"Hey, why's Azula giving us the stink eye?"

Michi wondered idly as she reclined on her seat with an amused hum. She was one of the rare individuals in Nik's group who liked the feisty girl's... well, apparent craziness. The night Nik introduced Jin and Azula in their mansion in the personal space, it was plenty clear to many that Azula is somewhat of a restless and relentless soul.

Her idle musing made Ursa blush as she was aware of what had gotten Azula so riled up.

Before this, Azula had promised that, to quote the girl— she would tear the mask of deception related to Nik so that Ursa doesn't even think about it.

For all intent and purposes, Azula did NOT wish to be THAT close to her mother. But before she could have done anything, Nik was quite eager to... have Azula again and his words that exposed the remaining half of the truth Ursa had kept to herself made the woman bolt away silently.

Maybe she really IS good at running away, Ursa tried to humor herself a bit. She ran away with her children from the castle. And she certainly ran away from the fact that her daughter was... an 'eager' one. Seeing Azula on her knees once was enough for Ursa but this supposedly relaxing trip had... made her even more strung.

What should she do?

Ursa couldn't even loom at Azula due to shame. At first, she was embarrassed by Azula's clothing, and now that she could somewhat empathize that her daughter just wanted her lover's attention didn't change the fact that Ursa was embarrassed by herself for disappointing her daughter three times!

'Haaa... what should I do?' Ursa groaned.

Her golden orbs took a glance at Poppy and Michi relaxing without a hint of concern in their smiles and felt a little miffed, speaking up, "Can I ask the two of you something? Um... it's a little personal."

As gentle and caring as the first day they met, Poppy smiled and sat up slightly, "Of course, you do seem a little conflicted... maybe talking can help?"

'Talking is what got me in this mess,' Ursa huffed in annoyance internally and rolled her eyes before sighing softly and muttering, "You two have grown-up daughters... um, what would you do to make up for something you did. I mean, mothers can be in the wrong just as much even if we tend to revert the blame right?"

Poppy and Michi looked a bit amused. They knew what Ursa was on about. If they did anything wrong... IF... then they would just employ the most basic rule of motherhood— threats of slippers. Even if Poppy knew that slippers were the last thing Toph was fearful of... when it was in her own hand, even Toph would become a meek kitten. However, that's just a right exclusive to caring mothers. Even then, they can't always do this or it will just be nothing more than a cheap scare tactic.

"Did you try just apologizing?" Michi inquired.

"I... did. Made the situation worse at that," Ursa groaned softly while Poppy added, "Then try to make up for it by doing something Azula likes."

Ursa looked thoughtful, 'Doing something Azula likes...' her haze inadvertently drifting towards Nik who was happily bending water with Katara and kicking away Toph's earthen rocks simultaneously as a form of training and spending more time with them before shaking herself out of it, 'Gosh! What were you thinking?!' Ursa chided herself internally.

"I don't think that's a possibility... honestly, Azula and Zuko for that matter are... a bit secretive. They do their chores and try to spend more time with me but I always get the feeling they are hiding something from me. That's why I'm so relieved that Iroh is teaching them... maybe they would be more honest to him than me..." Ursa sighed and the duo next to her was perfectly aware of what the two leaders of the rebellion were hiding from their mother.

"Hmm... well, did you know that Toph hid from that she was a... well, an outlaw behind my and her father's back? Nik helped me smoothen things with her," Poppy shrugged, although, she was aware that part of the reason was her former husband being such a cunt that he would want Toph to do the same thing as her with his business partners.

"Nik, huh..." Ursa's expression turned a bit gloomy. Why is it that Nik's addition to others made their lives better but when it came to her and Azula it just made the situation worse?

"Oh, that reminds me," Michi chuckled, "Mai was a bit distant from me but she did have Nik help us."

Ursa scowled. It was becoming painfully aware of what Michi and Poppy were talking about and she snorted at that, making her friends smirk mischievously. Great as they may be... Poppy and Michi were just the types of influence on women their age that no husband would want on their wives or sons on their mothers. The mature minxes that their daughters could only admire from a distance leaned forward and cooed, "Hmm, a little someone also said that Azula is getting really well along with Nik," Michi purred and remarked, "Could that be why she's glaring at us... hm, or is it you? Now I'm curious. What's going on?"

Ursa bit her lips and averted her gaze from Michi's suggestive look. Maybe she should stick with Iroh as her bank of good advice and suggestions but not the kind to let things go easily after having their own confidence boosted under Nik's and Suki's training, Poppy giggled, "Oh, Michi, you're so naughty. Ursa isn't like that, right?"

Meeting both of their playful stares was quite a challenge for Ursa who mourned the memory when she thought the women in front of her would be good for her in the long run... how naive could she be?

"It's nothing like that!" Ursa hushed hastily, "Nik is just a kind boy. I see him as my... son. That's right. I see Nik as my son."

The idea relieved Ursa a bit. Maybe she really would see him as a son and just forget everything that happened today.

"My!" Michi gasped, "Aren't you adventurous!"

Ursa blanked out for a moment while Poppy couldn't control her giggles and wheezed somewhat.

"Oh, stop that!" Ursa rolled her eyes with a thinly veiled blush over her cheeks as she scowled at Michi for giving her some rather unique... mental images.

"But still, this makes me wonder..." Poppy looked at Ursa, her gaze fully roaming over the single mother's body as the woman stiffened, "Are you planning to live alone for your entire life? We all have some experience with... troubled marital situations, to say the least. Someday we'll share that with you, too... probably so... it just made me wonder, that's all."

Puckering her lips, Ursa let out an exhausted sigh as the orange of the setting sun prevailed over the clearing where they rested, "It's... I..."

She felt a little speechless at the moment as Michi and Poppy looked at her with intent gazes.

"I don't know..." she finally muttered, "Before Iroh and you guys came along, I was just fine and now the two of you're saying that you have a store of flowers of your own spirits knows where and even Zuko and Azula are getting along with their lives... I guess, I should have expected to feel a bit left out... I never thought before that I'd want... more... did you know, before I married the 'then' Fire Prince... I had a friend. A lover, more like. We were happy before I was married and my family was happy after I ran away from the Fire Nation..."

"You don't sound happy," Michi shook her head.

"It's because I'm not. Not now, anyway."

"Oh, well... about Nik and us, I was joking. He is kind. He is good... seriously. Like I'm talking thiiis good," Michi purred softly again, her hands distancing themselves to a familiar size as Ursa deadpanned but Michi soon stopped smiling, "But he would also demand a lot more soon enough. Not that I mind."

"Me neither," Poppy shrugged. The amount of effort Nik had gone to actually develop and bring more people to his personal world was amazing. But everyone who knew about him more understood that he did all this before he had even planned it for them. He wanted to create a world for them. Even Poppy felt a little overwhelmed when she thought about it but... it was fine. Everything was beginning to fall in the right place as Nik assured the girls that any bad apple from his personal civilization can be removed from their space with just a thought.

That's one world Nik had quite an extensive authority of.

A little curious at the slightly serious undertone, Ursa hummed, "So not everything is a paradise, eh?"

"The thing that matters is, who cares about the rest, girl," Michi smirked before reclining and remarking bluntly, "And again, we'd love to bed you. I mean, I, Poppy, Nik, and so many more. Maybe Azula, too~"

Her chortle was not well-received as Ursa blushed fiercely and shot the two women a somber glare but it was only met with playful giggles. Truly, the two were not at all a good influence on her but then again, they were happy to bring one into their own fold of troubled mothers having themselves and their daughters broken in by one greedy and maybe unsuitable fellow.

Still, Ursa couldn't help but look at her own daughter strangely as Michi's words and circumstances forced her to consider... would it be that bad? Or...

{A/N: Peer 'suggestion' at its finest, eh?}

---

Two tents were set soon enough. Where Nik seemed to have taken out so many items were not something Zuko knew but he definitely cared. Was it some Avatar trick, the youth wondered but dinner was absolutely amazing as they ate and ate until they couldn't anymore. Iroh even went ahead and showed some cool firebending tricks like forming a dragon out of his fire and letting it dance around before exploding like a firecracker and stuff. It was quite advanced stuff but Azula, Zuko, and Nik weren't too keen on learning it now that they knew a dragon of fire would burn an enemy just as much as a ball of fire, just without any theatrics.

Yet, Nik felt a little sorry that he couldn't give Michi and Poppy the attention he thought they deserved. Not that they minded it. They would have a tent for themselves soon enough and he would start with the two without a doubt. Now, he planned to finally... surprise June. His chat with Dhi, the spirit of cognition and wisdom had given him... quite an insight on energybending and its application. But before he could do so... and annoyingly, he was pulled away by the mother this time and much to his frustration, Azula was following them, too.

Again, any other time, he would love to entertain them but he was... kind of looking forward to his meeting with June. He was looking forward to helping her.

"Ursa... how can I help you?" Nik strained his smile and looked at the woman who obviously looked conflicted. Why she would even want to have a chat with him alone wasn't something Nik could understand after everything that had happened.

***

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