2Hello everybody. This one was a lot of fun to write and it is the first time I try to pull a more sticky and dirty joke in a story (That's why it is rated M to be on the safe side), a fact which has turned out to be tougher than I thought due to the language gap so I hope it has worked. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this story.
Azulaweek 2020 Day 4 (Night)
The Test
Izumi was a wreck. She couldn't count how often she has checked her dress, her hair and make-up, nevertheless she was pacing back to her mirror again to give her look another careful observation. It was Fire Lily Festival and Enji has finally dared to ask her out for their first date night. Everything had to be perfect.
She must look perfect.
And she must take care that her father wouldn't blame her. Zuko was the last obstacle and that's why she has planned everything so carefully with aunt Azula. She has waited to come up with her first boyfriend until Mai, Suki and Ty Lee have taken off to their long planned visit to Kyoshi Island. Azula has given her the hint, that it would be easier to introduce her new friend to Zuko first, Mai would truly be the bigger task and the more frightening one, so it was better to face her after the visit. Her aunt has also offered her to show up at the celebrations in the Palace with the nobles so she would have the free evening. Azula hated these events where she would be at the center off all attention, but for her niece she gladly seemed to swallow her pride. This would also be handy to keep her father's overprotecting side at bay. It meant that Azula couldn't help her with dressing and make-up cause her aunt had to get ready for the evening as well, but she has helped her picking the perfect dress and Ursa was more than happy to help her little princess with hair and make-up. But right now she was alone in her room and definitely not sure if she could handle this.
Izumi only wished Kiyi would be here and not at Ba Sing Se for studies. Right now she could really use her encouragement.
A knock at her door let her nearly jump. It couldn't be Enji. The boy was always a little late, that's why she had asked him to come by earlier, which means he still has to be on his way, cause she wasn't sure if everything was perfect and she must check…
An even louder knock stopped her racing mind.
"I'm not ready."
A snicker from outside made her heart jump.
"Also not for your favorite aunt?"
Izumi was at her door only a heartbeat later to rip it open. She crushed into Kiyi with a cheerful laughter.
"…Izumi…Can't breathe…"
The Princess released Kiyi out of her arms and pulled her aunt into her room. The firebender raised an eyebrow and checked her niece's outfit from head to toe.
"Wow, Izumi. You look gorgeous…."
Izumi blushed a bit but she could feel some tension falling off from her shoulders.
"Thank you Kiyi, but what are you doing here, I thought you're were busy with your final exams at Ba Sing Se University?"
Kiyi rolled her eyes.
"I took a week off to get my head free. So far everything runs perfect but I couldn't see the scrolls anymore and since it is Fire Lily Festival I told myself, get your ass home and have some fun with your favorite niece and my awesome sister. By the way, where is Azula?"
Izumi offered her aunt a place at her couch.
"She gets herself ready for the celebrations here at palace so I can have my first date."
The princess's voice pitched a bit higher in excitement, but Kiyi's alarmed look hit her like a cold shower. Her aunt's face got deeply worried.
"You have a date?"
Izumi nodded nervous at Kiyi. A little vein started to show up on her aunt's forehead.
"Tonight?"
Izumi managed another slow nod. Kiyi's face got paler, but her ears were turning read.
"And Azula has helped to plan everything I guess."
Izumi had to take place beside Kiyi. Something was wrong with her aunt. The color was returning to her face, but it was an angry red one.
"Izumi… Your date is in trouble… Serious trouble…"
The princess felt her color draining from her face at Kiyi's quote.
"Why do you…?"
Kiyi faced Izumi's worried eyes with a serious look.
"This has happened before. I haven't told you what Azula has done to test my first boyfriend…"
Enji could barely breathe with the gag in his mouth and the bag over his head. The assailants have come out of nowhere. He had been on his way to the Palace to pick up Izumi for the evening as they attacked him.
He had no clue who they were but he was sure that his connection with Izumi was the reason for this. His friends had warned him that starting a relationship with the Fire Lord's daughter could make a target out of him but he hadn't expected to become one so soon. There were a lot of people who would love to strike against the Royal Family. He had crossed out followers of Ozai instantly, since there was an waterbender and an earthbender among them.
They had caught him completely off guard as he had passed a corner at the streets and the ground has gave away under his feet to drag him into a dark tunnel where they had overwhelmed him. He has fought like a dragon, dodging stones and icicles, knifes and strikes for his bare life but finally some precise jabs have let him collapse like a puppet which has been cut off from its strings. They have gagged him and tied him up like a package and taking him with them and while his mind was racing all the time he had lost any sort of orientation due to the darkness but it seems his captors have reached their hide cause they have placed him on an uncomfortable chair and have observed his since a while in silence. But it seemed that waiting was over cause he could hear some light footsteps getting closer. The bag got ripped off his head and the light of a fire pit nearly blinded him but right before he could take a closer look at one of his captors a splash of water took his sight and he coughed a bit.
"So, Enji was the name, right?"
It was a female voice. A voice filled with slight amusement but also with a sharp edge in it. The person was standing behind him. His eyes started to get accustomed to the light and he could recognize some aspects of his surrounding, yet this sight wasn't much of a help. He was tied up on a chair facing a naked wooden wall. A big fire pit was between him and the wall and the light and warmth was biting in his eyes as bit. He tried to turn his head towards the source of the voice as a sharp shuriken passed his ear. He could feel the hard tug of the air and hear it cutting through the air.
"Just answer the questions, a simple nod is enough."
It was another female voice, cold as the steel which has passed his head moments before. He nodded hasty and kept his head turned to the wall.
"You're the one who wants to fool around with the little Princess?"
Anger was rising in Enji. How could they dare. But he tried to keep a cool head. He shook his head which elicited some sarcastic huffs.
"He signed no, right?"
Another female voice which was also amused and excited at the same time brought up the urge again to turn his head but this time he could suppress the instinct. He could hear some knuckles cracking.
"So he says we're lying?"
A muffled shriek fought his way through the gag as Enji noticed the ground rising up around his feet and crawling up to his ankles with an cold grip.
"Maybe we should remove the gag? I'm sure this cutie will be more talkative without it?"
Cutie…? Enji frowned for a second. Another female voice and he wasn't sure but he could have sworn he had recognized al little worried tremble in it for a brief moment. He heard an slightly annoyed sigh from the woman, who has spoken to him first.
"Fine."
Enji didn't notice footsteps but he nearly winced at a gentle touch at his neck where swift hands started to loosen the gag. He coughed a bit as the fabric was removed from his mouth. The earth also retreated from his feet.
"You'll only speak when one of us gives you the permission. So answer the question."
Enji's pride was hurt but much more was he worried about what his captors were up to. He feared for Izumi so he had to be careful.
"I… I only wanted to spend a nice evening at the festival with her. We're friends and…"
Another shuriken passed his head, pinning a Fire Lily at the wall. It was one of the flowers of a bouquet he has bought for Izumi as a present.
"A 'Friend' doesn't buy another such a bouquet. You bring such flowers when you…"
"Want to score?"
The woman, who had probably cracked her knuckles before finished the sentence with a dirty note in her voice. The dead silence which followed was painful.
"What. We all know how we would call such a bouquet? A…"
A splashy whip stopped further explanations and a new female voice cut the other off with a warning edge.
"Manners! Not the right moment to discuss…"
"A Fur Warmer."
It was another female voice and it was filled a dirty amusement. The women behind him stayed silent for a moment in shock… and then they were bursting into laughter, coughing and gasping for air. Enji could hear an embarrassed muttering from the woman who has demanded manners and after some moments the one who was cut off while naming the bouquet finally managed to answer.
"Awesome. I didn't knew this one before. Seems to be grown up at the sea holds up a lot of fun."
The other one was still giggling but managed an answer.
"It does, but this one was also new to me until 'Manners' told me this one."
Until this moment Enji was sure no one could ever laugh harder than the women have done before but right now the room seemed to explode. It took them almost a minute to recover from this attack. He was about to dare another try to get a look at this strange group of captors as he noticed a hot flame behind him. He could feel the heat of the fire was much stronger than the one which was in the pit in front of him and the person who had lit it up got closer with it to his neck until he started to feel a very uncomfortable prickle on it.
"So after these enlightening insights in some more… private matters let's return to your private matters. So try again peasant."
The insult stroke a chord at Enji. He knew that his heritage was much below Izumi's. He was a only from a patrician family and no high born nobles but this fact has never meant anything to Izumi. He would try to protect her.
"Yes, we are friends. Good friends and I know she loves these red and blue Fire Lilies. She barely gets out due to her duties as a princess so since this was a rare occasion I wanted to have her a really great night at the Festival and so I brought her flowers. That's all."
The heat got even stronger.
"I can smell a lie, peasant and I don't need my friend to notice that you're trying to hide your intensions. We know that you two know each other for years. We know that you're getting closer since two months now. Little meetings during school breaks. Learning together. Some sneaking and hiding at school to exchange first kisses."
The uncomfortable tickle was already mixed with some slight painful stings of heat. But it was the cold shock which was choking him harder.
They knew it already.
They knew that he was Izumi's boyfriend and they would probably try to use him to get closer to her.
To harm her.
To harm her whole family.
He could feel the woman leaning closer to him and her breath was near his ear now.
"So tell me peasant. Do you have planned just to… warm her fur tonight?"
He knew he would die. Suffer and die, but they won't get information the smooth way. He audibly gathered his salvia and spitted it to the ground before him.
"I would never hurt her, so no. You also won't get her with my help, scum. I won't help you doing any harm to her no matter what you'd want to do with me. Izumi is awesome and I will not deliver you anything any of you could use to get her and to do harm to her or anyone of her family."
He could hear audible gasps from behind, but the woman who was threatening him only huffed amused.
"Oh you have no idea. I could be very… convincing. You'd better be afraid of what I could do to you right now."
Enji had no idea why but he couldn't suppress an amused and defeated laughter.
"You better should fear what Izumi could do to you. She's strong, fearless and smart and she has learned from the best, her aunt."
He noticed the heavy silence and it woke a grim resistance.
"Yes her aunt. Izumi often speaks about Azula. She must be awesome and due to all I know about her from Izumi it should be you who has to be worried about your fate cause she'll find you and her wrath will be horrible cause no one should dare to hurt the ones she loves."
Enji felt the flame near his neck burning bright. He expected to get punished for his foolish resistance but he has made a decision. He wouldn't help them without resistance. The woman behind him was still with her mouth near his ear as she started to snicker suddenly. He felt a strong hand resting on his shoulder and with a forceful pull he got turned around… and watched into the golden piercing eyes of Azula. More women were standing behind her, a blind one grinning from ear to ear, a blue eyed one with a long braid who was looking a bit sulky and beside her another one with hair to her neck waving her hand with a smile. But more confusing and frightening were the other two women behind Azula. The first one on Azula's left was beaming at him like she has found a perfect puppy, but the one on the right made his confusion and shock complete cause it was the Fire Lady. Mai was still flipping a shuriken through her fingers and her cold look was cutting deep down to Enji's soul. Azula pinched his cheek slightly.
"Correct Enji. So you better won't forget this fact ever when dating our Izumi."
Azula brought her blue flame dangerously close to his face, but he withstood her piercing look.
"If you should dare to fool around with her you'll have to face us. And believe me Enji, you don't want to face us. So better…"
The door at the backside of the room burst at a heavy blast of fire. The women turned around, surprised, but ready to strike at once yet all of them lowered their guards as the spotted the intruder. Izumi was burning in anger and Kiyi, who was behind her, had the most judging expression on her face.
"How dare you, Azula!"
Izumi rushed to Enji to hug the still bound teenager tight. The Princess instantly started to loose his bindings to free her boyfriend. Azula set up an most innocent face. Her voice sounded like she was talking about the weather.
"Hey Izumi. I thought it would be nice to introduce myself to your new boyfriend. I thought a little conversation would be helpful before you two would have your first date."
Izumi glared in anger at Azula and was about to scream her rage against her aunt, but one of Enji's hand upon her shoulder stopped her.
"It's okay Izumi, I'm okay."
He stood up and faced Azula's observing look. He bowed short after a moment and turned to Mai to bow deeper before the Fire Lady. He took a step back to face both aunt and mother.
"I'd never dare to hurt Izumi. I like her, I care for her and I hope I do have your blessing to date her."
Izumi was about to protest but a little smile from Enji let her swallow her accusations. He turned back to Azula and Mai.
"But to be as honest as you have been, the only permission I really care for is Izumi's. I do trust her and her decisions and so I hope you do so as well."
He withstood the dangerous fire in Azula's eyes and seconds got stretched to infinity until Toph's voice broke the silence.
"I like this one."
Azula smirked at the quote of the earthbender and gave Enji a slight nod and also Mai couldn't suppress a little smile. The Fire Lady got closer and placed her shuriken back in her robe.
"You have courage young man. Izumi, Enji will be our guest this weekend. I think your father would love to be introduced to him as well. I hope you'll accept the invitation."
Enji bowed again, but was already pushed out of the room by a still angry Izumi, who gave all of the women a deadly glare.
"We're going but this isn't over. We'll talk about…" She made big motions with her arms and hands in the air "… about all of this. I'm mad with you."
She glared at Azula, who smirked at her niece.
"All of you."
Azula chuckled as the young couple has left the room and all of them relaxed a bit. The firebender smiled warm at Mai who couldn't suppress a smile as well as they noticed Kiyi's judging look. Azula's sister shook her head and crossed her arms before her chest.
"Seriously Azula. Mai. Ty Lee. Again?"
Kiyi turned her head to Suki, Katara and Toph.
"And you? I'm not surprised that Toph was part of the team this time, but Suki? And Katara? Seriously I have never expected that you of all of them would be part of this as well."
Azula released an annoyed sounding sigh.
"She caught us at plotting and took part to assure we would not drive it too far."
Toph burst out laughing.
"Yes and but main reason was your promise to help her when Kya will have her first date."
The group fell in laughing and couldn't stop at Kiyi's judging and serious look, but suddenly a dangerous smirk came to her lips.
"Is there by any chance a place for me in such a plot too?"
Azula raised an eyebrow but then she hugged her sister with a mischievous smile.
"Of course. Izumi will probably warn Kya when this time comes so we could use a fresh face."
Kiyi chuckled as well and all of them left the room chatting and laughing. Kiyi walked beside Azula.
"So, how did Enji passed your test?"
Azula smiled satisfied at her sister and a dangerous glow was in her golden orbs.
"Acceptable."
Kiyi laughed warm at this answer. She knew this was a huge compliment, even when Azula wouldn't admit it. And so she only nudged her sister with an impish smile.
"So, since my niece has a date what will be our plans for the night?"
Azula shared some looks with the other women and her eyes were burning bright in excitement.
"Well I have promised to show up at my brothers party, but I think we all could use a little night off. So what about to hit the city as soon as Mai and I are able to leave here?"
A cheerful agreement was the answer. It seemed that they were looking forward to have a long night ahead.
