I've finally managed to post something! Yay! To be honest, the long wait hasn't been ALL my fault. I'm not completely sure what the deal is with my computer. This drabble-shot has been written for ages, but my computer crashed and files were deleted, moved, or jumbled into incorherent messes. When I finally found and fixed it, I discovered that my internet browser didn't want to support FFnet or something (I'm not up on the techinal lingo). THEN, after I finally got it to load FFnet, it wouldn't upload my drabble-shot! Honestly, this piece has been cursed. Several drabbles have been rewritten several times, so I hope you can find at least one you like. The drabbles have been numbered for your convenience, and without any more digressing, here they are!


1. Recalcitrant – adjective – being difficult to handle or operate

Sometimes it all seemed impossible. He was supposed to master the Avatar State, but the hardest thing he'd ever attempted was opening the last chakra. Letting go of fear, guilt, and all the rest was easy; he wasn't the sort to hold onto things anyway. Releasing Katara was a different matter. She was his soul. She was the only one who was both a catalyst and a balm for his Avatar State.

The seventh chakra had never opened, and it'd locked the other six. He'd never master the Avatar spirit.

Somehow, he'd have to succeed without it.

2. Inconsiderate – adjective – not considerate for the feelings of others; thoughtless

Their hands had only touched for the briefest of moments, but it was enough to turn their heads away and make their hearts speed up. Toph noticed, of course; there was not much that happened that didn't catch her attention. However, she liked to think that this little foray around the world had made her a bit more mature – a very little bit. It wasn't hard to imagine their reactions if she said something. That would be rude, though.

"Hey, you guys holdin' hands over there or what?"

But sometimes it was worth it anyway.

3. Deteriorate – verb – to worsen; depreciate; degenerate; worsen in value and quality

The end came gradually, which made her extremely grateful and just as angry. He assured her time and time again that it was the best way, but she refused to accept it.

First, the body deteriorated, abused by decades of bending. Then the mind went, and that was the hardest. Near the end, he wasn't able to remember her very often. She endured – barely – and as she felt his soul begin to slip away, she released all the tears of anger and sorrow.

But when Aang drew his last breath, he smiled at her and whispered, "I love you, Katara."

4. Sightsee –verb– to travel about and see sights that are of interest

Everything is different now, Katara thought. Now that the trio had a goal, destination, and deadline, the atmosphere had shifted. Before the winter solstice, their journey hadn't felt real, like a meaningless game of hide-and-seek that no one would ever remember. All their playacting and sightseeing came abruptly to an end – along with their childhood – the moment the words of warning left Roku's lips. Now she could practically feel the chill in the mood. No one seemed willing to say anything to lift the pall, and it weighed down on them all. This was the price of their travels.

5. Locality – noun – a particular place; a specific district or neighborhood

When the question of where they would live during reconstruction came up, the four unanimously preferred the Air Temples. Everyone agreed that the Southern was too isolated to be of much use. However, that was where the agreement ended. Sokka tried to convince the others that the Northern was superior: it was close to all the nations and already populated. Toph disagreed, pointing out how the Eastern was positioned better and had more space.

Despite these excellent choices, Katara and Aang felt the Western Air Temple was best. The war started there, and there it would end.

6. Petrochemical – noun – a chemical derived from petroleum or natural gas

Katara smelled the chemical before anything else. Then everything seemed to slow to a mind-numbing pace. Aang looked like he was gliding over the slick, wet floor. The Firelord's mouth slowly curled into an evil smirk, and Katara saw his eyes flit around the room. She caught a glimpse of the hidden firebenders, felt the empty pouch at her side, and opened her mouth to warn Aang. As a scream built in her throat, she inhaled the petrochemical's acid taste and felt despair sweep through her.

The last thing she saw was the floor exploding into flames.

7. Fishable – adjective – suitable or promising for fishing

Toph couldn't really understand what it was about fishing that thrilled Sokka so much. It seemed pretty pointless to her. She couldn't 'see' inside the water, and the lack of vibrations frustrated her, reminding her of her blindness (as if she could ever forget). She'd never even 'seen' a fish before! Her conclusion was that it was just an excuse for Sokka to take a nap in the middle of the day, and she strongly suspected that he couldn't care less if he didn't catch a single thing.

But she went with him anyway.

8. Stillbirth – noun – birth of a dead fetus

Zuko paced the room, anxiously waiting for the doctor to return. The Firelord wished, ached, to be in the room with his wife and to hold the crying form of his firstborn. Fire Nation custom deemed it inappropriate for the Fire Lord to be in the birthing room during the event, but he was jittery with excitement and nervousness as he waited.

Then a noise. He glanced at the door with joy as he listened to the newborn cry. But, no. It couldn't be… His blood froze as he realized the awful truth. Mai – sweet, stoic Mai – was crying.

9. Zenithal – adjective – relating to the highest point of the sun in the sky

Katara couldn't believe how hot the Fire Nation was. Having grown up in a world of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, the contrast struck her hard. Of course, she'd acclimated to the cool weather at the Southern Air temple quickly – and even the warmth of the Earth Kingdom. But the heat! And with the sun at the peak of its path, the temperature was nearly unbearable.

She rolled onto her side to relieve her burning back. Aang was lying next to her, shirtless, muscles taut, a thin layer of sweat on his chest. Well, the heat did have its advantages.

10. Estate – noun – a landed property with a large house upon it

Just inside the door, Toph placed a hand against the wall. Even this slight contact brought a wave of vibrations that made her bite her lip in heart-wrenching sorrow. It all seemed so empty now. The house, the garden – the whole estate was completely devoid of human life.

The war had taken from her more than she had been prepared to give. Since that tragic day when Fire Nation troops had stormed Gaoling, the house had stood empty, a silent reminder of how much she'd lost.

Toph dropped to the floor, trying to ignore the empty vibrations, and wept.

11. Necrophagia – noun – the act of eating corpses or carrion

The gang had been huddled around the tiny fire, eating their roasted chipmunk-finches when Sokka asked why Aang was a vegetarian. Of course, Aang had politely, if a little disgustedly, declined the juicy flesh of the animal earlier and opted to browse through the bushes for any nuts or berries he could find. Sokka questioned him again, being a curious sort of guy. The monk had shaken his head in revulsion and muttered something about necrophagia.

To which Sokka replied loudly, "What did you call me?"

12. Garble – verb – to distort or confuse

"What?" Katara asked, confused.

Aang had been trying to tell her something for over five minutes now, but he was mumbling so softly, the words came out garbled beyond recognition. He'd obviously pulled her away from the others for some reason, but she was annoyed to the point of walking away.

He tried again – unsuccessfully – and she finally growled, "Just tell me!"

"I said, I love you!" Aang shouted in irritation, then covered his mouth, managing to look both guilty and hopeful. Katara couldn't speak right away. When she did, it came out a garbled mess.

"What?" Aang asked, confused.

13. Quarter – verb – to divide into four equal parts

Aang decided right away the one thing he both loved and hated about the world and his role within it: the separation and division of the four nations. He loved it because of the amazing, unique characteristics it brought out in people. He loved the way a common element could bring together complete strangers. However, he hated the way differing elements could divide a friendship. He hated it because it produced fear and seclusion. Mostly, though, he loved and hated being stuck in the middle of the quartered world.

14. Tawny – adjective – brownish-orange to light brown

Zuko was alone on the road when he saw the tawny blur in the grass. Curious, he dismounted his ostrich-horse and bent to examine it. It was just a kitten, so Zuko climbed back onto his mount, only to feel a pinch on his leg. The tawny furball clawed its way to his lap, and Zuko, alarmed, set the beast on the road. Somehow, the kitten was back in his lap when he straightened. He unsuccessfully attempted again, gave up, and continued down the road. Sitting erect and proud, Zuko tried to ignore the kitten curled on his leg.

15. Garnet – noun – a variable color averaging dark red

Katara's first encounter with Zuko hadn't really affected her. Any sightings or mentions of the prince were shrugged off with ease – until he'd tied her up and threatened her. That was when the nightmares started. Her hatred for the Fire Nation brewed in her mind strange dreams of swirling garnet. Sometimes the people she loved were consumed in brilliant flames. Sometimes she felt the hot blood of her friends drip through her fingers. But always – always – she saw the malicious eyes of Zuko. Yet they weren't golden. They were as red as the fires of hell.

16. Cuboid – adjective – approximately cubic in shape

The minutes dragged by slowly in the wooden cage, and it didn't help that Toph was still sniffling. It took all of Katara's optimism to keep her hopeful attitude in that tiny box. She knew Aang and Sokka would figure it out and rescue them. It was just a matter of sitting back, ignoring the heat, and waiting until they showed up.

And yet… and yet Katara knew it was all a trap to capture Aang. This thought alone threatened to bring her defenses crashing down.

This guy knew their weaknesses. How were they going to get out of this one?

17. Pyralidad – noun – a fly fabled as living in fire

The others thought he was insane for throwing a party for the little "fire monsters," as Sokka so ignorantly put it. But Aang didn't see it that way. To him, the whole nation was in danger of being consumed by its own greedy fire. The only way to extinguish the disastrous blaze was to effectively cut off its fuel or oxygen source. As far as everyone was concerned, that was the Firelord, and Aang needed to defeat him.

But that would come in time. Until then, Aang would teach the innocents to dance in the flames.

18. Acidophile – noun – preferring of thriving in an acidic environment

Living in the Earth Kingdom wasn't as stimulating as Azula had first thought it would be. Taking over Ba Sing Se had been a snap, leaving her bored with the city. Granted, the Dai Li had held her interest for a moment, but she had missed her country.

Stepping off the ship at the Fire Nation port, she breathed in the slightly acidic air. She allowed her lips to twitch, then stared straight ahead without emotion. The burning smell tickled her nose in a familiar, comforting way. Daddy was sure to praise her victory.

It was good to be home.

19. Skin-deep – adjective – not thorough or lasting in impression

Watching Aang fly away, Sokka mulled over what his friend had said. Yes, Aang had been right to say that Sokka's moment hadn't yet arrived. His time to shine would be on the battlefield, and Sokka was determined to do his best.

He knew that so many of the others thought of him as a joke, a dim-witted jester to laugh at. Closing his eyes, he prayed fervently to Yue that he would prove them all wrong. He would fight with the ferocity and wisdom of his father.

And maybe – just maybe – Sokka would become a warrior in their eyes.

20. Lamellation – noun – the formation of gills of a mollusk or mushroom

"What is that?"

When Aang saw what she was pointing at, the look of revulsion on her face made him laugh. "It's just a mushroom, Katara." Taking in her blank look, he said, "You do know what a mushroom is, right?"

Katara shook her head. "I've never been out of the South Pole. At least I know what grass is."

"True," he chuckled again. Then mischief appeared in his eyes. "Do you know what you mushrooms smell like?" Waiting until she'd bent to sniff the fungus, Aang tackled Katara to the ground, tickling her until she couldn't breathe from laughter.


This actually began as an exercise to improve my writing, vocabulary, and imagination. I'm sure most of you know how the process works, and I'm glad I tried it. I do think it helped (a tiny bit) and I plan to do another set of twenty sometime. Anyway, please review! I just hope some people are still out there reading this...