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Maikka Week - Discrete
It was obviously supposed to be a secret, but that was a spectacular failure. Everyone knew in short order.
The first to be aware was Toph, of course. She still hadn't quite re-mastered the use of a bed, but had progressed to accepting a blanket to go along with her comfortable patch of floor. Toph was awakened by voices resonating slightly through the house's physical structure, and then, as consciousness slowly took hold, she distinctly felt Sokka dart out of Mai's room and back into his own.
Toph instantly shook off the last of the drowsiness, and her useless eyes widened with surprise. She felt around for a way to tell what time it was, but found only frustration.
Katara had better luck. So to speak.
After growing up at the South Pole, the concept of a sun that moved steadily across the sky at the same rate every twenty-four hours was almost quaint. She quickly determined, after being awakened by the distinct sound of Sokka's muttering passing by the door to her bedroom, that the sun had only just begun its journey. She cracked her door open and took a peak, and nearly gave a shout of surprise.
The only thing to see in the hallway was Mai, wearing a dressing robe, her hair loose and mussed from her pillows, giving a quick sigh of annoyance and closing her own bedroom door, apparently thoughtlessly left open by a recent visitor. There was only one candidate, to Katara's knowledge. The Waterbender was instantly put off the idea of breakfast.
Others in the household were already awake at the time of the incident. Zuko rose with the sun, as he liked to remind uppity Waterbenders who bragged about beating him during a full moon or a near full moon or whatever, and he preferred to start his day by making a vulture-beeline to the kitchen for a cup of tea. He was just pouring some for himself when he heard footsteps in the hallway with all the bedrooms. The Fire Lord took his steaming mug and walked over to greet the newly awakened with an offer of freshly brewed tea.
Thus, he was just in time to see Sokka, clad only in his under-wrappings, step unhesitatingly into Mai's bedroom.
For all his inner-strength and worldliness, it was all the scarred Firebender could do to get his cup back to the kitchen table before his fingers lost all feeling. By the time he returned to his senses, the tea was quite cold.
The only other member of the group who was interested in breakfast at that point was Appa, whose five stomachs required near constant sustenance. Aang was usually content to let the Sky Bison make his own meals out of any hay that was nearby, but whenever Ty Lee visited, he would take her out at dawn to the rear courtyard's stables, to feed and play with Appa. The acrobat loved animals.
Aang had trouble sleeping without being able to hear Appa, so the stables were built right beside the private wing of the house. Therefore, the humans and Sky Bison were perfectly placed to hear Sokka's voice ring out of the window to Mai's bedroom. They couldn't make out the exact words over Appa's digestive rumbling, but they did catch something about Sokka not wearing any clothes. Ty Lee turned sharply to look at Aang, her eyes questioning. Aang thought about it for a minute, then with all the wisdom of his countless previous lives, shrugged and went back to offering Appa hay.
In her bedroom, Suki slept peacefully. As leader of a group of teenaged warrior girls, she was quite used to silliness in the early morning, and no longer let it bother her.
Needless to say, there was considerable fuss later in the, and Sokka and Mai were left wishing they had tried to be a bit more discrete.
Knock, Knock.
"Who's there?"
"Sokka."
"Sokka who?"
"I'm coming in, Mai."
"...I don't get it." The door began opening. Mai quickly grabbed the robe hanging beside her bed.
Sokka was in his underwear. "Where's my boomerang, Mai?"
"Why are waking me up this early, and why aren't you wearing any clothes?"
"You took my boomerang again. I was getting dressed and couldn't find it."
"So for this, you barge into my bedroom. It's over there on the vanity. Take it and go."
"Why do you have to keep stealing it? Just ask if you want to use it."
"I want you to forget I have it when you go home."
"Real nice."
"Please leave my bedroom."
END
