Guys guys I had an epiphany while brushing my teeth last night.
Zuko is definitely going to take Spring Roll into Ba Sing Se, right? Because I’m sorry Ferry Ticket Bureaucracy Lady, but there is no way you are stopping the flying-swimming bundle of affection from following her good!warm!boy. And albatross-seals are clearly most happy when they have access to large, deep sources of water. Where do we know in Ba Sing Se that fits that description?
So picture:
It is a lovely day at Lake Laogai, and you are a Dai Li agent who just wants to go down into his secret headquarters and clock out, it’s been a looong night shift. When suddenly FLYING ROLL OF SOFT BLUBBER FROM THE SKY.
And then there’s this refugee shouting “Sorry!” from down the beach and hustling over, and trying to apologize by handing you a tea coupon and you are just like–
Please… get this… off me…
And he tries, he does, but sorry for some reason Spring Roll thinks she gets belly-rubs anytime she lands on someone–
(And you have trained enough shrimp-badgers in your life to know exactly how a pet picks up that kind of bad behavior, and sure enough–)
The refugee is giving this lump of purring lard behavior-affirming belly rubs as he coaxes it to roll off of you, and you’re just like
Kid
Do you even know who I am
And by the way you are not supposed to be here
And he’s bristling because if this was private property then maybe they should have put up signs or a fence or something–
(Which, point. But the larger point is how the heck new to Ba Sing Se is this kid that he’s arguing with a Dai Li on the shores of Lake Laogai?)
And the giant flying seal-thing has found your secret submerged entrance and is sunning itself on it
And just
You just wanted to clock out
You did not sign up to deal with this