#long feng: with just a *little* assist from the fancy techniques of course

[discordiansamba]

even underground, he still rises with the sun.

swinging his legs out of his cot, he stretches. it's been a long time since he's slept in the dai li base underneath lake laogai- not since he was a child. this was where he'd woken up as a child to discover he'd lost his memories- and upon learning exactly who was, wished he hadn't been told. he'd been born as a pawn of the fire nation in a scheme to supplant the earth kingdom royal family by putting one of their own on the throne-

-but that wasn't who he'd grown up to be.

he gets dressed. there's no mirrors in the small rooms underneath lake laogai- typically dai li agents only sleep there if they absolutely need to. it doesn't matter- he braids his hair without issue, and heads into the main compound. he finds long feng in his secret office there, just where he'd expected to find the man.

"ah, prince dai," long feng looks up at him with a smile, "-i trust you slept well."

"as well as anyone can, in one of those cots," dai remarks, "-has anyone confirmed it yet?"

long feng hums, sliding a missive across the table for him to read. dai skims it, arching his brow- his only one, really. his left had been burned off when his mother had tried to rid herself of what she'd come to think of as only a burden after her schemes had failed and she'd found herself trapped in ba sing se.

she probably would have succeeded, if the dai li hadn't saved him.

it was long feng himself who had decided to spare his life. he'd just been a pawn, after all- only a child. dai had done what he could to repay the man for his generosity- by becoming the dai li's spy within in the earth kingdom palace. people spoke freely around their prince about things that they wouldn't dream of within ear shot of the grand secretariat. for those who said the wrong things...

...well, he couldn't have his half brother find out about the war anymore than long feng could.

"the avatar helped break out a bunch of prisoners from a fire nation prison rig?" dai asked. "are we sure this is accurate?"

"i believe it is," long feng remarked, "-we've verified the claims with many of those who escaped."

dai hummed. if the avatar really had returned, it complicated things. it could be a good thing- it meant this war might finally end- in the earth kingdom's favor. it also meant that things were likely about to get a lot worse- fire lord ozai had doubtlessly already been informed of the avatar's return.

and the avatar was someone the dai li couldn't control.

"i have a proposition," long feng said, "-i want you to track down the avatar. he'll need a firebending teacher."

dai cast a glance towards long feng. his firebending was supposed to be a state secret. it wasn't befitting that a prince of the earth kingdom was a firebender, so they'd gone to great lengths to keep that fact under wraps. why risk it coming out now?

the risk, long feng said, was greater than the reward.

you have the chance to get close to the avatar in a way none of my other agents can, prince dai. you can help provide him with... guidance. help him win the war without disturbing the status quo too much. and i'm sure you won't mind having the chance to travel for a change.

dai thought it over. he wasn't like long feng's other agents. he could always say no if he wanted to. except...

...well. he wasn't sure he saw any reason to.

"alright," dai said, "-i'll do it."

(long feng watched as the young prince left his office. once he was gone, he smiled.

it had been a gamble, kidnapping the young prince of the fire nation. his initial intent had been to use him as a hostage to end the siege on ba sing se, but general iroh had ended it himself after the loss of his son. once that plan fell through...

...well, he'd had other ideas.

brainwashing prince zuko wouldn't have proven an effective strategy- something about the process left firebenders dreadfully weak. so instead the dai li had simply... suppressed his memories, and gained his trust another way.

they'd constructed a new identity for him as prince dai of the earth kingdom- one who was loyal to the dai li. he'd more than proven his worth over the years, and now it was time to truly put him to the test- to throw him against the nation whose royal family he'd once been a member of.

he had great confidence that prince dai would succeed.)