Truly shameless. As if he's said the magic words, the children all detach themselves from the doorway and surround "uncle" Bumi expectantly--and "all" it's mostly the twins who bounce up to him eagerly. Huan and Baatar approach at their own leisurely pace, while Opal in particular hangs back, preferring to stay by her mother shyly.
Suyin wraps an arm around her daughter's shoulders and smiles. "Now you've done it," she remarks with a laugh. "I hope you've brought enough for all of them, or you'll really be in a bind."
Taking pity on Bumi about then, Suyin claps her hands, getting everyone's attention. "Alright, I'm sure you'll get your presents later. Let's finish eating before our food gets cold. Bumi... would you like to join us? I'll have the chef prepare something for you."
Bumi instantly steps back into a defensive stance. Or it would be a defensive stance, if he kept his arms steady, and didn't jokingly shadowbox with the twins as they approach.
"I've bested a shark-squid in hand to hand to hand to hand to hand to hand to hand to hand combat. I'm pretty sure I can hold my own with this lot." He might be serious, but he also might not be. With Bumi one never can tell.
Bumi raises a cocky eyebrow and continues to bob and weave even as the boys stand down at their mother's insistence. Then he shoots a wink in Opal's direction.
The only girl and the only non-bender in the family. Yeah, he knows what that's like.
"Don't put them out on my account. But I wouldn't say no to what ever you've got in your fridge that's on its last legs."
Whatever it is, it can't possibly be worse than rations.
"Nonsense, Bumi, you're a guest," Suyin clicks her tongue disapprovingly at the thought. She might have had her hard traveling days, same as he has, taking whatever simple food came her way, but things are different now. What use is all this wealth if she can't even provide for her guests? "He should have plenty of ingredients to make you a decent meal."
As she ushers her children back into the dining room and calls for an extra setting for Bumi, her curiosity returns. While it's true all of Team Avatar's children grew up together, she and Bumi had never been exactly close.
"What brings you to Zaofu? Isn't it out of your way?"
His strides are strong, and even though both Su and Opal started towards the table ahead of him, he still manages to get to their respective seats before them with enough time to pull out their chairs.
Katara did not raise an impolite child, even if that child often went out of his way to pretend otherwise.
"Su, you're not accusing me of having Destination Fever are you?" Bumi is absolutely scandalized. Also hurt. Possibly both at the very same time. He reaches for his collar for a set of pearls to clutch, but alas....they're not there. ALAS!
It's really a shame that there's such a wide gap in age between Bumi and the other Children of Team Avatar, because...oh the fun they could have all had if they were all tall enough to ride the fun rides at the same time....
"I would never," Su immediately replies with a laugh that's a touch ironic. She of all people wouldn't judge anyone for wanderlust, if that's what it is. Not when she's sailed the seas, travelled with a circus, and a variety of other things before she found a home in Zaofu.
Bumi's expression shifts yet again, this time to something a bit more I can't argue with you there.
"I was in the neighborhood on account of the maneuvers we're running in the Foggy Swamp."
When he says "we" what he really means is "he." And yes...Bumi left his subordinates to fend for themselves in The Swamp while he goes and visits friends.
"Oh, that old place?" From what she knows, most people tend to avoid it, even those who live just on its borders. The rumors about strange visions are well known, and even the least superstitious of people know better than to test it nowadays.
"Why train there?" Suyin asks, wondering if Bumi had actually meant to ignore the Swamp's reputation.
"Lots of reasons. It's great for stealth training, as well as non-lethal tactics. And it's one of the few places on the planet where my benders and non-benders are on equal footing."
"Plus... it's spooooOOOOOOoooooky," he says for the benefit of the children. Complete with wiggling fingers and everything. Then he winks at Bataar Junior, because of all the children he seems the least likely to be entertained with Bumi's antics.
Bumi is drawn to those sorts of people much the same way pygmy pumas seems to instinctively know who is allergic to them.
Suyin suppresses a smile, having caught Bumi's attempt to draw her eldest son in, and expecting the uncertain look he'd get in return before Bataar Jr. even sends it. Though she loves her son with all her heart, Suyin knows he's much more serious than she ever was at any age.
"Are you sure the spookiness wasn't your main reason for choosing that location?" Suyin teases him, well aware of Bumi's playful nature. "How long are you and your troops playing to train there anyway?"
"Absolutely sure," he says in such a way that clearly indicates Absolutely not.
"Only so long as it takes them to realize they started a half a click south of the rendezvous point. So...it'll probably be weeks."
Join the Military! Learn Exciting Things! Travel to Exotic Places! Meet Extraordinary People! Who will then dump you to fend for yourselves in the world's largest swamp while he goes visiting old family friends!
Suyin's absolutely not chuckling under her breath at the looks of horror and surprise on her children's faces. Except she most definitely is. Whatever this sounds like to them, Suyin knows that Bumi cares about his troops, and wouldn't let harm come to them if he could help it. If he thinks they're fine, she believes him.
"A few weeks, hm?" Suyin stirs at her soup with her spoon as she eyes him speculatively. The meal's gone a little cold since they were all preoccupied with greeting Bumi, but it's still good. "That should give you enough time to stop by a few more times before you're off on your next adventure."
"Oh no no no," he starts in a far more sincere tone than he's employed his visit thus far. "I wouldn't want to make a burden of myself."
It's the little things. The way his brow furrows right before his eyebrows raise up just so. It's in the way his posture shifts. That even though the bulk of his complexion and build come from his mother, there's something about Bumi that so very much like his father. Up to and including the lopsided grin he uses to punctuate his final thought.
"We'd have to think you're a burden for you to be one, Bumi," Suyin immediately replies, with a furrow of her brow. She supposes this is where the distance they've kept for years comes into play. She knows she wasn't the most reliable person growing up in Republic City, and perhaps that's why some of them haven't kept contact.
Either way, it's strange that someone so full of confidence would immediately think the worst of himself like this. A little reassurance may help here, she thinks. "I can assure you now, you are no such thing."
From lop-sided grin, to honest smile in no time flat. He nods once in understanding, and then the topic itself is dropped as if it had never been brought up in the first place.
"Well...you know what I've been up to. What's new with all of you?"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Suyin wraps an arm around her daughter's shoulders and smiles. "Now you've done it," she remarks with a laugh. "I hope you've brought enough for all of them, or you'll really be in a bind."
Taking pity on Bumi about then, Suyin claps her hands, getting everyone's attention. "Alright, I'm sure you'll get your presents later. Let's finish eating before our food gets cold. Bumi... would you like to join us? I'll have the chef prepare something for you."
no subject
Or it would be a defensive stance, if he kept his arms steady, and didn't jokingly shadowbox with the twins as they approach.
"I've bested a shark-squid in hand to hand to hand to hand to hand to hand to hand to hand combat. I'm pretty sure I can hold my own with this lot."
He might be serious, but he also might not be. With Bumi one never can tell.
Bumi raises a cocky eyebrow and continues to bob and weave even as the boys stand down at their mother's insistence. Then he shoots a wink in Opal's direction.
The only girl and the only non-bender in the family.
Yeah, he knows what that's like.
"Don't put them out on my account. But I wouldn't say no to what ever you've got in your fridge that's on its last legs."
Whatever it is, it can't possibly be worse than rations.
no subject
As she ushers her children back into the dining room and calls for an extra setting for Bumi, her curiosity returns. While it's true all of Team Avatar's children grew up together, she and Bumi had never been exactly close.
"What brings you to Zaofu? Isn't it out of your way?"
no subject
Katara did not raise an impolite child, even if that child often went out of his way to pretend otherwise.
"Su, you're not accusing me of having Destination Fever are you?" Bumi is absolutely scandalized. Also hurt. Possibly both at the very same time. He reaches for his collar for a set of pearls to clutch, but alas....they're not there. ALAS!
It's really a shame that there's such a wide gap in age between Bumi and the other Children of Team Avatar, because...oh the fun they could have all had if they were all tall enough to ride the fun rides at the same time....
no subject
"But you can't blame me for being curious."
no subject
"I was in the neighborhood on account of the maneuvers we're running in the Foggy Swamp."
When he says "we" what he really means is "he." And yes...Bumi left his subordinates to fend for themselves in The Swamp while he goes and visits friends.
no subject
"Why train there?" Suyin asks, wondering if Bumi had actually meant to ignore the Swamp's reputation.
no subject
"Plus... it's spooooOOOOOOoooooky," he says for the benefit of the children. Complete with wiggling fingers and everything. Then he winks at Bataar Junior, because of all the children he seems the least likely to be entertained with Bumi's antics.
Bumi is drawn to those sorts of people much the same way pygmy pumas seems to instinctively know who is allergic to them.
no subject
"Are you sure the spookiness wasn't your main reason for choosing that location?" Suyin teases him, well aware of Bumi's playful nature. "How long are you and your troops playing to train there anyway?"
no subject
"Only so long as it takes them to realize they started a half a click south of the rendezvous point. So...it'll probably be weeks."
Join the Military!
Learn Exciting Things!
Travel to Exotic Places!
Meet Extraordinary People!
Who will then dump you to fend for yourselves in the world's largest swamp while he goes visiting old family friends!
You know...FUN!
They're fine, he mouths inaudibly.
no subject
"A few weeks, hm?" Suyin stirs at her soup with her spoon as she eyes him speculatively. The meal's gone a little cold since they were all preoccupied with greeting Bumi, but it's still good. "That should give you enough time to stop by a few more times before you're off on your next adventure."
no subject
It's the little things. The way his brow furrows right before his eyebrows raise up just so. It's in the way his posture shifts. That even though the bulk of his complexion and build come from his mother, there's something about Bumi that so very much like his father. Up to and including the lopsided grin he uses to punctuate his final thought.
"Well, not anymore than I already have."
no subject
Either way, it's strange that someone so full of confidence would immediately think the worst of himself like this. A little reassurance may help here, she thinks. "I can assure you now, you are no such thing."
no subject
"Well...you know what I've been up to. What's new with all of you?"