𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐒 • [ general iroh II x oc ]

home is where the heart is

-6 years prior-

"Mom! Mom!?" Aria's teenage voice called out throughout the apartment. The door was open, wide open. Usually it was locked, it was meant to be locked.

Something wasn't right, Aria knew it the second she walked into the unkept apartment.

"Mom!"

Third times a charm, Aria's mother always walked around the house like she was scavenging for something, like there was a place she was scrambling to get to.

Most the time, the only place she needed to be was with Aria and Niko. Yet she barley ever was.

She was a pretty woman. Aria looked a lot like her. But you could tell she was disturbed, and had been for a long time.

The woman ran out of the bathroom and saw her daughter, standing there, schoolbag in hand, looking at her mother with concern. This was before there was any doubt regarding her mothers care in Aria's mind.

The schoolbag was dropped on the floor and Aria walked up to her mother. She was walked right passed.

"Mom, are you ok? Why is the the door open-"

"Baby have you seen-shit!" Her mother cursed over her own words, her frantic, almost desperate voice sending Aria into a state of confusion. "Have you seen my coat?"

"No, sorry. It's warm out though, you don't really need one." Aria responded, a small, nervous chuckle leaving her.

Her mother didn't answer her. Aria nodded and watched as her mother pranced around. The young girl started to fiddle with her nails.

"Where's Niko?"

"He's in the tub."

Arias head shot up. "What?"

Her mother shrugged. "He needed a bath."

Aria quickly ran to the bathroom and saw her six year old brother alone, in the bathtub. The water was up to his neck. He was playing with a tiny toy ship. He was still wearing his clothes.

Niko smiled at her with a big, innocent smile. Aria had to smile back, it was impossible not too.

"Come on buddy, let's get you dry, yeah?"

"Ok!"

Aria helped him get dry and he laid down in his bed, he fell asleep. He was always a deep sleeper. Once she didn't have to worry about him, she returned to find her mother on the pull out, putting her eyeliner on.

"You left him alone in the tub?"

"He's six years old, Ari. He's can handle being alone."

"No, he can't. What if he drowned, what if-"

"That didn't happen! I don't need a lecture on being a parent from you, ok?! I am the parent in this house!"

Aria backed down and shut her own mouth. She had learned it's just better too.

She had never liked arguing, she hated it.

Aria hated the way it made people delirious. She hated the violence that stemmed from them. She hated the way people's voice cracked when they screamed.

It was especially with her mother. Her mother made arguments venomous and inevitable. Not with her words, but with her glares, and movements, and everything Aria could feel, rather than hear.

"Sorry." Aria mumbled and walked into the kitchen. She opened the window above her sink and let the spring sun hit her face. The sounds of the city around her efficiency calmed her new nerves.

"Aria? Sweetie?"

Aria turned around. Feeling the sun and light leave her face. "Hm?"

"I found my coat."

"That's good. What did you need it for?"

Her mother ceased to answer her question once again.

"Do you have any money I can borrow? I know you've been doing that baby sitting thing."

That was another thing. Her mother used the word borrow religiously. When she has never borrowed anything from Aria. She took, sure. She also stole. But nothing was ever returned, never reciprocated. Aria didn't consider borrow the right word to use.

"Why do you need money?"

Her mother shrugged and lit the cigarette she had placed in her mouth. "Because we're running low."

"You mean, you're running low?"

She blew the smoke out of her lips and rolled her eyes. "No, I mean we're. Under this roof, all the money comes together, it's our money. How much do you have?"

Aria had never been able to borrow her mothers money. So, that was another weak argument. "250 yuans, from the last week."

Her mother had a hollow laugh. "Wow, I should get into babysitting if the money is that good."

"You already have kids."

"Yeah, but I don't get paid to watch you two. It's sort of a shit deal." Her mother joked. But you could hear in her tone she was somewhat serious. Aria didn't find the joke very funny.

"Thanks mom, that's really nice."

"Don't sass me. Get the money."

Aria walked to Niko and her's room that's they had been sharing since he was born. Her steps were soft and heavy. She got on her knees reached underneath the bed.

She pulled out a small shoebox and opened it. There were numerous small, yet, important, items.

A picture.
A letter.
A pretty hairpin.
A half empty pack of cigarettes.
Her mothers lipstick. (Borrowed)
A wad of 700 yuans.

Her prized possessions.

Aria grabbed the wad of yuans and carefully took out 250. She was saving all her money for nothing in particular. Just the future.

Aria had planned it all out. She was going to turn 18, gather her few prized possessions, and leave. And she would find herself in all the ways she wasn't able to in the city. She would love how she wanted, with who she wanted, where she wanted.

She knew it would have been so incredibly difficult and hard, going off on her own. And she knew that despite that, she would count every day until she'd be free to go.

It was almost depressing, how clueless she was too her reality.

Her mother took the money that day with no remorse, no second thoughts. She put it in her coat pocket. Aria sat down next to her.

"I got a 100 on my history test. My teacher said If I keep up the good work, I could get into a really good school for free."

"You better. Cause I'm not paying for any school."

Aria nodded. Her mother stood up and grabbed her coat.

"Im going out for a little bit."

"Ok, when will you be back?"

"Not long."

Aria's mother knew she needed her coat. It was the only one she had.

She would be gone so long it would come in handy for the winters.

"A night, not long? Or a few days not long?"

Her mother waved her off. "I don't know. I'm meeting some friends, It might be a bit."

At that, the woman left.
Aria wouldn't see her again for five years.
But at that moment she didn't know that. She had no clue.

...