Story [Avatar:The Last Airbender] Vain Feline Photoshoot (Oneshot for the Meow You're Talking Challenge)

Title: Vain Feline Photoshoot

Author: devilinthedetails

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Genre: Humor; Fluff; Family.

Characters: Lu Ten; Iroh; OC (cat); OC (journalist).

Summary: In which a certain vain feline becomes the star of Iroh and Lu Ten’s photoshoot for a Fire Nation celebrity magazine.

Author’s Note: Written for the Meow You’re Talking Challenge hosted by @Chyntuck . My assigned minimalist prompt was the phrase “vanity fur.” I had great fun writing this piece where a glamorous Chiaki could once again take centerstage as he deserves. A big thank you to @Chyntuck for hosting this challenge and inspiring a story I never would have dreamed up otherwise.

Vain Feline Photoshoot

“A photojournalist contacted me today,” Lu Ten’s father said to him one autumn night as silver stars rose in the indigo sky. He and my boy Lu Ten were standing at the rail of the highest level of the tallest pagoda overlooking the Fire Nation’s extensive Royal Gardens. I was wrapped like an extremely elegant scarf around Lu Ten’s neck. My nose twitching as I inhaled the sweet scent of the chrysanthemums and red spider lilies planted in the blooming beds below and the pots arranged at even intervals along the pagoda’s rail. Pots I had designs of knocking over when I mustered the energy to engage in such amusing mischief. “She wanted to take photos of you and me for The Hottest Magazine while we are in the capital.”

The Hottest Magazine was a Fire Nation tabloid that flew off the shelves of whatever market stalls stocked it. As the slogan sprawled across its cover rather vaingloriously proclaimed, its columns were devoted to all the steamiest society gossip and its glamorous photoshoots featured all the smokiest celebrities.

I was quite intimately acquainted with the pages of The Hottest Magazine because their torn sheets often lined my litter box. The steward who served Lu Ten and his father was an avid reader of the tabloid, and, when he was done pursuing the pages, they often found themselves ripped up by Lu Ten and dumped in my litter box. Lu Ten would chuckle as he tore up the pages of rumormongering and glitzy photoshoots while I derived a great deal of satisfaction from peeing on them once they graced my litter box. The steward harbored many erroneous beliefs about sleek black cats like myself being bad luck and cursed by the spirits, so I relished the chance to inflict such petty vengeances upon him whenever the opportunity arose.

I meowed loudly at this juncture to capture Lu Ten and his father’s attention. To convey that I intended to not only have a role in these upcoming photoshoots but to be the star of them.

Gracing the glossy pages of The Hottest Magazine so everyone in the Fire Nation could marvel at my handsome fur and admire the perfect proportions of my graceful features. I would be the most envied and emulated creature in the Fire Nation once those photos were released to the masses. I would be adored as I deserved to be. I had visions of salmon treats and other delicacies being sent to me as fan mail. My claws would be excellent tools for opening such letters.

Apparently understanding at least some of the import of my meow, Lu Ten’s father reached out to stroke me beneath my chin. “And Chiaki will have to participate in the photoshoot as well, of course. He is a part of our family, after all.”

I purred, appeased by this amendment to his initial statement.

A furrow appeared in Lu Ten’s brow. “What should I wear, Father?”

“Don’t worry about that, son.” Lu Ten’s father smiled as he gave his son’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze with the hand that wasn’t busy petting me beneath my chin. “I’m sure the photojournalist will tell us what to wear.”

The morning of the photoshoot arrived, sending me into a frenzy of licking myself to ensure that my glorious black fur shone to its full, stunning effect.

The photojournalist, as Lu Ten’s father had predicted, did indeed have strong opinions about how they should be attired that she did not hesitate to express.

She had barely finished bowing and briskly introducing herself as Fumi before she was issuing orders about what Lu Ten and his father should don for the photoshoot.

“You must wear your school uniform.” Fumi addressed this command to Lu Ten, who had started attending the eminently exclusive Royal Fire Academy for Boys that autumn. Shifting her copper gaze to his father, she went on, “And you must wear your general’s uniform. That will all look very impressive to our viewers. Both of you should wear your crowns as well. To really emphasize your status as proud princes of the Fire Nation.”

Both Lu Ten and his father seemed more resigned to the elegance and formality of these photos as envisioned by Fumi than excited by them, but each vanished obediently enough behind twin bamboo screens that had been erected discreetly in the room’s corners.

The reeds of the bamboo screens were painted with lush images of the tropical Fire Nation islands. Volcanic mountains rising into sharp-pointed prominence in the background. Shrouded in clouds and mist. Or possibly a miasma of volcanic dust and ash if an explosion was imminent.

It was hard to tell whether such an explosion was imminent given that there were no humans depicted fleeing from the impending fiery flow. Art in the Fire Nation tending to prefer to center itself around bucolic and serene landscapes rather than the human form unless a portrait of a specific exalted personage had been commissioned. I was a great connoisseur of Fire Nation art. The foremost feline expert on the subject in the world. The depths and nuances of my knowledge legendary among my four-legged kind.

I was tempted to claw at the bamboo screens. The reeds would make such a satisfying scratching sensation beneath my paws. Yet, if I engaged in any activity humans in their folly might regard as misbehavior, I risked being removed from this room before the photoshoot even began. Before I could have my chance to star in the latest edition of The Hottest Magazine and that wouldn’t do. I would have to maintain my unrelenting focus on the big picture no matter how much the bamboo screens sought to distract and entice me to scratching mischief.

Once Lu Ten and his father emerged from behind their respective screens, having donned their uniforms and crowns as ordered, Fumi inspected them with the keen eye for detail one would expect from a photojournalist for the Fire Nation’s top society magazine.

She clucked and fussed over Lu Ten. Tugging his uniform into complete, unruffled straightness. Ensuring that his collar was neatly folded into its proper position.

Seeing her clawing at Lu Ten in such a manner activated all my most jealous instincts. Impulsively, I leapt upon her legs. Began scratching at her gold-trimmed pants. Asserting my dominant claim over Lu Ten.

“Sorry,” Lu Ten apologized to Fumi with a note of amusement in his voice. As if he thought my territoriality was a diverting antic rather than a threat to intimidate any outsiders that imposed too closely on his person. As if any human wouldn’t immediately identify me for the menace that I was. “Chiaki thinks he’s the only one allowed to paw me.”

I didn’t just think that I was the only one allowed to paw Lu Ten. I knew I was the only one allowed to paw Lu Ten. I enforced that decree for myself with my unceasing vigilance.

I did make a generous exception to that rule for Lu Ten’s father. Allowing him to pet and pat his son. And I would have granted his mother a similar exemption, of course, if she were still among the living instead of residing in the Spirit Realms. If she hadn’t been the one who requested that I come watch over her son when we met and became friends in the Spirit Realm.

“He’s absolutely adorable.” Fumi started fawning over me instead of Lu Ten, which I considered a success. Especially since it moved me one crucial step nearer to attaining my ultimate objective of being the star of the upcoming photoshoot. “We must include him in the photoshoot. And he would look positively precious in a tiara!”

At Fumi’s orders, I was brushed until my black fur was radiant and shimmering in the sunlight streaking through the windows. Then a tiara studded with garnets was pinned to the crown of my head. I was imperious in my demeanor. Certain that no Fire Lord in the long history of civilization had ever appeared more regal than I did thus prepared for my photoshoot.

Then it was time for Fumi to professionally pose us for the photos. First I was draped across Lu Ten’s lap with his fingers curled around my velvet ears. Then I was perched charmingly upon his shoulder as he tickled beneath my chin. Finally I was looped around his neck like the most glamorous scarf ever worn by any Fire Nation royal.

We had to maintain each posture for what felt like a minor eternity as Fumi snapped her photos. Her camera flashing blinding yellow lightning with every one she took.

My eyes were tired from this prolonged assault, and it was a relief when Fumi at last called an end to the photoshoot. At which point, the torture of Lu Ten painstakingly removing each of the pins that held my tiara in place. Then took off my tiara as well despite my yowling protests that indicated my adamant opinion that I should remain in my crown forever. Reigning supreme over the humans who were meant to pet and serve me.

I sulked in a curled heap on one of my favorite scarlet silk cushions. Mourning over the sad fate and treacherous humans who had stolen my rightful crown so soon after it had been placed on my head.

My glory, however, was preserved for the edification and emulation of future generations in The Hottest Magazine. The photo of me perched on Lu Ten’s shoulder was printed on the front page of the all-time best-selling edition of that tabloid.

Didn’t get torn up and dumped in my litter box. Was instead framed in gold and hung in pride of place in Lu Ten’s bedroom. Where it continued to hang for many years. Even after Lu Ten was killed at Ba Sing Se.

I loved that cover page photo more than any salmon treat because not only did it show me in a tiara as I should always be, but because it captured forever the memory of my beloved Lu Ten. Froze him in time. Smiling without end. Bright promise eternally burning in his eyes. His loving father beside him. His faithful pet protector perched on his shoulder. Ready to pounce and protect him from all harm.

In my studied opinion, that photo alone justified the existence of the printing press that had first been invented three centuries ago in the Earth Kingdom and had been imported not long after that into the Fire Nation. No printing press had ever produced or would ever produce anything more worthwhile than that treasured photo. That photo over which I was so vain and possessive.

 

@earlybird-obi-wan As always, thank you so much for reading and commenting! I'm so glad that you loved this story from the point of view of the vain and possessive cat that is Chiaki, and yes, Chiaki was most persistent indeed about getting into that photoshoot to have his fifteen minutes of fame

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Thank you so much for reading and commenting! I'm so thrilled that you loved the tone of this. Chiaki is a wonderfully fun character from whose point of view to write!

I couldn't resist having a little pun with "The Hottest Magazine" in terms of it both reflecting the element of the Fire Nation (fire and heat) and in terms of it purporting to tell steamy stories, and I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed that bit of play on words

I was puzzling over how to have Chiaki so familiar with the content of "The Hottest Magazine," and then it occurred to me that it might be amusing to have him use it as the lining for his litter box

Fumi did indeed do an excellent job taking her pictures, and she was charmed by how possessive Chiaki was over Lu Ten rather than put off, so Chiaki got rewarded by being made a central part of the family photoshoot!

The story did take a bittersweet turn toward the end for sure. It will never not break my heart that Lu Ten was lost so tragically young in the midst of a war that never needed to be fought but at least the photo can preserve him forever in a moment of youthful innocence with his beloved father and precious cat

 

@Chyntuck Thank you so much for reading and commenting, and for the prompt that sparked this story in the first place

I'm so flattered that you thought this was perfect, and that you found Chiaki so delightfully catty throughout the story! He definitely had a knack for making me smile and chuckle to myself as I wrote about his actions and perspectives on everything!

I'm so glad that you felt I did a good job interspersing the narrative with those normal cat considerations such as knocking over the flower pots when he has the energy or clawing the bamboo screens, and I absolutely couldn't resist giving our vain Chiaki some delusions of grandeur such as believing he will receive salmon treats as fan mail and that he deserves to wear the tiara as a permanent crown. I also always enjoy including worldbuidling details on the Fire Nation, and I am so happy to hear that they enhanced the story for you and help you picture the scene even as someone not familiar with the show.

The various puns on the Hottest Magazine offering the steamiest gossip and the smokiest celebrities were such fun for me to write, I assure you

And it's wonderful to hear that you felt the depth of the relationship between Lu Ten and Chiaki could be shown in this story. Especially at the end of the story when there is the connection to Lu Ten's death and Chiaki's grief for him.

I really did want to achieve that transition from zany cat story to more poignant tale of love and loss in the final paragraphs, and I'm so pleased that you felt like I pulled that off