The Assassin [atla]

chapter ten

It had been about a week since the group's departure from Jet and the Freedom Fighters and to say Kai's mental health was dwindling down would be an understatement. Granted it had never been that great to begin with, but reuniting with Sokka and Katara and meeting Aang definitely helped. Ever since what really happened to her father was revealed, she found herself going back to her old ways. She no longer teased Aang about his little crush on Katara, she didn't talk with Katara about how stupid boys were, she didn't even share any of their usual banter with Sokka. She never spoke, only communicating with a nod or shake of her head or the occasional roll of her eyes. 

As much as her friends wanted to help her, they knew that it was better for them to just leave her alone. That doesn't mean that they still didn't try to bring her into their conversations, Aang would try to entertain her with stories from when he was younger while Katara and Sokka brought up memories from their childhood. She showed little to no reaction, other than the occasional glance their way or a small nod.

Kai appreciated their kindness and wanting to help, she really did. Though she couldn't help but feel annoyance bubbling up inside her every time they brought up their childhood, it being something that she didn't like to be reminded of. The happy-go-lucky front that she always put on for the sake of her friends was getting tiring to fake, and she felt like she couldn't do it for much longer. It wasn't like that side of her was completely false, it was a part of her, it just wasn't all of her.