A Princess' Destiny ✘ZUKO ✘

22

In the new apartment Soana and Sueh slid open the door to the next room after smelling an aroma that reminded them of home.

"What smells like fish head soup?" Sueh rubbed her eyes and came into the kitchen after just getting dressed.

Iroh laughed as he stood at a stove top, stirring a pot of white mixture.
"Fish head soup? Does my jook really smell bad?"

Sueh furrowed her brows.
"What?"

"Jook." Iroh answered Sueh.
"It's a rice porridge mainly eaten in the Earth Kingdom. It's delicious."

Soana giggled.
"I don't think we've ever had that."

"Well, today is a lucky day for you girls!"

He grabbed two bowls and scooped the jook into each bowl.
"Let me know how it is." He said, handing the bowls to them.

Iroh continued stirring the pot as the girls took their seats at the table. They used their hands to scoop up their bowls and brought it to their lips to taste.

"So?" Iroh asked.

Sueh swallowed.
"It tastes familiar."

Soana nodded.
"I think I know what you're talking about."

The girls looked at each other and grinned.
"Miss Agla's stewed seaweed!"

They both giggled at their answers being so predictable. Iroh just smiled kindly, finally hearing the laughter of a joyous moment.

From the other room they saw Zuko walking into the kitchen yawning and rubbing his tired eye.

"What's that smell?" He asked.

"It's jook. I'm sure you wouldn't like it."
Iroh said.

"Stewed seaweed." Sueh muttered, taking another sip of her breakfast.

Zuko went to the stove top and leaned over the pot, taking a deep inhale.

"Actually, it's smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, uncle."

Soana stopped herself as Sueh accidentally inhale a piece of rice causing her to choke and cough on it.

"What's going on?" Soana gasped to herself as Sueh coughed up the mixture and quickly recovered.

"What witch put a spell on him?" Sueh joked with a red face and strained voice.

Iroh looked at him quizzically and grabbed the ladle he stirred the jook with.
"Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow."

Zuko sent him a smile as he received a bowl of jook.
"It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, new friends, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop. Things are looking up, uncle."

He took a seat at the table across from Soana and sent her a heart warming smile then took a quick sip of his jook.

Sueh took a deep breath as she noticed how Zuko was smiling.
"I'm starting to question my sanity." She said to Soana.