Other Half (Zula)

[Zula]

Zula’s attention from the fight was completely stolen away as Zuka burst through the back door shouting for her, and then promptly put herself between the two. Zula wasn’t sure if it irritated her more that her sister stood for being insulted like this or that she was actually trying to put a stop to the fight. What, did Zuka not think she could fight? She knew how to fight, she’d trained her entire childhood and early teens to master her bending and non-bending skills. Even if she had never fought in a street like this before, that didn’t mean she wasn’t prepared. And there was no way this lowlife stood a chance against her. There was no way.

But Zuka is a master waterbender and look what happened, the little voice in her head whispered as Zula caught sight of the scar yet again. She didn’t want to think about it, she didn’t want to consider that this man was actually a capable fighter. All Zula wanted to do was punish him for what he’d done to her sister and how he spoke to her, (and herself, because that had not been pleasant having to sit there and be objectified like that), but it seemed that Zuka had other plans.

“Me? I just came here to have a good time, shes the one that started this. You should keep a better leash on her.”

Zula slid out of her stance, straightening up and into her usual posture, her features hardening, eyes flashing with the rage she was trying her best to keep down. She wanted to stay level headed, she wanted to think all of this through but it was so hard to process with this imbecile in front of her, especially when he’d unknowingly revealed quite a lot of information to her.

Still, she decided to take it out on Han for the time being, since he was the cause of all of this anyway. “If you had more respect for anyone, maybe you’d find it easier to do just that. But that’s probably how it always ends up with you, insults and a fight. How cliche.”

And then, unable to resist, she turned her attention to her sister, her mask still in place but her voice displaying just how badly she wanted to hear a different answer. “Zuka, please tell me you don’t stand for this. Tell me you don’t have a history with this classless, arrogant, disgusting creature!”

Tell me he didn’t hurt you. Tell me you haven’t gotten mixed up in the wrong crowd. Tell me you haven’t lowered yourself to the ways of lowlives. Tell me that none what he said is true. She knew she was holding onto such a slim hope as much as she was trying to deny the truth, which was so painfully obvious with someone like Han spilling it. But she needed to see if Zuka would try to lie to her. Would she insist Han was lying, when he’d been acting as if she was her sister the whole time? Would she refuse to affirm her theory about her scar?

And why, why was Zuka doing all of this? What was so special about this man that she couldn’t just let them duel it out?

Zula said none of this and just stared hard at her sister, trying to keep everything suppressed, and waiting to see what Zuka would do.

[Zuka]

Zuka starred daggers at Han as he just stood there after having relaxing his stance with a stupid smirk on his face. It was a look she knew well, it was a smirk that meant he had something and now he did. Zuka had always distanced herself from her family, had never mentioned her family outside of her trusted circle so she could protect them and keep them out of the Triad sphere. She knew it was a risk having Zula here with her but she thought that because she was in her own club on her own territory that she would be fine.

Of course nothing can ever go to plan.

“If you had more respect for anyone, maybe you’d find it easier to do just that. But that’s probably how it always ends up with you, insults and a fight. How cliche. Zuka, please tell me you don’t stand for this. Tell me you don’t have a history with this classless, arrogant, disgusting creature!”

”Zula, shut up.”

Zuka snapped at her sister. She had no idea what horrible mess she had just gotten herself into or what price she possibly just put on her head.

”What are you doing here Han?’

Zuka asked, her voice low and dangerous as she did not remove her eyes from the man in front of her.

He shrugged ”I heard this was the party to be at…that everyone was going to be here and yet, you forgot to invite me. Now…you know what that sound like to me? Disrespect and you know how much I hate to be disrespected.” Han held up two fingers on his right hand as a small spark of lightning shot up in the air.

Zuka’s eyes narrowed and she clenched the fist of her left hand as she felt her scare suddenly start to ache at the memory.

”But since I’m such a nice guy I’ll let you make it up to me….in fact, I think you both could make it up to me.” Han let out a laugh and before he could continue with his train of thought the door to the back entrance flung open again as his two goons that had come to the club with him were thrown out the door. The unconscious men landed in a heap at Hans feet as Lina, Rei and Mei all stepped out of the door and came to stand by Zuka.

Zuka looked at her girls and then to Han and watched as his smirk disappeared from his face now that the odds were so stacked against him.

”What around you going to do Han? “ Zuka asked as she stepped forward ”you really think you can take us all plus a whole club full of Dolls?” What Han had in sheer ferociousness he lacked in level headedness and while Zuka wasn’t usually one to talk in that department when it came to him she was clearly the superior.

Han looked from his two men on the ground to the five woman in front of him and he mockingly bowed in defeat. ”This isn’t over.”

”trust me, Its not.” Zuka agreed. They would end this once and for all soon

Bending down to pick up his jacket Han draped it over his arm and turned to look at Zula ”I’ll be seeing you soon.” He winked and then walked past the women and into the alley and back toward the street.

Zuka’s eyes followed him as he walked and her eyes narrowed at his threat to her sister. Zula was going to need protection now, weather she liked it or not it was not a option. As soon as he was gone Zuka told Lina and Rei to follow him and make sure he left and then turned to Mei telling her to get rid of the unconscious two on the ground. When her orders were being carried out and they were finally alone Zuka turned and looked at her sister, her anger and fear finally bubbling over ”What were you thinking?!” she yelled.

[Zula]

At Zuka’s response Zula bristled, her eyes narrowing. She wanted her to shut up? This was not as if she was at some banquet back home and she wasn’t supposed to be asking questions. She could not expect Zula to just stand aside and keep quiet when she didn’t know what was happening, and she was quickly growing frustrated at just how much she was oblivious to in this city. Zuka brushing aside her concerns yet again wasn’t helping. As if she wasn’t already on thin ice with her sister, this only cracked it even further.

As the lightning crackled from Han’s fingertips Zula tensed, aching to react to the threat. He was not about to intimidate her, nor was Zula going to stand there and let him threaten her sister yet again. He’d clearly done enough in the past, and tonight he’d crossed some line that although Zula didn’t understand, she could make out that he was not welcome here. She was about to say something, much against Zuka’s wishes, when the door flew open yet again and three women, including the guard who Zula had seen earlier, dumped two men into the street. From the way Han’s face fell, Zula assumed they belonged to him.

Watching him surrender wasn’t nearly as satisfying as it would be to watch him fall at their feet and pay for his disrespect, but Zula knew she didn’t have much say in the situation any longer. She allowed a glare in Han’s direction as he winked at her, but didn’t bother to reply. He had lost and she was not going to try to usher him back. If she did happen to see him again, she’d show him just what she thought of his antics, and Zuka would not stop her.

Then Zuka started ordering the girls around, and Zula could only watch in confusion. These were not waitresses that could call Zuka their boss, but they were clearly her muscle. Only more questions rose, more aggravating confusion that was going to start making Zula’s head spin soon. She didn’t even have a chance to try to put it together for herself, since as soon as they were the only ones left Zuka whirled on her.

It was the first time in five years that Zuka had yelled at her, and that was the tipping point. All the frustration and confusion that Zula felt exploded, and she retaliated, unable to hold it all in any longer. “What was I thinking? What are you doing allowing him to say such things about you? What is this about you and a triad, what are the Dolls?”

Zula curled her hands into fists at her sides, her expression dark and her eyes burning with impatience. “I have let you go this entire time, I have let you brush off what you didn’t want to discuss and I have kept my questions to myself. I’ve been absolutely patient since I first arrived. But I have had enough, Zuka. You will tell me everything right now, or I swear I will find the answers myself.”

If Zuka thought she was bluffing, she was wrong. Zula was giving her sister this one chance to come clean, and if she still insisted on hiding then that was fine. Let Zuka lie and continue to treat her like a child, and she would take matters into her own hands. Maybe it would take longer, but Zula would investigate and figure out exactly what she needed to know, and probably wander into places her sister didn’t want her to go.

[Zuka]

Zuka was fuming. Zula was so ignorant and naïve about how the world actually worked, about all of its dangers and dangerous people. Not everything was like the rose tinted picture their mother had told them growing up, people didn’t bow to them and see to their every whim like Feena had taught them to believe. As Zula started yelling back Zuka had had enough and she snapped.

”You have no idea how the real world works!” Zuka yelled back, she couldn’t really fault her sister for that but right now she didn’t care. Being sheltered and coddled wasn’t a excuse right now ”no idea how dangerous this city is. This isn’t home, no one cares who you are here you have no authority on these streets. You can't just snap your fingers and get what you want.”

”What did you think you were going to do? Have you ever been in a real fight? This isn’t the training room, there are no rules of engagement or code of honor here” Zuka was still fuming and as she started pacing while she thought about the possibilities that could have happened. ”He would have killed you”

Zulas demand to know the truth made Zuka scoff, she just didn’t get it did she? ”No. “ Zuka said firmly as she stopped her pacing and faced her sister ”you don’t get to come here and demand to know what’s been going on in my life after five years. Five years of silence and a letter here or there. What I do here is none of your business.” Zula knew too much already and in what little bit she did know she had managed to get herself right in the thick of it in the matter of one night.

[Zula]

Oh, that was it. Call her naive, call her oblivious to the rest of the world, fine. Zula could deal with that knowing that Feena hadn’t exactly raised them as normal people. There was much that she was still learning about the world outside the Fire Nation, and it was one of the reasons she had become an ambassador anyway. She was even willing to relent to the fact that she hadn’t ever been in a real fight and perhaps that had not been a wise decision. But she was not going to let Zuka act as though Zula had chosen to ignore her for five years.

“I wasn’t the one that ran off and told no one of my whereabouts! I wasn’t the one who quit responding to the letters, I wasn’t the one who shut you out!” How dare Zuka act as though she never cared. It was so far from the truth, even when their relationship had been strained Zula had always worried for her sister, always anxious to hear from her. Even if Zula had struggled to answer them herself, she’d tried so hard to not lose Zuka in their time apart.

She knew she should pull herself together, but the floodgates had opened and Zula couldn’t quit yet. The words tumbled out, hot and aimed to strike a nerve. “If you didn’t want me to know your life, why did you come to meet me? So that we could get back to fighting where we left off? This is not what I wanted. This is so far from what I wanted.”

Zula hoped they’d make up and be able to be close once again. But this whole night was proving that hope to be futile, and it hurt more than Zuka leaving the first time. All that effort not to argue, and this is where they ended up, her sister pitted against her. “I thought you actually missed me. I thought you wanted to let me back in, and I was wrong. All you want to do is order me around now that I am finally the one out of place. I cannot believe after everything we’ve gone through, you still want to push me away.”

Pull yourself together, Zula yelled at herself. She knew how Zuka took anger: if you gave it back she’d continue to throw it in your face until she ran out of steam or ran away from it. If she calmed down, maybe Zuka would too. Zula took a deep breath, released it in a sigh and brought her hands to her head for a moment. She was still furious, but she had to put it on the back burner if she wanted Zuka to actually listen to what she had to say.

She dropped her hands from her head, let her calmer and more controlled gaze land on her sister. “I understand that we have grown up, and I understand that there is much that has happened and changed between us. But I don’t know how you expect me to act or stay out of the way of whatever you’re trying to hide when you won’t explain it. You are not protecting me, Zuka, if that’s what you’re trying to do. You’re making this worse for yourself.”

[Zuka]

I do miss you!” Zuka yelled back as her sister tore into her ”I’ve thought about you everyday since I left home.” Not a day went by when she didn’t think about her sister ”I don’t want to push you away Zula but there is so much you don’t understand.” Zula wouldn’t see things the same way Zuka did, even if she explained to her why she had chosen to become a triad and did what she did she wouldn’t understand and Zuka couldn’t risk that. ”There are some things you just need to leave alone”

(meh, sorry been super distracted)

[Zula]

“And there is plenty you don’t want me to even try to understand,” Zula answered. She wasn’t letting it go that easily. She was still angry underneath it all, as well as confused and frustrated. She felt so much, and she couldn’t communicate it the way she wanted. Not like it would solve anything anyways, as Zuka was going to continue to be stubborn and make the situation more difficult. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to leave alone, I don’t know where I am supposed to not tread. You are not making this any easier on me.”

Zula pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing they were just going to continue to go in circles. “Where are we supposed to go from here? What do you expect from me after this? I will not just forget about it.”

[Zuka]

"You have to." Zuka said, she was sad that it had come to this so soon but she was firm in her words "this isn't your world, this isn't your fight and you just need to leave it be." Zula had done a good job of getting herself right in the thick of things and as bad as that was it would be worse to have her know what was really going on here. Zuka knew her sister wasn't stupid and she was sure she at least had a idea of what she did for a living but talking about it in the open just made things more complicated and given her political career it was better that they left things as is. "It's better this way, trust me."

[Zula]

“Of course, trust you,” Zula replied, dropping her arms and giving a cold stare to her sister. “I’ll have to trust you, even when you will continuously lie to my face. I should just believe you’re making all the right decisions, because you always seem to know what’s best.”

She hated this. She hated fighting with Zuka, she hated that when it came down to it they were always on opposing sides. Her twin had a good heart, she knew that, but it didn’t make this any easier, nor did it make any of it right. Despite what Zuka wanted, she couldn’t just forget that this night had happened. Maybe she could forgive, but she would not ignore the information she had discovered, or the wonderings about just what else Zuka kept hidden.

Part of her wished that she could do what Zuka said and then maybe they wouldn’t argue anymore. Maybe there would finally be peace between them for once, even outside the Fire Nation. But she couldn’t resign herself to listening to Zuka the way she obeyed Feena. That was the only person she dared to bow her head to, and she just couldn’t do that with her sister. The cycle would just continue, and they’d fight and make up, move on, and just when things were finally going well they’d find something to bring it crashing down again.

And to think that just before all of this, Zula had actually been having fun for once.

She shook her head, knowing that Zuka was just going to continue to refuse to cooperate. “It is over with, for now, and you get your way again. I’m sure you have much more pressing matters than to stand here and fight with me. Your club may be under siege by more mysterious, intolerable men.”

[Zuka]

Her sisters words had cut deep but it didn't change her mind, if that was how Zula felt then that was her problem. Zuka didn't need her poking around and tutting at her in disapproval which she would surely do if she knew the full extent of what went on in her life.

With a heavy sigh Zuka rolled her shoulders back, this conversation was clearly over "If you don't want to come back inside with me I can arrange a ride for you." Zuka would love it if Zula just came back in and they continued on with their night but Zuka didn't have high hopes for that and if this was truly it then the lest she could do was make sure she got home and none of the Agni Kais followed her.

[Zula]

Zula's first thought was that yes, she wanted to go home. The night was ruined, their reunion had come to a terrible conclusion, and she could not just shake off this experience and be done with it. It had been a long time since she fought with Zuka, and so she had forgotten just how she used to deal with this situation. Actually it used to end with Zuka storming off and Zula standing there exasperated, but her sister wasn't doing that this time around. It left the option up to Zula whether she would be the one to do so this time, and she didn't want to be that person. Nor did she want their reunion to be completely in shambles when they both really had worked so hard to make sure it stayed afloat. 

Not to mention they had gone to the trouble to make sure Zula could sneak out of a meeting, away from her real responsibilities. She'd made the effort to show, even bought a brand new outfit for the evening, and Jiao was still prepared to go back onstage, which tempted her in itself. She had been determined to try and have fun for Zuka, so perhaps she could salvage that much. The cycle had to continue anyways, and she didn't want to leave and know that their next encounter could be awkward and tense. 

"I will go back inside, but do not expect me to not be angry," Zula said., and straightened up "We will finish our night as we planned, and that is that."

With a small huff Zula walked past her sister, pushing through the back door and heading back to the main floor. She hoped Jiao hadn't started without them, but if she had, then so be it. The night was still young, she supposed. 

[Zuka]

That was that.

Zuka almost wanted to laugh but she held it in, her sister was so….formal, even when arguing. Her answer surprised Zuka because she was sure Zula would want to get back home and phone or write their mother right away and tell her all about her horrible experience and her sisters unsavory life choices.

That would come in due time she was sure.

As Zula pushed past her Zuka took a moment to compose herself and she rolled back her shoulders once more before walking into the club. Once inside Zuka found Lina and Rei and told them that she was not to be bothered by anything club or doll related for the rest of the night unless it was *urgent* and as soon as the message was passed along to the club managers and other Doll members Zuka returned to the table she and Zula had been at earlier and tried to enjoy the rest of the night, even if it meant walking on eggshells.

At least the entertainment was good.

-end-