Katara watched her chambermaid, An-gee, fling open Katara's expansive closet with her usual gusto. Everything in there, sadly, was red. She almost never had a chance to wear any blue, only during formal occasions and when Zuko was away. He didn't want the people to think that she was more loyal to the Southern Water-Tribe than to the Fire Nation. There had been many fights on Katara's behalf concerning this subject.
She let out a frustrated huff just as An-gee turned to suggest the usual red gown for today. Seeing that her mistress was upset, she promptly shut her mouth and thought it best to let the Fire Lady vent.
Fire Lady Katara stood up and walked briskly to her ridiculously full closet. She began to rifle through the assortment of gowns as if searching for something.
"Where are my blue gowns?" She asked, sharper than usual.
An-gee, knowing that Katara's moods have been particularly crazy lately because of the on-coming baby, answered calmly. "I had them taken to the wash. They were musty smelling from being kept in the closet for so long."
The Fire Lady looked upset for a moment and then ordered in an annoyed tone for An-gee to go fetch the head seamstress.
An-gee hurried out of the room, grateful that the Fire Lady hadn't been angry at her slightly impertinent remark about her beloved gowns, and went to locate Head Seamstress Lin.
During the time of her wait Katara began thinking about the design she wanted. She obviously wanted it to be blue, but she also wanted the fabric to be light in weight and in color. Her current robes were so dark and heavy. She wanted to get rid of the tiered type shoulder pads. They made her shoulders feel so stiff and confined.
Her plans were interrupted by a rather frazzled looking Seamstress Lin, being led in by An-gee. Lin curtsied and said, "You called Milady?"
Katara took a moment to take in Lin's appearance. Her hair was up in a rather messy up do, and she had scraps of fabric poking out of the folds of her robes. Katara coughed to hide her giggle at her appearance. "Yes." She said. Trying to sound imperious. "I would like you to create me a new wardrobe." Katara launched right into her descriptions of the pieces. She wanted something formal but she also wanted some everyday robes. She told Lin her preferences in the color and design. "…And I want something new. Do you think you can come up with anything?" Katara finally stopped and glanced at Lin who was still jotting notes down at the small notebook she had pulled from the disheveled folds of her robes.
Lin glanced up and gave Katara a hesitant look. "Well my old Mistress worked on a new type of fabric…she called it denim."
"What exactly is this uh…denim?" Katara asked curiously
"Well it is a kind of rugged cotton textile. It creates more of a diagonal pattern." Lin stopped and looked to Katara to see if she understood. She did. "But because it is a relatively heavy fabric I think we would use it long delicate swirls and combine it with silk and other light fabrics." Lin fell silent and watched the Fire Lady's excited face.
"What color is denim?" She questioned eagerly
"I can make it any color, but for you it would probably make it a light blue."
"Can you bring me some samples?
"I actually have some right here." Lin reached inside her robes again and pulled out a strange looking piece of cloth. It was rough on the outside but incredibly soft and slightly fuzzy on the inside. Katara looked up at Lin's face that held a suppressed anxiousness and grinned.
"Do you think you can can have something in a week?" Katara inquired.
"Of course Milady." Lin gave a respective bow to her Fire Lady and left, designs for Katara's gowns already swirling throughout her head.
Katara gazed at the robes that Lin had displayed in front of her. They were long and flowing just like that element she controlled. They were each a unique shade of light blue, some that Katara had never seen, with denim only several shades darker. It swirled disappearing and appearing within the folds of the light fabrics.
"I love them!" She almost squealed, but she remembered her station as the Fire Lady and just barely held it in. "Help me put it on" She ordered hoping to regain some composure, as she stepped on to the raised platform before the mirror.
Lin and helper fluttered around Katara and quickly put it on her. Just as Katara turned to look at the mirror her husband, Zuko, walked into the room the words he was about to say died on his lips. He stared at his young wife in her new robes and his mouth fell open. Not because it was low cut or extremely form fitting, but it was the color that brought out her eyes and her darker skin that still seemed so foreign and exotic to him stood out against the paleness of the fabric.
He walked towards her and gently ran his fingers over the strange delicate swirls. Katara looked down at Zuko at his touch and smiled at him as he continued to skim his fingers around the new fabric.
"What is this stuff?" He asked softly.
"It's called denim" She replied softly.