An Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction (Zuko X OC)
"And lastly, we are free, but we are not our own persons."
At this, the student frowned and looked up at her teacher. "How can that be free?"
The beautiful woman smiled, but it didn't reach...
"Well, you certainly look like of official tea servers!" The owner of the teahouse beamed as he inspected the pair who had donned on their aprons. "How do you feel?"
Zuko stood awkwardly still as he looked at the apron. Never in his whole life had he worn one before. "Ridiculous."
Next to him, his uncle struggled with the length of the ties of his apron, or the lack thereof. "Uh... Does this possibly come in a larger size?" He had pulled the ends taught over the bulge of his stomach, but they barely even touched.
"I have some extra string in the back." The owner poured two cups of tea for his new employees. "Have some tea while you wait." After handing the cups to them, he went to the backroom.
Iroh excitedly took a sip of the hot tea. Zuko was about to do the same when he heard his uncle sputter and gag. He glared at the cup like it was an abominable object. "This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"
"Uncle, that's what all tea is..."
His hidden temper suddenly rose at the retort, but he gripped the cup instead of Zuko's neck. "How can a member of my own family say something so horrible?!" He grabbed the teapot and threw the foul contents out the window. "We'll have to make some MAJOR changes around here!"
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Kai luckily got a job doing deliveries in the market. He helped an elder merchant load crates into a wagon and he had hired him on the spot. The kind old trader also provided them with a room in a nearby apartment.
Lily explored the market, looking for a job while Kai was out on his new work. She asked around the stalls, looking for any job at all, but with so many refugees in the city, everyone was out looking for a job to sustain their day-to-day living. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she clutched it tight. It's been a while since they had a decent meal. And if she goes on any longer without food, all of Ba Sing Se might hear her stomach.
As she rounded a corner, the air was suddenly filled with a savoury smell, making her salivate a bit. She followed the aroma that wafted around and she now stood in front of an eatery. It was bustling with so many people since it was time for lunch. She looked on at the people eating heartily. There was grilled fish, fried rice, noodles, dumplings, steamed buns...
Her stomach growled again just as a woman passed through. She immediately bowed her head and apologized.
"Are you hungry?" The woman had asked and Lily looked up at her. The woman was quite-rich looking, clad in non-faded green robes. Her hair was pulled up with an ornate jade pin, and she had rings and bracelets. She definitely was not a refugee.
She nodded slowly, biting her lip.
The woman tugged her inside the eatery and asked the servers to bring out food. They were given the best seats, the chairs plump with cushions and the tables varnished smooth. As they sat down, two servers bowed to the woman and immediately laid out the feast.
