isolated,, sokka

viii.

1 year, 4 months ago ;

"father, you're home!" zhavia widened her eyes in surprise at her father's presence in their fire nation estate. she hadn't been expecting the man to return back for months. she wasn't ecstatic about his return, but she was at least relieved he was okay from battle.

"that i am, zhavia." zhao sent a tight smile in zhavia's direction, before looking behind her and narrowing his eyes slightly at zaia. zaia was in the middle of putting zhavia's hair in a fire nation bun before they started training.

"zaia, please be dismissed." zhao crossed his arms. he was never too fond of the older woman who was general iroh's ex wife. he was threatened by how much more zhavia seemed to respect her in a parental way than she respected him- even if she never specifically stated that.

"yes sir." zaia nodded respectfully in captain zhao's direction, before sending zhavia a small smile and leaving her bedroom.

zhavia sighed, standing up from her chair and straightening her posture as she smiled at zhao. "i have something that i want to discuss with you, zhavia." zhao's words were monotonous as he looked down to his thirteen year old daughter, "so i heard from the fire nation academy that you've already mastered your bending."

"oh," zhavia blinked a bit, "well, i mastered them three years ago, but yes." she nodded in reply.

zhao furrowed his eyebrows, "how come i wasn't informed back then?"

"i don't know father, i'm sorry." zhavia shook her head, before shifting her weight to her left leg as she looked at him, confused as to what he was trying to get at.

"has your fire always been blue?" zhao then asked, ignoring zhavia's confused apology and she looked up in slight surprise.

"no," zhavia shook her head, "it's recently been getting darker and now it goes between blue and orange." she explained.

zhao smirked, "that's perfect. there's a new spot in the fire navy opened up for a metal melter. either the avatar fire or a bender who can bend blue can melt metal."

"but- but father, i'm not old enough to enroll." zhavia protested. she was only thirteen, and it was at eighteen where it was common for the children of general's to join.

"don't you realize how much pride this will bring our family name?" zhao furrowed his eyebrows as his voice raised. he took a step in zhavia's direction as she responded by taking one back. "the only other bender we've seen to produce blue flames is firelord ozai's daughter! not even his banished son or himself."

zhavia still looked wearily, knowing very well she wasn't ready to leave her home and join a war she didn't know much about. "did zaia get in your head that you weren't ready with your training? i knew she was bad news."

zhavia immediately shook her head in disagreement, "no!" her voiced raised slightly and she immediately regretted speaking like that. "i didn't mean to snap, father. i just don't want anything to happen to zaia."

"it's too late, i already decided that she's a bad influence on you. i mean, now she's causing you to lash out on your own father? her presence was only needed as a means to teach you firebending, and it was simply convenient that she offered to wait on you as well." zhao scoffed, crossing his arms.

"regardless of my mastery of firebending basics, there's always something more for her to teach me! if i would have stopped three years ago when i originally learned, my flames would never be blue now." zhavia argued once more. zaia had been too much of a mother figure for zhavia to let go of.