The Unpredictable Fire Adventurers [General Iroh II x Reader] [Legend of Korra]

『a tale of Haku

A/N: I meant to put this out at the beginning of the week but I was super busy at work. e_e;; I promise I'll put out Iroh's chapter quickly next week! Enjoy!

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From afar, a woman can be seen playing the harp to her small audience. Skilled fingers dance in precise movements along the instrument's strings, giving the area a sense of richness. No one feels out of place; the upper ring is a place of exuberant decadence after all!

Haku ambles along the dark corners of the prestigious neighborhood, his hood covering the majority of his face. Having been born in the upper ring, he knows how to keep his presence hidden. He exercises that skill to watch the entrancing woman play her harp, watching as she mesmerizes her patrons.

As music flits around the air, people remain rooted to their spots. In their eyes, she's a breath of fresh air and lilacs. Her features are pleasing to the eyes with her long, silky black locks that stay put despite the winds. Her lips are as pink as always, glossed to perfection, and her eyes are lined with purple eyeshadow. And just like her audience, he views her as a symbol of perfection, and it hurts that he can never be on her level.

When she finishes her last song, people clap and walk away from the corner with content faces. Her green optics slide down to the ceramic bowl designated for tips, and the empty bowl gazes back at her. She huffs out and begins to undo the harp's bendable frame, not noticing Haku's approach.

When a shadow looms over her, she glances up and quickly distinguishes the only features available to her. "Oh, Haku?"

He pushes back his hood to see her more clearly. "Hi, Fey."

"Hehe, they look like they've gone through a lot." She reaches out with two careful fingers to touch his remaining facial hair, but he pulls away. "Oh... S-Sorry."

"It's fine. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm okay. Everyone is looking for you though..." She stands from her crate and tucks a hair strand behind her ear. "Why did you leave?"

Haku thinks back to the day he left. His falling out with his father, being rejected by Fey, and then finally... "I spoke to my grandpa the day before he passed. He suggested I travel to find my purpose."

Fey lowers her gaze to the floor as she recalls the day he left. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Haku forces a smile at her kind words. "It hurt a lot less than I thought it would. I suppose it's because of all the new things I'm learning on my trip."

She nods her head. "That's good at least."

Silence falls upon the two. Fey tries to find the right words to proceed in their conversation while Haku gazes at her hands intently. Cuts and dirt are engraved on her slender fingers, and the rough texture is far more noticeable than before. When she notices the attention her hands are receiving, she quickly tucks them into the sleeves of her dress.

"Umm... So--"

"You aren't from the upper ring," Haku points out with a solemn expression.

She pauses, her eyes wide with shock. It takes her a moment to recover, and she returns with a graceful yet sad smile. "You've just noticed."

Haku forces out a chuckle. "I've been so wrapped up in my head to even notice... But Fey, you know I wouldn't have cared if you told me the truth."

"I know, but it was hard to tell you my secret. You saw me in a totally different light. I didn't want to ruin your expectations of me," she finally admits, her face scrunched together in a way that shows her true pain.

His eyes widen as she pulls at her strands to reveal her true hair beneath the wig. Auburn locks razored into a boyish cut, he now sees what she's been hiding from him all this time. As he stands there in shock, she undoes the wrap in her center which causes her robes to loosen and fall. There she stands in a worn out salmon-colored tunic that reeks of lower ring depression.

"This is who I am, Haku. I was happy to have a friend like you, but I hated that you didn't know me for who I am. When you confessed to me, I was really happy. I was so happy... But a relationship based on lies would never work, especially when you're too good for me," she cries out.

The Fey he knew crumbles into pieces. The unattainable girl that turned heads as she walked down the street now gone and replaced by the person in front of him.  

However, he can't fathom ever looking at her in disgust. No, instead there is a newfound appreciation for the girl.

His lips curl into a smile, confusing the girl. She tilts her head and opens her mouth to question him, but he quickly speaks up. "I like this Fey much better. When I return from my journey, I want you to tell me everything and then we can start our friendship from the beginning."

Tears spring up from her eyes, the feeling of relief putting all her regrets to bed. She doesn't waste a second in nodding her head, accepting the offer to begin their friendship anew.