one's chastity is / widely believed a virtue / not personal choice

[roc_on]

The next day there's an article in a scandal sheet insinuating that there may be something inappropriate going on between Delightful Jun and the Avatar.

Beila adopts a strategy of completely ignoring this insinuation until an interviewer asks her point blank, at which point she says, "No," and declines to elaborate further. Because there is nothing to elaborate on.

She shows up, exasperated, for her next firebending lesson.

Comments

[roc_on]

"Celebrity status: mixed bag," says Beila.

[fiery_delights]

"Don't I know it. Anything you want to talk about?"

[roc_on]

"Tips?" she asks. "I've been dealing with the press for a while, but this is the first time it's been colored quite this way."

[fiery_delights]

"Quite this way, meaning...? Not that I don't have a guess," he says wryly. "But I haven't actually seen it hit the news. Someone did try to interview me about you last night, but I flirted with him until he went away. Maybe he decided that was enough material."

[roc_on]

"There was an article about it; there wasn't much substance to it but it gave everyone the idea. I had an interview this morning and the lady tried to startle me, by asking me suddenly - I told her no."

[fiery_delights]

He shrugs. "Telling them no only goes so far, I've learned. It doesn't bother me."

[roc_on]

"It bothers me. I've mostly managed to keep Dao out of the spotlight, but people know I have a boyfriend, and now a bunch of them think I'm cheating on him."

[fiery_delights]

"Not necessarily," says Jun with a quirk of a smile. "Sorry - I wish I could give you tips on not letting the rumors get to you, but the fact is I've never cared."

[roc_on]

"...Not necessarily?"

[fiery_delights]

"Not necessarily cheating on him," he elaborates.

[roc_on]

"I suppose they could be imagining we have some kind of open setup."

[fiery_delights]

"It's been known to happen."

[roc_on]

"All right, maybe they don't think I'm cheating," sighs Beila. "It's still bothersome... at any rate, we have firebending to do."

[fiery_delights]

"That we do," Jun agrees.

On with the lesson! Beila is progressing nicely, even with all of her difficulties.

[roc_on]

When Dao picks her up, Beila relates the contents of this conversation to him.

[thinklikethis]

"...I don't know how to feel about this," says Dao.

[roc_on]

"You don't have to feel any way in particular about it, I just thought you should be up to date."

[thinklikethis]

"Well. But," he says. "I mean, you know Jun will sleep with practically anybody, right?"

[roc_on]

"I've heard. That and the fact that my previous teachers were women are probably why the rumors have started now instead of earlier. It doesn't mean I'm sleeping with him."

[thinklikethis]

"I know you are not sleeping with him," says Dao. "I'm pretty sure you'd tell me if you were."

[roc_on]

"...That's one way to phrase it, I guess? I'm not going to cheat on you."

[thinklikethis]

"He... did kind of point out... that that is not the only way for someone who is in a relationship to sleep with him," says Dao.

[roc_on]

"Ye-e-es, but by default, monogamy is the done thing."

[thinklikethis]

"What if I want to sleep with him," says Dao, blushing fiercely.

[roc_on]

Beila blinks.