Salutations all!
Thank you for opting to read my FanFic out of the many available to you, the gesture is greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy it as much as I love writing it.
This was inspired by the artwork 'Modern Gaang' by viria13 on deviantART. I would put up the link but the stupid site won't let me (UGH!), still, if you really wished you can Google it. Sorry.
Just to note, every chapter is named after a song so yeah you'll get a good understanding on my taste in music by the end. If you recognise the song or have it wouldn't hurt to listen to it while you read the chapter.
Sorry if the characters are a little OOC, I have to get used to writing them.
Chapter One:
The first time I saw him it was a quiet day. The sort of day that moved slowly and steadily, but nobody noticed, and if they did, they didn't mind because it's also the sort of day where people became consumed with their own deeply embedded thoughts, a day when everybody noticed all the little beautiful things around them, a day when you stopped to watch the birds and smell the flowers.
I smiled inwardly, notepad and pen ready in my hand, "Hello, welcome to the Pao Family Tea House, what would you like to order today?"
My customer had a scrawny build with long limbs and lean muscle that seemed to coil under his skin. He wore a goofy smile as well as a large beanie that fell over his eyes. His deep grey eyes like the silver lining of a cloud and reminded me of old black and white photographs Gran-Gran used to show me.
He stared with a puzzled expression at the menu for a few seconds, "I'm not exactly sure, what do you think the best tea here is?"
I paused to think for a moment, "Well, our Jasmine Tea is quite renowned in this area, would that be okay?"
He nodded in agreement and sent me a lop-sided smile, "Thank you,"
"I haven't seen you around before, what brings you here?" I asked him curiously.
The guy shrugged, "Travel, mostly. I move around a lot,"
"Interesting… well, have a nice day," I muttered, then quickly scribbled down his order and took it to the kitchens were Iroh minded at least a dozen clay pots.
"We have an order for one Jasmine for the guy in the beanie," I told him and watched the man light up. I don't think I've ever witnessed another grin as widely over tea as Iroh did, he worked in the kitchens at the Pao Family Tea House with his nephew Zuko who was a waiter like me.
Iroh was a self-proclaimed tea brewing expert. Zuko once told me that when the two first began working here Iroh cleared out Mr Pao's kitchen of electric kettles and cheap teabags, replacing them with his own ancient clay pots. It never ceased to amaze me how he could brew ten pots at once and keep track of them all, but that's Iroh for you. He was so focused, so in his element when he brewed that I found it quite astounding to watch.
There weren't many customers today, so I had very little to do outside of sitting on the counter in the kitchen with music blasting in my ears, but this time I wasn't watching Iroh. I peeked through the small window into the main area of the Tea House and saw beanie-boy sitting in his chair near the window. He was writing something in a notebook, pencil scratching on the paper with one ear bud in his ear and the other dangling around his thigh. He has a slight smile on his face as his head swayed slightly humming to a tune I couldn't quite catch.
Suddenly, a sharp ding rang through the kitchen and I jumped. Sliding off the bench, Iroh handed me the cup of Jasmine tea and I walked over to beanie-boy's table near the window feeling slightly flustered and red in the cheeks.
"Here you go," I smiled uneasily and set the tea down beside him, careful not to spill it.
The boy smiled warmly back at me, with those mischievous silver eyes, "Thank you," he nodded to me and I returned to my seat on the kitchen bench.
And that was how my days played out for the next few days; he would sit by the window, he would wear his beanie and he would order Jasmine Tea then I would sit on the counter in the kitchen, I would watch him write and I would fabricate stories in my head about exactly what he was writing about.
Well, until Saturday came about. That was my day off where I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn and ride my bike to the Pao Family Tea House. On Saturdays I could wear my pyjamas into the late afternoon and read that stack of books on my desk and probably most of all, practise my water bending.
My brother Sokka and I lived in a small two bedroom apartment above a Coin Laundry in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. I'll admit I do like the city life, but deep down I'm still the same small town girl who grew up in the South Pole.
I'd been in Ba Sing Se for a few months now and I wasn't sure if I'd ever adjust to the hustle and bustle of a city that seemed to never sleep, but so far I think I was doing okay. It'd been a struggle leaving home though but leaving dad and Gran-Gran probably the hardest of the entire ordeal. I had hoped to build some sort of life here, meet a few new friends, spend time a little more time with Sokka and maybe met a good worthwhile guy. So far the closest I have to a friend is Zuko the enigma of angst, then there's my brother who's getting on my last nerve as he seemed adamant to be over protective and as for a 'good worthwhile guy', well, I don't think Jet fits that category as the asshole broke up with me via text.
Still, as I worked my way through various water bending forms my mind couldn't help but wander back to him. I didn't really understand why I was so transfixed with hi n and his lop-sided smile, but there was something special about him. I could feel it.
The next day was a special day. Unlike most Sundays, the Tea House was packed. Sundays were usually slow days, but this was different. There was a spark in everybody as they filled the streets and gathered outside the gates of the Upper Ring for the announcement of the New Avatar. There was a buzz in the air, a current of thrill that everybody seemed to carry with them. A sort of giddy anticipation, after many long years in wait, we would finally have the answer to an age old question;
Who is the new Avatar?
But sadly, I was not to be part of that crowd although my curiosity for the matter was as highly strung as any other. I was too busy waiting tables and sweeping floors to care what was going on outside the palace.
But still, there was one thing that bothered me; out of the many different people that sat in his window seat today, none of them had been him which bothered me much more than it should. I didn't even know the guy yet here I'd become hung up on his every appearance in this dismal little Tea House.
He's probably somewhere in the crowd, I told myself, just like you would be if Mr Pao gave you the day off.
Although that still didn't stop me from checking every time the door bell sounded and somebody entered.
It was close to closing time when he finally made an appearance. He sat in his usual spot, but this time there was no smile of his face, no gleeful glint in his eyes.
"Hey, how's it going?" I asked.
He shrugged, "Alright, you?"
"I'm okay. Let me guess, you want a cup of Jasmine Tea… am I right?" I joked.
The boy smiled, a small smile, the kind that came with sad eyes, "How'd you know?"
I tapped my pen to my temple with a grin, "Mind reading, you know, a useful talent. I'll be back with your tea shortly,"
"Wait," he said quickly, I stopped and turned around, "I didn't see you yesterday…"
I felt my heart rate quicken, "You noticed?"
"Of course I did," he smiled lop-sidedly.
I chuckled, "Saturdays are my day off…" I told him and he nodded in understanding, "I'd better go put in that order for you…"
Around five minutes later, Iroh handed me the steaming cup and I began to walking it over when I tripped, sending the cup toppling to the ground. Without thinking, I reached out my hand, spreading my fingers and pulling it upwards before it hit the ground.
The boy stared blankly before his mouth spread into a huge grin, "You're a waterbender!"
"Shhh," I said with panic, looking over my shoulder to see if anybody saw. Thankfully the Tea House was empty save us as I picked the tea cup of the ground and bended the water back into it.
"It's good to see there are still some people openly bending these days," he said with a sigh.
I stumbled over my world, "I-I don't usually…"
Then, he lifted his beanie partly up to reveal the tip of a blue arrow tattoo, "I won't tell if you don't," he winked.
My eyebrows shot up, "You're an airbender!"
"Yeah, I noticed," he smirked.
With a short laugh, I placed the tea cup on the table saying, "I'll get you another,"
He stopped me, "Don't bother, I don't come here for the tea anyway however good it is," he mumbled, going slightly red in the cheeks.
I was slightly taken aback for a second before I asked, "So, where you at the ceremony today?"
"No. No I wasn't," he said stiffly.
"I wonder who the new Avatar is, they say each Avatar is more powerful than the last, you know," I pondered allowed.
The boy shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, "I think he's probably just a normal guy. Just another teenaged bender. The only difference is that now somebody has placed the weight of the world on his shoulders,"
I frowned at his words, I had never really thought of it that way before, "Well, I sure hope he's a strong Avatar,"
"I hope so too," he agreed, "I don't think I ever asked for your name…"
"It's Katara," I chimed cheerily, "You?"
He smiled softly, "Aang. My name's Aang,"
"Well Aang, I have to close up in a minute," I smiled, "See you tomorrow?"
His smile faltered, "I… I can't come in tomorrow, sorry,"
I bit my lip, scribbling my mobile number on the notepad. Ripping it off, I handed to it to him, "Call me, maybe we could meet up sometime…" I gulped.
He folded the paper in half and put it in his pocket, "I look forward to it,"
"Bye," I whispered as he left with a wave, feeling my heart sweal in my chest.
Late that night I sat curled up in the quilt my mother stitched for me when I was a child on the couch reading a book while Sokka watched the announcement of the new Avatar on the TV.
"Hey Katara, look at this guy. He's a bit scrawny don't you reckon," Sokka called to me and I turned to face the TV.
Sokka was right; the new Avatar had a scrawny build with long limbs and lean muscle that seemed to coil under his pale skin. He wore customary monk robes and his head was shaved, a pale blue arrow tattoo pointing downwards. His features were angular; with cool grey eyes like the silver lining of a cloud, but there was no smile on his face… he looked awkward and uncomfortable as he stood tall and gangly on the high stone steps facing the crowd.
"He's got a funny name too. Did you hear it?" Sokka asked me with a light hearted smile, but I was staring blank faced at the screen to consumed by my absolute shock.
Because I knew the new Avatar's name already – he had told me himself.
His name was Aang.
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