriek and a hundred peepers croaked in response. The sounds bounced around the inside of her aching skull. Zhu Li’s steps slowed, then stopped. 

“Zhu Li? What are you doing?” Varrick turned to face her, finally dropping her hand.

She sunk down onto a log. “I’m giving up, sir.” 

“You can’t give up!” He sounded petrified and angry at the same time. “That’s my job! Zhu Li.”

She said nothing, but buried her head in her hands. 

He huffed and blustered and toothlessly threatened, but when it became clear she wasn’t capable of taking another step, he sat down beside her. After a few minutes, he spoke. 

“Zhu Li, did I ever tell you the story of my pet otter penguin?”

She shook her head.

“I loved that critter. I found him as an egg - couldn’t have been more than three or four at the time. He’d been abandoned. No idea what happened to his mother. I kept that egg warm until he hatched, fed him leftover fish from my father’s bait bucket. I didn’t grow up in Harbor City, you know. We’d only travel there when it was time to sell some pelts and jerky, or if winter was coming and it was time for me to be packed up and shipped off to my mother’s. We’d spend the rest of the season out on various patches of ice. And Snowdrop followed us everywhere. He was my best friend. Each summer when I’d return, there he’d be, waiting for me.”

“Snowdrop was always getting me out of tough spots.” He chuckled lowly. “Between the two of us, we got into plenty of mischief. One time, I was fishing with my father and he wasn’t really paying attention - not too out of the ordinary - and I leaned out of the canoe just the teensiest bit too far. Toppled right over the edge, into the water. Of course, I swam for the surface, but when I reached it, it was covered with a sheet of ice. Too thick to break. Hardly knew which way was up. I was just starting to give up when I felt a tug on my collar.”

“That dang otter penguin dragged me to safety. Right back up to the side of the canoe, waited until my mittens were hooked on the edge and everything. I managed to clamber back in, freezing my tiny tail off, but alive. I was able to work on the whole holding my breath thing after that. My little friend saved my life that day. No…” he sighed, “I’ll never forget Snowdrop.” 

The connection between the otter penguin and their current predicament remained unsaid, but in the darkness, Varrick found her hand and tentatively squeezed it. Gathering her strength, she squeezed back. They sat quietly for a moment, even the noise of the swamp seeming to fade into the background. 

“Of course, then when I was six the Northern Water Tribe neglected to send aid one bad autumn, so my father cooked Snowdrop during the starving time. Heh. Thanks, pops. Found out what I was eating and left the South Pole for a good ten years for that one.”

He said this all very fast and lightly, as if it wasn’t something six-year-old Varrick had been absolutely traumatized by. His dislike of the North, his insistence on booking Mushu, the room of stuffed carnival animals, the miraculous resurrection of Juji in the Nuktuk movers, the password to his safe… suddenly it all made so much sense. 

However, she knew he would just act more glib if she acknowledged that pain. She also wasn’t so sure how she felt about being compared to a friend his father had murdered then served for dinner. Spirits. That otter penguin may have saved her life, indirectly, on the day the pirates attacked and they’d hidden underwater. Ten years away from home… he’d have been nearly seventeen before returning to the South Pole, the age at which he’d gotten his first canoe from Kaz’s father.  

“Was that when you joined the circus?” she asked, quietly. 

“No… that’s a whole other story.” He waved his hand, dismissing it for now.

She took a moment before speaking. “I… I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“Zhu Li,” His voice was deep and full of quiet emotion as he took her other hand in his. “I need you…” she looked up at him, a mutedly hopeful expression on her face, “...to get us out of this swamp. Because if it was left up to me, we’d definitely die here.” 

It hadn’t been what she’d been hoping to hear after such a heartfelt confession, but she knew it was true. She closed her eyes, rallied the last bits of emotional and physical strength she had left, and nodded. 

“Fine,” she said, dragging herself to her feet. “Hop on.”

He pumped his fist and mouthed a triumphant yes before doing so. 

~*~

The flame of a campfire flickered in the distance. Zhu Li wasn’t sure whether she should feel hopeful to have found help, or run the other way. 

“What crazy person would set up camp all the way out here?” Varrick muttered in her ear, reflecting her exact thoughts. 

“I’m not sure where you get off calling anyone crazy, Princess Piggyback.”

Zhu Li jumped several feet at the sound of the old woman’s voice. Varrick clung to her back for dear life. 

“What in the world are a couple of tourists doing in my swamp?” The owner of the voice emerged from the darkness, with her arms crossed and a grimace on her face. 

“We’re… we’re looking for Zaofu,” Zhu Li managed.

The old woman narrowed her eyes, mostly hidden by thick clumps of grey hair. “Huh. Who’s the we in this equation?”

Varrick cleared his throat, hopping down from Zhu Li’s back. “The name’s Iknik, Iknik Blackstone. And this is my wife, Garnet. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. …?”

“Sure, that’s your real name,” the woman grumbled. “But why are you lying about hers?”

Zhu Li raised her eyebrows. “That’s your real name?” she whispered. 

He cast her a sideways glare.

Zhu Li ducked her head a little in embarrassment. “Sorry.” She turned to the old woman and offered her hand. “We apologize for lying to you. My name is Zhu Li Moon, and this man is my employer… Iknik … Blackstone … Varrick,” she finished, looking at him uncertainly. Varrick crossed his arms but didn’t correct her. Neither did the old woman, but she didn’t take her hand either. “We’re on our way to Zaofu with an invitation from Suyin Beifong.”

“Uh-huh,” said the old lady. “What business do you have with Suyin?”

“We’re going to explore building a rail network across the Earth Kingdom, joining it together.”

“Hmph,” muttered the old woman. “And you’ve been traveling for how long, now?”

Zhu Li looked to Varrick. “Weeks and weeks ,” he said. “Ever since Harmonic Convergence.” 

“Running from the vines, huh?” Varrick and Zhu Li exchanged a glance; the old woman frowned again and tapped her foot. 

“Well, not exactly,” Varrick admitted. “I may have tried to kidnap the president, in order to start a war, so Unalaq would go running back north with his tail between his legs. Have to admit, I did not see the giant kite thing coming…”

The old lady’s eyes got larger, and for the first time, Zhu Li noticed they were a milky green. She got a sinking feeling Varrick’s admission had offended her. Then, the woman let out a sharp laugh, disproportionate to her size.  

“You planning on trying to kidnap Suyin?”

“No?” Varrick responded. Zhu Li planted her face in her palm. 

“Good,” said the woman. “She’d eat you for breakfast. Alright,” she said, waving them off. “Go on, get out of here.”

“Um… which direction?”

She pointed confidently to her left without looking. “Exit’s that way.”

As they followed the old woman’s direction onto a surprisingly dry and level path, Zhu Li whispered, “Iknik Blackstone Varrick?”

Varrick gave a dramatic sigh and hoisted his bag further up his shoulders.

“It was just out of place with your usual picks.”

He shot her a withering look.

“What does it mean?”

“Fiery rock,” he grunted. “Like a meteor.”

Iknik. 

“I… I like it.” 

Iknik Blackstone Varrick.  

A meteor and the moon, sharing the night sky. She liked it a lot. Zhu Li allowed herself to blush freely in the dark.

Chapter Text

The road to Zaofu led up a winding pass through snow capped mountains and deposited them in a lush valley marked with crystal clear lakes. It was the most gorgeous setting for a city Zhu Li could imagine, and the city itself more than lived up to its surroundings. Five lotus-shaped pods were arranged in a circle around a larger, central one, enormous metallic petals cradling each. The closest pod held an airship station, while tall silver buildings rose from four of the others. The buildings in the central pod soared over the rest, tall spires twisting elegantly toward the heavens, sparkling in the late afternoon sunlight.

Varrick and Zhu Li made their way to the tram station at the entry gates as instructed. A green-clad officer wearing a silver breastplate and epaulets took their papers. After a brief call, she stamped them, and they were waved in and instructed to stay on the tram until the last stop. Zhu Li neatly tucked her bag by her feet and sat, while Varrick insisted on standing and craning his neck as he examined every inch of the magnetic car. He was entranced by the machinery, she was intrigued by the city around them, and everyone else who entered the car was repulsed by the two of them. 

Honestly, they’d been in better shape, but the contrast was made even more apparent when compared to the local citizens. Everyone living in Zaofu seemed to stick to a distinct fashion aesthetic, clad in long robes in various shades of green, and silver metal jewelry. While they looked incredibly chic, the sameness was also a little unnerving. Zhu Li’s attention was drawn away from the stares, however, as they entered the largest, most central pod. Skyscrapers towered overhead, much like Republic City - if Republic City had been a thousand times cleaner, and better planned, and free of triads.

Everyone got off at one of the other pods they travelled through, leaving them alone on the tram. A conductor got on board and looked at their stamped passports, then stepped off and signalled the tram onward. The final pod, as they approached, looked about the same size as the other satellites, but had much more open space. The buildings were low-lying, settled into metal-plated terraces. Several small parks or fountains dotted the hillsides, giving the entire place a serene and calming effect. 

As they stepped off the tram, a slim woman with warm brown skin and sparkling jade-green eyes spread her arms wide and walked toward them. “Varrick!” He spread his arms out to greet her and she embraced him like family. 

Suyin Beifong was not what Zhu Li had expected when she’d learned the Republic City Chief of Police had a sister. She was daintier than Lin and had the sort of effortlessly stylish air that even money couldn’t buy. Though, looking around, money didn’t seem to be much of a concern here. 

“Well…” she said, holding him at arm’s length. “You’ve certainly had a trip.”

“You can say that again. Have you ever heard of a place called the Golden Dunes Casino and Spa?”

Suyin gasped. “Varrick … you didn’t!” 

“Made the trip through the swamp a heck of a lot more interesting,” he lied. It was a better story than spending a couple of regretful hours curled up on the bathroom floor, she had to admit.

She released him with a smile. “And this is…?”

“My assistant, Zhu Li!”

Suyin reached in for a hug, to Zhu Li’s surprise. “So nice to meet you, dear,” she murmured. Her perfume smelled expensive. “So!” Suyin said, assessing their general state and the bags still strapped to their backs. “Let me show you where you’ll be staying while you’re in Zaofu.” She began to walk; they followed her. “You came through the airship base and the city center on your way in, of course. Oh! What did you think of the tram?”

“Incredible!” he gushed. “The form! The function! That sweet magnetic hum...”

“He spent fifteen minutes examining the terminal at the other end,” Zhu Li elaborated. “It is beautifully designed.”

Suyin beamed. “That’s my brilliant husband’s work. The whole city, in fact - he’s our lead architect and the person who fulfills all my visions. The other three pods you passed through are all residential, and this is home sweet home. The perks of being the city founder,” she said, with a wink. She came to a stop in front of a row of small buildings, designed with a beautiful blend of utilitarian steel plating and artistic bronze details. Neatly manicured hedges ran between each, giving privacy and muffling sound. “Here is one of our guest houses. I put you in a two-bedroom, but I can easily shuffle things around if you need other arrangements.” The woman’s green eyes quickly flitted between them. Zhu Li thought she detected a sparkle of mischief. Varrick didn’t answer, but chose to poke his head into one of the bedrooms to explore. 

Zhu Li offered Suyin a tight-lipped smile. “I appreciate not having to sleep on a sofa, thank you.”

“Of course!” She continued with the tour. “Kitchen… bathrooms are off the bedrooms. Clothes are hanging in the wardrobes. I had to guess on the sizes - you can have them tailored at any time you’d wish. I’ll show you to the lab later, but figured I’d let you settle in a bit first.”

Zhu Li nodded her thanks. Varrick reemerged from the room he’d been inspecting. 

“The pods close at sundown,” Suyin continued. “There’s a warning chime. You can still travel between them on the trams, but you’ll need your papers. Speaking of which… Blackstone?” She raised a single manicured brow at Varrick.

“Gotta work with what you have,” he replied, shrugging. 

“Including your grandparents’ papers?” Suyin quipped. Zhu Li’s eyebrows raised slightly at this revelation. 

“Updated covers, new pictures, a little water damage,” he finger-quoted, “and you’re set.”

Suyin shook her head and leaned against the doorway. “I’m honestly not surprised it worked. Shows what can float when infrastructure hasn’t been improved in thirty years.” She threw her hands up. “But don’t let me get started. We’ll get you new papers - real papers - in the next few days. Anyway, dinner is served half an hour after the pods close. I’d love to celebrate your arrival, introduce you to the family, if you’re feeling up to it?”

Varrick and Zhu Li glanced at one another. “Sure!” he said. “I think we can manage to be presentable by then.”

“Wonderful! Then I’ll see you at dinner.” She nodded to the phone. “Don’t hesitate to call my office if you need anything.” 

As Suyin closed the door behind her, Varrick and Zhu Li looked at one another. After so much traveling, it was odd to be standing still, knowing this was to be their home for the foreseeable future. 

“Right,” he finally said. “I’m going to take an hour long shower, attempt to steam all this grime out.” He rubbed his chin, stubble making a raspy sound against his fingertips. “And then I’m going to need a shave. Figure anything else will have to wait till later, since dinner’s been scheduled.”

It was almost like old times. But every thought, every action seemed to carry more weight now. Even Zhu Li’s bag felt heavier as she carted it to her room. 

Maybe it was just the exhaustion of the journey. She’d feel better after a shower. So long as she could get to some hot water before Varrick used it all up. 

~*~

Suyin greeted them at the entrance to her home. They followed her through to the dining room, where she introduced them to her husband, Bataar, and all five of their children. Opal, their only daughter, had recently spontaneously begun airbending, something that was happening all across the world following Harmonic Convergence, according to Su. They’d sent a message to Tenzin, who was supposed to arrange for her to be tutored in the form. Su’s advisor Aiwei was also present - she introduced him as practically another member of the family. “He’ll want to meet with you tomorrow, if that fits into your schedule,” she added. “Just a few formalities, as a part of the identification process.”

The last time Zhu Li had attended a formal, sit-down dinner had been at the Glacier Spirits Festival, before that it had been dinners aboard the Spirit of Independence. While there were more than enough seats at the Beifong table, Zhu Li took her old place along the wall behind Varrick. It seemed safest to her, given Suyin’s earlier line of questioning. She very much wanted to make a good first impression - a professional one, since this was to be their new home and workplace for the foreseeable future. 

As Varrick pulled out his chair, he didn’t even glance back. Suyin, however, looked at her and opened her mouth as if planning to invite her to sit. Zhu Li kept her face impassive and her eyes straight ahead, and the moment passed. Within minutes, a burly, tattooed chef brought out an array of exquisitely plated dishes. The conversation was lively; for once, Varrick had someone who could match him, story for story.

“No,” Su reminisced, “my time in the sandbender commune didn’t last as long, though the transition from high seas to desert life was quite interesting. There was this one time…”

There were several tales about circus life as well, including a couple that Varrick aborted upon a word or look from Su. Despite her children’s protestations, they remained untold. Following dinner, Su invited them to her library. Like the rest of the home, it was an impressive space - the walls were a muted shade of green punctuated by tall, bronze-framed windows. Bookcases were inserted between, with a tasteful, uncluttered mixture of artifacts and tomes. A large model of the city rested on a low table between two long green couches. 

While beautiful, it wasn’t really Zhu Li’s type of library. Still, she was intrigued by the various items on the shelves. Hanging back by the wall, as Varrick and Bataar began a lively conversation about magnetic transportation, she surreptitiously examined the ones closest to her. A photo of a circus troupe caught her eye. Su, her hair dark and face painted, sat atop a strongman’s shoulders. Around them stood clowns, acrobats, animal trainers. And was that…?

She squinted at the photo - in particular, at the young boy with messy hair in the lower right-hand corner.

“Wasn’t he a cutie-pie?” 

Zhu Li jumped. Su was standing behind her with a smile.

“That’s him and Mr. Buzz. Such an ugly old thing, but he loved that lion vulture.”

“You have… quite the collection,” Zhu Li said, hoping to redirect the conversation.

“Yes,” Su replied. Smiling warmly, she offered, “You’re welcome to come borrow a book at any time.”

Returning to their guest house, Zhu Li was heartened to find a neatly wrapped portion of dinner waiting for her in the kitchen. Digging in, she tentatively decided she liked Zaofu.

~*~

While Zhu Li had managed to get everyone’s back pay sent out while they’d been in Omashu, there were still some definite hurdles to operating in Republic City when you were technically still supposed to be incarcerated. After speaking with legal for hours, it was decided that a name change would be the simplest solution. The lawyers, however, were not responsible for getting Varrick to nail down a new name. After working through a list of completely ridiculous ideas, she was able to guide him toward the legitimate-sounding, if boring, title of Varrick Industries International. The next step was separating some of the holdings into their own corporations, investigating which nation would make the most sensible headquarters for each.

She’d just returned to the lab, where Varrick was ordering around the workmen upgrading the power sources, when one of Su’s guards entered. “Aiwei is ready to see you. Please follow me.”

Varrick tossed a wrench over his shoulder, narrowly missing a worker (“Hey!”), and trod after the guard. She showed them to a nearby office, where Aiwei beckoned them in. “I hope you are enjoying our city. I believe Suyin told you of our meeting today?”

“Sure, sure,” Varrick replied, taking a seat in the simple chair across the desk from him.

Aiwei folded his hands. “Suyin has me interview every newcomer to the city, to discern their intentions, before they are allowed to settle in Zaofu. I am effective at my position, for I am a truth-seer. Small physical changes, such as heart rate, allow me to know when someone is lying.” He glanced over to Zhu Li, standing by the wall. “Typically, I conduct these interviews one-on-one. If you would like privacy...”

“No need,” said Varrick, waving his hand. “Zhu Li’s my assistant. She’s heard it all anyway.”

While it was a bit of a relief to know he assumed she already knew the worst of him, she couldn’t help but wonder if he had just forgotten certain things in his past, or didn’t consider them to be so bad. She’d long ago figured out the names of his ships aligned with nicknames for the various women who had popped in and out of his life - and he had a lot of ships. She couldn’t imagine the question of exes would come up in such an interview anyway.

She certainly hoped not. 

“Your name?”

“Iknik Blackstone Varrick.”

“And how long have you known Suyin Beifong?”

“Whew…” He counted on his fingers. “No, that can’t be right,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Twenty-five, twentyyy- eight years, maybe?”

“And what is the purpose of your entry into Zaofu?”

“To work for Su, in her new technology department, of course.” 

“Do you have any affiliation with any groups that may wish to harm Suyin Beifong, the people of Zaofu, or the city itself?”

“Hmm…” Varrick thought for a minute. “Can’t say that I do.”

“Are you personally planning on harming any of the above?”

“Nope!”

“Have you, in the past, sought to harm someone in a position of leadership?”

He crossed his arms and propped his feet up on the table. “Weeell… technically, I was a little sketchy on the details when I told my Southern rebels to take out Unalaq. I suppose they could have inferred something unsavory there, but as it turns out, I would have been doing the world a favor! Raiko, on the other hand - never meant to harm him, or his lovely wife. Just wanted to make ‘em vanish for a couple of weeks.”

Aiwei raised an eyebrow. “Do you have an association with any criminal groups or organizations?” he asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Sure. I’ve paid off a few triads in my time, but who hasn’t?” 

“Have you ever heard of the Red Lotus?”

Varrick leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. “Course I have!” 

Aiwei, dangerously still, narrowed his eyes and leaned forward at this admission.

Varrick grinned. “What an incredible club! I mean, if you haven’t spent time in Caldera City, you are missing out.” 

Aiwei leaned back again. “I take it to mean you are not familiar with the group, the Red Lotus.”

Varrick examined his nails. “No. Why, should I be?”

“Very good. That will be all for now.”

“Great!” Varrick said, springing up. “Let’s go.”

Aiwei held up a hand. “I am not quite finished. Zhu Li, if you would take a seat…”

“But Zhu Li’s just my assistant,” Varrick said, hands on his hips. “Never leaves my side. If I’m good to be here, she definitely is!”

Aiwei simply gestured to the chair. Zhu Li smoothed her robes as she sat, then looked straight into the truth-seer’s eyes. 

“Would you like to waive your right to privacy?”

Zhu Li nodded. Behind her, Varrick crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, their positions switched for once.

“Your name?”

“Zhu Li Moon.”

“And how long have you worked for Varrick?”

She did some quick mental math. “One year, one week, and three days.” She hadn’t realized they’d officially passed the year mark until just now. It seemed like so much longer. 

“Are you personally planning on harming, or do you have any affiliation with any groups that may wish to harm Suyin Beifong, the people of Zaofu, or the city itself?”

“No, I do not.”

“Tried to take out any world leaders?”

“No, I have not.”

“Associated with criminal organizations?”

She thought of the Agni Kai card game. “Not purposefully.”

“Heard of the Red Lotus?”

“No.”

“Very well,” Aiwei said. “You are both dismissed. I will inform Suyin of my findings.”

“Guess that means we passed,” muttered Varrick, as they exited the building. He narrowed his eyes and shivered. “There’s something fundamentally creepy about people like him.”

“Truth-seers?”

“People who know if you’re lying without knowing you. It doesn’t seem very fair - you should at least have to put in some time before being able to figure that kind of stuff out…” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Speaking of which! Zhu Li, why didn’t you remind me? I mean, I knew it had been about that long, but I didn’t know -know, y’know? I would have had you buy yourself something. What’s a one-year anniversary gift? Paper?”

“I think that only applies to marriage, sir.”

“Well, suit yourself.” He shrugged. “Would’ve had you buy twelve of those little notebooks you carry, with the color-coded tabs and everything.”

She couldn’t decide if it would’ve been a sweet or slightly patronizing present. Either way, she definitely would have preferred notebooks to flowers. Especially the nice ones with the colored tabs. 

~*~

A few days later, once the lab was up and running, Zhu Li had spent the morning being given a trial-by-fire lesson in welding. Varrick had been satisfied with the results and now she was helping him attach various pieces of metal to the skeleton of the conductive suit he’d started creating the day before. 

“Wasn’t the point of coming to Zaofu to have access to metalbenders, sir?” she asked, the words muffled behind her faceplate and the screech of the torches. 

Varrick paused, turning his off for a moment. “Sure. But I’m not just going to stand here twiddling my thumbs until Su assigns us some. Besides, what if I get a brilliant idea in the middle of the night?”

There was a knock at the door. They turned.

“Su! Speak of the devil!”

“And she appears,” Su finished for him, a smile on her face. “How’s the workspace so far?”

“It’s great! Any word on when I’ll be able to borrow a few of your metalbenders?”

“Soon - sorry for the delay. I’ve brought you your documents -” she held them up, “- congratulations on officially becoming residents of Zaofu! Now that that’s in order, I can begin to assign you a work detail. Any particular skills I should be on the lookout for?” She perched on the edge of the couch.

Varrick flipped his face shield up, looking thoughtful. “I mean, we can always use general metalbenders. Is magnet-bending a specialized subset?”

“Not really, though there are definitely people who are particularly gifted in it. We have several of the finest working on the tram station remodel. As Bataar and Junior finish up, I’ll shift them over to you.”

“Excellent! Zhu Li, I’m parched. Pour us some tea, would you?”

Zhu Li placed her gloves on the table by the door and picked up the teapot to pour two cups. Su glanced up at her apologetically. “I hate to be so picky, but do you have any ginger?”

“I think we do in the kitchen,” Zhu Li replied. “I’ll check and be back in a moment.”

“Thank you so much.” Su held up a hand as she reached the doorway. “Ooo… and could you be sure to steep it a full seven minutes?”

It was an oddly long amount of time for ginger tea, but Zhu Li inclined her head in agreement. “Of course.” 

“Thank you so much.” Su smiled, but something in it told Zhu Li this was an opportunity for the woman to talk to Varrick alone. 

She brewed a fresh cup of green tea for Varrick, then arranged a few sweets on a plate as she waited for the timer to go off for the ginger tea. Gathering everything on a tray, she headed back down the hall to the lab. As she got closer, she could hear snippets of conversation. In a few steps, she could make out Su’s words. 

“...and you trust her?”

Zhu Li paused. 

“Completely. She’s saved my neck, multiple times. Hand me the thing, would you Su? No, the other thing. The other other thing.”

“That’s good…” she said, as a tool clinked on the ground. “I’m sorry - I had to ask. Love can make fools of us all.”

Zhu Li’s grip on the tray increased; her knuckles turned white and her stomach somersaulted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Varrick asked. His tone was dismissive, yet wary. 

“Come on,” Su exhaled. “I’ve known you for a long time, Varrick. It’s obvious you’re head-over-heels for her.”

Zhu Li’s heart pounded a mile-a-minute, waiting for Varrick’s response. 

“Zhu Li is my assistant, Su. We have a purely professional relationship.”

It was exactly the answer she’d expected, but somehow hearing those words, succinct and out loud, was disappointing. 

“Hmm. So did Bataar and I - until I decided to make a move on him. We’ve been together… what? Twenty-two years now?”

“Give me that -” Another tool clinked. “Yeah, well. We’re not all Sus and Bataars. Happy?”

She sighed. “Wish you were.” There was a sound of a shifting of robes and Su’s heels clicked on the metal floor. Zhu Li quickly scooted several steps back and started walking as if she’d just come down the corridor.

“Oh hi, Zhu Li!” Su said, meeting her at the door. “We were just talking about you.”

“Good things, I hope,” Zhu Li replied, awkwardly. 

Su just smiled and picked her cup off the tray. “I’ll leave the two of you to it,” she said, before waltzing out.

Varrick had his faceplate down once more as she entered. She set the tray next to their new identification papers and offered him a cup. Still examining the metal form in front of him, he snapped, “Zhu Li, where have you been? I want this magnetic armor ready to be tested by breakfast tomorrow and time is wasting!”  

“Sorry, sir. I brought the tea you wanted.” She tapped a finger against the porcelain. 

He waved her off. “Not now. Just… grab a blowtorch and get back to work.” 

~*~

By evening, they’d become so engrossed in getting the finishing details on the project that he almost forgot to eat. Zhu Li started as she glanced at her pocket watch and noticed the time. “Sir, we’re going to be late for dinner.”

“Eh,” he said, elbows deep in the electrical panel, “Su won’t mind.”

“I think she will, sir. It’s rude to be late.”

He leaned out of the metal suit and flipped up his goggles to give her a look that said, I know that. With a dramatic sigh, he stashed the tools he’d been working with, lay the goggles aside, and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Decent?” he asked, spreading his arms. 

More than decent, she thought, but settled for a nod.

As they walked up the steps to the Beifong home, a very familiar polar bear dog raised her head from her patio sentry. It seemed the Avatar was in town. 

“Oh, brother,” Varrick groaned. 

The Avatar’s presence would indicate the presence of her entourage, some of whom they’d left things with on a rather bad note. Given Varrick’s moodiness all afternoon, Zhu Li wondered if it wouldn’t be better to sit dinner out this evening.

“I think I saw some instant noodles in the kitchen, sir.”

Varrick let out a sigh, then straightened his back and his collar. “May as well rip the bandage off. At least the giant mutt gave us fair warning.”

They entered the building and strolled down the hall to the dining room. Varrick paused just out of sight of the doorway, rolling back on his heels and then forward again a few times, as if getting ready to step up to a stage. He pasted a grin on his face and passed through the doors with a jaunty spring to his step. Raising a hand to wave to the group, he said “Sorry we’re late, everyone!”

As Zhu Li took her place by the wall, she silently cherished the use of we in that sentence.

Chapter Text

The letter arrived with several changes of address scribbled over it and extra stamps added. It found its way to Zhu Li via Bataar Jr., who popped his head in their lab one morning. “Mother asked me to give you this; it looked urgent and she wasn’t sure if you’d had a chance to explore our postal system yet.” 

“Fine, toss it on the table,” Varrick grunted.

“It’s not for you. It’s for her.” Zhu Li removed her gloves and accepted the letter. Bataar Jr. peered at the magnet Varrick was working on for a long moment before ducking back out. 

Varrick looked up from the mess of copper wires and raised an eyebrow. “Who’d be writing you?” She started to tuck it inside her pocket for later, but hesitated. What if it was truly bad news - what if something had happened to one of her parents? Varrick must have noticed her hesitation. “Go open it, go open it…” he sighed, waving her off as he fiddled with the connection between the magnet and the wires.

Zhu Li was honestly surprised the post had followed her, from one nation to another, as quickly as it had. She opened the envelope, curious and with more than a bit of trepidation, to find a thin sheet of paper covered in her aunt’s neat handwriting…

Dear Zhu Li,

It’s been a while since we have heard from you, though we very much appreciate the continued deposits to our bank account. I hope this letter finds you well.

I know your job makes it unlikely you’d be able to return to Republic City at present, but I believe it has also put you in contact with the Avatar. For this reason, I was hoping you’d be able to offer us some guidance on a family matter that has recently arisen. You may have heard of the bouts of spontaneous airbending that are breaking out across the world following Harmonic Convergence. Our family has also been affected - Pinky has recently shown signs of being an airbender. As non-benders, we have had the good fortune to have been supported by our family and community with your earthbending and firebending cousins, but have no idea where to start with this rare form of bending. I had considered seeking help by taking her to Air Temple Island, but was told they’d recently had some trouble and that the community is closed to outsiders at present. 

If you could give us council, possibly write to the Avatar or any other airbenders you may know who can help us navigate this challenge, we would be most grateful. 

Respectfully,

Cai Feng

The letter was fairly formal, as was to be expected from her aunt. After eleven children, the woman was one of the most cool-headed people Zhu Li had ever met. But Zhu Li knew her aunt well enough to read through the lines, and understood she was at her wits end with her youngest child.

Pinky - as Pin Qiong had been nicknamed early on - had been four when Zhu Li had moved out. She would be eight now; almost the same age as her next oldest brothers had been when their bending spats had gotten absolutely out of control. Zhu Li remembered her as a sweet kid, certainly unplanned but, in personality, a relief to her mother, though she tended to be overshadowed by her more boisterous older siblings. Perhaps Pinky had finally come into her own.

Varrick peered over her shoulder. She frowned and folded the letter before he could read it. “What’s it say?” he asked. 

“My cousin has become an airbender.”

“Ha! Him and everyone else, it seems like.” Varrick returned to his tinkering. 

“Her, and my aunt would like advice on how to proceed.”

“Well, Tenzin’s on a real streak, looking for airbenders. I’m sure he’d be thrilled to have another dutiful recruit.”

“Dutiful may not be the correct word, sir. My cousin is eight.” 

“If she’s your cousin, I’m sure she’ll manage.” Varrick gestured toward her with the pliers. “Can you imagine, you as an airbender? Heh. You’d have to follow Tenzin to the northern air temple, dress up in those orange robes, practice making gusts of wind all day long.” 

Zhu Li set the letter down. “You’d have to find a new assistant.”

“No. No, I’m sure you could do airbender preschool and assist me at the same time.”

“In this situation, do you move the company to the Northern Air Temple or invent teleportation?”

“I mean, the latter would be nice, but the former wouldn’t be out of the question.” She knew he was just joking, but the remark still made something inside her glow. “Why don’t you talk to Korra or the Chief?” he suggested. “They’re here to pick up the Beifong kid anyway. Maybe they can drop by Republic City on their way north.”

“Maybe.” Zhu Li had reservations about asking her aunt and uncle to hand little Pinky over to an airship full of teens, overseen by Lin Beifong.  

~*~

“Absolutely not!” growled Lin. “The Avatar’s life is in danger and I’m not a babysitter, contrary to what everyone seems to think these days.” She paused, tapping her chin. “However, you should talk to Tenzin. I’m sure his wife would love to have yet another child added to her brood.” She smiled, eyes narrowed. “You can ask Su for help with the radio, if you need it.” 

Zhu Li inclined her head slightly, secretly relieved. “I’m sure I’ll figure it out. Thank you, Chief.” 

~*~

“Northern Air Temple outpost, former Commander Bumi speaking.”

“Hello, Commander. This is Zhu Li Moon, with…” (well, technically this request was one hundred percent her own, for once) “...with a question for Tenzin. I’m currently in Zaofu, with Suyin Beifong, whose daughter will be joining you shortly. I have a family member who has also displayed signs of airbending, and I was wondering if -” 

“A possible new recruit?” Bumi cut her off. “Let me get the enlistment details!”

Oh, boy. This was sounding much more… intense than Zhu Li had hoped. “Well, she’s eight…”

“You want to send an eight-year-old child to be trained by my brother? Are you crazy?! He’s a madman! Tossing fruit at our heads all day, making us climb up mountains before sunrise, having us meditate for hours upon hours upon hours…”

“Bumi, what are you -” There was the noise of a scuffle in the background. 

“Save yourselves!” cried Bumi, before the sound of a slamming door reverberated across the radio waves. Zhu Li winced.

“I apologize for that,” said a smooth, calm voice. “This is Tenzin. You were calling about another possible airbender who may be joining us?”

“Hello Tenzin, Zhu Li Moon. Yes - my cousin has shown signs of airbending, but she’s only eight years old.”

“I see. While it is best to begin training as soon as possible, my own daughter is the same age. Would her parents allow her to travel so far from home, to live with complete strangers?”

“I believe her parents would welcome this as an opportunity, if the air nomads are equipped to take on such a young student.” 

“We could certainly manage it on our end. We’ve already taken in an orphaned boy, not much older than… sorry, what is your cousin’s name?”

“Pinky.”

“- Than Pinky. I will assign an air acolyte to serve as her guardian while she is with us. Her parents will be in regular contact with both Pinky and her guardian. I assume they are there with you in Zaofu?”

“No - they’re back in Republic City.” 

“Ah, I see. And I imagine you’ve asked Lin Beifong to stop by to pick her up, and received a resounding no ?”

“That would be correct.”

“Hmm… if the family can wait, we will eventually return to Air Temple Island, once the members of the Red Lotus are recaptured and Republic City is a safe haven again.”

“I’m not sure her parents can wait that long.”

“Well… if you can bring her to us, we can take it from there.”

Zhu Li nodded, thinking for a second. “I will discuss that with her parents and get back to you. Thank you, Tenzin.”

“Of course, Zhu Li. I look forward to hearing of their decision.”

~*~

Zhu Li’s aunt and uncle sounded absolutely relieved to hear Tenzin would take Pinky off their hands in the telegram they sent later that day. She knew they would be unable to leave the store for the several day journey to and from the Northern Air Temple. In fact, it was subtly implied that Zhu Li, ever the dutiful family member, would escort her. Varrick had other opinions on the matter.

“Zhu Li, don’t be ridiculous!”

“I have two months of accumulated leave, sir.” She had never been sick or taken a day off since coming to work for him.

“We don’t have time for you to be taking time off.” He dramatically gestured. “That trip could take weeks. It would set our research back by months. Plus,” he muttered, tapping his chin, “if you got caught, it would be really difficult to break you out of a Republic City jail. They don’t look kindly on second-strike offenders and the long-distance thing could be tricky...”

“I think I can work it out so that it will take less than a week. If I catch the ferry to Baowan tomorrow -” 

“No, Zhu Li - if you’ve really gotta do this, we’re taking the yacht, I’m coming with you, and that’s final.” He was in thought now, one hand to his chin, the other resting on his hip. “Shesh is due to arrive any day now. As soon as he gets here, we’ll pile aboard and head up to Republic City.”

“I don’t think that would be wise, sir, seeing as we’re still wanted in the United Republic.”

“Hmm… I see your point. So - we get dropped off in some out-of-the-way location and get Sialuk or someone to pick us up and sneak us into the city. It’ll be just like old times!”

“And by old times, you mean three weeks ago?”

“Time flies, Zhu Li, time flies.” He waved his hand at her. “Bring me the thing.” She retrieved a map. He leaned over to examine it. “Once we’ve got the kid, we can hop on the Su Oku Express and meet up with Shesh at the Grove. The Su Oku River is impassable, what with the waterfalls, but after he drops us off he can cut through the Serpent’s Pass and make it to the resort in a couple of days.” He traced his finger along the route. 

To be honest, the yacht part did sound nicer than the multiple ferries she’d planned on hopping. While she’d been selling a week to Varrick, it would have taken a ridiculous amount of luck to pull it off, especially with a child in tow. “Su Oku Grove,” she repeated quietly, staring at the map in thought. She knew it had once been a Fire Nation resort in the Earth Kingdom and was known for its spas and natural hot springs.

“Have you ever been to Su Oku? You’re going to love it! Anyway, we won’t linger this time, just spend a couple of days there. Then we’ll hop back onboard the yacht and sail up to the Northern Air Temple, drop the kid off, turn around and return directly to Zaofu. Zhu Li - I want you to spend the next few days getting a mobile lab ready.” He turned back to the jumble of magnets and wires and fiddled with the switch he’d just attached. 

What was she doing? He’d finally found a project that might actually benefit people and she was distracting him from it. Maybe it would be best if she snuck off in the middle of the night, got Pinky to the Air Temple, and begged for forgiveness later. 

“Hey -” said Varrick, blue eyes flashing up as if he’d read her mind, “you never leave my side, right?”

He used to just say that, but somehow, it had become the truth. 

~*~

Zhu Li spent the rest of that day and the next one packing supplies for the mobile lab, though she was still waffling on whether or not she should make a break for it and strike out on her own. Varrick, weirdly, seemed to sense this and was even more in her personal space - and time - than usual. 

Zhu Li had brought the latest copy of The Adventures of Pao Ji to the couch half an hour ago, following dinner, and curled up in one corner to read. Deeply engrossed in an especially momentous chapter, she carefully turned yet another page. Su Beifong had invested in the special edition, naturally. The gold-edged parchment was crisp but delicate beneath her fingers.

“I can’t believe they didn’t recognize the genius that is the Airbender Finder,” Varrick grumbled, examining his invention. He’d shown up five minutes after she’d gotten comfortable and sprawled across every remaining inch of the couch. Luckily, Su’s taste in couches was similar to her taste in books, so Zhu Li did not end up with feet in her lap. (Though they were looking a lot better these days, completely fungus-free, even after trudging through an entire swamp.) 

Varrick shook the Airbender Finder, then pointed it at Zhu Li. Before he could open his mouth to tell her to do the thing , she held up her arm without raising her eyes from her book and flicked her wrist in his direction. His eyes widened for a moment, then he frowned again. “Thing’s busted,” he said, tossing it over his head and crossing his arms. “And what’s with Bolin - the kid no longer thinks he needs my advice? Tuh. That relationship is doomed.”

“Bolin and Opal seem well-suited for one another,” Zhu Li responded mildly, turning the page. 

He narrowed his eyes. “What would you know, Zhu Li? You haven’t been on a single date in the entire time I’ve known you.”

“I’m a professional, sir.” (Though she was fully aware of how ridiculous that sounded, lounging on the couch together after dinner in their shared living space as no platonic employee and employer ever had. Still, she’d let him believe it.) “If I had a date -” she turned a page, “- you would never know about it.”

He stared at her for a moment, then hopped to his feet, clearly annoyed. “Zhu Li, set up the camera!”

She looked up at him, bemused, and slid a marker between the pages. “What reel should I grab?” She’d labeled canisters with the name of each project they’d been working on and numbered them accordingly to keep everything organized.

“New reel, new canister, new project! I’m going to film my whole evening ritual… tick check, Varri-calisthenics, breath-holding, the works! People will want to know this, one day,” he said, pointing at her as if doing so would wipe the dubious expression off her face. 

As she headed over to the lab to get the camera, she wondered how to diplomatically convince him not to record the entire tick check. The world wasn’t ready for that sort of mover. 

~*~

Insanely enough, Varrick’s assertion that ‘people will want to know this, one day,’ came true the very next morning. Both of them had slept through the fight between the members of the Red Lotus and Team Avatar (as Bolin was fond of calling them), paired up with the Beifong clan. Given Varrick’s snoring, that was certainly understandable on his part, but Zhu Li was a little alarmed at herself. She had no such excuse; she must be slipping. 

Aiwei turned them away after a minute of questioning, clearly exasperated by Varrick’s ridiculous-sounding alibi, backed with irrefutable proof. She knew the man was a truth-seer, but even so, she stared stonily at the ground as she asked, “Did you have anything to do with it, sir?”

Varrick gesticulated wildly back toward the office they’d just come from, as if the answer was apparent. 

“I’d like to hear you say it,” she said, cooly. 

The long-suffering sigh practically exploded out of him. “I promise, on the future financial well-being of my company, that I did not try to kidnap Avatar Korra…” Zhu Li waited. “...or try to have her killed, assassinated, maimed, injured, laid-a-finger-on, or borrowed in any way, shape, or form.” Zhu Li continued waiting. “Also, I did not hire, ask, bribe, call, write, demand, entice, pay, or beg anyone else to do it either.” He threw his hands out. “Satisfied?!” She nodded curtly.

As they continued to walk back toward the lab, Varrick muttered, “You do know who did it, right?” She blinked up at him. He jerked his head in the direction from which they’d just come. “Who’s the one person in this city who can keep a secret?”

He was right, obviously. All the questions Aiwei had asked them came flooding back. Zhu Li opened her mouth, then closed it again. Finally, she looked up at him. “Without a solid alibi, he was going to try to frame you.”

Varrick nodded, happy that she’d worked it out. Zhu Li spun on her heel to march right back and tell Su; he grabbed her by the elbow. “Whoa there, Tiger Shark.”

“Varrick, we have to tell them. One of Su’s most trusted employees is working for the Red Lotus, trying to abduct the Avatar!”

He released her and leaned back against a freshly-cooled lava formation. “Don’t take it so personally, Zhu Li.” He was right - rage was building inside her because of the awful breach of trust. That anyone who had that close a relationship with their employer could ever... 

Varrick flicked up an eyebrow. “Let the kids figure it out. Give ‘em something to do.”  

“Sir, what if they don’t -”

“If they don’t get it in a couple hours, we’ll nudge them in the right direction. Make them think it was their idea.”

“But the Red Lotus could be -”

“Forming a new plan as we speak? Nah - to get into Zaofu, they need to wait for Aiwei to check in. Which he won’t do until he’s been discovered.”

Zhu Li let out a long, shaky breath. His logic was sound. She unclenched her fists, just now feeling the painful marks her fingernails had left in her palms. Varrick leaned a little harder against the lava formation, and stumbled, a piece breaking off beneath him. He bent over and examined the lava rock. Rubbing it between his palms, he grinned up at her. “New plan for the day, Zhu Li! Clear the schedule - it’s pedicure time.”

She hated that he knew, given her current state of mind, there was no way she’d refuse him. 

She hated that she didn’t care.

~*~

Sure enough, with minimal direction on Varrick’s part, Team Avatar figured the whole thing out. By the time she’d completed his pedicure, Aiwei’s house was left with a smoking crater in back. Zhu Li was a little surprised no one had run after the truth-seer yet. “Su and Lin will need to have it out first,” Varrick said, disappearing into his room. He’d cheerily announced that they were taking the whole afternoon off after hearing the boom that confirmed his theory. 

Zhu Li rarely bit her nails these days - she’d broken the habit as a teen - but she found the edge of her thumb creeping toward her mouth as she started the next chapter, distracted. With the Red Lotus on the loose, should she try to take Pinky to the airbenders at all? Maybe the child would be safer at home. Though given all Republic City had been through in the past year, from Amon to Unalaq to the Red Lotus attack on Air Temple Island, nowhere worth being seemed safe anymore. The Spirit of Independence was due in harbor the following morning - if she was going to disappear, it would have to be tonight, once Varrick was snoring. But following Aiwei’s betrayal, could she ever manage to do the same to him, no matter how pure her intentions? 

Varrick reentered the room, patting his face dry with a towel. Zhu Li glanced up at him and then did a double take, her eyes widening. The book fell to the floor with a heavy thunk. The gilded pages of the special edition were bent irreparably. In the moment, Zhu Li didn’t even notice. 

What had he done to his face?

He spread his hands wide and grinned. “See? Incognito!”

Seeing Varrick without a mustache was like seeing a tigerdillo without stripes, a badgermole that could see, a sky bison that couldn’t fly. It just seemed… wrong. 

Varrick’s smile dropped a bit. “Come on. It’s not that bad...” he said, stalking over to the mirror by the front door. 

Zhu Li realized she’d clasped her hands over the bottom half of her face. Self-consciously, she snuck them back in her lap.

He scowled at her. “...And if it is, your disguise is just taking off your glasses, so you don’t have to look at me anyway.” He turned back to the mirror and examined his face again, checking each angle with his chin in his hand. “Haven’t had a clean-shaven upper lip in more than a decade,” he mused.

Well. Now she had to let him accompany her.

Which had probably been his plan all along.

Chapter Text

Living under the domes of Zaofu for the past couple of weeks, Zhu Li had missed seeing the stars. 

Despite the gentle rocking of the yacht, she’d had trouble staying asleep, so many doubts and logistics running through her mind. She was used to dealing with Varrick-created challenges in a calm and steady manner. Now, she was facing a challenge he’d had nothing to do with - but had inserted himself in, nonetheless. 

It was still dark when she decided to get dressed. She snuck into the galley, bleary-eyed, and fixed a pot of her favorite tea. The early morning air was chilly but the sea was calm. To their starboard side, she could see the twinkling lights of coastal villages and the faint outline of mountains rising up beyond. She decided to bring her cup outside. Huddled over the railing, she gazed overhead. The great summer dragon was being chased away by the autumn sky bison, the dragon’s flaming red-star tail just barely visible above the horizon. 

“You going to wave as we pass by?”

Varrick’s voice made her jump. What was he doing, rising this early on his own? In his hand, he held a cup of the tea she’d brewed. He took a sip and grimaced before leaning on the railing next to her. “How do you drink this stuff?”

It was still so weird, seeing him clean-shaven. He remained ridiculously handsome (possibly moreso), but he almost seemed like a different person or a version of himself from a different time. She wondered what younger Varrick had been like, in those gaps of time he had yet to tell her about. Assuming he ever would. 

He nodded back to the coastline. “That’s Haizun, right?”

Zhu Li blinked. With a start, she realized he was correct - the greenish-gold harbor lanterns were burning brightly, reflected in the still water. Her heart ached at the sight. That particular view of coming home… it was something that would always be a part of her, despite seeming firmly in her past, now. 

She nodded, not confident in the strength of her voice.

“That means we should be at the landing point in forty minutes,” he said. “Ready to do this thing?“

She squared her shoulders and took one final sip of tea. “Always, sir.”

~*~

Ginger met them at the predetermined location, parked by the shore directly across the road to the Shirshu Shack. Though the sun had hardly peeked above the horizon, she was wearing a fashionable pair of sunglasses. Perhaps that was her method of going incognito, along with a scarf wrapped over her fiery red hair. As Varrick and Zhu Li walked up the path from the tiny dock, she tipped up her sunglasses and gave them a pearly white grin. “Good to see ya, Shesh!” she called out to the helmsman at the dock. He grunted in response before pushing the tender off and heading back toward the yacht, anchored in deep water. 

The actress, meanwhile, strolled forward. She greeted Zhu Li with a peck on each cheek, but as Zhu Li saw the sleek red sports car parked near the edge of the road, her eyes narrowed.  

Ginger turned to Varrick, giving him a hug. “Hey, boss! Nice look.” Oh, she was definitely in a better mood than Zhu Li had ever seen her in. While she wanted to be happy for the young woman who had somehow become her friend, Zhu Li was currently experiencing a whole slew of feelings about the fact she’d shown up in Shady Shin’s Sato. So much for incognito. 

Varrick paused before tossing his bag in the back. “This Sato looks strangely familiar.”

Ginger waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. Fastest way to get you to where you need to be. You got the address?” she asked Zhu Li, who handed her a slip of paper. 

“So this is still going on?” Zhu Li asked, icily slamming the door. Maybe if she slammed it hard enough, it would fall off. 

Starting the engine, Ginger retorted, “Yeah. What of it?” 

Varrick glanced between the two of them and frowned. “I feel like I’m missing something.”

“It’s nothing, sir,” said Zhu Li.

He turned to look at the yacht, which was facing south once more.

‘Still “Sir”? ...Kinky,' Ginger mouthed to her in the rearview mirror. 

Zhu Li gripped the top edge of the door a little harder. 

“Just don’t scratch the paint, honey,” Ginger said with a wink. “It is my boyfriend’s favorite color.”

Zhu Li wanted to hurl a quip back about being surprised it wasn’t blue, but she knew exactly where Ginger would take that homonym and settled on an eye roll instead.

They pulled onto the winding road that would lead them to Republic City. The last time Zhu Li and Varrick traveled it was twenty-four hours after escaping jail. Once again, Zhu Li hoped they were doing the right thing. Overhead, the canopy of maple leaves that had been lush and green were starting to tinge golden. Soon, Mount Makapu appeared in the distance. 

“It’s a little too early to visit our friends at the observatory, I suppose,” Varrick remarked. 

Zhu Li shook her head. “No side trips, sir. We get my cousin and get out of the city.”

“Mmm… speaking of which, here are the tickets.” Ginger passed them back to Zhu Li. She glanced at the date with alarm.

“Ginger? These tickets are for tomorrow.”

“Yeah… I figured you could use some time with the family, since you don’t really see them anymore.”

Zhu Li felt her panic rise. “This isn’t a social visit, Ginger. We’re getting my cousin and leaving. It would be too dangerous to linger in Republic City.”

Ginger made a face at her in the rearview mirror. “You’ll be fine.” She glanced down at the slip of paper. “Not a lot of police presence in that neighborhood anyway.”

Zhu Li let her head sink into her hand. A full twenty-four hours in Republic City? Even lying low, it was not ideal. Where were they going to spend the night? She was regretting ever agreeing to this. 

Beside her, Varrick seemed to be facing no such dilemma. “That’s great! Gives us a chance to check up on the apartment -”

“No!” Zhu Li burst out. “If we show up at your apartment, we’ll be arrested within minutes.”

He shrugged. “So we stay with your aunt and uncle. It’s the least they can do, given the help you’re offering them.”

Zhu Li shook her head. “We’ll just have to buy new tickets.”

“No can do, doll,” Ginger replied. “By the time I got to the station, today’s train was sold out. It’s a popular weekend trip this time of year.”

Zhu Li sank back in her seat. This was a nightmare. Staring into the rearview mirror, she caught Ginger flicking her eyes across Varrick’s clean shaven face appreciatively. Zhu Li narrowed her eyes. The actress caught her gaze, and mouthed, ‘So what?’ “Live a little, Zhules,” she added, grinning. Zhu Li pointedly stared out the side of the vehicle until they started to reach the outskirts of the city. 

“Right,” said Ginger, as they soared through the suburbs. “I think the two of you better get down on the floor, just to be safe. There’s a blanket in the back.”

Zhu Li was rethinking this entire friendship as she and Varrick slid off their seats and pulled the wool blanket over them like a tent. Given the amount of space in the floor of the backseat, her legs tangled with his, faces resting far too close for comfort. Zhu Li closed her eyes as they hit several bumps, the tip of her nose practically brushing against his. Had he not shaved, his moustache would have been tickling her cheek right now.

Oh, this would not do.

For once, Varrick seemed tuned in to the awkwardness of the situation as well. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever been in his waking presence and waited so long for a muttered quip or comment. The tension continued to grow until the car rolled to a stop and sat idling for several minutes. Without warning, he popped his head up from under the blanket. “What’s taking so long?” he hissed. Zhu Li caught a glimpse of a tall building overhead and pulled him back down frantically, head practically in her lap.

“Zhu Li, make him keep his head down, wouldja?” Ginger replied as the car began to move. “By any means necessary.” Zhu Li felt her face burn and shot daggers at Ginger through the thick blanket. 

“Hmm…” said Varrick, shifting so that he was lying on his back, now able to take up a good eighty percent of the space by really nestling his head in her lap. “Actually, this is pretty comfortable. My legs were starting to cramp up.” He folded his hands and closed his eyes. Weirdly, it felt far more safe than being nose to nose with him and she was able to relax a little. 

The Sato stopped and slowed a few more times, taking an increased number of turns. They must be getting into the older neighborhoods, a good sign. Finally, Ginger pulled over and put the vehicle into park. “This the place?” she asked. 

Carefully, Zhu Li pulled down the blanket. Thin stripes of sunlight bounced off a window reading WAXING MOON EMPORIUM. “It is.” 

Ginger glanced in all directions. “Alright. You’re good. No cops in sight.”

As Zhu Li and Varrick quickly grabbed their bags and hopped out of the Sato, Ginger asked, “You need a lift to the station tomorrow?”

“No, Yuki,” Zhu Li said, slipping up on her name for the first time in a long while. The actress’s face scrunched up in a look of sympathetic nostalgia. “Thank you for the ride. We’ve got it from here.”

Ginger pulled Zhu Li halfway down into the driver’s seat for a hug, leaving her suitcase swinging awkwardly. “Don’t be mad, darling,” she whispered. “I just want you to be as happy as I am.” She squeezed Zhu Li’s hand before putting the red sports car into gear and sailing off down the block. 

Why was everyone concerned with their happiness, all of a sudden? And why did everyone assume… no, Zhu Li couldn’t honestly ask herself that question. She knew how she felt about her boss. But she would continue to bury it, every day, if need be. Suyin may have thought he was deeply in denial, but Zhu Li just wasn’t as sure, and would rather remain his purely platonic assistant than not be with him at all. 

A tiny bell rang as she pushed open the door to her aunt and uncle’s store. The familiar smell brought back years of memories, but she only got a quick whiff of it before being smothered in her aunt’s shoulder.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here!”

Cai Feng Moon looked a bit like Su Beifong, if Su had had a harder life, a couple extra stone in weight, and twice as many children. Deep lines were etched on either side of her aunt’s mouth, the product of millions of smiles and frowns. 

“Zuzu, Zho,” her aunt barked. “Register and counter, now!”

The middle set of twins, who looked the most like one another despite being different sexes, appeared within seconds. Zuzu dutifully took her place on the stool behind the register, while Zho popped his head out of the kitchen, brushing his hands on his apron, and gave his cousin a grin. “Hey, Zhu Li! Welcome home!” 

Stomping feet avalanched down the wooden steps, and Jin Zhang and Zheng Zha flung themselves at her. Both twelve-year-olds had grown so much taller and lankier than the last time she’d seen them. “Zhu Li, were you really in jail?” Zheng asked, wonder in his eyes. “How did you escape?” Jin burst over him. “What’s the pro-bending arena like?” “Were you seriously trying to assassinate the president?” “Can you take us to see a mover?” “Is this your boss?”

All eyes suddenly fell on Varrick, who was looking slightly overwhelmed.

Cai Feng smacked both boys on the sides of their head. (“Ow!” “Mooom!”) “Get back to inventory!”

“Not too worried about child labor laws here, huh?” Varrick muttered in Zhu Li’s ear. 

“It’s a family business, sir,” she murmured back, while her aunt was still ordering the boys to work. Just then, her uncle emerged. He wiped his hands and patted the twins on their backs as they disappeared into the storage room.  

“Zhu Li!” he said, embracing her. She hugged him tightly. Her father’s younger brother, the family resemblance shone through in mannerisms as well as looks. He adjusted his glasses, and held his hand out to Varrick, giving him a firm shake. “Shang Ren Moon. It’s a pleasure to meet you - thank you for giving my niece the time off to do this.” 

“Of course,” Varrick replied. “It’s a delight to finally meet your family as well.” 

“Dad, the bakery still insists they can only deliver once a week,” Jing Zi complained, bell tinkling as he walked through the door. “Oh, hey Zhu Li.” 

Shang Ren nodded. “I’ll give them a call, settle it.”

“The two of you must be starving,” her aunt remarked. “Zho, dish them up some breakfast!”

“Coming, ma!” 

“Where’s Pinky?” her aunt asked. “Zi, go find your sister.”

“She’s with Jiji,” the moody young man groaned, pushing his glasses up his nose. “JIJI! PINKY!” he yelled. 

Cai Feng crossed her arms. “Well, I could have done that.” The bell tinkled again and her eyes flashed from Zhu Li and Varrick to the customer who’d just entered. “Why don’t the two of you head upstairs-upstairs? I’ll bring food up in just a minute.”

Zhu Li started up the stairs and Varrick followed. While the first floor of the store held the register, the tiny food and tea counter, and shelves and bins filled with basic necessities such as produce, packaged food, beauty products, and medicine, the second level was a wide balcony that ran along all four sides of the building. Here, shelves held paper items, bolts of fabric, and household products like hardware and cleaning supplies. Varrick looked around in all directions, taking everything in. Leading the way, Zhu Li quickly turned and headed up a second set of stairs.

She pushed aside the curtain once they’d reached the top. Upstairs-upstairs was where the family lived, in one large room. A low table sat in the middle for meal times. Mattresses were carefully rolled up along the walls. One final ladder led through a hole in the ceiling to the attic. When she’d lived here, it had been her favorite place to hide with a book, curled up with her back to a beam or truss, hidden from the chaos below. 

A teenage girl with a stylish black bob and large green eyes magnified by glasses popped her head down through the hole. “Zhuzhi! You’re here! I’ll go find Pinky.”

“Thank you, Jiji,” Zhu Li called after her. 

“Zhuzhi?” Varrick muttered. 

“Jing Zi had trouble with his consonants when he was little,” she replied.

“Which one’s Jing Zi?” he asked.

“The oldest one still at home.”

“Still?” Varrick’s eyes widened. “There used to be more of them?!”

Zhu Li sighed. 

“PINKY, DON’T YOU DARE!” came a shout from above. 

There was a woosh of air, and the youngest of the cousins plummeted through the hole in the ceiling, landing in a safe, if dramatic, crouch.

“I keep forgetting you can do that now,” Jiji muttered, as she climbed down behind her younger sister. 

“Zhuzhi!” Pinky ran forward, knocking into Zhu Li with far more force than necessary, hugging her tightly. “You’re taking me away to learn airbending?!”

“Yes, I am.”

“About time,” Jiji sighed. She held up a crate full of broken or otherwise destroyed stock. “This is just the past twenty-four hours.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Pinky cried, balling her fists and turning to her sister. “I’m just really excited, okay? You would be too, if you could bend all of a sudden.”

“The non-bending kids have finally been outnumbered,” Jiji sighed. “I’m so glad you’re here to help even the score.”

“Hey, wanna see what I can do?” Pinky asked, brightly. 

“I do, but let’s wait until we’ve left Republic City and you have some open space to demonstrate,” said Zhu Li, crouching down so that she was at Pinky’s eye level. 

“Okay,” Pinky shrugged, happily tossing her dark brown curls.

“Jiji, let’s give your cousin some space.” Cai Feng appeared at the door, two plates of dumplings in her hands. “She and her boss have had to travel a long way to get here.”

For the first time, Jiji seemed to notice Varrick. She blushed slightly as she said her goodbyes. Zhu Li inwardly recoiled. Yes, he looked much younger without facial hair, but her baby cousin crushing on her boss was just not something Zhu Li had ever imagined having to deal with. Varrick, thanking her aunt for the dumplings, was happily oblivious. 

Her aunt set four cups of tea out on the table as well, folding her legs beneath her. “Pinky, come sit.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Sorry - I’d ask her to go play, but we really can’t afford it at the moment,” Cai Feng said under her breath as Pinky scooted in next to her. “So… how was your trip?”

“It was uneventful,” Zhu Li said, guilt settling in her stomach as she realized she no longer thought of traveling on a luxury yacht as anything out of the ordinary. How was Pinky going to react when it picked them up in Su Oku Grove? Then again, the child had never been on a boat and probably wouldn't know any better.

“That’s always fortunate. You’re in Omashu now?”

“Zaofu,” Zhu Li took a sip of her tea.

“These dumplings are excellent,” Varrick inserted. Her aunt smiled and inclined her head in thanks. 

“There has been an unfortunate change in plans I do need to tell you about,” Zhu Li said. Her aunt sat up straighter. “There was a mix-up and the train tickets that were purchased are for tomorrow afternoon instead of this afternoon. I’m so sorry to ask, but would it be possible for us to stay here for the night?”

Cai Feng looked relieved, as if she'd been worried Zhu Li wasn’t going to take Pinky away after all. “Of course! We’ve got extra bedrolls since Ha De and Qiang Da moved out. You’re more than welcome to spend the night.”

Zhu Li nodded. “Thank you, aunt. We’ll head for the station tomorrow at ten and take the Su Oku Express. A ship will meet us the following morning and take us directly to the Northern Air Temple.”

“And this Tenzin will be able to teach her?”

“Oh, yes. Tenzin is the world’s only airbending master; Avatar Aang’s son. He’s already assigned an air acolyte - a non-bending follower of the order - to be Pinky’s guardian while she’s with them.”

Cai Feng shook her head. “It’s such a relief. Thank you, Zhu Li.”

“And how are you feeling about all this, kid?” Varrick’s voice was friendly, but Zhu Li could detect the slightest edge to it. She was a little shocked he’d directly addressed Pinky at all, but now wanted to hear the answer as well.

Pinky hugged her knees to her chest. “I mean, I’m going to get to learn airbending, right?” Zhu Li nodded. “And there are other kids… there?” 

“A few,” Zhu Li responded. “Master Tenzin has two daughters, one your age, one a little older.”

Pinky’s back straightened at that. Cai Feng rubbed her baby’s shoulder. “It will be a good opportunity for her,” she said, looking at Zhu Li with the unspoken words, As yours was for you. Without her coming to Republic City, without working for Varrick, or meeting the Avatar, this journey would not be happening for any of them. Cai Feng rose to her feet. “I have to go take care of a delivery. If you need anything, please come and get me.”

As soon as her mother was gone, Pinky hopped back to her feet. “Zhu Li, can I show you one airbending move? Just one?”

“Will it break anything?” Zhu Li asked.

“Not if I’m careful,” Pinky replied. 

“Then, please - be careful.”

With a grin, Pinky formed a spinning ball of air in front of her. 

Varrick leaned over and in a low voice, said, “Before we leave, let’s take the kid shopping.”

“Sir, our Republic City accounts are frozen and no one will let us buy on credit.” Ginger had handed them a healthy stack of yuans for the journey, but Zhu Li still felt a shopping spree inadvisable. 

“So dig into the kitty!” Varrick shrugged. “She’s four - what can a few sets of clothes cost for a kid that size?”

“She’s eight and you’ve clearly never had to shop for eleven children on a shopkeepers budget, sir.”

He opened his mouth to come back with a snarky reply, but closed it again as Pinky whizzed directly in front of them on her air scooter. “Wheeeee!”

“No. No, I haven’t.”

Zhu Li cocked her head and creased her brows together, as if to acknowledge it had been a nice thought. “She’d be giving up her worldly possessions to live with the air nomads anyway, if she had any.”

“All the more reason to buy her something nice now!” He lowered his voice and looked back at Zhu Li almost sympathetically. “Zhu Li... in those rags, we’re gonna look like a couple of weirdos stealing some street urchin.”

While Pinky was in hand-me-downs, not rags, he did have a point. Her clothes did not match theirs. 

With her aunt’s blessing, the three of them spent the afternoon at the Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall, where Varrick bought Pinky three more outfits than they’d agreed upon, before taking them out to dinner at a hole-in-the-wall noodle joint. 

Zhu Li had been a nervous wreck the entire afternoon, especially when one of the store clerks had spent way too much time flirting with Varrick. The Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall was several rungs of classiness below his usual shopping haunts, but there were still so many people around who might recognize him. Varrick seemed very confident in his “disguise”. Meanwhile, Zhu Li had insisted on being able to see, but had tucked her bangs and the hair that generally hung by her ears up into her hat. 

They’d just been served when there was a hubbub at the counter. “Turn it up!” one man shouted, spraying the server with broth. Wincing and wiping the mess from the counter and his apron, the server turned up the radio. 

“...reports that the reign of Earth Queen Hou-Ting has ended, rather abruptly and tragically, earlier this evening. The palace is currently under siege by rioters and the Dai Li are focused on holding the upper ring while chaos breaks out across the city…”

Zhu Li set down her bowl of noodles and looked at Varrick, her stomach churning.

“Every time!” he burst out in quiet frustration. “I’ve been right here with you, the entire day!”

Zhu Li narrowed her eyes. Pinky glanced between the two of them wide-eyed, noodles hanging from her mouth. 

“...the work of a splinter group, thought to be known as the Red Lotus…” 

Varrick thrust both hands toward the radio. She took a deep breath and nodded.  He leaned forward, one elbow on the table. “What is it going to take, Zhu Li?”

“Not here,” she hissed. 

He leaned back. “Sorry. Lily,” he corrected, using the name he’d picked for this journey. “Seriously, though. What is it going to take?”

“I don’t know,” she responded, honestly. 

~*~

Varrick had strangely not put up even the foggiest of a fuss when faced with unrolling a mattress to sleep on the floor amidst her entire family. She supposed they’d been in weirder situations while on the road, from an unbiased perspective. To her, though, this was by far the strangest. 

In the gloom of the space, she could just barely make out her aunt and uncle, sharing the largest mat. Pinky, though old enough for her own mattress on any other night, was tucked in her aunt’s arms, dreaming peacefully. Zi sighed and rolled over in his sleep. Varrick’s snores echoed across the room; it was a wonder that any of them were still asleep. Tonight, however, they were punctuated by the strange whistles Zho had always made in his sleep, since he was a baby, and Jin’s quiet mutters. The kid was obviously dreaming he was earthbending. Zhu Li snuggled down further under her soft but threadbare blanket. 

Zu Gou, lying nearest to her, rolled over. “Your boyfriend really snores,” the teen whisper-groaned.

“He’s my boss, Zuzu, not my boyfriend.”

“Eh. Whatever. He’s still loud.”

“We’ll be gone tomorrow.”

Her cousin reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you’re here now, though.”

As strange as it all was… “Me too,” Zhu Li whispered, squeezing back.

Chapter Text

As they hurried up the steps of the Republic City rail terminal, Zhu Li glanced up at the statue of Fire Lord Zuko, an eternal flame burning in the palm of his hand. They were cutting it close rather than linger on the platform for too long. Zhu Li threw her own bag over her shoulder, grabbed Pinky’s in her right hand, and Pinky’s hand in her left. Varrick - about six inches taller than she was in heels when he bothered to stand up straight - scoured the station for their platform. 

“SU OKU EXPRESS, NOW BOARDING ON TRACK FIVE.”

Finding the number, they hurried toward it. 

The Su Oku Express was the first of the three lines that had been built in the United Republic of Nations. It was a luxurious, if old, steam-powered model from the Fire Nation, commissioned around the time Yu Dao had been reformed as Republic City. They found the car marked on their tickets and hopped on board, Varrick lifting Pinky onto the high steps with one arm. Walking down the corridor, they found their cabin and stepped inside. Varrick and Zhu Li stored the bags overhead, then sat, Pinky and Zhu Li across from Varrick. The train had barely started rolling when the attendant entered the car. “Tickets and papers, please.” Varrick handed them over. The attendant inspected them, glancing at each of their faces as he read their names. His eyes narrowed when he came to Varrick’s, but instead of questioning him, he turned to Pinky, who was staring out the window in awe.

“Pinky Moon, huh? This your first train trip, little lady?”

She turned toward the man with a grin. “Yep!”

“And where are you headed today?”

“My aunt and uncle are taking me to the Autumn Leaves Festival in Su Oku Grove,” she lied cheerfully, just as she’d been coached.

The man cocked his head and looked faux-concerned. “Won’t you miss an awful lot of school?”

Pinky shrugged. “I’m changing schools when I get back, anyway.” Zhu Li was impressed - they had not coached her on that one, and the answer was close enough to the truth to sound reasonable without giving anything away.

“Could you introduce me to your guardians?”

“This is my aunt, Lily Blackstone, and her b- husband, Lee.” The attendant narrowed his eyes at Pinky’s slight slip-up.

“Newly married,” Zhu Li interjected with an apologetic smile. The attendant glanced at her hands and her neck. Zhu Li was suddenly keenly aware she should probably be wearing some sort of betrothal jewelry. It was far from universally standard, but anything that could alleviate questions would have helped them. 

Just then, a harried-looking woman carrying a large basket of squawking turtle ducks passed by in the corridor outside. The attendant whipped around. “You can’t have those animals on here! There’s a ban on crossing the border. Ma’am!” Without looking, he stamped all three of their papers and left to chase the contraband.

Varrick raised his eyebrows and handed them each their papers, stuffing his own back in his pocket. “Whew. Saved by the turtle ducks. Not the first time.”

“What?!” Pinky threw him a skeptical look and crossed her arms. “When were you saved by turtle ducks before?”

“I’ll have you know, they fished me out of a pond after I’d been thrown in by my girlfriend’s hus-” Zhu Li threw him a sharp look and he changed course, “-ky older brother.” 

“Husky?”

“Big guy, loads of muscles.”

Pinky frowned, sensing something amiss in the story. “Why did he throw you into a pond?” 

“Because ours was a forbidden love. Anyway, forget I ever said anything, that’s all boring grownup stuff.” He waved his hand. “No, back to the turtle ducks…” 

A few minutes later, the train emerged from the long, dark tunnel, breaking through the ring of mountains that surrounded Republic City. Immediately, Pinky was plastered to the window, staring at the valley below them. “Woooow.” She looked down to the bottom of the arched bridge they were currently travelling on. “Whoa. It makes me dizzy - think of the amazing airbending you could do here.”

Zhu Li and Varrick exchanged a smile. The kid hadn’t seen anything yet. 

With the swaying and rocking of the train, Pinky was yawning halfway through the trip. Following a bento lunch, she curled up against Zhu Li and fell asleep, head in her lap. Zhu Li managed a few more chapters of Pao Ji but in the end, leaned her head against the wall and surrendered to the peaceful rhythm as well.

In the twilight between wakefulness and dreams, she heard an older couple enter their car and exchange a few quiet pleasantries with Varrick. “Safe travels to you,” the woman said, as the train slowed at the next station. “You have a lovely family.”

Though Zhu Li hadn’t thought about it, it was clear that someone could easily make that mistake. Her aunt’s darker Earth Kingdom coloring and wavy hair made Pinky a dead ringer for Water Tribe, when her eyes were closed. When they were open, she shared the same grey as Zhu Li, inherited from a great-grandmother the little girl had never met. 

“Thank you,” Varrick replied. “Have a safe trip.”

Most of her Varrick-reactions seemed to be located in her chest, but today, the sincere tone of his voice when paired with that particular sentiment pulled something taut, low in her abdomen. 

Zhu Li didn’t want children - she’d had plenty, by proxy, already. It certainly made thinking about the future simpler. There was no ticking clock she felt the need to satisfy. She could continue to work for Varrick (who didn’t seem remotely interested in parenthood either, so far as she could tell) for as long as she wished. He had been nothing but kind to Pinky, in their two days of acquaintance, but it seemed there was a hard line between disgusting, toddling monster and miniature person who laughed at his bad jokes that was likely uncrossable.

The act of procreation, when paired with a potent tea, though…

It had been literal years since Huang, she reminded herself. No wonder she was climbing the walls.

She sat up and shook Pinky awake. “You won’t sleep tonight if you keep napping.”

She glanced across and quickly caught a glimpse of Varrick’s expression. The way he was looking at them was so… soft. 

Zhu Li bent the kinks out of her neck nonchalantly, pretending not to notice. “Where are we?” she asked, her eyes adjusting to the scene outside the window. A forest of maple leaves in the deepest shade of purple-red hung over both sides of the train in a protective embrace. 

Varrick cleared his throat. “Not too far. Half an hour or so.”

~*~

He’d been right. She did love Su Oku Grove.

The entire resort area was picturesque, built around the edges of the Su Oku River, with lantern-lined wooden bridges crossing it at multiple points. Both sides of the river bank were punctuated by steaming natural pools, where tourists enjoyed a soak before plunging into the cool river water. Maple trees colored the town in fall hues, ranging from brilliant orange-red to deep violet. The quaint streets were lined with boutique hotels, restaurants, shops, and spas that one could have spent days exploring. A short walk away, the river ended in a series of waterfalls that spilled into the sea, and the boardwalk along the sandy shore provided even more in the way of shopping, dining, and entertainment. 

To top it off, Ginger had booked them a stay at one of the nicest hotels and spas in town. She had reserved a suite with two bedrooms rather than three, Zhu Li noted, perturbed the actress was able to continue her insinuations even from a distance. This was easily remedied however; she would simply sleep with Pinky. 

Once they’d checked in and dropped off their bags, Zhu Li thought it best to give Pinky some time to run around following the long train ride. The three of them walked along the river and down to the shore, where the kid splashed in the shallows of the waves and chased pigulls. Varrick bought each of them a ridiculously large ice cream cone, which Pinky promptly dropped. Zhu Li refused to let him buy a replacement, handing hers over instead. They explored a few little shops. Varrick seemed ready to buy Pinky anything she so much as looked at, so Zhu Li handed the kid five yuans. “This is your spending money for the afternoon,” she said, as Pinky’s eyes widened at the gleaming coins. “The only spending money,” she said, with a pointed look at Varrick.

“Spoilsport,” he muttered. 

Pinky was very good at keeping her hands to herself, but a pretty little glass elephant koi proved much too tempting. Seeing it in her hands, Zhu Li shot her an admonition to be careful. Her words startled the girl and she set the koi back a bit too close to the edge of the shelf, from which it fell and shattered. Pinky looked petrified. Zhu Li, feeling guilty for startling her, apologized profusely as the shopkeeper appeared with a broom and a disgruntled huff. 

“Watch your kid ma’am,” he sneered, sweeping up the mess. Zhu Li reached into her jacket for money to pay for the shattered knick knack.

“Hey now, she’s my kid too,” Varrick said, appearing at her shoulder, thumb jabbed into his lapel. 

The shopkeeper turned. “Good - then you can pay for my broken merchandise.”

“Fine. I’ll take four more,” he said, nodding to a sign that read BUY FOUR, GET ONE FREE. “Which four should I get, kid?”

No longer in danger of bursting into tears, Pinky critically picked out her four favorites, then carefully brought them to the counter with Varrick’s help. As he smacked the money down on the counter, Zhu Li thought he was getting particular pleasure watching the shopkeep have to take the time to wrap and box each one. He opened his mouth, definitely about to demand to buy the whole lot. She shook her head at him and he closed his mouth again with a shrug, as if to say, well, I tried. Meanwhile, Pinky was entranced, watching each rainbow-hued fish disappear into layers of tissue paper. 

“What are you going to do with them?” she asked as they left the shop, bag in hand.

“Well, one’s for you, obviously… and you can give the others to your new airbender friends.” 

Pinky glowed.

They avoided shops for the rest of the afternoon - Pinky ended up spending her five yuans on a whirly-gig and a few snacks on the boardwalk instead - and ate dinner at a seafood place. Walking back after sunset, they paused to watch festival fireworks set off over the ocean. Once in their suite at the hotel, Zhu Li gave Pinky an hour warning until bedtime. With a sigh, the girl strolled into their bathroom, toothbrush and pajamas in hand. Zhu Li waited until she heard the shower turn on to go check in on Varrick. 

He was still sprawled on the couch in the living space, where he’d fallen the moment they’d walked in the door. “That was exhausting,” he proclaimed. It had been, though he’d seemed to have enjoyed every minute of it. “Back to work tomorrow. You packed the patch cords and adaptors?” She nodded, reaching for her book. He removed his hand from his eyes to check her response. “Good. I’ve been thinking, it might make sense to reverse the polarity, see if that helps modulate the current on a larger scale. What time is Shesh supposed to arrive?”

A telegram had been delivered to their room while they’d been out. “Ten, ten-thirty.” 

“Oof. Whaddya say we sleep in a bit, order a room service brunch? Leave here at eleven, set sail at noon.”

She nodded. “That would be fine.” He closed his eyes again. She took the opportunity to examine his face. His moustache was already starting to grow back in. Amazing. Also, comforting - both for the familiarity and the fact that he was far too conventionally attractive without it. “Please don’t fall asleep on the couch, sir.” 

He grunted in response. 

Pinky was jumping on the emperor-size bed by the time Zhu Li returned, aided by more than a little bit of airbending. “It’s time to settle down,” she said, kindly but firmly. 

“Jiji or Zuzu or Zho usually read to me before bedtime,” Pinky said, burrowing into the covers. There were a few chapters in The Adventures of Pao Ji that were kid-friendly. Zhu Li flipped through to find one.  

Varrick ducked his head into the room. “Time for a bedtime story, huh?” He leaned against the doorframe. “Has your cousin told you about the time she escaped the South Pole in a platypus bear? Or about the first time she drove a Sato and almost ran over a komodo tortoise? Or how about the time she chased a couple of pirates to rescue a dashing hero in distress?” 

“Goodnight, sir,” she replied, pointedly. Varrick grinned and vanished. 

“He’s only kidding,” she said to a wide-eyed Pinky, and picked up the book again.

Chapter Text

Shesh had gotten in on schedule, and Varrick, Zhu Li, and Pinky had departed Su Oku Grove as planned. The rest of the afternoon was smooth sailing. Pinky had been eager to explore every inch of the yacht - Zhu Li had allowed it, on the firm condition both the pool deck and the cat gator deck remained locked, only to be visited with adult supervision. She’d rescued the kid from the mirror maze shortly before dinner, and nixed the idea of a rocket boat ride afterwards, much to both Pinky and Varrick’s dismay. Zhu Li had her sleep in Ginger’s old cabin across from hers, after thoroughly checking all the drawers and other hiding spots for any child-unfriendly contraband. 

The following morning was chillier as they sailed around the mountainous shoreline at the very northern tip of the Earth Kingdom. Pinky had pulled on the wool coat and knitted gloves and beret they’d purchased for her at the Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall, looking like the jauntiest tiny airbender ever as she practiced on deck. Zhu Li had insisted on supervising her, worried she might hop on an air scooter and sail herself right over the edge of the boat. Varrick had insisted on continuing to get work done, and so they’d ended up working outdoors in the crisp air as well. Zhu Li was just about to call for a tea break, her fingers beginning to stiffen inside her gloves. On the positive side, the sun was shining brightly, and the scarf Varrick had wrapped around his neck was doing its part to help warm her as well, every time she looked at him. 

There was a lull in the whooshes and cries that had been their background noise for the past two hours. Zhu Li felt a hovering presence as Pinky quietly peered over their shoulders. “What are you working on?”

For once, Varrick was the one to jump several feet in the air. 

“Geeze, kid, the one time you don’t make any noise…” He clutched his chest. “We’re working on a train.”

Pinky frowned, examining the wires and tools and metal bits and magnets strewn across the tarp on the deck. “Are you any good at it?”

“We’re the best at it,” Varrick retorted, hands on his hips. 

Zhu Li’s youngest cousin spoke carefully, as if she didn’t want to hurt Varrick’s feelings. “I don’t know… it doesn’t look like a train. Where do you sit?”

Varrick sighed. “Of course it doesn’t look like a train yet. This is just the thing that runs it.”

Pinky, losing interest, started to turn to conjure up another airball. “Why don’t you just make a train like the Su Oku Express? That train was nice.”

“Sure, it was nice,” Varrick said, scooting back into her field of vision and shaking a pair of pliers at her. “But do you want to grow up in a world with polluted rivers, where the sky is filled with smog, and the tap water lights on fire? Actually, strike that last bit - that does sound a little exciting.” He shook his head. “Anyway, do you?”

“No...?” Pinky responded, letting the airball fizzle into nothing. 

“Because that’s what would happen if we had hundreds of coal-burning trains running on tracks across every inch of the Earth Kingdom. Instead, our trains are going to run thanks to electromagnetism.” 

“Electro-whats?”

“ Electromagnetism, kid. It’s the force that occurs when an electrical current produces a magnetic field. See this wire?”

Pinky shuffled closer, curious now. “Uh-huh.”

“It’s connected to both ends of this battery. This,” he said, tapping it, “is the power source. It makes the whole thing run,” he explained, in simpler terms. “When electrically charged, the space at the center of this coil becomes magnetized. You with me?”

“Uh-huh. And what’s that box?”

“That is the power switch. It connects or disconnects the current by closing and opening the electrical circuit. Try it - turn it on.” Pinky did so, and the particles of magnetic rock immediately jumped to the coil. She switched it off again, and they fell. She repeated the cycle a few more times. 

“Whoaaaa. That’s so cool!” she said, as Varrick took the switch back from her. She poked the magnetic rocks, lying still now. 

“It is cool. Just don’t try to eat them,” he said. “That’s very, very dangerous.”

Pinky crinkled up her nose. “What sort of weirdo would eat a magnet?” 

“What sort of weirdo indeed,” he replied, glancing sideways in a way that told Zhu Li there was some sort of story there. There was a ninety-five percent chance he’d swallowed multiple magnets at one point in his life; probably during his early acquaintance with Su, since he’d lived to tell the tale - or not tell it, as it was. 

Zhu Li rubbed her gloved hands together and blew into them, immediately feeling relief. “If the two of you are finished, I think it’s time to move inside, go warm up for a bit.” 

“Here kid, help me pack all this up,” Varrick said, nodding to the components on the tarp. He squinted at the horizon. “Zhu Li, we should be getting pretty close. Why don’t you radio the Air Temple before fixing some of that green tea I love?” 

“Green tea…” muttered Pinky. “Bleuck.”

“What kind of inferior tea do you drink?” Varrick asked, crossing his arms, as Zhu Li walked around the side of the boat and climbed the stairs to the bridge. 

“Hi Shesh,” she said upon entering. “Mind if I use the radio?”

The helmsman coughed, then grumbled out, “All yours.” 

When the frequency they’d been using produced only static, Zhu Li started to worry. 

She returned to the galley, fixed some tea (green for Varrick, jasmine for Pinky, oolong for Shesh and herself). She headed back for the bridge moments later, handing Shesh his cup and trying again. Still nothing. Zhu Li paced back down to the deck. Varrick and Pinky had gathered the components and loaded them onto the hangar bay lift - they watched the tarp sink into the bowels of the ship. Zhu Li nodded her head; Varrick came over.

“The Northern Air Temple isn’t picking up. There’s nothing but static.”

He took his tea from her, seeming unconcerned. “We’ll try again in a few minutes.” 

“Sir…” Zhu Li squinted into the distance, an uneasy feeling mounting. “What is that?”

He spotted it too. “C’mon - bridge. Let’s grab the telescope.”

“Pinky!” Zhu Li called. The girl followed them. Zhu Li handed her a cup of tea. “Snack, then nap time.”

Pinky squinted up at her, incredulous. “I’m eight, Zhuzhi. I don’t do nap time.”

“Quiet time, then. The grownups need a little break.”

“Fine,” she huffed, stalking off in the direction of her cabin. Zhu Li imagined she’d gotten a lot of that at home. She returned to Varrick’s side. He was adjusting the telescope and peering through the large forward windows. “What is it?”

“See for yourself.” He handed her the telescope.

Readjusting it slightly, an Earth Kingdom airship came into focus. It was listing slightly, heading steadily upwards. “That… does not look good,” Zhu Li said, handing the telescope back to Varrick.

“You’re telling me.” He sounded a little on edge now as well. “Hopefully no one’s on it. Hey - try radioing the Air Temple again.”

Once more, there was nothing but crackling static. Just then, the telegraph machine started tapping away, startling them both. Varrick strode over and picked it up. They looked at the strip of paper together. 

SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE - ZAOFU SENDS REQUEST FOR AID AT NORTHERN AIR TEMPLE STOP PICK UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE STOP

Zhu Li and Varrick stared at each other. “Why is Zaofu requesting aid all the way up here?” he finally asked.

Zhu Li’s mind raced. When they’d left Zaofu, Avatar Korra and her friends had just set out to chase Aiwei, but that was days ago. She shook her head. “Something’s happened at the Northern Air Temple. Maybe another attack? Since Opal was heading that direction, they must have radioed Su, or vice versa.”

“Full speed ahead, Shesh,” Varrick said, grimly.

~*~ 

They were closing in on the coordinates Tenzin had provided, using the telescope to scan the tall mountains off the coast. “It’s got to be around here somewhere,” Varrick said.

A thin plume of smoke appeared in the distance. Zhu Li strained her eyes. “Is that…?”

Varrick lowered the glass. “Oh, no.”

The Northern Air Temple was gone, a pile of smoking rubble atop a mountain peak. 

As they pulled into a small cove closest to the valley that ran up to the air temple, a tiny figure dressed in orange and yellow robes came running toward them, waving its arms. She was followed by a taller woman, dressed in green robes, with iron-grey hair. On her heels were three more familiar faces. 

Varrick squinted into the telescope, rubbed his eyes, then squinted again. “Bolin?!” Zhu Li and Varrick hurried down the gangway to the dock to meet them. Every member of the group with any sense looked completely shell-shocked. Even Bolin looked a little worse for the wear. 

“What’s going on?!” Varrick demanded as Su rushed up.

“Oh, Varrick, thank goodness! I radioed Zaofu and they told me you were nearby.” She drew a deep breath. “The Red Lotus attempted to murder Avatara Korra.”

“Almost succeeded,” Chief Beifong interjected, stepping up shoulder-to-shoulder with her sister. 

“We captured Zaheer, the rest, well…” her voice trailed off. “We need help transporting people back to Republic City. We only have the one airship and we’ll need space and manpower to keep Zaheer contained. I don’t think Tenzin, or Kya, or Bumi, should ride all the way back on an air bison in their condition. Plus, we have all the air acolytes to think of.”

“Anything I can do to help, Su,” he replied, seriously. “So long as it doesn’t end with your sister tossing me in jail again.”

“Where you rightly belong…” Chief Beifong grumbled. 

“Lin!” Su rebuked. 

“Fine,” she grumbled. “So long as he doesn’t land in Republic City proper. Raiko would never let me hear the end of it.”

“Since we’re headed to Air Temple Island, why don’t we take the Air Acolytes?” Zhu Li suggested. 

Su nodded. “That’s a good idea. Lin and I, Tonraq, my guards, and a few of the airbenders can bring Zaheer back to Republic City on my airship. Korra and Tenzin and his family will probably want to stick close as well. Everyone else can travel with you. Think you have room on board for a ten-ton bison?” 

“Sure, why not - the more the merrier!”

“Ooo! Ooo! Can I go on the boat?” Bolin asked. “Wait till you see the pool,” he muttered to Opal. 

“By all means, please…” Lin muttered under her breath. 

“There’s a pool?!” the tiny airbender exclaimed, bunching her fists under her chin. She looked about Pinky’s age; she must have been Tenzin’s middle child. “Do you think my dad will let me come? I can take care of Oogie!”

“You’ll need to ask your parents, sweetie,” Su replied.

Meanwhile, Bolin peered at Varrick suspiciously, a finger curled around his chin. “I can’t put my finger on it… but something is off about your face.”

~*~

Once they’d figured out who’d be traveling back via airship and who would be taking the longer route by boat, the Spirit of Independence waited until the airship had risen safely from the valley and turned southwest, toward home, before casting off. A few sky bison rose in the air as well, following the airship. The journey via boat would take several more days. Luckily, the ship’s pantry was fully stocked. It was a pity Yin had left to seek other employment, Zhu Li thought, but everyone seemed able to largely fend for themselves and pitched in to make and eat meals together.

Dechen, Pinky’s new guardian, did seem a little overwhelmed, as Meelo and Ikki, Tenzin’s two middle children, had decided to join them. They’d sold their parents on the idea by claiming they’d be responsible for the giant sky bison currently lolling on deck, but quite honestly, Zhu Li was certain Pema, Tenzin’s wife, was relieved to be able to focus on her injured husband for a couple of days. Nevertheless, Pinky seemed to like Dechen and had found a fast friend in Ikki. The two girls spent most of their waking hours exploring the ship, playing games together, and tormenting Meelo.

All of the Air Acolytes, the order’s non-bending members, travelled onboard, as did some of Su’s more injured guards. They would pick up the rest once they docked at Air Temple Island and transport them back to Zaofu. Su had already expressed interest in wanting to stay on a few weeks longer, to be sure Opal settled in and (unspokenly) to be closer to Lin for a while. The fight against Zaheer had seemed to have taken a steep mental toll on everyone who had witnessed it.

As Pinky got off the ship at Air Temple Island, she rushed back up the gangway and gave Zhu Li an enormous hug. “Thanks, Zhuzhi.” 

She hugged the child back. It was so odd that the purpose of this trip - to take Pinky to the Northern Air Temple - had been turned completely on its head, but they’d ended up exactly where they were needed anyway. As Zhu Li brushed back the girl’s curls, she said, “Maybe don’t write to your parents about all this quite yet. Let me break it to them.”

Before going to join Dechen and Ikki, Pinky turned and gave Varrick a hug as well. He looked stunned for a second, as if he didn’t know what to do, then settled for gingerly patting the girl on the head. With one last wave, she ran after Ikki, who was calling, “Pin- ky ! Come on!”

“They grow up so fast,” he sniffled. Zhu Li shook her head slightly as she glanced at him sideways, but couldn’t help but smile anyway.

Chapter Text

Visitors via airship weren’t unusual in Zaofu, but ones that landed directly on the Beifong estate were. As Zhu Li spotted the tall man in orange and yellow robes, his bald head marked with a blue airbender tattoo, she hurried out to greet him.

“Master Tenzin!” She bowed; he returned in kind. “Zhu Li Moon.”

“Ah, Zhu Li!” he said, straightening back up. “It’s nice to finally put a face to a name. Your cousin is coming along in her training exceedingly well.” He tilted his head to one side. “Though I think both she and Ikki find meditation easier when they’re separated.” 

Zhu Li made an apologetic face. “Sorry about that.”

“Not at all, not at all. It’s always a delight to have more young airbenders willing to learn our ways.” Tenzin turned to the man behind him. Zhu Li was a little surprised - and embarrassed - to recognize the president of the United Republic of Nations. “President Raiko, this is Zhu Li. Her cousin recently joined us at Air Temple Island.”

“We’ve met,” the other man said curtly, heading straight back toward the airship.

“Ahh,” said Tenzin, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. “Yes. I’d forgotten about that little incident. Anyway, it was nice to officially meet you. Unfortunately, we must be on our way. If Suyin Beifong won’t agree to a leadership role in the Earth Kingdom, we must continue our search.”

~*~

“Thank you for meeting with us.” Bataar Jr. shook Varrick’s hand, then sat on the couch as directed. The young man held several rolls of drafting paper. Kuvira, after a low nod to both Varrick and Zhu Li, slowly walked around the edge of the room, examining Varrick’s messy blueprints and random tinkerings. Zhu Li recalled her being particularly  intrigued by the plans for the electromagnetic train, as they’d sailed back to Zaofu. Kuvira paused at the window and gazed out toward the central city. 

“Sure, kid - any time. Tea?” Varrick asked. Zhu Li hovered the teapot over the cups, ready to pour.

“No thank you,” Bataar Jr. replied. With a glance at Varrick, she set it back down and folded her hands behind her back.

“As I’m sure you’ve heard, my mother has declined to lead the charge in restoring order to the Earth Kingdom. However, hiding away in Zaofu while the rest of the country struggles and suffers goes against everything she ever taught me. Kuvira and I are putting together an elite team to go to Ba Sing Se and help quell the unrest. We would like for you to join us.” Bataar Jr. unrolled schematics for a mechatank on the table. At a glance, Zhu Li could see they were only a first pass - too much unnecessary details in some places, not enough in others. But definitely a solid start. 

Varrick raised his eyebrows at the plans. “Your mom says you’re a smart kid. You could probably figure most of this out yourself - why bother asking me on board? I’m not even Earth Kingdom, let alone some patriot willing to stick my neck into that chaos.” 

There was a flicker of annoyance in Bataar Jr.’s eyes. Zhu Li detected that coming to Varrick had probably not been his idea. “Eventually, yes - I could figure it out. But the people of Ba Sing Se are in immediate need of assistance. As for the reason - you may not be Earth Kingdom, but you are a businessman. You see opportunities where others do not.” 

“Hmph. So tell me this. What opportunities can you offer that your mother can’t?”

“Scope,” Kuvira replied, her back still to the three of them. 

“Beg your pardon?”

“When Suyin Beifong declined to lead, she gave up her chance to spread her vision of the future to our entire nation. Su has done incredible things in Zaofu. I was greatly dismayed by her insistence on refusing the world leaders’ offer.” Kuvira turned, fixing Varrick with her sharp, green gaze. “From what I’ve seen, you have the sort of vision that would be… limited, if you were to remain here. If you want to build a train network that spans the entire Kingdom, remaining in Zaofu will not allow you to achieve that dream. Meanwhile, I can hand it to you on a silver platter.”

Varrick mused. “I do like silver platters. Hey kid,” he addressed Bataar Jr. “how did your mom take it when you told her the two of you were leaving?” 

Zhu Li watched as Bataar Jr. and Kuvira exchanged a meaningful glance.

“We haven’t broken the news to her yet,” the eldest Beifong child replied. “We need to amass enough support first, make sure our goal is achievable.”

“Hmm…” Varrick sat back in his chair. “Betraying an old friend, but building my train, or staying put and enjoying a carefree life in Zaofu?”

Kuvira frowned. “Suyin Beifong has already betrayed her Kingdom and therefore, does not deserve anyone’s loyalty. You would be doing a great service to all Earth Kingdom citizens, herself included. And we would make sure you’d be handsomely rewarded for that service.”

“How so?”

Kuvira fixed him with a look. “What do you think would be appropriate?”

Varrick sucked in a long breath. “Let’s see… continued ownership of all designs and patents, a 30% cut of the profits if you take any of the manufacturing private, and exclusive shipping rights that remain in effect once the rail system is handed over to the state or whoever comes next.”

Another long glance was exchanged between Bataar Jr. and Kuvira. “I think we can arrange all that,” he said, finally. “However, you’d need to be fully on board. This is a military mission, and therefore, Kuvira is building an army. We would commission you as an officer, heading up our technological division.”

“An officer. Heh. I like the sound of that.” He paused. “Officers don’t do much actual fighting, do they?”

“Some do. But Kuvira plans to use each person according to their capabilities,” Bataar Jr. replied with a slight smirk. 

“That’s a relief,” said Varrick, either not catching or not caring about the insinuation Bataar Jr. had just made regarding his capabilities. Probably the latter - Zhu Li had noticed that on most occasions, he was strangely unselfconscious about being called a wimp. His brain power would win out in the long run anyway. 

“Are you ready to sign on? Or would you like twenty-four hours to mull it over?”

“No need, no need,” Varrick waved the idea away. “Give me the paper, I’ll sign it this very second. Zhu Li, hand me the thing.” She passed him a pen. 

Kuvira held up a hand. “I think twenty-four hours is prudent. It will give us time to write up contracts to reflect your requests.” She turned to Zhu Li suddenly. “You’ve been very quiet. What do you think of all this?”

“If I’m on board, of course Zhu Li’s on board! She’s my assistant. Never leaves my -!” Kuvira held up her hand again and Varrick fell silent. 

Zhu Li considered her words carefully before speaking. “I’ve been with this project every step of the way. To see it realized, to help build something for the greater good of society… it’s the most wonderful thing I could imagine.” 

“So you would be willing to join us?”

Zhu Li looked at Varrick and nodded. 

Kuvira had a slight glint in her eye as she turned back to the window. 

~*~

Their first several weeks after leaving Zaofu were spent in a flurry of sleepless days and nights, reimagining the propriety design of the Future Industries mechas. The new design was more mobile for marching across difficult terrain and better equipped for once you got there. Bataar Jr. worked closely with them.

Kuvira walked through, hands behind her back, as Bataar Jr. tested the skeleton’s capabilities. Varrick scribbled a hasty redraw, adding supports that shot out from the legs, as he stumbled. 

Zhu Li tested the grappling gun on one of the massive arms, currently held up by a shoulder-height scaffold. “It’s listing to the left,” she told Bataar Jr., who scribbled a note down. 

Varrick frowned as he examined the most recent set of schematics. “Do we really need to separate the flame thrower from the electrical cannon?”

Zhu Li handed him and Bataar Jr. cups of fresh tea. “It’s a good idea, sir. Remember how the converter kept sticking last time we tested?”

He nodded and made the change, trusting her hands-on experience as much as his own technical judgement. 

Soon, they were ready for the reveal. Kuvira was the only one invited as Zhu Li and Bataar Jr. clambered into the mechas. 

“Don’t hold back,” Bataar Jr. said with a grin.

“I never do,” she replied, snapping the helmet shut.

As Varrick went through a spiel about the technical capabilities of the new mechas and the specific enhancements they had made, Zhu Li settled into the seat, her feet on the proper pedals, hands finding the grips. 

“Ready?” Bataar Jr.’s voice crackled through the radio.

“Ready,” she responded.

He came charging at her like a ten-ton camelephant. Zhu Li sidestepped, then whipped around with the grappling gun. The other mechas arms were pinned at its side as thick metal cords shot out. Bataar Jr. managed to get an arm up just far enough to blast her with the electrical cannon, and Zhu Li fell to the side with a heavy clank. Gritting her teeth, she used the mecha’s arms to push up again, swinging a leg out as she did so and knocking the other mecha off balance. Bataar Jr. got a punch in, echoing off the body of the suit with a loud bang.

The mechas were extraordinarily well insulated, but getting jerked around while using them to their full potential definitely left you with a few bumps and bruises. A few days earlier, Zhu Li had woken up to a purple and aching shoulder. She’d slid her new green uniform on with greater care and said nothing.

Zhu Li blocked a second punch, her mechas arms held up in an X. She thrust out her flame-throwing arm and lit it. Bataar Jr. ducked out of the way just in the knick of time and hurled a metal cable at her. Spinning around, she managed to avoid the cable, then picked him up and threw him into a nearby wall, crates spilling from the shelves that lined it.

She winced. They’d gotten pretty good at sparring, in their tests of the machines.

“Really?” his voice crackled through the comm, as his mecha shook the crates off. 

“I recall someone saying don’t hold back.”

Bataar Jr. laughed as he shot both his cables at the ceiling and came soaring at her, feet first. It knocked her off balance, but she had enough time to duck and roll. She popped back up, electrical cannon creating a wide arc of lightning as it followed him to the opposite side of the room, where he landed. Both of them got to their feet and charged once more, Zhu Li readying her air gun. 

“Okay, okay,” came Varrick’s nervous voice through the comm. “Kuvira said she’s seen enough.”

Panting, both Zhu Li and Bataar Jr. stopped in their tracks and popped open their helmets. 

“Well?” Varrick asked as the three of them looked to her for approval.

Kuvira smiled. 

~*~

The Earth Kingdom Palace rose up in front of them. You could see the signs of recent damage, but a crew of earthbenders was at work replacing massive stones, and a non-bending crew was repainting as they slid into place. A large green banner held the square-hole-in-a-yellow-circle motif that represented the state’s element. Two mechas stood sentry on either side of the massive doors. 

Kuvira had decided the optics of the summit would look better if it was held in the courtyard of the palace rather than the throne room. Chairs were set in a neat curve in the shade of the massive building, which the world leaders had toured upon arrival. Now they sat along one arm of the semi-circle, while Kuvira and her highest-ranking officers took their seats along the other. Zhu Li stood sentry behind Varrick, the only one not sitting rod-straight in his chair. 

Standing directly across from her, behind President Raiko’s chair, was Bolin’s older brother, Mako. He was looking very stiff and formal in his dress uniform. Zhu Li inclined her head slightly to him; he nodded back. Maybe she’d been too hard on the kid when she’d called him “grumpy” - he was obviously focused on his career and good at it, if President Raiko had brought him along as part of his security detail. 

Zhu Li also noticed she was not the only one examining Mako. By her mother’s side, Princess Rei of the Fire Nation had turned her head to look the young man up and down appreciatively. She was interrupted by Prince Wu - presumptive heir to the Earth Kingdom throne - who leaned into her space, making some remark that earned him a look of repulsion. 

“Thank you for joining me in Ba Sing Se,” Kuvira began. “It’s good to see the faces of those who came seeking assistance one month ago, along with many new ones. I’ve invited you, the leaders of our world, here today to show you a possibility. Earth is not an element known for change. However, with the death of the Earth Queen, change has been thrust upon us. At this moment, we have to decide - do we want to rebuild the Earth Kingdom as it was, or make it into something better? A nation that pairs the strength of our great past with the innovation of today. It is possible to love your country and want to see it move forward, progressing into a new era. Growing up in the city of Zaofu with a visionary leader like Suyin Beifong taught me that tradition and technology can go hand-in-hand.”

Suyin’s lips thinned. It was hard to say who she’d thrown the most dagger-like glares at - Varrick, Kuvira, or her son. Zhu Li had even earned a single baleful gaze.  

“Right now, people across the Earth Kingdom are suffering - poverty, famine, and marauding bandits all threaten my countrymen. However, this did not start with the death of Hou-Ting. Her untimely demise merely exposed the cracks that already existed in our nation. Our infrastructure has aged and fallen apart as the rest of the world outpaces us. This does not have to be - the Earth Kingdom has an incredible wealth of natural resources and I want all our citizens to be able to share in that bounty. As a child, I was sent away to Zaofu to learn to control my bending - to channel it into a power to be used for the betterment of myself and my community. Now I stand before you, hoping to do the same on a larger scale.”

“Allow me to continue to serve the Earth Kingdom. You can see the progress we’ve made in Ba Sing Se. I’ve enlisted the help of the Dai Li, the traditional guardians of the city, to work alongside my troop of metalbenders in harmony. We are beginning to lay the tracks for a rail system that will stretch to all corners of the Kingdom, allowing us to provide aid to far-flung outposts and opening a world of opportunity to its citizens. My plan is to continue to stabilize the region, state by state, until this great land is reunited once more, ready to face a new era of peace and prosperity.”

It was a very good speech. In any other venue, it would have earned thunderous applause.

Tenzin, sitting close to the podium, cleared his throat. “And what then?”

Kuvira looked down at him. “Then, Prince Wu may take his rightful place on the throne.”

“You will not seek to retain power for yourself?” Raiko asked, one thick eyebrow raised. 

“That is not my intention. My intention is to serve the Kingdom, by setting it back on the right track.”

“And what will happen to your military when they step down?” Fire Lord Izumi asked.

“They will be offered the chance to stay on in the Earth Kingdom military, under the guidance of the new king. Otherwise, they will return home in peace, with pride in knowing they served their nation honorably.”

The Avatar’s father, aged since she’s seen him at the Glacier Spirits Festival, spoke quietly. “Do we have your assurance you will not seek to expand the Earth Kingdom’s borders beyond what they are now?”

“Of course, Chief Tonraq. My goal is to reunite the current states and cast out those who sow discord.”

“Where will you be casting them exactly?” Eska asked, a finger to her chin. Zhu Li was uncertain, but got the impression that the young Northern Water Tribe co-chief was asking not out of concern, but for pointers.

“We are currently building a system that will encourage rehabilitation and discourage recidivism.” Kuvira held up a hand and showed them all a rare smile. “But please - let’s discuss the details over lunch.” She gestured for everyone to follow her inside the palace to the grand dining room. A hubbub of murmur erupted as the leaders got up from their seats.

“Rei? Rei!” snapped Fire Lord Izumi. 

Zhu Li glanced over to catch Princess Rei trying to get in a word with Mako, who looked supremely uncomfortable with the idea of flirting on the job. Prince Wu had no such worries, as he smoothly slid over, and said, “So… you’re a princess, I’m a prince… see what I’m getting at?” He winked.

“Ugggh,” Princess Rei responded, giving up and trailing after her mother. 

“Hey good lookin’,” said Prince Wu, taking Mako in from pointy eyebrows to shiny boots. “Come here often?”

“I really can’t believe you.” Su’s hissed voice brought Zhu Li’s attention back to its rightful place. “I offer you refuge, a bright future - and this is the thanks I get?” 

She turned to see Varrick holding up his hands. “It’s not personal, Su - it’s just business.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Varrick.” Su’s angry eyes flashed off Zhu Li and back to him. “It’s what you do best.”

“Yeesh,” said Varrick, straightening his uniform as she stalked off. “What’s gotten into her?”

~*~

It was difficult to contain the glowing feeling in her chest, as Zhu Li stepped onto the train she’d helped design for the very first time. They’d talked and argued and scribbled notes and drawn blueprints and made scale models and even a full-size prototype, but somehow, being able to walk through and touch their dream made reality - it was possibly the happiest moment of her life.

The train currently sat in a dim warehouse on the outskirts of a dusty, abandoned factory town. The silver tracks led out the door of the hangar, invitingly. They vanished on the horizon, a far off glint between two low, golden mountain ranges. 

The engine’s gleaming control panel was a reminder that this train did not rely on coal or oil. With the saved space, they’d been able to create quarters for the few private officers who would be deployed alongside them. The next car wasn’t quite as inspiring, but a necessity - locked cells for any bandits they captured while liberating the towns. The second car was possibly the most beautiful - this was to be Kuvira’s office. The floor of the car was inlaid with designs and a large map of the Earth Kingdom hung in the center. This would be where Kuvira held meetings, signed treaties. At one end of the car was a staircase leading up to a loft that could be used for living and working during the day, and at night transformed into a sleeping quarters with large, metal shutters. It had been Bataar Jr.’s suggestion, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink as he’d sketched it into the plans; she noticed he hurried the tour along at this point even now. 

The third car served as both a workspace and storage, with built in compartments for up to twelve mecha tanks. The fourth contained quarters for corporals and sergeants, arranged around a small common area and workspace. As a private, technically Zhu Li should have been assigned a cabin at the front of the train, but one had been reserved for her here, as Varrick had insisted on her being close to the final car...

“And saving the best for last,” Varrick commented as the sliding doors whooshed and they stepped through, into their mobile lab. “Home Sweet Home.”

While the train itself needed no fuel, the electromagnetic current in the tracks did. There had been much discussion on how to make this mode of transportation sustainable, long term. 

“The labor will be costly - both building the trains and tracks, and running them,” Bataar Jr. had said, early on in the process. “I believe that like my father’s tram design, your trains would run on electromagnetic power?”

“You’re darn tootin’,” Varrick had replied, grabbing another cookie from the tray.

Bataar Jr. had turned to Kuvira. “The biggest issue with using electromagnetics is that we don’t have the grid Republic City or the Fire Nation has. Right now, the Earth Kingdom has enough coal mines to keep us operational, but we’d need to develop a clean, renewable power source to remain viable.” 

“Have you looked into hydroelectrics?” Varrick had suggested. “There are plenty of rivers in parts of the Earth Kingdom. You dam some spots up, redistribute the water, you can sell it as a humanitarian project too!”

Kuvira had seemed interested in that idea. In any case, she’d ordered Varrick to continue with his experiments to pinpoint the most efficient method of powering the trains. They would need it - the map of the planned rails currently hung on the wall of the lab as a reminder. Kuvira’s vision had scope, indeed. 

Zhu Li let her fingers slide along the metal countertop, briefly resting on a shiny glass beaker. They had everything they’d need here. As the rest of the group examined the space, Varrick sidled over to her, eyes wide and looking as excited as she felt.

“We sent that kid that train set, right?”

Zhu Li nodded, not trusting her voice at present.

He turned to the rest of the room. “I think this calls for some celebratory tea!” 

Zhu Li flicked on the nearest burner.

Chapter Text

The Ba Sing Se loop was the first to be completed, with spokes being added by early spring. Zhu Li didn’t know for a fact that Varrick had requested the line out to Chameleon Bay be one of the first to be tackled, but she highly suspected it. In any case, the “line to nowhere” was completed just in the knick of time, depositing them in a prime spot for the Spirit of Independence to pick them up before heading to the South Pole for Kaz and Kona’s wedding.

The pale violet envelope with a silver seal had arrived in their mailbox at camp just before the new year. Zhu Li, curious, had brought the stack of mail back to the lab, set it on the work counter, and used an electrician’s knife to open it. Almost immediately, Varrick was peering over her shoulder. 

“What weird power have your cousins discovered this time - combustion bending? Telepathy? Astral projection?”

“Very funny, sir,” she said, handing him the beautifully calligraphed card.

“You are formally invited to the wedding of… hey!” He looked up at her, incensed. “They sent you an invitation, but not me?”

She tapped the knife on the counter, right next to a second violet envelope that lay on top of the pile. 

“Not funny, Zhu Li.” He pointed a screwdriver at her. “Not funny at all.”

It kinda was.

~*~

Cherry blossoms were just starting to bloom as they sailed along the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, like white fluffy clouds lining the shore. The weather was cool, but fair. The first morning, they’d passed the Eastern Air Temple, its triple spires rising on mountains in the distance, curved bridges barely visible through the telescope. The sight had reminded Zhu Li that she should really pick up the Adventures of Pao Ji yet again (there’d been a few chapters in which the heroine had hidden at the temple) - she’d been so busy these past few months that there really hadn’t been any time for reading. But it was hard to focus on someone else’s story while experiencing an entirely new corner of the world herself. On the second day, the mountains of the Chuje Islands rose to their port side. Zhu Li had done a tiny bit of investigating back when Unalaq mentioned them. Historically, the islands had been contested land between the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe, and had been settled by both, but they’d been part of the Earth Kingdom for at least the past four hundred years. What connection they had to Varrick, Zhu Li still didn’t know for sure, though she could infer his mother and her parents had lived there at one point in time.

Halfway through the second day, Varrick had taken the helm from Shesh, as if eager to put the boat through its paces. It was funny - last time they’d headed this direction, he’d seemed less than thrilled to spend time at the South Pole. Maybe it was the occasion, the draw of seeing old friends. In any case, they arrived in harbor much earlier on the third day than expected, pulling into the same berth in the Varrick Industries International shipyard as they had during the Glacier Spirits Festival. 

If she thought he’d had a lot of baggage last time, it was nothing to this trip. Perhaps it was fueled by the boredom of wearing the same green uniform day in and day out (Zhu Li was secretly a big fan of the uniforms, both on him and for herself - silly hat aside), but even with Zhu Li’s uncanny ability to balance multiple bags at one time, it took two trips to transport everything to the waiting Sato. 

When they arrived at the South Pole house, Zhu Li was happily surprised to see a parcel waiting for her on the doorstep. 

“What’s that?” Varrick asked, as she helped him out of his coat. 

She glanced back at the package as she stashed the coat in the hall closet. “The dress I ordered, hopefully.”

He bent down and examined the brown paper wrapping, then picked it up as if it was a dead animal. Voice dripping with disdain, he asked, “You ordered your dress? For a formal event?” 

“It seemed the simplest solution,” she replied, snatching it out of his hands.

“Zhu Li.” Varrick shook his head. “Zhu Li, Zhu Li, Zhu Li. Everyone who’s anyone is going to be at this event. And you’re going to show up in some mass-produced, untailored thing from a catalogue?”

“Yes?”

“Go ahead, try it on,” he sighed, with a wave of his hand.

Zhu Li hesitated. “Now?”

“Yes, now. I need to see how embarrassed I’m going to be.”

Zhu Li stifled a sigh of her own as she picked up her bag and walked to the guest room she’d stayed in the last time. Closing the door behind her, she pulled the dress out of the tissue paper. She’d been happy with the balance between simplicity and fashion in the catalogue picture - luckily, evening wear seemed to depend more on silhouettes these days than fussy detailing. 

She undressed and slid the garment on, wriggling the fitted skirt over her hips until it sat at just the right place, from which it draped heavily to the floor. The fabric was thick and velvety, in a deep purple. She’d considered trying midnight blue, but it just seemed a little too far out of her comfort zone. Adjusting the long sleeves so that the fur cuffs hit in the proper place, she twisted her arms behind her, zipping the back to the point where she could just barely reach, then strained over her shoulders and pulled the zipper the rest of the way. 

The off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline was trimmed in a narrow fur ruff; she buttoned the gauzy, transparent material that continued above it in the sort of high collar she was used to. She adjusted the looser top half in the mirror, content with what she saw. The dress was elegant enough for a wedding, but not so far out of her comfort zone that she would spend the day concerned with what she was wearing. Sticking a few bobby pins in her mouth, Zhu Li twisted her ponytail up into a bun and covered it with the little cap the dress had come with. She’d seen fashionable Water Tribe women, including Kona, wear them on formal occasions. 

Checking the mirror one final time, she went looking for Varrick. She found him in the Ping Ping-less office, feet kicked up on the desk and a pen sticking out the corner of his mouth. When he heard her enter, his eyes rose up from the letter he’d been reading.

He looked shocked. The pen dropped to the carpet and rolled under the desk.

Zhu Li smoothed her skirt self consciously. Was it really that bad?

He cleared his throat. “I… I guess it’ll have to do.” His eyes dropped back down to the paper. “Go change. We’ve got a lot to do this afternoon.”

~*~

He’d finally built Kaz a boat.

It wasn’t quite as large or as fast as the Spirit of Independence, but it was definitely a more-than-respectable personal vessel. Zhu Li wondered about staff and upkeep, but apparently, he’d thought of all that as well. The only thing left to do was have the name painted on the stern and sides. “I’ll let Kaz name it -” Varrick told the shipyard manager, “- he’ll get a kick out of that.”

A few snowflakes had drifted down as they’d inspected the progress on the boat. Riding back into Harbor City proper, the flakes had turned into delicate flurries. Beyond, streetlights and store windows glowed warmly - it was all so picturesque. “Hey, stop here,” Varrick told Shesh suddenly. The Sato pulled over and she followed him out of the vehicle and into one of the shops. That fact that it was a jewelry store surprised her a little; she hadn’t been dragged along on a trip to buy something to impress a “girl of the week” - as Ginger had termed them - since their very early days in Republic City. Maybe he was looking for an additional gift for Kona and Kaz, given their most recent adventure together.

Varrick held up a single finger when the shop owner obsequiously asked if he could offer any assistance, so Zhu Li figured she’d wait to be given a direction. But several minutes passed as he silently scoured the cases, his face lit with their glow. 

“Sir, what are you -?”

He shushed her, eyes skipping from one item to the next. 

“That one!” he finally proclaimed. The shopkeeper bowed and removed the necklace from the case, setting it on a velvet tray. Varrick held it up to Zhu Li’s neck and examined it critically. She looked down without moving her head - it was a relatively simple, but pretty necklace - three violet-hued pearls on a white cord. 

“Sir, what’s -?”

Varrick nodded at the shopkeeper to box it up and clapped her on the shoulder. “Zhu Li, this isn’t for you. This is for me, because I have to look at you. Just so we’re clear on that.”

She was a little taken aback, but replied, “Crystal clear, sir.”

“Hey, these too,” Varrick said to the shopkeeper, tapping on the glass above a set of four frankly enormous pearls with large holes bored through them. “For your hair thingies,” he said to Zhu Li.

“My what?”

“These.” He reached out and pinched one of the sections of hair that fell in front of her ears. Self-consciously, she brushed the other one behind her ear; he frowned and put it back in its place before returning to the counter.

As he continued to browse, Zhu Li glanced around the shop, feeling very thrown off balance by this whole experience. She wasn’t upset at him, exactly, for wanting her - as his employee - to make a good impression at an event that would be comprised mostly of his friends and acquaintances. At the same time, she felt a creeping annoyance that he felt he had the right to buy her jewelry and expect her to wear it. She felt as if several very important steps had been skipped in the process.

While reason and emotion engaged in a silent war, her eyes were drawn to a case with a pretty celadon green pendant. She stepped closer for a better look. In shape, it was halfway between an oval and a teardrop. Its face was delicately carved with a tiny landscape - clouds at the top, ocean waves below, and a craggy mountain with scrubby trees twisting off it along one edge. A slight blush of violet twisted through the clouds. She had never been one for jewelry, but the scene reminded her strongly of home.

“It’s a lovely piece,” the shopkeeper noted, immediately appearing in front of her. Her eyes flashed over to the price tag. Zhu Li of a couple years ago would have turned and walked away, but the price was fair and the Zhu Li of today had the money.

“I’ll take it,” she said.

“Throw it in with the others,” Varrick said, not even looking to see what it was.

“Thank you sir, but this one is for me,” she said, as she stepped up to the register to pay.

~*~

The “giant kite” had done the Water Tribes one favor, if you were a couple from two polar ends of the planet. Kaz and Kona had decided to have the ceremony at the North Pole, then proceed to the South Pole for the reception. An ice palace had been constructed near the southern spirit grove for both the reception and lodging, so that traveling guests wouldn’t have to journey so far in a single day. Following brunch, throngs of exquisitely dressed people started the short walk to the spirit portal. Already it was becoming apparent that Varrick hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d noted the importance of this wedding. She was glad to be wearing the pearls after all, though she’d had no idea what to do with the hair ones at first. She’d tried sliding them on several different ways, each time ending up with fly-aways sticking out the top. At one point, she’d triumphantly thought she’d figured it out, but the pearls had hovered by her ear for a moment before sliding right back down her hair. Admitting defeat, she’d left them on the ice-carved vanity. 

Varrick had met her in the hall, adjusting his cravat. He was wearing a blue suit similar to the one he’d worn to the Nuktuk finale, with a new purple cape thrown over his shoulders. He glanced up. “Where are your hair thingies?”

“They wouldn’t stay,” she sighed. Hands on her shoulders, he’d escorted her back into her room. He fluffed out his cape and coat tails and plopped on the edge of the furs-covered bed, then pulled the vanity stool toward him and motioned for her to come sit. She did, folding her hands in her lap.

Carefully, he’d separated out the front piece of hair on the left side of her face, and braided it. The pearls slid up the braid with ease. Then, he’d unbraided everything that stuck out beneath. The braided part of her hair still inside kept them in place. She shook her head a little; the pearls didn’t move.

“How did you learn how to braid, sir?” she asked him, feeling a slight sense of deja vu as he gathered the other lock of hair. His knuckles brushed the side of her face and she closed her eyes, an involuntary response.

“Ropes,” he said, eyes glued to what he was doing. “You need ‘em when you live on the water.”

It made sense. 

Now, they waited their turn to step into the blue beam of light that shot up from the center of the grove. A few spirits soared in wide circles high above; all looked friendlier than the ikajira they’d spotted in the water last year. As they reached the front of the line, Zhu Li held her breath, stepping through beside Varrick. 

“This way please,” a page directed. Overhead, the sky of the Spirit World was painted in sunset hues. Directly in front of them, the pink-ish northern beam shot through the second portal, silhouetting a large and ancient tree. Zhu Li hadn’t realized that the two portals were slightly different colors. As they walked along the curving track, between sharp rocks, she wondered if it affected the color of the northern lights. 

“Well, this is a vacation destination waiting to happen,” Varrick said, as an enormous whale spirit swam through the sky overhead. 

Reaching the northern portal, snowmobiles awaited to transport guests the short distance to Agna Q’ela, the capital city. There, they were shown through a tiny, round door. Straightening up, Zhu Li was immediately struck by both warmth and wonder. 

The cavern opened to the polar sky above, but under her feet was green grass. Rows of chairs had been crammed into the space, just up to where it ended in a pool of water. In that pool was a small island, reachable by arched bridges. A gateway stood in front of a bamboo grove and the smell of jasmine flowers permeated the air. The whole scene was framed by a massive waterfall, rushing down the cliffside behind the island. 

“Is this -?”

“The Spirit Oasis?” Varrick finished for her. “Yeah. It’s amazing what your connections can buy you up here, if you’re a Northerner.”

They were directed to their seats. Varrick immediately got comfortable, resting his shoe on his knee and throwing an arm over the back of his chair. The older lady to his right gave him a reproachful look, which he either didn’t notice or ignored. Zhu Li, as always, sat straight, elbows tucked in so as not to encroach on Varrick or the aisle, which was currently full of guests finding their seats. Zhu Li glanced up and spotted Anaaya, on the arm of a tall and handsome man, waiting to slip into the row across from theirs. The other woman’s eyes widened with recognition and she smiled brilliantly. “Zhu Li! What a pleasant surprise to see you here.” She turned back to her date, patting his arm. “Let me introduce my husband, Sirmiq. Darling, this is an old friend of mine, Zhu Li, and her employer.”

Varrick gritted his name out and leaned across Zhu Li to shake hands with his ex-girlfriend’s husband. Anaaya’s smile only grew wider. Zhu Li gave her a friendly nod of concession as their row opened up - Anaaya seemed happy, and she was happy for her.  

As a live five-piece wind ensemble started to play in the back, Varrick leaned over and whispered to her behind his hand. “Zhu Li, take a note…”

“I am not taking notes during a wedding ceremony, sir,” she hissed, as quietly as she could manage.

“But you do have a notebook on you,” he muttered. She was ashamed to remember she did. Even so, it was staying firmly up her sleeve for the next seven hours. He sighed. “A mental note then. None of this boring, traditional music at my wedding. I want a jazz band shipped in, from one of the best clubs in Republic City.”

Zhu Li raised her eyebrows. She was expected to be his wedding planner now as well?

“The dramatic scenery is a good touch,” he conceded. “Though I’m not sure why you’d bother to have a wedding at one or both of the poles, and not have it snow. Seems to be missing the point.”

The list of mental notes grew longer as the guests continued to arrive. Zhu Li found it was easier to remember all the details when they were woven into a story. She played and replayed and edited Varrick’s future wedding in her head as if it were a mover. As the film rolled again, she was a little concerned that the only bride she would let herself imagine, standing hand in hand across from him, was herself. 

That would never happen. Possibly if the world was ending. The mover in her mind flashed to a shot of her making a break for the mecha tank storage, dragging him along as buildings exploded and rubble fell behind them. Oddly, she found herself smiling at the thought. If the situation ever became that dire, she’d have nothing left to lose in asking him. She knew he’d never take the initiative; it was highly doubtful he felt for her what she felt for him. 

Sure, there were those awkward, strained moments, remarks from Su and Ginger… but when Varrick really wanted something, he went for it. She’d never known him to do otherwise. 

“Definitely spirit lights,” he remarked under his breath. “Fireworks at the very least.”

Kaz appeared under the island gateway, looking a little nervous. The music changed and all the guests stood as Kona, radiant, appeared through the round doorway.

“I wonder if you could pay spirits to show up, put on a show…” Varrick muttered as Kona crossed one of the arched bridges and the officiant gestured for everyone to be seated. 

“That’s a little ridiculous, sir,” she replied, without thinking. “No spirits, paid or otherwise.”

“Hey, this is my wedding we’re planning, Zhu Li. You can do what you like with yours.” But after that, he settled in to watch his best friend get married. The ceremony itself was rather lengthy, compared to the ones Zhu Li had attended in Republic City, but interesting, with its various cultural quirks. When Kaz and Kona were declared partners and told they could kiss, she had a handkerchief ready. Varrick accepted it gladly, dabbing the corners of his eyes as he applauded. 

~*~

The trip to the ice palace by the southern portal was more festive than the trip over. Groups of friends found one another in the crowd, a few flasks were passed around, and by the time they’d arrived back in the reception hall, the party was in full swing. Varrick had given an impromptu speech, as had a few more friends of the bride or groom - he’d done a very nice, if slightly over-emotional job. But that was Varrick. Right now, he was out on the floor, enthusiastically dancing with some cousin of Kaz’s. 

“Bride or Groom?” asked a warm, older voice.

Zhu Li turned to see Katara, waterbending master, wife of Avatar Aang, sit down next to her. She sat up even straighter. 

“Um… both, sort of. I met them through my employer - childhood friend of the groom’s.” She cleared her throat nervously. “You?”

“Kona is my half-brother’s daughter.”

“Oh! I’d forgotten you and councilman Sokka had another sibling.”

“Yes, most people do,” Katara said with a smile that crinkled her eyes. “Kaskae is sixteen years my junior. Following the Hundred Year War, my father married Malina, of the Northern Water Tribe. Malina stayed in the south for the rest of her life, but Kaskae ended up moving north after meeting his own wife, Amara.” 

They watched Kaz spin Kona around the floor. She let out a giddy laugh. 

“It’s so nice to see the divisions between north and south continue to heal,” Katara said, considering them fondly. “How was the ceremony?”

“It was… lovely. The Spirit Oasis at the North Pole is incredible.”

Katara’s face turned slightly wistful. “I know it well. It’s a pity I couldn’t make it, but at my age, it’s better to stay out of the spirit world. Might enjoy it a little too much and decide to stay forever.”

Zhu Li felt for the older woman, and with a small smile, changed the subject. “I wanted to let you know, your son, Tenzin has been so kind to my family. After Harmonic Convergence, my cousin became an airbender. She’s only eight, but he was able to assign her a guardian so she can live and study bending on Air Temple Island. It’s really meant so much to us… I can’t thank him enough.”

“Pinky?”

“Yes!” Zhu Li was shocked Katara would know.

Katara crinkled her eyebrows together. “Jinora writes to me regularly, even if the younger ones don’t. But it’s nice to hear such kind words about my son. It took him awhile to figure out what he wanted from life - I suppose, despite his father’s and my best efforts, there was a certain amount of pressure. But it all worked out in the end. Sometimes it takes men a while to get their acts together.”

Zhu Li caught a glimpse of Varrick, along with some other men, egging Kaz on as he polished off a tall glass of some potent-looking liquor. “I’ll certainly toast to that,” she responded, then blushed. She was working on her second drink, a rarity for her. 

“Mmm.” Katara glanced in the same direction, as Kona tore her husband away, reprimanding his friends. “Of course, most of the ones in my generation managed it by the age of sixteen or so.”

How embarrassing. 

Kona dragged Kaz across the room, heading in their direction. Reaching the table, she stooped and kissed Katara on the cheek. “Hello auntie. We’re so glad you could make it.” 

Katara grasped her hand. “I’m so glad I could come. Congratulations, dear. Tonraq and Senna send their regards. They would have been here, but Korra is going through a difficult time and some days are still touch and go.”

“Of course, of course.” Kona shook her head and patted Katara’s hand.

“We invited Doom and Gloom as well,” Kaz inserted, “but they sent their regrets, along with a meat cleaver that was decidedly not on our registry.” 

Kona turned in her direction. “Hello Zhu Li - you look gorgeous,” she said, admiringly. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Thank you so much - I am. It was a beautiful ceremony.”

Kona shot Kaz a pointed look. “And now, it’s time to celebrate!” he burst out. “Why aren’t you dancing, Zhu Li? C’mon.” He grabbed her hand.

She’d danced a little earlier in the evening, after being asked, but now she shook her head. Dancing with the groom? She’d been invited out of politeness; Kaz and Kona hardly knew her, really. It was too much.

“Zhu Li, it’s my wedding!” Kaz said, gleefully. “You’re not going to refuse, are you?”

“Alright.” She stood; Kona grinned. 

“Just no dipping, dear. I think you’re a little too far gone for that.” Kona turned back to continue her conversation with Katara as Kaz led her out to the dance floor. 

“So, I heard it through the grapevine Varrick finally bought that boat I’ve been pestering him about for the past twenty years,” Kaz chuckled as they weaved through couples gliding across the floor. 

“He did.”

Kaz shook his head. “The man’s ridiculous, but he’s got a heart the size of an elephant koi. How’s it going, up there in the Earth Kingdom?”

“It’s going well, I think,” Zhu Li responded. “Varrick’s designed an entire rail system, which is being built at this moment. It’s going to do a lot of good, help get supplies to communities that are having a difficult time right now.”

“That’s good to hear. The project seems to make him happy.” His eyes flickered to one side and he directed her steps with a little more purpose. A moment later, they were dancing next to Varrick and a stunning woman in a gown with a plunging back. “May I cut in?” Kaz asked. Without waiting, he took Varrick’s partner’s hand. “Evening, Leilani! How have you been?” 

Zhu Li and Varrick were left staring at each other. Then, without saying anything, Varrick took her hand in his and put his other on her waist. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he led her into a well-practiced spin.

They’d danced together before, in the ship’s saloon, in the sitting room of his Republic City apartment - he got easily carried away when celebrating victories, small and large. It was fun; she enjoyed dancing, and in that context, it meant little. This - dressed up, in a room full of people - it was weirdly new and familiar, all at the same time. 

“Enjoying the party, Zhu Li?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied, honestly, “though maybe not as much as you were.”

“Hah! You know how it gets, when you’re with old friends.” She tilted her head. “No, maybe you don’t. Your old friends undoubtedly sit in a silent yet comfortable circle and read together. No moonshine at a Zhu Li party, even though it would completely make sense!”

Yeah… he’d had a few. She narrowed her eyes slightly. Feeling he was about to get teased or scolded, he hurried the conversation along. “Meet anyone interesting?”

“Actually, yes - I met Katara.”

“Oh yeah? How’s the old gal doing?”

How could he be so irreverent? “She seems to be doing fine - she’s lovely. I didn’t realize she was related to Kona.”

“The higher you go in Water Tribe culture, the smaller the gene pool,” he said, making a face. “Everyone’s related - by marriage, at least. So anyway, about these fireworks I’m going to have at my wedding! I was thinking…” 

He continued chatting, her interjecting here and there, until the music stopped. “Wanna dance again?” he asked, somehow holding her even closer in the interlude between songs.

She nodded. Again, and for as long as they possibly could.

Chapter Text

The spokes of the Ba Sing Se loop were completed and Kuvira moved north, into the mountains, that summer. They'd said goodbye to Bataar Jr. (who was insisting on just being called ‘Bataar’ these days). He would be staying on in Ba Sing Se to work on an unnamed project with Doctor Sheng, a quiet and serious psychiatrist who more than one person had mistaken Zhu Li for on more than one occasion. It unnerved her a bit; she felt there was something distinctly off about the woman.

Now that the technical portion of the train project had been completed, Kuvira would keep Varrick onboard in case he was needed to trouble-shoot as construction progressed, but his new assignment was finding a clean source of energy. Kuvira was hoping some of the powerful rivers that flowed through the Taihua Mountains could be a potential source, as Varrick had suggested during an earlier meeting. In the meanwhile, the mountains were also rich in coal, with deep veins generations of earthbenders had mined. 

In losing Bataar, a few other officers had been assigned to the lab - Liying, a physicist, and Lao, a structural engineer. Liying was an exceptionally tall woman, friendly and frank. Lao was focused and sincere, but also tended to worry and obsess over the tiniest details, which was very much the opposite of the way Varrick worked. Nevertheless, having two additional people on board meant a little more leisure time, and Varrick was determined to devote those precious hours to writing and filming his next mover - Nuktuk and the Great Uniter. 

A little over a month ago, a shipment had been delayed by boulders on the tracks, and they’d run out of green tea for twenty-four hours. That evening, he’d written the screenplay in a caffeine-fueled, thirty minute frenzy, and they’d spent the next few weeks editing it into something coherent and filmable. Now that he had a script, Varrick had called for his lead actors. Bolin was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon, Ginger a couple of days later. Zhu Li was a little surprised to realize she was honestly looking forward to seeing them both. 

After lunch, they headed down to the dock. Bolin would be taking the train to Su Oku Grove, then crossing the wide mouth of the Xibei Channel via ferry. The ferry mostly transported cargo; there were very few passengers on board. Bolin was the second one off, carrying a single suitcase and scanning the crowd of green uniforms for a friendly face. His own lit up as he spotted them and he waved enthusiastically as he strode toward them.  

“There’s my star!” Varrick said, walking toward the kid with open arms. “How’re you doing, Bolin?” He gave him a hearty slap on the back. 

“Well… Pabu was a little seasick on the ferry.” The fire ferret stuck his head out of Bolin’s jacket and let out a pathetic cough. “But I’m doing great, thank you for asking!”

“Excellent! You remembered to bring your costume, right?”

Bolin froze like a catdeer in the headlights. 

“We’ll get you a new one,” Zhu Li reassured him. 

“This seems like a happy reunion.” Kuvira walked toward them with her hands folded behind her back. Judging by the grunts holding clipboards that hovered behind her, she was overseeing the arrival of an important shipment. 

“Ah, and here she is -” Varrick said, “- the Great Uniter herself!”

Kuvira tilted her head to one side. “I’m pleased you could join us, Bolin. You’re dating Opal Beifong, correct?”

“That’s right!” Bolin said cheerfully. “I get to see her practically every day, now that she’s at Air Temple Island.”

Kuvira nodded, sizing him up. “Well… I hope your trip is productive. Please let me know if you have any questions about our mission, or if anything piques your interest.” 

“Sure thing,” replied Bolin. 

Zhu Li watched Kuvira thoughtfully as the commander left. Her treatment of Bolin suggested she saw him as an asset. To what end, though? 

~*~

After dinner, they got right down to work. Bolin had hopped on a train, then a ship, in response to a single phone call. He’d had no idea what the script was about - if Nuktuk was going to be a part of this, naturally Bolin was too. They used the loft over the lab as their base of operations. It had two comfortable couches for lounging, though Varrick preferred to be more engaged in the action as he read the part of the King of the Bandits. Bolin followed his lead and Zhu Li found herself standing as well, playing the dual roles of Ginger and Kuvira. 

They came to the romantic denouement. She recalled the last (not actually a) kissing scene in Nuktuk and how upset Ginger had been in its aftermath. “Remember -” she said quietly, “this is just a read-through. You’re dipping me only.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bolin replied, earnest eyes going wide.

“And… action!” Varrick shouted. 

“Oh, Nuktuk! You’ve saved me again!” Zhu Li said.

“Of course I did, Ginger - haven’t I told you? I love you... okay - here we go.” He grabbed Zhu Li by her upper arms and very slowly and carefully, inclined her slightly toward the floor.

“Cut!” Varrick yelled. “You call that a dip? Where’s the passion, Bolin, where’s the romance?”

“Um…” Bolin scratched the back of his head. “Being gentle and giving plenty of warning is kinda romantic, isn’t it?”

In that moment, Zhu Li was so proud of Bolin. She nodded emphatically at him behind Varrick’s back. 

Varrick swooped around and hissed, “Zhu Li, what did you say to the kid? You’ve spooked him. Now he’ll never figure out how to do it properly.” He turned back to his protege. “Watch and learn, Bolin! Watch and learn!” Varrick put his arms around Zhu Li. She had just enough time to be concerned before he attempted to dip her. He twirled her around far too enthusiastically and lost his grip at the lowest point. 

Zhu Li landed on the metal floor, hard. “Ow.”

Varrick grimaced. “Sorry - got a little carried away. Here, let’s go again...” He held out a hand to help her up.

Zhu Li breathed out through her nose, tailbone smarting. “Think I’ll pass, sir,” she replied.

His hands flew to his hips. “Well, how’s the kid supposed to learn?!”

Zhu Li got to her feet and dusted herself off. “Bolin, are you ready?” He nodded. “So... you’re facing Ginger.” She moved Varrick directly in front of her. Surprised, he complied. “You have to plant your legs, just like earthbending. Support her with both hands on her back, at the point where the balance of the angle you plan on creating meets the force of her weight.” Varrick’s eyes slid to one side as she wrapped her arms around him. “Now... as you turn, stretch your back leg and bend the front one to carry your weight and hers.” She dipped Varrick easily. He stared up at her in abject wonder. “And then you kiss,” she said with a shrug. 

“Wow, okay…” Bolin said, literally scribbling down notes. “Could I see it again?” he asked, as Zhu Li returned Varrick to his feet.

“I think you’ve got it,” said Varrick, clearing his throat and adjusting his uniform tunic. “Um… gotta hit the head.” He hurried off.

“Ready to practice?” Zhu Li asked Bolin. 

“Sure,” the kid replied. “But who’s dipping who?”

~*~

Bolin had his lines down by the time Ginger was due to arrive. The actress had taken slightly more convincing than Bolin to reprise her role (“You want me to meet you where?! ”) and had been rather cagey about how she would get there (“Fine. I’ll make a road trip of it.”). But Zhu Li would never in a million years have thought she would be so thoughtless, so insensitive as to pull up in the passenger seat of a red sports car. 

Zhu Li narrowed her eyes. “No.”

Bolin’s jaw dropped as the driver stepped out of the car. “Shady Shin?! What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Bolin.” The gangster offered him a loose handshake. “Good to see ya.”

“I have so many questions I don’t really want the answers to,” Zhu Li muttered into Ginger’s hair as the actress greeted her with a hug.

“Play nice, Zhules,” Ginger hissed back, before kissing her on the cheek and smiling.

“Why did you think it would be okay to bring him along?”

“Well, I couldn’t come into the Earth Kingdom without protection.”

Varrick had been caught up in developing a new filter for the camera and was waiting for them back onboard the train. As Ginger entered, he grinned. “My other star! Good to see you again, Ginger.”

“Back to the same old, I see,” she said, nodding to his moustache. 

“I decided I’d had enough of being completely unrecognizable,” he said, twisting one end.

Shady Shin bustled through the door, holding two sets of bags. “Gin, where should I drop these?”

“Ah, and you brought your gentleman friend along! We have a lovely cabin awaiting you. Zhu Li, would you kindly show them to their room?”

She paused just a moment too long. Glancing back and forth between Zhu Li and Varrick, Bolin hopped down off the counter he’d perched on. “I’ll do it!” 

As they exited the car, Varrick frowned. It was the first time in memory Zhu Li had straight out ignored a reasonable request. “Okay, what gives?” he asked.

“What gives is you’ve invited a triad member to the personal train of the provisional ruler of the Earth Kingdom. This is a military operation. How did he even get clearance?” There would have been roadblocks on the way up; Shady Shin never should have been able to get past them without pre-approval. 

Varrick shrugged. “I mentioned to Kuvira that my associate was bringing her boyfriend along; she okayed it.”

“You knew ?!” Zhu Li was aghast. 

“I mean, to be honest, I’d forgotten it was the same guy who stole our Sato, but that’s all water under the dam anyway.” 

“Under the bridge, sir.”

She stewed in silence as the trio reemerged and Varrick invited them up to the loft. Once there, Shin flopped down onto one of the couches, tossing an arm over the back and glancing out the window. “Some view you guys’ve got here.” Ginger settled in comfortably next to him, giving him a little smile as he grinned at her. 

“So… what’s this mover about, boss?” she asked. 

Varrick did his marquee hands and set his voice to narrator mode. “Several years have passed since the last Nuktuk mover. Looking to continue his fight for freedom and justice, our noble hero has joined the savior of the Earth Kingdom, the metalbending maven - Kuvira. Kuvira has tasked Nuktuk with protecting her engineers as they build a train through the mountains, reaching starving and impoverished citizens and offering them sustenance and hope. Meanwhile, the King of the Bandits has other, more sinister plans for Nuktuk.”

Ginger flipped through the script, looking bored. “So where do I come in?”

“As Nuktuk’s beautiful girlfriend of course.”

She made a face. “Beautiful girlfriend? It’s been several years and Nuktuk hasn’t put a ring on it already?”

“Betrothal necklace, which you’ve got. Nuktuk is a busy guy.” Varrick scratched his chin. “Though, man… a wedding would make an epic finale.” He shook his head. “We’ll save it for the sequel - people love a trilogy!” 

Ginger continued to flip. “And this time, instead of being threatened with a giant drill, I’m going to be…” she found the page and made an incredulous face, “tied to a train track?! Are you outta your skull?”

“Ginger, we own the train tracks. We know every scheduled train. I can promise you, it will be one hundred percent safe.”

She looked up at him, livid. “You’re using a real train track?!”

“Hey pal,” Shin interjected. “I don’t know if that’s such a hot idea…”

“You!” Varrick pointed directly at Shin. “How would you like to be in a mover?”

Shin’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Sure. Give your friends back in Republic City a real kick. Plus, you play the King of the Bandits, you get to be right there on set, making sure everything is perfectly safe, the entire time.”

Shin looked at Ginger and shrugged. “Whaddya think, babe?”

Ginger crinkled her nose as she smiled at him. “That would be swell.”

“What do you think, Zhu Li?” Varrick muttered. “We haven’t cast the Bandit King yet, and he looks the part.”

“Playing the villain? He’ll be a natural,” she replied coolly, and possibly, a little too loud. 

Shin frowned. “Hey - you gotta problem with me, sweetheart?”

“I have a problem with triad members in general.”

“Oh, I see. You’re one of those principled dames, livin’ in some ivory tower. You try life on the streets for a few weeks, see how you feel about it then.”

Ginger wrapped her arms around his. “Babe…”

“I know exactly what life is like on the streets.” Zhu Li said quietly, her hands balling into fists. “Your triad almost burned down my family’s shop.” 

Shin actually smiled and she’d never in her life wanted to break someone's nose so badly. “Aw, you’re a Republic City girl? Which store was it?” he asked, as if this were as normal a question as asking someone what primary school they’d gone to, or what pro-bending team they rooted for.

Zhu Li spat out her words. “Waxing Moon Emporium. On Wai Lane.”

“Hey… I remember that place! The one with all the kids, right? Man, that was ages ago.” 

Zhu Li shook with anger, the memory as fresh as yesterday. “Kids who went hungry that week, thanks to you and your goon friends.” 

Shin shrugged, looking unimpressed. “It’s not my preferred line of work, but I put in my time with house calls, just like everybody else. But I’ll do you a favor, make sure the place is on the books, so no one messes with it again.”

Zhu Li’s nostrils flared. The very last thing she wanted was a favor from Shady Shin. 

“What’s her problem?” Shin asked, as Zhu Li stalked down the stairs. “Oww... babe!” he whined as Ginger punched him on the arm. Zhu Li, meanwhile, hit the air door button with much more force than needed, denting it slightly.

“You burned down her shop?!” she heard Ginger demand, as the door closed behind her. 

Instead of going to her room, Zhu Li plopped down in a chair in the officer’s common area, head in her hands. The door whooshed open and closed again and wary footsteps came toward her. 

“Zhu Li… are you okay?” Bolin asked, tentatively. He sat down next to her. “I didn’t know you were a Waxing Moon Emporium-Moon. I think Mako and I may have stolen a melon there once. Sorry,” he said, sounding truly remorseful. 

She shook her head. “It’s okay, Bolin. It’s not like you tried to burn the place down.”

“Yeah, about that… I know Shady Shin has done some shady stuff in the past. Once, when I was like, ten, he tried to fight us after we helped un-fix a match. But he also tried to throw me some work when I was down on my luck. ...Of course, that ended with us being taken by Amon , and me just barely escaping with my bending.” He stared at his hands. “I don’t know what I would have done if that had happened. You know Shin can’t waterbend anymore?”

“Maybe some people deserve to have their bending taken away,” Zhu Li said bitterly.

Bolin sighed. “Maybe. I mean, Korra could have given it back, but she didn’t. And maybe it worked out better this way - Shin says he’s changed. He’s starting a nightclub or something.”

Pabu jumped to her shoulder and chirruped in her ear comfortingly. She stared at her hands, small purple crescents fading on her palms. “Tigerdillos don’t change their stripes, Bolin.”

~*~

Filming began the following day. Leaning heavily into the work they were currently doing for Kuvira had paid off; the train had moved into a high mountain pass overnight and the landscape was stunningly evocative. Nuktuk and the Great Uniter would have a distinctly different feel from the character’s previous adventures. Kuvira had ordered the train to be pulled onto a parallel repairs rail and had given them three hours to conduct their “experiment," as Varrick relayed it, finger-quotes and all. As she set up the camera directly on the tracks, Zhu Li wondered if Kuvira was truly aware of what the experiment was. Ginger, hair perfectly coiffed and makeup expertly applied, hobbled over, tied with rope from shoulders to knees. 

Shady Shin stepped up, looking concerned as she tried to crouch. “You need a hand there, Ginny?”

She grinned up at him as he helped lower her to the tracks. “Thank you, Shinny,” she said, pecking him on the lips. Zhu Li wasn't sure if she felt nauseated or angry as they rubbed the tips of their noses together before Shin stood. Ginger rearranged herself to get her best angles and threw back her head dramatically. 

“Places!” Varrick shouted. Shin, dressed in shabby, dark green Earth Kingdom clothes, crouched down and prepared to pretend to bend a boulder onto the loose end of Ginger’s rope. (“We’ll edit it in during post,” Varrick had said during the read-through, with a shrug.) Off-camera, Bolin, wearing a uniform with the sleeves torn off, prepared to step into view. 

“Do the thing, Zhu Li!” Varrick called to her. 

She started recording. “We’re rolling, sir.”

“And… action!”

“HELP! HELP!” Ginger wailed pitifully. She scowled at Shin, and piercingly said, “You’ll never get away with this. Nuktuk will save me!”

“Ha! Think again, little lady! Nuktuk may be a hero in the south, but - line.”

“Cut! Zhu Li, you feed Shin his lines.”

Zhu Li gritted her teeth. “- but the Earth Kingdom is ruled by the Bandit King.”

“Right, right. Thanks, Zhules.”

Zhu Li took her hands away from the camera, so that it too would not shake with rage.

“Take two, Nuktuk and the Great Uniter. And… action!”

“HELP! HELP! You’ll never get away with this! Nuktuk will save me!”

“Ha! Think again, little lady. Nuktuk may be a hero in the south, but the Earth Kingdom is ruled by the Bandit King.”

“Cut!” Varrick put his chin in his hand, looking thoughtful. “More inflection on the Bandit King, less on Earth Kingdom.”

“Right. Okay.” Shin crouched down and arranged his lanky limbs into a more dynamic pose. “I’ve got this - let’s go.”

“HELP! HELP! You’ll never get away with this! Nuktuk will save me!”

“Ha! Think again, little lady. Nuktuk may be a hero in the south, but the Earth Kingdom is ruled by the Bandit King.”

“Not so fast!” cried Bolin, jumping onto the tracks. He gritted his teeth and made a wide arc with his arms over his head.

“What are you doing, man?” Shady Shin said, breaking character and looking almost insulted.

“Waterbending?”

“No, no, no. Bolin. Jeesh. Haven’t you seen me in action enough times? Here - it’s more like this.” He demonstrated.

“Like this?” Bolin asked, copying his move.

“Better, but not quite. Here -” Shin stepped forward to direct him.

“Okay, I think I’ve got it. Thanks!”

“Any tips for me?” Shin asked. Zhu Li swiveled her head to stare at Varrick. He looked supremely bored, one hand on his hip, as Bolin critiqued Shin’s earthbending stance. 

“Alright you, two - accuracy is overrated and time is money! We’ve got a ten minute window before the next train comes rolling down these tracks (“WHAT?!” cried Ginger) and I need to get this scene in the bag before it arrives.” He nodded to Zhu Li.

“Places,” she said.

“And… action.”

“HELP! HELP!” screamed Ginger.

“You okay there, miss?” The five of them turned to see three large and scruffy earthbenders looking on, concerned. 

Ginger popped her head up and grinned at them. “Oh, yeah. We’re just filming a mover.”

“So, you’re not robbing this train?” The earthbender jerked his head to the side.

“No!” said Varrick. “Why would we do that?!”

“I mean…” the largest of the earthbenders gestured. “Obstruction on the tracks, train stopped nearby. It all adds up, but man…” he looked at Ginger, tied up on the tracks. “That’s just not right.”

“Well, keep moving along, no spoilers.” He began to wave them away, then paused for a moment in thought. “Actually, we could use some extras, evil henchmen for our Bandit King. You fellas want a few hours of work?”

The largest earthbender grinned, revealing several gold teeth. “I think our job’s over that way,” he said, nodding to the train. 

The female earthbender stepped forward, nodding to Zhu Li. “That’s a pretty nice looking camera, Qadan. Bet it would fetch a handsome price on the black market in Ba Sing Se.” 

“Please…” said Shady Shin. “You slumbirds are gonna put in this much effort for one pitiful little camera? That’s small potatoes - you’d get half a gee, at most.” 

This was the wrong thing to say. Half a grand in the Taihua Mountains was obviously worth much more than half a grand in Republic City.

Zhu Li was more comfortable fighting in a mechatank, but she wasn’t a slouch at hand-to-hand either. She’d figured it out in senior school, after her third pair of broken glasses. As the woman drew closer, she slid her feet into a fighting stance. Meanwhile, Bolin stepped forward.

“Hey, fellas… we’ve got no issue with you. How about we all just back away and -”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, as a rock flew off the mountainside, nearly hitting him.

“Heyyy! That’s not okay.” He turned and kicked his leg high in the air, and a boulder from the opposite side smashed into the spot where the two male bandits had been a moment ago.

“Just like old times, huh Bolin?” Shin asked, drawing a small but deadly-looking knife from his pocket. 

“Yeah, except I remember a lot more of you throwing water at me and Mako,” Bolin huffed out as he ducked a block of rock, then punched one of his own in the largest earthbender’s direction. 

The woman was almost to the camera now, smiling at Zhu Li malevolently. She raised her fists. Not a bender after all? This was manageable. The woman reached forward to push her out of the way. Zhu Li raised her hands and batted down the woman’s arms, stepping out of her path at the same moment. She stumbled forward and Zhu Li reached up and grabbed her chin. With her second hand wrapped over the first, Zhu Li forced the woman down and put a knee into her back. 

“SIR! GRAB THE CAMERA!”

Varrick was frozen, watching the scene play out with a petrified grimace. 

“SIIIIR!” The woman spun her legs, getting up momentum, and knocked Zhu Li aside. She sprung to her feet and raised her fists again.

Evade and attack, Zhu Li repeated in her mind, drawing a deep breath. She twirled to one side as the woman lunged at her, then kicked out and caught her foot, causing her to fall on her face for a second time. The bandit raised her upper body off the tracks, glaring at Zhu Li with fire in her eyes. It was about to get ugly. She reached into her robes and grabbed a serrated blade. Zhu Li’s eyes widened.

As the woman lunged for her, a rock came flying out of left field, knocking her attacker off her feet and leaving her in a pile of rubble, dazed. “Thanks, Bolin!” Zhu Li cried, eternally grateful to the kid. She made a dash for the camera, scooping it up in one arm. Ducking a rock hurled by one of the other bandits, she grabbed Varrick by his arm.

“Come on, sir!” She yanked him along behind her. It was eerily like her daydream at the wedding, including her next destination. Depositing Varrick and the camera safely in the lab car (to Liying and Lao’s great surprise), she punched the button for the door and sprinted through the next two cars. “MECHAS, NOW!” she yelled at the two techs, currently enjoying a nice cup of tea. They dropped them to the ground and hopped up, ready.

Zhu Li slid into one of the suits and without even bothering to close her helmet, stomped to the door. One of the techs hit the button and the wall split open in front of them. They rushed out of the train, footsteps thudding on granite. Arriving back on the scene, Zhu Li was horrified to spot a new impediment. 

The afternoon express had just crested over the closest rise and was blaring its horn. 

“A LITTLE HELP HERE?!” Ginger screamed. 

“I’m coming for you, Gin!” Shady Shin cried, vaulting over the back of the earthbender he’d been sparring with. The earthbender straightened up, tossing a boulder at him. Zhu Li thrust up an arm and shattered the boulder with a bolt of electricity. She felt as if the bolt had hit her instead. She had just saved Shady Shin. Yes, it was in service of saving Ginger, but even so… she had saved Shady Shin.

“Man! I have got to get me one of those,” Shin shouted, as he sprinted to the tracks. Skidding across the polished metal, he took his knife and cut through Ginger’s bindings. She reached up and grabbed his face with both hands, kissing him passionately.

“Get off the tracks, you idiots!” Zhu Li shouted. Glancing toward the speeding train, they did so, right back into the path of the burliest bandit. 

Zhu Li raised her mecha’s arm, but Bolin got there first. He planted his front foot and leaned with the back leg. He brought his fists up in a powerful sweeping motion, arms straight. The earth in front of him cracked and erupted into a river of lava, curving back and forth sharply until it burst up directly in front of the bandit. The man looked at Bolin, his jaw dropping. Zhu Li knew lavabending was an unusual skill; she’d known Bolin had the capability but had never seen it in action. It was incredibly impressive. It was a pity they couldn’t use it in the mover. Maybe if Nuktuk magically gained the power of - 

She shook her head. It was clear she spent far too much of her time with Varrick. 

Between the lavabending and the three mechas, the bandits abandoned the fight and ran for the hills. “Should we go after them?” one of the techs asked her, over the radio.

“Negative,” she said. If Kuvira truly hadn’t known about the mover, they were probably already deep enough in it as it was. 

Meanwhile, Shin had hopped over the cooling lava track with Ginger in his arms. He carried her back toward the train.

“My hero,” Ginger said, as they passed Zhu Li.

He kissed her again. “I love you so much, baby.”

Zhu Li let her head and arms drop as she loathingly accepted he’d done a good thing today. Her mecha followed suit.  

~*~

“I cannot believe Kuvira confiscated our film,” Varrick grumbled, days later. The Great Uniter had not been thrilled with Varrick’s script treatment, it would seem, calling it ridiculous. 

“On the plus side, I got a free vacation out of it.” Bolin gestured to their surroundings. They’d crossed the Xibei Channel and said goodbye to Ginger and Shin (well - Zhu Li had said goodbye to Ginger) the day before, ready to start building tracks in the three Earth Kingdom states that ran alongside the United Republic of Nations. Their base of operations was within walking distance of Su Oku Grove. Lao had begged off - possibly spooked by Varrick’s retelling of their most recent adventure - but the rest of the lab team, plus Bolin, were currently searching for a place to eat dinner.

“I’d heard Su Oku Grove was pretty, but this is ridiculous,” Liying said, admiring the glowing lanterns as they crossed one of the many wooden bridges that connected the two sides of town. “No wonder Mimi was jealous when I told her Kuvira was giving us the night off.”

Varrick laughed sharply. “Enjoy it while it lasts! After this, we’re headed for the Great Divide and the Serpent’s Pass. Not exactly vacation destinations...” 

“Zhu Li?” someone behind her questioned. 

It was a voice she knew so well. Zhu Li stopped, turned on the spot, and the rest of reality seemed to grind to a standstill. She stared at the familiar, lovely face. 

Finally, she found her voice.

“Hello, Huang.”

Chapter Text

REPUBLIC CITY: TWO YEARS, TEN MONTHS, AND FIFTEEN DAYS EARLIER

“ZHU LI!”

Zhu Li Moon politely but quickly excused herself from the conference call and hurried into her boss’s office.

“Take a quick note… I need you to schedule a meeting with Mrs. Lee at Odaiko Mart, check in with research and development to make sure the final prototype is ready, send the proposal to the patent office, grab lunch for five at Woo’s (no peanuts or seafood, remember - Chun is allergic), and pick up my dry cleaning by noon.”

Zhu Li snapped her notebook shut. “Yes, sir.” 

“And where are my glasses?” her boss asked, patting the papers on his desk. 

“They’re on your head, sir.” She nodded. 

The heavy-set, balding man sighed and slipped them on his nose. He shook his head. “Zhu Li, I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hao.” 

She’d returned three hours later, hung Mr. Hao’s suit on the door to his office, and set up lunch - peanut and seafood-free - in the conference room. She mentally scrolled back through the past week’s worth of conversations as she laid out a fifth plate. Mr. Hao had only notified her of three guests at this meeting  - his three brothers, with whom he ran the company - she’d double-checked her pencilled-in notes just moments ago. 

A few minutes later, Mr. Hao - well, Misters Hao - entered. Hong was laughing as loudly and obnoxiously as ever, slapping his brother Chun on the back. Han nodded curtly to her, smelling of cigarette smoke. Then, her boss came through the door with a young man on his arm and time stood still.

The young man caught her eye. It was only for a moment, but somehow felt just slightly longer or more meaningful than a casual glance. 

“Ah, yes! Huang hasn’t yet met Zhu Li. Zhu Li, this is my nephew Huang. He’s the son of my eldest brother, Wun, rest his soul.” 

Zhu Li bowed to the young man, hand cupped under fist - the Haos kept to their Earth Kingdom roots, despite being based out of Republic City. Huang bowed back, then reached out a hand to shake hers, in the more modern way of business. His hand was firm and warm in hers. 

“I brought Zhu Li on a few weeks ago, to do some transcribing and filing, but now she practically runs the company,” Mr. Hao informed Huang.

Hong elbowed Huang as they sat. “Look out Huang! Chao may leave it to her instead of you.”

Her boss looked disgruntled. “I haven’t made any promises to anyone about the future of this company,” he insisted. “We’ll figure that out when the time comes - but in the very long meanwhile, we have business to discuss.”

On the cushion in the corner, Zhu Li settled in to take notes. Over his teacup, Huang caught her eye and gave her a crooked grin. Heat rose from her collarbone to her cheeks and she dragged her eyes back down to her notebook, hoping to contain it. 

~*~

“Huang Hao,” he said, extending his hand to Bolin, then Liying, then Varrick, “of Hao’s Handy Home Dustbenders.” Varrick opened his mouth, to make a snarky comment no doubt, but it died on his lips when he saw the look on Huang’s face as he turned back to Zhu Li. “Has it actually been two years?” Huang’s eyebrows creased together. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You as well,” Zhu Li said, her brain running on pleasantries auto-pilot as she tried to deal with this unexpected situation.

“If you have time, I’d love to catch up.”

Sirens went off in her head. ABANDON SHIP. “That would be nice, but I'm here in a professional capacity and I don’t know if -” 

Liying swiftly slid over to Zhu Li’s side and gushed, “She’d love to!”

Huang looked from Liying to Zhu Li with a grin. “Dinner - tomorrow night? Is that enough notice?”  

Zhu Li nodded. 

~*~

REPUBLIC CITY: TWO YEARS, SEVEN MONTHS, AND TWENTY-NINE DAYS EARLIER

On the second-month anniversary of their first date, he’d given her flowers. Orchids to be exact. After dinner at Zuo Ling’s Palace, he’d taken her to see Love Amongst the Dragons at the Guild Hall. He’d splurged on box seats and they’d missed a good deal of the play, as a result. 

“...you see, when the brushes revolve, it loosens the dust, making it easier for it to be suctioned up. I think we could miniaturize the mechanism so that the entire machine wouldn’t weigh much more than it already does,” Zhu Li explained, as they slowly meandered back toward her apartment.

Huang shook his head, his eyes crinkling as he stared down at her fondly. “I can’t believe I’ve fallen for a girl who talks about vacuum tech on a date. And actually makes it worth listening to!”

She laughed, then peered up at him suspiciously. “Wait… fallen for?”

“Oh, completely. What - I really hadn’t said that yet?”

“No, you hadn’t. Believe me, I would remember.” 

He paused and brushed her hair over her ear. “I do believe you. Entirely and without question.” He bent down and kissed her gently as their footsteps slowed. 

“Well…” she said, glancing up at her apartment. How had they arrived so quickly? “I guess this is goodnight.”

He bent and kissed her again, taking his time now. His lips were so soft and warm; hers parted as his hand slid back into her hair. Zhu Li tilted her chin up the slightest bit and pressed in, wanting more - needing more. Somehow, he understood, and responded exactly as she’d hoped. 

Eventually, they broke apart, and her eyes shyly met his. Zhu Li could stare (and had stared) into Huang’s eyes for hours. They were like no one else’s she knew - the deepest, warmest, most comforting shade of brown. But right now, looking into his eyes felt confusingly new, as if everything was about to change. She brushed her hair back into place and looked off to one side. “Or… you could come up, if you’d like?” she said softly. 

“Yeah,” he’d replied, blushing slightly too. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”  

~*~

Varrick had chosen today to start on a fiddly, tangential project that involved figuring out the most efficient way to desalinate seawater. Liying clocked in at eighteen-hundred. Happy to be relieved of his duties after a stressful six hours, Lao said goodbye to Varrick, Zhu Li, and Bolin, who was still hanging around for “moral support.” Before putting on her lab coat, gloves, and goggles, Liying produced a deep mauve suit with forest green piping and waved it in Zhu Li’s direction. While Liying was far too tall for any of her civilian clothes to fit Zhu Li, her girlfriend Mimi was a similar size. Zhu Li flipped up her goggles to examine the outfit. 

“I thought you’d be in your quarters,” Liying said to her. “Isn’t it time for you to get ready?”

“I don’t take long,” Zhu Li responded with a smile, removing a set of test tubes from the burner. She dusted her hands on her coat before taking the hanger. Liying bent down to examine their progress as Zhu Li headed for her room. She hurriedly pulled on the pale mauve blouse and buttoned it up, then shimmied into the darker skirt. After donning the jacket, she examined herself critically in the small mirror on the back of the door. She pulled out her ponytail and ran her fingers through her hair - well, it would have to do.

At the last moment, she grabbed her green pendant. She clasped the cord around her neck as she stepped into the enclosed space between the cars. Varrick’s voice echoed in the connector. “Hao’s Handy Home Dust-whatevers suck. I mean, literally.” She paused, narrowing her eyes as she watched the scene through the porthole. She’d give him a moment to get it out of his system; he could handle being abandoned for a single evening. “But clearly, vacuums set Zhu Li’s heart ablaze, so we’re all going to try our best to be supportive.”

Bolin’s eyes had been creeping slowly sideways as Varrick spoke. Now they fixed on him and Bolin raised an eyebrow. 

“Are you sure you don’t have a problem with this?”

“Who - me?!” Varrick said, still intent on the beaker in front of him. He let out a sharp laugh. “No way! Well, I mean, aside from it being a huge distraction. We’ve got loads of work to do and those samples aren’t going to desalinate themselves.” He tapped a gloved finger to the side of his mouth. She winced. There was a reason they were wearing gloves. “Come to think of it, we really don’t have any time to lose and maybe I should make her stay...”

“Don’t you dare,” Liying said with a frown, tossing one of Zhu Li’s heavy work gloves at him. (“Ow! Careful!”) “You’ve got me and Bolin. I think the three of us can manage for the next twelve hours.”

Bolin gave him an excited smile and two thumbs up. Varrick looked as happy as a wet cat. “Twelve?! What on earth is she going to do with twelve whole hours?”

Liying bit her lip and raised her eyebrows. 

Zhu Li decided that was enough of that and hit the button for the sliding door. As the door whooshed aside, both Liying and Bolin looked up. Varrick remained glued to the beaker. 

“Oh, wow!” Liying said brightly. “That fits you perfectly.”

“Do you think so?” Zhu Li tugged on the hem of the skirt critically.

“Spirits, yes.”

Bolin nodded in agreement. “You look beautiful, Zhu Li!”

“Thank you, Bolin. Well… have a nice evening, everyone.”

Varrick never so much as turned around.

~*~

REPUBLIC CITY: TWO YEARS, FIVE MONTHS, AND THREE DAYS EARLIER

“So I finally did the thing we were talking about,” Zhu Li said, hanging up her jacket and keys. Her boyfriend greeted her at the door with a peck on the lips. He was cooking dinner and it smelled amazing. 

“What thing?” Huang asked, wrapping his arms around her and grinning

“I told my landlord I wouldn’t be renewing my lease next month.”

He squeezed her tighter. “That’s excellent news. I have some news of my own.”

“Really?”

“You know the Odaiko Mart account Uncle Chao has been chasing for months?”

“Yes…” Zhu Li said slowly.

“I got it!”

“You didn’t! Huang - that’s wonderful! Your uncle will be thrilled.”

“I did, and it’s largely thanks to you. They were very impressed by your ideas about the rotating brushes.”

She nodded to the kitchen. “So this is a celebration dinner?”

“Very much so. Oh, shoot…” he said, noticing a pot was starting to bubble over.

Lying in bed later that evening, Zhu Li couldn’t imagine being happier. Why had she been so cautious, for so many years, when this was waiting for her? The only answer she could think of was that Huang had been worth waiting for. A kind, considerate man who cooked and cleaned and worked alongside her, who had a good job with his family company and a secure future, who she was about to officially move in with... 

Huang nuzzled her neck and shifted his arms around her. “Zhu Li, I’d like to meet your family.”

“Mmm… I suppose I could invite my aunt and uncle over for dinner, given enough notice.”

“No,” he murmured in her ear. “I mean - your mother and father.”

The meaning went unsaid, but there was only one reason a nice Earth Kingdom boy like Huang would request a meeting with her parents. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Why don’t you write to them, see when would be a good time for us to visit?”

“It’s a bit of a drive,” she replied softly, attempting to manage his expectations. “And from there, you have to go by boat.”

“We’ll make a vacation of it,” he said, sleepily kissing her neck. “Write to them. Soon.”

~*~

He didn’t bring her flowers this time, but he did meet her at the appointed spot, punctually, with a picnic basket on his arm and a blanket slung over his shoulder.

She raised her eyebrows. “Eating out, literally, I see?”

“I couldn’t decide on a restaurant, but then I realized - none of them have as good a view as the riverbank anyway.” He lifted the lid of the basket. Along with bamboo boxes of food and an extra blanket, there was a bottle of plum wine nestled inside - her favorite. 

They walked down to the river and picked a spot between two of the bridges, the lanterns casting warm light across the soft grass. Huang flung out the blanket and Zhu Li smoothed her skirt as she sat, watching him carefully remove each item from the basket.

“How have you been, really?” he asked, at the same moment she asked, “How is your family?”

He smiled, passing her a plate and chopsticks. “My mother is well. My uncles are as well as could be expected.”

Zhu Li swallowed a sad laugh. She took a deep breath before replying, “I’m doing well. I enjoy my job.”

Huang shook his head. “The military. It’s so weird - I never could have imagined you joining Kuvira. I mean, what she’s doing for the Earth Kingdom is wonderful. But Zhu Li, as a private… you are a private, right?”

She nodded, picking out a couple of crab puffs. “Officially. But I still work for Varrick International Industries.”

Huang’s brow creased. “And how is that? Just from what I know of him, that seems pretty… demanding.”

She considered her answer. “It is, but in a good way. Well, most days. But getting to be a part of the team that’s building an entirely new rail system - Huang, it’s so incredible.”

“Now that part, I can imagine: Zhu Li, changing the world.” 

Why did it all have to be so comfortable? Why did it feel so right, so easy to slip back into conversation with Huang, to appreciate the way he looked at her adoringly, to not be surprised when he poured her a glass of wine or offered her the second blanket as the sun set and the evening got chillier? Even the little spot they had chosen, sheltered by burgundy maple leaves and lit by the orange lanterns, was maddeningly perfect. Her mouth twisted into a rueful smile as he passed her a box of mooncakes - it had been a little joke of theirs. On the nearest bridge, a couple paused and kissed. 

Huang nodded at them. “Remember when we used to be that happy?”

“I do,” she said, wistfully. “But Huang - you broke my heart.”

His brown eyes lowered. “Zhu Li, I can never express how sorry I am for that. It was the worst mistake of my entire life. I didn’t know it at the time, but I realize now… I should have given up everything for you. I would give up everything for you. But somehow, it's all worked out so that I don’t have to…”

She looked at him, confused. He took her hand. She didn’t withdraw it. Brown eyes met grey. 

“I have a confession to make. I’ve been on a bit of a mission of my own - to find you. A friend of mine in Kuvira’s army slipped me a tip, and I booked a ticket that afternoon. Zhu Li, my uncle is retiring. He’s left me the company - no strings attached. The paperwork is already signed, so there’s no going back on it.”

She kept her expression in check. Why hadn’t Mr. Hao been able to do that two years earlier? Everything would have been different. 

“I can never fix what I did, but I’m hoping you’ll give me the chance to build something even better.” He was so close, so warm and familiar. His dark lashes flickered down as he glanced at her lips. She felt them part, a completely subliminal reaction. Spirits. How could she still love him, when it hurt so much to do so? She had to know - tentatively, she closed the distance.

Kissing Huang was as amazing as she remembered.  His mouth fit so perfectly, moved so perfectly against hers. She closed her eyes and the orange glow embraced her. Zhu Li let out a shaky breath as they both leaned back, taking full stock of what they’d just done. Huang, meanwhile, reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small box.

“I should have done this two years ago - Zhu Li Moon, will you marry me?”

Something welled up in her chest as he opened it - joy and pain, all twisted together. It roiled around her heart like a churning sea. Lantern light reflected off a gold ring set with a single perfect pearl, shining like the moon. He gave her a little time before speaking, quietly. 

“It’s been in the Hao family for ages, which I thought was appropriate. Plus, it reminded me of you.”

She reached out and touched the pearl. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, a gleaming bubble popped. She couldn’t place the memory, but it made her pause. “Huang, I… I’d need time to think about it.”

“Try it on,” he said, giving her one of the little half grins that had always twisted her up inside. “I promise I won’t hold you to it.”

Carefully, she slid it on her finger, placed her other hand below it as if she expected it to weigh much more than it actually did. 

“Earth and ocean,” Huang said. 

Zhu Li cocked her head and glanced up at him. “Ocean?”

“Yeah, you know… a girl from a fishing village, a guy from Ba Sing Se.”

It was factually true, but knowing that he saw her that way - as the deep and changeable ocean, not as a swirling wind, or the steady ground, or even an enduring flame - seemed to Zhu Li a fundamental misunderstanding. She knew the ocean, respected it, but had always admired it from a safe distance. Until he’d invited it into her heart and hadn’t stuck around to see the outcome.

~*~

REPUBLIC CITY: TWO YEARS, THREE MONTHS, AND FOURTEEN DAYS EARLIER

“The company is letting you go.” 

“I don’t think we can be together right now.”

Two of the hardest sentences one could ever hear, and Zhu Li had heard both in the same day. She restarted the letter again. Her hand had stopped shaking halfway through the second copy, but teardrops had blurred the third and fourth.

Dear Mother and Father,

Unfortunately Huang and I will be unable to visit this summer after all. My deepest apologies to you both for any preparations you may have made or inconvenience we have caused. Hopefully autumn will bring better fortune. 

Your devoted daughter,

Zhu Li

It had been a mistake to leap into the relationship with her whole heart. Falling had been incredible - more like flying, really. And then the ocean had beckoned. She’d been dragged to the bottom, had it fill her lungs as it made her its own. It was better to stay still and safe, on dry land, than to ever feel like this again. Like she was drowning. 

“Please understand -” Huang had said, across the table from her at the small tea shop they usually haunted after work, “- it’s not my choice. My uncle is going to disinherit me if I continue to see you. With the two of us working so well together, his brothers are prodding him toward retirement. He saw how successful we were with the Odaiko Mart account and couldn’t handle it.”  

Zhu Li had felt sick. She was jobless, boyfriend-less, and soon to be homeless. Her entire future was vanishing before her eyes. Her lungs were suddenly far too small, dark water pouring around her feet, rising to her knees, enveloping her. “What am I supposed to do, Huang?”

“I - I’m sorry. I don’t know.” He’d put his hand over hers, clenched tightly around a cup of green tea. “At least you have your family to fall back on.”

Zhu Li gazed around the attic. The space had seemed so much larger at twelve than it did at twenty-eight. She took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. Another bubble of despair made its way up into her chest, lodging in her throat. She sobbed it out. 

“Zhuzhi?” Zuzu asked, tentatively, from the hole in the floor. Ashamed, Zhu Li swiped her eyes, put her glasses back on her nose and sniffed hard to clear it. Her cousin crawled over and wrapped her arms around her. She hugged the teen back. They sat like that for a long time. “So what’s your next move?” Zuzu finally asked.

Zhu Li took another deep breath. “Update my resume, dive into the first decent job that comes along.”

Zuzu nodded. “Why don’t you call Dada? She used a placement service, started as a temp. Now she’s working full-time at an ad agency.” 

Zhu Li dried her tears. She would call her cousin and show up at the placement office as soon as it opened the following morning.

~*~

Zhu Li knew the ocean and the ocean knew her. 

Huang, as much as she loved him, as comfortable as he was, did not. She removed the ring and set it back in the box. Closing it, she handed it back to him.

“I’m sorry, Huang, but no.”

His brow furrowed. “Is - is there someone else?”

“There is…” she said, as she slowly realized. It was not the person she would’ve expected to come to mind. “Myself.”

He looked confused. 

Zhu Li trudged back to the train, deep in thought. It was so strange - her body felt heavy, exhausted, as if she’d just run a marathon. But her mind was clear and calm. Stopping outside the doors to the car, she heard Liying cackle inside. She heard the tone of Bolin’s voice, couldn’t make out the words. There was a shriek and a tiny explosion - not too out of the ordinary. Zhu Li squared her shoulders and stepped inside.

“Back so soon?!” Liying looked up, goggles making her look even more surprised. Shattered glass lay on the opposite counter; Zhu Li grabbed the dustpan and swept it up.

“Sorry,” Bolin said. “Varrick said he’d clean it up later.”

Liying tutted. “More like, he’d let Zhu Li clean it up later.”

Glass tinkled as she dumped the pieces in the garbage. She frowned. “Where is he?”

“Spent the whole evening pouting, then broke some stuff and disappeared,” Liying replied with a shrug. “I’ve been showing Bolin what you can do with sea salt ever since.”

“Explosions!” Bolin whispered loudly, from behind his hand. 

“Why - did you need him for something?” Liying asked.

Zhu Li shook her head, letting the bin fall shut. “No. It can wait until tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

Dear Zhu Li,

Kuvira has decided to hire Bolin as a sort of Goodwill Ambassador. The title is somewhat ironic, given that she’s definitely doing it to get a rise out of Su. Primary stages of bridge construction are going well. Hope everything is fine out in Haizun.

Cordially, Varrick

Zhu Li lowered the brief letter to her lap and stared out at the sea. The sound of waves on the rocky shore was calming. The breeze, while chilly, made her feel alive in a way nothing else could. She breathed in deeply. She’d been in Haizun for three days now, and had received as many letters from Varrick. They were all quite short, but the number and speed at which they arrived was a bit alarming. The first had actually beaten her to her destination.

Zhu Li Moon,

I don’t know what you were thinking, asking Kuvira to keep me from coming with you when you applied for leave. She claimed there’s some rule about only one person per department, but I’m highly suspicious that’s a load of hooey. Zhu Li, don’t you know, we have very important and time-sensitive work we should be doing at this very moment? Sure, Lao and Liying claim to know what they’re doing, but when I ask them to do the thing, neither one has the good sense to figure out what I’m yammering about. This whole operation is going to fall apart, and it’s all your fault. 

Regards, Varrick

Varrick’s handwriting was just like him - a narrow and loopy scrawl, the characters sprawling larger and darker across the page as he emphasized certain words. 

“Tea?” Her mother padded up behind her and handed her a steaming cup. 

“Thanks, Mom.” She settled in next to her.

Returning to her parents’ home after years away had been a bit of a shock. Her mother and father both looked so much older and greyer in person than they did in photographs. Zhu Li wanted to bottle them up and hide them away as they were now. It was a bitter fact that time continued to march on in Haizun, just as it did anywhere else, whether Zhu Li was there to see it or not. 

“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to visit,” she said, cupping her hands around the porcelain and breathing in the warmth of the steam. 

Her mother shrugged. “For years we didn’t have the money, and now you don’t have the time. Better the latter than the former.”

She sighed. That was her mother. Always pragmatic. 

“You got another letter,” her mother said, handing it over. Zhu Li opened it. It read - 

Dear Zhu Li,

Nearly got eaten by a canyon crawler today. Luckily, it thought Bolin’s little animal friend looked like a tastier snack than I did. When are you back again?”

Sincerely, Varrick

Scribbled below was a postscript, in a far broader, more open hand. 

P.S. Don’t worry - Pabu did not get eaten. - Bolin

“Good news?”

Zhu Li shrugged and slid the letter into the jacket she’d borrowed from her mother. Wearing her uniform had felt wrong here. 

Her mother looked her up and down. “Your boss has a lot to say. You must be very valuable to him, with all he’s spending on postage.” Her mouth went to one side and her eyes narrowed. “Is he married?”

Zhu Li shot her mother a look. From the letter she’d sent regarding Huang two years ago, the woman had been able to read between the lines and decipher the entire story. They’d never written any explanations to one another, but Zhu Li knew she knew. She was sure Lian had told her all about the day she and Varrick had appeared in Haizun, using fake names, as well. Her mother was incredibly insightful, even if that insight wasn’t always welcomed. 

“What does that matter?” she asked. “It’s a job - a good job. I intend to keep it for a long time.”

Her mother examined her critically. “Steady work is good. But so is resilience - stepping forward, trying again.”

Zhu Li shook her head. 

~*~

Dear Zhu Li,

Bolin got bitten by a baby sea serpent. Had to suck the venom out myself. When are you coming back?

Regretfully, Varrick

Zhu Li had needed an escape this morning. After fixing herself a meager breakfast, she’d set out to visit an old friend. The letter had been waiting on the mat as Zhu Li had opened the front door. She read it, frosty saltgrass crunching under her feet as she made her way down the lane toward the little house on the edge of the pines. She paused for a moment, stuffing the letter in her pocket and glancing out at the sea view before knocking on Ishi’s door. The ocean was iron today. 

“Zhu Li!” Ishi, balancing a baby on her hip, hugged Zhu Li tightly with her free arm. “Come in, come in… we’re letting out all the heat.” Zhu Li followed her to the cozy rug by the fire and sat. “This is Saburo,” she said, introducing Zhu Li to the baby. She nodded to another small boy, playing quietly in the corner. “That’s Eiji and Daichi’s out on the boat with his father.”

Zhu Li smiled. “I’m pleased to meet them. Congratulations, Ishi.”

“No kids for you yet?” Ishi sighed. Zhu Li shook her head. “Some days I miss it so much I could scream,” Ishi whispered, though she beamed at the two children with obvious love and affection. “Anyway, I was glad to hear you’d come back to town. It was so odd, seeing you last summer… that was you, wasn’t it?”

Zhu Li nodded.

“So what’s the story there?” She fished a toy out of Saburo’s mouth. “Please let it be a good one.”

“My employer tried to kidnap President Raiko and we had to flee the republic.”

“You do not disappoint!” Ishi laughed. 

Zhu Li stared at her hands. “I’m sorry I had to pretend to be someone else. Coming to Haizun was an awful idea, and all my fault.” 

“Yeah, but you’re not the one who tried to abduct the president, right?”

“No.”

“So you got him safely away? And then joined the army, I heard?”

Zhu Li nodded. It sounded absurd, laid out like that. “I’m working on a rail project, building a system that will connect the entire Earth Kingdom.”

“Ugh, please bring it here!” Ishi interjected. “It would be so nice to travel up to Republic City, just hop on a train and be there in hours instead of a full day.”

“You don’t think Haizun would change?” 

“Haizun never changes,” Ishi said, stoking the fire. Zhu Li imagined herself in Ishi’s place - married to some fisherman, sitting around the house taking care of their children while her husband was out on the water. How easily it could have happened if she’d stayed. She wondered if she would be content, luxuriating in the predictability of the changing seasons and steady, honest labor, the rest of the world existing only in books and stories. She shivered, scooting closer to the fire. 

“I saw the NO JUMPING signs coming into town,” she said, eyebrows creasing together. “Do people actually abide by them, or are they just for show?”

Ishi shook her head. “No, that’s definitely one thing that’s changed.” She laughed. “Can you believe we used to do that? How dangerous! I would never let my boys try that now. What were our parents thinking?” 

~*~

Another day, another letter...

Dear Zhu Li,

Rock slide. Bataar Jr. expressed his displeasure with our progress in a strongly-worded memo. I’d like to express my belief that he needs to (The next few words were censored by a thick black bar.) Send help.

Truly, Varrick

~*~

Zhu Li poked at the fish and rice, slowly scooting them around her plate in an attempt to make it seem like she was eating more than she actually was.

It wasn’t working. Her mother eyed her sharply. Her father’s gaze was more gentle, but somehow even worse in its steadiness. 

“Are you sick, Zhu Li?” he mother finally asked. “You’ve hardly touched your dinner.”

“You used to love mackerel,” her father commented. 

“I did… when I was twelve,” she replied, a little more sharply than necessary. 

Her mother, still chewing, set down her chopsticks and crossed her arms. “Okay. Out with it.”

Zhu Li looked her straight in the eye. “Out with what?”

“Why are you here?” Her mother flung her arms wide. “We’re happy to have you, but this entire week, you haven’t been present. Your body is here, but your mind is somewhere else. What’s going on? What happened that made a visit so urgent?”

“I needed to be here.” Zhu Li spoke slowly and deliberately. 

“Why now? Why not six months ago? Late spring is very nice in Haizun, late fall - not so much.” 

“Maybe I missed both, Mom - the good and the bad. Maybe I needed to remember what it was like, to see if even the worst time of year was as good as it is in my memories.”  

Her mother stared at her as if she’d gone crazy. Zhu Li sighed and set down her chopsticks. Her father continued to chew, a mild expression on his face, but quietly listening all the same. “I know -” Zhu Li said, regaining her composure. “I understand why you did it. And it’s been good for me in so many ways. But I need you to know - it scarred me too.”

“Scarred you?! Zhu Li, what are you talking about?” 

“I have a need to be needed. And it’s not healthy.” She decided to get to the heart of the matter. It was, in hindsight, the entire reason she’d taken time off, the reason she’d traveled this far - to confront them. Everything, for better or worse, had started the day she’d left Haizun and it wouldn’t get better until she accepted that. “I saw Huang recently.”

Her mother’s eyes flashed up. Her father stopped chewing.

“He proposed to me.”

“He did?!”

“I turned him down. Don’t look so disappointed, Mom… he completely broke my heart and betrayed my trust two years ago. But you know what? For the briefest of moments, I actually considered saying yes. Because when someone expresses an interest in me, when someone claims to want me around, I go running to that person without a second thought, whether it’s actually good for me or not. It’s some horrible, automatic reaction at this point.”

Her parents continued to stare at her. 

“I make myself needed. I do everything just so, because maybe if I’m perfect, maybe if I make myself indispensable… I won’t be sent away, ever again.”

There was a long, uneasy silence. 

Her mother broke it by holding up a tureen. “More mackerel?”

~*~

Her father found her sitting on the front porch, watching the ships bob down in the harbor. 

“It’s cold out.” He sat on the stoop next to her and nodded at the ring around the moon. “Might snow tonight.”

She nodded. 

“Zhu Li… your mother and I love you so much. Sending you away was the hardest decision we ever made. But reading your letters, hearing about the projects you’re working on, knowing you’re doing things that bring you satisfaction - I know we made the right choice.”

“I know that, Dad,” she replied, softly. “But I needed you to hear the other side of it too.”

He sighed, a puff of warmth in the biting-cold air. 

“Perfection is a virtue, Zhu Li. It’s not something you need to feel ashamed of.” 

She lowered her head. He took her hand. 

“But the same goes for happiness.” 

She looked up, met her father’s eyes - kind, amber eyes that crinkled at the corners behind his glasses. They were serious now. “You shouldn’t settle for any less. You deserve it. You should wait for it.”

“What if it never finds me?” she asked, after a minute. 

“Happiness rarely goes looking for people. You may have to seek it out yourself.” He shifted, reaching into his jacket. “More mail arrived for you this afternoon.” He handed her two letters, then stood and stretched. “Why don’t you come in, read them by the fire, where it’s warmer?”

She looked up at him. “I’ll be in, in just a minute.” He paused. “Promise,” she reassured him.

With a gentle nod, her father went back inside. 

Zhu Li opened the neatly addressed one first. 

My Dearest Zhu Li,

I hope you are doing well. I recently had the amazing good fortune of having an anonymous offer put up for Hao’s Handy Home Dustbenders, for more than the company is actually worth. The only person I can think of sharing my newfound wealth with is you; I can finally give you the life I’d always dreamed of being able to give you. Please reconsider my offer?

Love, Huang

She put it back in its envelope. The second letter was much shorter and to the point.

Zhu Li, if I have to build the dang track out to you myself…

Yours, Varrick

She needed to get back soon, she thought with alarm. She knew he would actually do it. 

~*~

Work had begun on the loop around the Si Wong Desert. She met up with the train as it paused at a future junction, east of Omashu. 

“There you are, Zhu Li!” a familiar voice rang out. “What took so long?” 

Hearing Varrick’s voice was like taking a deep breath. He wasn’t kind, or polite, or tactful, the vast majority of the time. He was rarely sweet. He wasn’t easy, ever . But he’d never left her and that mattered to her, deeply. She understood why she felt this way, understood it probably wasn’t the healthiest thing to build a relationship upon - working or otherwise. But maybe, just maybe, now that she’d recognized that, she could work on the foundations, try to figure out how a person who rarely stayed still felt so permanent to her.

She found herself picturing their relationship as a life raft, drifting on choppy waters. She imagined all the things that could go wrong - springing a leak, facing a sea monster, falling overboard. She knew, in any given situation, she’d do most of the work. 

But she also knew she could count on him to be there beside her, frantically bailing out buckets of water, yelling directions about the best way to fend off an unagi (probably incorrect), diving in after her. 

“It’s a long journey, sir,” she said, almost shyly. 

“How are you doing, Zhu Li? Did you have a nice trip, Zhu Li? We missed you, Zhu Li...” Liying said in the background, rolling her eyes. “Really, Varrick - any of those choices would have been appropriate.”

He stared at Zhu Li for a moment. “Yeah, all that,” Varrick said, finally, crossing his arms. 

“Zhu Li!” Bolin burst into the car before she could respond. “How are you?! We missed you! How are your parents?” He threw his arms around her. 

Liying nodded. “See - the kid gets it. Normal, human interaction.”

Zhu Li gingerly patted Bolin on the back. “I’m doing well. My parents were well. I’m ready to get back to work.” 

“Good,” Varrick said, turning away. “Grab a pair of gloves; let’s get started.”

Liying’s head fell to her chest in exasperation. “At least let the woman put her luggage away first.”

“Fine… Zhu Li, do the thing, then come help us with this other thing.”

As Zhu Li returned and pulled on her lab coat, she spotted a new addition. A pneumatic tube connected the lower level of the car with the upper level. “A messaging system?” she asked, pulling on her gloves.

“Ooo, yeah! Watch this!” Bolin said. He ran up the stairs, where he scribbled a quick note, put it in the canister, pressed a button, and watched it go flying down to her station. She opened the canister and unfolded the note. It read HI and had a smiley face underneath. 

She looked up at him. “Hello, Bolin.”

“Nooo,” he said, clenching his fists near his chin. “You need to send it.”

She wrote a few words on the back of his note and sent it whooshing up the pipe to him.

“This seems redundant,” Bolin read out loud.

“Well, proprietary vacuum technology is fairly useless,” Varrick stated, tossing a spinning wrench and catching it one-handed before returning to his work.

Chapter Text

The train slowed as it pulled into their newest base of operations. Lao glanced out the window at the low sprawl of Gaoling. “This would be an ideal place to set up a business,” he mused. “Not as large as Ba Sing Se, but lots of money and room for improvement and modernization. Maybe I can talk my wife into moving, once Kuvira has reunited the Kingdom.” 

“Mimi’s talked about it too,” replied Liying. “Great climate - you’d hardly know it’s winter.”  

“Ugh, enough.” Varrick scooted out from under the half-completed transformer, staring up at them behind the crazily-colored goggles he’d invented last week for protection from different wavelengths of light. “Gaoling is the worst.”

Vaguely, Zhu Li remembered him saying that before. When had that been? When they were searching for a place to start over? A year and a half had passed since they’d visited Song in Omashu. It felt like eons ago, and yesterday, all at once. 

“So you won’t be joining us out on the town later? There’s going to be a ‘Welcome Back’ party for Bataar,” Liying said. 

“Hard pass,” Varrick grunted. “Zhu Li, hand me the thing.” She passed him the screwdriver; he flipped it neatly in his hand and slid back under the machine. 

~*~

Varrick had stuck to his word about not joining them for the ‘Welcome Back’ party - “The sooner we leave this place, the better,” he’d grumbled. The festivities were in full swing by the time the tech team showed up. Bataar had completed whatever secretive mission he and Dr. Sheng had been working on. The doctor - currently skulking in a corner, talking quietly with a burly commander - would remain in Gaoling, but Bataar would be joining the train once more, as they continued to build around the Si Wong Desert. 

The man of the hour was currently surrounded by well-wishers. One of the larger grunts from infantry thumped Bataar on the back; Bataar fastidiously brushed the drink off the front of his silver-lined tunic. Kuvira had created an entirely new rank for him, second only to hers. It seemed that relationship had weathered long-distance and come out the other side stronger than ever. Kuvira wasn’t here - these days, she placed herself a bit above showing up to a party thrown by her foot soldiers - but Zhu Li imagined the couple would have their own celebration later. 

“Second round’s on me,” said Liying. “The same?” She pointed at Zhu Li and Bolin.

Zhu Li nodded. “Thank you.”

Bolin, sitting on the stool next to Zhu Li’s, nudged her. He squinted down the bar. “Is it just me, or does that guy look really familiar?” 

Zhu Li looked and was stunned to realize Bolin was correct. “He looks like Varrick,” she said. 

“Oh, wow… yeah, he does!”

The man was younger than Varrick, possibly a few years younger than Zhu Li as well. His hair was straighter than Varrick’s - though it stuck every which way - and his skin barely darker than hers. He had green eyes instead of blue and was clean shaven, but in every other respect, he was an eerie match. Lanky limbs spilled across the counter as he laughed at something the gruff female bartender had said, his mouth twisting up in a lop-sided grin. The dimple in his square chin was more apparent when he smiled.

“Whoa…” Behind her, Bolin’s drink trickled out of his mouth and back into his glass. She felt like doing the same. “Uh-oh,” said Bolin. “He’s spotted us staring. Act normal.” The kid looked at the ceiling and whistled as Varrick’s Earth Kingdom doppelganger meandered in their direction. 

“Hey. In town with the Great Uniter?” he asked as he plopped down on the stool next to hers. Even his voice sounded like Varrick’s, if not quite as deep.

Zhu Li knew engaging a swaggery young man at a bar never ended well, and therefore, never did so. But her curiosity - at Varrick’s mysterious dislike for Gaoling, at this stranger that shared half his face, at the possibility of a connection between the two - overcame her common sense. She nodded.

The young man wiggled a single eyebrow in an eerily familiar gesture. “I can think of a couple of things I’d like to unite.” 

A towel came flying across the bar, smacking his shoulder. “Ow! Okay, okay… that was bad. I admit it.” The bartender glared at him, crossing her arms. He held up his hands. “Sorry. I mean, I had to try.”

“You really didn’t,” Zhu Li replied, making a face. 

“Yeah, that wasn’t cool at all,” Bolin said. She glanced back; he had squared his shoulders in an attempt to look more menacing. It would have worked if not for the natural sweetness of the kid’s face. 

“Sorry, sorry,” the skinny young man repeated, hands still held up in supplication. He gestured to one side. “I mean, it was right there. I’ve been sitting on that line ever since we heard Kuvira was taking over.”

“Is this guy bothering you?” asked the bartender, leaning across the counter. “Because he bothers the boulders out of me. My name’s Kira. Just say the word and I’ll take care of him for you.”

Zhu Li shook her head. “Thank you, but I’m okay.” 

The young man took this as an invitation. “Eun Sangja. How’re you doing?” He offered her his hand. Upon shaking hers, he twisted it slightly, and planted a kiss on the back. He grinned cheekily. “Sorry - this isn’t your boyfriend, is it?” he asked, nodding to Bolin, who was looking back and forth between the two of them, clearly trying to work out if Zhu Li was encouraging this behavior or just putting up with it. She gave him a little nod; she could explain later.

At this, Bolin shook his head, both as a response and to clear it. “Nope. Don’t mind me. I… think I’m going to go over there. See some girls. About a thing. Just steps away if you need us.” Dazed, he wandered off in the direction of Liying and Mimi. 

Eun slid his fruity drink down the counter so that he could sit facing her. “So what’s your name, beautiful?”

“Zhu Li,” she replied, taking her hand back and wiping it slightly on her jacket. “How old are you?”

“However old you want me to be,” he said, wiggling his eyebrow again.

“He’s twenty-six,” Kira remarked, polishing a glass. She was hovering nearby; Zhu Li was appreciative. 

“Are you from Gaoling?”

“Tuh. Of course! What, you’ve never heard of the Sangja family?” His face dropped when she shook her head. 

“Just cause you’re practically royalty here, doesn’t mean the rest of the world knows you,” Kira interjected. “The only Gaoling family that’s known world-wide are the Beifongs, for obvious reasons.”

“They were Dad’s next door neighbors,” Eun muttered, pride wounded. “Don’t see what’s so great about tossing boulders and twisting metal around anyway.”

Zhu Li took a sip of her drink and raised her eyebrows.

“Not that Kuvira’s not doing great things!” Eun back-pedalled, thinking he’d offended her. “My brother designed that train of hers, you know.” 

Zhu Li froze, drink still to her lips.

“Geum?” Kira barked. “Ha! The only thing Geum’s designed is a way to help your father hold onto his money, while you and your pretty little step-mother do your best to spend it.”

“Not Geum, my oldest brother. Half-brother, actually. You wouldn’t know him.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Kira rolled her eyes as she poured the drinks Liying had ordered. “Like that boarcupine the two of you captured last fall. Or the elephant koi you caught the spring before that.”

Eun bristled. “You’ve seen the boarcupine - its head is hanging in the house! Anyway, of course you haven’t met him - I’ve hardly met him myself. Just the once, when he came to Ma’s funeral.” 

Zhu Li set down her glass with a little too much force. She quickly did the math in her head - if this was Varrick’s younger half-brother, her boss would have already been traveling with the circus by the time Eun had been born. 

Kira, meanwhile, mopped up her mess without even glancing at it. “Wait… skinny mustache, lots of wavy hair, Water Tribe?” 

“That’s the one. Completely broke Ma’s heart.” He turned back to Zhu Li. “Anyway, long story short… if you’d like a tour of town, I could show you around.”

It was so tempting, to find out more about Varrick’s childhood, his mother. But it felt like a shortcut, almost a betrayal, hearing it from someone else. 

Zhu Li gave Eun a small, polite smile. “Thank you, but we’re leaving tomorrow and I have work to do.” 

Kira, clearly a professional, took this moment to set the fresh round of drinks on the bar. Zhu Li stood and gathered them between her hands. 

“It was nice to meet you, Eun.” He sank back on his stool, dejected. Balancing the drinks, Zhu Li turned back. “Oh! One more thing? Since you’re clearly the Gaoling expert - do you know of any place in town that sells kale cookies?” 

~*~

Despite Eun’s fairly helpful suggestions of bakeries she could try, Zhu Li was disappointed to find out that kale cookies did not seem to exist in Gaoling. If they’d been back in Republic City or Zaofu, she could have baked them herself. But the train didn’t have an oven - yet. 

Zhu Li placed her purchases - two metal bowls and a slotted metal plate - on the counter. Digging through one of the lab’s cupboards, she found the round wire rack. They’d used it rarely, only to set a boiling kettle on - it would be safe to use. She assembled the pieces in order. 

“What are you doing?” Lao asked, curiously looking across the car. 

“An experiment,” was all Zhu Li would say. She still wasn’t sure if this was going to work, though the logic behind it seemed sound. Lao shrugged, and returned to his work. 

She used the corner of the counter where they usually ate lunch to rinse and chop up the kale, mixing it in with the other dry ingredients. She added the remainder of the items from her shopping bag, mixed them together, and let the dough chill in the refrigerated storage. After dividing it, rolling it into neat balls, and placing them on the slotted metal plate over the wire rack, she poured salt in the bottom of the lower bowl for even heat distribution and put the entire contraption over a lit burner. Soon, the lab was filled with the scent of freshly baked cookies. 

“Those smell incredible,” Lao remarked. 

Zhu Li fished one out with a pair of tongs and passed it to him. He took it, tossing it from one hand to the other in an attempt to cool it. “Why don’t you take a break?” she suggested. “I can clean up here.”

Lao gladly took her up on her offer. Minutes after he left, Varrick appeared, sniffing the air. He approached her, peering over her shoulder. A tiny jolt of electricity ran through her as his hand brushed her waist, absent-mindedly. 

“Zhu Li. Are those… kale cookies?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“From that recipe you got from Tonraq?” 

“Mmm-hmm.”

“And -” he frowned, pointing “- did you make this oven specifically so you could do this?”

“I did.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Why are you buttering me up, Zhu Li? You’re not planning on leaving again, are you?” 

“No... though I’m not sure why you’re assuming these cookies are for you.”

His face fell. “But they’re my favorite. Zhu Liii… ” 

“Sir, what have I said about whining?” she asked as she poured not-quite-boiling water into the teapot. 

“You’re not a fan.”

She nodded, arranging the cookies on a plate.  

“But… cookies …” She handed the plate to him and his expression changed as if gravity had reversed. Carefully guarding the cookies with one arm, he embraced her with the other, planting a kiss on her temple. “You really did this thing for me?”  

She brushed a few longer hairs back behind her ear, blushing slightly. “Sir, who else am I going to bake kale cookies for?”

“I dunno,” Varrick said, frowning as he took a bite. “Ooo… Hot! Hot!” Zhu Li handed him a cup of freshly brewed tea. “Hotter, ow.” Zhu Li inclined her head to the loft and he followed her up there, still hugging the plate of cookies. “Bolin said you were talking to some guy at the bar last night. For all I know, they were for him.”

Zhu Li sat, her own cup of tea in her hands. He flopped down next to her. “Did Bolin give you any other details about this guy?” she asked. 

“No, except for the fact that he was phenomenally good-looking.”

She fixed him with a stare. 

“Alright, alright. He said he could have been my… brother.”

“Sir.” She knew. He knew she knew.

“Fine. It was my brother. And honestly, I don’t know how I feel about you chatting up -”

“Sir.” He also knew that hadn’t been her plan, or her point. 

Varrick sighed, audibly. “Zhu Li, I didn’t even know I had brothers until my mom showed up to the circus with her new, perfect little family. Rich husband, two adorable sons.” He examined his cookie. “She didn’t even recognize me.”

Without thinking, without meaning to, she put a hand on his arm. 

“I mean, to be fair, it had been a few years.” He glanced up at her and frowned. “Don’t you go feeling sorry for me, Zhu Li.” He shook a second cookie at her before biting into it. “I was practically an adult. I’d made my choices and I wouldn’t be where I am today without - Man, these cookies,” he sighed. He went to grab a third, twisting his other arm over his shoulder to scratch his back as he leaned forward. 

Automatically, Zhu Li reached out and scratched that spot he could never reach. He froze, expression suddenly changing to a more shrewd one. “You know,” he said, testing the waters as he leaned into her touch, “my callouses have made a menacing comeback. And my ears could use another candling. I even think those hairs on my neck are growing in again. Got your tweezers handy?”

“Pace yourself, sir,” she said, drily. 

He grabbed yet another cookie. “That’s just a prototype of the portable oven, right? I mean, ideally, you would use heating coils instead of a burner, include the electrical source in the device. The Varri-Cookie Baker. No, the Varri-Bake Oven. Eh. Anyway, I need you to draw up some sketches, send them to Research and Development, attention: our new home goods department.”

“Varri-Vacs?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. Neither of them had spoken a word about Varrick Industries International’s most recent acquisition. For her part, she was rather impressed he’d managed the name-change paperwork without her help.

“Yeah, that’s the one. Hey, Zhu Li… do you have your book handy?”

“It’s over there,” she nodded. The most recent copy of Pao Ji sat on a nearby bookshelf, its ribbon resting only a few chapters away from the end. She’d been meaning to finish it for months, but all her reading hours seemed to be consumed with the scientific texts she flew through to keep up with Varrick’s latest schemes. 

“Well, go get it…” He waited for her to retrieve it. She did, confused. Did he want her to read to him? The last time they’d done that was in Ping Ping.

The amount of time she’d spent on this book was ridiculous. She hoped the ending would be worth it.

As she sat down, he stretched his arms dramatically and yawned. “Wow. Maybe that many cookies at once wasn’t a great idea. I think my blood sugar sky-rocketed - now it’s dropping like a stone. I’d better take a nap, sleep it off.” He kicked his legs up and sprawled backwards, setting his head in her lap. 

She sat there, a little stunned for a moment, but finally tucked her legs in and opened her book. Eyes still closed, he smiled. 

A half hour or so later, Zhu Li was completely engrossed as Pao Ji and Prince Raizen finally shared a kiss before going into one last battle together against his father’s forces. They were exhausted and injured and their troops were swiftly dwindling. Zhu Li knew the ending would be tragic, but it made the long-awaited moment even sweeter. The train’s whistle blew, making her jump a bit. She hadn’t realized her hand had been tangled in Varrick’s hair; she smoothed back the lock she’d just displaced. Glancing out the window behind her, she watched as the last few stragglers boarded. They were headed to the next state, the treaty for Gaoling signed. 

Slowly, the train began to hum, then moved forward. 

“Best day ever,” Varrick sighed.

Chapter Text

The last bit of track around the Si Wong desert had been more difficult than anticipated. It turned out the desert had a strong magnetic core that caused the test train to jump the track at multiple spots. Varrick had figured out a work-around fairly quickly, but it was still meticulous, tedious work. Kuvira assigned them yet another tech to complete the project, an electrical engineer named Tan. Unlike Liying and Lao, he was military before scientist, hair styled in the severe undercut so many of Kuvira’s troops favored. The track had been completed successfully, but needed more current than anticipated. Zhu Li often wondered how they kept up with the energy demanded to run the entire rail system. She had an uneasy feeling she wouldn’t like the answer, had it been given. 

Today, though, they were on a mission to change that. A few of their other experiments had been enacted, like the electricity-producing dams in the Taihua Mountains. Varrick had a long-running hypothesis he’d only recently brought up again - that it might be possible to harness spirit energy. They’d witnessed its destructive force when the giant kite - sorry, Unalaq - had leveled parts of Republic City. Kuvira had listened to this proposition with her chin in her hand, then glanced up at her second-in-command. She and Bataar had exchanged a significant look.

“There may be a place where we could test your theory. Near Zaofu, there is a swamp…”

Varrick laughed sharply. “Oh, I’m well acquainted with the place! But what does that have to do with spirit energy?”

Bataar looked at Varrick with thinly-veiled contempt. “The swamp is a hotbed of spiritual activity. The vines themselves are imbued with supernatural powers. Don’t you read?” 

Zhu Li set down the teapot she was holding. Oh. Maybe some of those peculiar visions she’d had in the swamp hadn’t been the effects of cactus juice, or her splitting headache, after all.  

“As little as possible,” Varrick had replied, cavalierly. “I have Zhu Li to do that for me.”

~*~

The swamp still made Zhu Li uneasy. Especially when one of the vines curled around her ankle. She kicked it off. Almost simultaneously, Varrick grabbed her elbow and scooted her out of his path.

“Coming through with a giant saw!” he said cheerfully. “Tan, let’s harvest that one.” Tan lifted the electrical saw and hit the button. It roared to life, severing the vine from its root. Zhu Li winced. Tan switched the saw off and Lao hurriedly took the vine and dragged it into a glass stasis capsule. As he snapped it shut and got Tan to help him lift it, Varrick spoke loudly. “If I recall correctly, you bit a few of these vines. I’d steer clear, Zhu Li. I don’t think they like you.”

Tan shot them both a look that clearly communicated he thought they were crazy.

The ribbing continued all afternoon. “Remember how you almost got eaten by a cat gator?” Varrick asked, fondly, as the team trudged through ankle-deep water. 

Lao glanced worriedly at his boots. “Maybe we should explore in that direction,” the engineer suggested, pointing. “Where it’s drier.”

A few minutes later, Zhu Li held a dangling vine in place as Liying cut it off a tree. “Remember how I distracted you from your horrible headache?” Varrick shouted over the blare of the saw.

Liying threw Zhu Li a side-eye as the vine dropped. “Yeah - I’m going to give the two of you a moment,” she muttered. 

As Liying hefted the stasis capsule to her shoulder, Zhu Li’s eyebrows rose. “You knew?”

“Of course I knew, Zhu Li! You grind the dickens out of your teeth when you’ve got one. I could hear it the entire time you had me on your back.”

Liying, heading toward the truck but still within earshot, stumbled and almost dropped the vine she was carrying.  

~*~

The following day, Liying insisted Zhu Li stay behind and help her record the base vitals for each plant. “No one records data like Zhu Li!” she’d said cheerily as Varrick screwed up his face. “And Bolin’s just as strong.”

Bolin grinned, fully aware that the comparison was a compliment. “Happy to help!” he’d offered.  

“Fine,” Varrick said, finally. “The kid comes with me, you two do the thing in the lab. We’ll be back around lunch time.”

They’d gotten through all but the last row of the vines before Liying posed the rather blunt question.  

“Zhu Li… are you sleeping with your boss?”

Zhu Li fumbled with her clipboard, feeling her face go scarlet. She managed to catch it before it clattered to the floor. “No! I’m not.”

“Do you want to sleep with your boss?”

“I -” she started, still crimson, “I don’t feel comfortable answering that question. Especially in a workplace setting.”

“So that’s not a no, then,” Liying commented. “Fifty-two, one hundred and seven, twenty-six over forty.”

Zhu Li jotted down the numbers in their appropriate columns, glad to have a distraction. 

“How long have you worked for Varrick?”

Pure data. That was safe enough. “Two years, ten months, and sixteen days.”

“Wow. So I can tell Mimi she’s not in the longest ring-less relationship on this train after all.”

“It’s not like that,” Zhu Li said quietly. “I’m his assistant. I’m a professional.”

“Yeah, but have you ever considered not being those things?” When Zhu Li didn’t answer, Liying shrugged. “I mean, if you’re worried about how he’d react (which I really don’t think you’d need to be, by the way) at least you’d know you’d still have a job. Kuvira would be happy to have you keep working for her, under Varrick or not.”

Zhu Li had never really considered that. It was true - job security wasn’t the concern it had been for her in the past. She had an incredible skill set, experience to back it up, even a glowing letter of recommendation tucked away in her nightstand drawer. To be honest, she could probably head up her own tech division at this point, scratch that - her own company. No, having a job was no longer the issue.

Having him was. If she took that leap again, if he wasn’t willing or ready to catch her… it didn’t really bear thinking about. She was pretty sure she’d found happiness after all. Now she just had to wait until it was ready for her. 

“Because really, Zhu Li -” Liying continued “- I don’t understand how your relationship works.” 

Zhu Li wanted to respond that neither of them seemed to either, but refrained. 

“Seventy-six, one hundred and three, twenty-two over forty-one.” Liying stood. “Well, that’s the last of them. I’m headed down to the mess. You coming?”

“I think I’ll wait for a bit.”

Liying sighed, punching the button to the door. “Of course you will.”

Zhu Li took a deep breath and shook her head once she was alone. It had been unfair of Varrick to expose her like that, with all his comments yesterday. She doubted Liying would ask the same questions of him. Or maybe she would, Zhu Li realized, with dawning horror. Just then, she glanced out the window and saw a sight that made the previous conversation go flying out of mind, for the present. 

Bolin was sporting what looked like half a spiky beard. He was holding Varrick's arm over his opposite shoulder as her boss hobbled along beside him. As they got closer, she could make out the individual quills - they weren’t the giant spears of a fully grown boarcupine, but the wispy spikes of a juvenile. 

The moment their feet hit the steps of the train, Zhu Li ordered, “Doctor, now.”

“Yes ma’am,” Bolin mumbled out the good side of his mouth. It looked painful. She winced in sympathy.

Varrick, meanwhile, let out an agonized moan. “No doctor. I don’t… think… I can make it…” he gasped, sliding out of Bolin’s grasp and falling forward onto the sofa. As he did, she could finally see two dozen quills stuck about six inches below the right side of his belt. She buried her face in her hand for a moment.

“Bolin, go see the doctor. This idiot will be joining you in a few minutes, once he gets up the courage.” 

“No, no,” Varrick mumbled into the cushion as Bolin stiffly bowed and headed to the medical car. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to spend the rest of my life like this, trying not to move.”

Zhu Li crossed her arms and perched on the sofa by his knees. “Boarcupine quills just get deeper, the longer you leave them in.”

He turned his face. “Then I will become one with the boarcupine.”

Zhu Li couldn’t help it. Very, very lightly, she tapped one of the quills. He yelped. 

“Did you sit on a baby boarcupine?” she asked.

“More or less,” he groaned. 

“And what happened to Bolin?”

“I may have pulled him down by his collar, total shock-reflex.”

“So this is your fault.”

“I mean, if you want to look at it that way…”

She got up and grabbed a pair of needle-nosed pliers from the workspace. Blowing her frustration out through her nose, she stepped back over to the sofa. Varrick eyed her warily. “Zhu Li, what are you planning on doing with those?”

“The quills have to come out, sir. You have two options here. I will help you hobble down to the medical car where you can get actual, professional help...”

“Or?”

“Or I will pull them out myself.”

He buried his face in the cushion again. After a moment, he mumbled something.

“What?!”

“Just do the thing, Zhu Li!”

She sighed. It was not her preferred option. But the quills would sink in even deeper if she dragged him kicking and screaming to the medical car. Grabbing the first aid kit, she sat down in the same spot as before. She decided to try one more tack.

“Varrick, the doctor has painkillers. I don’t.”

“No more needles! Please!” 

She shook her head. “You’re going to regret this.”

“I already regret everything,” he moaned. 

Zhu Li examined the quills. They’d had to go through his uniform shirt and his pants - hopefully the layers of fabric had slowed their progress. She took a pair of scissors from the kit and carefully cut a square out of his tunic. As gently as she could, she lifted the first piece of fabric straight up. He hissed into the couch. 

“Unbuckle your belt.”

He shot her a dirty look, but seemed beyond any of the obvious jokes at the moment. Gingerly, he did as she requested; the belt buckle clinked as it fell to the floor. 

Not at all how I’d imagined this, she found herself thinking wryly, in the absence of a quip from him. For a moment, she considered saying those words out loud, distracting him with shock or a laugh as she removed the next piece of fabric. But no, she decided. He didn’t deserve that at present. 

She cut through the waistband of his uniform pants and his boxers simultaneously, down around the patch of quills, repressing the crazy urge to accidentally cut any further. Quickly but carefully, she removed the second and third layer of fabric as one piece. “GAAAAAHHH!!”

Only about a dozen of the quills had actually penetrated his skin, thankfully. Zhu Li started with a fairly shallow one where she could see most of the white tip. Carefully, she used the pliers to grip the quill as close to the skin as she could, and in one swift motion, firmly yanked it up. He let out a blood-curdling, high-pitched scream. 

“Doctor?” she asked.

“No,” he gritted through clenched teeth. “This is fine.”

She went for the second quill. By the third, he was sobbing. By the sixth, he was pleading her to stop.

“Zhu Li, I will give you a raise. Your own yacht. Anything you ask for. Just please, please… stop torturing me.”

She got down on her knees next to his face and set her hand between his shoulder blades.

“We’re halfway through. You’re doing great. Do you want to pause and have the doctor take care of the rest?”

He sniffled. “Just… stay right here for a minute?”

She did, rubbing his back. He closed his eyes. “Okay,” he finally hissed. “Keep going.”

“You’re sure?”

He nodded, eyes still closed. She returned to her earlier spot and pulled out four quills, in quick succession. 

“AAH! EEE! NNN! HHHHHHNGH!”

She’d saved the deepest for last. She’d tried to preserve his dignity as best she could, but there was no getting around it now. She placed her hand firmly in a L-shape on the upper curve of his backside. She tried to ignore how warm and surprisingly soft his skin felt under her palm. He tensed slightly at her touch. “Last two,” she warned him. The first one came out cleanly, blood pooling to the surface from the puncture wound. The pliers slid off the next one on the first tug. Sucking in a deep breath, Zhu Li pressed her hand down harder and locked the pliers in a death grip. This time, the quill slid right out - she examined it to make sure no shards had been left behind. 

“Was that the last one?” he gasped. She made a little noise of affirmation. “Oh, spirits, thank you,” he sobbed into the pillow, shoulders shaking. She took advantage of his distraction to quickly swipe the entire area with disinfectant, making him shriek one final time, before taping down a large square of gauze. 

~*~

“You finished the entire two-week course of the antibiotics, correct?” the camp doctor asked. 

“Yes,” Bolin and Varrick muttered in unison, with Bolin tacking a, “ma’am,” on the end.  

“Well, this is the final shot of the series. After this, you’ll be cleared as possible carriers of bor-q-spirosis.”

“Who knew the little critters could murder you with or without their quills,” Varrick grumbled, as Bolin glared at him, rolling up his sleeve.

“Ow!” the kid yelped. 

The doctor swabbed Bolin’s arm. “Alright, you’re done. Next,” she sighed.

“I don’t know, doc, do we have time to discu- OW!”

“It’s done,” she said, clearly relieved to sign Varrick off as a patient. “Now the next time the two of you encounter a wild animal…” She continued talking as one of the communications officers ducked their head in the car. 

“Telegram for Zhu Li Moon.”

Surprised, she took it.

“But doc, what if…” Varrick started in on some extremely unlikely scenario as Zhu Li skimmed the message. Then she sat down. The floor was the only place to sit, so that’s where she sat. 

“Zhu Li -?” Bolin sounded alarmed. “Are you alright? Zhu Li?”

“I don’t think I am,” she said, staring at the slip of paper. “My father has died.”

Chapter Text

Zhu Li, dressed in traditional white robes, lit a stick of incense and knelt before her father’s photograph. She was supposed to be meditating, supposed to be attempting to commune with the spirit realm and envisioning a smooth transition to his next life. Instead, everything was empty, a blank wall of internal silence. 

Beside her, she felt her mother bow a little deeper. 

~*~

The numbness had hit her like a ton of bricks at first, then slowly seeped in and grabbed hold as she sat in Kuvira’s office. “My condolences,” Kuvira had said. “Do you truly want Varrick along?” Her brow creased. “I can deny his request for leave again.”

Zhu Li had shaken her head. “It’s okay. The family will appreciate the gesture of respect.”

Her coworkers had all come by to mutter their sympathies as she packed. As the door to the next car slid open and closed, she could hear Varrick giving orders for the next two week’s worth of work. 

“No yacht,” she’d told him, when he’d been ready to send a telegraph to Shesh. “Not in Haizun.”

The train had taken them as far as the coast. Somehow, he’d come up with a modest sailboat - she hadn’t asked - and they’d reached Haizun by evening. The summer dragon gleamed in the sky overhead as they sailed into the harbor. After mooring the boat, he’d followed her silently up the path to her parents’ house.

Her mother answered the door, hugged her wordlessly. She dropped her bags and hugged her back as tightly as she could. Her mother finally released her, putting a hand to Zhu Li’s face. Her eyes communicated everything words could not.

Zhu Li nodded. 

Her mother’s eyes flicked over her shoulder to Varrick. Zhu Li stood aside to introduce him. “This is Varrick, my boss. He… wanted to pay his respects.” 

Varrick stepped forward and bowed deeply, taking her mother’s hands in his. “I am so, so sorry for your loss,” he said, solemnly.  

She wasn’t surprised at the tone of his voice. Despite - or perhaps because of - his realization in the cave during their first trip through Haizun, he had always conducted himself with the utmost respectability when it came to her family. 

She realized, with a jolt, that he’d never be able to meet her father. 

~*~

The three days of mourning, banquet, and seven days of visits to the cemetery were all custom, exactly what Zhu Li would have expected if she’d ever pictured this day. The white robes made from cloth woven by Auntie Anhjong, the firebender for the cremation, the earthbender to shape the stone - all could have been predicted.

The incredible, sweat-dripping-off-you heat, unseasonal for this early in the summer, was not a detail she ever could have imagined. Cicadas buzzed in the pines nearby, seemingly angry at the rising temperature, as she carried her father’s ashes to their final resting place. 

The twisting path up through the pines ended in a small clearing. Between the dark boughs of the trees, bits of ocean gleamed. A village elder, standing by the small hole dug at the base of a freshly carved marker, took the ashes from her and raised them up. Zhu Li stepped back, her long, white sleeve brushing against Varrick’s grey one. As the elder recited a mantra, Varrick’s hand found hers, tentatively. She allowed him to take it. 

She was so glad she’d had the opportunity to visit, not that long ago. 

The elder finished the chant. “If the family would like to say a few words…” 

Her mother, tears welling in her eyes, shook her head. Zhu Li released Varrick’s hand and stepped forward, reaching into her robes for the slip of paper.

“I’d like to read a poem my father wrote for me, when I left home.” She cleared her throat before reading the haiku. 

Adventure beckons,

for beyond city lights lies

one ocean, one sky.

The sounds of the cicadas echoed in the absence of her voice as friends and family nodded in sympathy, wiped their eyes. 

She’d found the slip of paper tucked in a book in her old room the night before. The poem had traveled to Republic City with her, pinned to her lapel with her aunt and uncle’s address written on the opposite side. Zhu Li ran her thumb over the tiny pin marks at the top of the paper. She must have used it as a bookmark at one point in time, sent the book home for her parents to enjoy. 

Her father would have never said the exact words, but it was his way of reminding her that as far away as Republic City seemed, it was still part of the same world she’d grown up in. A world he’d wanted Zhu Li to take full advantage of. 

He’d been proud of her. He’d said as much, months earlier. 

The elder placed the ashes into the ground. Zhu Li’s mother stepped forward and gently shook a handful of dirt into the hole. Zhu Li followed, then members of her mother’s family. Her uncle had written a kind note of sympathy, unable to leave the store. She wished she’d thought to send him extra money for the trip. He was the only family her father had left. 

When the hole was filled, the elder motioned two men forward. Using earthbending, they slid the heavy stone marker into place. The elder nodded.

“The cube represents the earth, from which our body comes and to which it returns.” He gestured to the shape at the base of the traditional memorial. “The sphere is for water, which sustains all life, ancient and new. The pyramid is for fire, which warms our body and consumes our bones. The crescent is for the air that fills our lungs and lifts our voices. The lotus is for the void, from which our spirit comes and to which it returns.”

“May the cycle continue,” everyone murmured. 

She noticed Varrick wipe away a tear. 

~*~

After the banquet, they walked down to the spot along the shore every person in town knew to avoid, a hidden inlet that fed a dangerous riptide. Her great-grandmother had told Zhu Li she used to warn her son it would drag him straight to the shores of the Fire Nation, somehow a scarier prospect in that era than drowning. Here in the dark, they brought the small paper lanterns that had lit the house for the past three days and cast them out to sea. The floating lanterns, pulled by the current, created a glowing trail into the west. As a child, Zhu Li had always loved funerals for this moment. The crying of the adults around her had confused her. How could you cry when confronted with such beauty?

Beside her, her mother sobbed. 

Zhu Li put a consoling arm around her until her aunt came over and nodded at Zhu Li to release her. Her mother flung her arms around her sister and they walked off into the deep shadows of the pines. 

“How are you doing?” Varrick asked, hands in his pockets as he sat down beside her. 

“I’m fine,” she said automatically. 

“This is neat,” he said, staring out at the reflected path across the water. She nodded. “It was a nice ceremony,” he added, absently. “Though, man… I swear I’ve heard that poem somewhere before.”

“There’s no way you could have,” she snapped. “My father wrote it. For me.”

He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. It… just sounded really familiar, I guess. ”

They sat in silence, watching the lanterns float toward the horizon.

~*~

Her mother had wanted to visit the cemetery alone, on the seventh morning, so Zhu Li waited until they were packed and ready to go to take her own trip. They said their goodbyes, Zhu Li promising to come back within the year. She felt better knowing her mother had plenty of family in town and that she would be spending the next few days with her sister.

“Sorry,” she said, hitching her bag on her shoulders. “Final visit.”

Varrick frowned. “Zhu Li, you don’t need to say sorry. Your father just died.” 

He seemed to be holding something back as they took their time walking up the path. The heat wave had finally broken and a cooling breeze blew in from the ocean this afternoon. The cicadas buzzed, a little more contentedly now. 

Zhu Li knelt as she pulled an orange out of her bag and set it at the base of her father's marker. She lit a stick of incense, said one last short prayer. Leaning in, she touched her head to the cool stone, and closed her eyes. After a moment, she got to her feet. 

“Okay. Let’s go.”

He paused. “Are you sure?”

“Of course,” she said evenly.

“Zhu Li…” His eyes darted around the cemetery and he opened and closed his mouth a few times before choosing just the right words. “Are you sure you don’t need more time?”

“I’m fine,” she replied.

“I’m not sure if you are,” he said carefully. “I mean, I know I’ve called you a cold-hearted war machine in the past, but Zhu Li - you haven’t cried once.”

She inhaled deeply before answering. “People grieve differently, Varrick.”

“But I’ve seen you cry before. I’ve made you cry before.” His eyes widened, as if it was just now dawning on him what horrible offense he must have caused to drive her to it, if this hadn’t.

She glanced around the cemetery, full of memorials to people she hadn’t known who had come before her, others to people she had known and had loved. Her great-grandmother, Chae. Her grandfather, Li. 

“Did you cry when your parents died?” she asked him, sliding to sit at the base of her great-grandmother’s gorintō. 

“Well… yeah, of course.” He remained standing.

“How did you bury your father?” she asked.

He looked surprised at the directness of her question, but responded, shifting his bag. “In deep water, with his canoe. Old Water Tribe custom.” 

“Your mother?”

“In the dirt; old Earth Kingdom custom.” 

Zhu Li nodded. “Which way do you think you’ll choose?” 

“Gee whiz, Zhu Li.” He let out a nervous laugh, eyes dancing as he desperately searched for a way out of this conversation. “Don’t you know, I’m never planning on dying? We’ll definitely invent something by then, live forever.”

She fixed him with a stare, as if to say - Really? Here? Now? 

“Fine,” he replied, his brow furrowing. “I guess I never thought about it,” he said, seriously. “I mean, it’s more for the people you leave behind, anyway. How about you?”

“Cremation seems neatest.” She brought her knees to her chin. “A hill overlooking the sea would be nice. Like this.” 

He nodded, but looked lost in thought. “Yeah. I guess this would work.”

~*~

On the way back down toward the dock, they passed one of the signs that read NO JUMPING.

Zhu Li’s steps slowed, then stopped. Varrick looked back. 

“You okay?”

“I forgot to do something,” she said. He looked confused, but followed her when she jerked her head up one of the smaller side paths.

Still walking, she took off one heel, then the other. The trees opened up. She stopped at the edge of the cliff and peered over at the waves and rocks below. 

Varrick’s voice, a few feet behind her, sounded extremely concerned. “Zhu Li… what are you planning on doing?”

Silently, she turned back and handed him her shoes. This had been the most difficult jump, when she was a girl. Kids in Haizun worked up to it for ages, had bragging rights once they’d mastered it. Nerves had always come through even the most boastful tones when the other children had talked about besting it.

Zhu Li had never been one to brag, but secretly, it had been her favorite. She set down her bag, then took off her jacket and folded it neatly, setting it on top of her shoes in Varrick’s arms. 

“Hey, let’s maybe step away from the edge of the cliff and talk about thi-” 

His voice cut out suddenly as she unbuttoned her shirt and added it to the pile. Twisting her arms behind her, she unzipped her skirt and shimmied out of it. 

His face tinged pink as he desperately tried not to look and tried to look at the same time. In the moment, she couldn’t really bring herself to care. “Hold these,” she told him, setting her glasses on top of the pile. The world slid out of focus. 

“Your glasses? Zhu Li, you need your glasses.”

She shook her arms to loosen them and blew out a long breath.

 “Zhu Li, what are you doing, wai- !”

She was in the air and over the edge of the cliff before he could finish his sentence. She flew out, parallel to the cliff top, toes first, then arched her back until her nose was pointed toward the water. It was shooting up toward her with alarming speed. Her body knew what to do, knees curling in, then kicking out, legs just barely in place before cutting through the surface. 

The pool beneath was shallower than she’d remembered - no, she was taller. In any case, she bent her knees and her feet hit the smooth rocks on the bottom, body slowed just enough to not cause any damage. She pushed off and streamed toward the surface. Her head broke through and she gasped, choking out a laugh. She pushed her sopping hair back out of her eyes and rubbed her dripping nose. Every inch of her felt alive, after two full weeks of numbness. 

“ZHU LI!” Varrick’s voice was close, just up where the rocks met the waves. He had to have flown down the path to arrive so quickly, skidded down the hillside between trees. A pang of guilt cut through her; he sounded completely terrified. She squinted. He appeared to be dancing on a rock, juggling and dropping bits of her clothing as he attempted to take his own off, clearly about to jump in after her.

“Coming, sir,” she called back, before diving under the water and swimming toward him. When she broke through the surface of the water at the base of his rock, he reached down and pulled her up, using both arms to do so. Her clothes fell on the wet surface. Wordlessly, he reached into his jacket pocket and handed her her glasses. 

She sniffed again, her eyes readjusting to the world as she blinked away salt water. Varrick looked absolutely dazed but his eyes stayed fixed on hers. When she showed no signs of picking up her discarded clothing, he shrugged out of his jacket, draped it over her, and gathered her things himself. Finally, he handed her the damp pile. He looked uncertain, but also, strangely relieved. 

Jumping off of cliff tops. He was the one person who might actually be crazy enough to understand. 

“C’mon,” he said gently, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her toward their mooring. “Let’s get you back to the boat.”

Chapter Text

“Zhu Li, how much do you weigh?”

Her glasses slipped a bit as she whipped around to face him. She tilted her chin up and stared down her nose at Varrick incredulously. He was currently examining a vine resting on a scale. Okay, this was a scientific question. She relaxed slightly. 

“Eight point five seven stones, sir. Why? How much do you weigh?” 

He waved off her question. “This isn’t about me, Zhu Li - this is about science and standardization!”  He struggled to lift the capsule. She hopped down from her stool and helped him. He frowned as they shoved the capsule back into its place. “I mean, I know anchors, obviously, and we use stones all the time. But sometimes I forget how to convert to chauldrons and nobody uses gusts anymore - probably not even the airbenders themselves.”

She could see where he was going with this. It was an antiquated system. But stones had unofficially become the universal system of measurement. Zhu Li wasn’t sure if that needed to be changed. 

“Eight point five seven.” He tapped his mouth. “Yeah, that’s going to be way too much.”

She shot him a sharp look.

“For a unit of measurement, geeze.” He waved a hand at her body. “You’re perfectly fine weighing whatever it is you weigh.”

“Which is eight point five seven stones,” she repeated, annoyed. 

He thought for a bit. “Let’s make a Zhu Li three stones. Yeah that works well - it would be half an anchor, a third of a chauldron, and…” he screwed up his face, “... forty gusts.” 

She crossed her arms. “So I now weigh almost three Zhu Lis.”

“You got it! See, when we standardize the units of measurement, it’ll be easier for everyone to understand that a vine weighing one Zhu Li can produce five Varricks of power.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I get to be weight, while you get to be energy?”

“Exactly. ” He set down the next capsule with a thunk. 

“Nice, sir,” she said flatly, turning back to her work station. “Thanks.”

~*~

Zhu Li had felt slightly nervous as the train crossed the border into the United Republic of Nations. Technically, they were still fugitives from justice, but they had papers that proved they were part of Kuvira’s army and Kuvira’s army had been invited to lay track connecting Omashu to Republic City. Apparently, Asami Sato had led the charge in modernizing the city’s rail system, and the lines heading south and east had been retrofitted to be compatible with the magnetic trains. President Raiko had signed off on the project and so really, there was nothing to worry about…

Still. 

She watched from the loft of the lab car as trees fell in the distance and let out a small, unhappy sigh. 

Varrick heard. She hadn’t meant for him to, but he did. Leaning over her shoulder, he squinted into the distance as another tree came crashing down, dust and wood chips flying up in its wake. “Ha! Progress, Zhu Li, progress.” He sipped the tea she’d brought him moments before. 

“Senlin’s only a few miles ahead,” she said quietly.

“Which one was Senlin again?”

“The village in the forest, sir. With the nice hostel.”

His eyes widened. “Oh… right.” Then they narrowed again. “Wait… is this the place with the ticks?”

“Mmmhmm.” She rested her chin on her folded arms as another oak came crashing down. 

“Then I am not stepping foot off this train. No way, no how.” He shuddered.

She raised her eyebrows. “That’s probably for the best, seeing as we’ve left the Earth Kingdom.”

Varrick shook his head. “I cannot believe Raiko can hold a grudge for this long.”

“It’s not a grudge sir, it’s a law.”

“Well, in any case…”

Bataar came into the car at that moment, Tan close on his heels. Bataar called up to Varrick. “What do you have in the way of cutting mechanisms?”

“We’ve got the saws, for the spirit vines.”

“Those aren’t working,” Bataar said, crossing his arms.

Varrick frowned and leaned over the rail. “What kind of tree are you trying to take down out there?”

“It’s not a tree,” Bataar said, impatiently. “It’s an old wooden statue. Someone thought it would be amusing to put a big bear directly in our path.”

Zhu Li’s hand flew to her mouth. It was an uncharacteristic reaction. All three men looked at her, but Zhu Li looked at Varrick. He looked back down to Bataar.

“Nope, stop what you’re doing. Avoid the bear.”

“That would mean replanning the entire segment, and I’m not about to…”

“I will literally quit over this,” Varrick said, making it halfway down the stairs before vaulting over the railing. “C’mon…” he waggled his hand at Bataar. “Hand over the blueprints. I’ll reroute the whole thing myself.” 

Bataar let out an exasperated sigh and nodded to Tan, who handed over the maps. “Fine. You’ve got twenty-four hours.”

“Fine,” Varrick shot back. Bataar and Tan left, the doors sliding shut behind them. 

Zhu Li walked down and looked over Varrick’s shoulder at the unrolled plans. “Is twenty-four hours going to be enough time, sir?”

“Of course it will,” he replied, though he looked worried. “Put on some more tea, would you Zhu Li?” 

~*~

Much to Zhu Li’s relief, after a sleepless night for both of them, Varrick presented Bataar with the alternate plans two hours ahead of schedule. Looking them over for possible flaws, Kuvira’s second-in-command couldn’t find any; he actually seemed impressed. He tapped his finger in one spot.

“You do realize this path through the mountains will take considerably more work?”

“Yes, but look at the time you’ll save here.” Varrick pointed. Bataar considered it thoughtfully. 

“Alright. We’ll head in that direction. But you’ll need to be on site to verify the topographical data.”

It was work anyone could have done - this was a punishment. Varrick shrugged. “Works for me.”

Bataar rolled up the blueprint. “I’ll let Kuvira know.”

~*~

The following morning, Zhu Li took their old packs and stuffed them with food and water, along with the tools they’d need for surveying and a bulky emergency radio. They hiked through the valley, to the foot of the slope Varrick planned to send the train around. Zhu Li gazed up at the talus field near the top, then looked to the rubble at the bottom. While she’d been so very grateful he’d saved the bear in the clearing, she wasn’t sure this mountain was the best choice. 

“What if you shifted the track to the other side, sir?” she asked, nodding across the valley to a much gentler slope. 

“It’s the aerodynamics of this turn, Zhu Li - makes for a thrilling ride and it shaves several minutes off the total travel time!”

She made a face. “I think people would be happier with a slightly slower train than the possibility of dying, sir.”

“What, you’re worried about those rocks up there? Zhu Li, they’ve been there for a millennia - they’re not going to budge.”

As if the mountain had heard him, a small rock bounced down the incline and landed at his feet. 

“Pebbles,” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “Pebbles aren’t going to do any damage.”

Zhu Li looked up, hoping he was right. Her eyes widened. “SIIIIR!”

A giant rock had displaced itself from the mountainside, and was bouncing directly toward him. Zhu Li leapt over the rubble at her feet and flew at him, wrapping her arms around him and dragging him out of its path just in the knick of time. She landed hard on her back, opened her eyes to see the boulder had come to rest exactly where he’d been. Relief rushed through her and she let out a deep sigh.

Varrick, lying directly on top of her, stared down at her wide-eyed. Oh. Well. This was new...

Bits of gravel skittered down the mountain in the rock’s wake, striking them. Zhu Li flinched. “Sir, we need to move. The mountain is unstable.”

“You’re telling me!” He scrambled to his feet. “Ha!”

Unfortunately, the mountain seemed to like the exact timbre of Varrick’s ha. Another rumbling noise came from its steep side, then an avalanche of stone, from pebbles to boulders, came hurtling down the mountain after them. 

Zhu Li grabbed him again, and pulled him to the base of the rock that had fallen first, crouching on the side that faced away from the mountain. He clung to her as rocks flew over their heads, the displaced air whipping through their hair and whistling past their ears. Bits of gravel broke off larger rocks, showering them painfully. Varrick let go of her waist, covering his head. She covered hers as well, and curled further toward him, her knees and forearms pressed against his. As more rocks rumbled past, some coming to rest around their boulder, the light steadily dimmed, then vanished.

It seemed to take forever for the rumbling to cease. When it finally did, Zhu Li shakily removed one hand from her head and reached across to find Varrick’s. He squeezed back.

Slowly, Zhu Li shifted her limbs. They had more space between the fallen rocks than she’d expected. Carefully she stood and raised her hands. They made contact with large rock overhead, only a few inches above the top of her head. In the dark, she heard Varrick say, “Whew!” He stretched and accidentally kicked her. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. How much space do you have to your right?” she asked, sitting by his side. 

“Mmm…” He leaned. “I can only just touch the wall?” 

“Good,” she sighed. They should have plenty of air. 

“Alright,” Varrick said, sitting up straight again and snapping his fingers. “Zhu Li - do the thing.”

She dug the radio out of her bag. “This is Zhu Li, do you copy?”

There was nothing on the line but static. She felt it up and down and her heart sank - the antennae had been destroyed. “It’s broken, sir.”

“Okay then, do the other thing.”

“What other thing am I supposed to do?” she asked. “I’m not an earthbender.” 

“I dunno. But you better think of something quick, before I start panicking.”

Zhu Li had a wild thought of attempting some airbending, but that seemed highly unlikely to work and she really didn’t want to deal with the fallout if it did - literally or figuratively. Her mind raced back through the plans for the day. She’d checked her pocket watch only minutes before the avalanche. “Lao, Liying, and Bolin will come looking for us if we’re not back in half an hour.”

“Well, that’s good! No need to worry then - Bolin’ll get us out,” he said, confidently. 

They sat in silence for about two minutes before he began humming the tune to Secret Tunnel, one of the songs that had been playing outside the Cave of the Two Lovers. She frowned. It was a ridiculously catchy tune and now it would be stuck in her head all day. 

“We could use a few of those badger moles about now!” Varrick commented.

“Bataar could have sent them out today instead of us,” she said, leaning her head back against the rock and closing her eyes.

“Yeah, but then he couldn’t get his rocks off, ordering us around.”

“Sir.”

“You know that’s what this was.” 

“I do,” she said quietly. She found his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he sounded perplexed.

“For not letting them cut down the bear.”

She could feel him shiver. “I just had a really bad feeling about it…”

“Me too.”

“But Zhu Li, you know…” his voice trailed off.

“What?”

“As we head toward Republic City, we’re going to run into a lot more bear situations.”

She was confused. “Sorry, sir, I don’t…”

“Places we’ve seen, places we’ve been. I mean, part of progress is change.”

She nodded. “I know that.”

“I just wanted to bring it up because I saw Bataar’s plans,” he said, carefully. “He has the train routed through Baowan, going up the coast to Makapu.”

Every muscle in her body tensed as she realized what that meant. That path would take their train straight through Haizun. “No. It can’t.”

His voice was deeper than usual, full of concern. “As of now, it’s going to.” 

She bit her lip, hard. 

“Zhu Li? I can’t see your face - what are you thinking?”

“I… I’m thinking that I’m going to find a badger mole and train it to eat Bataar and his plans.”

Varrick chuckled, sadly. “I don’t know how practical of an idea that is. Best to leave the wacky schemes to me.” They sat in silence for a while. “Think of how easy it would be to visit your mother,” he finally said, giving her hand a little shake. 

Zhu Li shook her head. She was close enough she knew he could feel the air on his face, feel the movement of her shoulders. “Everything would change.”

“Things change anyway. At least this way, you’re the one changing them.”

A yell from outside their rock-pile made them both jump. “VARRICK?! ZHU LI?!”

She jumped up. “WE’RE IN HERE, BOLIN!” 

“ZHU LI?!” 

“YES!”

“AND VARRICK’S WITH YOU?”

“YES!”

“OKAY. GIVE ME A MINUTE. I’M GONNA GET YOU OUT OF THERE.”

Around them, the rocks shifted slightly. Dust and bits of gravel came raining down. Instinctively, Zhu Li rolled into a crouch and they huddled together once more. This time, she felt his arms arch up around the sides of his head, covering hers. She burrowed her face in his neck and reached up to encircle his head, protecting him as well. If this was it, then, well...

There was another massive creaking sound as a boulder shifted and fell to the side. Daylight shone through the space where it’d been. One more stone lifted, creating a clear path out. 

“Hurry!” Bolin yelped. “This is kinda a massive rock here!” 

Zhu Li scrambled over the boulder in front of them and ducked under the rock that was currently hovering, thanks to Bolin. When Varrick didn’t move fast enough, she reached back in, grabbed him by his collar, and yanked.

“Hey, easy!” he said, indignantly.

“Whew,” said Bolin, letting the rock fall to the side with a thud. The entire pile they’d been trapped in caved in with a rumble. “The two of you had us really worried.”

“Where’s everybody else?” Zhu Li asked. 

“We broke into teams. Lao and Liying aren’t earthbenders, so Bataar sent a few privates with them.”

“We should radio back,” Zhu Li said, nodding to the portable radio Bolin wore, slung over his shoulder. 

“Oh… right!” Bolin got on the radio and called off the search, letting everyone know he’d found them.

“Let’s go, sir,” she said, a hand on Varrick’s arm. 

“Wait a sec…” He twisted away and scrambled up the rock pile to examine the large stone that had saved them. He glanced back down. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” 

Squinting, Bolin climbed up beside him. “Hey! That’s pretty cool.”

“Think you can break it open?” Varrick asked. 

Zhu Li crossed her arms. If these two idiots started another rock slide, so help her…

Bolin glanced up at the cliff face warily. “I mean, I can try…” He rolled up his sleeves and clapped his hands together. “Here we go.” Bolin made two swift chopping motions, and a medium-sized rock at his feet was quickly sculpted into a wedge shape. With another tight movement, the rock went soaring to the top of their lucky boulder. Bolin took a deep breath and brought both palms down toward the ground. The wedge hammered into the boulder.

“Needs more force,” said Varrick. 

Bolin gritted his teeth. “I know, I’m working on it!” He took another medium-sized rock and used it to hammer the wedge deeper into the boulder. Curious now, Zhu Li walked around the rock to get a better view of the split forming down the side. Inside… she squinted… something glinted green. 

The rock came down a few more times, and then with a massive creak, the boulder split in two.

“Whoaaaaa…”

All three of them circled around it, rock slide forgotten. 

The boulder had a heart of jade. The craggy, grey surface was only a thin crust on the outside. Massive swirls of paler green shot through the luminescent viridian stone. 

“I had no idea they came so large,” Varrick muttered. His eyes met Bolin’s for a second. “Oh, shut up. I meant the jade.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Bolin replied, holding up his hands. “I didn’t know either.”

The two men looked to Zhu Li. She shrugged. She had honestly never really thought about where jade came from. She assumed rocks, like every other jewel, but this platypus bear-sized boulder had not been what she’d expected. 

“Let’s take it back to the train!” Varrick said, eyes greedily shining teal as the rock reflected in them. 

“Yeah, no can do,” Bolin scoffed. “Do you know how much this thing weighs?”

“I’d have to guess - around fifty Zhu Lis? Sixty at the most.”

“Um…” Bolin looked between the two of them. “Varrick, I think you might be really bad at math. No offense, Zhu Li.”

“None taken. He’s decided a Zhu Li is three stones, Bolin.”

“Ohhhh… okay. Weird choice, but I guess the math checks out then.” Bolin counted again on his fingers to be sure. 

They all stared at the rock for a minute. “Well, it’s a real pity to just leave it here.” Varrick put his hands on his hips. 

“There is a happy medium,” Zhu Li replied. “Bolin, can you break off a more manageable piece?”

“Uh, yeah! I guess I could.”

“Alright… one for each of us, then,” Varrick said. “Make mine the largest,” he hissed to Bolin, behind his hand. Zhu Li rolled her eyes. Why bother pretending to whisper when you clearly wanted everyone present to hear?

Bolin chiseled off a sizable but carryable hunk for Varrick, then another. He started in on a third. Zhu Li held her hand up. “Bolin, you don’t need to. It’s getting dark and I’ll be fine without a rock.”

“Seriously?” he asked, wiping his forehead. 

“Of course not!” Varrick replied for her. “Zhu Li was stuck in there too, she deserves a rock as much as I do.”

“I’ll be okay, really,” she said. “I’m not big on jewelry anyway.”

“So use it as a paperweight!” Varrick exclaimed. He narrowed his eyes. “Jade is your favorite, I remember you saying so.”

He was right. She was surprised he’d remembered. As she stared at him, clutching his rock to his heart, Bolin wiped his brow and started in on another piece. Moments later, he handed it to her. “Here you go, Zhu Li.”

“Thank you, Bolin. Now we really need to be getting back.”

They set off down the mountain and into the valley, toward the train. Bolin nodded to Varrick. “So what are you going to do with your rock?”

“I have plans,” Varrick said, mysteriously, hugging it to him.

Zhu Li sighed. Undoubtedly, he had some crazy experiment in mind that would end in the two of them cleaning up the lab side by side, shattered bits of jade embedded in every wall, one try closer to making some phenomenal discovery. 

~*~

REPUBLIC CITY: EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER

Absent-mindedly drumming the fingers of her left hand on her desk as Bolin retrieved the paperwork she’d requested, President Moon realized she’d been more or less on the money, if only figuratively speaking.

Chapter Text

Zhu Li returned from the mail car with a stack of letters. Somehow, the longer they’d been with Kuvira, the longer her list of correspondences had grown. She wasn’t sure if it was distance or age, but while she used to not worry about maintaining connections with friends and family members - assuming they would just be there the next time she was able to see them - she now cherished those bonds and actively attempted to cultivate them. Her father’s death had certainly thrown certain things into sharper contrast. 

The lab was warm, bathed in the pink glow of the capsules as they hummed along both walls. They’d rearranged the car to better accommodate them, Lao and Tan redesigning a storage space specifically for that purpose. Lao was quietly at work; rather than disturb him, Zhu Li headed up to the loft and prepared a cup of tea for herself. Settling onto the couch with a cup of oolong and a warm blanket, she opened each letter.

~*~

Dear Zhuzhi,

Mom reminded me I haven’t written you a letter in a while. Sorry! (We have so many people to write. How do you keep up with it?!?!)

I wanted to let you know that my training is going really well! I hope that in six years, I’ll be good enough to be a master and get my airbender tattoos, just like Jinora. When I say that to Mom, she just makes a face. Dechen knows what is up though - between me and her, I think we can convince Mom and Dad. But I’ve still got a lot of work to do before then! Gliding practice is my favorite. Asami Sato (I think you know her, right?) came to Air Temple Island and worked with us to design new suits. It’s like flying, Zhuzhi - it is the best.

I can’t believe it’s been over two years since you took me to the Northern Air Temple. That was such an adventure! I can never thank you enough. Also, say hi to your boss for me! Mom said you’re almost finished building that train you guys were planning. If I come to the Earth Kingdom some day, can I come travel on it with you for a while? (Please say yes!) I know it’s really dangerous there right now. I wish Master Tenzin would let me and Ikki help out, but he just barely lets Jinora and Kai help and they’re older than we are so I guess it is not going to happen. *airbender sigh* 

(Airbender sigh is a thing Ikki and I came up with. It’s like a regular sigh, but more.)

Mom and Dad are super-excited about the updates to the shop. (And upstairs-upstairs actually has rooms now! Can you imagine?) I guess the shop must be doing pretty well, plus Mom said something about a synonymous investor. I don’t know what that means, but I think it must be a good thing. Oh, I’m sure mom told you - Dada is getting married this summer. I hope you’ll be able to make it to the wedding! Everybody would love to see you. Especially Youey - her baby is getting so big, it’s ridiculous. Mom thinks he’ll be walking soon.  

Hi, cousin Zhuzhi! This is Ikki. Pinky loves you very much, but we have some super-important buis busy business to attend to, so she needs to wrap this letter up. <3 <3 <3 

Tell Bolin that Pabu misses him! But only a bit. (Please don’t make him cry again.) Pabu has got his own tiny airbender suit and we’ve trained him to jump from the very top of the plum tree in the courtyard. He thinks he’s a flying lemur now too. I hope I get to see you all sometime soon!

Love,

Pinky

P.S. Meelo is the worst.

~*~

Hey Dollface,

I hope you’re keeping warm and snug in those cold mountains. At least, that’s where you were last time I wrote. Who knows where that train of yours has rolled on to today! 

You’ll never guess who I ran into the other day - Yin! Our old cook - get this - is the lead chef at one of Republic City’s hottest restaurants. Totally deserves all the acclaim. The food is amazing. You really need to stop by next time you sneak into town. I know Yin would get a kick out of seeing the two of you again.

Anyway, the real reason I’m writing you this letter: I wanted you to hear it from me - I’m engaged! I’m over the moon about it, so while I know you don’t approve, please keep your opinions to yourself and be happy for me. I know Shin’s got a complicated past and I know he and his friends did things to hurt you and a lot of other people, but he’s changed, Zhu Li. He’s really changed. The nightclub plans are solid and everything’s looking up. (Mention that to Varrick, if you could - we could still use a few more investors.)

When’s that mover coming out, by the way? Nuktuk and the Bandit King, or whatever. Shinny’s really looking forward to it. 

We’re planning on getting hitched in the spring, just a few close friends and family. I know the two of you are still on the lam, but if you could make it, it would be really nice to see you. Just leave the mechas with Kuvira. Shin just said he wants one for a wedding present, but I know he’s kidding.

Much Love,

Ginger

~*~

Dear Zhu Li,

It feels a little redundant to write two letters when I know you’ll be the one reading Varrick’s anyway. Please share the enclosed picture with him as well. Kisima Amara Nattiq was four months old last week, so to commemorate, we had some pictures taken. I can’t believe it’s been four months - the days have flown, but it also feels like she’s always been here! 

(Tell Varrick we’re saving ‘Iknik’ for a boy, regardless of his thoughts on the flexibility of middle names.) 

You can also share with him that the Polar Express has been such an incredible gift. I’m currently writing to you from the Fire Nation - Kaz put up the idea of taking a little beach vacation to get away from the frigid winter temperatures. I do love a good, cold winter, but it’s also so nice to get a break from it when needed! It makes coming back to all the ice and snow feel even cozier.   

I’m a little concerned about reports I’ve heard from friends whose Water Tribe relatives living in the Earth Kingdom seem to have fallen off the face of the earth. Do you know what’s going on down there? I know the nation is in a terrible state, with the bandits and the droughts, and I know you’re doing all you can to help. The lack of communication may just mean letters are being held or not making it through, but I thought I’d ask, since you’re closer to the situation. 

Enough worrying - I do hope the two of you can come to visit some time soon! It was so lovely to see you at our wedding. Stay safe and write back when you can. 

Love,

Kona

~*~

My dearest daughter,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. My own is tolerably well.

We were fortunate to have such a warm autumn. The boats were able to stay on the water longer in the season, meaning fewer will need to brave the icy waters this year. Your uncle has pulled his boat into dry dock and is scraping its hull. Thank you for the continued gifts you send home - they have contributed greatly to this process. 

I saw Lian the other day when she came by selling root vegetables; she said to send you her best. Your friend Ishi is expecting another baby in the spring. I believe they are hoping for a girl, at long last. Other than that, not much has changed since summer.   

I visited the cemetery yesterday. It’s so peaceful in the snow. I’m glad you were able to make it to the funeral. I know your father would have been too. Even though he didn’t have as many years with you as he would have wanted, you were his entire world. 

I hope Varrick is well. I hope the work you are doing is fully engaging. Lian mentioned the possibility of a train being built through Haizun. She seemed excited, but I don’t know - it’s so peaceful here now, and there seem to be so few truly peaceful places left in this world. 

Your aunt sends her love, as does your uncle. As do I…  

Love,

Your Mother

~*~

As Zhu Li folded up the final letter, placing it back in its envelope, there was a commotion below. Lunchtime was over. Liying and Tan sauntered in, relieving Lao. She heard rather than saw Varrick enter. 

“Zhu Li, where’s that new tea we just got in?” he bellowed, hopping up the stairs two at a time.

“The celebration blend, sir?”

“That’s the one!”

She raised her eyebrows. “I thought you were saving it. For… celebrations.”

“Yeah, well… fix some anyway.” He waved his hand at her as his eyes fell on the pile of mail. “Oh hey - what’s your cousin up to these days? Teleportation? Seeing the future?”

“Training Bolin’s fire ferret to launch itself from treetops, apparently.”

He grabbed one of the cookies that were now always on hand, thanks to the newly patented Varri-Portable Oven. “That can’t be good. Does Opal know about this, or is it strictly an Ikki and Pinky plot?” 

“The latter, I imagine.” 

Varrick picked up the black and white photograph sliding out of Kona’s envelope, showing the smiling family. “Wow, that poor kid looks exactly like Kaz.” He set it down and gestured at the pink envelope sealed with a red lipstick mark. 

“Is Ginger asking for more money?”

“She did mention the nightclub.”

“Eh, I’ll send her some. What?” he asked, meeting her eyes over his cup of tea. “Republic City can always use another nightclub and it might be nice to have one that’s Water Tribe-themed.” He pondered. “Maybe they’ll let me name it.”

“Because you don’t have enough things to name already, sir,” she said, raising her eyebrows. 

“Lemme see the picture of that kid again?” he asked, hoping to distract her. “Wow, yeah. Unfortunate.” 

The distraction worked. Kisima was a perfectly adorable child; she would tell Kona he’d said as much. His eyes flicked over the return address on the other envelope in the pile. “How’s your mom doing?”

Zhu Li nodded. “She’s alright. I think she’s coping, as best as could be expected.”

“You gonna visit her in the spring?”

“Possibly.” Zhu Li was still wary of discussing Haizun, should the issue of the train come up again. 

“You may have to do some hiking. It looks like Bataar might be focused on the line through Pohuai at present.”

Her heart skipped a beat. An alternate route to Republic City meant the train up the coast could be delayed, possibly by years. “Might be?”

He nodded.

“Sir… did you have anything to do with that?”

He shrugged. “I may have mentioned what a good hub it would make. It’s already kinda a local crossroads and I -” He froze as she stood and hugged him.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Don’t mention it… cookie?” He held out the plate. 

She nodded, biting her lip.

Chapter Text

While she was still Varrick’s assistant, as a private in Kuvira’s army, there was occasionally a point at which Zhu Li was asked to step out of the room while the higher mettle discussed certain plans for the future. It hadn’t happened often, certainly, but half a dozen times was often enough to know the drill. The first time, Varrick had put up a fuss, but once he figured out he could fill her in on the entire discussion later and no one would be any the wiser, he calmed down. Zhu Li was good at keeping secrets, though sometimes things got lost in translation from Kuvira or Bataar’s lips to her ears, when routed through Varrick’s imagination. (Especially when he wandered out halfway through the meeting, bored and in search of a snack.)  

Today seemed to be one of those days. Heading into Kuvira’s car for one of their regularly scheduled meetings, a number of people were assembled that Zhu Li had never met before, most wearing three chevrons on their sleeves. She paused at the door. “Sir, are you sure I’m -?” she started.

He waved away her concern. “It’s fine. Look,” he pointed, “Commander Guan has brought along Corporal Endo to take notes for him too.”

“Yes, but Corporal Endo is a Corporal, sir.”

Varrick rolled his eyes. He didn’t put much stock in military hierarchy, which was probably how he’d managed to not rise a single rank in three years. Well, that and Bataar’s inferiority complex when it came to Varrick. Zhu Li imagined Kuvira needed to keep at least two ranks between her top two engineers, to keep her fiance satisfied. He was generally cordial to Varrick and honestly kind and respectful to Zhu Li, but the undercurrent of animosity had never quite gone away since the day Kuvira had come to Varrick to fix Bataar’s mechatank design. 

“Settle down, settle down,” Bataar said. While the murmur of voices got a bit quieter, it didn’t cease until Kuvira stepped into the car. Suddenly, you could have heard a pin drop, followed by the unnerving noise of thirty elbows in starchy uniforms snapping into a synchronized salute.

“At ease,” Kuvira replied, sauntering further into the car. Her eyes narrowed as they fell on Zhu Li. “Private Moon, this is a meeting for corporals and higher ranking officers.”

Despite her horror at being called out for this infraction, Zhu Li kept a blank face as she saluted and turned toward the door. 

Just behind her, Varrick stood and stretched. “Well, if Zhu Li doesn’t need to be here, then clearly I don’t need to be here either, because if it’s just me, she’s gonna know everything within fifteen minutes of me leaving this meeting anyway. Honestly, she could just stay and take notes, and I could go, and it would all wash out in the end.”

Kuvira tilted her head as she stared at Varrick. Her eyes shot to Zhu Li. “Is this true?”

Zhu Li stood by the door, stone-faced and silent. She wasn’t going to lie, but she also wasn’t going to implicate him and have him wind up in front of some military tribunal. What had he just done?

“I will take your silence as proof that you have not and will not discuss any intelligence that has been shared above your rank.”

Zhu Li found her voice. “Yes, Great Uniter.” 

“Sit, Zhu Li. Given your and Corporal Varrick’s singular role in our service, I will allow it.” 

Zhu Li settled back into her chair, hands folded in her lap. “Sir, I can leave,” she murmured, adrenaline pumping through her veins as Bataar turned the large map. “It’s okay.”

“No, you need to be here for this. Trust me.” He spoke quietly, out the side of his mouth.

On the other side of the Earth Kingdom map was a map of the United Republic of Nations. Zhu Li’s breath caught in her throat and her muscles tensed as Kuvira began pacing. 

“In a few days, we are headed to Republic City for Prince Wu’s coronation. President Raiko and the other world leaders believe Wu is ready to take his place on the Earth Kingdom throne. We have delivered our part of the bargain, have kept to the timeline originally laid out.

“While we have done this, Prince Wu has shown no sign of stepping up to the challenges of leadership. He continues his pampered existence, lounging about in the Presidential suite of the Republic City Four Elements, while his future subjects look to us for direction.” 

“It is a nice suite,” Varrick whispered to her behind his hand.  

“I strongly believe everything that we have accomplished - that you have accomplished - in these last three years would be undone within weeks were Wu to take the throne. It would be criminally negligent of me to allow it. I cannot. I will not. 

“There will be a coronation, but there will not be a new Earth King. At the ceremony, I will be asked to deliver a speech. When that happens, I will announce my intention to continue to lead this nation into the future - not as a king or queen, but as I have always been - the Uniter of an Earth Empire. 

“I hope you will all support me as we continue in this noble quest. If any of you have doubts… any questions… I would invite you to discuss them with me openly.”

No one said a word.

Zhu Li understood now why he had demanded she stay and was grateful for it. She honestly didn’t know how she would have taken it had he come into the lab and cheerily announced they’d be taking part in deposing yet another world leader. She’d thought they were long past that; it certainly would have dredged up old doubts and fears. Hearing the news in person, in context, assured her he’d had nothing to do with this decision. 

“Well, then.” Kuvira gave them all one of her rare, small smiles. “Carry on.”

Now Zhu Li was in on it too - he’d made sure of that. Thoughts flew through her head, a mile a minute. Much of what Kuvira said was true. From the little she knew of Wu, he spent his days shopping, dining, at spas, getting his photograph plastered on the cover of Tigerdillo Beat magazine. There wasn’t anything wrong with that lifestyle for some people, but for a young man set to lead a massive and unstable land, it seemed a poor fit. 

Around them, corporals, sergeants, and commanders got up to leave. Varrick stood and jerked his head to the door, signaling that they should go. Zhu Li blinked, then stood.

Kuvira’s eyes flashed up and met hers.

“Do you have any questions, Zhu Li?”

She shook her head. “No, Great Uniter. Thank you for your faith in me. I look forward to continuing to serve you in this mission.”

Varrick placed his hand in the middle of her back as he ushered her into the lab car. He glanced around to make sure they were alone. “Zhu Li,” he said, sounding amazed, “boot-licker, much?” He put one hand to his heart, the other held out dramatically. “Oh Great Uniter, I humbly serve you and only you in your noble quest.”

His sarcasm shook her out of her daze and she scowled.

“C’mon,” he said, nodding to the loft. “Fix me some tea; let’s talk.” 

As Zhu Li poured two cups, Varrick slumped onto one of the couches. 

“What do you think, Zhu Li? Should we cut and run?”

Zhu Li handed him his cup and sat at the other end of the couch. “You’d consider leaving, sir?”

“Sure! I mean, the train is built at this point and I’m kinda over this whole stand-and-salute dance. On the flip side, we’d be leaving the Earth Kingdom with a massive rail system and a power grid that fails if you look at it sideways. Seems a little irresponsible.” He frowned. “I’ve been looking at the numbers, and given our previous readings and current projections, we really should not be running as smoothly as we are now.”

Zhu Li’s eyebrows twisted up in concern. “Do you think Bataar’s secret project could have made up the difference?” 

“If so, I’ve greatly underestimated his skills as an engineer. Heh. Unlikely.” Varrick tossed an arm across the back of the couch and leaned against the armrest. “No… Kuvira’s got to be doing more mining, using more coal than she’s letting on. It would make sense, heading back toward Omashu now that she’s taken Yai. They’re about the last states she needs to complete her collection and the mountains are rich in all sorts of fun minerals.” 

~*~

They arrived in the city of Omashu a few days later. The new train station was a ten-minute walk from the city center proper. Bolin chatted her ear off about his girlfriend, Opal, all the way to the giant stone bridge. 

“...and I really just don’t know, Zhu Li. I mean, I know her mom was really, really sad when Bataar Jr. left and I know she feels like Kuvira betrayed her, but we’re all just trying to do the right thing and I don’t know why everybody can’t just make up and get along again!”

Zhu Li shook her head. “Sometimes people simply see things differently, Bolin.”

“I mean, wow, yeah - I’ve realized that these past few years. First Korra, then Eska, then Ginger... I mean, I wasn’t on the same page with any of them! But Opal’s different. She’s always been super straightforward with me and I feel like I’ve been able to figure out a lot of things because of that. But now… when I ask her to explain, she just shakes her head and gets this look in her eyes and it’s honestly kinda freaking me out!” 

“Zhu Li?” Someone said her name and both she and Bolin slowed in their tracks. Zhu Li turned, then smiled, happy to see a familiar face. 

“Chang! How are you?” Song’s son looked exactly the same, wearing his pharmacy lab coat, walking toward home with a bag of groceries. She stepped forward and held out her hand. 

Chang didn’t take her hand, instead looking her up and down. He shook his head.

“How can you wear that uniform?”

Zhu Li dropped her hand. “What do you mean?”

He raised his thick eyebrows well over the rims of his glasses and shifted the sack in his arms. “What do I mean? Surely, you can’t be so naive…”

She shook her head, still not knowing exactly where he was going with this, but having a sinking feeling nonetheless. 

“The camps. The prison labor. I’m sick every time I see that toy train you sent. My daughter, sitting there, playing Great Uniter while her classmates’ parents disappear. And it’s not just Earth Kingdom citizens either.”

Zhu Li blinked. Something heavy dropped from her throat, into her gut. 

“I… I didn’t know,” she stuttered. 

Chang looked her up and down once more. “Really, Zhu Li… I’d hoped you were smarter, or better, than that. Figure it out.” He glanced over his shoulder at a few of Kuvira’s grunts, walking down the street toward them, and continued on his way. 

“Wow,” said Bolin, stepping forward. “He sees things differently too.”

~*~

The last time Zhu Li had put away two drinks was in Gaoling, the time before that had been at Kaz and Kona’s wedding. Tonight, she was working on four. The bar was noisy, full of celebrating officers. Her head swam as Varrick continued to talk. 

“We’ve always known Kuvira has reeducation camps. She needed some place to put all the bandits who attacked us. Think about it Zhu Li - that woman who almost stabbed you. Do you really want her out and roaming around?”

He tapped his glass and the bartender poured another. 

Zhu Li watched the liquid flow in a neat arc, displacing the ice at the bottom. It reminded her of the schematics for the dams up north. 

She remembered Kona, mentioning that members of the Water Tribe had been disappearing on Earth Kingdom land. Kona, who came from the North Pole, not far from the northern, mountainous reaches of the Earth Kingdom. 

Zhu Li put her hand to her mouth.

“Zhu Li? Zhu Li?” Varrick’s voice and face swam in and out as her heart pounded. “You don’t look so good. Let me know if you think you’re gonna puke. I know from experience that’s the devil to get out of boots like these.” 

In her memory, she heard him say “I’ve been looking at the numbers, and given our previous readings and current projections, we really should not be running as smoothly as we are now.”

The numbers weren’t wrong; they were incomplete. They were missing earthbenders, slaving away in mines. They were missing waterbenders, forced to labor on their hydroelectric dams. It was entirely possible there were firebenders working in electrical plants and airbenders working on wind farms. Their train… their beautiful, shining beacon of opportunity and progress… was built on a lie. A monstrous, terrible lie. 

Zhu Li dropped her head into her hands, guilt hitting like a ton of bricks. 

In her haze, she tapped on the rim of her glass one more time. The bartender prepared to pour, but Varrick held his hand over the glass and shook his head. “She’s had enough. Hey Bolin… Bolin . Help me out here, would you?”

Zhu Li dimly realized she was stumbling down the streets of Omashu, propped up between Varrick and Bolin, her arms stretched over their shoulders. She tumbled forward a bit and Varrick placed a hand on her stomach to catch her. “Whoa there…”

It was all too much. Pulling away, she staggered over to a pile of rubbish, yanked the lid off a trash can, and puked in the bin. Hands scooped her hair from the sides of her face just in the knick of time. Someone patted her on the back. “Get it all out. You’ll feel better once you do.”

The gentle hand was replaced with an angular bit of metal, painfully. “Careful.” Now her eyes were closed, but she felt hands looped under her arms and another set around her ankles. “Geeze, Bolin - watch the stairs. Have you really never done this before?”

“I’m nineteen,” Bolin stressed. 

“Oh yeah, I always forget. Probably a good lesson, then. Drinking until you pass out is no fun.”

“Yeah, so I see,” Bolin gritted out, turning the corner. She heard a whooshing noise, knew they were back in the officers’ car. 

“Oof.” She was deposited roughly on a bed. Judging by the faint smell of her shampoo on the pillow, it was her own. “Okay,” Varrick murmured. “On your side. There you go. No puking in your sleep allowed.” 

“You’re sure she’s going to be okay?” Bolin whispered loudly. 

“Yeah, kid, nothing a few hours of sleep and one of my handy hangover remedies can’t fix. But I’ll sit up with her, if it eases your mind. Grab me a chair, would you?”

The screeching of metal on metal coming from the common area made the inside of her head scream. The sound dampened a bit as it entered her room, and she felt a wobble as the corner of the chair came in contact with her bed. 

“Well, goodnight, I guess?” Bolin’s voice was uncertain. “Let me know if you need any help.”

“Thanks, Bolin. Will do.”

The door closed behind him. She felt Varrick tugging at her boots, heard them thunk to the floor. She heard the rustling of her wastebin as he set it down very close to her face, right at the edge of the bed. Then he plopped down in the chair beside her and sighed.

She felt her glasses lift off her nose, heard them clink on the nightstand. “You’re going to be okay, right Zhu Li?” he asked, warm fingers gently dragging across her temple, pushing stray hairs out of her face. Clearly he’d thought she was completely out; he jumped a little when she responded. 

“We can’t leave, sir,” she said, cracking her eyes open a bit. “We have to stay and fix this.”

He patted her cheek, a dark, blue-eyed blur. “Okay. If you’re in, then I’m in.”

Chapter Text

He was still there the next morning when she woke up, socks propped on the foot of her bed, head resting at an awkward angle against the back of the chair, snoring away. 

A glass of water sat on the nightstand. Cautiously, Zhu Li sat up and sipped it. Her stomach complained, but her head was grateful. She put on her glasses. 

Outside the window, trees whizzed by. Clearly, they had left the golden, rugged mountains of Omashu far behind. The blur as the dense forest landscape flew past made her dizzy. She turned away from the window and grabbed the wastebasket out of an abundance of caution. The loud clink as it left the floor caused Varrick to wake suddenly, snapping up fully alert. 

“You doing alright there, Zhu Li?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and blinking at her. 

She nodded, then grimaced at the motion. “Where are we?” she rasped.

“Headed north, probably back in the United Republic by now. The coronation is tomorrow, after all.”

She sank back into her pillow.

“You stay put,” Varrick said. “I’m going to whip you up some of my very own hangover remedy!”

“Is it going to make me even sicker, sir?”

“No,” he said, looking slightly wounded. “Well, probably not…”

“Ginger pills, please.” She rubbed her head. “In my nightstand.” 

He hesitated. “Is it safe to open?”

“Of course.” She frowned. What, did he think she kept a scorvipeon in her bedside drawer?

He opened the drawer and dug through. She noticed him pause at an ink-stained piece of paper before finding the bottle. He opened it and handed her four pills, eyes still on the letter. She realized it was his letter of recommendation just as he slid the drawer shut, looking slightly guilty. Ignoring this, she swallowed the ginger pills with another swig of water.

“You’re right,” he said. “If Kuvira is planning on staying, we need to too.”

She didn’t think he’d understood her point last night. Though given her hazy memory this morning, she may not have explained herself as well as she could have, entirely sober. She opened her mouth to try again.

Varrick butted in. “You know Zhu Li, last night I started thinking and I’ve come up with a hypothesis I’m just itching to try out. We’ve been having so much dang trouble with these vines - we know they’re capable of emitting enormous amounts of energy, but just haven’t been able to tap into their full potential. Maybe we’re being too direct about the whole thing. You remember the basic electromagnets we were experimenting with, way back when we were in Zaofu - y’know, the one I showed Pinky? The gap that allows the reaction, the center of the coil… maybe we need to replicate that condition. If we reverse the polarity so that our conduit and the vine are so close, but just not connecting, I think it might allow the energy to build in a manner where we might actually be able to harness it. I call it - the Varri-effect.” 

He looked so excited. What if he was correct? What if they were on the verge of a breakthrough that would render the labor camps obsolete? 

Grimacing, Zhu Li swung her feet to the floor. “Alright, sir. Let’s get started.”

“Hey - whoa there…” He held his arms up and steadied her by her shoulders. “We’re pulling into Republic City in a few hours. If I’m right, we have no idea what sort of energy this thing is going to create! Might not be such a great idea to play with it near a major city center. You just rest up…” he said, gently guiding her back down until her head hit her pillow. As he tucked her in, he muttered, “We’ve got big plans for this evening.”

~*~

“We aren’t staying at the apartment, sir?” Zhu Li inquired, as she removed his bags from the cab in front of the city’s swankiest hotel. 

“No, Zhu Li - I want to be where the action is. Besides, if Kuvira is paying for a suite at the Four Elements, I’m ordering all the room service I can manage!” He rubbed his hands together and hurried ahead to catch up with the Great Uniter, accompanied by her fiance and Bolin. 

As the group stepped into the lobby, Bolin threw his head to the ceiling and crowed, “Helloooo Republic Ci-ty! Bolin is back!” He spotted his ex-girlfriend a few steps away. “Anddd Eska’s also here.”

The Northern Water tribe co-chieftainess slid toward him. “I see you have replaced me with a new girlfriend. Well done; she seems very threatening.”

“Oh, no, no!” Bolin said. “That’s Kuvira. She’s kinda my boss.” And possible future in-law. Awkward. 

Eska shrugged. “Boss, girlfriend, same thing.”

Zhu Li lugged Varrick’s bags past, glaring at his back as that remark pierced her like an arrow. Eska was never someone she would want to find herself in agreement with on relationships, and yet, somehow, here they were. Employee, boss, assistant, innovator, platonic life partner, almost-certainly-unrequited love of her life… over the past few years, the lines had become hopelessly blurred. They would do the right thing by the Earth Kingdom - settle the energy crisis - and then maybe Zhu Li could start putting things back into their individual boxes. She wasn’t sure what that was going to look like, but it was work that needed to be done. 

“Never thought I'd be allowed back in the Republic City Four Elements,” Varrick remarked as she caught up with him. With some effort, Zhu Li dropped the suitcases to the floor. He’d only brought four this time, but they seemed much heavier than usual. What had he packed - spirit vine capsules? “Raiko must have turned purple when Kuvira made him pardon me of my alleged crimes.”

“You're an upstanding citizen again, sir.” He didn’t seem to notice, or ignored, the sarcasm in her tone. 

“Upstanding is right!” He swung his elbows cheerily before lowering his voice and muttering, “And don't forget to fill the extra bag with as many of those little soaps as you can grab. Love the lavender scent!”

She wasn’t sure which bag he considered extra, but sure - why not. 

She loved the lavender scent too. 

Once they’d checked in and she’d helped him unpack his luggage - there was a spirit vine capsule in the grey bag, after all - and unlocked the adjoining door to her room, she opened her notebook.

“So this afternoon, on the schedule -”

“Forget the schedule, Zhu Li!” Varrick burst out. “No - we’re back in Republic City and I have very important plans! First, get changed - tonight we are not representing Kuvira.” He chuckled deviantly.

Zhu Li glanced down at her green uniform. “I don’t have anything else, sir.”

“You don’t? What about that outfit you wore last time we were in Su Oku Grove? That one was supposed to be a stunner.” His emphasis on the last word was dripping in sarcasm.

“I borrowed that one, sir,” she said patiently.

“Well, borrow something again! Or better yet, call Mr. Hu, have him whip up a rush order for both of us.”

She peered over her notebook. “And what time will you need this by, sir?”

“Oh, six at the latest.” He waved his hand. “Do the thing, Zhu Li. In the meantime, I am dying to check out these spirit vines.” He peered out the window at the vines overgrowing the municipal building next door.

~*~

Hu’s Haberdashery delivered to their door by five-o’clock sharp. Zhu Li changed into her new outfit, a similar color to the greyish-purple suit she used to wear, though definitely dressier and less businessy in structure. Something about the shoulders reminded her of her uniform epaulets - it seemed Kuvira was even affecting fashion here in Republic City. She slid into a new pair of heels then knocked softly on the connecting door.

“C’mon in.” He raised his eyes as she entered. “Hey, not bad.” He adjusted his sleeve. “I think mine’s a little loose. Hu must be losing his touch.”

Mr. Hu wasn’t. Always lanky, her boss had definitely lost a bit of weight during their trek to freedom, and kept it off during the last three years of fascinating lab research and the resulting skipped meals. Zhu Li made a mental note to be more assertive about him not missing lunch or breakfast from now on. 

It was really nice to see him in blue again. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it.

“Kuvira got Raiko to okay our plan. Tomorrow, following the coronation,” he raised a single eyebrow, “you’re going to join up with the rest of the team and supervise as they harvest the vines. But tonight - let’s celebrate! I’m a free man again, and you’re a free woman, I guess. Did Beifong ever clear those parking tickets for you?”

Zhu Li had no idea. 

“Anyway - we’re gonna go to the pro-bending match at six, then go to Yin’s place for dinner at half-past-eight. After that, Ginger wants us to drop by her husband’s new nightclub. Says it’s the hottest spot in town.”

Zhu Li cocked her head, pen hovering above her notebook. Occasionally she’d accompanied him on nights out in Republic City, but there had always been some purpose behind it, some chore she’d been there to perform, whether that was taking notes on a possible acquisition or babysitting Bolin. So far, she hadn't been given a reason for being there. 

The pro-bending palace was covered in vines. Varrick had kept his box seats; they’d sat empty all this time. It seemed a little odd that three seasons of the sport had come and gone without her following a single minute of it. Almost every member of every team had changed, though the names stayed the same. She was a little relieved to see the Black Quarry Boar-q-pines had not changed their line-up in the slightest, though the team seemed to suffer for it, losing handily to the Red Sands Rabbiroos. 

Yin’s restaurant was, true to Ginger’s word, incredible. Yin had reserved them an ideal table, high in the back of the room, away from the door of the kitchen, with a sweeping view of Yue Bay. As the sun set, the lights flickered on on Avatar Aang Memorial Island and Air Temple Island, illuminating the landmark tower. As far as the cuisine went, the most delectable morsels and combinations of flavors from across the four nations came together on a succession of beautiful presented, teensy-tiny plates. Following dinner, the chef came out of the kitchen to greet them both. Yin had sprouted up even further and gained loads of piercings and tattoos, but still hugged Zhu Li upon seeing her. “This is all really amazing, Yin - well done,” she said. 

The former cook blushed.