Avatar: the Last Airbender
Coming to an Understanding
Author's note: Avatar: the Last Airbender is copyright Nickelodeon and the awesome dudes who made it. Luka and Jai belong to FreezeFramer and were used with her permission.
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"Oh, come on - what's got you all pouty?" Jai demanded, planting her fists on her hips, lips pursed. She leaned forward, the banana peel on her head threatening to slip and fall off, to plop down onto the ice below. "Even the banana peel thing isn't cheering you up, and that always works!"
Luka, perched on the edge of an ice bridge spanning over one of the glistening sluices carved out through the city of the Northern Water Tribe, narrowed his eyes and glowered at the frost-blue water below, rubbing his mittened hands together. "You say that like it doesn't bother you," he grumbled, a visible flush wriggling to life across his cheeks. "Like they don't bother you." Jai saw Luka's gaze flit away - to the pair of girls giggling at each other, smiling - happy in each others' company, blushing as Luka did, except for an entirely different reason.
Jai sighed - straightened up - and plucked the banana skin from her head, setting it down beside Luka. She planted her hands on either side of it and leaned forward, a light frown tugging down on her mouth. "Luka..."
"Ever since the Avatar came here a while ago - ever since that Southern Water Tribe girl beat Master Pakku - things have been different around here. I mean, haven't you noticed?" Luka asked, licking his lips. "Women aren't just healers and homemakers, men aren't just warriors and hunters. Our culture's changed."
"That's not necessarily a bad thing, you know." Jai flashed Luka a wild grin, making her friend snort, crack a small smile - there was the Luka she liked. "Sexism is passé. Even the Fire Nation isn't as bad as we were, from what I've heard. Fire Nation women could be soldiers or guards or hunters or whatever, and I think it's fantastic that the Northern Water Tribe finally wised up (even though the metaphor is dampened somewhat by the fact that it was another Waterbender that set the change in motion, but you get what I mean). It's just that, with the knots of gender roles coming undone, other things that were taboo to us are going the way of the Airbender, too. It's a chain reaction of change. A change reaction," she added, nodding.
"I - " Luka's expression fell into one of pensivity, his shoulders hunching up. "I'm fine with that part - it's been hard getting used to but it doesn't really bother me. What does," his gaze flitted to the girls again, who had started to walk away, oblivious to Luka's ire, "is that."
Jai shook her head, laughed, summer's chill brushing against her cheeks, made her ears buzz and ache (though not unpleasantly). The scent of water, of ice - hard to pick out, especially if you grew up here, but refreshing and purifying if you managed to find it - floating up to her. Luka's eyes widened, whipping his head around to face her, his mouth curling into a shocked circle.
"What - what's so funny?" Luka demanded, his flush spreading, splashed across his cheeks.
"You, silly." Jai clapped Luka on the shoulder. "It's adorable!"
"No it's not!" Luka frowned, more aghast than slighted, and that was okay because it was hard to actually get him mad. "It's true! And that," a finger extended to the corner of the building the two girls had disappeared around, "is disgusting!"
"Hey, I'm not saying you're wrong," Jai yielded, her grin unfading. "I just happen to disagree with you. I think it's beautiful. And you know how corruptive I can be." She plucked up the banana peel between her thumb and forefinger, flipped it over, examining it, the skin cold against her skin - and, beaming, she plopped it down on Luka's head, the open fingers draped down over his brow. "One of these days, I'll sway you. Indirectly, maybe, 'cause I don't plan on challenging you...but I'll get you in my claws yet." She wiggled her fingers and cackled, and, despite himself, finally gave way to a sincere smile.
"We'll just see about that."