Hidden Strength

AU COMM!!! whoo

2008-09-19T07:09:07Z

_{Not sure if this is allowed but...}

Do you have a fic or art/comic that is AU (alternate universe: aka not in the avatar cannon timeline)? If so you can post it at this atla_au ALL and ANY pairings welcome!! It doesn't just have to be a fic set in modern day but it could be something in the civil war, future, or anything!!

_{X posted at tons of other avatar communities.}

RP in need!

2008-08-22T20:11:52Z

atla_au_rp

We are still desparetly looking for a Sokka and Mai and Haru
To claim

hiddenstrength @ 2008-08-02T08:49:00

2008-08-02T15:59:34Z

Hey, I just joined this community and I wanted to ask something. About the Soap Opera, is all of the fics for it in the form of phone converastions, myspace, blog, diary, etcetera? Are there any "story" posts for it?

Community

2008-07-25T20:53:07Z

I thought I'd share with you Haru fans a community I made since I couldn't find one.
harula A place to post fics and fan-art for one of my favorite couples; Azula and Haru.

AAAND WE'RE BACK! - New Soap Summary!

2008-07-07T04:10:49Z

Hello Soap fans! So sorry for the endless hiatus but we are back! To get everyone caught up here is a link to the last Soap Summary!

And now what you've all been waiting for.... Soap Summary Week 9.5!!

Putting her suspicions about her boyfriend’s fight with Haru momentarily behind her, Katara calls Zuko, only to find him getting drunk at the hotel bar. Seems Azula and Haru are all too happy to be reunited and have decided to use their few precious days to their full advantage, much to Zuko’s annoyance. It’s really a shame those walls are so thin. Katara calls back the next morning as Zuko is feeling the aftereffects of last night, having spent the entire time, glass in hand, avoiding the noises from upstairs. Needless to say, he’s a little grumpy. Katara is not all too happy either, she still harbors some suspicions over Zuko's actions, and later finds out that she's out of a job, due to the tea shop being closed under mysterious circumstances.

Despite the fact that his girlfriend just visited, Zuko can’t keep his thoughts away from Azula and reflects on his complicated feelings for his sister - “Now that she’s not alone with me right now, it seems easy to say that I can overcome it, but Gods, every time I’m around her I lose anything I’ve resolved before.”

Still, Katara hopes it's just the distance keeping her worries running high over what exactly her boyfriend is up to. She calls him again, letting him know about the tea shop's unexpected closing.

Aunt Wu is also informed of the situation at the shop when she tries to call Iroh before their date later that night.

With hours to kill as she flies to see her husband, Azula contemplates the upsetting news that Haru and Zuko fought over her. Also weighing on her is knowing that, after years of watching their father abuse Zuko, she has indirectly caused her brother to endure yet another beating. How will she deal with seeing him again?

After arriving in Asia, Azula wastes no time getting to the concert hall where the boys are playing. By the end of the concert she is exhausted yet exhilarated and the look on Zuko’s face from behind the autograph table when he looks up from signing her proffered album is priceless.

Haru has an even bigger surprise for his beloved bride when he shows her the proof of his devotion - her name, scrawling up his hipbones.

He also renews his conviction to keep Azula from temptation even if it means removing it from her path. Look out Zuko and Ozai.

Too bad Zuko didn't get the memo.

With Haru busy at the recording studio, Zuko manages to convince Azula that a day out walking the town is just what she needs... despite Haru's specific instructions to stay put in their hotel room. What starts as innocent fun soon turns otherwise, when a visit to get ice cream ends with our favorite siblings passionately entwined and racing to consummate their forbidden desires. Luckily, or not as the case may be, Appa interrupts, followed by a worn-out Aang. It's not clear who's actually walking who, but an oblivious Aang stops to chat for a few minutes before running off again.

Their ardor cooled, Azula and Zuko decide to play it safe, sticking to public places for the rest of the evening. Not quite ready for the visit to end they take the long way back to the hotel. As the sun sets, they find their path drifting away from the fast-paced tourist-centered town. With lanterns guiding their way and music floating down to the streets from open windows, Azula's last night on vacation couldn't have been any nicer… or romantic. Zuko is also enjoying himself far more than he has in a very long time.

But all good things must come to an end. With a flower in her hair (courtesy of Zuko) and a few ice cream stains on her dress (also his doing), Azula walks back into the hotel with Zuko at her heels and a grin on her face. ...That is until she sees Haru standing there waiting for them. Despite her assurances that they were just out for a walk around town, Haru does not look pleased, and leads her back to their room without a word.

Zuko doesn't see her again until the next evening - her last evening before she has to head back home. If Haru could have his way, they wouldn't see each other at all, but a studio party lends itself to being the perfect meeting place. However, Haru keeps his wife annoyingly close by throughout the party, leaving Zuko no opening to approach. That is until a crowd of fans finally manages to corner the singer, allowing Azula a few minutes of alone time on the balcony. But not for long.

Zuko, yet again, is trying to help out his little sister with promises of more money for her future. Seems like the tea shop mysteriously closing is inconveniencing quite a few people, as Azula is without a job now as well. As things seems to always go with this unconventional pair, the siblings soon slip back to their comfortable flirty ways, stealing kisses on the dimly lit balcony before Haru can escape from his fans' clutches. Pushing Zuko away once Haru re-joins them, Azula attempts to talk her way out of anything Haru might be thinking, but his suspicions are running high. It'll take more than a few words to convince him that their “just talking” was as innocent as she would have him believe.

The party is over before Azula and Zuko find another chance to meet, and Azula has to catch her flight soon. Not expecting to see Zuko again before her plane takes off, Azula is completely surprised when he slides into the seat next to her in the airport lounge. Haru has gone to get her completely checked in, but at this time of night the airport's nearly empty. There's not a moment to spare. They say their goodbyes, holding each other and making the most of their few precious minutes. Why does it seem like it's every goodbye is harder than the last?

Meanwhile, Ozai is plotting for a wedding, world domination, regaining his daughter, crushing nearly everyone else, and a better golf game. Not in that order. Toph on the other hand is terrified of the rumors surrounding her relationship with Aang and their constant fighting. She and Suki try and support each other through their family troubles.

After finding out that Suki is pregnant, Teo wonders why he never saw it sooner, yet still can’t keep Azula off his mind. He and Suki decide to end their short.. If you could call it a relationship – he’s not ready for that kind of commitment – although he promised he would help her out anyway he could. With a negative view on his luck with women, Teo heads to the bar. With the help of a few drinks to loosen him up and some persuasive words from Jet, Teo ends up sleeping with Jun. The next day he questions just exactly how he let it happen, and begins to wonder how complicated this is going to get.

Suki finally calls her mother to tell her the "big news," but the conversation doesn't go exactly as planned. Afterwards, a tired Suki gives Toph a call. With the teashop being closed until further notice, Suki is also out of work, so Toph offers her a job working for the Azulon household. Suki accepts the offer, and is still feeling overwhelmed by all of this, but decides that she can only move forward from here.

What happens next is anyone's guess... stay tuned to find out!

This peculiar brand of madness is brought to you by:
drygon (Zuko, Teo, & Suki), dungeonwriter (Ozai, Toph, & Alicia), batmarg (Katara), kyatto (Iroh), and loveroftheflame (Azula, Aang, & Aunt Wu)!

We would also like to welcome a new member of our cast! angel_ray who will be playing the staring role of HARU! We welcome her to our craziness and look forward to working with her in the future!

Minor characters sometimes played by various cast members: Jet, Sokka, Ziva, Theo, Mongke, Meng, Hahn, Ty Lee, & Mai...

Comments from our viewers are always welcome!

HS Soap,

2008-06-27T22:13:04Z

Hello, I was just wondering if the soap is still going on and what happened to it, since I can only find the 2 mega summaries from 2007. And since now we are very well into the year 2008 I was wondering what happened. If anyone could let me know it would be much appreciated! Thanks!

hiddenstrength @ 2008-04-22T04:11:00

2008-04-22T08:19:43Z

title: five reactions to haru's moustache
spoilers: for "western air temple"
rating: gen
summary: title pretty much says it all

It's a surprisingly polarizing addition to Haru's face.

Have a fic, y'all!

2008-04-02T19:44:30Z

Title: Péng Yǒu
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen
Rating: PG
Summary: Spoilers for 3x12. Haru and Prince Zuko bond in silence.
Warning: Oneshot, mention of one-sided Haru/Katara, possible slash if you tilt your head to the right and squint. Any subtext is not intended by the author. Friendshipfic.

Haru had had a morning routine for several years, starting soon after his father’s capture. Unusually for a man his age, the earthbender was not only a morning person, he had a tendency to rise with the sun. Strategic retreat to the Western Air Temple had not changed this, and neither had the unexpected arrival of Prince Zuko.

One morning as Haru stretched in preparation for his morning run, he noticed the scarred prince was also awake, and watching him. The young refugee arched an eyebrow at him; in turn Zuko shrugged. The earthbender returned to stretching; when he got ready for his run around the Temple, Zuko was still watching him. Haru hesitated, then tilted his head in a clear invitation.

From that morning on, prince and merchant worked out together at dawn, never speaking a word. In spite of that, both learned things about each other: Zuko could easily see Haru’s desire for strength to protect his friends, while Haru could see Zuko’s determination to right the wrongs he and his bloodline had done.

When they talked during the day, neither mentioned their morning routine, preferring to keep things quiet: by their very natures, Aang, Toph, and the Duke tended to be noisy, Teo due to his disability would not have been able to join them regardless, Sokka preferred to spend his mornings sleeping, and as for Katara…

The waterbender remained openly hostile towards the prince to an extent that startled Haru, though it honestly didn’t surprise him. Katara was empathic and passionate, and from what Sokka had told him, she did not forgive easily. If she found out that Haru and Zuko were spending time together, it was likely she wouldn’t be too happy with them.

Briefly Haru had wondered why Katara’s opinion of him mattered so much, but had chalked it up to his gratitude to her for rescuing him and the other earthbenders of his village. This lasted until the night she kissed him.

Now he was even more confused, as she never spoke of that single, chaste kiss, nor did she act as though it had even happened. Perhaps it had been a dare from Toph. He disliked this thought, but for Aang’s sake — the Avatar’s infatuation with Katara was only painfully obvious, and had been from the first time they had met — he would choose to believe it. Bringing himself in as a rival for Katara’s affections could have unpredictable results with the already-guilty boy, and their situation was far too precarious for that.

This, then, was another reason for not speaking of his sessions with Prince Zuko — it could only needlessly complicate matters. Best to keep things simple.

Except nothing about this was truly simple.

Annoyed, Haru got up and went to practise earthbending after making certain Teo and the Duke were otherwise occupied. This way he wouldn’t have to hold back.

* * *

As the sky grew dark, Zuko frowned. Haru hadn’t returned. The others had also noticed, and were starting to ask questions. The older earthbender was generally punctual and on those occasions when he did need some time to himself, was always back by dinner. Asking questions, however, was not getting anything done.

The annoyed prince split away from the rest of the gang to start searching for his… no. Haru was not his friend. Friends left and betrayed you.

Haru was not his friend.

Zuko cast those thoughts aside and focused on tracking the other teenager. He couldn’t have gone too far, after all…

It was hard to see in the dimming light, but Zuko had amazingly good vision despite the scar over his left eye and thus he noticed the cleverly hidden rope edge. Haru had apparently gone up, and so he would follow.

Climbing that rope was not an easy task, but Zuko’s whole life had been a series of such things, and so he was merely out of breath by the time he reached the surface, rather than exhausted. As he got his breath back, the prince realised that he could smell something.

Smoke.

One golden eye narrowed, and the prince carefully tracked that scent until he saw the freshly-churned earth, the scorched trees. He realised immediately what had happened, and hissed a curse.

Haru must have been ambushed and overwhelmed — captured, most likely, as bait for the Avatar. He couldn’t be dead; if he was dead a body would have been left here — or, admittedly, burned, but he couldn’t smell the particular stink of burnt flesh and bone. It was hard.

By now, full dark had fallen. Zuko dared not call up a fire to see by, however small. Luckily, the moon was just full enough that he was barely able to make out a trail. Someone had been dragged away.

Staying low to the ground, Zuko followed the barely-visible trail. He was at least experienced at this, much more so than the rest of the group. He had more than enough skill to sneak up on whoever had grabbed Haru.

It was a long trip, both because of the care the firebender took to keep quiet and unnoticeable and because of the head-start they had on him. Finally, however, when the moon had reached his peak, he found the camp.

A fire roared in the middle of a circle; the soldiers gathered around it. They’d put up not one but two guards, each stationed some yards from the fire, both with their backs to it. This would make things harder for him.

And there lay Haru, bound hand and foot and lying on his side. The earthbender was a mess, though his wounds seemed to have been treated — so not bait, Zuko realised, but someone they wanted to interrogate. Possibly already had, as Haru’s left eye was swollen shut, though that might have been a memento of the fight. They'd been careful when tying the boy up. Rope wound up his legs, from his ankles to his knees, and his arms were tied elbow-to-wrist behind him. Perfect for making sure a bender couldn’t bend.

From this distance, he couldn’t tell if Haru was unconscious, and he dared not move closer lest the guards notice him. Retrieving his — no, Haru was not his friend, dammit! — would not be an easy task.

But it had to be done.

Fleetingly, Zuko wished he hadn’t thrown the Blue Spirit mask into Lake Laogai. It would have made concealing his identity a little easier — no. He had made his choice. He would accept the consequences of that choice now. Taking a deep breath, he began to make plans. Diving in heedless of what might come, as was his wont, would only get Haru injured further or killed.

Spirits, he wished his uncle was with him now. Iroh would have known what to do.

Finally, he managed to come up with a working plan and slipped behind one of the trees, taking care to keep his movements quiet. Sharpening his focus — difficult, he wasn’t used to bending on such a small scale — Zuko managed to start a small blaze at the base of the tree, just out of sight. He kept it small as he slowly backed away and to the side, taking cover. Once he felt he was ready, he let the fire have its head.

It had been a dry summer, luckily, so the tree was quick to catch fire — and, as he’d hoped, draw attention. There was some brief arguing, then about half the squad ran to contain the fire, rather than have it spread and potentially endanger them. He waited until they were at the tree, then ran for the remainder of the soldiers, throwing fire quickly and precisely.

Unfortunately, two of them were benders themselves; Zuko had to throw himself to one side to avoid the return-fire. As he rolled to his feet, another soldier ran at him; Zuko barely avoided his trident.

Didn’t think this through! Didn’t think this through!

By now the other soldiers were on their way back, alerted to his presence —

And the ground shook under their feet, throwing all of them to the ground.

What—!

The soldiers began to rise, but the ground shook again, and Zuko turned to Haru. The earthbender had rolled over onto his back and, as Zuko watched, arched his spine, forcing his torso into the air, then slammed back down against the ground, causing the earth to shake a third time.

From the pained look on the other boy’s face, however, he wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long. Zuko scrambled to his hands and knees, making his way to the other boy, and drew his knife from his belt. Two quick cuts and Haru was free; Zuko helped him to his feet and they both ran.

At one point Haru turned and leapt, coming down harder than Zuko would have believed possible. That landing dislodged a huge portion of earth, which the long-haired boy drew further up, and then pushed out at the pursuing soldiers. They attempted to scatter, but Haru seemed to be drawing on the principles of a tsunami for his land-wave; only one soldier avoided the brunt of the hit and even then the edge clipped him and threw him to the ground.

But Zuko saw him panting. He had to be exhausted, especially after a bending like that. He wouldn’t be able to keep up the pace; certainly he wouldn’t be able to pull another stunt like that. Not without a big meal and rest.

Fortunately, it had done the trick. They managed to lose their pursuers entirely and, in the predawn light, began the long trek back to the Western Air Temple. Luckily, the Avatar had taken his flying bison and gone looking for the oldest of their group; never in his life had Zuko been so happy to see the huge beast. Aang helped them aboard and immediately turned them for home.

Haru curled up on his side while they flew, and Zuko gently tended to the new injuries he’d picked up in their short fight.

“Knew you’d come for me,” Haru said, low enough that Aang couldn’t hear.

Zuko glanced at his face, startled. “What? How?”

“S’what friends do,” the earthbender murmured, then slipped into unconsciousness.

The fallen prince stared at him. “Friends…,” he whispered.

…maybe Haru was his friend after all.

1Sentence: Heal Me Now

2008-04-01T19:38:45Z

Title: Heal Me Now
Author: sugarland31
Rating: K+/mild T
Summary: "It's a fitting denouement." 37 sentences concerning Haru and Ty Lee.

once the invasion ends...

Our only contest entry...

2008-02-16T13:59:55Z

Well, I had hoped that the contest would help jumpstart this comm but sadly it seems not to be the case. We did get one superior entry though...

May I present to you the first chapter of:

Indiana Haru and the Sun Dragons

By: DamageCtrl

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender They belong to their respective creators, owners, licensees.

Notes: This story takes place a few months after my AU Modern Day Zutara. Go from there.

He could hear the massive beast lumbering behind him. The earth beneath his feet shook as he looked over his shoulder. A heavy snort came from the six legged creature as his eyes widened. A tan hand kept his hat in place on top of his head as he cut through the forest. He needed to get out of the way or else be crushed by the mammoth animal.

As he burst from the tree line, he mentally cursed. He skidded to a stop, barely keeping himself from falling into the plummeting drop that lead straight down into the river, far below. As he peered over the edge, the earth continued to shake and he looked over his shoulder. The bison was breaking through the forest edge.

“Oh well… only one way out…” Haru mumbled to himself. His eyes darted around as he fell to his knees. His hands quickly ran through the foliage on the ground until he found what he was looking for. A wide smile graced his face as he grabbed on to the arm length vine that led over the edge of the canyon. He looked up at the bison and grinned. “Nice try, Appa! But you miss me this time!”

The six legged bison snorted as he stormed forward. Gripping the vine, Haru rolled over the edge. He lowered his head, using the brim of his hat to shield his eyes from the falling debris caused by the bison as it took flight. As soon as the trembling stopped, Haru looked over his shoulder. He could see the massive creature flying through the canon, randomly doing barrel rolls.

Chuckling, Haru continued to slide carefully down the natural rope before finally landing on the hard stone ruins of the WesternAirTemple that was hidden, upside down, within the canyon. He jumped on to the ledge and brushed his brown, worn pants, and adjusted his white, button up shirt.

“Are you done?” a voice asked in front of him. He looked up to meet the unimpressed blue eyes of his good friend. He smiled sheepishly as his cheeks reddened. Katara crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out her hip to the side. “Haru, I know you wanted some adventure, but we do have stairs, you know.” She said, pointing to the tunnel in the wall behind them. Several men and women were coming down the stairs, carrying supplies for the team that would be doing research at the recently opened AirTemple.

“Heh… I know…” Haru lifted up his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “I just wanted to try it once… you know… before going straight down to work.”

Katara shook her head as she let out a chuckle. Her arms fell back to her sides as she turned around and waved for him to follow her. “Come on, I’ll fill you in while we try to find Professor Zei.”

Haru nodded and adjusted the backpack over his shoulder before following her. “I can’t believe you got Zuko’s family to open this up for research.”

“Well, it didn’t take much,” Katara shrugged. “It’s been in the family for a while and was just sitting there. I asked Iroh why they just didn’t open it for research and maybe get some tourism in the area or something. I told him that a lot of people loved exploring these kinds of old cities. Apparently, Iroh was one of them and jumped at the chance.”

“What about Zuko’s father? Isn’t he the head of the family?” Haru asked as he passed an area where tents were being set up to house equipment and researchers.

“Father,” Katara began, rolling her eyes at the formal title. “Only allowed it because Azula just happens to have a minor or archeology, along with that business law degree of hers. That and he heard about it.”

“It?” Haru asked. Katara gently patted her stomach and Haru nodded. He had gotten an email from her the other month, along with all their friends. Apparently, the blue eyed brunette and her scar faced husband were going to be parents come next fall. “Ah…”

“Yeah, he’s been so excited abut it, it’s kind of disturbing,” Katara admitted. “Anyway, Professor Zei is going to be heading the research team from Ba Sing Se here. You’ll be working under him. Azula and her assistant, Ty Lee, are here during the Fire Nation’s winter shut down. Which is a month, I believe. They’ll be helping with the work, as well. Uncle Iroh has given all his work to me for two weeks because he wanted to ‘experience’ it.” Katara shook her head with exasperation.

Haru nodded and waved to the old man standing beside a tent. “What about you? I’m surprised Zuko let you come here considering how you were telling us he wouldn’t let you out of his sight since you told him you were pregnant.”

Katara stopped in her tracks and winced. Slowly, she turned around, giving Haru a slightly embarrassed, weak smile. “Actually… about that…” Suddenly, a sound came from her pocket. A mechanical voice announced the caller’s identity.

“Call from… Zuko.”

Haru chuckled as Katara hesitantly took out her phone and pressed the talk button. She gave Haru a look that told him to brace himself before she brought the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Where are you!?” Haru winced as Zuko’s voice could be heard clear across the temple. Across from him, the pregnant woman held the phone an arms length away as she grimaced. Katara felt her cheeks heat up as several pairs of eyes looked at her, as if asking her why her husband was yelling at her.

“Zuko… hi…” Katara began as she tentatively brought the phone closer to her head. “I take it you got my message.”

“Message!? Message!? You’ve been gone for… one… two… two days!” Zuko stuttered, unable to contain himself. Katara laughed weakly.

“Don’t worry, Zuko, I’m fine. I’m with Uncle I-”

“Oh! Uncle! How convenient! How long were you two conspiring this!?” Zuko demanded. “And tell me where you are!?”

“I told you already, she’s at the WesternAirTemple!” another familiar voice said behind Zuko. Katara’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Zuko, are you yelling at me from the office!?” Katara demanded, her voice rising easily.

“Where else do you think I found out that you haven’t been at ‘meetings’ for the last two days!? Your secretary!” Zuko roared. Katara mentally cursed Jet.

I can stall him, my butt… Katara thought to herself. “Zuko, I’m fine. I thought you weren’t coming back from Gaoling for another two days?”

“The meetings with Bei Fong finished early!” Zuko shouted. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. “Listen… just… just come back home as soon as you can, okay? I came home and you weren’t there. I got worried and started to panic.”

Katara smiled softly, half amused and half flattered by his admittance. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry. I just needed to make sure everything was going well here at the site.”

“Don’t worry, Zuzu, I’ll take good care of the air temple for you and Katara,” a smooth voice purred into the phone as a woman in comfortably worn jeans and a red shirt slung her arm around her sister-in-law’s shoulders and leaned her head towards the phone. “Now you be a good husband let your wife have some fun.” She reached over and pressed a button on the keypad, effectively cutting her brother off in mid-rant.

“Well, that solves that,” Katara sighed tiredly. She silenced the phone and placed it in her pocket before wave her hand from Azula to Haru. “I don’t believe you two have met. Haru, this is Azula. Azula, this is Haru.”

“You weren’t at their wedding, were you?” the golden eyed female asked as she released Katara and extended her hand. Haru shook his head as he took Azula’s hand and shook it. “Azula Souzin, Souzin Group.”

“Haru Tyros, research volunteer.” He smiled warmly. Azula smiled from ear to ear, in an almost predatory way.

“Katara!” a voice a voice shouted from the stairs. Ty Lee was jumping up and down, waving her arms in the air as if it were really such a struggle to see her. “The helicopter is here to bring you back to the main land!”

“My ride is here,” Katara said as she turned back to the two. “Don’t worry, Haru, I’ve told everyone all about your previous experience with research and thesis on this region’s ancient civilizations. I’m sure they’ll give you plenty of work to do.” She assured him as she stepped forward and gave him a warm hug.

“Thanks for helping me get a spot on the team, Katara,” Haru said as he gave her a gentle squeeze and released her. “Have a safe trip back.”

Katara nodded and turned to her sister-in-law. “Can you introduce him to Professor Zei?” she asked as she held her arms out. Despite the initial tension between the two women, Azula began warming up to her brother’s wife when Katara’s true business prowess came into play. Then, when she discovered she was going to be an aunt, Azula and Katara made a truce of sorts. Besides, Katara could turn Zuko into a whimpering moron faster than anyone else, which Azula found greatly amusing.

“Of course, think nothing of it,” Azula said as she stepped into Katara’s embrace. “Say hi to that idiot brother of mine. Tell him to relax before he kills himself with stress.”

Katara grinned. “I’ll be sure to share that.”

As they parted, Azula knelt down in front of Katara’s still flat belly and smiled warmly. “Auntie Azula says be a good girl until we meet again, yes? Good girl… you’ll make a fine Souzin.” Katara rolled her eyes.

“How do you know it will be a girl?” Haru asked as Azula stood back up. Katara gave them one final wave as she headed towards the stairs were Ty Lee and Iroh were waiting to escort her to the awaiting helicopter.

“Women’s intuition,” Azula said. She turned back to Haru and gave him an inviting smile. “Let me introduce you to Professor Zei. He’ll assign you to a position.”

Haru nodded and followed the black haired heiress. She didn’t seem nearly as cold and calculating as Katara’s emails had made her out to be. He followed her into an area where a man in a sun hat was going over some maps.

“Miss Souzin!” the Professor said as he saw her approach.

“Professor Zei, I’d like you to meet Haru Tyros. The friend that Katara suggested.” Azula said as she introduced them.

“Yes, yes, of course! Haru, I remember you from my class at the university!” He beamed. “I’m glad to see you again. We are in need of more people.”

Haru smiled brightly. “I’m happy to be here, professor.”

“Wonderful! Wonderful! Let me show you to where you will be working!” The happy professor told him. Haru nodded earnestly, his mind already wondering where he’d be placed. The Giant Pai Sho Table room? The room with all the slides? The excitement was too much.

Professor Zei led them to a tent that had been set aside. He pulled open the flap and ushered Haru inside. On a large table in the center of the room, there were piles of notebooks and a computer. Haru tilted his head to the side, confused. This didn’t look like a room filled with slides. “What… is all this?”

“Your position!” Zei told him brightly. “Those are our notes on the temple so far. We need you to turn them into soft copies so we can send them back to the university.”

Haru’s face fell. Behind him, Azula let out a muffled giggle. The look on his face was priceless. “You mean… I’m… doing… clerical work?”

Professor Zei patted Haru’s back. “We’ll leave you to get started, Haru! I have full confidence that you will not let us down!”

With that the researcher left the tent. Haru remained standing, staring dumbfounded at his ‘workstation’. “Dinner is at six sharp,” a female voice laced with amusement said behind him. Haru turned around as Azula slipped out the tent, giving him a wink as she did. “See you then.”

Haru looked back at the tent and groaned. “So much for an adventure…”

A week. It had been one measly week and Haru was sure he wouldn’t last. Despite having re-typed and scanned various hardcopies of notes and research into soft copy format every day, his pile just seemed to get bigger and bigger. He hadn’t set foot anywhere other than the base camp where all the researchers were.

While they were going off, exploring the temple and all its numerous hidden rooms, Haru was stuck in his tent, typing away. This wasn’t how he imagined it when Katara asked if he wanted to join the team. He had envisioned trapped doors, secret chambers, and priceless artifacts. He thought he would be on his hands and knees, with a brush in one hand and a pen in the other. He thought he would be doing something exciting!

No, instead, he was in a tent… typing. I wonder if this is how Jet feels…

“Well, you look absolutely miserable,” a voice said from the doorway. Haru looked up from where he had been laying his head on his keyboard. His eyes immediately widened as his head shot up. Azula was standing at the entrance to the tent, her arms crossed as she examined one set of nails casually. “I take it this isn’t what you had in mind.”

“No…” Haru sighed tiredly. “It isn’t…” He admitted, looking around the piles and piles of notes.

“It’s such a shame, too. Katara told me great things about you,” Azula told him sympathetically as she walked into the tent. “She said you were practically an expert in ancient civilizations in this area. Is that true?”

Haru sighed heavily and nodded. “I did a lot of research on the Western Air Nomads and the Sun People.” A flicker of interest crossed the black haired woman’s face.

“Is that so?” she asked as she walked around the back of his chair. She glanced down at him and smirked. “Tell me, would you like to go and do some more… hands on research instead?”

For a brief moment, Haru wondered if she was trying to seduce him from the sound of her voice. Quickly, he shook the thought out of his head. He turned to look at her, only to find her face hovering closely beside his. Immediately, his face heated up. After all, it wasn’t as if Azula was bad to look at. She was quite the opposite, actually.

“What… what do you mean by that?” Was his voice shaking?

Azula raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t sure if he was curious or afraid. “We have tomorrow off. Rather than just sit around, doing nothing, why don’t we go off on our own adventure?”

Haru frowned slightly. “I don’t think Professor Zei wants us wandering around the site without reason.”

“Who said anything about this site?” Azula smirked. Haru’s eyebrows furrowed in question.

“Then… where?”

Azula leaned back against Haru’s desk casually as she crossed her arms once more. “Tell me, have you ever been to the island of the Sun People. It’s just a little bit from here.”

Haru shook his head. “No, it’s privately owned.”

Azula’s smirk grew. “How would you like to go?” She watched as his face lit up with excitement, before quickly turning serious again.

“Wait… can we even do that?” he asked. Azula nodded.

“Well, it is privately owned. I’m sure father won’t make if we take the helicopter to the island for a brief look around.” She told him.

Haru nearly fell out of his seat. He knew the Souzins were wealthy, but not that wealthy. “Your family owns the island!?”

“Please…” Azula brushed off the comment. “My family practically owns all of the out lying islands in Fire Nation waters.” She looked back at him and brought her arms down at her sides. “So, do you want to come or not?”

“Sure, but… why now? Are we just going to walk around? Should I bring any notes?” Haru asked.

Azula leaned forward and poked the hat on top of his head with one figure. “All you need to bring is in here,” she told him smoothly. “And if you must know, I’m looking for something.”

“What are you looking for?”

Azula pushed herself off the desk and headed towards the door. “Meet me at the helipad upstairs after you’re done here. I’ll tell you then.” She stepped out of the tent and Haru leaned back against his chair. He didn’t understand. What would she, one of the wealthiest women in the world, want on that secluded little island?

A.N. – More to come! For now, this is what I have. J

Enjoy!