Make a Man Out of You Chapter 24 (Desna x Reader)

Make a Man Out of You

Chapter 24: Zero Hour

You had never before seen someone look so exhausted and happy at the same time. "It works! It works!" Valrick stumbled around with the great announcement. He was a living zombie clinging to the meager remains of a caffeine high that was stretched too thin. "There wasn't enough energy on this side to keep the power source spirit vine alive with the effort of the machine. It needed to be changed constantly and that just wasn't practical, ha ha ha, not practical." He laughed as if someone had told a very funny joke that only he understood.

Valrick looked like a raccoon with how dark the sleepless rings around his eyes had become. "But out there in the Spirit World," he began to sing at random, "out there in the Spirit World! The vines could be recharged! The air around them powered them! Powered them!" With a broken high note, Valrick fainted. He was carried off to rest at last and the world was left in someone else's hands.

The fight wasn't over. The machines would have to be installed in key locations of the Spirit World and guarded from the Black Lotus. The Avatar has managed to talk the spirits into allowing the machines to stay and helping defend them. From what you heard, she had some help from Iroh, as in Zuko's uncle, who resides in the Spirit World. A few people were getting ready to patrol the Spirit World and capture the remaining members of the Black Lotus.

The spirits had been warned, though they were still uneasy about more people crossing over. Tours generally focused on the vines and area near the gateway, but rarely ventured in. If they did go in, they retreated soon enough and never went out of sight of the gate.

While Valrick rested along with Zhu Li, his team was setting things up for the musical color mover. After the president was assured that Valrick was not a liability, as the Black Lotus situation would soon be put to an end, the president no longer minded if he stayed. Perhaps it was just easier to get the proper equipment in Republic City after all.

The Wolfbats seemed confident about the plan's success. They occupied themselves arguing with Ginger about screen time. You didn't know what they said to her, but she was throwing a hissy fit, claiming that she did not want a costar. Well, there goes Desna's role. Not that you minded, since you'd rather not have him kiss her, even if it was a pretend kiss for the mover. How did a pretend kiss even work?

Tahno was, surprisingly, not competing for screen time. You heard him brag about being the poster boy of a prestigious brand of hair gel produced by Valrick Industries, but he deflated at Eska's indifference. It's like he was invisible to her. He pouted at Desna, who shrugged as if claiming he couldn't be of assistance. You approached the twins as Tahno left in frustration, yet somehow, you knew he was still refusing to accept defeat.

"Good morning, Eska and Desna!" You greeted. Their 'good morning' was in absolutely perfect sync. Yet other than the natural family resemblance, they each appeared distinct. The fact that Desna wasn't wearing the same outfit as his sister was there, but they just looked different. Their hair, their faces, their bodies... and you tried not to think of the incident with Milo and the shirt at the desert, fearing that you'd get distracted and forget what you meant to ask.

"Um... So... I was wondering..." You began, unsure. "About Tahno, I don't mean to be nosy, but are you mad at him, Eska?"

"I am not angry at Tahno, he amuses me," Eska replied. "Your strategy is very effective."

"My strategy?" You asked in confusion.

"Ignore a man and he shall pursue you relentlessly," Eska smiled with a mix of confidence and sadism, abundant sadism. "I shall have a wedding collar around his neck before he knows it. I thank you for your fine example."

You weren't sure how to respond to that. Wasn't the girl supposed to get a necklace in Water Tribe weddings? Eska seemed like the kind of girl who would take charge of a relationship and there was nothing wrong with that. But surely there was something more fitting than a collar to be the male equivalent of a betrothal necklace. You felt compelled to say something in reply, so you settled for a simple, "you're welcome," and shifted uncomfortably looking at your feet.

"Very soon we shall journey to the Spirit World. The Black Lotus is expected to attack the machines during the installation, as travel will be difficult for them after they are fully functional." Desna reminded.

"Right, I already talked about it with Lord Zuko and I'm being allowed to go too," you announced. You wonder if Desna was okay with Eska's earlier comment. Apparently, he was, because he took it very naturally. Then again, he would take anything his sister said as natural. You wondered if part of him was expecting you to put a marriage collar around his neck, then you tried not to think about it too much because it was... distracting... and tempting.

"I see, then you shall accompany us..." He seemed to accept that rather well.

"Are you okay with that?" You curiously inquired.

"Yes, although I wish for you to be safe and protected, I realized that it was ignorant of me to assume you would be comfortable with that," Desna explained. You smiled, thinking about how easily you won the argument, though the next thing he said was rather peculiar. "My sister has informed me that young women have certain physical necessities that need to be tended to," you refused to let your mind theorize about what he meant. "Chief among them is..." Desna continued, "the necessity to vent excess energy by partaking in acts of violence, such as with sparing or real combat."

That was another thing that you weren't sure how to respond to, but none the less you appreciated the sentiment. It was sweet in own peculiar way that he thought of your apparent necessities. "Thank you for being so considerate," you finally replied.

"Since we are not going to part ways, it would be inappropriate to request a farewell kiss and ask you to wait for my return," Desna mused aloud.

You blushed, what about a mutual good luck kiss? You'd never kissed him, really kissed him. There was the incident with the water orchestrated by Malina, but that was an accident, a precious accident with purposeful causality, but still an accident from Desna's perspective. You were about to swallow your fear and pitch the idea of a mutual good luck kiss, but you were sadly interrupted. The group was called to attention and the conversation ended to give way to the strategic review.

There was nothing overly complicated about the plan. You would be divided into pairs of opposing bending elements and given an area to scout. If you encountered the enemy, you were to alert your comrades via a flare, a firework-like shot invented by, who else, Valrick. Although you heard the weapon that shot the little pieces of metal at invisible speed was actually a Zhu Li original.

You were glad to be on Desna's team. Eska was with prince Iroh, since she was a water bender and he was a fire bender. Tahno was partnered with a high ranking detective called Mako, rumored to have served as the inspiration for several well known detective novels. The probender didn't seem too happy with the arrangements, if looks could kill, Tahno would be arrested for murder and the Fire Nation would need a new heir to the throne.

To be Continued

One more chapter to go!

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