It's midday, a gentle wind that carries us with enough speed that we might even be capable of arriving on time after all. If I help us along a bit, by making the waves less choppy so they don't reduce our speed so much, no one says anything.
So ungrateful.
...
Gorou appears at Dionu's shoulder, startling the younger man. Dionu, grimaces a little, turning back to me, wants to continue our little lead-up conversation to what he wants to say to me.
"We should talk to the others about how Ba Sing Se's going to go," Gorou says, speaking just a beat before Dionu can. The latter snaps his mouth shut, looking torn between annoyance and aquiescence.
"Sure," I say, "At dinner? I wanted to cook for tonight."
Gorou nods. Then he doesn't leave. Sort of standing in Dionu's personal space. It's creeping him out. Ah, how nice to see my own discomfort in others. Gorou hasn't really been very good about boundaries since my small excursion into the realm of non-bending.
"Look," Dionu says to me, tense, "I'm not one for the subtle approaches."
He glances at the dangerous bender and the gesture has something of a grudging trust to it. Perhaps I should ask Gorou how well they know each other. The question is whether that would be too much of a personal question for our rather utilitarian acquaintance. Then again, bonds are forged by knowing one another. By expecting to see one another, by acting and reacting. By being vulnerable and having that risk treated appropriately. Reciprocation.
I will ask when the time feels right.
Probably never, then.
I shrug. "What is it?"
"We're not splitting up in Ba Sing Se. You made a deal with us for contacts and lodgings. I'm both, to you lot."
Not surprising. I expected something like this. "How much are you required to spy on us while we're in the city, then? And is trying to recruit us after all also part of your job description?"
He blinks. "General things. Where you go, who you talk to. And yeah, we all have standing orders to try and bind you to us more permanently."
So. I didn't actually expect him to answer. I just wanted to let him know that he doesn't have to be subtle, if I know about it. And if he's not being subtle, I don't have to pay attention as much.
Now I'll pay more attention because I can't believe that's all. Admit to a few minor things, and cover up the grand spiel. Way to go and slide down the spiral of paranoia.
Perhaps, depending on what I get up to, he plans to infiltrate those operations? Or does he mean to endear himself to me? He means for me to underestimate him, certainly. Let's see what he tries with it.
"I appreciate the warning, Dionu, but I'm not quite sure what to make of you," I tell him, turning back to look at the horizon. We're being half-honest here, the both of us, and it's making things more complicated. A lot like the politics back home in the Tribe. I might be a little rusty. Been on my own in these things for a long time. Of course, there were the others. I never travelled alone, but it was me who made the decisions. For wanting to control things, or by necessity.
Doesn't matter which, in the end. I won't stop.
"I don't expect any trust," he replies, coming to stand beside me to look out at the water. "I just think we can work together without all the posturing I usually have to deal with. You seem like the straight-forward type."
Gorou actually laughs at him. Then he leaves. Just like that.
So unhelpful.
"Sure," I say. I tend to play things close to my chest because I know that everyone always has more than one reason for doing things a certain way. And just because one of them plays into my cards nicely, doesn't mean the other is the same. Does Dionu think it'll be that easy? Is his goal to make me doubt myself and my preconceived notions of his complete allegiance to the yakuza?
Dionu seems like he desperately needs someone to be straight with him. Somewhat secure in this mad enterprise. Then again, only time will tell what he needs and what he doesn't.
"We could come to an agreement," I suggest, thinking of how badly this might bite me in the butt later, when I'll have come to rely on it as fact. But I get the feeling that Dionu's and my acquaintance will not be a passing one. Setting down some vague guidelines for behaviour might be beneficial. Negotiations then have some sort of basis.
"What kind?"
"We can make an agreement to base decisions on the mutual interest of having to live together for a while. That means non-interference in certain aspects. Making decisions with one another if it impacts the living situation. That sort of thing," it's a risky offer. It builds on mutual trust. But I could do with someone who trusts me to a measured degree. Who will rely on me somewhat, to be honest, no matter who stands behind them as a larger presence that guides every action.
"Alright," he says after a long silence. "I'll hold you to that. But I have one more question: what's your real name?"
I laugh. But it isn't an innocent thing that he asks of me. The yakuza he comes from deal with interesting spirits. Rituals. Is doesn't do well to ignore that. But if I don't tell him now, we will never even have the basis for trust. Besides, I have another name that lies half forgotten in the back of my mind. "How observant of you. I will let you know it. My name is Kaito, son of Hotaka of the Northen Watertribe. In turn, answer me this: how well do you know Gorou?"
"Kaito, then," he nods. "Gorou was the one to train my bending when I was younger."
Ah. A teacher. A vicious one, which makes Dionu far more dangerous that I first assumed. It really is fortunate that I have made agreements with the yakuza, rather than having to contend with them inside the impenetrable city. If only so that I might know who Gorou betrays me for, if he does.
Perhaps they ought to rename it. But then, we would be missing the irony and we can't have that.
...
The room is dimly lit, the oil lamp swinging gently from the ceiling as the boat rocks with the waves. The wood creaks, the ropes whine and the sails sag and billow.
Perfect time for dinner. The silence is tense. No one is touching their bowls of stew.
Well. No one but me who is now sitting down with the others. "Bon apetit."
Hiraku follows suit, glancing at the others uncertainly. Gorou rolls his eyes and begins to eat. Mai reaches out and finally we're all doing it.
Awkward doesn't even begin to cover it.
But, alright. This is what we have to get through, I suppose. "Alright. Now that we're all done, here's what I want to talk about. Ba Sing Se. What do we want to do there? Who actually wants to be there? Why are we doing it? Who are we likely to meet? Who is dangerous? What do we do when we encounter the Dai Li? How do we divide chores? What do we want from our living arrangements? How do we compromise?"
I let them digest the questions for a bit. That was a lot at once.
"What do we want? I'll begin. I want to gain access to various groups of people there who would be willing to support a stand against the Fire Nation, or even actively participate. I also want to see where the Dai Li stands on this. And, if possible, I want access to the university's library," I count those out, watching the others.
Mai knows about my Dai Li plans already. When we first spoke civilly, that was part of the conversation with the cook. She also knows my thoughts on the Fire Nation. But the library surprises her.
Circus Girl looks generally uninterested. Gorou, focussed and unsurprised. Dionu only nods. Hiraku is attentive and worried. Fon and Ebisu… they're hard to read. Peter is smiling.
"I want to be the one to engage the Dai Li," Gorou says.
Unexpected. Interesting. "Alright. We'll discuss the parameters for that in a bit."
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