( MAI )
"Vulnerability makes you a target," he says to her, as he packs the pipe he found in the captain's chest with practised motions. It's telling that he's done this often. Telling of his drive to commit himself emotionally, only to calm himself and enjoy a good pipe. "Especially in a household whose patriarch favours the strong."
He glances at her before lighting the pipe, and once more she feels pinned beneath that cold, blue gaze. It's the kind of colour that can turn warm with affection that he doesn't hold for her, but her brother.
"I know," she replies quietly, "But I don't think strength lies in the ability to deceive and lie."
He huffs out a laugh, and with it puffs of smoke. He doesn't cough. "No. A convincing liar can believe his own words for as long as necessary. A good liar has a perfect recollection of who he told what. An honest person must always take into consideration the hurt they expose themselves to by speaking truthfully."
She remains silent, and feels that that is as telling to him as a verbal reply.
"And a calculating person recognises another easily," an odd thing to say, revealing himself like that. But Mai thinks she understands him better now. He cares for as long and deeply as he can, without ending up devoted. He cares for as long as what he shares won't be used against him. But he cares.
She understands that he is not certain of who to trust, but places enough in her to show that he will not watch her. Instead, he follows Ty Lee. She is no longer certain of whether it is because he distrusts her, or because he desires to keep her safe. She cannot tell whether he knows the difference at all.
"And yet," he muses, "Vulnerability is what is necessary to forge genuine human connections. And what is life about, if not connection?"
He fishes a necklace from his pocket. The pipe in one hand, he offers it to her with a glint in his eyes that she can't decide is amused or mocking. She hates that this is necessary. She wishes there were another way. But she hates having to flee, having to defend herself and her bodily integrity. She hates this. She knows that if she wore a noble's clothes this would never-
It doesn't matter. She can't return. She doesn't want to, with Azula…
She takes the necklace. The band is soft, sturdy material. The carved symbol is lovely, she can admit. It will be the first piece of jewellery she's worn since leaving Omashu in turmoil.
"The symbol has a meaning," Kaito says, watching her. "For what I would hope for in our partnership. I chose the ship because that is how we worked together, at sea. It is also our means of leaving this city when the time is right and you still travel with me."
It's a symbol of their relationship, however hostile it may be. It's also a symbol of his plans to leave, of the soon-to-be lack of necessity for this.
Mai fastens the necklace around her throat. It is a gentle reminder. It does not choke. But it sits there and it makes her think that it's appropriate for her situation. She could leave on her own. With Ty Lee. They could make their own way. But Kaito offers stability, and a measure of safety. He offers help in return for hers.
She can admit that it is nice to follow another's lead, to know that he has a plan. Because she has seen what the war has wrought.
She has seen. And it does not leave her cold.
Her calm is gone.
It always was a thin veneer.
...
( IROH )
It is lovely to see Zuko so… normal. Stunned by a girl. A young woman with a child in her arms, with the looks of a Fire Nation native. She looks familiar, and the way Zuko is looking at her… they know each other.
He watches them as they go to sit at one of the tables, Kaito moving towards Iroh, probably to speak with him about the schools. "Good evening," Iroh greets the young waterbender, but his eyes remain on the pair in the corner.
"Evening, Mushi. Do you have a few minutes?" Kaito asks, seating himself in a chair just beside the counter where Iroh waits for customers who won't trickle in until they have properly opened up shop.
Zuko and the young woman are clearly already deeply immersed in conversation.
"Yes, Kai, for you always," Iroh finally tears his eyes away, only to look back as a shimmer of blue on the woman's neck catches his attention. Slowly he looks back at Kaito. "That is a betrothal necklace your companion wears, is it not?"
The young man's half-lidded stare is amused. "I'm sure we'll be breaking off our fake engagement soon," he huffs a low laugh. "That is, so long as your nephew provides her with an alternative trinket that would be recognised as promises exchanged. There have been attempts to take her and her friend to the upper ring for… entertainment."
Iroh is both relieved for Zuko and reviled by the revelation. For something like that to be necessary protection… ah. But it appears to be the way of the world that the poor and defenceless are exploited, while the rich and powerful take as they please. He should know. He was one of them once.
He busies himself with a pot of tea. "What did you want to speak with me about?"
"Ranra says we're ready to start an evening school for adults or adolescents in a few days," he produces some leaflets. "I'm sure you know some people who would benefit from that sort of thing."
Iroh slips them into his own tunic. "I do."
He meets an intent stare, something Kaito rarely does. After a few moments, the man takes another scrap of paper from his sleeve. "There is something else. Meet me there tomorrow at sunrise."
Iroh takes the paper and watches the young waterbender rise from his seat, give him a nod and walk towards the door. The young woman notices and makes to stand. He waves her off. "I can manage the shopping on my own. Stay."
She frowns, then sends him a half-suspicious, half-grateful smile. "Don't buy fish tonight."
He laughs and with a final wave, he's gone.
She slumps in her seat, "He's going to buy all the fish…"
Iroh chuckles.
"Mai," he hears Zuko say, "How do you and he..?"
"Kaito is- we met in Omashu. He," she laughs, an incredulous note to it, "He kidnapped Azula and Peter, I mean Tom-Tom here and-"
"What."
"It's true! She had lost some of her memories, thought she was ten years old, and he kidnapped her. Ty Lee and I followed them, tracked them down, but just as we had them cornered, pirates showed up and took all of us prisoner. Agni, it was awful.
But we broke loose, with Kaito's help and Azula regained her memories. But we'd- we'd had a disagreement about Tom-Tom and when we next made port to turn in the pirates, she and Ty Lee brought back my uncle! And there was a fight, but- Let's just say, Azula named us traitors and we're wanted in Fire Nation territories now," she explains without fully explaining at all.
Iroh makes his way over with tea. He wants to hear this. In full detail.
...
The school and with it the network that I am hoping to build are coming along. What is needed now is to establish community centres and safe spaces for people to come together to plan, talk, and form an effective movement. Those spaces need to be guarded, which is why I'm keeping a lookout for young, strong people who could fit in with the crowds and still defend places from the Dai Li and other undesirables.
At the very least, they need to be capable of keeping a lookout and warning the people in the meeting if the Dai Li arrives to make trouble.
The reason why infiltration is at this point near impossible is because the Dai Li itself recruits. You do not apply, as you might for a job with the City Guard, and you wouldn't know where. They don't have something as mundane as police boxes. They have offices at the train stations and regular patrols. They are more active during the night than the day.
My suspicion is that they recruit harmless friendly-looking people and then brainwash them. Because we never entered the city by way of official gates, and instead through the harbour and trade we never got the greeting by the Ba Sing Se official that Iroh told me about. Her name was Ju Di. Daito, another refugee and student at the adult evening school we got going with Ranra's help, spoke of Ju Di as well. But their descriptions did not match. Two Ju Di are not a coincidence.
They addressed the new arrivals as a whole when they got off the train from the main gate. Iroh paraphrased that they were welcomed to report any suspicious activity or crime to the Dai Li offices or passing patrols.
We might have to capture one of those Ju Di women and figure out how to break their brainwashing. Or how to follow them. There must be so much documentation that would help us in Dai Li headquarters.
...
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