Earth Kingdom :: Ba Sing Se - Lower Ring ~ Boom!

| Darin "Basil" |

Spoiler:

"It's fine, Basil. I brought some money with me," Aki told him, setting a smooth copper coin on the table. "You don't have to worry about me." Basil's heart fell. He knew perfectly well Aki could handle herself, but he wanted to be a gentleman and pay, like the men in the theater did.

"Basil," said Aki, effectively getting his attention. The boy cocked his head, listening.

“I’ll meet you at the Lantern Fountain 7 o’clock, don’t be late.” She leaned forward then, placing her lips tantalizingly close to his ear. “It’s a date.” Before Basil could respond, Aki was leaving, the copper coin the only evidence of her being their in the first place.

His head reeled. His heart thrummed in excitement. A date? With Aki?

He sat there dumbly for quite a few minutes, before getting up and tearing out the shop. She'd said seven o'clock. That meant he had at least three hours to find some money and find something nice to wear. He couldn't risk getting locked up before their rendezvous, so that meant he had to earn money the fair way.

He started by begging, but that quickly got him nowhere. Then, he unearthed the flute Claudia had given him from the recesses of his robe and started to play that. Provisions fell at his feet. Offerings ranged between copper and silver, and women and men alike cooed over his youth and talent. Plenty stopped to watch him play, the notes of his flute caressing their ears like the hands of a lover, and they left money in their wake.

When Basil had more than an hour left, he collected his earnings and found the nearest clothes shop. It was actually a thrift store, but thrift stores sometimes had nice clothes. He was guided over to the child's section. Upon news that he was, indeed, alone, homeless and an orphan, he was given some clothes for free.

Finally, he checked into some hotel for the night, showered, washed his hair, dressed, and was on his way to the fountain with less than fifteen minutes to spare. He had removed the bands clasped on his hair and instead piled them atop his head in a high, long ponytail. The strands still fell to the middle of his back.

Basil wondered how Aki would react once she realized how much trouble he went through just to get a change of clothes, a bath, and a new hairstyle for their second meeting. He just couldn't feel shameful around her anymore. He wanted to impress her.

Basil sat on the edge of the fountain, the sprays of it cooling him somewhat. The street was still crowded with shoppers and families, most of them heading from the bazaar. He wondered how he was supposed to see Aki through this mess. But, he reasoned that her beauty shined so brightly, it'd be difficult, in fact, to miss her.

Aki looked at her mane of black hair. It was slightly frizzy, and seemed to envelop her. She took her comb and tried to release the knots, but they wouldn’t budge. She then went to the bathroom, drew water and almost made her hair, sopping, wet. The comb easily slid through the knots. Finally her hair was un-knotted. She made two small braids that went from an inch away from her part in her hair. The braids were flowing from the edge of her forehead to just behind her ear. The rest of her hair was flowing behind her, just past her middle back. She looked like she did a few hundred years ago, as just Aki not Aki the Ocean Spirit. She sighed, but slightly perked up, she was meeting Basil in just over two hours.

She went outside into the market to see Basil playing a flue to earn money. He was sweet. Aki took two silver coins and tossed them to Basil and left to find her own garb. She went over to the store nearest to her. She found it was a water tribe kind of store selling Northern Water tribe garb. Aki browsed until she found a simple blue blouse with no markings of the water tribe. Aki had her own black pants and her brown nap-sac to carry water and money. She left the store and headed straight for the Inn she was staying at. She checked her hair again, no frizz, and still perfect. She didn’t like make-up so she would go au natural. She dressed and looked at the time, her Inn was a step away from the fountain, and she looked out the window seeing Basil on the edge of the fountain.

Aki walked out of the Inn and darted through the crowd, seeing Basil. She snuck up on him by coming from behind and whispered in his ear, “Hello Basil,” She came back from his ear and said, “You look very handsome, Basil.” Aki said in her sweetest tone. “Where would you like to dine this evening?” Aki turned and looked to see the crowd has disperse leaving a few milling around, and Basil and Aki by the fountain.

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