![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizbeeTitle: The Hidden Stars
Summary: You can't see the stars in Zaofu.
Notes: Spoilers.
Rating: Teen
Lin's good mood carried her through the afternoon and well into an evening that culminated in supper and drinks with Su and her husband. It was all very civilised, but now it was late, and she was slightly tipsy, yet wide awake and restless.
And there were no stars. Barefoot, she stood in Su's meteorite garden and looked up at the metal shell encasing the estate.
"Claustrophobic, isn't it?"
Aiwei appeared beside her, his light tread barely touching her earthsense. Lin had spent the last couple of days resenting his unheralded arrivals and unwanted insights, but now she was far too contented to nurture any more negative feelings.
She said, "It must be secure."
"The only dangers in Zaofu are the ones we bring in ourselves."
"Yeah, Zaofu is the safest place in the world. You keep telling me."
Aiwei chuckled. "You might get bored."
"Probably. Is there much crime in Zaofu?"
"Other than Huan's sculptures?"
Lin snorted, abruptly deciding she liked Aiwei. She sat down on a little hill, leaning back on her elbows. After a moment, he joined her, sitting neatly with his legs crossed.
"Vandalism is a problem. Teenagers demonstrating their ability to bend obscenities into the walls. Easily fixed, but tedious. We had a thief once, but she was quickly found and expelled."
"Republic City has organised crime, smuggling, drug trafficking, a murder rate to rival Ba Sing Se, and when I left, a bunch of spirits were squatting in City Hall."
"I enjoy living in a quiet place. But I do miss the stars."
Lin looked up at him. "You're from the Si Wong Desert, right?"
He started. "How--"
"Your jewellery. I have travelled, a bit. What, you're used to being the only guy in the room who knows people by looking at them?"
"Well … yes, I suppose I am."
"I guess that makes us even." Lin lay back, putting her hands behind her head.
"Most people would regard a referral to an acupuncturist as a favour. Not a -- a score to settle."
"I'm not most people."
"Yes, I suppose I already knew that."
"So how'd you come to be here?"
"Suyin. Of course."
"Of course."
Aiwei shifted, stretching out his legs and, after a moment's hesitation, lying down beside her.
"My mother leads a sandbender tribe," he said. "Nomads. They keep to the old ways. But my father, he was a waterbender."
"In the desert?"
"He lived at the Misty Palms Oasis. My mother visited when her people were in the area. It was an odd arrangement, but it suited them. At least, I have two younger brothers and a sister. We managed.
"It was at the Oasis that I met Su. The circus came to town, and when they left, she stayed behind. She taught me to metalbend. I helped her improve her pai sho game. When the nomads returned, we went with them."
"Was this before or after she became a pirate?"
"Oh, before. My cousin broke her heart, and she wanted to be as far from the desert as she could get."
"And you?"
"I went with her. She was like a sister to me. I wanted to look out for her."
Lin smiled, turning onto her side to face him. "I'm glad someone was."
"She speaks very highly of you. As does your mother. I'm glad I finally had a chance to meet you."
"And you got to see me at my worst."
"I'm rather sorry I missed the fight. Although the twins offered to re-enact it for me."
"Next time we'll sell tickets."
He laughed, which was when she leaned forward to kiss him. Aiwei stiffened in surprise, and she pulled back.
"No?" she asked.
"Yes." He cupped his hand around her head, drawing her back to him.
When had she last taken a lover? Not since the Avatar had come to town, bringing chaos and paperwork and overtime in her wake. And, no, she wasn't especially practised at making people want her, or admitting she wanted anything herself -- but she was having a good day for the first time since Harmonic Convergence, and she wanted it to end well. She slid her arm around Aiwei's hip, deepening the kiss.
"So what's sex like for a truth seer?" she asked when they parted for breath.
"Out here? Like this?" He put his palm on her chest and gently pushed her down. "Your heartbeat is increasing. Your breathing is shallow." He ran his hand down her stomach. "Your blood is engorging--" He rested his hand between her legs. "I can feel all of it. As if your body was an extension of the earth."
"Well. Mom never mentioned that part."
Aiwei was stroking her inner thigh, and Lin guessed she didn't have to tell him she liked it.
"I'm surprised you're not a truth seer yourself. In your line of work--"
"Could never get the hang of it. Too much happening at once." Not unlike the sensations between her legs, Aiwei grazing her with his thumb now and then, at unpredictable intervals. "You should kiss me again."
He paused to take his glasses off, setting them down on the grass beside her head and kissing her at her jawline, then moving up along her scars. The damaged tissue tingled, and she inhaled sharply.
"Too much?" Aiwei asked.
"I don't know. No. Do it again."
He obeyed, briefly, then pulled away, reaching for his glasses.
"Anyone who lives here will tell you this is ironic coming from me, but--"
"There's no privacy in Zaofu."
"Exactly. You saw that the beds here have wooden bases?"
"That was my innovation. You try being sixteen and living with my mother." She let him pull her to her feet. "You should thank me."
"I'm sure I'll find a way to show my gratitude."
*
Lin liked to say she didn't have time for regret. It was more accurate, she realised as she followed the Misty Palms police officer into the dark little hotel room, to say that she had too many big regrets -- years isolated from her family and friends -- to leave space for small ones.
"I guess it's some kind of coma," the young officer said. "Poison, maybe?"
"No," said Lin. "Not poison."
Once, when she was in her early twenties, she had watched over Avatar Aang's body as he entered the Spirit World. Just a few weeks ago, she had seen Jinora's body, empty and hollow while the girl was trapped.
She didn't regret sleeping with Aiwei as much as she regretted letting Suyin manipulate her. Now the Avatar and her friends were missing, and Aiwei seemed beyond recovery. Or justice.
"Have him sent back to Zaofu," she said, stepping over to the window. The sun was setting. A few stars had appeared in the sky. "Tomorrow."
end
Summary: You can't see the stars in Zaofu.
Notes: Spoilers.
Rating: Teen
Lin's good mood carried her through the afternoon and well into an evening that culminated in supper and drinks with Su and her husband. It was all very civilised, but now it was late, and she was slightly tipsy, yet wide awake and restless.
And there were no stars. Barefoot, she stood in Su's meteorite garden and looked up at the metal shell encasing the estate.
"Claustrophobic, isn't it?"
Aiwei appeared beside her, his light tread barely touching her earthsense. Lin had spent the last couple of days resenting his unheralded arrivals and unwanted insights, but now she was far too contented to nurture any more negative feelings.
She said, "It must be secure."
"The only dangers in Zaofu are the ones we bring in ourselves."
"Yeah, Zaofu is the safest place in the world. You keep telling me."
Aiwei chuckled. "You might get bored."
"Probably. Is there much crime in Zaofu?"
"Other than Huan's sculptures?"
Lin snorted, abruptly deciding she liked Aiwei. She sat down on a little hill, leaning back on her elbows. After a moment, he joined her, sitting neatly with his legs crossed.
"Vandalism is a problem. Teenagers demonstrating their ability to bend obscenities into the walls. Easily fixed, but tedious. We had a thief once, but she was quickly found and expelled."
"Republic City has organised crime, smuggling, drug trafficking, a murder rate to rival Ba Sing Se, and when I left, a bunch of spirits were squatting in City Hall."
"I enjoy living in a quiet place. But I do miss the stars."
Lin looked up at him. "You're from the Si Wong Desert, right?"
He started. "How--"
"Your jewellery. I have travelled, a bit. What, you're used to being the only guy in the room who knows people by looking at them?"
"Well … yes, I suppose I am."
"I guess that makes us even." Lin lay back, putting her hands behind her head.
"Most people would regard a referral to an acupuncturist as a favour. Not a -- a score to settle."
"I'm not most people."
"Yes, I suppose I already knew that."
"So how'd you come to be here?"
"Suyin. Of course."
"Of course."
Aiwei shifted, stretching out his legs and, after a moment's hesitation, lying down beside her.
"My mother leads a sandbender tribe," he said. "Nomads. They keep to the old ways. But my father, he was a waterbender."
"In the desert?"
"He lived at the Misty Palms Oasis. My mother visited when her people were in the area. It was an odd arrangement, but it suited them. At least, I have two younger brothers and a sister. We managed.
"It was at the Oasis that I met Su. The circus came to town, and when they left, she stayed behind. She taught me to metalbend. I helped her improve her pai sho game. When the nomads returned, we went with them."
"Was this before or after she became a pirate?"
"Oh, before. My cousin broke her heart, and she wanted to be as far from the desert as she could get."
"And you?"
"I went with her. She was like a sister to me. I wanted to look out for her."
Lin smiled, turning onto her side to face him. "I'm glad someone was."
"She speaks very highly of you. As does your mother. I'm glad I finally had a chance to meet you."
"And you got to see me at my worst."
"I'm rather sorry I missed the fight. Although the twins offered to re-enact it for me."
"Next time we'll sell tickets."
He laughed, which was when she leaned forward to kiss him. Aiwei stiffened in surprise, and she pulled back.
"No?" she asked.
"Yes." He cupped his hand around her head, drawing her back to him.
When had she last taken a lover? Not since the Avatar had come to town, bringing chaos and paperwork and overtime in her wake. And, no, she wasn't especially practised at making people want her, or admitting she wanted anything herself -- but she was having a good day for the first time since Harmonic Convergence, and she wanted it to end well. She slid her arm around Aiwei's hip, deepening the kiss.
"So what's sex like for a truth seer?" she asked when they parted for breath.
"Out here? Like this?" He put his palm on her chest and gently pushed her down. "Your heartbeat is increasing. Your breathing is shallow." He ran his hand down her stomach. "Your blood is engorging--" He rested his hand between her legs. "I can feel all of it. As if your body was an extension of the earth."
"Well. Mom never mentioned that part."
Aiwei was stroking her inner thigh, and Lin guessed she didn't have to tell him she liked it.
"I'm surprised you're not a truth seer yourself. In your line of work--"
"Could never get the hang of it. Too much happening at once." Not unlike the sensations between her legs, Aiwei grazing her with his thumb now and then, at unpredictable intervals. "You should kiss me again."
He paused to take his glasses off, setting them down on the grass beside her head and kissing her at her jawline, then moving up along her scars. The damaged tissue tingled, and she inhaled sharply.
"Too much?" Aiwei asked.
"I don't know. No. Do it again."
He obeyed, briefly, then pulled away, reaching for his glasses.
"Anyone who lives here will tell you this is ironic coming from me, but--"
"There's no privacy in Zaofu."
"Exactly. You saw that the beds here have wooden bases?"
"That was my innovation. You try being sixteen and living with my mother." She let him pull her to her feet. "You should thank me."
"I'm sure I'll find a way to show my gratitude."
*
Lin liked to say she didn't have time for regret. It was more accurate, she realised as she followed the Misty Palms police officer into the dark little hotel room, to say that she had too many big regrets -- years isolated from her family and friends -- to leave space for small ones.
"I guess it's some kind of coma," the young officer said. "Poison, maybe?"
"No," said Lin. "Not poison."
Once, when she was in her early twenties, she had watched over Avatar Aang's body as he entered the Spirit World. Just a few weeks ago, she had seen Jinora's body, empty and hollow while the girl was trapped.
She didn't regret sleeping with Aiwei as much as she regretted letting Suyin manipulate her. Now the Avatar and her friends were missing, and Aiwei seemed beyond recovery. Or justice.
"Have him sent back to Zaofu," she said, stepping over to the window. The sun was setting. A few stars had appeared in the sky. "Tomorrow."
end
no subject
Date: 2014-09-02 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-02 08:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-02 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-02 11:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-03 03:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-03 12:50 pm (UTC)