Zuko sat at down at his desk and turned on his computer. While he waited for the thing to boot up he sipped his beer. It'd been a busy day, what with running a successful business and trying to make a very unhappy Mai happy. He was looking for some "stress relief" and after trying to instigate something and getting nowhere, she finally claimed another "headache". Feeling frustrated and stressed, he went to the computer to check his emails and maybe kill some aliens online. After logging in, he noticed an instant message.
It was from sugrqueen_85, "Hey there stranger!"
He smiled. Katara. Since he had taken over the family business, he had kept in contact with his high school friends online. She and Aang traveled around the world being all nomad-y, traveling in Aang's beat up VW bus with their cat Momo and Aapa the yellow lab mix. She would email him pictures of wherever they were staying. He kept all of them, especially the ones of just Katara. Mai disapproved of him socializing with the lower class but they were his friends and he didn't care. She could just deal with it.
"Hello back" sifuhotman replied.
"Isn't it late there? Shouldn't you be in bed, Mr. I-Rise-With-The-Sun?" she typed back.
"I wasn't tired yet, Miss I-Rise-With-The-Moon. Shouldn't you be out with Aang?"
There was a pause.
"He went to Earthrumble 21 or 72 or whatever number it is now with Toph and sokka. I didn't want to go, so here I am all by my lonesome."
"Poor baby. Wait, I thought you were in Omashu?
"we got in gaoling earlier today. We had dinner with toph and Sokka and her parents, then they decided to go to the earthrumble and I went back to the hotel.
"I told them if they wanted to see rocks thrown around, I'd be happy to help."
"Laughing. I'm sure you would too."
As he waited for her response, he clicked on his email icon and took a long drink from his beer bottle. Crap. More chain emails from Ty Lee. "yes, Ty Lee, the cats are cute but I'm not getting seven years bad luck if I don't forward this to 20 friends in 2 minutes. stop sending these to me!" he typed in his reply.
Ding!
"So... what are you doing? Where's Mai?"
"In bed."
"And yet here you are on the computer with me. Tsk, tsk, Zuko. Whatever would uncle say?"
He laughed. "Probably something like "you must look outside the screen to see those in front of you."
"or "go, nephew! either one I guess."
"Oh my god, he would so say both!"
"what about you? What would little aang think of you chatting with me?"
He took another swig of beer.
"like I care. I'm so sick of his clinginess I could scream. I mean he practically cried because I wouldn't come with them tonight."
He raised his good eyebrow as he took another swig.
"What's wrong with just hanging out and relaxing? I mean we've been traveling all week and I'm tired. whatever though, right?
"I agree with you. Sometimes I'd rather stay in than go out."
He took the last swig before typing. "gotta get another beer. be right back."
"Ooo.. get one for me too!"
He raced to the minifridge in his office grabbing two cold beers before sitting back down. He popped the cap on one.
