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

『a plan for the future [1]

A/N: Guess what? I have written nothing for this series while away. Great news, right?... ;-;
I'm reading past comments to further motivate me back into writing. As always you guys are the nicest, most amazing readers ever. I hope all of you have been hanging on and doing well on your ends, and I really hope this brings some levity to your everyday life-- just like how you reading/commenting brings some into mine. <3

[x]

At the early hours of the following day, the group finds themselves in their very first festival meeting hosted in a building not too far from Chief Sokka's igloo. Attending the meeting are a select few water tribesmen, your group, and two celebrities of their tribe...

"This is Kya and Tenzin, Avatar Aang's children," a Water Tribe official announces.

You huddle closer to Iroh on the bench and lean in to whisper in his ear. "Tentacles? What an odd name to call a child."

It doesn't take long for Tenzin to notice your familiar face and his face stretches into that of surprise. He extends his arm to harshly point in your direction which grabs the attention of everyone in the room. "YOU!"

"Hi, Tentacles," you murmur with a small wave. 

Before he even has a chance to correct you on his name, Tenzin's gaze slides over to Iroh and his jaw slackens. The official, who introduced the Avatar siblings, takes the chance to introduce the rest of the meeting's participants.

"Prince Iroh II from the Fire Nation, Prince Tonraq from the Northern Water Tribe, Haku from the Diplomatic family belonging to Haru, and [Name], a genius from the Fire Nation. I am Chief Sokka's assistant and will be facilitating all communication channels," his voice bellows out with authority. 

Everyone eyes each other while putting names to faces. It isn't until Tonraq, having well mastered the art of formalities, initiates the conversation into planning. "I would like to say that this is a privilege I will not take for granted, and I hope we can all share and respect each other's ideas."

The woman named Kya jumps in, her voice as sly as a cat as her eyes analyze each participant. "I too look forward to working on this project with such a diverse cast of people. It's not often a Northern Water Tribe citizen graces us with their presence."

Her tone shows little respect for her counterpart water tribesmen, but you can attribute that to the high discrimination the Southerners face by the Northerners. Never have they gotten along due to the power struggle between them; coupled with the Avatar's clear bias, the road to close ties is at best a rocky one.

The official clears his throat in hopes of paving a new conversation path. "Shall we start?" Your hand shoots up high in an instant, startling the group. Your determined face also throws them off-kilter. "[Name]?"

You bring up a notepad you stole from Chief Sokka that holds the majority of your thoughts on the matter. "A few things we need to tackle when revamping the festival in a way that mirrors our changing times: inclusiveness of other people, modern interests combined with a traditional theme, and showcasing relationships. Tackling those points will lead us in the right direction."

The room falls under a stunned state for a brief moment. "I thought," Kya begins, "that we were only choosing a venue or something. Maybe a small event."

You tilt your head to the side. "Chief Sokka appeared to want to create something far more... impressive than something like that."

She frowns while crossing our arms. "Clearly our uncle likes throwing his cute little niece and nephew into his whims."

You smile in an attempt to coerce her into your plans. "We need to think about what our intentions are. If you approach this with a scattered mind, your output will reflect just that. A perfect plan is one that truly expresses the desires of those who plan it."

The room now finds itself mesmerized under your eloquence. Enraptured by your explanation, it takes them a while to find the words to follow up your statement. Despite their efforts, they find themselves at a loss of adequate words. It gives you a window to continue on. 

"It's like planning a war! Except there are no deaths!"

"... You are an oddball," Tenzin quips.

"Says the man named Tentacles," you return the heat. 

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" he snaps as his body shoots up in anger.

"Don't yell at her," Iroh rebuttals with a fierce glare. It silences the bald man due to both their statuses. Aang and Zuko's relationship carries authority into how these two approach each other and it shows.

Knowing that you find yourself secured in doing as you pleased, finding no importance in titles. An odd predicament though: Iroh's title gives you permission to not care for other's titles. It feels liberating, it feels as if your approach to his status as a prince has been wrong all along-- that his approach was wrong too.

And with that sort of knowledge, you stick out your tongue at Tenzin under the impression that there will be no repercussions. 

"YOU LITTLE--"

"I SAID DON'T YELL AT HER."

[____]

Deep in the tundras of the south, a weak yet determined group huddles around a fire. Their last fight proved too detrimental to their spirits and strength. Yet they continue on for the sake of their beliefs. 

"There's a woman in hiding here named Min Hua. I think we should contact her," one deep voice states through the loud crackling of the fire and the howling of the tundra winds.

"Find her," his leader orders through chapped lips, "and we will show her the true way of life under the Red Lotus."