Avani felt like dying when she heard Kasai’s nervous reaction next to her in the sofa, but didn’t turn to look at her. She stared straight ahead, shifting a bit in her seat. When Kasai asked her what she thought about the offer, Avani didn’t know whether to laugh or scream. Thankfully she didn’t need to come up with a response, as Kasai didn’t wait for one before clarifying that she was joking as well. She breathed out in relief. Hopefully her grandmother wouldn’t push the topic further, because she was fairly certain she’d been serious. It wasn’t really in her power to give any of the kids away though, as they were probably Avani’s cousins. She imagined it did get annoying living with so many noisy kids, but giving them away was hardly the best option.

“It is a nice home I suppose.” Ekta finally said after having been silent for a while. “Shame. Well there’s still time for you, but you shouldn’t wait too long, dear. Avani here isn’t gonna become any more of a man over the years.” She paused and muttered to herself. “Stories about little Avani, hmm…”

“Ekta!” Her cousin scolded their grandmother when she returned to the living room with tea and cups on a tray. “Don’t try to push everyone into getting kids.” She placed the tray on a table in front of the sofa, then took a seat next to Avani. “Though I do wonder what your poor mother will think when she hears about your… predicament.”

Avani wasn’t surprised by Jaya’s attitude towards her. They had never gotten along all that well, even as kids, and maybe a part of her had hoped they wouldn’t have met now that she returned. She was grateful that Jaya had interrupted any embarrassing childhood memory from surfacing for the moment though.

“Pfft, her poor mother.” Ekta scoffed. “I’ll deal with her, and you too if you don’t watch your tongue.”

Jaya grinned at Avani, but didn’t say anything else. Instead she sipped on her tea.

“What was I about to say…” Ekta muttered to herself, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Embarrassing stories about Avani as a kid, nana. She’d love to share them with her girlfriend.” Jaya kept grinning at Avani, and didn’t pay much attention to the other two. She got the urge to punch her in the face, which reminded her of all the times she had pulled Jaya’s hair or pushed her around. Maybe she had it coming, karma for what she’d done so many years ago.

“Ah yes, I remember. Avani was as bad as those out there, but I guess it’s a family trait. Yeah, she was boisterous, but she liked storytime too. It happened more than once that we realized she’d been gone for a long while without anyone knowing where she was, and then we’d find her in some odd place where she was searching for fairytale creatures or spirits. Once she turned a storage room upside down and fell asleep.”

Avani waited for something worse to be brought up, expecting her grandmother to think of a better story than that because she was sure there were quite a few. She could have told Kasai herself if she’d asked, but then what was family for if not to embarrass her.

“Oh, I know.” Jaya said, and turned towards Kasai. “I have an older sister, Avani’s cousin.”

“Please don’t.” Avani whispered, and closed her eyes. She knew where this was headed, she’d tried to forget certain memories of that one cousin.

“Avani used to follow her around all the time when she was like five or six. My sister even treated her as a friend. I was kind of jealous, cause it was my sister, right? So I asked Avani why she spent so much time with my sister, and she confessed she may have a crush on her.” Jaya snorted. “It gets better, cause I convinced Avani that she should tell her, and eventually she did after some persuasion. Except she did it at a family dinner after we’d heard that an old friend had died to brighten up the mood.” Jaya burst out laughing, but soon yelped and spilled some of her tea when Avani pinched her arm hard. She glared at Avani, then placed her cup on the table and used her apron to clean the worst of it up.

Ekta shook her head and smiled. “Heh, children. Of course, no one took her seriously because she was a child, and children don’t understand that kind of love. It actually did make some of us laugh too, so she did brighten the mood even if it wasn’t in the way she’d intended.”

Kasai proceeded to sit rather uncomfortably while the conversation shifted. The assumption she had been garnering that things had so far went well was soon beginning to change in her mind, and she hoped that it was not reflected on her face. There was clearly tension between Avani and her cousin, and after Kasai saw Avani's reaction to the upcoming story, she felt terrible for ever suggesting such a tale be brought up.

Kasai nodded occasionally and listened actively as Jaya told the story, but found her laughter to be a little obnoxious following the conclusion of the story. It didn't seem to be too terribly embarrassing from Kasai's point of view, but clearly it upset Avani. Still, she nodded and found it amusing to imagine a tiny version of Avani confessing a crush to a table full of mourning family members. Maybe these type of stories always feel worse from the other side. Perhaps Avani would get the same opportunity one day with Kasai's parents, who knows.

"Sounds like quite the story." Kasai said, giving Avani a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Funny how much children actually understand that adults usually dismiss." What was that saying? Children were like drunk adults? Brutally honest and naive all at the same time.

"They must have been quite the handful, though. I grew up an only child, and any cousins of mine I did not see very often." It was true, her parents being in Republic City and the majority of her mother's family living back in the Fire Nation meant that family visits were kept to a minimum. In fact, they never left the City. Kasai didn't know why, but it was a rare occasion that a cousin or uncle would show up in town and they would have a get-together. As for her father's family, he was an orphan. Kasai and her mother were all he had.

"I respect the large family unit though, almost wish I had had more family when I was growing up. Might've allowed me to have a little more fun when I was a kid." It was no secret that Kasai was a little too serious at times. Well, that may be in part due to having no companions other than a pet deerdog as a child. She was a little envious of the big family concept, having so many loved ones around you all the time. Then again, she was content with just she and her parents.

Avani appreciated Kasai showing her support by patting her on the shoulder, but then she had to carry on and say something like that. Sure, normally it wouldn’t have been that bad, just an innocent comment about children. In the context of Avani having a crush on her cousin though, a family member, it became inappropriate. Especially when they were still in the company of her family. It had already made Jaya stifle a laugh as Kasai continued speaking.

Why... She mouthed at Kasai with a glare, surprise visible in her eyes. Had she done something to upset her lately, which made her want to get back at her? That’d explain this situation. She didn’t know what that could be, but she’d hoped the woman would be more mature than this.

“So…” Jaya coughed after she’d clean up her mess, and grinned once more at Avani. “You’re saying Avani did understand her feelings for her cousin? I just never considered that her first love was unrequited and incestous. Either way, I guess the embarrassing story is longer now if someone else asks. The next girlfriend perhaps.”

She expected Jaya to laugh, but instead her cousin sipped her tea and watched Kasai. There was a sinister undertone to her cousin’s words. Did you really just come into my house and suggest my cousin is into incest? Do you want me to beat you here, or take it outside? As much as they may fight each other, Jaya considered her family. Avani wasn’t sure what to do, supporting either side before anyone had had a chance to explain themselves might, somehow, make her look even worse.

“They were indeed, and still manage to be.” Ekta responded to Kasai, before anyone else could say another word. “Communication and respect is very important in a large family, or it is likely to fall apart. I’ve seen family members fall out too many times, but I’ve also seen them stand up for each other over the most minor of slights. Slights that weren’t always real, so break it off, Jaya.” Ekta said with a tone that left no room for questioning. Break it off, or I’ll break you. It was interspersed in the response to Kasai so casually, but then the old woman was used to talking to someone and scolding another. “I don’t know about fun though. I imagine a single sibling is better than none or ten.”

Kasai assumed the conversation would have been dropped at that. Maybe another comment about how siblings are wonderful or terrible or they grow on you or... whatever else. When she saw the look on Avani's face and the word she mouthed, her brow furrowed. Why what? What'd she do now? At the sound of Jaya beginning to speak, she raised an eyebrow and turned her head. Kasai didn't like that grin on her face. She shifted her feet nervously.

"Uh?" Well. It appeared Avani's cousin was a fan of taking things out of context and jumping to conclusions. But what was Kasai supposed to do? Getting in an argument with a family member that she had only just met would not only upset her girlfriend's family, but no doubt offend Avani as well. In that case, she was as good as abandoned here in the Earth Kingdom, heartbroken and alone. Then again, not defending herself meant she conceded to the accusations. That showed a weak spine and it wasn't in her personality to back down like that. Kasai was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Well, I never said that, actually." She started, trying to choose her words carefully. Apparently, she would need to filter everything she said twice over before she spoke it. "I hardly assume that an innocent childhood crush quite amounted to the symbolism of a 'first love,' as you put it. Despite how indicative the concept behind it might have been," before Kasai could formulate a proper way to say that a crush on a cousin at such a young age does not equate an incestuous desire, Ekta chimed in to a prior comment and poured a gallon of ice water on the other conversation. Well, at least Kasai didn't leave her tail tucked between her legs.

Kasai nodded to Ekta's comments and twiddled her thumbs in her lap as she tried to gauge if the tone in the room had changed too much. Maybe it was time for her to insert foot into mouth...

"Well, everyone has their pitfalls. Large families and small alike. Quarrels and squabbles. Strong ties, though. That's important no matter the size." There, that was an innocent enough comment, right? Okay, she was done talking now. Lest she wind up knocked through the wall buried in a pile of rubble.

Jaya seemed content with Kasai’s answer, simply smiled and returned her attention to her tea. Avani doubted it was the last she’d heard about it, unless she left right now and avoided her cousin for the rest of her life. Ekta may take Kasai’s side to defuse a situation, but she wouldn’t protect Avani much. Besides, she’d feel like a child if she went crying to one of her elders. She assigned herself to drinking tea, and praying that Kasai wouldn’t somehow find another way to make Avani’s first visit to her relatives in a long time even worse.

The conversation went on for a while without any further incidents, and Avani told them about how she’d come to visit because they were traveling the world together. The Earth Kingdom just happened to be their first stop. Ekta offered them to stay in one of the available guest rooms, as it would be cheaper than renting a room somewhere. Avani said they’d need to discuss it, which of course made Ekta insist that they stay with them. The kids wouldn’t be too loud. Avani was still hesitant. Ekta seemed to approve of Kasai at least, acting friendly and trying to get to know her, while Jaya had excused herself after she’d heard one of the kids crying.

Eventually Ekta got tired, as any old person due to age. Avani saw it as a good opportunity for her to drag her girlfriend away so she could ask her what she wanted to do. If they stayed they’d likely meet more of Avani’s relatives.

She grabbed Kasai’s hand and headed back out the front entrance. That way she could make sure her motorcycle was still around too. While the motorcycle was still where she’d left it, someone was investigating it. A lightly clad woman that was too familiar to her. Damn, she must have recognized her motorcycle. She’d thought Iluq would have moved away after all these years. She wasn’t an earthbender after all.

Avani tried to turn Kasai so that her back was against the motorcycle, before she spotted what might look like a thief. To be fair, Iluq was a thief, but she doubted she’d steal from her. Honour among thieves, and a shared history.

“What do you want to do?” Avani asked, and placed her hands on Kasai’s shoulders. As she looked Kasai in the eyes she remembered that she should be angry with her and not worry about her opinion, or that others were causing her headaches as well. It made her want to put a gag on her, tie her up and use her as a toy until she felt better about the whole day.

Iluq noticed her at that point, and waved. Avani felt her eye twitch. When her ex took steps in their direction, Avani kissed Kasai forcefully while keeping her eye open to glare at the ex. The waterbender stopped and frowned, then returned to the motorcycle and straddled the seat, leaning back. Oh joy, she had to be made to leave.

Kasai breathed a huge sigh of relief after finally stepping from the home back out into the fresh air of the day. She had felt like she had just been through the ringer. The pressure of approval from a significant other's family members was far worse than she had anticipated it to be. Was that what the criminals felt like during interrogation? Kasai wondered if that was what being on the other side of it was like.

Overall, Kasai liked Avani's family, particularly her grandmother. She supposed there would be more where Ekta and Jaya came from, but for now Avani seemed bent on getting them away for a little while. As she felt herself being turned around by Avani, she didn't even notice the woman standing next to the motorcycle. Kasai's fear was that now that they were away from the eyes and ears of her family, she was about to get reamed for something she had said inside.

Before Avani opened her mouth, Kasai spat off at a million miles a minute. "ImsorryforwhateverIsaidthatwasscary." She blinked a few times after hearing the question of what she wanted to do, and laughed nervously. "Heheh... oh." Kasai sighed and remembered that she didn't need to walk on eggshells anymore, so she shrugged. "I don't know, is there somewhere around here for-"

Before the sentence was finished, she felt Avani press her face against her own rather forcefully. Kasai was a little surprised, but did not turn away. She thought maybe she was talking too much and this was Avani's way of getting her to shut up. Alright, fine. She had clearly made Avani upset back in there with her family, so she made up for it a little here with an equal return of ardor and by moving a hand up her girlfriend's body.

After a few brief moments, she did pull away. Wouldn't want the children or family to run outside down the street and see that after all. "Alright," she began to speak, starting to turn to walk back towards the bike again, "how about we just drive until we see somewhere that's intere-" Kasai stopped in her tracks when she turned her head and saw a woman laying over the bike rather suggestively.

"Who's that?"

Avani couldn’t really make out the words Kasai had said at first, something about sorry, but she’d been talking too fast. She’d interrupted her with that kiss once she’d slowed down, so she hadn’t caught the entire meaning of what she’d meant to say then either. She was surprised when Kasai moved a hand up her body, and almost pulled away. If they weren’t careful, this would be another embarrassing moment that involved her relatives. She thought she’d heard giggling, but it was probably just paranoia. Even if someone was giggling, it didn’t have to be because of them.

Avani was about to explain that she’d wondered what Kasai wanted to do about their living situation. Should they stay for free with her family, or find some room to rent? She didn’t get a chance before Kasai pulled away and turned around to Iluq on the motorcycle though. Avani certainly could have stopped her, but not without using force to keep her in place. That would have made the situation worse, and even more suspicious. Maybe she could talk her way out of it still. No, knowing Iluq she wouldn’t get that chance either. Maybe she should retreat back into the house and lock the door behind her.

“That’s…” Avani tried to think up an explanation on the spot. “just a tourist. Haha, crazy waterbenders this time of year.”

Iluq noticed that they’d stopped ignoring her at that point, of course she would, so she got off the motorcycle and came running up to Avani with a wink and a smile.

“Hey, Avani. I didn’t know you were back home. I recognized the bike.” She grinned with her whole face, while leaning on her toes with her hands behind her back. At least she was keeping her hands to herself. “You’ve changed though. What happened to your eye? And your arm?”

“Oh! Oh it’s you, Iluq!” Avani said, trying to play it off as she’d just now realized that the waterbender was familiar to her, not a random stranger. “Um, well, that’s a long story. I lost my eye, and my arm was badly injured so I got a tattoo to cover it up.”

“Aw, you trying to hurt my feelings. I haven’t changed much.” Iluq said, but Avani could see she’d changed quite a bit. She’d grown in all the right places. She supposed it wasn’t that odd when they hadn’t seen each other for years. Avani quickly averted her gaze to stare at the ground when she remembered Kasai.

Iluq switched her attention to Kasai at that point too. “Your new girlfriend, I take it?” Before Avani could respond to the question, Iluq had pounced on Kasai with a hug. Avani knew that while the hug may seem innocent or awkward, it had a sinister purpose.

“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Iluq.” She said, while searching through the woman’s pockets, but disguising it as if she was getting a little too handsy. Eventually, Iluq pulled away and pocketed anything of value, assuming she’d found anything. Avani had seen her do the same routine a number of times, but she was a quicker pickpocket than anyone else she’d known. She wondered if Kasai had even been able to tell that her ex had searched through her pockets, or if the sudden experience of getting felt up by someone dressed like Iluq with that body had been too much for the cop to pay attention to basics.

“Did you have anything in your pockets, Kasai?” Avani asked with a smirk.

“Aw, when did you become such a tattletale.” Iluq laughed.

Tourist? Man, crazy waterbender was right. Kasai was ready to write it off and ask the scantily dressed woman if she would kindly stop using the vehicle as a platform before she noticed a glimmer of recognition in the woman's eye as she began to make her way over without any prompt. Kasai raised an eyebrow and watched as the stranger shot a wink at Avani and then addressed her by name. Kasai turned a skeptical gaze towards Avani, who was now shuffling through words with some struggling effort. Mhm... tourist.

Clearly the pair knew each other fairly well, though possible quite a while ago, for the waterbender to question the scars and injuries. Kasai studied Avani, noticing how awkwardly she seemed to be handling the reunion. Kasai sensed some history between the two. She didn't have long to ponder how serious it was before she was tackled by the waterbender, who introduced herself while getting a little too hands-on with Kasai. Today was just full of unpleasant greetings, wasn't it?

"Um," Kasai stood there, arms trapped beneath the other woman's in an awkward, forced embrace that lasted far too long. She let out a relieved sigh when the hug finally ceased, trying not to let it be heard as she took a step back and put on a smile. "Pleasures all mine," she said with a nod.

"My pockets? Why are you asking about..." Kasai's hands went to her pockets and felt that they were in fact empty. Not that she had had a lot in them, just some change and a small metal trinket that she had gotten from a metal bender in one of the smaller villages they had stopped in on the way to Ba Sing Se.

Kasai felt her eye twitch. How could she not have known something like that was happening to her? It should have been blatantly obvious, especially since she was trained to spot such activities. Mentally beating herself, she outwardly chuckled a few times before putting her hands up in a relenting gesture. "Good one, that's quite the skill you got there. Mind if I have that stuff back?" It might not hold any real value, she could go without the spare change, but she wanted the trinket back. It was the start of her collection of items from their worldly travels, and it wasn't something that could be bought at a tourist shop.

Kasai finished kicking herself for not catching on and instead blamed it on the circumstances. This Iluq girl seemed to be a few years younger than them, and already pretty good at thievery. Forcing her cop-brain off, Kasai instead decided to seize the opportunity to generate some conversation.

"So how do you two know each other?"

Avani shook her head when Kasai was confused about why she’d asked about her pockets, and sighed somewhat loud. Oh joy, the cop was so distracted by a half naked woman that she couldn’t even notice that. It was a bit embarrassing, and she wondered what her cop friends would have thought. She could see them reacting the same way. In reality though, if she shifted some blame onto Kasai it would probably be easier to get away with how she had lied about not knowing Iluq and that her ex would tell her all about them if given a chance.

“What do I get out of it?” Iluq asked, putting her hands on her hips and leaning defiantly forward towards Kasai.

“I won’t beat your ass if you give it back. That’s what you get out of it.” Avani threatened, and reached for Iluq, but due to her decreased depth perception or because she’d spoken too soon, Iluq managed to dodge her hand and step out of reach. It felt odd when she had never had trouble catching the quick waterbender before. She shifted her foot, and sent a wave that made the ground shift under Iluq’s feet. The waterbender lost her balance and stumbled, but didn’t fall.

“Fine, fine! She can have it back. I was just teasing.” Iluq shouted to make Avani stop, but she was hesitant about actually giving back anything that she’d rightfully stolen from a clueless target. Silly girl wouldn’t have known about it if Avani had stayed quiet. Things sure had changed since they used to spend every day together and rule the streets.

She put her hand into one of her pockets and took it back out with what she’d taken from Kasai, plus a bunch of coins and a few pieces of jewellry she’d gotten earlier the same day. She had a surprisingly large amount of pockets sewn into her clothing. It certainly helped to wear as little as possible to prey upon those who were distracted by an attractive young female.

“Oh, we don’t really. It was a long time ago.” Avani told her girlfriend to make her think that their relationship had been nothing special. Did she need to lie? The worst part was the thought that Avani really believed what she was saying.

“Haaa…” Iluq playfully punched Avani’s arm. “Well, it may have been a long time ago, but we were inseparable growing up. She made me think we’d be together forever, and then she stole my heart. I guess it wasn’t that valuable though, as she moved to another city without much of an explanation.”

Iluq words created an awkward silence, and she kind of wished she’d kept them to herself, but out of spite she wanted this new girl to hear about what had happened.

Kasai watched the two females banter a little back and forth, but was a little surprised at Avani's threat to Iluq if she dared not return the pick-pocketed items. Part of the threat and ensuing playful scuffle made Kasai glad to have Avani defend her. On the other hand, though, she couldn't tell if she sensed a change in Avani's attitude or not. Maybe it was all in jest, who knows.

Nevertheless, Kasai held her hand out expecting to be rewarded with her returned items. Instead, she looked on with widened eyes at the handful of bounty that Iluq proudly pulled from her pockets. Pockets that seemed to come out of nowhere, really. Kasai could hear a pencil scratching notes on a pad in the back of her mind for future reference...

When the conversation returned to Kasai's question she casually shifted her eyes between Avani and Iluq. It was clear there was a little bit of an awkward mist in the air. Avani denied any real prior relationship. Kasai raised an eyebrow when Iluq was all too eager to pony up a story about a more intimate background. But then... the awkward mist turned into a fog so thick it could be cut with a knife, and a still silence followed it.

Why did Avani feel like she needed to fib about how she knew Iluq? Or was the young waterbender the one contributing lies to the story?

Kasai didn't know, but she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Looking down, she kicked a pebble absentmindedly as she tried to think of how to follow that up with a question or comment. Go with sarcasm? Well, let's hope she doesn't do the same to me! Haha! A question? So that must've been when you moved to Republic City? Hell, Kasai had had her fill of awkward conversations for the day. But, she had to push through it.

"So..." she kicked the pebble again before looking back up, "I take it that's when Avani came to Republic City? You never told me you were a heart breaker when you were younger, haha..."

Mentally punching self in face.

"Anyways! I'm hungry, is there anywhere around here we could go sit and talk over a bite to eat?"