MTLNOVEL Chapter 78: Chapter 78
Where does the morning begin? With exercise? Or with sex? Maybe with coffee? I often do all three, and a few others. But they all have one very important detail in common. Azula. If someone asked me what started my morning, I'd say her.
«You're awake», she said contentedly, stretched out on top of me. And she was very happy. I looked out the window, lunch? Looks like it.
«Did you miss me?» I asked, also smiling, knowing the answer.
«Very much», she said and kissed me on the lips. «Shall we take a shower?»
Without further question, I picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. What was I doing, making a little pool for nothing?
My morning meal dragged on, and we got out of bed as the sun set over the horizon.
«How was work?» she asked curiously.
«Terrible», I pathetically threw up my hands, one of which held a fork, «Politics, history, and an Avatar city. What could be worse?»
«Yes. What does politics have to do with it?» she asked in surprise. Yes, she knows how I feel about it.
«You must be bored», I said annoyed. «They have forgotten in their own town what the law of violence is. Democracy!» she exclaimed irritably, parodying an idiot «Cretin. They've got a mess in their city and they're talking about democracy and equality. Anyway, I won't go there anymore», I put a piece of meat in his mouth and chewed contentedly, «What about you?»
«Same old. Oyan's just bugging me.», she rolled her eyes.
«Yeah. He can't get enough of his grandfather's fame», I scratched the back of my head, «It's lucky my dad was able to get him off my back right away and he didn't have to run around with reports for a week. But with him, yeah, I wasn't looking out for him», I sighed heavily.
«Oh, come on», she shrugged, «It's like an echo from the past.»
«That echo is very loud and persistent», I scratched my chin. I tried to grow a beard once, Azula burned it off the second day. It was painful. «Hmm. Didn't you get bored here?»
«Sort of», and then she narrowed her eyes and looked at me, «And where are you going?» she asked with a tone that could not be conveyed. Uh, to rebuild the house again.
«Not without you», I said gravely. Maybe the house can be saved.
«They found the Avatar», I said, as if it were a mundane thing to say. Azula froze and, realizing what I had said, narrowed her eyes, «The Order. At the South Pole.»
«So?» she asked slowly. I feel like a sapper in a minefield. Ah, my poor little house. I hate to have to rebuild it a fourth time.
«They offered to train her, and I refused», the storm seemed to have passed. «And they won't let her leave the pole until she's mastered all the elements. And I don't want to go there.»
«Come on», she said cheerfully, «You can go once. You'll see your mother, you little brat. She'd kill me on the spot!»
«Yes. They'll bury me there, in the ice», my face turned sour. «And they'll write on my grave: He wouldn't listen to his mommy», I scratched my neck.
«Come on», she shrugged happily, «But you have to admit, it was fun.»
«Yeah, running away from a young water master on a small island surrounded by water. With a good sewer system», I recalled. Yeah, it was scary. Still, the southern style is cooler than the northern. «I had a lot of fun. The whole town was afraid to come out for a week», I exclaimed, laughing myself. There were even ghost stories about it.
«And you wanted me to run away from her?» she raised an eyebrow in surprise.
«You had a chance to just talk to her», we've talked about this more than once, «Maybe she would have convinced you.»
«Not now», she shook her head. Eh. She doesn't want kids. I mean, she does, but she's afraid for them. That's why she's putting it off. «So, should we go to Mom's?» she brought up the subject again.
«Why?» I raised an eyebrow.
«I haven't seen her for a while», she said with a smile. I, on the other hand, wondered. On the one hand, you could. Still, it had been twenty years since I'd seen her. And there was nothing to ruin the island! But on the other hand, would I have to listen to her lecture again? I looked at Azula. All right. Still, Hama had replaced her birth mother.
«Okay», I agreed, «Let's go. How?» I asked, already smiling.
«By ship», she said with a wince. Heh-heh-heh. I could barely stop myself from laughing. She looked out the window, «Tomorrow.»
I got up from the table and washed the dishes. It wasn't difficult with water magic. Azula stood nearby and dried them. Then I took her in my arms and went to the lowest room. I like to sit there and watch the water.
***
«Hi, Mom», I said, a little annoyed. I looked at the ten year old girl next to her.
«Hi, honey», she said with a smile from ear to ear, enjoying my condition. And she wasn't the only one. «How are you?»
«Hard to say», I waved uncertainly. I kept an eye on the man nearby my mom.
«My name is Kai», the man interrupted. I looked at him and his outstretched hand.
«Mine name is Gerda», and I shook it. The snap was audible for everyone. I don't know about a fracture, but there's definitely a dislocation.
«Yoko!» mother cried sternly. She took her husband's hand and began to treat him, «What are you doing?»
«I accidentally», even a deaf person would have known I was lying. Stepping back a little, «I think we're delay here», I whispered to Azula, who nodded.