chapter xi

                                    

                                          
Word Count: 2,428 words

                          
Chapter XI: 有錢能使鬼推磨
                          
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Tea was what Zuko needed to calm his mind.
                          
Actually, what he needed was the Avatar, Natsuko was the one who needed the tea because she was paranoid and all. She has been stuck with them for so long without bending and seeing Aang in person. Even if she sees her other half during sleep and "train" with him with her bending, to be there physically would have been better than being apart and with the Spirit World being a place of no bending, it's hard to actually see the progress.
                          
Iroh was just there because he offered the two tea.
                          
"See, Prince Zuko? A moment of quiet is good for your mental well-being."
                          
Tea is better with a moment of quiet for one's mental well-being. Until there was a rumbling that shook the ship from above, and saw Zuko who was about to drink from his cup has spilled the tea all over his face, gaining a snort from Natsuko. He, probably embarrassed and disregarding peace after that moment, made his way up the deck, followed by his uncle and Natsuko. 
                          
"Get back, we're after a stowaway."
                          
Natsuko's eyes widen at the girl who was atop a shirshu and apparently after a stowaway. She was a stowaway as well, maybe the girl was there for her, so she hid behind Iroh who gave a smile at the cowering girl, ready to bolt inside before the animal on top of the shirshu could capture her.
                          
"There are no stowaways on my ship." meanwhile, Zuko had forgotten Natsuko as a "stowaway" on his ship.
                          
The shirshu tore a piece from from Zuko's ship and threw it towards them and the next thing they saw was a man crawling out of the hole and running away from the shirshu before being struck by the neck, rending him paralyzed literally.
                          
"Only temporarily."
                          
What surprised Natsuko more was the muscle the girl was gaining to hold the man by one hand of his feet and carrying him on her shoulder and her pet shirshu who she whips to do her bidding. If there was anything she didn't like about the girl, it was that she carried a whip and used it on an animal. 
                          
Iroh's side comments were also insightful which Natsuko chose to ignore but Zuko didn't until he told his men.
                          
"Find the girl and her pet shirshu, she can help me find the Avatar."
                          
And by nightfall they did find her, in a small tavern, the usual scrawny 3 floored buildings where it's all drinks and manly things. Now, to other people it was usual, however, it was Natsuko's first time seeing one, after persuading Zuko to bring her along. 
                          
He wasn't against the idea of her tagging along but he was cautious enough to not bring her along, and seeing where they headed he knew he should've left her in the ship.
                          
The place was loud and hot, not to mention that it became bearable to stay in because of those two combined. It did not help when Zuko was shouting and calling names to the people who were there in a rude way, while Iroh apologized for his behalf and Natsuko kept on looking then covering her face because of the stares she's been given.
                          
"Well, if it isn't my new friends. Angry boy and Uncle Lazy." she was in an arm wrestle when the three walked to her, competing against someone who struck like a "Ryu" to her and is evidently winning and eventually she did. She noticed the other person with the two Fire Nation clad men, Natsuko who looked different than them entirely, "You look like you're lost, princess, care for a drink?"
                          
Coins were thrown to her after the crowds roared at her win while Zuko was still going on with the damage they caused to his ship while she gathered the coins she grabbed and told him that she doesn't have the money to pay him back, "Drinks on me!"