My day had been extremly long and exhausting. The trial I'd been working had been extened nearly five hours because of the number of suprises whitness and new evidence. The case itself wasn't that important in the grand scheme, just a local business caught running drugs across state lines. What made it run longer was the fact that every person kept trying to pin the blame on someone else. I'd wanted to be a laywer for years but after days like this where my patiance was pushed beyond limits I wanted nothing else then to scream.
But that's no longer my problem. I won the case thanks to some crucial video evidence and now everyone involved is spending the next ten years in prison while I was about to spend the next two hours drinking my stress away at Toph's bar.
The moment I stepped through the wooden doors the smell of alchool and tea hit me. People were lined up in booths celbrating something while others were to far gone to realize what they were doing. Not surprisingly I found Toph arm wrestling with someone twice her size at the counter. At twenty one Toph was by far the strongest women I knew.
"Is that all you got you big lug? You do know that if you can't beat me you'll pay double right?" From the way his vains were popping and how red his face was I knew he was beyond his limit. Her regulars knew that nobody could beat her and knew better, but it was always amusing to see someone try and fail to beat her. There was even a massive scoreboard above the bar showing her numerious victories.
"That you suger queen?" she asked turning her head as I got closer. I guess it's true. You really can't sneak up on a blind person.
"I see you're keeping busy as usual."
"Just trying to kill some time." she may have been focused on me as she around in her chair, but her arm remained strong and unwavering as her oppotment was nearing passing out.
"Well I'm in a mood to celebrate so how about you finish him off and we get something to drink."
"Sounds good to me." with one turn of her hand she slammed his hand to the table. He took one look at Toph and shighed before emptying his wallet onto the table before making his way toward the door.
Once we were at the bar she poured two shots. "So what exactly are you celebrating anyway?"
"The end of a very long very drawn out case." I said after downing my shot. The second the firery liguid hit my stomach I imediatly felt relaxed.
Toph had finished hers and was already pouring a few more. "What's it been four months? Usually I don't see you here unless something big happens or when you want to bitch about what stupid thing Aang was done."
"Alright first off you're blind so you never see anything and second I was just here last week remember? You got so drunk I had to help you home. And as for Aang we're in a good place right now."
"Really? and why's that?" Aang had been my boyfrind for a little over a year and although our relatiohship was usually filled with happy moments he had become a constant sourse of argivation as of late.
"Well if you really want to know it's because we had a long needed talk about our relationship."
She gulped down two more shots before rolling her eyes. "Katara remember who you're talking to."
"Alright so I'm just glad he's away from me for the next few months."
"Why? Usually you can't go anywhere without him folloiwng you."
"One of his old airbending masters called and asked if he could train some young airbenders for the next six months. At first he didn't want to go but I was at the end of my rope and insisted he go."
"Well now we have something to celebrate!"
"You know it always amazes me how Iroh let you turn his teahouse into a bar."
"Oh please, the only difference between a teahouse and a bar is how much alcohol in in the drinks. Speaking of which I got to clean out the room in the basement. He called a week ago, said that his niece we'll be staying here for the time beeing."
We continued to celbrate for the next few hours drinking and catching up. As it turned out she'd been hearing rumors that the local gangs in the city were riled up. Something about there being a new change in the ruleing crime family. We should have been a bit more invested but with the booze in our system and the fact we had to jobs that wouldn't change much because of crime we decided to ignore it for now. By the time we stopped it was well into the nightime and I was starting to loose my balance. So we said goodbyes I dialed up a cab and made my way home.
Once I was past the threshold of the loft Aang and I shared I felt my body collaspe into the nearest char as I looked around the room. Various pictures hung on the wall of my family and friends. When the spotted the once picture of Aang and I during one of our dates my stomach churned a bit.
It's probably the booze talking but I think the magic has gone out of this relationship. In the begening it had been good, we'd met during a period of my life I wasn't proud of and after a few months we starting dating. Aang was one of the nicest most caring people I'd ever met. But sometimes he treated me a doll that needed to be sheltered.
I do love him but he'll never be... I shot up from the chair before my mind could go down that particular memory.
"Down go down the path Katara. You know it only makes you deperesed."
After a moment I headed into my bedroom and changed for bed but not before making a homade hang over remedy and setting it into the fridge. "Really going to need this in the morning."
As I slid into bed I was glad that I had the next few days off.
When morning came the first thing that hit me was the splitting headace and the urge to puke. I barely made it the bathroom in time, as soon as my stomach was empty I gulped down my remedy. The tast and smell was horrible but as soon as it hit my stomach I felt better.
Okay Katara what's on the agenda for today?
I grabbed my phone and looked through my planner. I usually try to write down what I need to do on my days off. But after a few looks the only thing I could find was to buy grocies. It wasn't that suprising, I might be a hard worker but on my days off I tended to just laze around.
"Alright so I need to food. And with Aang being gone I can go back to eating plenty of watertribe food."
As I got dressed and grabbed a quick bite to eat I couldn't help shake the odd feeling in my stomach.
Probably just my body trying to shake off the booze.
Within ten minutes I had parked my car was navigating the ailes of the store induging in a bit hunger as I filled my cart with both the healthy things I needed and the unhealthy things I desperately wanted.
As I was nearing the end I decided to pay a visit to one of my old friends who had taken up running the flower shop that was inside the massive store. As usual she was busy trying to turn down the various guys that came in to hit on her. This one was a young man with dark slicked back hair that was leaning against her counter.
"I'm serious about this. Just you and me in my family cabin on the lake."
"Look I'd love to but a good friend of mine is comming into town and I can't wait to see her again." He didn't seem to like this answer and started to move in closer. "Look I'm not taking no for an answer." Knowing how this would end I made my move. "Ty lee it's been to long." as soon as she heard me she ran up and hugged me. "Katara!"
"I take it you've been doing fine."
"Better then fine. But how have you been?"
"I can't complain." irtated the young man tried to pull her away.
"Look we weren't done with our conversation." Ty lee quickly turned to face him "I'm sorry but we're going to have to reschedule our conversation. I haven't seen Katara in forever so I won't be able to give you an answer." he grumbled about being back soon and made his way out of the store. Once he was outside and out of view she relaxed.
"Thanks Katara. Usually all I have to do is smile and politely decline their offers but every so offten I get someone who won't take no for an answer."
"You know you could always just tell them that you were gay."
"I actually tried that once. It just changed from men asking me out to women." I couldn't help but laugh at this. Ty lee had the unfortunate luck of being both beautiful and bubely, add in her kind and caring nature and you have the recipe for constantly being hounded by men.
"So do you really have a friend comming over or was that just an excuse?"
"It was the truth all right. My oldest friend just got out of jail a couple weeks ago. She already found a place to live for a while, knowing her she'll probably go into the family business soon. It's been a few years since I've seen her so I'm really excited."
She had a friend in prision? I'm suprised she hasen't said anything before. But then again sometimes she does talk a bit to much and I start to fade in and out.
"She'll actually get here tonight if you want to meet her." a part of me didn't want to. A lawyer hanging out with someone with a criminl recored could be a bad thing but then I remembered that I had nothing to do for the next few days and could use a night out with friends. "Sure, how about we meet at Toph's bar at about eight?"
"Great we'll meet you there." As I made my way outside and to my car it occured to me that I'd forgotton to ask what her friends name was. "Oh well I guess I'll just find out later."
Once I was home and everything was properly put away I took a good long look around and was taken back by how big of a mess had acuminated. Then I remembered that it was Aang that usually did most of the cleaning.
It's not that bad of a mess, just some clothes laying about. But I knew that If I didn't pick them up now then the mess would just grow bigger. As I cleaned up the place I kept noticing more and more places untill finally noticing a thin phamplet hidden underneath one of Aang's books. Normally I wouldn't want to look as he usually told me everything. but the fact that he went out of his way to hid it made me curious.
As soon as I opened it I was filled with shock and agitation.
That little! It was a phamlet explaining the details and reasons to move to one the temples that littered the air nation. I've told him time and time again that I didn't want to move there! Sure the firenation isn't the best place but I'd rather live here then in a temple.
I had no idea when he'd gotten this but by how warn it is I'd say that he'd had it for a while.
Which means he's been thinking about asking me to move there. It might have been a bit petty but after a moment of consideration went over to the stove and burned the phamlet.
After that I kept cleaning untill everything was no longer a horrid mess. When I finally finished I took a glance at the clock and realized that I only had half an hour or so before I was supposed to meet up with Ty lee.
"Might as well just go a bit early and have a few drinks."
As soon as I got there I saw that it was unsually busy. "What the heck is going on tonight?" I asked making my way to the counter all the while bypassing the crowded tabels. Toph was busy pouring drinks to people when I got there.
"Hell if I know, everyone just showed up here a few minutes ago. But then again as long as they buy drinks and don't piss me off it'll be fine."
As I sat there waiting for Ty lee I had to decline the various offers that people were making. Everything from buying a drink to going home with them. I wasn't in any danger of course, if Toph was known for one thing it was how much pain she could cause someone who caused trouble at her bar and to her friends.
"Hey Katara I hate to ask this but could you go and finish cleaning up the basement? I already got most of it, all you would have to do is put the cot down and move a couple boxes."
"Sure." if it meant a break from this crowd I'd gladly do it. The basement was just as I remembered it. It was dark with massive barrels of alchol linning the walls with a special section for whine and tea. As she said the room had been mostly clread out but there were still a couple boxes that needed to be moved for the cot. I wasn't known for my strength so it took me a while but once it was out of the way I placed the cot down and started to make my way up the stairs when I heard voices.
"Yeah she's down there finishing the room." I heard Toph say before the door opened up and I heard the sound of feet coming down the stairs.
"Come on I can't wait for you to meet her." a few seconds later a new voice was heard. "Ty lee you know how I fell about meeting people."
I know that voice. But it couldn't be.
"There you are Katara. I wanted you to meet my old friend Azula." she said moving to show me.
"Ty lee did you just say Katara..." We both froze as ameber eyes met blue.
"Katara?"
"Azula?" At first all we did was stand there as disbelieve turned to relization. She's here, she's really here. It's impossible to say who moved first, but the result was that we wound up embracing each other on the cot I'd just set up.
