Under the Cherry Blossom ↠ Zuko x OC ✔️

06 | Jet

It has been a long journey, but the group has made it onto a ferry. Arlington and Zuko stand near each other as Uncle Iroh looks out at the water. His solemn voice breaks the silence.
"Who would have thought, after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace...as a tourist." Iroh turns around, putting on a flowered straw hat and a wide grin.
"Look around, we're not tourists, we're refugees." Zuko frowns. He sips from a wooden bowl. "Ugh! I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt... I'm tired of living like this."
"Tell me about it. This food is absolute crap! Cafeteria food tastes better than this. Ugh, I would do anything to sleep on my warm, comfy bed." Arlington pouts with Zuko.

"Aren't we all?" A tanned guy walks to them. A stalk of prairie grass hangs from his mouth. He adopts a sly grin. "My name's Jet, and these are my freedom fighters, Smellerbee, and Longshot." He flashes a bright smile at Arlington. 'What the hell is wrong with his eyebrows? I know arched eyebrows are supposed to be attractive, but those aren't on fleek.' Arlington's mouth forms into a line as she tries to hide the laugh trying to escape her lips.

"Hey." Smellerbee says and Longshot nods.
"Hello." Zuko keeps looking over the water.
"Shmello." Arlington smiles. Jet steps closer to Zuko and Arlington.

"Here's the deal. I hear the Captain's eating like a king, while us refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"
"No." Arlington frowns.
"What sort of "king" is he eating like?" Uncle asks.
"The fat, happy kind."
Iroh's mouth gapes open, drooling.
"Please stop, that's gross." Arlington cringes.
"You want to help us liberate some food?" Jet asks. Zuko stares down into at the bowl of gruel, considering a moment before hurling it out over the rail.
"I'm in."
"So am I." Arlington says.

↠ ↠ ↠ ↠ ↠ ↠ ↠

After the Freedom Fighters, Zuko, and Arlington finished handing out food to other passengers, they sat in a circle with Iroh. Jet sits a little to close for Arlington's liking and apparently Zuko's too, considering his glaring at him.
"So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man." Iroh concludes.
"Maybe it's because I'm not a man. I'm a girl!" Smellerbee shouts as she walks off. Arlington's mouth falls open. 'Oh my. I thought she was a guy too..'
"Oh, now I see! It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!" Iroh calls after.
"Dang, Uncle, you really screwed that up." Arlington laughs, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye. Longshot quickly rises and follows Smellerbee.

Jet remains with Arlington, Zuko, and Iroh. Peanut has fallen asleep next to Arlington. "From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall." Jet's eyebrows move up and down with excitement.
"It is a magnificent sight." Iroh recalls.
"So you've been there before?"
"Once, when I was a different man." Uncle Iroh looks away with regret.

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning. A second chance." Jet hopefully smiles. Arlington can't help but realize how she and Jet are similar in that way. Arlington wanted to study in Finland or Norway to start a new beginning, to start a second chance.
"That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances." Iroh casts a meaningful stare at Zuko.

"So, Hiromi, why are you heading to Ba Sing Se?" Jet turns is focus to Arlington. At first, she almost doesn't respond to her fake name. Arlington shrugs. "I guess I'm just exploring the world. Going with the flow."
"Maybe we could hang out sometime?" Jet asks with a confident smirk. Zuko crosses his arms, distastefully rolls his eyes, and glares at Jet. Arlington becomes uncomfortable. 'Is Jet asking me out? No thanks..' Arlington awkwardly smiles while thinking of a response.
"No thanks." Arlington politely denies him. 
Jet's confidence falters. "Ok." He tries not to let his disappointment show.