𝑯𝑰𝑫𝑫𝑬𝑵 𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶𝑵, 𝒂: 𝒕𝒍𝒂

➳ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯: 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦

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"THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA HOW CLOSE THEY WERE TO GETTING TOASTED LAST NIGHT," Aang remarks as he sits down next to Kida with his food.

"Yeah, the worst thing about being in disguise is that we don't get the hero worship anymore. I miss the love," Toph admits.

"Boo hoo," Sokka mocks, playing with the smoked sea slug on his plate, still not taking a bite. "Poor heroes."

"What's up with you, Wolftail?" Kida asks, between mouthfuls of noodles. Ever since last night, Sokka has been more aloof than usual, not just with her, but with the rest of the team. She tried to ask him what was wrong late last night after everyone was asleep, but he claimed that he was just tired and walked away. Really, he just seems down, and Kida hates that she can't help him in some way.

Sokka, sitting across from Kida and in between Katara and Toph, looks up at her. "It's just that all of you guys can do this awesome bending stuff. And, me? I can't do anything."

"That's not true!" Katara insists. "No one can read a map like you."

"I can't even read!" Toph adds.

"Plus, who keeps us laughing with sarcastic comments all the time?" Aang points out.

"See? We need you on the team," Kida finally replies. Couldn't he see how much he meant to the team, how much he meant to her?

"Oh, really? Okay, fine." Sokka's gaze towards her intensifies. "Aang and I are drowning. Who do you save?"

"Why are you just asking me?" Maybe if Sokka remembers their bet to see who would reveal their relationship first, he'd drop the question. "What about Toph and Katara?"

He doesn't.

"They're unconscious, but safe on land," he answers almost instantly. "Aang and I are unconscious, but drowning in water."

"Is this a scenario you think about a lot?"

"Just answer the question, Kida." Sokka narrows his eyes. "Let's say, hypothetically, you're the leader of our team. Which one of us is more valuable? Which one of us do you save?"

Kida would do anything to avoid answering his questions, knowing that they serve no real purpose or prove anything about anyone's worth. Where's a meteor when you need one?

"I'm not going to answer your dumb question." Kida pushes away her bowl of noodles. Suddenly, she lost her appetite.

"It's a simple question," Sokka insists. "If you had to save me or save Aang, who would you save?"

Kida knows that it's actually the opposite, a complicated question that she hopes she will never be faced with. "I'm not answering." She pushes away from the table, and storms off.

Unfortunately, Sokka is only a few steps behind. "Just answer, I dare you!" When Kida doesn't answer, he adds: "You can't just run away from your problems like you always do!"

What does that have to do with anything? Kida turns around sharply, forcing Sokka to stop in his tracks. "Can't you just drop this and stop feeling sorry for yourself?"

"Guys, is this really a good idea?" Aang asks timidly. He, Katara, and Toph had followed them as well, though kept their distance.

"Just answer the question, Kida, and then I'll drop this!"

"No!"

"Why not?"

Kida sighs angrily. "Because it doesn't matter."