It was weird to be alive again, even in this state, having been summoned from the great beyond. Kuruk wasn’t used to feeling his fingers, feeling the air in his lungs. While he had been vaguely conscious throughout his now three incarnations day-to-day lives, it had been a solid four hundred years since he had actually been alive.

Kyoshi and Roku had never him manifest through them (he couldn’t blame them, it was a bit weird when you thought about it, and there was little those two liked more than thinking about things too much), but his current incarnation, the airbender Aang, had always been more willing about those sorts of things. He was more in touch with the spiritual side of being the avatar, Kuruk respected him a great deal for that. Must’ve been why it was so easy to well, be there.

The former water avatar was so taken aback by the sheer sensation of it that he didn’t take in his surroundings for what- a good minute or two probably. He was in… a teahouse probably, earth kingdom by the looks of it. It was easier to appreciate the progression of interior design when he was looking through his own eyes instead of Aang’s. And he was sitting down, at a table, in front of a man. Fire nation, by the looks of him. About in his seventies, with warm amber eyes and long silver hair. He looked like he had just seen a ghost- guess he had, in a sense. In front of them was a pai sho board.

“Hey.” Kuruk greeted. “I’m Avatar Kuruk, pleased to meet you.”

He extended his hand, the older man shook it, a smile growing on his face. “I’m Iroh, a friend of Aang’s.”

Kuruk nodded and gestured to the pai sho board. “I’m guessing this has something to do with…’ He trailed off and gestured vaguely at himself, it should be obvious that he was the anomaly here.

Iroh nodded. “Yes, Aang wanted me to teach him to play, but then you appeared.” Iroh made a sort of upwards gesture as he spoke, “out of nowhere. It was quite exciting.”

Kuruk laughed as an awkward response. Aang might be a little mad at him when he learns that he stole his pai sho lessons. “Well, I guess that explains it. There’s little I’m known for if not pai sho.”

Iroh smiled. “I’ve read about your legendary skill. Would you join me for a game?”

“Sure.” Kuruk smiled.