༉˚*ೃ ᵒ⁸. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐔!

𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 city of Omashu with a grumpy and reluctant Sokka and Katara proved to be rather testy. Luli had gotten in once before, but it had taken at least two tries with two different guards, and even then she'd been a lone traveller pretending she'd been selling tea. Now, there were two Water Tribe kids, an Earth Kingdom girl with amber eyes if you looked just close enough, and a clearly twelve-year-old boy with sky bison fluff as hair and a moustache trying to act like their grandfather. It wasn't exactly how Luli would have attempted it—but then again, she didn't exactly have much a say in this situation right now.

          It was even harder with the fact that both siblings kept giving her side-glares out of the corner of their eyes, visibly suspicious. Luli stomped on Sokka's toe. "Stop looking at me," she hissed as they approached the gigantic gate. "You look really suspicious." She'd changed out of her Kyoshi Warrior uniform and back into her regular Earth Kingdom clothes, just as Sokka had changed into his Water Tribe's. And now they were really an odd bunch.

          "Hey! Don't step on me!"

          The guards, to whom Aang had introduced himself as Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis III—Agni help them—looked at the arguing Sokka and Luli suspiciously, their eyebrows raising. Katara stepped in front of them, acting surprisingly composed, with her hands clasped together in front of her. "Cousins—always getting on each other's nerves. You know how they are." Katara rolled her eyes, feigning a fond smile, but when she tilted her head back to glance at the two, she shot Luli a withering glare. Luli's mouth snapped shut, as did Sokka's. It seemed she had the same effect on both of them.

          They exchanged a wide-eyed glance as the lead guard pointed to Katara. "You seem like a responsible young lady. See that your grandfather and other relatives stay out of trouble." Sokka took the chance to stomp down on Luli's shoe in the same way she had his, and she almost yelled out. He gave her a satisfied grin as she reeled up her arm and elbowed him hard in the side of the gut. The grin turned to a wheeze of pain. "Enjoy Omashu," finished the guard, stretching his arm out towards the earth wall.

          "We will!" smiled Katara, walking on ahead with Aang.

          The other two followed in pursuit, Luli keeping her head down. They'd gotten almost to the gates when the guard's voice rung out, "Wait a minute!" Both Luli and Sokka stopped in their tracks. A hand came down on Sokka's shoulder and spun him around—Luli turned too, half expecting a fight. Her red-scale necklace was hidden mostly under the collar of her Earth Kingdom clothes, but if they suspected she was Fire Nation... Her hands were clenched into fists at her side. "You're a strong young boy," pronounced the guard. "Show some respect for the elderly and carry your grandfather's bag." His voice was stern, and Sokka visibly deflated in both relief and despair as Aang grinned.

          "Good idea!" the twelve-year-old said in a terrible impression of an old man's voice, and chucked Sokka his pack.

          Sokka looked like he was ready to protest at the idea of carrying perfectly-healthy Aang's stuff, even as the great walls of Omashu opened up for them. Three layers of solid earth parting like a sea. "Wha—?" Before Sokka could make a scene, Luli grabbed him by the ear and dragged the slightly shorter boy after her. "Owowowowow." She pulled him all the way through the gates by his ear and only let go when they were clear to the other side. He immediately sprung back and clutched his lobe. "Ow! What was that for?!"

          Luli crossed her arms as Momo popped out of Aang's terrible wig. "You were going to get us into trouble. That's the thing about hiding in the Earth Kingdom. Just, go along with what everyone says."

          "Hey, look!" exclaimed Katara, seemingly forgetting that she was angry at Luli for a second. She was staring out at the massive city, expression open in one of wonder and awe. Omashu was gorgeous. Hundreds of tiers of layers stretching towards the sky, forming pyramids. Connecting each level were stone chutes from which cargo and supplies were delivered. The king's palace lay at the very top of the centre pyramid, barely visible from where they were positioned. It was one of the oldest cities in the Earth Kingdom. Luli could understand why Sokka and Katara gaped. With its sand-coloured walls and jade roofs, settled on the Koalu Mountains between great canyons, Omashu was a sight to behold.

          Sokka clung onto the stone railing eagerly, taking the sight in. "Wow."

           "This is the Omashu delivery system!" grinned Aang excitedly, crammed in between Sokka and Katara. "Miles and miles of tubes and chutes. Earthbending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down."

          Sokka seemed less impressed at the delivery system, and beside Luli, drawled, "Great, so they get their mail on time."

          It didn't throw off Aang. His peppy attitude continued as he smiled over at the more pessimistic Sokka. "They do get their mail on time! But my friend Bumi found a better use for these chutes." A wistful grin overcame his face before he grabbed Luli and Katara's hands and dragged the girls over towards the grand staircase that climbed towards the top of the city. Sokka chased after them. Then, he let go and started the ascent. "We get in a cart, and ride it all the way down," he quipped as he hopped up the stairs three at a time—using his airbending leverage to turn each step into a flying bound. Katara, Sokka and Luli all struggled to keep up with him. Sokka tripped over his own feet.

          "Isn't that a little dangerous?" asked Luli, the tallest of the group by a slight amount and closest to keeping up with Aang.

          "I think it sounds fun," Katara retorted. She was managing to keep up pretty well, though her brother was a bit clumsier. The long staircase of Omashu stretched up and up before them, but Aang seemed to be having a ball. It must be strange, coming back to a place 100 years later to see how much little things had changed. Luli couldn't even imagine...

          Sokka peered down worriedly. "We're really high up." He'd hopped up the steps to walk next to Luli. "Are we almost at the top?" His eyes narrowed, peering upwards.

          "Nope!" Aang quipped. Spirits, that kid had a lot of energy. "We have to get the best spot—and that's all the way up!"

          Luli looked at one of the carts shooting down the chute next to them. "Will we even all fit in one of those? Sokka and I aren't exactly small." The Water Tribe boy made a noise of offense. "I mean, our legs are kind of long." Luli wasn't tall by a longshot, but she thought Sokka might not have hit his big growth spurt yet—and Aang was much too young.

          Seeming to hear her concerns, Aang paused and looked over. It gave Sokka, Katara and Luli a chance to catch their breaths. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Hmm, maybe you're right." He watched another two carts soared past, analysing. Then the conclusion: "I think only three will be able to fit."

          In the end, it wasn't really up for debate. Katara said, "Okay, so what's the problem?" and pointedly didn't look at Luli. At least Sokka had the decently to look offended on her behalf. Luli just rolled her eyes, didn't know what she'd been expecting anyway.

          Aang looked a bit downcast, "Is that... is that okay, Luli?"

          But the poor kid had been so excited. She toughed it up, smiled. "Yeah, of course. You guys go have fun." It would save her having to climb up the rest of the stairs, anyway. Aang's face lit up again.

          He leapt in the air in excitement, propelled by his bending. When Aang landed, he was hopping. "You can go wait down near the city entrance for us to be done. Like I said, just one ride, and then we're off to the North Pole. Here, take Momo!" Aang shoved the lemur into her hands, at which Luli blinked. It hurt a little that she wasn't able to go Omashu-chuting with them, but she understood. She still wasn't a part of their team yet.

          "You're giving her Momo?" asked Sokka suspiciously.

          She held the lemur with both hands, a little bit out from her chest. Her eyes turned sarcastically towards Sokka, "You really think I'm going to kidnap your lemur?" Momo chittered loudly at her, with his big green eyes focused on her. "It's a lemur. What am I going to do? Turn him over to Firelord Ozai as a hostage?" The Air Temple lemur finished its chittering and escaped from her grip, scrambled up her right arm and perched on her shoulder. Momo started fiddling with one of her braids. "Yeah, no one from the Fire Nation would care. Sorry Momo." She tapped the animal on the top of his furry head, scratched between his nearly comically large ears.

          Katara said nothing, but Aang quipped a little, "Bye!" and tugged Katara and Sokka after him in a run up the stairs—the latter who shouted.

          Luli blinked after them, before turning and glancing down at the lemur. "Guess it's just you and me, Momo," said Luli lightly, letting the lemur sit on her shoulder as she ran back down the many steps, braids swinging. The last time she'd been in Omashu was two years ago, and she'd been on a mission then. This time, she was allowed to do whatever she pleased.

          The first thing she did when she reached the bottom of the long staircase was give a great hop onto the ground—for her own personal enjoyment—and purchased a bag of ripe lychee nuts for Momo. She'd never quite been a fan of them herself, but the lemur picked them right out of her hands and gobbled them up. He sat on her shoulder as he did so—chittered away.

          "What else should we do, Momo?" Luli asked, as if the lemur would respond. He just chewed on the lychee nuts contently. She had the tessen Suki had given her tucked into her Earth Kingdom uniform. It was just a single fan, golden and shining in the sun—her fingers dragged over the base of the tessen as she walked and poked around Omashu. Everyone in the city was going about their own business, gave her no mind as they pushed past this out of place Earth Kingdom girl. It was bursting with life.

          Luli half wanted to get a cup of tea for both herself and Momo, but decided Aang, Sokka and Katara probably wouldn't be too long. At the thought, Luli glanced up. She squinted through the sun and couldn't exactly see them anywhere near the chutes above her. Maybe they'd taken a longer route. Huh, she wondered if it was fun.

          Shrugging, Luli offered Momo more nuts and went strolling back out towards the city's primary square. She still stuck out a little, wearing more traditional, ambiguous Earth Kingdom clothes than those the people in Omashu wore—with their green hats and simpler uniforms. Plus, she had an Air Temple lemur perched upon her shoulder. They briefly flitted between shopfronts and stalls, peeking in at the different items. Bags and jewellery and restaurants and pottery, all luxury items that Luli couldn't afford spending her money on.

          Ahead, there was a stall selling purely cabbages. They looked fresh and healthy enough, and the Omashu merchant called, "Cabbages! Get your cabbages here!"

          "Hmm, what do you say, Momo? Want some cabbages for the journey?" Momo chittered in response and Luli took that as a yes. She approached the merchant—Momo gripped onto her hair. The cabbages looked good enough, healthy and green and perfect ingredients for a variety of easy meals they could cook on their adventure. Aang would probably appreciate it.

          Standing back, she was about to ask for four of his freshest stock, when a delivery system cart smashed right down onto the vegetable stand.

          Luli was left just stood there with her bag of coin in one hand, blinking, mouth dropped open.

          The cart had been filled with none other than Aang, Sokka and Katara. Now, they were sprawled out on the ground in a pile, atop the ruins of the shop stand and the stone chute cart. In the shock of it all, she'd clung Momo tight to her chest—now, he wiggled out of her grip and leapt onto the floor to grasp at some scattered cabbages. "Agni," Luli breathed, not caring that she was still praying towards a spirit predominantly worshipped by the Fire Nation. "Are you guys alright?"

          The merchant raised his hands in distress and pushed them against his hat. "My cabbages!" Aang blinked as Sokka's eyes still seemed to roll around his head from the fall. The cabbage man hopped from foot-to-foot angrily. "You're going to pay for this!"

          Luli just gaped at the scene—the crushed stall, the broken cart, and the kids sitting dazed amongst the mess—brain still processing. She turned as Omashu guards closed in around them, and scrambled down to pick up Momo, tucked him into her arms. Aang regained his composure and grinned up crookedly at the guards as they were surrounded.

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐔 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 took them up to the palace, Katara and Sokka and Aang all looking extremely guilty. That's not how you get away with crimes! thought Luli, but knew the three would probably admit to it anyway. Somehow, she was the only totally innocent party in this situation—well, and Momo, who she was holding against her chest.

          "Well," said Sokka as the palace doors opened. "You didn't kidnap Momo." He said this half like it surprised him, which Luli took a bit of offense to. Did they really think she wasn't above stealing a lemur?

          She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but brushed off her clothes instead. One of the guards jostled her on her left side. "No. We actually had a good time together. And I brought him lychee nuts." As if to prove her point, Momo held out some of the nuts he'd had clasped in his hand, and chittered excitedly. The girl tucked him back into her arms, long sleeves wrapping him up like a blanket. "We're, like, best friends now."

          "Hmm," replied Sokka in thought, and they both fell silent as the great doors open. The inside of the King of Omashu's palace was massive. The roof was so high up that it was almost hard to see the ceiling, and every door was tall enough to fit five grown men standing atop each other. She hadn't felt this small since she was a child inside the Firelord's palace. The four silently trudged through the long throne room towards the king.

          The king was an old man, with brown skin and wiry white hair, dressed all in green and with an unusual type of crown placed on his head. "Your majesty," the head guard introduced, as all four kids were put on their knees in front of the throne. "These juveniles were arrested for vandalism, travelling under false pretences, and malicious destruction of cabbages."

          Luli would have argued that actually, no, she'd only taken part in one of those crimes, but the cabbage merchant was seething and hopping from foot to foot, "Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage." She just gulped.

          "Silence!" shouted the guard, casting his arm out and instantly quieting the furious merchant. "Only the king can pass down judgement." He turned towards the old king himself. "What is your judgement, Sire?"

          "Hmm." The old king—he looked positively ancient—stared down at them suspiciously with narrowed eyes. Luli's eyes were wide and worried, face very still; Sokka was trying to stammer a kind of defense; Katara looked like the positively radiant image of a kind spirit; and Aang whistled away as if that didn't make him more suspicious. Momo just chittered to himself in Luli's arms. "Throw them..." the king decided, much to the kids' wide-eyed suspense, "a feast!"

          Luli blinked. "Huh?" Spirits, if they were in front of Firelord Ozai, she was sure they'd already be placed in a colony mine shovelling coal, or something much worse. But the cabbage merchant just groaned in exasperation, and Luli and the others were lead out of the room by the same guards—the king trailing behind. "... Is he serious?" she murmured to Sokka, who was the closest to her. Momo skittered out of her grip and went to sit on the top of Sokka's head.

          For what it was worth, the Water Tribe boy looked just as confused as she was. "I have no idea." It just didn't make sense. Luli didn't know how things worked in the Water Tribes, but Luli would probably be positively screwed if she'd been judged for the crimes of vandalism in the Fire Nation. Like, put on the front line of the war without a weapon, or chained to a rotting prison somewhere under the Caldera kind of screwed. Maybe it was all just some kind of trick.

          And then they arrived at some kind of dining hall, and... sure enough, servants were bringing out food. Real food, not just lychee nuts or jerky or anything that they'd had on Appa's saddle. Roast duck, bao, rice, different types of noodle soups, and other various dishes that Luli couldn't recognise right away. They were seated in chairs, given plates and goblets, and Luli just kind of... blinked at all of it. Surely the food and drink was poisoned. She pushed her plate of roast duck away at the thought.

          The ancient king approached even as none of the kids touched their food. He leant over the back of Aang's gold chair. "The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts," the king chuckled, which Luli thought was sad considering the amount of people in the countryside who struggled for a single meal, "so I hope you like your chicken with no skin." Huh... thought Luli, somewhere along the lines of, this guy is definitely crazy.

          He peered at Aang, who replied graciously, "Thanks, but I don't eat meat." Of course he didn't. Was that part of Air Nomad culture? Luli would have to ask him about it later.

          The king turned towards Sokka, now. "How about you? I bet you like meat." He layered some more chicken onto Sokka's place, and the Water Tribe boy considered it for a moment before graciously digging in.

          Luli's brow furrowed, and as the king moved away she hissed to him, "Sokka, that could be poisoned." Sokka's eyes widened, and he immediately spat the chicken out, scraping at his tongue. Luli just watched in blank dismay—lip curled and brows pulling a kind of expression of exasperated disbelief. "I can't believe you'd just eat anything that's put on your plate!"

          "I'm a hungry guy!" exclaimed Sokka defensively.

          Luli rolled her eyes in exasperation as Katara said to Aang, "Is it just me, or is this guy's crown a little crooked." She said it with a bit of a chuckle, doing a 'crazy' motion beside her head. Luli had to agree. She didn't like their chances, even as Luli pushed Sokka's plate away from him and stole his goblet so he couldn't drink anything either.

          "So, tell me young bald one," spoke the king as he sat in a grand chair across the table from them, "where are you from?"

          Aang thought about it for a moment. "I'm from... Kangaroo Island."

         "Ah, Kangaroo Island, eh?" The king peered at him from across the table. "I hear that place is really hopping!"

          Silence spanned between them for much a second too long, one of the guards coughed. Luli blinked. Then Sokka burst into uproarious laughter, clutching at his stomach. When both Katara, Aang and Luli just stared at him from either side, he quietened down. "What? It was pretty funny."

          The king yawned, long and loud. "All these good jokes are making me tired." He motioned to get up. "Guess it's time to hit the hay." Then, before Luli had even processed what was going on, the king was flinging a chicken wing towards Aang. It seemed Aang hadn't processed it either, because then his instincts were kicking in and he was catching the wing in a sphere of swirling air—before it could strike him. The guards gasped, Luli felt like burying her face in her hands. "There's an airbender in our presence, and not just any airbender." The king stood. "The Avatar."

          Aang gasped nervously and dropped the chicken wing, hands tucking behind his back. "Okay," admitted Aang, standing too and throwing his arms up in the air. "You caught me. I'm the Avatar." Luli, absentmindedly, took an apple that Momo was eating out of his hands, more convinced that it was poisoned than ever. They all had their eyes trained on Aang. "Doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe." He said it joyfully. "Everything checks out." Aang peered under the tablecloth. "No firebenders here." Luli swallowed and Momo chittered directly at her. She softly pushed his head down, so he was hidden behind the table. "So... good work, everybody." He reached out, pulled up Katara and Sokka—Sokka, in turn, pulled Luli up, who grabbed Momo off the table. "Love each other." They inched backwards towards the palace doors. "Respect all life, and don't run with your spears." He gave a guard a thumbs up at this, as the four backed up with wide faux grins on their faces. Luli gave a cheery wave as Aang said, "We'll see you next time!"

          The spears that the soldiers behind them were holding clashed down diagonally to bar the exit. All four of them stopped, eyes widening. Luli raised her hand to cover the necklace at her throat. Most people overlooked it, but the last thing she needed was an Earth Kingdom king noticing she had something of the Fire Nation in her possession. "You can't keep us here," said Katara firmly. "Let us leave!"

          "We're in serious trouble," whispered Sokka, "this guy is nuts."

          "Tomorrow," the king spoke ominously, gnarled hands clasping together, "the Avatar will face three deadly challenges." Aang's eyes widened. "But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber."

          Luli frowned. "You can't keep the Avatar here! He doesn't need to do your challenges!" But Luli wasn't going to firebend her way out of here, and Aang couldn't earthbend. She knew it was useless, as one of the guards firmly grabber her shoulder.

          Ignoring her entirely, the king commanded, "Take them to the chamber!" Sokka was right, they were deep in it now. The four trudged along, pushed ahead by two guards flanking them. Maybe they could get away if they made a run for it, but without earthbending to open the doors... it seemed unlikely. They reached a dead-end, which opened up into an earthbending door. The four kids were shoved inside, and then the door shut behind them.

          Luli turned on her heel, tried pushing it open. Solid rock. "We're really stuck here, unless Aang figures out how to earthbend in the next 24 hours."

          "This is a prison cell?" asked Katara as she looked around the room. It was lavish, despite the stone walls and floor—with four lush-looking green beds, glowing crystals on the walls, and great green drapes that hung down from the ceiling to walls. "But it's so nice."

          Frowning, Sokka held out his arms. "Nice or not, we're prisoners."

          "Surely the trials can't be all that's up," considered Luli, holding her fingers to her lips in thought. "There has to be something bigger than that. I mean, why would some crazy old king want the Avatar to just complete trials anyway? It has to be a trick." She peered around for some way they could escape, but the chamber was completely encased in stone.

          "I wonder what these challenges are going to be..." Aang asked, clutching his glider in his hands.

          Katara glanced at him, "We're not sticking around to find out. There's gotta be some way out of here."

          Luli was already on it. She'd stepped further into the room, inspecting every nook and cranny with her hands on her hips. "But there aren't any doors to break out of. And I doubt they've left a kind of secret exit." She knelt and looked under the bed just in case. No hidden trapdoor.

          "The air vents!" exclaimed Aang in revelation, pointing towards the tiny tunnels that littered the walls. Luli didn't think she'd even be able to get a leg in there.

          A frown overcame Sokka's features. "If you think we're gonna fit through there, you're crazier than that king!"

          Aang's crooked grin was back, "We can't, but Momo can!" He pointed to the lemur, who had hopped off Luli's shoulder and was now laying on one of the beds with his stomach pointed towards the air. Aang jumped over to him, waking the already-snoozing animal. "Momo, I need you to find Appa and bust us out of here." The lemur blinked his eyes, and then Aang was lifting him, stood on a chair, and shoving him towards the vent. "Go on!" After a minute of trying to squeeze the small primate through the even tinier tunnel, it became clear that Momo just wasn't going to fit. "Go on, boy! Get Appa!"

          Sokka sighed, flopped down onto the bed that he'd claimed as his own. "Eh, how was Appa supposed to save us anyway?" Luli had also taken to sitting on the mattress of her own, shoes off and legs crossed. Her chin rested in the palm of her hand as she watched Aang continue in his endeavours.

          "Appa is a ten-ton flying bison. I think he could figure something out."

          "Hey, maybe Luli can alert her Fire Nation pals and bust us out of here," said Sokka casually, arms tucked behind his head.

          She frowned. "I already told you, I'm not with the Fire Nation. And how would I even do that?"

          Sokka waved his arm dismissively at her. "Eh, you guys always find a way."

          "I'm not with them."

          "So, you know Zuko, and you're the daughter of a whatever-someone-important, and you know all your way around the Fire Nation palace, but you're not still working with the team that gives you every advantage?" He was peeking at her suspiciously out of the corner of his eye.

          The expression that came over her face was angry and a little dangerous. Sokka, sensing that his prodding was working, sat up—locked eyes with her. "Look," fumed Luli, both her eyes and brows twitching with irritation as she tried to breathe evenly. She'd hit her breaking point. "I didn't ask to be born Fire Nation, okay?" She was staring Sokka solidly now—both their eyes locked in stubborn and fierce defiance, each of their faces steeled. This time, Luli wasn't backing down. "I never wanted to be a firebender. And I can't change any of that." She was aware that her voice was raised, now, and that her face was starting to turn pink from frustration, but Luli couldn't quite help it. "But I can change what I do with that! And I'm trying to fix what my people have done. If you've got a problem with that, fine, but I am teaching Aang firebending, because, like it or not, this isn't about you! I don't care if you like me or not. I want to prevent another era of war that could last a hundred years more—and I want to do it now!" If she got any angrier, Luli was sure she'd be blowing steam. She'd seen her father breathe fire out of anger more than once—she must be capable of the same thing. Just in case, her mouth snapped shut.

          So it surprised her when Sokka just glanced her up and down—from her dark braids, to her amber eyes, her stern expression and Earth Kingdom uniform—stayed remarkably reserved, and opened his mouth. "Okay."

          Luli was still rearing for another round of defense, "I—!" She was red in the cheeks then—in that way that she was whenever she was frustrated or angry or nervous—and her hands were shaking a little as her mouth parted... and then it all just melted away as what he said sunk in. "Wait... what?"

          Sokka looked her up and down one more time, eyes still scrutinizing, before he shrugged and said, "Okay," one more time. "I believe you." It completely took all the steam out of any argument Luli had had. Her lungs deflated.

          She stumbled over her words, blinking a few times. "Oh." Luli felt a little foolish for her anger, now. It made a bit of guilt seep into her heart. She never wanted to be an angry person—not like her father. "I'm sorry for shouting at you." It was genuine. She worried her lower lip between her teeth.

          "Eh, it's okay," he shrugged again, scratching his head. Katara and Aang watched in rapt silence. "I shouldn't have made you angry on purpose. You're... not too bad." He leant back down so his spine rested flat on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Luli sunk down into her own sitting position, shoulders losing all their rigidness and hunching. She glanced curiously at Katara—who noticed Luli's gaze meeting her own, frowned, and looked away.

          "Everyone get some rest," said Katara eventually, soft voice surprising Luli. She was turned away from the firebender, purposefully, sheets drawn up and over her form. "You'll need it for tomorrow, Aang."

          Luli, herself, sunk down into the bed. She was surprised to find it so soft. Her body sunk into it, warm and welcoming. Spirits, when was the last time she'd had an actual bed? Even if they were prisoners, Luli's body that was so used to hard floors thanked her for it. Even if it was a little harder than those you'd find in the Fire Nation, even if it was a little cheap. She'd gone from a girl sleeping on expensive bedding as lavish and soft as clouds, to crashing mostly on the dirt or kind strangers' floors. Maybe an inn, if she got really lucky. Now, Luli was ready to fall asleep the moment she lay her head down on the pillow. She'd missed pillows so much.

          Still, she took a while longer to fall asleep than the others—except Katara, Luli suspected the girl was lying awake. The last day had been a lot. Boat trips, the Unagi, Kyoshi Island and the Avatar, and then Zuko, and then... She sighed out, soft, tucked her face into the softness of the pillow. It didn't smell like anything, and that was off-putting. Luli's pillow at her old house had smelled of her mother's perfume and charred firewood, in the best, warmest of ways.

          But Luli slipped into a state of relaxation soon enough. She left her plaits in, not knowing if she'd have time to redo them in the morning before Aang's deadly challenges, and snuggled deep into the bed's sheets. When Luli fell asleep, it was to the sound of three other people breathing in time with her own—a sound she hadn't fallen asleep to in three years.

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i imagine luli's earth kingdom clothes to be very similar to what azula wore in ba sing se when she was instructing the dai li and in the crystal caverns (just without the ba sing se insignia and ribbon in her hair; and with long sleeves).

like this!

i'm australian and i go to kangaroo island for holidays sometimes so hearing that place in the show the first time made me go wtf. i had a camp there for school one year, a wolf spider the size of my fist chased me into my tent and trapped me and my best friend in there shrieking. most terrifying experience of my life, would not do it again.

also um don't be mad at katara for being angry at luli and acting hostile — luli is technically part of the enemy (even though she's on the gaang's side), and katara is still dealing with the death of her mother at the hands of luli's people. plus, luli lied to her and katara thought she would be a friend before luli turned out to be fire nation, so she's understandably feeling hurt, betrayed and humiliated. so yea :) i promise they all make up soon

also, sorry for the very mediocre chapter. i find this episode super boring so trying to make it interesting in the chapter has been tough. next chapter (the second half of the episode) will be a little more spiced-up :)

word count: 5,287

16.11.2020.