[Rabbithole: Loo and Sokka, post Mikideath]

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The Fire Palace is techincally a series of much smaller buildings grouped together and locked by walled footpaths and ornate gardens. The Imperial audience chambers are in the centre, near where the Royal family live in a smaller, heavily walled domicile. Guests are quartered in expansive rooms in one of the outer rings, a short walk away from the temple, used by all who live in the Palace.

One of the low buildings in the temple itself is dedicated to memorials to the departed. Smoke rises in thin worms from a thousand incense sticks, set before rolls representing the dead, individually or collectively. At the front, facing the worshipper as he enters, are twin rolls representing the parents of the current Fire Lord - one handsome king with his face marked by a hug burn scar, and one exotic looking blue eyed woman, sporting a scar of her own. As only four people in the world have ever met Melaka Fray, no one's arguing the likeness.

The victims of the recent border attack are in a temporary position next to Zuko. Each name is written out in perfect and careful calligraphy grouped by nation, and not one is left out, no matter who they might have been or which element they subscribed to. The sand in front of that scroll burns with more sticks than anywhere else, today.

Comments

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"Please," Louise says, turning towards the guest suite, "if you see me about to punch someone, get in there first. It'll cause fewer problems if you do it."

Catching sight of a servant, she calls out, and the girl stops, and bows.

"Hey... Kia, is it? Princess Ursa wants to sit next to Chief Sokka at dinner. Tell them I said so, OK? Oh, and put them at the other end from the Northern Water Tribe?"

"Yes, Princess," is the answer, and she hurries off.

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"Now, that's not fair," Sokka replies, pouting as he walks with her. "How am I supposed to punch him if he's at the other end of the table from me?

"It'll only cause less problems if I do it because the Southern Tribe isn't considered a threat. I swear, every time I hear somebody say that or use the word 'barbarian,' I want to build another generator, mine for oil, and build my own damn flamethrower."

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"Hey, I never said I didn't consider you a threat," Louise says. "You terrify me just as much today as you did the day you caught me running off to kill that alien."

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"If Faye hadn't stopped me, I would've built a flamethrower to use on your butt that day, too," Sokka informs her, but he's smirking at the same time. "Unfortunately, Blades, I didn't help raise the rest of the world so I don't think I can intimidate them quite the same way."

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"Hey, I'd offer you funding for a weapons program but that really wouldn't go down well," Louise says. "Sorry, Uncle. You'll just hafta get by on being the smartest nation leader in the world."

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"Every time Steph agrees with me about something, I know it's a bad idea," Sokka replies, shaking his head, "and she already suggested building up an arsenal and making it public. I'm just fine with keeping plenty of secrets from the rest of the world while our population barely clears one hundred."

Reaching over, he ruffles her hair again, smirking. "I think I can get by with just being brilliant, though. Besides, the looks on the faces of anyone who watches Iroh and I discussing machinery is worth it."

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Louise laughs. "You two terrify me," she admits. "I'm just angry at the rutting etiquette that means we can't sit you two together and have you freak out the entire company."

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"Well, we'll do it after dinner, I'm sure. I wanted to talk to him anyway about a few ideas I have." Grinning down at her, Sokka shrugs. "Don't worry about it too much. I rarely have to do anything on purpose to freak out the Earth Kingdom and Northern Tribe. Just existing seems to do it well enough."

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"You're staying for family meals tomorrow, right?" Louise asks. "He'll be the right side of the curtain then."

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"I'm here until you've finished the trial," Sokka reminds her, grin fading to a smile, "so unless there's another way to take my meals, I'll be eating with the family every night.

"What curtain?"

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"The fire," Louise explains.

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Sokka swallows back a sigh but can't stop from making a face. "I forgot meals were taken in the throne room. Man, I hate the throne room..."

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"Everyone hates the throne room," Louise says. "No one as much as Iroh, though, so try not to whine too much?"

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Giving in and making it extra theatrical, Sokka heaves a great, heavy sigh. "Oh, all right, I suppose I can try. Hey, is the Northern Tribe sitting closest to the fire? You should have Ursa show them her bending. Possibly on the table."

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"If Issorak starts giving his opinions where she can hear, she won't just be demonstrating," Louise says. "Honestly, he thinks the kids here are stupid."

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"He thinks that about everyone, it's just more obvious with children," Sokka replies with a snort, shaking his head in irritation. "He spoke the same way to Sakari when he first met her and then complained to the chief after she water-whipped him across the face. You ever wonder why he wears bangs? It's to hide the scar she gave him on his forehead, looks like a perfect bulls-eye.

"I thought it was hilarious. Especially since what he said to earn that scar had to do with my daughter's likely conduct in the North since she was just a Southern barbarian with no sense of manners or propriety.

"Strangely, Arnook didn't seem to agree with my choice of punishment for Sakari's actions."

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"Cowards hide their scars," Louise says, well aware that she's one of only a very few who know the meaning of the old scars still visible on Sokka's temples.

"I just... Jesu, Sokka, is it bad that I'm glad Ai-Ling was at the border and not married to him?"

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Making a noise to go along with his shrug - that's Sokka's response to scars and whether or not they're hidden. He doesn't think anything of the sort, but Mel and Zuko always did.

"Spirits, of course not," is his far more animated response to Issorak and marrying, snorting with the words. "Appa was nearly loaded down with all the gifts we sent when she turned him down. Sure, watching Issorak suffer with a wife that wouldn't just take his bullshit would have been fun, but I like Ai-ling too much to want her to suffer like that."

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"I was so proud," Louise says, glowing with pride. "She translated everything she said in the letter into Chinese and sent it with her letter to me that week. I wanted to frame it, it was so perfect."

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Sokka just laughs, mostly at Louise's expression and pride. "She's a good girl, too," he adds once he's able to speak again, grinning at him.

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She grins, but it fades almost instantly, to a sweetly fond smile as she leans her head on his arm.

"I'm going to come see Kanna soon," she promises quietly.

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"When you're ready," Sokka replies, equally quiet as he squeezes her hand. "Not before."

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"And when you're ready, maybe she can come stay here for a bit?"

That note of pleading in her voice must be his imagination. The General of the Fire Nation army just doesn't sound like that.

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"Hey." He doesn't just squeeze her hand, Sokka stops and puts his hands to Louise's shoulders, turning her to face him. "She's safe here. I won't worry."

...

"When Steph will be ready to let her go for a while is more of an issue."

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Louise rests her hands on his, smiling up at her uncle.

"That's what I meant," she says. "I wouldn't want to take her away from her grandmother."