Dark Puck - Blood Lines

Li Shang was going through his morning routine when he saw a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye. He halted his weapon dance, lowering the trident as he turned to greet Leilani…

…and blinked in surprise. “Katara!”

“Shang, hi!” she replied, grinning and giving him a quick hug. “How are you?”

He looked startled by the hug, but returned it. “Fairly good, actually. And yourself?”

“I’ve been doing well. I got a chance to go home, which was nice.”

“That’s great!” he said, grinning at her.

“I just came by to see how you all were doing here. Since, y’know, none of you ever write.”

“It’s been… a little hectic,” Shang admitted.

“I thought you guys took care of Azula. That’s what the official news says, anyway…” She frowned a bit.

“And then the volcano exploded.”

Katara’s eyes widened. “I must’ve missed that one.”

“It was last month,” the soldier pointed out.

“Oh. Right, I guess it makes sense that I didn’t hear, then.”

“Travelling?”

“On my way here, actually. It’s a bit slower, I’m on my own and don’t have Aang and Appa to help speed things up.”

“Ahhh, I see.” Shang spun his trident idly. “Here to see the Firelord?”

“Yep,” she said. “Along with everyone else.”

“Lord Zuko’s in a meeting, but I think Lord Kouji is training with Master Toph.”

“…Lord Kouji?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “When did that happen?”

“About two weeks after you left.”

“Well, good, he earned it,” she said, smiling. “Where’re he and Toph working?”

“I’ll take you there,” he replied, bowing and offering her his arm.

“Thanks,” she replied, rolling her eyes at the flirtatiousness, and took his arm. The grinning soldier led her to where the two earthbenders were training. Or sparring. Kouji was in the air, anyway.

No, wait, now he was on the ground.

And then Katara was tackled by Toph, giving Kouji a bit of a break.

Laughing, Shang extended a hand and pulled the boy to his feet. “Ow…,” Kouji muttered.

“Hey, Kouji, look who came to visit!” Toph called, letting a laughing Katara up.

“…Katara!” Kouji promptly ran to hug the waterbender.

Katara hugged back. “You got tall, Kouji. And a lord now?”

He flushed. “Yeah… Zuko said it would help me get taken seriously.”

“Has it helped?” she asked.

“Mostly, yeah.” Now Kouji grinned. “So has Qiang.”

“Qiang?” she asked, curious.

“My companion. She’s still asleep, though, so I’ll introduce you later.”

“All right,” she said, grinning a little. “Now I’m curious.”

“You won’t be disappointed,” Kouji laughed.

“I’m sure I won’t,” she replied, with careful seriousness that could only be concealing giggles.

Shang grinned. “Haru’s gone back to the Earth Kingdom,” he told Katara, “and Ty Lee’s gone with him. You want to stay with Toph for a time?”

“Sure, at least until the Brat’s available and I can see how he’s been,” she replied. There was a different inflection in the nickname now — less vindictive hatred, and more exasperated affection.

“He’s not gonna be available until lunch,” Kouji piped up. “And that’s only if he can avoid the marriage bait.”

“…marriage bait?” she asked, a little higher-pitched than she intended it to come out. “He’s not even eighteen yet!”

“But he will be soon,” Shang replied. “And since he’s made a habit of nearly dying several times a year, he seriously needs an heir.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“And every nobleman has decided that his female relative will be the one to provide that heir,” Kouji replied, flushing darkly.

Katara snorted in annoyance. “Of course they have.”

“So, he’s dealing with that on top of everything else.”

She sighed. “No wonder he hasn’t written.”

Kouji nodded. “They even intrude on his sleep. Or try to.”

“…you can’t be serious.”

“Well, they might not know it,” he conceded. “But I fend ‘em off.”

“Good for you,” she said.

He beamed at the praise. She grinned back.

And so the four of them sat and conversed in relative past for an hour or two, until Zuko was supposed to be done with his meeting.

Kouji was struck by a sudden idea. “I’m going to get Qiang and tell Zuko you’re here,” he said to Katara.

“Or I could just come with you,” she suggested.

“That might be even better,” he grinned.

Shang glanced at Toph. “Want to spar while we wait for them?”

“Sure!” the tiny earthbender said brightly, and flung a rock at him.

Shang deflected the rock with his trident, and prepared to get thrown around as Kouji led Katara toward the palace.

Zuko was just drifting out of his meeting, talking quietly with one of the men he’d been meeting with, as they turned the corner.

Katara paused. “He looks like hell.”

Kouji sighed. “I know. I try, but…”

Zuko finally disengaged and glanced over. “…Katara?”

“Hey, there,” she said, crossing the hall to give him a brief, sisterly hug. “You look like hell, Brat.”

“It’s good to see you too, Sweetness,” he said, mildly sarcastic. “How have you been?”

Watching them, Kouji grinned, then snuck off to seek out Qiang.

“Where are you off to?” Zuko called after him, clearly trying to avoid Katara’s pointed questions about when he’d eaten and slept last.

“I’m getting Qiang!” Kouji called back.

“You should go with him,” the Firelord said to Katara. “She’s a baby dragon, she’s about this high, and—”

Katara ran off after Kouji, dragging Zuko along with her.

“I— Katara, I have to—” Zuko started to protest, somewhat lamely, but the waterbender didn’t let go.

Kouji laughed to himself and led them to where Qiang slept in his room. She was already bigger than she’d been a month beforehand.

Katara got that wide-eyed, delighted look that only presents on teenage girls around baby animals. She clapped her hands with delight when Qiang obligingly nuzzled her pockets for food. Finding nothing, the dragon looked mournfully over at Zuko, while butting her head up against Katara’s hand, demanding adoration if she couldn’t have food.

“You know I never have anything for you, kanojo,” he said, gently, smiling faintly at the sight.

“Unlike your uncle,” Kouji told him, grinning.

Katara obligingly petted the dragon, then turned back to Zuko. “You never answered my question, by the way.”

“He probably won’t,” muttered the boy, running his hand gently along Qiang’s spine.

“Sorry, what was the question again?” the young Firelord asked, sitting down (who cared anyway if he messed up his clothes? They were annoying as hell anyway) on the ground.

“When was the last time you slept?”

“Yesterday afternoon, I think,” Zuko finally answered. “I had an hour or so between meetings. What does it matter?”

“…why aren’t you sleeping at night?” Kouji demanded, sitting up straight.

“Because usually by the time I get to my paperwork, it’s already late. And then I still have to practice.”

“…Zuko!”

“What?” he asked.

Kouji glared at him. “You’re slipping back into your old habits again!”

“And they’re bad habits,” Katara added, before Zuko could respond. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Katara…”

“Last night,” Kouji replied.

“And it is… hmmm…” She glanced at the sun. “Mid-afternoon. Do you see the problem here?”

“I’ll get some food,” said Kouji, getting up. “Yes, for you too,” he added to Qiang.

“Good idea,” Katara said, still glaring at Zuko who, slightly red with embarrassment and mild irritation, hadn’t answered.

Swiftly, Kouji quit the room and beelined for the kitchens.

When he got back, Katara and Zuko were still arguing.

“…But I don’t see why it matters so much,” Zuko was saying.

“Here,” said Kouji, giving Zuko a bowl.

He accepted the bowl, and ate what was in it, Katara still frowning faintly at him.

“It matters because you’re too damn thin. And that I can make that judgment while most of you is covered in several loose yards of thick red fabric.”

“She’s right,” Kouji said.

“…It can’t possibly be that bad,” Zuko insisted, after swallowing.

She made an impatient noise, reached over, and pulled his robe close around him. “Zuko? Dear Brat? I can see your ribs.”

Kouji’s eyes widened. How had it gotten that bad?

Judging by the faintly poleaxed expression on Zuko’s face, he was thinking much the same thing. “How…?”

“…wait, I think I know,” said Kouji slowly. “You’re not eating right, you’re missing sleep, and you’re under a lot of stress.”

“I haven’t missed this many meals,” Zuko insisted.

“You’re not sleeping, either,” Kouji repeated. “Also stress.”

He didn’t have much of a response for that. “…oh,” he said, feeling the beginnings of yet another headache coming on.

The boy frowned. This really wasn’t good.

Katara sighed. “Zuko, finish.”

“Huh?” he said, blinking a little. “Oh, right,” he said, and turned back to the food that Kouji had brought him.

Kouji had tuned them both out, trying to come up with ways to fix this new problem. When the young Firelord had finished he lay down on the ground, eyes closed, willing the late-afternoon sunlight to stop stabbing his brain.

“Zuko?” the boy asked quietly. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” he replied, even quieter.

Kouji frowned, but didn’t press.

Katara, on the other hand, also frowned, and settled herself behind Zuko, drawing his head onto her lap, wrapping her hands in faintly glowing water and resting them against his temples.

Kouji blinked and looked at Katara. “What are you…?”

“Headache,” she murmured, indicating Zuko with a jerk of her chin. “I’m seeing if I can fix it.”

He nodded and fell silent. After a moment, it became apparent that the young monarch, his headache eased somewhat, had fallen asleep. Kouji grinned and said in a low voice, “I’m going to ask Unc— General Iroh to cover for the next few meetings.”

Katara smiled back and nodded. “Good idea,” she murmured back.

Without a sound, he rose to his feet and padded away.

located: my bed

feeling: groggy

the bards are playing: Blazing Saddles