Tales from the Blue Dragon Inn Part 3

[sifuhonorpants]

After the meeting with Kyung, Zuko needed to clear his mind with several pitchers of cheap swill. Cheap swill lately has become his dirty little secret. Once and awhile, he would sneak out of palace to enjoy his little vice. It wasn't so much for the taste of the ale, but being around real people. Lately, people in the palace have been driving him

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[lildailiguy]

"Today was a great day and tonight is going to be great night," Fong thinks to himself as he walks up on stage. He smirks to himself at the sound of cheering women as he sits in his chair. He been making a name for himself lately in the fire nation capital. He already made a name for himself in six other bars around town, but his favorite bar was this pile of dung, The Blue Dragon Inn. He starts tuning his pipa and he looks up at his fans, but his eyes fall upon the face of the Fire Lord Zuko himself. He goes back to tuning and shifts his gaze back to his instrument

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko sits and listens to song the musician is playing. It was catchy, but kind of sappy for his tastes. However, it brought up the thoughts of his honeymoon with Mai on Ember Island. He soften to the song and listen. He notices the waitress set a pitcher on his table and a glass. He nods and smiles at her and says, "Thank you."

He sits back in his chair, enjoys his cheap beer, and music.

[npc_inc]

Ae Cha pulled up a chair from the table where the Earth Kingdom man sat. Her girlfriends were right, the pipa player was cute. And he had a great voice too. She smiled as he began his first song. It was really sweet and she wondered to herself how many fans he would lose by settling down.

When his song finished, she turned to the stranger at the table.

"Hi," she said, smiling.

"Ae Cha!" her friend called, touching her arm. "He's coming this way!"

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko pours himself a glass of ale and continues listening to the musician. He notices one of women at the table turn to him and said hi.

Zuko smiles at the girl named Ae Cha and says, "Hello. He is pretty good isn't he."

[npc_inc]

"Hi," she said, smiling a little. "I didn't think a simple tavern musician would have such a following. Maybe it's the songs he sings. That one sounded so tragic, didn't it?"

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko smirks at the girl and nods, "My wife would like this kind of song." He thinks to himself and makes a face, "I think. Well you have to start somewhere guess, so what drags you down to this den of thieves?

Zuko picks up his shot of fire water and downs the whole shot glass in one gulp. He slams it on the table and takes a long drink of his ale.

[waterwhipitgood]

Katara walked into the bar, her feet heavy. She had followed Aang for a little while after he had stormed out of the meeting, but gave up when he turned the corner that led to the wing where Azula was kept. Not feeling up for antagonizing Azula, she went back to her room. She had knocked on both Toph's and Sokka and Suki's door and got no answer. Sokka must have solved his dilemma and made up with both women. 'Or,' she thought as she looked around slowly. 'He completely ignored Suki and is here drinking with Toph. Again.'

She scanned the bar, looking for free tables. She noticed Zuko in a terrible Earth Kingdom disguise sitting near the musician who was flanked with women. He seemed to be talking to another girl. She didn't feel like talking to either of them for the moment and sat at table near them.

[junainttwitchy]

Jun has been enjoying her stay in the cushy confines of the Fire Nation palace. However she was bored and heard there was some big meeting with some ambassador which the Avatar and his girlfriend attended with the royalty and the court of the Fire Lord. Politics was not her thing and she was glad she didn't have to attend. Murmurs about the Fire Nation declaring war are heard and Jun doesn't want any part of that

[waterwhipitgood]

Katara let out an angry sigh. She slammed the glass hard down on the table and stood up.

"I can't believe Zuko did that! Aang won't even talk to me now! And that ambassador! What is that problem!"

She sat back down.

"I'm sorry. Hey Jun."

[junainttwitchy]

Jun chuckles a moment and takes a seat at the table. "Hey." She smiles calmly at Katara then motions for waitress to come 'round and bring her a drink.

"What exactly went on? Is it true the Fire Nation is at war with itself?" She took a sip of her drink when it arrived and ordered two more - one for herself and the other for Katara. Jun was curious now seeing how angry Katara is. She glanced and noticed who was supplying the music. Then her eyes caught sight of someone familiar... Is that angry boy himself over there...? she thought to herself and looked back at Katara.

[lildailiguy]

Fong looks over the crowd after his last song, and he notices the hero Katara and the mercenary Jun sitting together. Katara stands out because of her water tribe dress and the legendary hair loopies.

He decides to play a song about the well known love story between Avatar Aang and his lover Katara.

[waterwhipitgood]

Katara looked up at Jun.

"This song," she said calmly. "What is it? It sounds like he's singing about us."

[junainttwitchy]

Jun grinned watching Katara downing her drink and grabbing for the next. Girl needs to relax. The song changed to something softer and Katara spoke softer too.

Leaning back a bit in her chair, Jun finishes her first drink, listening to the lyrics from the man Toph was with. She smirks a bit. "Sounds like it. It's well known that you and the Avatar are lovers." Jun downs the rest of her cup and takes up the second. "Maybe you should've dragged him here."

[waterwhipitgood]

She tried to hide the blush that crept up her face and looked around nervously.

"But we're not," she said quietly, hoping Jun wouldn't hear. "I looked for him, but lost him. He was determined to go somewhere."

She took another drink and rested her head in her hands.

Wait, was that musician crying? She looked at him curiously.

She turned to Jun.

"Is he crying?"

[lildailiguy]

Fong decides to go into a mellow song about life in Ba Sing Se. He sings a folk song about the fire nation siege of Ba Sing Se by the Dragon of the West, and how the death of his son made the General Iroh give up his campaign against the great city.

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko is surprised to hear the Earth Kingdom interpretation of the siege. To the Earth Kingdom, the valiant defenders of the walls were heroes, and the Fire Nation was ruthless invaders bent on world domination. Zuko frowns at this last thought because it was true to a point.

Zuko looks around the bar at some of the veterans of the war. Many of them looks at Fong Li with disgust and anger for playing a song like that in the Fire Nation. Zuko smiles to himself and laughs realizing this man as guts.

[junainttwitchy]

Jun, with possibly Katara in tow, strode over towards the table where the hooded Zuko was. It has to be him... that burn scar... I'm seeing it I know... she thought to herself as she approached the table.

"Hey," she said with a sly knowing grin. "Pardon the interruption but... have we met before?" Jun glances from Zuko to the girl he's speaking with for a moment, then back to Zuko.

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko takes a long drink of his ale and leans back in his chair. He notices Jun walking over to table with Katara in tow. He raises an eyebrow and thinks, "God, they are going to blow my cover."

When Katara and Jun make it to his table, he decides to play with them. Maybe it will get them to leave him to his night of drinking. He turns and pauses a moment thinking if he knows her and says with a grin, "I think you might be mistaken. My name is Lee."