Period Buddies
Air Temple Island was a place of solstice for anyone that came. A bit of a spiritual journey for some, called home by the Avatar and his family, and may as well have been home to the Beifong ladies. But in other instances, this place was the gathering place for the most dangerous species around:
P.M.S-ing benders.
It was strange and poor Aang could never figure it out-
His usually rather lovely wife, Katara, became utterly moody, crabby, and downright scary. Alright. He was the Avatar. No big deal. He pushed through the mood swings and strange requests for exotic fruits. So what he had to break his back to keep the peaceful air on the island and to scour all of Republic city to find what his wife requested? He loved her-and at the least, he always told himself,
"Well, if I can end a war at 13, I can survive my wife's wrath for a week!"
His optimistic nature was often his worst enemy.
One temperamental waterbender wasn't enough though.
Toph was a single mother. Therefore, Aang and Katara never found a problem with keeping Lin overnight or acting as a second family whilst the former Blind Bandit had to attend to her duties as Chief of Police. But Miss Beifong was a wonderful mother. She was tough and harsh on little Lin-but she certainly taught the child many life lessons. Ontop of that, Aang found it utterly adorable that his tough, blunt, former earthbending teacher was so . . . lovey dovey with her daughter. It was a transition no one expected, but no one complained about. Lin Beifong was Toph's pride and joy and everyone knew it.
However, hell hath no fury for a woman on her period.
Toph was a nightmare when it was her time of the month. If anyone had been afraid of the Chief of Police before-they'd be utterly terrified now. Whilst Katara and Toph certainly had a close bond as friends, the tables were flipped at this time as Toph's need to push other peoples' buttons went up and Katara's sensitivity level also went through the roof. It usually went something like this in a confrontation,
"Wow, Sweetums, someone looks a bit bloated." Toph snickered, holding young Lin to her hip. The girl sighed, seeming to know this tone her mother had-it meant Toph was looking to get under someone's skin. And it usually worked. So quirking her lips, Lin plopped her head onto her mother's shoulder and prepared for the show to start.
Glancing up from the cutting board that she was preparing that night's dinner on, Katara cocked a brow and honestly, the waterbender just looked downright offended. What went from upset and hurt by her friend's comment quickly turned into anger and then just downright rage.. And thus the war started.
"ExCUSE me?! I wouldn't talk, TOPH." She scolded in her best 'Momma's mad and you better listen, or I'll send you to your room', voice.
"You can't even SEE how awful you look, MUDSLUG, so just shut up!"
But rather than being offended-it took a lot to offend Toph- the earthbender 'looked' down at Lin who just giggled quietly. Lin knew better than anyone that Toph's set up to offending people was so practiced, it was practically a science.
"Well, first off, Sugarqueen, I can't see anything. You could look like a Lion-Turtle and guess what? I could still say you're pretty and make you feel good about yourself. Jeez, lighten up, Madame-Fussy-Britches."
Katara wasn't exactly . . . an expert in back-talking people, offending others, or having good comebacks. Now if anyone needed someone who was an expert at interpreting what a bumbling child was saying, now THAT, she could do. But simply standing there with her mouth opening and closing without any words coming out, the blue-eyed woman just began to turn red.
"You-YOU have SOME NERVE, TOPH! I can't EVER do anything without YOU criticizing and picking on me and just AGH! Why don't YOU cook dinner for everyone, raise THREE kids, deal with a husband that's basically my FOURTH kid, and THEN 'LIGHTEN UP'." She screeched, just as Aang himself walked in.
"Everything smells goooo-I'm gonna leave then . . . "
"NO, GET BACK HERE AANG! ALL OF YOU JUST LEAVING ME TO WORK AND WORK AND WHAT DO I GET?! SOME BLIND BITCH TELLING ME I LOOK FAT! WELL GUESS WHAT?! I'M DONE HELPING YOU, TOPH!"
"Yeah?! Well, get this Katara, I'M not your husband, TWINKLETOES OVER THERE IS, so stop yelling at me like I give a damn, and sort out your marital issues!"
"At least I HAVE marital issues, you promiscous bitch!"
"Sorry, I'm not desperate to have a ring to see who cares about me, honey."
Aang's eyes widened at that comment and he slowly inched back into his room.
"Uh oh . . . "
Now to clarify, Aang had certainly heard some harsh things from both Toph and Katara in his years dealing with the brawling bending ladies. But he was Aang. He hardly took things to heart and knew that they were just angry, emotional, and they didn't say things to really hurt eachothers feelings. It was simply to get out the conflicted feelings they had inside-or something. Aang certainly hoped there was a more insightful, spiritual meaning behind the two women constantly fighting so violently over the simplest things during that one damned week every month.
Currently, Lin was 14 years old, Kya was 17, and Ursa 18.
And that was what baffled and worked Aang up to this day.
How was it that all five women could manage to be on their period at the same time, during the same visit, and for the same duration? Affectionately dubbed 'period buddies', Aang watched young Kya and Ursa who were usually such close friends, whip out the claws and then begin crying. Female emotions made the Avatar uneasy.
On that day, Toph was coming by for the weekend with Lin since she had some time off from work. Mai and Zuko had come on request since the entire Gaang appeared to be free for once. It seemed like the setting for a nice weekend. Note the word, 'seemed'.
With a wide grin, Aang bended himself to his feet in that graceful and energetic way he'd always done. The first guests to arrive were the Fire Nation royal family. And they'd brought some Fire Nation dishes for dinner as well. Loudly and with excitement clear in his voice, Aang called to Katara and their three children that 'Uncle Hotman' had arrived. A flurry of energetic teenagers dashed out to meet their friend and the extended 'family.' But Aang was intent on being first to greet the Firelord.
"Flameo, Hotman! You've even brought your own food!" He declared causing Zuko to crack a slight grin. The Avatar, even into his adult years, never ceased to amaze the Firelord with his ceaseless energy.
"Well, we figured it'd be our way of contributing." Zuko answered simply, though he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and nodded, "It's nice to see you again, Aang."
"You as well! You've gotten all 'royal' and 'Firelord-y' on us! This weekend, it's gonna be like old times!"
Before Zuko could sarcastically answer with the, 'Well I could chase you around and try to capture you' line, Ursa shoved her way through her parents. Mai cocked an eyebrow, but rolled her eyes and simply remained at her husband's side. Making a face, Zuko sighed and glanced after the ever-spirited Ursa as she stalked off to greet Kya on her own terms. Head high, her amber eyes seemed to hold power above her fellow teenagers-but to Bumi, that held no meaning to him.
"Heeeey, Urssaaaa . . . Long time no see . . . Hottie-get it? 'Cause you're a fire bender!" With a howl of laughter and noteworthy ability to praise himself, Bumi didn't seem to realize the Fire Nation princess just turning to Kya and ignoring him. At this, a younger Tenzin sighed and prodded his brother.
"Hey, idiot, she's not even listening to you."
"Yeah, HUH! She just didn't reply because my charm just stunned her to silence!"
"Oh yeah, sure. Bumi: The King of Charm. Seems quite fitting."
"Ooh, I like that, Tenzy! OH! OH! What about 'Commander Bumi: King of the Babes'!"
" . . . That doesn't even make sense."
"YOU DON'T MAKE SENSE!"
"MOM! BUMI'S TRYING TO POKE ME WITH SHARP SWORDS AGAIN!"
"MOOOOM, TENZIN'S TRYING TO THROW ME INTO A TORNADO AGAIN!"
"YOU'RE STUPID!"
"YOU'RE BALD!"
Rather used to her brothers' squabbling and mostly being the one to initiate the banter, Kya ignored the bickering boys and drowned out her mother's yelling to greet the princess.
"Ursa, hey! Your hair's gotten longer-and it looks shinier too! Are you using some new herbal mixture?" The young waterbender asked, always a bit TOO interested in all things herbs, medicines, and such. But still seeming just stiff and unresponsive, Ursa blinked a few times and swallowed. Knowing her friend pretty well, Kya knew that the Fire Nation Princess could be a bit of a brat, but she was a sweet, spunky girl despite her initial coldness and stoic demeanor. Kya was used to a sporadic greeting of squeals, talking about boys, hair, how vacation was, dreading school starting, and so forth and so on. But not this time. Tilting her head and absently tugging on a strand of her thick brown hair as she studied Ursa, Kya nudged her friend with her hip.
"Er, Ursa? You okay? You're usually not THIS antisocial."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?!" The girl suddenly snapped which caused Kya to back away and her blue eyes to widen. Raising her hands in defeat and to meekly apologize, the waterbender was prepared to die a fiery, painful death. Ursa could be quite unpredictable sometimes. Her friends accepted that about her, but still . . .She was pretty scary. A scorching from Ursa was never good.
But, as Kya thought of what she wanted to be in her will, Ursa sighed and hung her head.
"Look, Kya . . . Sorry." She muttered, not sounding too sorry, but more or less embarrassed to say those words.
"I uh . . . something's . . . up and I can't really tell anyone else and I'm really uncomfortable and I've had this the whole trip from home to here and I-"
Surprised she wasn't dead yet, but perking up and chuckling at Ursa's babbling, Kya just chirped, "Hey, just tell me what's up! It's just me, Ursa! I wouldn't judge!"
"Well . . . I started. And Mom told me to pack . . . things, just in case, 'cause I knew it'd happen soon, but not THIS soon, so I don't want to tell her, because then she'll go four types of crazy on me and try to make an exotic shish-ka-bob out of me with her throwing knives. And I CAN'T tell dad because . . . C'mon, look at him! He's my DAD! Kya, help me!"
So THAT'S what this was about. Kya had noticed that her friend was even walking a bit funny-as if her clothes were wet. But simply giggling, the waterbender took her troubled friend's hands and told her with a smile, "Don't you worry, princess! I'm on mine too, so it's not all bad! We're period buddies remember?"
Scowling and simply looking just like her mother for a moment, Ursa gave Kya a look that said, 'You better be lucky I love you.' "Yeah, sure, whatever, just get me a cloth and something to change in to!"
"Alright, alright, sheesh! Calm down, flameo!"
Looking about to pounce on her friend and go in for the kill, Ursa's eye twitched and she whined, "I've been in an AIRSHIP for EIGHT HOURS. Kya! If I get any 'calmer', I can promise that this dress will turn to three darker shades of red!" Jabbing a finger towards her pretty elaborate Fire Nation gown, Kya finally nodded.
"Okay, okay, c'mon. Too bad I'm not a bloodbender-"
"Oh my Spirits, Kya, that's damn digusting!"
"I was just saying! I could save your dress maybe!"
"Uh huh, sure, that's exactly what you meant. Blegh, and people think you're so innocent."
"Phhhttt . . . "
Thanks for reading and if I get enough positive feedback, I shall continue with how the whole weekend goes down :3 I used Ursa rather than Honora, because . . . I'd already written Ursa and was too lazy to change it and mer XD After hearing that Kya used to push Tenzin around and she's a bit of a hippie, I was eager to test out writing for her. Also sibling antics are a favorite of mine3 Annnnd I just wanted a story that could be both funny, have most of the Gaang, their kids, and silly situations. Thus this came about XD Lin and Toph will be joining the story next! Until next time!
~ Scar