7:00 PM
Katara sat on a fake 'park bench' near the edges of the shops. In her hand was something that tasted like lychee. It was such a shame, she considered. She could (and very much would with her never-ending stomach and fantastic metabolism) try every food from every stand here, even if that was a momentous undertaking in itself. However, she certainly could not try every alcoholic drink there was on the menu, and there were nearly as many as food options. Each sounded just as delicious as the last, but she could only pick a handful if she was being careful. It wasn't even for lack of trying – if she had every option on the menu, she'd surely kill herself!
The one Alcina had brought tasted almost sugary sweet, like strawberries. The one after was bitter. This one was somewhere between, and she had to admit she enjoyed it the most.
Someone flicked their hand over her shoulder and, quicker than she could blink, the mystery arm had snatched her drink out of her hand. She hoped, just for a second, it was Zuko being flirty, but she spied him far on the other side of the room. It was not hard to guess which 'dragon' he was.
Also, he was being careful to not be too...overly romantic with any of the girls, sans some dances (which, she was well aware he had not asked her yet.) She wasn't upset, at least, so she told herself. He was currently dancing with Yue and he did look...happy. Though he was wearing his mask, his shoulders were relaxed and she could see Yue's shoulders quaking with laughter. She might have felt a little sad in that moment if not for the most grating sound of sucking liquid.
She spun and found Sokka. He'd taken the bamboo straw and stuck it through his mask's mouth hole and was slurping obnoxiously.
"That hits the spot."
"You know, there are like two hundred stands where you could have procured your own drink," Katara said in annoyance, trying to grab it back. She wasn't short but compared to Sokka, she was short enough that she couldn't reach when he held it high above his head. She kicked his shin and as he crumpled, she took it back. "And what if that hadn't been me?"
"Oh, it's obvious which one's you," Sokka said, gasping like she'd broken his leg. "Yeah, there are a few Water Tribe ghoulies here, but you're the only one who is so obnoxiously Water Tribe."
"Awe, real love for our nation there, bro."
"No, I think it's fantastic," Sokka said and she knew he was smiling widely under his mask, "You look freaking awesome."
Katara rolled her eyes as she sipped her drink, but inside was pleased. She remembered always wanting Sokka's approval as a child, whether it be in mimicking his fort building skills, or mastering his aim with a boomerang, or taking him on in a tussle. Sokka had been a good older brother, allowing her to win maybe 10% of the time. As she grew older, she realized that he absolutely should have always beaten her, so it must have been out of kindness. She didn't think that his approval now would feel so warm.
"What have you been doing this whole time?" Katara asked.
"Oh, you know, breaking hearts," Sokka said with a casual shrug.
"What? I haven't seen you dance with a single girl," she said, but out of the corner of her eye, a trio of non-contestant ladies was staring at the pair, eyes mostly on Sokka.
Sokka gave a wry laugh. "How do you think I'm breaking those hearts?"
"None are pretty enough to tempt you?" Katara said, finding it hard to believe that he couldn't find a single girl he wanted to dance with.
"I think the girl I want to ask would sooner stomp my toes," Sokka said, apparently more buzzed than he initially let on. Katara tilted her head, feeling like perhaps he'd just said a great deal and too much for his own sake because of how he stiffened up, but they were rudely interrupted by Nadhari as she appeared, it seemed, out of nowhere.
She was dressed as the Mother of Faces, her face the goddess and a whole large tree curling up her frame, hugging her body tightly and almost obscenely. It left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
"I think you're lost," Katara said shortly.
Nadhari pressed her shoulders back, her chest jutting out as she hopped on to the table next to Sokka. Too close.
He scooted an inch closer to Katara. Nadhari followed.
"No, I'm right where I want to be," she said, then turned all her attention to Sokka. "So, you're a Prince, aren't you?"
"Not really. I live in a snow hut," Sokka said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. "I'm sure you'd hate it."
"Oh, let me be the judge of that. You haven't danced yet." Nadhari flicked a finger up his arms. "What can I do to get you out there?" she purred, "I don't think I've ever told you how handsome and strong you are."
Katara sipped her drink, unsure what to even say. Tui, how pathetic and desperate. Oh yes, she hated Nadhari. She had no qualms about sharing her opinions, so she said it out loud.
Nadhari turned, giggling. "Now, Katara, let's not be so mean on ourselves," she said, hardly ruffled, as though Katara was stupid or emotional enough to call herself those things. "But then again...Prince Zuko hasn't even looked at you, whereas you're doing a pitiful job of pretending like you aren't always looking for him. He's danced with me already, twice."
Katara wished Toph were here to confirm or deny it, but from how boldly she proclaimed it, Katara had a feeling Nadhari was right. Though she was sure there were reasons for Zuko's behavior, she found her throat dry and unable to speak.
"Well, you sure as heck aren't going to find something here," Sokka said at once, finding a firm tone laced with harshness. "Get lost or I'll tell Zuko you were trying to kiss me. That's treason, isn't it?"
Nadhari startled back as though she'd been slapped. "But I...I was just-"
"Who will he believe?" Sokka growled, stepping forward. "Want to test that? Your funeral."
Nadhari pulled up the hems of her dress and left with a huff. Katara had retreated back into a seat. She could no longer see Zuko in the crowd.
"Kat, you okay?" Sokka's voice was unspeakably gentle. It reminded her of when she'd nearly cut her hand off when a fishing expedition went wrong and he'd be so worried but had tried so hard to not let Katara see it as he walked her through patching herself up.
"She's probably lying," Katara said, though her voice faltered.
"What's going on with you two? Not Nadhari, but Zuko? I would have thought by now you'd be planning a wedding," Sokka said, sitting next to her. He blocked the ballroom from view, giving Katara a moment to feel as though they were the only two there.
"I don't even know. He started pulling back and I thought maybe I just imagined his affections, or that it was all just a momentary obsession. We had a huge fight...I know I'm right."
"You're stubborn at the worst of times," Sokka agreed.
"I just feel like I can't move forward unless we come to common ground. Then things just got so icy between us that it felt like every step we took was backward. Then, yesterday, he said he missed me and he would do what it took to fix us. I thought he meant romantically. Perhaps he just sees me as a friend and he's found who he really was looking for. I do miss him even as that, but it would be hard to..." She could not find the words. "I don't know if I could stay."
"Then marry him."
"I don't know if I want to stay here forever. I don't mind the Fire Nation, but it's not home. My home is the South. Plus, well, he hasn't danced with me...so..."
Sokka looked back, sighing hard. "I hate to see you hurt. And I get it. But, have you ever thought that home isn't a place, but a person?" When Katara didn't respond, Sokka touched her shoulder. "You know you can still talk to me about anything. I can't promise I won't punch Zuko, but I'm always here for you."
"You know the same goes here, right?"
Sokka pulled her in for a short hug. "Yeah, 'course," he said, but she got the feeling he was holding back.
He paused, sniffling.
"Are you...crying?"
"No. I smell something meaty and juicy, ooohhhh boy," Sokka said. She pulled back and could see Sokka's eyes shimmering under his mask.
"Go, you glutton," she teased and watched him lop off into the crowd.
7:30 PM
There was a table that people were altogether avoiding, Katara realized. People seemed to move around it, like oil and water. A lone participant sat there, seemingly amused by the revulsion that people felt, and Katara got the sense that she very much puppeted the control of this area without lifting a finger.
It was only on Katara's second pass by the table that she focused on the woman's dress enough to make a small gasp.
She'd recognized it as a Water Tribe from the moment she saw it, but she'd thought it was a Northern Water Tribe, and that perhaps this woman was a healer of some sort. She was very elderly, but did not seem frail. Even though her hands were gnarled, she looked like she could out-dance anyone here.
It was only on the second time she passed that she saw the curled design upon the bottom.
Undeniably Southern Water Tribe.
Katara stood there dumbly, trying to figure out which elder this was and how much of an idiot and incredibly rude tribe woman she'd been to not realize, nor to properly pay respects yet. She knew that the trip had taken a lot out of her Gran-Gran, so she was searching frantically through her mind to figure out who, besides her grandmother, could hold a space so easily and would have been well enough to make the trip?
But, the longer she stared at the embroidery from across the room (she did not want to be caught gawking, that would be far worse), she realized why it looked so off to her. It was the sort of embroidery her grandmother did, not the modern style or adjusted patterns she had been taught. Gran-Gran always laughed and said that old habits die hard; she'd been taught this way as a young adult girl and it was hard to shake her childhood method.
In an instant, Katara was sure she knew who this was.
Katara walked confidently to the table, ignoring the harsh whispers as people watched her do it. No one got more than a yard closer to the table, retaining a distance like she was some caged animal. Something feral and dangerous. She picked up on that sort of tension that rippled through the crowd.
"You knew my grandmother," Katara said in a rush at once, "You were her best friend."
Her grandmother rarely spoke of her time near Katara's age. The fact that she'd come from the North had been as much a shock as anything; plus, waterbenders had been slain all too quickly. She knew from her father that there had been one waterbender who had been taken for Iroh's choice, but no one had ever heard from her again. At least, no one in the South, that is.
Katara lifted her mask, holding in a breath as the masked woman turned to her. She gave a small smile.
"You look just like her," the old woman said simply, "I was wondering when I would meet the only other Southern contestant in 60 years. As it seems, we Southerners like to cause trouble."
She motioned for Katara to sit.
"Hama, aren't you?"
"So Kanna has spoken of me?"
"Not much. She's very closed-lipped about her past," Katara admitted. "But I know how much she misses you. Why did you never come home?"
"There was so much to do here. Time just...got away with me, I suppose," Hama said, tilting her head. "I always intended to, of course."
Katara rolled her thumbs. "It would have been nice to have a water bending teacher. A true one. I heard you were good."
"From what I hear, you've figured quite a lot out yourself." There was a calculated pause. "How are you feeling about the fights tomorrow?"
"Confident," Katara said, but her face must have betrayed her for Hama gave a quiet sigh.
"Well, I'm not sure it would help this late, but I doubt Pakku knows anything of Southern Waterbending Tradition. I'd like to at least pass along the knowledge so that one day you can teach the next Southerner that appears."
Katara nearly knocked over her drink as she stood. "Oh, my spirits...that would be...yes! I mean, no he hasn't. But yes, please, teach me!" she gasped. "I've never found any mention about Southern Traditional Style anywhere...I thought maybe It just didn't...exist," she admitted.
"Well, I discovered it, you could say," Hama hummed, "But it's part of our culture now. I think you'll understand why."
Katara heard a whisper to her left. She snapped her head around in time to see someone glaring obviously at Hama, as though this old woman had three heads. Katara stared them down through her mask until they looked away.
"Why are they...why does everyone look at you like that?"
"Both things are better talked about outside. Come," Hama said, beckoning for her. Katara followed through the crowd, uncontrollable glee filling her. What a rare opportunity!
"Why haven't you been to a ball before?" Katara felt a little upset she was just meeting her now. "Does the Fire Nation not like you?" She knew there were other former Choice contestants from both Ozai and Iroh's competitions who floated around at the previous events, though Katara had never talked to any of those women.
Hama barked. "They'd have to admit that they made a mistake, and they're too proud to admit such things. No, I tend to stay away from here. Too many memories. My curiosity got the better of me once word reached me of you, however," Hama said. She led Katara to a small patio and shut the doors behind them. Katara lifted her mask and tied up her sleeves, ready to attempt something.
"How much do you know of my time at the Choice, child?" Hama questioned.
"None," Katara admitted. "Actually, my family didn't even know what it was when the representatives arrived," she said, recalling the confusion of the council. "It was only later that I heard of you."
"It takes news a long time to get back there," Hama said, as though this explained it. "But when the Fire Nation came, they did not ask for volunteers. They demanded someone. Worthy, they said. A prized pony. I was by far the best waterbender...so I went."
Katara felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Though she'd found many good things here, the circumstances of her arrival were less than voluntary on her tribe's part as well.
Hama looked out at the gardens, tenderly touching a flower blooming on a vine near her. "When we are at home, water is all around us. It's easy. You probably have noticed that water is less present here, especially during the dry, hot months. I was literally out of my element, so I knew that I would have to be...creative," Hama said with a wry smile, "Using my feminine charm as much as I could to sway the choice. If I was to be here, I was going to make it worthwhile for myself. For our people."
"Yes, exactly," Katara murmured in agreement. "Though, I think the 'feminine charm' thing has caught on."
"So you have to adapt again. Water is the element of change and flow, Katara," Hama said wisely. "You must be like the stream that makes its way through the valley. Ready to move paths if there is a rock in the way, but staying steady in your convictions. Eventually, a small trickle of water can carve out a canyon."
Katara stayed silent, drinking in her every word.
"You might come to a time when you need water and it is not there. I would not be surprised if tomorrow if Ozai tipped the fights against you, made it hard to have access to water," Hama said.
"Once I pulled water from my own sweat," Katara said with a laugh. "I'm sure I'll be running tomorrow."
"True, but we can think deeper," Hama said, "Where there is life, there is water."
The flower began to sway under her fingers, and Katara almost spoke up to excitedly mention she'd realized this too, but paled when Hama drew the water completely from the flower. It lay dead, bending over, and water coated her fingers.
There was an equal sense of cosmic dread and awe overcoming Katara. It was the sort of sublime fantasy she'd only ever read about.
"That's incredible. I hadn't..." She watched as Hama drew her hands once again, this time evaporating a nearby tree to dust as she pooled the water in front of her. It was so unique, so unexpected.
"But the tree..." Katara said, "That had been rather pretty."
"In the case of your own life, wouldn't you prefer to save yourself over a plant?" Hama asked, which Katara couldn't deny.
Hama dropped the water back over the edge of the patio. "It's not a full moon, so I cannot show you my best technique. It takes years of practice, but it is something I think you should no doubt take the time to know. There is water in inanimate things, but there is also water within..."
"Creatures, humans. Animals," Katara finished. Hama looked at her with such a look of pride. Katara couldn't remember a time when Pakku had made her so happy with herself. "I'm not very good at all. And well..." She licked her lips. "I feel odd using it."
"The sensation will pass. That tingling is just a side effect, but-"
"No, I mean," Katara tilted her head, "I mean I feel morally wrong. It feels like it's not my place to reach inside something and control it like..." She remembered that even doing it with Toph's permission had made her feel too powerful. She did not enjoy that.
"Katara, oh," Hama touched both of Katara's cheeks, "You are so young, it's almost admirable. But the Fire Nation, nor Ozai, will think of such things when they come for you. They did not think of us or of morality when they demanded me here, nor as they dry the South, waiting for us to crack. They do not play fair. Why should we?"
Katara opened her mouth, but it felt dry. "I'm not sure."
"It is our tradition. We are the stream. Where they place rocks, we find another way," Hama said firmly. "In time, once your rose-colored vision has cleared, I'm sure you will see it my way."
Katara didn't feel better about discussing this with Hama, as she'd wrongly originally hoped. She felt pity for Hama though; when she looked closer, she saw a woman far from home that was pushed to her limit. It was lucky that Katara had found a friend in Zuko...
Or how far would she too have gone?
"Why do...why does everyone out there look at you with such hatred and fear?" Katara said, shaking her head out, trying to clear it. Hama gave a snort.
"They call me a witch."
Before Katara could question more or connect the two parts of Hama, the two sides that had just been revealed to her, the door opened, spilling light onto the patio. The figure in the doorway was a dragon in shades of green, but Katara knew from the height of the stature who it was. It seemed Hama did too.
"Prince Lu Ten," Hama said, bowing politely. In a weird way, in another world, had she won Iroh's Choice, this could have been her son.
"Princess, mind coming back inside?" Lu Ten questioned, "I was looking for you to ask for a dance."
"Oh, well..." Katara looked back at Hama, her mind not yet made up about the woman. Hama just nodded to her and Katara had no good reason to say no to Zuko's cousin.
8:00 PM
"I'm surprised you wanted to dance with me, especially after the last time," Katara said as he led her to the floor at the start of the next song. Zuko was nowhere to be seen, perhaps taking a moment to enjoy some food or drink. "You know I'm an awful dancer."
"Yes, but I don't trust her," Lu Ten said tensely.
"Do you know what happened to her at your father's Choice?" Katara asked.
"Of course. My father has never hidden it from me. Plus, Hama rather has...a reputation," Lu Ten said uneasily.
"A witch?" Katara said with a snort. She could not see his face under his dragon mask, but she could almost guess he was scowling.
"She made it to the top ten, did you know?"
Katara shook her head.
"Yes, it was so...strange. The entire group of girls and what surrounded it was odd, you know. They had three or four leave after being caught with other men; never anything too incriminating, like a kiss, but enough to plant doubt and cause grandfather to demand them gone. They all said it wasn't them, that some force or spirit made them get into these situations, but of course, who believed them?" Lu Ten said. Katara felt a chill rise up her spine. She didn't respond as Lu Ten continued, spinning her around. He spoke quietly enough so as not to draw attention to the other dancers.
"And then, two girls died. Both suicides. One was...believable. She'd been unhinged, according to my father, but hadn't seemed like she was close to an episode. She hung herself, and at first, no one thought anything of it. But the other? My father swore she'd never do something like that. She sat in the bath and slit her wrists. Though there was an investigation, there were no signs of a struggle or anyone forcing her, but it just bothered my father greatly."
Lu Ten dipped her, and Katara was surprised she didn't completely splat onto the floor. Perhaps her disbelief and a growing sense of dread made her a better dancer than she could have guessed.
"Girls asked to leave after that. They all claimed it was their own choice, but there was still something unexplainable about their departures. Always around a full moon. By the time dad realized what was happening, there were only 10 girls left."
"Hama was bloodbending them," Katara said quietly, so quietly so that she almost thought that maybe she only said it in her mind. The accusation Aang had thrown at her came barreling back, the comment that she would use this skill to turn someone's own knife against them. She'd never imagined making someone kill themselves, but Hama clearly had.
"Yes," Lu Ten said with a sense of crispness. "He almost caught her, trying to force another girl to kill herself. My mother. It shocked him; Hama had always seemed so sweet, so unassuming. He thought it was foul play from one of the contestants, but he never would have dreamed it was her."
"But he never saw...?"
"No. He came at the right time. Any amount after and well, I guess I wouldn't be here. My mother had no idea who was wielding the knife, only saw the shadows, and for much of the time afterwards, my father was just glad that she was alive. By the time he started putting two and two together...well, they'd gotten married and everyone had been sent home. Hama all but vanished into the wind and only popped back up a few years ago. If he'd seen her there, he could have killed her with a fair trial or locked her up forever. True, he couldn't definitely accuse her, and she'll never say it outright, but he knew. We all know," he whispered, quieter, and almost took a step back from Katara, as though fearing she too would turn her powers against him.
Katara was thrown back so long ago, a moment in her old bedroom, where Zuko looked at her with fear and nearly accused her of it. She had no idea what he'd been referring to then, hadn't even considered this a possibility. If he knew what she was doing...would he still be frightened?
Of course, it was no wonder the guests at the party looked at Hama with such hatred, disgust, and fury! Nia had been the Crown Sweetheart, more beloved than even Ursa, Katara had heard. Plus, Iroh had loved her so passionately, so kindly, that it had been hard not to want to root for them.
"And people found out?"
"How could it not come out after that?" Lu Ten sighed. "And it became synonymous with the Southern Water Tribe since any waterbenders from the North only knew to heal. It's most likely why we've stayed clear of your tribe for quite some time. I think if they'd known you could bend, you might not have been allowed to stay. It was too late by the time you were here, though," Lu Ten said.
"I wouldn't...I'm not her," Katara said, entirely horrified.
"I know that. Most people have realized now, but I would not put myself within her vicinity," Lu Ten said, a gentle warning on his tongue.
Katara exhaled hard. Hama had been forced, like Katara, to attend. Where Katara had been tied to her people and a cause, Hama had let anger fester inside of her. It was easy to imagine so. The Fire Nation Royals were not kind, and Katara could imagine that 60 years ago, it was even worse. She had to survive. She had to adapt and this was how she got her upper hand on the competition.
Katara understood why she did it, but she did not condone it.
Still, she did not feel the urge to throw the baby out with the bathwater. She was not willing to give up bloodbending in its entirety, though she felt even more sure that she could not use it against a living human and do such invasive things to them.
And she could not rid herself of Hama either, as much as she wanted to. This woman was still a Southern Water Tribe member, and they never abandoned their own. She was clearly suffering in a twisted way, though Katara now understood the dangers of association.
"I didn't know all that," Katara said.
She could imagine how awful it would have been if she used bloodbending tomorrow, if she'd written it down, and if she'd won with it. She imagined even so, Ozai would throw her out immediately. Damn, maybe even Iroh would have been calling for her exit. He'd almost lost the love of his life to it.
"The fights tomorrow..." Lu Ten began. Katara snapped her head up.
"Do you know something about it I don't?" she hissed.
"No. And if I did, I would tell you. Uncle is being very close-lipped about the process. I'm merely concerned for you."
"I might fight you or Iroh or Kuzon," Katara said with forced cheerfulness. Lu Ten's fingers stiffened around her palm.
"We both know it's not going to go that way." He seemed to think over his next words for a long time. "Though I would love to see you next to Zuko at the end of this, as the ruler that this nation deserves, it's not worth your life. If it seems that..." He swallowed. "Don't let your name be only a memory after tomorrow. We can figure something out," he said quietly.
"Do you think Ozai would really kill me?"
"I would not put anything past him, especially with regards to you," Lu Ten said. "I've surely been a disappointment to the Fire Nation long before this, and it may be treason to say, but I would rather have the right people together at the end, even if it's through the wrong process. But I have to ask. What pauses you?"
Katara winced. She should have known that Zuko wouldn't be able to keep quiet around his favorite family member, or at least that he had picked up on it. Perhaps Zuko had said nothing. Lu Ten was just perceptive.
"Many things. Fear...concern...the loss of my identity..." She blinked and saw the flash of her and Zuko's past life behind her eyes and it almost made her ill. "I don't know if I could be a good partner, let alone a leader of a nation when I'm not sure I know who I am anymore."
"You are wise," Lu Ten said and if there was any disappointment, he did not voice it, "And I wish we had infinite time. Alas, that would be no fun for the Lords that eat up the spectacle of the Choice," Lu Ten said bitterly.
The song ended. Before Katara could say more, and before Lu Ten might offer another dance so they could talk more – something Katara thought might help her straighten her own thoughts – there was a figure intercepting the pair.
He was a tall man, and though Katara could not see his face, she recognized that he was around Katara's age, if only a few years older. He was wearing armor and breastplates with an ornate pair of hooked swords carefully wrapped and strapped to his back. The mask was a fox's mask, and there was something equally playful and sinister to it.
Katara would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit intrigued.
"Can I step in?" There was a twang to the voice, something deep and woodsy.
"If the Princess prefers it," Lu Ten said deftly.
"It's fine," Katara said, not wanting to make a scene. Smoothly, her hand was transferred from Lu Ten's to the mystery dancer's.
There were a couple of seconds where the only thing Katara could focus on was the song and the movement of her feet. It was fine to step on Lu Ten's toes, but this man? Well, apart from just being entirely uninterested in dancing with anyone else, her poorly cultivated dance skills were the other reason she kept from accepting many offers.
"You're the Cougar Daughter, huh?"
His voice surprised her. Katara stumbled with her footing but he caught her, grasping her waist tightly. Katara almost relaxed, until she realized she'd fallen against him and stiffened back.
"I'm surprised. Are you from the Water Tribe?" she asked.
"Naw. I just like to...be aware of everything," he replied, almost arrogantly. Too confident, blindly self-assured. Still, it was impressive.
"I'll admit, I do not know who you are."
"Jet."
"Is that a...book character?" Katara asked with uncertainty.
"Oh, you were referring to my costume?" There was a tease in the way he spoke, as though she'd really been asking for his identity. She did feel strange knowing his name after just a few seconds of meeting him, but also powerful. "It's a heroic warrior from a tale, yes. A nameless fighter. Someone who fought for justice...even when it wasn't the popular thing to do."
"Something you admire?" Katara said, now interested in figuring him out.
"I give those who think they have no voice a branch to stand on and make themselves heard, suppose you could say," Jet replied, and she heard the conviction when he spoke. She smiled beneath her mask. It was a cause, a sense of righteousness that resonated deep within her.
"What does this voice do?" Katara asked, piqued.
"Many things." Jet spun her around. "Make noise and cause a disturbance, get the truth out, help those in need, save those who are oppressed...it's hard to describe, I suppose. Whatever truth someone has, we let them speak it."
"Truth is hard to voice, harder to define," Katara said.
"Not when your heart knows something," Jet replied, and she wasn't sure if he was flirting or if it was just a fact he believed. As they spun around, he leaned in close. Katara felt her face flush at the closeness of him, and as he came inches away, she smelled a hint of hay upon his clothes. Not a bad smell, but something pastoral and almost homey mixed with the musk of forest soil. It was only a moment later when she realized he was shielding her. Ozai moved through the people dancing like a tiger-shark, watching.
It was clear that Jet disliked and distrusted Ozai as much as Katara did. Either he knew of Ozai's animosity toward her or he was wary on principle. It did not completely make him trustworthy, but what was that saying? 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend?'
When he pulled back, Katara was confused, until she realized the band was gearing up for the next song. The entire dance had flown by and she'd hardly been aware. As she began to pull away, Jet held her hand. Not tightly, but just enough to pause her.
"Names are currency, beautiful."
"You can't even see my face," Katara scoffed, "I could be ugly."
"But somehow we both know I'm right," he said. Katara paused and fished a token from her bag. She threw it up and it glinted in the light.
"I'm a bit more of a challenge than just that," she replied with a cool, non-inviting lilt before turning off to find one of her friends.
---
Look for the next chapter after the usual three weeks, around Aug 27th! And, it has some fantastic Zutara scenes and is extremely long! Just something to look forward to ;)
This chapter sets up for A LOT of future plot points to come, so even though it seems like there 'wasn't much', oh boy, there's a lot of good threads here, man.