Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 18

"He declined our invitation."

Though he had been present when the messenger delivered the report, Izumi couldn't help reiterating it the moment she and her father, former Fire Lord Zuko, were alone.

As much as he wanted to allay his daughter's concerns, Zuko shook his head in response to her words, saying, "There is little we can do about it. Kahn is a very free-spirited young man. Trying to force his hand will have the opposite effect."

Exhaling a sigh, Izumi closed her eyes as she calmly replied, "I am well aware of that. The problem here is my daughter, Ehuza. Kahn is the first kindred spirit she has ever met. His exotic appearance, slim and muscular body, and boundless knowledge are an irresistible appeal for her. In her mind, Kahn may as well be her soulmate..."

Though she would have been worried if her daughter had chosen virtually anyone else, Izumi had approved of Kahn even before she met the young man. The knowledge the Order of the White Lotus had gleaned by simply observing his training with Korra was slowly revolutionizing how Bending was taught. He was also the literal Avatar of Fire, so people were bound to associate Kahn with the Fire Nation. To that end, they were practically forced to befriend or forge ties with him.

"I understand your concerns, Izumi. However, this isn't a matter where we have any say. The only people that can decide whether or not Ethuza and Kahn are in a relationship are the two of them. If Kahn refuses, Ethuza has little choice but to accept his decision."

"Little does not me no choice..."

Raising his brows, Zuko was about to ask what his daughter meant when Izumi readily explained, "Ethuza has requested permission to stay on Air Temple Island. She says she wants to research Air Nomad culture at the source..."

"..."

Since Ethuza had always been a very passive girl, Zuko couldn't help feeling a little surprised by his daughter's revelation. Similar to Tenzin, he reached up to caress his pointy white beard, an amused smile on his face as he mused, "It would appear our little Ethuza has chosen to fight for her future..."

Nodding her head in affirmation, a rare smile developed across Izumi's face as she affectionately muttered, "So it would appear."

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*tok* *tok* *tok*

After idling about in his room for much of the afternoon, Kahn was getting ready for his pre-dinner bath when a soft knock caught his attention.

"Again...?"

Since it was pretty rare for people to come and knock on his door, Kahn couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. At least he wasn't bare-chested this time around.

Pulling open the door, Kahn expected to find a junior Air Acolyte there to deliver a message. Instead, he found a petite and inordinately busty girl with a rounded face, large, olive-green eyes, and dark-brown hair bound into a ponytail.

Though she was surprised by the door opening so suddenly, an excited smile bloomed across the girl's face as she practically exclaimed, "Good evening, Kahn~!"

"..."

Resisting the urge to slam the door shut, Kahn emulated a forced smile as he replied, "Good evening to you as well, Princess Ethuza..."

Smiling even more radiantly, Ethuza's voice took on a sing-song quality as she said, "You remembered. It may not have been a rational thought, but I was afraid you might have forgotten me."

Shaking his head, Kahn managed to make Ethuza even happier by stating, "Impossible..." in his usual, flat tone.

Though his memory was far from perfect, Kahn could never forget the girl that had spontaneously proposed to him minutes after their first meeting. Even if he had, he would have surely been reminded by one of the dozens of letters she had sent since then, averaging between 2-3 a week.

Seeing Ethuza wearing the traditional brown, red, and golden attire of an Air Acolyte, Kahn didn't have to ask in order to grasp the situation. Ethuza, or, more accurately, her mother, had convinced Tenzin to allow her to stay on the island. Either that or she had genuinely become an Air Acolyte.

"What brings you to my room? While women aren't exactly prohibited from entering the Men's Dormitory, it is generally considered improper."

Adopting a half-lidded smile, Ethuza took a half-step towards Kahn, eyes turned up and hands linked behind her back as she playfully asked, "Oh? What's the worst that could happen~?"

"..."

Inhaling a deep, steadying breath, Kahn surprised Ethuza by grabbing her shoulders. Her heart began racing like a Jackelope, but before she could close her eyes and pucker her lips, Kahn shattered her delusions, stating, "I don't view you as a romantic interest. We hardly even know each other, so behaving like this is just going to make me even less inclined to speak with you."

Opening her mouth and eyes wide, Ethuza wanted to say something but found herself wholly unable to speak. She thought she had prepared for Kahn's rejection, but the indescribable pain in her chest made it apparent she wasn't.

Inhaling sharply to combat the sour feeling building in her nose, Ethuza forced a smile as she said, "I know. That's actually one of the reasons I came here. I know you don't like me...I just wanted you to know I'm not going to give up that easily. I believe there is real chemistry between us. You may not see it right now, but I'm certain I can prove it if you just gave me a chance..."

Since Kahn had only responded to three of her 49 letters, Ethuza would have to be a fool to believe he liked her. If she hadn't been a Princess, he might not have responded to even a single one. Thus, in an effort to show just how serious she was, she essentially begged her mother to allow her to become a noviciate, a trainee Air Acolyte/Nun.

Exhaling a subdued sigh, Kahn's expression softened as he explained, "I acknowledge your conviction, but I currently have no interest in romance. Even if I did, you aren't the first girl to choose me as a potential partner. I don't want to see you, or anyone else for that matter, fighting over me. For now, I just want to focus on my duties and responsibilities as the Avatar of Fire and Absolution. Fourteen is just too young to make decisions such as this..."

Contrary to Kahn's expectations, Ethuza seemed to be genuinely relieved by his words. Most of the tension drained from her body as she adopted a far more sincere smile and said, "That's a relief. I was afraid you found me ugly or annoying. If the only problem is that you're not ready to commit to a romantic relationship, I still have a chance."

Pumping her fists, Ethuza didn't wait for Kahn's response before breaking away from his hold and fleeing towards the exit. Tears were building in the corners of her eyes, but they did nothing to undermine the determination contained within.

After watching Ethuza's figure disappear around the corner, a genuinely exasperated expression marred Kahn's face as he shut his door, leaned against the wall, and allowed himself to slide down. Dealing with girls that had irrationally fallen in love with him was among the most tiring activities Kahn could imagine.

"If things are going to continue like this, maybe I should consider making my appearance less appealing..."

Though he understood the principles of physical attraction, Kahn hadn't anticipated that his appearance would cause as much trouble as it had. He had even caught Pema, a woman eighteen years his senior, stealing glances at him when he was helping out around the house. He knew she would never act on them, but just knowing the motherly woman viewed him in such a manner made Kahn feel a mixture of guilt, exasperation, and concern.

"I wonder if Rokr had to deal with this? I should try asking the next time I visit the Spirit World..."

Thinking of his fellow Templates, Kahn's mind briefly wandered to Akua. They had never met, but he had seen a picture of her on one of the fliers used to promote her concerts. She had a bit of a boyish look, but she was easily one of the most beautiful women Kahn had ever seen. She was also one of the most famous people in the world. If he was suffering this much while trying to stay low-key, Kahn imagined Akua's interpersonal relations were a literal nightmare...

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While Kahn was worrying about his burgeoning love life, Akua was lying face down on her bed, totally naked except for a white towel covering her bottom.

Sitting atop said towel, straddling Akua in little more than silken pajamas, was a girl around the same age as her. Her black hair, sharp features, and pale-green eyes had appeared in the dreams of countless men and young boys. Unfortunately for her would-be suitors, she currently only had eyes for the young woman she was massaging.

"Every time I see your body, I can't help feeling a little envious...I'll never understand how you're able to compact such powerful muscles into such a slender and beautiful frame..."

Running her fingers down the line of Akua's back, the raven-haired girl's thumbs briefly stopped near the 'dimples' of her best friend's lower back. She would have gone further, but Akua chimed in to say, "Ah, ah, hands above the waist, you damn spaghetti brat."

Clicking her tongue, the raven-haired girl continued massaging Akua in silence for a few moments before asking, "I heard the Fire Nation tried to book you to perform at Fire Lord Izumi's coronation. Are you sure it was such a good idea to turn them down? Your mother may be from the Nor-"

Interrupting before the girl could finish, Akua gave off a sullen impression as she said, "Asami...you know I don't like getting involved with anything political. If my father believes he can use me to curry favor with the Fire Nation, he can shove a Satomobile up his ass."

Though she didn't mind performing to maintain her public image, Akua rarely accepted invitations to perform at official events. She hated how the people of 'high society' created most of the issues they incessantly complained about. Thus, as someone who had immersed herself in the darkness of Republic City at a young age, Akua refused to contribute to the illusion of stability perpetuated by the political and business elite.

Exhaling a sigh, Asami kneaded the remarkably firm muscles of Akua's shoulders as she organized her thoughts. Their respective mothers had asked her to try and convince Akua to participate in the coronation, not for her father, but herself. Akua was one of the most influential people in Republic City despite being a mere fifteen years old. She might not care about politics, but her millions of fans did...

Hearing Asami sigh, Akua's face formed into a rather grumpy expression before she, too, exhaled a sigh. Then, catching Asami by surprise, Akua bucked her hips before rolling over faster than the raven-haired beauty could recover. By the time she did, Akua had firmly grabbed the latter's butt, firmly kneading it with her fingers as she asked, "What's this really about?"

Though a faint glow spread through her cheeks, Asami did her best to appear calm as she swallowed the knot in her throat and answered, "I'm worried about you. We'll both be turning sixteen pretty soon. If you're not going to be serious about your performing, I'm worried the public will turn against you..."

Rolling her eyes, Akua moved her hands from Asami's bottom to her waist as she said, "You worry too much, kitten. I keep telling you that things will sort themselves out in the next couple of years. Don't you trust me?"

Pulling Akua's hands from her waist, Asami entwined their fingers as she answered, "You know I do...it's just, no amount of trust can make me stop worrying about you..."

Adopting a mischievous grin, Akua pulled her hands over her head in a way that caused Asami to fall towards her as she said, "Then I guess I'll need to use other methods..."