A/N. Spirits… Longest chapter in this fic…
"We can sneak in with the crowds!" Katara suggested, thinking about how in one day, they could have a lead for Appa, and talk to the Earth King!
"Won't work. No offence to you simple country folk, but a real society crowd would spot you peasants from a mile away." Toph answered, munching on some bread, "None of you have any manners."
That made the waterbender boil inside. She didn't have manners? Well, at least, she would eat her food with chopsticks. She would not clip her toenails in front of the others. She would not pick her nose.
"Excuse me? You're not exactly lady fancy fingers!" Katara answered. She saw her brother enter the room and sit down next to Aang, who whispered something in his ear. Sokka smiled at whatever the airbender had said. A loud belch made Katara turn her attention back to the blind girl.
"I learned proper society behaviour and chose to leave it. You've never learned it, and frankly… It is too late." Toph stated while picking her nose. Yeah, very ladylike.
"But you've learned! You can teach us!" Her brother proposed, standing up, as did Aang.
"Yeah, I'm learning every element, how hard could manners be?" The airbender grinned, before grabbing the cloak she had given him to hide the tattoos while they were in the Lower Ring. The young man draped it over his shoulder, to make it look like a cape, and bowed exaggeratingly towards Sokka.
"Good evening, Mister Sokka of the Water tribe." The airbender spoke, in that voice he had used to gain access to the Bei Fong estate. The waterbender smiled at the antics. It was good to see him having fun. Then, he turned to her, took her hand and kissed it way too ostentatiously.
"Miss Katara of the Water Tribe." He spoke, but she heard the difference in the tone. It had become softer, and more sincere. Aang looked up from her hand, gazing in her eyes. She saw that there was no amusement in the grey orbs. Only a kind of emotion she couldn't quite place. He released her hand and turned to his lemur.
"Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty. Your Momo-ness" the airbender bowed to the lemur, who just looked him like he had gone crazy. Sokka stepped forward, also bowing.
"Ah, Avatar Aang, how do you do?" The two began bowing, before hitting their heads against each other. Katara smiled seeing that. Both were intelligent in their own right but putting them together made it look like they shared one brain cell. And that Momo had custody over it.
Toph came to stand next to her, also grinning, and shaking her head.
"Katara may be able to pull it off, she is the most civilized person here. You two would be lucky to pass as busboys." Toph sighed, grabbing the waterbender's arm. "If any of you two enter my room, I'll castrate you!" The blind girl shouted, while pulling her along to the room at the end of the corridor.
The earthbender opened the door, and nearly threw her inside. Katara had not been in this room before, and was surprised by the fact it looked different from her own bedroom. There was a bed, which looked like it hadn't been touched, and a large closet.
"This house is not old. That freaky lady said it was home to the Avatars, but that not true. She thinks so, but I can feel the foundations of this building. The earth around it has been moved recently. This house was built around two weeks ago. And for some reason, the closet is filled with clothes that are way too fancy for me. I suspect they build it in case some important person came to visit." Toph explained. It made sense. Aang had thought the Avatar was normally given apartments in the Palace, and that it was weird to have a house outside it.
"Meaning that we are being lied to, and we don't know why." Katara stated.
"Yep. When I was here with my parents, we were followed around by two men. At all time. I suspect we have also been followed. It is difficult to feel around in the house, with the wooden floors." Toph sighed, sitting down on the bed.
"Aang and I have been to the Lower Ring… So, the people who might be following us may know about that." Katara sat down next to the girl.
"Yeah. What was that about actually? You know you can screw him here, don't you? No need to find a little alley somewhere. Except if that is your fancy," Toph grinned, and Katara just rolled her eyes.
"We went to look for Appa. We heard some soldiers talk about a tavern, and some vendor said it was a place where information was traded for money. So, we visited the place. It was a brothel, with Air Nomad decorations and so on." Katara hated that. She had seen how Aang's eyes had tried very hard to stay neutral, but she had seen the flash of pain when the proprietor had appeared, wearing those clothes that the airbender probably associated with women and girls he had known in his own time.
"Spirits… I know what they say about his people, but let's be honest… Twinkletoes is not a libertine." The blind girl spoke.
"Yeah, he isn't. He explained to me why his people were seen, by some, as weird with their sexuality. It is far more complicated than people think." She explained. The waterbender didn't go into detail, for the simple fact that Aang had told her those things. He had not told them to Sokka, Toph or anyone else. That was their thing.
"Yeah, but enough about all this. Let's get ready to infiltrate that bear's party."
Toph showed her how to walk, how to talk. The blind girl even produced a fan from the closet, explaining how to send a signal with the fan.
"This means I am not interested" she moved the fan in front of her mouth. "This, I am interested in talking." She moved the fan just a bit lower, allowing for her mouth to be seen.
As the hours went by, and the earthbender kept explaining all the fine details off high society, Katara couldn't help but have pity for the girl. In her own tribe, no one was more important than the other. Of course, there were chiefs, warriors and so on, but they were all treated with the same respect. But the Earth Kingdom had a much stricter hierarchy, and the etiquette surrounding it was so unlike Toph, that Katara realized why the girl had hated it. It restricted everything, from movement to eating. Toph just wanted to life like she wanted, and not life in the golden prison. Which was a prison nonetheless for people like her.
"And now, dresses." The blind earthbender stated. She opened the closet.
"I can feel different sizes, so you'll have to find something that fits you. And for the love of the spirits don't wear anything that is not green. Here in Ba Sing Se, the fashion is, since several centuries, green."
Finally, they found two dresses fit for a party of high society. Katara felt it was way too fancy, and she already disliked it. As Toph had warned, the clothes were not made to move or even breathe. They were made to… show of the goods, as the blind girl had so bluntly stated.
"Now, the face paint. This will be tricky. Normally, my mother's servants would do it, but they talked while applying it, as if it would make any difference to me. I'll try and recite what they did, but you'll have to do it for us both."
Toph explained how to put on just enough to make it look natural, but at the same time, not at all. After that, she described how to wear the hair in typical Earth Kingdom styles, and when they finally managed to get it done, Katara turned to the mirror in the corner.
It was… Different. She was not really convinced. The girl staring back at her from the mirror was her… But at the same time, not at all. The make-up was just not her. And the hair wasn't either. And green was not her colour.
She realized she much preferred to have just her own clothes, plain and simple. At least, it was practical. This… thing… made her look much more feminine, but she knew perfectly well why that was. As Toph had said… To show of the goods. The Earth Kingdom was, in this case, even worse than the North Pole. Women had no right at all. Nothing. They were just decoration in the room, and served one purpose, in high society. Produce children.
Katara hated it. She was a waterbending Master. She was respected by her friends, not for how she looked, but for who she was.
"Come on, let's give Twinkletoes a heart attack." Toph cackled, which sounded so out of place when she looked like that. Katara realized something.
What will his reaction be?
She hated the fact that was the first thing she thought. The waterbender knew perfectly well that Aang… liked?... Her for her personality, but for some reason, this made her nervous.
"Come on Sugar." Toph pulled her along. They got out of the room, and stood at the end of the corridor. Katara saw Aang play a game with Sokka, grinning evilly when Sokka lost and got a little smack on the head because of it.
"Hey knuckleheads." Toph shouted, before turning in the perfect example of a society girl. The transformation, in the span of a second, was impressive. The waterbender realized that Toph was the best actor of them all. She quickly pulled the fan in front of her, as the other two turned around.
Sokka reaction was comical. His mouth fell open, an eyebrow rose up, and he muttered something about "Where have they gone and who are you?" Then, she turned to Aang.
Her heart began to beat faster. That look… She had seen it twice. Just before they had kissed in the Cave of the two Lovers… And when he had said How I feel about you, just before arriving at Ba Sing Se. Toph began to laugh, and Katara herself smiled, more at Aang than at the reactions of the two.
"You look beautiful…" Aang broke the silence, and not only she had heard it. The others had also heard. The airbender was almost immediately hit on the back of his head by her brother, while Toph put her fan against the waterbender's stomach.
"Don't talk to the commoners." Toph began to walk to the door, and Katara followed.
"We'll slip inside, and open the side door of the gardens for you." She quickly murmured to Aang, who just nodded, still looking at her.
"KATARA!" The blind girl shouted, and she quickly shuffled to the earthbender. When the door fell close behind them, Katara walked beside Toph, who tried to hide her grin.
"Well, his blood went to one particular place." Toph whispered, but before Katara could stop her, they walked beside an older couple of dignitaries, making their way toward the Palace. The waterbender saw several other people, and carriages, going towards the great gates. As they stood in the queue in front of several Royal Guards, she talked quietly to the blind earthbender.
"Is your passport enough to get us in?"
"The Bei Fongs are quite an old noble family. I believe Kuei is actually some kind of distant cousin." Toph answered, as quiet as she could, because, apparently, talking was considered to be bad manners for women…
"Kuei?"
"The Earth King." Toph explained from the corner of her mouth. Katara was surprised… Toph was actually related to the King? That made her… well, in Earth Kingdom high society, very significant.
As they arrived in front of the guards, one just asked for their invitation.
"I believe this will do." Toph showed her green and gold passport, with the flying boar inscribed on it. The guard didn't even look.
"No invitation, no entrance. Next."
As Toph tried to argue with the guard, which seemed, to Katara, to contradict everything that the earthbender had told her about these aristocrats, she herself looked around, seeing a carriage stop some distance away from the crowd, and a tall man step out of it, to which the guard bowed. So, an important man.
As much as Katara hated to appear helpless, in this case, she would have to act like that. Etter to appear like that for a minute then wait a month for an audience with the king.
"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you… But my cousin lost our invitation. She blind, you see." She whispered the last part, but feeling a pebble hit the small of her back, she supposed Toph had heard her, "Do you think you could help us? Our family is already inside and they are surely very worried."
The tall man, with a receding hairline, a small moustache and intelligent green eyes, looked at her, with a warm smile.
"Of course, I'm honoured to help, please, come with me."
His voice sounded gentle, but Katara felt a shiver. His voice sounded too quiet. As if he was used not to have to raise his voice. As if he was used to be listened to, and that his orders were followed. As they passed the royal guards, the man just gestured at them, and the two men let them pass without any questions.
"I am Long Feng, the Cultural Minister to the Earth King, and, until recently, the leader of the regency council. Luckily, our good Majesty is now capable of reigning without our help." The man introcuded himself, but still, Katara couldn't shake off the feeling that he was quite something more than just the Cultural minister.
They entered a corridor, and Katara's eyes hurt just by the sight. There was so much gold, silver and bronze in this hallway, that from everywhere, light shone to her eyes. She tried not to look impressed, for she was supposed to have been invited and knowing the Palace. Still, it was difficult not to look around.
They walked behind the man, who was now talking to another guard, who was wearing dark robes, a conical head and a sort of pin on his chest, showing off the Earth symbol.
They entered a hall in which her village could easily enter. Scrap that, they could build several houses inside this room, and still have a place to move around. Spirits, how rich was this king? The table took the whole width of room, and at one end, sat an animal, eating a roasted turtle duck… The bear? Weird.
"Impressive no?" The Minister asked, looking up at the ceiling. Katara also looked. And was immediately disgusted. The whole ceiling was taken up by paintwork, depicting a man in green robes in the middle. All around him, servants bowed. At one end of the painting, people who looked like peasants, but way too clean and happy looking, worked on fields, while several earthbenders moved ores from mines with the same contented expression. Then, on the other end, nobles overlooked papers and worked together in harmony. It was the Earth kingdom, or at least… a highly idealistic version of the Nation.
"What are your names actually?" Long Feng smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"I'm Hwamei." Katara quickly stated. It was a name she had heard in Omashu, the last time they were there, so it was the good cultural zone, "And this is… Dung." She couldn't help it. For once, she was able to tease Toph. The blind girl turned, and quietly pulled at one of the braids in Katara's hair.
"And where is your family? I'd love to meet them." Long Feng bowed politely, and looked around, as if he could locate their "family" in that manner.
"Oh, we see them, thank you!" Katara pulled Toph quickly towards the buffet table, wanting to join the group standing next to it to make it seem that was their family. But Long Feng quickly stepped in front of them.
"As your escort, it would be dishonourable to abandon you ladies without finding you family." The man smiled, but it still didn't reach the eyes…
They were trapped. Of course there was no family there, and even Toph's name couldn't change much. She had been a perfectly kept secret for most people, so the name Toph Bei Fong would make people only raise eyebrows, because they would suppose she was someone pretending to be from that family… As the man led them from one group to the other.
"Another crab cake?" One of the servants said. That was weird. If Toph was to be believed, the servants were supposed to keep quite as social events, so that the nobles would not have to speak or listen to them. Katara turned and saw a tall young man. Pale. And very familiar.
"Aang!" She whispered, making sure that Long Feng wasn't looking.
"And Sokka!" the other servant whispered angrily, "Thanks for letting us in."
She didn't listen. She had seen Aang blush again, and his eyes go from her face to… a lower region. This dressed revealed more of her forms than she was used to. And apparently also more than Aang was used to…
When she finally managed to take her eyes off the blushing airbender, she turned to her brother.
"Sorry… The guy that escorted us in won't leave us alone." She said quietly. Her brother looked around, trying to see who the man was, but Long Feng had gone… He had just been there, a minute before…
"What are you doing here? You have to leave immediately! Or we'll all be in terrible trouble!" Jo Dee voice came from behind her, and when she turned around, the woman stood there. The fake mile was gone, and it was replaced by a scared look.
"Not until we see the king!" Sokka whispered back.
Then, the shit hit the fan.
First, Jo Dee pushed Sokka. Who stumbled against Aang. The airbender had just taken a golden jug filled with tea from one of the trays. And its content spilled all over one particular fat noblewoman. Who screamed. Attracting the attention of nearly everyone around them. Just. Perfect.
Aang, being his polite self, dried her. With airbender. Well, if that didn't wasn't enough, Katara realized that Momo was hidden underneath the hat the young airbender had worn. And of course, the mischievous lemur chooses that exact moment to run away. With the hat, revealing the arrow tattoo on Aang's forehead.
"Ooooh… I didn't know the Avatar was invited!" The woman exclaimed. Katara turned towards Jo Dee, to see the woman sporting an expression of pure terror on her face.
Aang, Toph and Sokka disappeared in the crowd that formed around them, but the waterbender stayed net to Jo Dee. Something made her worry for her.
"What is it?" She whispered quickly to the woman.
"Y-you d-don't understand. I was responsible for the Avatar! I failed… I-I-I f-f-ailed…" As Katara watched, Jo Dee's face changed from horror, to bliss, to pure nothingness. Then she turned and disappeared through a door.
"I'm invited to La.." She heard the woman begin to speak, but then the door shut behind her. Katara tried to open it, but it seemed not to have a door handle….
She managed to locate Toph, and quickly went to stand beside her, but before she could even speak, a fanfare announced the arrival of the Earth king. Nearly twenty royal guards walked in, followed by a palanquin. On it, behind a thin curtain, sat a tall, young man, with eyeglasses and some kind of headgear, looking like a mixture of a helmet and a hat, all made of green and golden silk. Yeah. That was the King.
From a crowd, mostly made up of young and older women, Katara heard Aang's voice call out for Your Earthiness. She closed her eyes, trying to hide a smile. That sounded like something that didn't go well with social hierarchy here in Ba Sing Se. But it sounded so like Aang.
Before she could open her eyes, she felt a cold hand cover her mouth and arms, pulling her into the shadows. The yelp next to her made it seem Toph had a similar treatment.
The hand pulled her to a door, and there stood two men in the same kinds of uniforms as the man who had spoken to Long Feng. They were thrown inside a room, being released from the cold hands. Turning around, she saw the hands were actually rock, bent in the form of a hand, who were now flying back to the two individuals in the corner.
Sokka also was unceremoniously thrown in the room and was put next to her. Then, Aang entered the room with Long Feng, who sat down at the desk in front of them.
"Why won't you let us talk to the King? We have information vital for him to hear!" Her brother argued. She thought it was a good idea, to set the tone of the discussion. But, from her limited interaction with the man in front of them, she also knew he was extremely intelligent.
"The Earth king has no time to get involved with political squabbles and the day to day running of the military." Long Feng spoke quietly, reasonably. Katara felt a shiver to from the base of her neck, to the small of her back.
"This could be the most important thing he has ever heard…" Aang stepped forward, but immediately, the floor moved and put him back, next to her. Katara put a hand on his arm, for she suspected that the next time he stepped in the vicinity of the man, he would be earthbended inside the ground. Six feet inside the ground to be exact.
"His Majesty find it important to maintain the cultural heritage of Ba Sing Se. All his duties relate to issuing decrees on such matters. It is my job to oversee the rest of the city's resources." The man still smiled his infuriating calm smile.
"The king is just a figurehead…" Katara sighed. She had suspected it since the moment the royal guards had bowed to the man. He had probably been regent for the King, when he was called to the throne at the ripe age of three.
"He's your puppet!" The blind girl next to her exclaimed.
"Oh no! His Majesty is an icon, a god to his people! He can't sully his hand with the hourly changes of an endless war… I thought you would know that… Miss Bei Fong."
How… did that man knew Toph's name? Oh Spirits… The earthbender had suspected they had been followed… This man knew everything they had done since arriving in the city…
Sokka stepped forward, "But we have a pla-"
"Stop. I don't want to hear you ridiculous plan. Within these walls, the war won't be mentioned. Constant news of this lost conflict will only throw the citizens of this great city in turmoil. Our economy in ruins, our peaceful way of life and traditions would disappear. I think you could appreciate my wish to preserve my culture, Avatar. In silencing talk of conflict, Ba Sing Se remains a peaceful, orderly utopia. The last one on earth." Long Feng finished, smiling wickedly. All the kindness she had heard in his voice at the beginning of the evening was gone.
"You can't keep the truth from all these people!" Katara exclaimed. She still held her hand on the airbender's arm. She had felt him tense at the monologue of the man in front of them.
"I'll tell them. I'll make sure they know." Aang stated. She heard the anger in his voice. But for once, she was in agreement with him. This was the time to be angry.
"Until now, you've been treated as our honoured guests. From now on, you'll be watched every moment by Dai Li agents… Even when you make a little trip to the Lower Ring with that water wench." Long Feng gestured towards her.
"Watch your-" Aang began, but was cut off by the man.
"I understand you are looking for your bison. It would be quite a shame if you were unable to complete your quest."
She still kept her hand on his arm, but she had seen his face fell. That had taken the wind out of his sails, and Katara understood perfectly why. That man had just threatened Appa. Or at least, knew something they didn't.
"Jo Dee will show you home."
A figure emerged from the shadows, but as soon as she stepped into the light…
That was not Jo Dee.
"I'm Jo Dee. I'll be your host. Come with me please." The woman in front of them said, with a fake smile that bore a striking resemblance to the one that their Jo Dee had sported…
Welcome to Ba Sing Se.
Answers ;
Gabriela N. Gonzalez : Yeah, I wanted to show how some times, cultures are misinterpreted when they are long gone… So, that was why I included it! Next chapter is a kataang chapter. Pure Kataang….
CoyoteLemon : I found it disgusting to write, but to show how misunderstood his culture is, it was necessary… I wrote a chapter were all that misunderstanding is coming to bit him in the backside…
Jjsmith103 : Yeah! That's why I included her in this, because I felt it was important to show she didn't judge, because she knew Aang and what he told her about his people!
Ashley Barbosa : Yeah, the little talks between two character are my favourite to write! And thanks! Next chapter is pure kataang!