Gaoling part 1
It was busy at the Beifong estate. People were everywhere; housekeepers, decorators, cooks, wait staff and seamstresses were everywhere. Toph stood and watched the bustle of activity. In truth, she was hoping she would blend in.
Now that she could see, her mother wanted her opinion on everything, but when she told Poppy she didn't like something, Madam Beifong answered with "Oh Toph, you've only been seeing for a few days, you don't know what you like." Instead of arguing, Toph would simply leave for the comfort of her garden.
Once there, Toph pulled off her shoes, planted her feet on the old familiar ground, closed her eyes and just felt her home until she sensed her mother coming towards her. That's when she gathered her shoes in her hand and sought coverage from all the people preparing for tomorrow night's party.
It was merely hours until her coming out party and Lin Beifong was disgusted. She still didn't want any part in this, but she was doing it to make her grandmother happy. As she sat in her chair having her hair gathered into two round buns on the back of her head she looked across the room at Kimi. The Water Tribe woman seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself. She didn't seem to mind the ladies fussing with her hair, painting her nails, or priming her face with makeup. Lin tried to relax and find comfort in all this fuss like her sister did, but she was finding it entirely too hard.
This was not her. Yes, she liked dressing up and doing her hair, but Earth kingdom upper class seemed to take all this to extremes. As if the big hair and layers of thick dresses weren't enough, they all had to wear headpieces that Lin referred to as heavy and butt-ugly.
Lin wanted to look around, Kya was to her left and Ursa was to her right, but she had to sit still to keep from being stuck in the head with hairpins. The woman working on Ursa's hair had finally finished combing it when her reinforcements arrived. The Crown Princess very rarely had her hair cut, and when she did it was only a small trim. Because of that she had massive amounts of very long, very thick dark brown hair that had to be wrangled into an updo.
After an hour of three women on her hair, one on her makeup and one doing her nails Ursa was finally done. The other young women had long since been done and had started dressing when the army around her disbursed. Her friends stood there, eyes wide open and mouths agape. "How is it?" she asked.
"It's...unique." Kimi said, trying to put a positive spin on it.
"Yeah." Kya added. "interesting."
Just then, Toph walked in. She stopped and looked at everyone, then her eyes landed on Ursa. "Junior? What the hell is going on on your head?" she turned around, "Who did this? Now you know you are dead wrong."
The elder of the three women who did Ursa's hair stepped forward, "Our apologies Lady Beifong, but with the amount of hair that the young princess has that was our only option."
"Toph, it can't be that bad." Ursa said as she turned around to the mirror. Her eyes popped when she saw her face surrounded by five round buns. She looked as if she has children's balloons attached to the back of her head.
"Princess." the woman said, "I assure you, once we attach the head piece it will look much better."
"Um, yes." she said trying to put a good face "This is just fine." Ursa said, trying to be diplomatic about the whole thing.
"No it's not." Toph said, "That hairstyle is ugly as sin." she turned to the three women, "You will take that mess down off that child's head and she's going to wear her hair down.
Before the woman could say anything Ursa said "No, Toph, really, it's okay. If Earth Kingdom culture dictates that I should wear my hair up, then I'll wear it up."
Everyone looked in awe at the princess, "Well," Toph said, "it's not my head looking like a basket of melons. Suite yourself." and she left.
Bumi and Tenzin were standing in the hall waiting for the girls to come out of the room they were dressing in. They leaned on the wall dressed in traditional Air Nomad formal clothes, the younger in blues, the older in shades of orange. They listened to the muffled voice of the announcer trying to hear the names of the guests as they arrived, but the boys were too far away to make out any names. Then the door finally opened.
"Well it's about ti-" Bumi's tirade caught in his throat when he saw Ursa and it quickly burst into laughter. He outright guffawed as Tenzin did his best to muffle his laughter with his hand.
Ursa cupped her hand and brought up a ball of fire, "Let's see how funny you think hair mishaps are after I light yours on fire."
Ursa felt a hand lay on her shoulder. "Ursa, why are you threatening Bumi?" her father asked in a cool voice then she turned to him. Zuko took a stumbling step back, "Oh, I see." he said holding back the giggle that was fighting to rise in his throat. "Well...um...your headpiece is very nice."
Ursa huffed at her father and stumped off, settling a few doors down with her arms crossed.
"I told you it was rough." Toph said as she, Sokka, Aang and Katara arrived.
Kya and Kimi were the next to emerge from the room. The two cousins were dressed in white and blue greeted their family and headed down the hall to comfort their friend in red and green.
Tenzin was looking at the girls down the hall, starting to feel bad about his part in Ursa's current state when an audible gasp caught his attention. He turned his head back to the door where his eyes landed on Lin.
The girl stood there with her hands clasped in front of her as she looked down slightly. Tenzin could tell that his lifelong friend was much less that comfortable, but in his opinion she shouldn't have been.
Though her dress was the simplest of the four, it literally sparkled. She was covered from head to toe in shining white silk trimmed in pure gold thread. In all their lives he had never seen her look like that. With the red lips and olive eye lids and pink cheeks she was beautiful, but he didn't dare tell her that.
He hadn't noticed the adults heading toward the ballroom to be announced. Lin's voice broke his trance. "What the hell are you gawking at?!" she snapped with her hands firmly on her hips.
He blinked, "Nothing...it's just," he rubbed the back of his head, "you look nice."
Bumi patted his little brother on the back and whispered "Go get her Tenzy." in his ear as he walked away.
Tenzin snapped a nasty look at Bumi then turned back to Lin "Are you ready?"
"I guess so." she said reluctantly as they started down the hall.
The children stood behind their parents as they were announced. Ursa stood by her father, Bumi between his sister and his cousin and Tenzin and Lin brought up the rear. The Beifongs made their way to the front of the line, gushing over how lovely all the young people looked. They settled in the front of the line just in time for the announcer to start again.
"And now the family and special friends of Young Lady Beifong."
"Lady Beifong." Bumi laughed looking back at Lin, "suuure."
Lin shoved Bumi in the back. Toph laughed as she slid her feet into the glittering shoes Ursa had given her. The announcer went on "The grandparents, Lord Loa and Lady Poppy Beifong." he paused long enough for Lin's grandparents to enter and reach the bottom of the staircase "The young lady's mother and honored friend, earth bending and metal bending master Lady Toph Beifong of Gaoling, Chief of the Republic City Metal bending Police Force and Weapon's master Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, Councilman of Republic City."
As the door opened, Sokka whispered to Toph, "Damn they're long with the introductions. I thought they were going to give our addresses and birthdays too." Toph tugged on him and they entered. After a minute or so the announcer spoke again, "Master of the Four Elements Avatar Aang of the Southern Air Temple and Water Bending Master Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." Aang and Katara smiled at each other and headed down the steps. "Fire bending and Sword Master, Fire Lord Zuko of the Fire Nation."
Ursa looked up at her father, "Dad, I thought we were going in together." she said with her hand still looped around his arm.
Zuko took her hand from his arm gently and smiled at her "They'll announce you in a minute, just wait." then he went through the doors.
Ursa looked back to Kya who shrugged. She didn't want to be the only one who walked out alone, but it seemed like that is what she would have to do. She looked at the group of late comers that were gathering behind Lin and Tenzin and began to feel self-conscious. When the announcer began to speak again she took a deep breath and steadied herself.
"Fire bending and Sword master, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, Ursa the Second." she inhaled another deep breath that caught in her throat when the announcer continued, "and Fire Bending master, Kyu of the Fire Nation, Sergeant in the United Forces."
Ursa looked to her right and saw her fiancé standing there in his dress uniform with a huge smile on his face and his arms opened. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The applause from the small crowd that had gathered alerted her to the fact that they had an entrance to make. Silently, she placed her hand in his arm and he put his free hand on hers they walked down the stairs together, not once breaking eye contact.
Bumi shook his head as his sister and cousin sighed beside him "Girls." he said with an eye roll. Kimi responded by pulling Bumi's braid while Kya slapped him upside the back of his head.
"Water bending and Weapons Master Kimi of the Southern Water Tribe, Weapons Master Bumi of Air Temple Island, and Water Bending Master Kya of Air Temple Island."
Lin took a stuttered deep breath knowing that she and Tenzin were next. As she took his arm he asked, "Lin, are you okay?"
She looked at him with worried eyes and said "I'm fine." right before she felt a tap on her shoulder.
The two turned around to see a tall thin man with the strait black hair. "Miss Beifong?"
"Yes." the nervous girl answered.
"You, the both of you really, have grown into fine young people."
Tenzin looked at the man, "You know us?" he asked. The man did seem familiar, but he couldn't place him.
"Yes." the man said, "I knew you as a baby, but I never got to meet you, Miss Beifong. I know your families though. They're good people."
The kids smiled at the man as their names were being announced "Well," Lin said "We'll see you inside." and she and Tenzin turned for the long walk down the steps.
The girl's heart raced. Everyone was looking at her. She was uncomfortable and irritated and she wanted no part of any of this. She just kept reminding herself that it was for her granny as they reached the bottom of the stairs, bowed to each other and went into the choreographed dance.
"Don't worry about them, focus on me." Tenzin said sweetly when he noticed how tense she was.
Lin's usually stiff and serious friend was strangely light on his feet. As they danced, she finally took the time to see how nice the young air bender looked in his blue robes. His eyes sparkled and his smile beamed. The crowds of people all but drifted away.
Two thirds of the way through the dance, she heard the announcer start naming the late comers. As the dance ended the couple bowed to the four corners of the room. When they turned to the staircase, they saw the nice tall man who had spoken to them right before they came in.
He whispered to the announcer before the man went to his job "And finally, Earth and Metal Bending Master Moo-Chee-Goo-Chee-La Poo-Chee the Third."
I'm finally making it to some of the ideas I had. One of them was this party. A bit of drama coming up next, more drama in upcoming chapters after that big time jump I was talking about. Sorry it took so long, I'm getting back into the groove of writing, so I should be able to post again soon.
characters by Bryke
Kyu by :Mary-Kate-Serafin on Deviant Art
Kimi and story by me