Other Half (Zula)

[Zuka]

October 15th

Five years had passed since she had last seen her sisters face. The last time the girls were together Zuka had been begging Zula to leave with her, they had been seventeen then and it seemed like so long ago. Five years was a long time not to see someone you considered your other half, the other part of you and with the two being twins it was even truer. Sure, there had been letters and phone calls here and there but it wasn’t the same and even they were far and few between. Every time Zula would write Zuka could hear their mothers words in the letter, it was like Feena had written the letter or called herself, Zula certainly had turned into the little mini Feena but there really was no surprise there but it made things between the sisters more strained.

Zuka took in a deep breath as she waited in her satomoible at the docks for her sister’s boat to finally dock and slowly let the breath out. The bleak and gray clouds seemed to mirror her own feelings. Zula was finally making her way to the city for some Fire Nation business that would overlap to their late father’s dedication at the Northern Water Tribe Embassy next month. Zuka was happy that her sister was visiting the city, really she was. Despite their different views on things Zuka loved Zula and wanted to spend time with her but she was worried that they would do nothing but fight. It had been so long and so much had changed for the both of them and she worried that Zula would not like what her sister had done with her life since running away. On the other hand, Zuka was worried that once her sister stepped off her boat is that all she would see would be their mothers influence.

A light rain had started and Zuka remained in her car while she waited and after about a half hour a Fire Nation ship finally came into port. It was hard to miss, even after their strides in advancement with the other nations the Fire Nation still had that ‘bigger and better than you’ flare much like the earth kingdom and you would have to be blind to miss the large metal, red and gold decorated ship. Exiting her car Zuka went to stand and wait by the docks with some other greeters. As she stood and waited a cold wind came down from the mountain and Zuka pulled the collar of her navy blue fitted trench up more around her neck and stuck her hands in her pockets. One thing she did hate about this city was the weather, being from the warm climate of the Fire Nation she was ill prepared for the cold and even after all these years it hadn’t gotten any better.

Now that she was standing here waiting a pit began to form in her stomach and Zuka shifted a little to try to get her feelings under control. She shouldn’t be nervous about seeing her sister but she was. There was just too much that could go wrong and too much she had to worry about with Zula being here. Her safety was one of them. It wouldn’t be hard for others to mistake the two girls, even with their slight differences they still looked nearly identical to others that didn’t know better and that could be dangerous for Zula but it wasn’t like Zuka could just come out and say. Hopefully, with Zulas own busy schudele and her more than likely distaste for Zuka’s life choices it would keep her away for the most part, it would be better that way.

She was starting to go over how hard it would be to convince Zula to let some of the Doll’s follow her around without telling her way when her thoughts were distracted once passengers started to exit the ship, keeping a eye out for her twin. Zuka stood up a little more and took in another deep breath, feeling stupid that she was already trying to seem proper for her sister. This wasn’t home, this was her city and she could do what she wanted without having anyone to answer to. But, old habits die hard and Zuka couldn’t bring herself to let that old training go, at least not yet.

[Zula]

When Zula had first been told her next appointment was in Republic City, she hadn't known what to think. On one hand it was just like any other trip she had to make to a foreign place; full of learning and sightseeing but still getting the job done. Meetings with important officials, negotiating, getting her point across; none of that was new. She’d been an ambassador for a few years now, and so it wasn't as though she was nervous about speaking before a bunch of important people. No, she had done that plenty of times.

On the other hand, Zuka was there.

When her original trip to Republic City had been cancelled, Zula had been a little relieved. The last time she had seen Zuka had ended with Zula telling her sister she should be ashamed of her actions and then refusing to accompany her around the world. To Zula, it had been an unneeded act of rebellion, and she had enough on her own plate to deal with. It was safe to say that the two hadn’t parted on good terms, and since then they'd only had brief contact. Maybe it was because of hesitance on both sides, maybe it was because they each reminded the other of something they wanted to forget. Zula didn't know the reason, but it only made this meeting so much more of an almost awkward occurrence.

Still, Zula did love her sister. It was high time for them to reunite; they were adults now. Even if that didn't change the past, it was worth attempting to see each other, despite their differences.
Zula stood on the deck of the ship as it made its way towards Republic City. In the distance she could see the destination coming into view; from her standpoint it looked like a lot of tall buildings and a set up she had never seen. Then again, she had lived most of her life in the Fire Nation, where tradition ruled everyday life. The modern world was something Zula was slowly coming to know, and each assignment opened her eyes a little more to it. She shivered and briefly wished that she had worn more layers; she had chosen to not wear her more noble-marking clothes out of sympathy for Zuka. Instead she’d opted for her more militaristic style wardrobe, still looking proper but without all the draping and allowing more movement. The weather didn't exactly sport a good omen either; perhaps if there was a little more sunshine this wouldn't feel so intimidating.

The ship drew closer and closer, and Zula found her gaze drawn to her surroundings as they came into port. It was nothing like any of the other places she had visited; Republic City was something unique. She stayed gazing and taking it all in as other passengers began to make their way off the ship, and then Zula turned her attention towards the exit. As appealing as staying on the ship for a little longer seemed, Zuka was waiting for her. There was no turning back, and no avoiding it even if deep down she was more nervous than she’d ever admit.

Making her way off the ship she took slow and smooth steps, back straight, head up, hands clasped in front of her. She searched the crowd carefully, and then through a small window between two heads in front of her she caught the glimpse of her mirror image. Those blocking the way went off in a different direction, leaving a clear path for Zula to get to her sister. She walked over, stopping in front of the girl, leaving a comfortable amount of space between them that she wasn't sure felt so comforting. “Zuka…”

She had wondered what she would say to her sister, and even now she was a bit uncertain. In all honesty, she had no idea what Zuka had done with her life over the past five years. And though she’d wondered, she had thought it better not to ask. Zula brought her gaze over Zuka, looking her up and down noticeably before finding her eyes again. “You look well.”

[Zuka]

The longer she waited the more nervous she was becoming and Zuka found herself inadvertently folding her arms and tapping her fingers against her coat. What was taking so long? Surely it didn’t take this long to exit a boat.

Maybe she didn’t come….

Zuka shook her head slightly to get rid of the thought. No, if she wasn’t coming Zuka was sure Zula would have sent word, even if it was a brief phone call or letter she would have let her know, after all, it was the polite thing to do. No, maybe she just had a lot of luggage she had to gather. That made sense. If Zula was anything like she remembered she packed for everything as their mother had taught them. You always had to be prepared for anything and everything both in polite society and in the battlefield. Zuka may have learned to pack light during her time on the streets and later with her first triad but Feenas teaching of being prepared in other ways had always stuck with her and she supposed someday she would have to thank her mother for that.

But, today was not that day.

When the last few passengers had exited the ship Zuka looked around and she could feel her chest start to fall. Nowhere did she see the mirror image of herself and she didn’t expect Zula to be hard to miss and just as she was getting ready to return to her car she saw her as two people parted ways. Zuka watched her sister move. Zula had always been graceful, the way she walked was almost like she floated and while Zuka had light steps compared to her sister she was a clod. She may have floated but she was also stiff and as Zula approached Zuka found herself straightening her back and squaring her shoulders more almost like instinct, something she had always done in her mothers presence.

“You look well.”

The first face to face words that had been spoken in five years and it seemed so…disappointing? Zuka didn’t know what she had expected, a hug? More excitement? But it didn’t seem that she was going to get that since Zula had stopped in front of her with enough distance to be considered polite but also closed off. The look of approval (or lack there of, she wasn’t really sure) did not go unnoticed either and she wondered what Zula had been expecting to be waiting for her.

”So do you” even if she was nervous Zuka was expecting a hug at the very least but it seemed that was not in the cards just yet. ”How was your trip?” She remembered making the trip from the Fire Nation Capital to Republic City each year with her father. It was long and could be very boring if you didn’t have things to help pass the time. Usually she trained but there were times when she had contemplated throwing herself overboard for a little bit of excitement. When Zula was done sizing her up Zuka took her opportunity and looked her sister over. The years had been good to her, not that she expected less but Zula seemed…different than what she remembered. Then again, the same could be said for her. They were different people now and it would be interesting to see just how much more different they were now.

[Zula]

It had been so long since Zula had felt this lost. She was generally great in the social scene, able to converse easily with those who approached her. That was a reason why she had the job that she did, after all. But somehow, this was different. It wasn’t a council member or an army general, it was her sister; her other half. The last time she could remember this happening was when her father returned home sick. Zula had wanted to comfort him, wanted to show some sort of affection like she assumed a good daughter would, but she had been unable to do so. Every time he called her to his side, she grew even quieter, and couldn’t figure out how to react.

That was the same dilemma she was going through now. Should she have hugged Zuka? It had been a long time since she’d done something like that. She didn’t know if Zuka would appreciate that either, and it wasn’t like Zula was trying to start off on the wrong foot. If she could help it, she wanted to have this trip make up for their argument five years ago, even if that wasn’t exactly possible.

“Long, I suppose,” Zula answered, “though I managed to pass most of the time.” Writing letters and sorting through the objectives of her assignment had helped her to stay occupied. It had kept her from thinking too much about what was going to occur once she stepped off the boat. Maybe that was why to her, the trip hadn’t taken long enough.

“It’s been quiet at home without you there,” Zula said, and then wondered if Zuka would take that the wrong way. The house only held Feena and herself now, without the old bustle of family life. She had gotten used to it’s moderate silence, especially for all the times she’d been left alone with her mother over the years, but Zula found herself sometimes wishing for the days when they were altogether, before all the fighting happened. “I wasn’t sure if you were receiving my letters for a while.”

The comment was as much of an “I’ve missed you” as Zula could manage. What if Zuka hadn’t missed her at all? Maybe she hadn’t, and she was just meeting her here out of familial obligation. That would explain their limited contact, but it would hurt much more. Zula paused as her attention was brought to some of her servants, who appeared by the sisters. While Zula truly wished that she could travel alone for once, her mother would never approve of her going anywhere without at least some assistance. They were never far behind her, they’d been close by all throughout the trip if she had needed anything, and now they brought all of her things, which happened to be plenty of clothing she probably wouldn’t even need.

“Your luggage, Lady Ou-Yong,” one of them said to her with a bow, and then turned and bowed to Zuka as well. Zula shifted her look to Zuka, wondering how she would react to that.

[Zuka]

“It’s been quiet at home without you there,”

Zuka looked down when Zula said that and she sighed quietly. ”I’m sure its much more peaceful.” Her time at home had been anything but pleasant. Sure, some of it had been good but most of the time it was awful. There was more she wanted to say but Zuka thought against it, her sister had only just gotten here and there was no need to start that fight already.

“I wasn’t sure if you were receiving my letters for a while.”

Another sigh. ”I wasn’t sure how to answer them..I did run away, I didn’t know how to tell you everything.” There were lots of things that she could never tell her family or Zula. Things that they would not approve of, things they would think less of her for and that was why Zuka had waited so long to reply to those letters but once she had managed to work up the courage it had been nice to talk to Zula again.

She had missed her sister.

As the servants brought Zulas things and bowed Zuka looked around and shifted uncomfortably. It had been so long that she had been addressed like that and with all the hard work she had put in to distance herself from the rest of her family it was something she did not want getting around her social circles. Now that that was over however she wanted to change the subject ”Well…does the ambassador have a rigorous iternary to stick to or can she get away for a bit? she motioned behind her to her car ”I’d love to show you around, give you taste of my city….of course, I don’t think your luggage will fit in my backsteat..” She teased a little but it was the truth.

[Zula]

The discomfort that Zuka displayed was not lost on the twin, but Zula did nothing to protest it. Anyone from home would know how to address the sisters, and it was only proper. Though, she assumed that running away meant Zuka wouldn’t like the old customs, not that it was anything Zula could change. Still, it was best to try and keep their home life away from Zuka for now. Even if it was going to follow Zula wherever she went.

Zula’s gaze flickered from her sister to the car, and then behind to the buildings of the city. Truth to be told, she was more interested in what Zuka had to show her than any ambassador business she was called to Republic City to take care of. New places always peaked her interest, and since it was where Zuka had spent most of her days in the time of their separation she was only urged more to investigate. She looked back to her sister, “Actually, my schedule is light today. So yes, a tour would be nice, if you’d like to show me around.”

The luggage, however, she would be glad to do without. She turned to the servants, not facing them fully but enough to address them. “Have my belongings transported to where I have been arranged to stay. I won’t be needing anyone to accompany me for the rest of the day.”

There was a chorus of “Yes, Lady Ou-Yong,” before the servants began to gather her luggage. With that out of the way Zula looked back to Zuka, one eyebrow ever so slightly arched in curiosity. “Well, let’s see what...your city, as you put it, has to offer. I haven’t heard much about it from anyone.”

[Zuka]

Zuka just stood there as her sister addressed her servants, making sure to look at anything else but them. It was too much like being at home and Zuka had come to realize that this time spent with her sister would be a awful reminder of all that she had left behind. Tho, on the other hand Zuka was giving Zula the chance to let her hair down and have a little fun...real fun, not that stuffy high society "fun". Having fun with her sister is something she hadn't done in so long but Zuka's idea of fun was a little..dangerous.

This should be interesting.

Once Zula had everything squared away Zuka turned her attention back to her sister and began to lead the way to her car, walking around to the drivers side "I hope your up for an adventure" she said before opening the door and sliding in the drivers seat. Now she just had to figure out something to do with her sister that wouldlnt give Zula a heartattack.

[Zula]

As Zula settled into the passenger seat she gave her sister a momentary glance over. Zuka had been running around doing who-knew-what for so long that Zula couldn’t help but be a bit worried of what she meant by “adventure.” When they were kids, that often suggested getting into trouble, or something that Zula was sure her mother wouldn’t like. Zula eyed her sister, her hand clamping down tightly on the door handle as she thought over her response. The last thing she needed was to be getting into any skirmish that would make her look laughable in the eyes of the council. But this was not the Fire Nation, and her mother was not there to tell her or Zuka no.

Just give her a chance, Zula thought, knowing that she didn’t want to already start a fight with Zuka. Instead of protesting or asking what her sister meant, she settled back into her seat, telling herself that she would not ruin their reunion this early on, or at all if she could help it. “Well, I didn’t become an ambassador to avoid trying new things.”

She brushed her hair over her shoulder idly, glancing to the skyline of Republic City. She didn’t know where to begin or what Zuka was comfortable showing her, and though if she was going to offend Zuka with a simple question then they had greater issues than she thought. “Where will we begin? Your residence? Or something more...dare I say, eventful?”

[Zuka]

Once Zula was in and settled and had decided on staying Zuka turned the car on and punched it, peeling out of the spot she had been in and taking off, wanting to put as much distance between them and the watchful eyes of Zulas servants (and a tad of wanting to rile Zula up a little). Zuka continued to drive, having no where in particular set in mind just yet and just wandering the city streets. "We can do eventful" Diving right in was she? Well, that was fine with her, there were lots of safe and 'eventful' things she could show her. Maybe they could catch a pro bending match or go see some of the newer non bending fights. There was the movers or maybe a trip to the spirit wilds..but non of that wasn't something she could do at home....well, maybe sans the wilds but still, that just didn't seem like the type of things she wanted to show her.


"But, you may want to change first." Zuka glanced at her sister, in her stiff noblewoman clothing. If they were going to do anything even the slightest bit exciting then Zula was going to need to loosen up a little...literally and meteorically. Deciding that that was a good place to start until they could figure something else out Zuka pulled a u turn and started going back the way they had come and headed toward the Phoenix district. "We can stop by my apartment first, get changed and figure something out. Then maybe I can show you around where I work and we can get something to eat. Don't want to give you too much excitement on a empty stomach. "

Zuka had always been purposefully vague in her few letters home, she had never told her family about The Blue Dragon or her penthouse or anything like that. Didn't need them poking around in her business practices but since Zula was here it would be rude not to at least show her and besides, she could only imagine the look on their mothers face when Zula turned around and told her all about her life here in the big, bad city.

Once they reached her building Zuka slowed her car and parked along the curb, valets quickly coming to each side of the car to open the door for the sisters. Zuka slid herself out as she was greeted by name, thanked the young man and handed him her keys before walking around to her sister and showing her the way inside. Once in Zuka walked to the back wall where a private gated elevator sat with one of her more inconspicuous members of the Dolls guarding the way. Inside the elevator Zuka pulled a key from her pocket and placed it into the slot and pressed the single button for the top floor. When the elevators doors opened again it showed the inside of a large and spacious penthouse apartment with tall windows that opened up to a balcony with a perfect view of Yue Bay and the golden dome of the probending area. All around the home was a mix of red, blue and purple which mixed well with the brick walls. Decorated around were plush couches and chairs and various firenation and water tribe decorations with her old training swords hanging above the fireplace with some pictures on the mantle, some family pictures, some of her friends.

"Home sweet home" Zuka said as she stepped off the elevator and into her home "I can give you the grand tour if you want" A house was a house, everyone had the same things more or less. Zuka liked her little castle, and while this and her tiny building by comparison to some of the other high rises in the city might seem like small potatoes to the more established Triads she was happy where she was at.

SPOILER: Click to show

here are some pictures to kind of give you a idea of how I imangine the place would *kind of* look. I just dont think I could do it justice in trying to write and describe it.

Bedroom

living area

entertaining area

with a second floor that has the bedrooms and stuff. Kinda picture that but more LOKish lol with the warm lighting and all the style furnishings.

[Zula]

Once Zuka punched on the gas and sped out of the docks Zula felt the force of it push her back into the seat abruptly. The swift acceleration took her off guard completely, and the normal placid expression she wore broke into something of surprise and slight fear. Then, once she processed that they were not about to go flying off the docks, she shot Zuka a disgruntled look, very similar to one she’d given her sister when they were kids. Some things, she supposed, never changed, including Zuka playfully pushing at her buttons.

She caught Zuka’s look at her clothing, and while she took slight offense she also knew on some level that her sister was right. If she was to be going along with whatever Zuka had planned, she was going to have to start by not looking like she stepped right off the boat, even though it was true. Zuka’s idea of fun had always been fast paced and energetic, and there was no way that Zula could keep up in her current state. Her mindset would have to change as well, if only so Zuka could pull out that side of her that she kept buried deep down. Maybe, far away from the Fire Nation, Zula could loosen up and live. In order to get along with Zuka, she knew she was going to have to at least try to do so.

“What, you think I can’t handle excitement?” Zula tried to joke, sounding awfully strange in doing so, but she wondered if there was anything serious to it. It was quite possible Zuka did believe that she was too structured and obedient to have fun. Which...wasn’t a completely wrong assumption. But she was going to try to do better. For Zuka, she told herself. Do it for her.

Once they arrived Zula watched quietly as Zuka got them to her room, curious at the process. This was not just a little apartment in the middle of the city, but clearly something her sister had worked hard to get. Valets, a private elevator; it reminded her of home on some level. Even if Zuka had run from them, this plush and luxury lifestyle was something she still kept with her. Zula stepped off the elevator and walked into the room, taking it all in, her eyes scanning over the place. It was quite nice, and Zuka had to have done something brilliant to have gotten this from nothing.

She turned to her sister, and Zula allowed herself to show that she was impressed, and gave a nod, “It’s a beautiful place, and it suits you well."

She moved in a slow circle, turning to see the room. This must be something Zuka prided herself over in some way, and so Zula knew she should show excitement. She had to prove that she was interested in her sister's life, that she had come to meet her not to be the stick in the mud her twin believed her to be. She looked back to Zuka, putting some eagerness into her voice,"Show me everything. It must have taken you ages to own something like this.”

[Zuka]

Zuka couldn’t help but smile at her sister, Zuka was very proud of her accomplishments and even if those did not come from legal means she was still proud of them as it was not an easy thing to do what she has done. ”A lot of hard work has gone into it but all of that was worth it.” Maybe this would give Zula something to tell their mother and then maybe Feena would finally see her as capable of taking care of herself. You would think that after five years she would but on the far and few times when Zuka and her mother spoke it always turned back to how she was still a child and needed to come home.

Those conversations were a double edged sword. On the one hand Zuka had to talk to her mother…had to listen to her condescending words and disapproval but on the other it gave Zuka more motivation to do the things she did which if she had to say it was a pretty equal trade off.

”Here, follow me” Zuka started to give Zula the grand tour, taking her all around the apartment and explaining things here and there. Once the girls got to her bedroom Zuka opened her closet to show her sister the clothes she had to choose from. Like most citizens in Republic City she wore the colors of her bending ability so her closet was full of varying blue hues but she was also proud of her Fire Nation heritage so there was plenty of red and purples for Zula to choose from too. ”Pick whatever you want” while the options were vast Zuka had a feeling she knew what her sister would pick.

As soon as Zula had made a decision on a change of clothes Zuka finished the tour by coming to the balcony, stepping out on it she took a deep breath. Zuka loved that smell, from here you could smell the salt from Yue bay and on a good day the breeze would carry a little bit of moisture from the water with it. ”This is why I really bought this place” her building had been ‘procured’ by a nice mixture of bribes and force, Zuka had wanted the building for herself as soon as she had seen the view from the top. ”You can see almost the whole city from here and when the sun hits the top of that dome in the morning the whole district glows.” The Golden Phoenix district was aptly named.

While she stood there and admired her view a thought occurred to her and she turned to face her sister. ”Have you ever been to a probending match?” While there weren’t any games going on tonight that didn’t mean in the future she couldn’t take her sister there tho..she would just have to be careful and make sure her other ‘business’ stayed far away from Zula once they were there.

[Zula]

Zula took careful note of everything Zuka showed her, complimenting what she thought that Zuka would appreciate the most. It really was a gorgeous place, with her sister’s touches everywhere. It was something she had made entirely for herself, without the help of their family status. She had to commend Zuka for going out and being able to raise herself up from nothing, though Zula still had no idea just how Zuka had gotten to this point. While the question whispered in the back of her mind throughout the tour, she didn’t voice it. It would come up eventually, and if Zuka still planned on showing her where she worked Zula figured her curiosity would be answered.

When Zuka brought her to the closet Zula reached for the Fire Nation clothes, glad that even if she was changing into something outside of her comfort zone that she could still wear her traditional colors. She filtered through the options, and finally chose something that was most similar to her own style: a red long sleeved shirt paired with a longer red and purple tunic that was lined with gold, and dark pants.

She quickly changed into her new outfit, which she had to admit was much more comfortable than the clothes she’d arrived in. Then she followed Zuka to the balcony, and her eyes widened a little in surprise at the view. She could see so much of the city, and seeing it from such a high point gave it less of an industrial sense, but made it seem prettier than when she had first set sights on it from the boat.

“It seems so different from up here,” Zula said, placing her hands on the railing and leaning out a little over the balcony. “Not quite as beautiful as home, but in its own sense.”

She then went quiet for a few moments more, wondering if Zuka found herself standing on this balcony and wondering about home. It was something Zula could see herself doing, wondering what was going on at home constantly, wondering about their mother. It was why she’d never been able to take the plunge and leave with Zuka all those years ago. She felt too attached to home to just uproot herself from it all.

“Have you ever been to a probending match?”

Zula looked to her sister. “No, I never had the option. Mother would have been disgusted if I’d gone to one of those fights.”

She paused, bringing her posture up a little straighter, and then spoke, but with a slight tone of teasing and mischief that normally she wouldn’t have dared to use. “Bending is an art, not a game, after all.”

It was something their mother said constantly, and Zula had always put it out of her mind. But now in the city where probending was a popular part of the culture, she couldn’t help but tease the perception that her mother had tried to get into her head. A glint in her eye was enough to show that she was teasing, and though she didn’t smile it was as close to playful as Zula had gotten in a very long time.

[Zuka]

”It seems so different from up here”

Zuka could agree with that. Up here you didn’t see all of the filth and crime but instead you saw the mountains, the bay and all the glowing towers that made up the city. Up here she saw the city she remembered visiting with her father and whenever she was feeling sad she would come stand here and look out over her small kingdom and remember those times.

At the mention of home Zuka pursed her lips together slightly. It was true, the Fire Nation was beautiful. It was warm there, there was water everywhere you looked and everything was so bright. Zuka had never seen anything close to home in her travels and while she missed the Fire Nation there were too many awful memories to ever warrant her going back.

Maybe one day.

”Fights Zuka almost wanted to snort but she kept herself under control. If only Feena knew….

Hell, maybe she should take Zula to the underground fights.

“Bending is an art, not a game, after all.”

Zuka gagged slightly. She knew her sister was joking but hearing that after so long it was just instinct. Her gagging sound turned into a small laugh ”Spirits, I haven’t heard that in years. I almost forgot about it…thanks for that” Zuka said sarcastically ”you know, I never understood why we went through all of that training if we’re not supposed to use it.” Honestly though, the hours of the rigorous training with masters from all over the Fire Nation, a family with a long military history and yet they were never expected to use their bending in practical settings. Realizing that the one thing she didn’t what to do right now was talk about their mother and risk a fight Zuka quickly changed the subject.

”Soooo….why don’t we get going? I’d love to show you my work before we go off on our adventure.”

[Zula]

At Zuka’s reaction the corner of Zula’s mouth curved upwards, unable to resist. While Zuka knew how to rile her, it was the same the other way around. Seeing her react in such a way was a reminder that even though it had been years, this was still her sister in front of her. It was nice to be able to tease about some things that Zula found to be ridiculous about their upbringing, as few as they were. She knew that Zuka would agree with her and that they could joke about those things without getting into an argument.

“Of course,” Zula replied innocently. “It’s my job to remind you of the things that you’ve missed, you know.”

Which, of course, included any of Feena’s sayings that they’d endured during their childhood. At Zuka’s next comment, however, Zula knew better than to respond. She understood why they’d had to undergo all of the training: it was for the sake of tradition. Feena saw bending as an art, and her daughters needed to be perfect at them, and showcase them only in front of their teachers. Zula had mastered firebending to fulfill that, knowing that she’d probably never use her talents once she’d been given the title. And since then, she’d used her bending few and far between, only in times when she needed to clear her mind and practice her forms. Fighting was off the table completely.

Still, Zula didn’t want to try and explain and then find the two of them at opposing ends of the spectrum. She waited a moment and then gave a soft shrug, “Tradition, you know how it is.”

She was grateful that Zuka changed the discussion right after that, and Zula gladly switched gears. She raised an eyebrow, “Your work itself isn’t an adventure? I find that hard to believe.”

Zula straightened up and pushed away from the balcony lightly, “Whatever you do it has to be something that interests you a lot.”

[Zuka]

At the mention of her work Zuka smirked ”It does, I finally found something that both interest and challenges me every day. I love it” Both the club and running a triad did those things and Zuka loved it, she dare say she lived for it.

With both of them in agreement Zuka lead them back the way they came, down the elevator and back out to the streets where her satomoblie was waiting. As soon as both of them were in (she waited for Zula to get settled this time before taking off) Zuka drove them the short distance to the Blue Dragon, pointing out various places of interest in her district along the way.

When they arrived much like at the apartment they were met with valets and greeted. Zuka thanked them by name and lead her sister through the double doors of her club and kept walking until they reached the main floor. There Zuka stopped a moment to let Zula take in everything around her, it was still early so the club was slow but that didn’t take away from any of the spectacle. Zuka wasn’t quick to say anything about owning the club just yet, she wanted to see if Zula could figure it out first. ”Here it is, when I’m not at home you can usually find me here keeping busy.” She kept her answers vague ”It’s like a second home.”