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A test of patience

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The first day in Aang's week of fun was a day of logic. Aang has set up a few logic puzzles that he bought from the shops around the house and the first team to complete all of them would win. Our team name was team Avatar (Aang's idea) and Aang and I were doing quite well. I am quite logical about most things. However we were still coming second. Sokka and Toph (they have named themselves team boomerang on Sokka's request) were leading by a mile.

Sokka is in logical heaven! He is in his element! He is solving puzzles like it was what he was made for. He especially loved one where you had to get a brass ring off these two ostrich horse shoes that had been welded together. He actually stroked the puzzle in a vaguely loving fashion. Toph is looking in askance at his enthusiasm for the impossible puzzles and has taken to asking if he wants to be 'alone' with them. Sokka has taken to gushing about how clever but easy to solve some of the puzzles are. Everytime he gushes or points out how much faster than me he has solved a puzzle, I feel a surge of annoyance. It is most annoying.

I can solve a puzzle without gushing! Aang can solve a puzzled without gushing. I would say Zuko and Suki can solve a puzzle without gushing, but so far they have only broken two puzzles. However they did break them without gushing so that is a positive.

-?-

Zuko and Suki have not come up with a team name. The last idea was team grumpy because according to Suki, Zuko has enough grumpy for the both of them. Zuko did not agree and they started mildly bickering. They have continued mildly bickering for most of the logical game. They have agreed three times today. Once when they got to the secret puzzle box. You had to open it by making 27 exact moves with the different pieces of wood that formed the box. There were three marbles inside and each team got one to prove they had done it. When they both got to the box and read the instructions, they both looked at the box with what I would call a withering glare. Zuko loudly expostulated that this puzzle was pointless. This box was no kind of storage system. What if you really needed what was inside. Suki asked if everyone else had gotten their marbles. We had (because me and Sokka are blessed with logic.) Suki then stomped on the box quite forcefully and was joined by Zuko. They got a bit into stomping on the box actually. They got their marble and headed off to the next puzzle thinking they have solved it.

Aang said not so fast and took their marble off them for cheating and there was much ado. Suki claimed that smashing the box was the most logical solution because it was a useless and pointless exercise. Zuko agreed with her and this was the first time they had agreed all day. Zuko said that if he ever came across a box like that and needed what was inside, surely smashing it was the quickest and most logical option. Aang refused to give them back their marble and they argued some more. Aang gave them minus five points for breaking the box and there were shenanigans.

I had managed to solve three puzzles during the time this argument had taken so me and Aang were well ahead and nearly catching up to Sokka. Aang came back and joined me and there was some disgruntled muttering from Zuko and Suki that Aang was rigging the game against them. This was their second agreement.

Their third agreement was to glue another puzzle together (the main idea had been to get 17 different wooden pieces to balance together perfectly and support each other.) Suki did have a point – gluing was by far a quicker way of doing this puzzle and they held the pieces in place while waiting for the glue to dry, which for them is an unprecedented level of co-operation. Aang noticed, shook his head and said they should have learned from the box smashing kerfuffle and took another five points off them. Not cheating- no smashing-no gluing-just logic. There has been some more protesting regarding Aang's judgment. During the course of the next little while, Zuko set one puzzle on fire in his frustration with it and earn them a further minus five points and Suki took to resignedly listing out loud all the other things she could be doing right now that would be a much better use of her time. I could be brushing my hair, or clipping my toenails or sharpening my fans or …. etc.

-?-

At the end of the two hours of logic Sokka had solved all the puzzles and had time to spare. He has done a few victory laps around the house carrying Toph on his shoulders and exclaiming variations on Water tribe rules! Toph pointed out that she wasn't from the Water Tribe but Sokka has said that she was an honorary water tribe member as far as he was concerned and she blushed happily. They have come up with what they call the boomerang five – which they do whenever the completed a puzzle. It is endlessly cute.

I am happy for them and I have written up the scores. Aang was a bit sad that we couldn't keep playing logic games all day. Zuko and Suki have loudly disagreed with him on this point and have come up with a new team name. Team we hate useless logic puzzles. Aang has urged them to think up a different team name that is more embracing of the air nomand festival and more in the spirit of the games. Team we hate useless logic puzzles have refused, which makes the fourth time they have agreed with each other today.

-?-

After lunch Toph took Aang earthbending. Team we hate useless logic games had been holding in the bulk of their complaints about today's activities (after a small discussion with me about us all needing to support Aang and not complain endlessly) while Aang was in the room. As soon as the sound of earth bending came from out side they erupted with displeasure. Their complaints were almost identical: Logic games are stupid, they are useless, they don't even test logic because I am definitely smart and logical, etc. Sokka piped up that he thought the logic games were quite useful challenges and quite fun and has earned a few affectionate whacks from Suki for this. Suki piped up that logic was Sokka's thing so of course he liked the day of logic. But he'd better watch himself if there was a day of stealth. Stealth was her thing. Zuko said that stealth was his thing as well and she arched an eyebrow and said I think stealth is more my thing than it is your thing.

From this one seemingly harmless comment – the great stealth off has erupted! Zuko loudly protested that he was plenty stealthy and that his firenation training was far superior to Suki's kyoshi fighting style. Suki loudly expostulated that she had more stealth in her little finger than Zuko had in his entire person and used what she had done at the boiling rock as an example. Zuko said that wasn't stealthy- it was awesome yes, but showy and flashy and not at all stealthy. He said that he had broken in and out of 3 firenation prisons and one of those times he achieved this feat with Aang, who was being noisy and attracting attention and chasing frogs. Have you ever tried breaking out of a firenation fortress with a loud, rambunctious, frog-obsessed Aang? Suki had not, but maintained that she would be able to, if the situation ever came up and she would probably be able to do it better than Zuko because she always remained calm no matter what obstacle presented itself- whereas Zuko was firenation and more prone to losing his cool.

Bickering ensued again.

-?-

They decided to settle it like warriors (or stealthy ninjas) and have a stealth off. The four of us went outside and they had a race to the top of the house by climbing on the outside. First they raced for speed (Suki won) and then they raced for stealth -for the ability to slip past us unseen. If we saw them, we'd have to call out and the person would be disqualified. Zuko won this one easily. I don't even know how he got up to the roof there without me seeing him. Sokka said diplomatically that it was a tie and they should agree that they were both equally as stealthy. Neither of them were quite happy with this. They needed some other method of testing stealth. I suggested they could do the sneaking up on people thing that Zuko made me do before we went to find the southern raiders in a joking fashion.

Oops.

I was just joking guys!

This idea was seized upon with great enthusiasm by team we hate useless logic puzzles. Zuko has declared that I am a genius which pleased me greatly. However, they have both planned to spend all of tomorrow sneaking up on us, which displeased me even more. All logical arguments against this particular stealth off have been rebuked. They talked quickly when they were ironing out the details. They will start during tomorrow's round of useless games and continue til dinner. Each of us has been assigned a number of points for every time we get snuck up on and and the person with the most points wins. The other has to suck it and put up with the gloating of the winner.

Sokka was deemed the easiest to sneak up on. A Sokka surprise is worth 3 points. Sokka protested at this quite loudly but Suki gently shushed him and said that he was talented at very many other things, which has appeased him somewhat. I am worth 5 points apparently, Suki initially thought I should be classed in the same category as Sokka (we watertribers are not known for our stealth) but Zuko said that I was actually really sneaky and would be hard to surprise. Cheers Zuko. Aang is worth 7 points because he is so quick and so full of energy and is perpetually moving about the place. Toph is worth 10 points. I think if she knew she was worth the most points she would be greatly pleased. But team we hate useless logic puzzles have asked us not to tell Toph and Aang that this is what they plan on doing tomorrow. Because they think they can do it this silly competition as well as play Aang's games and they don't want to steal his air nomad festival thunder. And if we tell Toph neither of them will have a chance at surprising her – because she is so wily. We have reluctantly agreed. They have shaken hands on the terms. And the stealth off is on!

-?-

I have taken Zuko aside for a light scolding. Zuko is in a odd mood. I've never seem him quite so defensive about anything. This stealth off is ridiculous and pointless and childish and I have told him so. And poked him with the common sense stick. I would poke Suki too, but Sokka said that he would handle her. They are both more mature than this! I am a bit cross in general (but also a little happy that I have been deemed harder to sneak up on than Sokka – but that was irrelevant to our conversation.)

Zuko says that the stealth off is necessary, otherwise they will both keep sniping at each other over who is stealthier all week. I asked why it even mattered so much to him, couldn't he just let Suki be the stealthy one and concentrate on firebending, teaching Aang etc. normally evoking the necessity of teaching Aang would work in this situation, but this time Zuko just said that being stealthy was his thing and that I probably wouldn't understand. I got a bit huffy and said that I would try to understand. I've always tried to understand him before, why should this time be any different? He just said that it was something to do with what his cousin had written. I asked him if I could see the letter again and he said maybe later again. I have gotten a bit irate, declared that he was driving me crazy and was ridiculous. I have given him another light whack with the common sense stick and stalked off.

-?-

Sokka has also had no success with talking sense into Suki. She has called Zuko a long list of expletives and declared her intention of whipping his arse (metaphorically) tomorrow. We have debated the merits of absconding to town tomorrow and leaving them to it. They can't sneak up on us if we are no longer here.

This is the logical solution.

This is why the water tribe excels at logic.

We have made a pact to do this if team we hate useless logic puzzles gets too annoying.

Me and Sokka have done our secret handshake in agreement, which I now realize is quite similar to Team boomerang's high five. We haven't done the secret handshake since we were kids, but it was nice to bust it out again.

-?-

Very interesting morning. Today was a day of patience. Aang wanted us to play some very complex Airnomad game. He explained the rules at length and with great enthusiasm. I think the real test of patience would be the ability to listen to the rules in their entirety without drifting off. I may have stopped paying attention to Aang at some point and started focusing more on Suki and Zuko and their shenanigans. They quietly talking to each other in a way that made me worried for some reason. After a while Aang rang a little bell and gave us all a piece of string (what was this for?) and said our time had begun. We all began wandering around the house for some reason that had something to do with patience. I was not quite sure what to do with my piece of string, but it soon became irrelevant.

Team we hate useless logic puzzles had vanished and kept reappearing just behind you when you least suspected it. Gah! it was annoying! How am I supposed to be patient with that going on. Suki has surprised me twice, but seems to enjoy scaring Sokka much more, judging from the amount of times I have heard Sokka's loud yell of surprise. Zuko prefers to frighten me. After Zuko had snuck up on me seven times (in very quick succession) I told him if he did it again I would be extremely cross and would tickle him unrelentingly and then all stealth would be lost.

He did it again.

I have tickled him until he did the snorty laugh and then tickled him some more until he was almost crying with laughter, then I poked him with the commonsense stick and taken to hiding in a cupboard. Ha! No one can sneak up on me here.

-?-

I heard Aang make a few noises of surprised exclamation and after the third time he asked what on earth Zuko thought he was doing with some confusion. Zuko replied that he was being patient? but he raised his voice at the end so it sounded like a question. Aang said that he was playing the patience game wrong and at this stage Aang would definitely win. He offered to explain the rules again, but Zuko politely declined. their conversation was interuppted by Sokka loudly exclaiming not again Suki! After a while I heard Toph's surprised shriek and Suki's triumphant laugh come from the next room.

-?-

If this is a test of patience then, by the all the spirits, I am failing at it. Have lost all patience with team we hate useless logic puzzles and have gone with Sokka into the town. We are escaping the madness. I just want to be able to eat a mango without Zuko or Suki popping up behind me. Is that so hard to ask!

-?-

Me and Sokka had a great lunch together. Sokka is a bit down over Zuko and Suki's shenanigans. He had hoped they would tire of the their stupid stealth off after a while. He wants Suki and Zuko to get along and doesn't understand why they have been snapping at each other for two days. I said that he should just tell them to try and get along better, if only for his sake. They both patently adore Sokka and would probably put aside their differences if he urged them to. Sokka thinks that I could do the same, because they obviously both adore me too. I have shushed him and told him he was being silly and it was his job as leader to try and keep the peace. Sokka loves it when I call him the leader and has agreed to have a word with them so that the stealth off madness can end.

-?-

Aang had noticed our absence and was a little cross that almost no one was playing the patience game properly. He gathered us all in the living room with the score board. And declared that he was awarding zero points to team we hate useless logic games. He was not even sure if Zuko and Suki realized we were playing wait and see not surprise sneak attacks. He asked if they had even been paying attention to the rules and they both managed to look a little shamefaced at this.

Apparently Sokka and I had left before the patience game had ended so we also get zero points. Aang was a bit dissapointed in us. I didn't have the heart to tell Aang that I hadn't been paying attention to the patience game at all and probably I have not been playing it right the whole time. Aang declared that me and Sokka forfeited by leaving. Thankfully for Sokka, Toph is actually brilliant at the patience game. Toph was listening to the rules? Toph knew what to do with that piece of string? Toph was playing properly? Toph has won the day for team boomerang in any case. They have team boomerang high fived over this.

Current scores

Team boomerang - 20 (ten points for winning each game)

Team Avatar - 0 (boo!)

Team we hate useless logic games -minus15 (If they make it back into positive numbers I will be surprised)

-?-

Toph has, in retaliation for being constantly snuck upon during the patience game, earthbended Zuko and Suki up to their knees in the courtyard. They are stuck with each other and they are both displeased by this. I am rather amused by this turn of events. Toph has given them a small but hilarious speech. In short she exclaimed that they are idiots who are bickering over nothing and need to get over it. She has declared that she will not release them until they make up.

Go Toph!

-?-

Me, Sokka, and Toph eavesdropped on their progress. Aang arrived later. He looking for Zuko to firebend with him- but he had to wait a little while. He had the whole sorry stealth off -they-are-driving-us-crazy situation explained to him and joined our little eavesdropping group. Sokka got fireflakes at some point and started snacking on them. Why he did this still escapes me. Aang thought the stealth off made so much sense- in light of today's shenanigans and concurred with us that the stealth off was childish etc. He wanted to go into the courtyard and offer his avatar services as a mediator but Sokka and I held him back. I didn't think either of them would appreciate this. Sokka said that this sort of thing was something they'd have to sort out between themselves. I said that I was sure that they were both mature enough to work it out. We listened hopefully.

There was an grumpy silence for a while, then a few lazily tossed insults over who was the better warrior. Mmhh, not quite the maturity level I was hoping for. Aang gave me look and I shrugged. Well, I was sure someone would eventually put on their 'bigger person' pants and apologize.

Eventually Suki cast a few aspersions cast on Zuko's character and bought up him burning down the her village on Kyoshi Island again and then he apologized (immediately and sincerely) for that. He asked quietly if anyone had been hurt. Suki scoffed and said like you care. Zuko said that of course he cared ( with some emotion that I can't quite put my finger on. it's not anger, or guilt but it sounds like both of them at once) There was another small silence. But there seemed to be a change in mood between them. Suki eventually said that there had only been a few minor injuries – no deaths. Zuko gave a sigh of relief and said he never meant to hurt anyone, especially not innocent bystanders. Suki said she knew that simply. Then she said in a joking fashion that he hadn't even managed to burn the whole village down and had only scorched it slightly so he could stop doing his guilty dance.

He said guilty dance? in a really perplexed fashion. Suki explained that it was what I called the various things he does when he feels guilty and said that I had gone on (and on and on) about his guilty dance at length last time we got drunk together. My fellow eavesdroppers glanced at me in what I thought was an unnecessarily cheeky fashion ! I got up to go into the courtyard and mediate, by which I mean - tell Suki to shut up about the things I told her when I was drunk. Sokka pulled me back and said they were finally talking so I shouldn't interrupt! Boo.

Zuko was a bit confused – he didn't even know he did anything that could constitute a guilty dance and Suki said that he would have to ask me about it because I was the expert on the guilty dance. All she knew was that apparently he did it when he felt guilty and there was moaning involved. Oh my god! Shut up Suki! I think it might be possible to will someone quiet. I was certainly thinking -time to shut up now – quite firmly at Suki and thankfully she did.

There was another pause. A sort of confused awkward pause. Zuko was the first to break. He said he was sorry for the past two days and he didn't know why he was being so immature about this whole 'who is stealthier' thing. He actually thought that Suki could do some amazing things. He said that the way she had nabbed the warden at the boiling rock was incredible. He didn't even know why he was making such a big deal over the stealthy thing.

Suki smiled at the compliment and accepted his apology. But then she quietly offered that she knew exactly why she was making a big deal about it. Being stealthy was her thing and she didn't want to share it. Suki said that everyone here is so amazingly talented. Sokka is the only other non-bender and he's like your genius plan guy. I mean I'm fairly talented at most warrior arts, but in comparison to the sort of things you guys can do with your bending… she trailed off a looked around her and then gestured a little hoplessly. look stealth was my thing... She stopped and looked at Zuko and shrugged and said that he probably wouldn't understand. But he smiled a little sadly and said that he knew exactly what she meant. He confessed that he'd struggled a lot with firebending as a kid and that it was really hard, especially because he was always being compared to Azula – but ninja arts had always just come easily to him, so being stealthy was his thing too. It was the one thing he'd always considered himself to be good at.

Suki confided that she felt a little unremarkable in our group of incredible people and thought that her stealth was the only thing that set her apart. That was why she had been so mad at him for impinging on her territory. She just wanted to find what her place was. Zuko said she shouldn't feel insecure about her place because as far as he could tell we all thought she was fabulous, which was surely a better place to be in than the place he was in most of the time (being firenation, grumpy, oppressive and unfabulous). He said that when he first joined us, none of us had liked him or trusted him and that hadn't been any fun at all, but went Suki arrived everyone was saying 'oh yay – it's Suki.'

Suki said it wasn't so much about everyone liking her, she was more worried about who she was becoming. She thought everyone just saw her as Sokka's girlfriend and that made her sad because she had used to be this incredible leader. I used to be a leader! I had a whole gang of ninja girls at my command and now I only have Sokka to boss around. (All the eavesdroppers glanced at Sokka for his reaction to this statement - he was perplexed and trying to figure out if he was in trouble somehow.) Zuko said that he knew what she meant. I used to have a a friggin ship, I had a whole boat load of people that I could boss around, now I can't even get one rambunctious 12 year old to do fire squats (everyone glanced at Aang and he shrugged good-naturedly. Well all know about Aang's tendency to slack off when he doesn't enjoy things and fire squats are one of those things.) Zuko continued and said that he was stuck doing logic puzzles with the stealthiest person in our group. Suki swatted him with her fan in an affectionate manner at being called the stealthiest person, but she said that she couldn't claim she was the stealthiest because they were both equally stealthy. They smiled at each other then and it was all very touching.

Suki sighed and said she'd have make herself remarkable some other way. Zuko suggested she could consider herself the calm and sensible one. Suki said this was a lame thing to be remarkable for. Zuko asserted that being calm and sensible (these last two days notwithstanding -I think they both were tactfully ignoring these last two days) was definitely a remarkable trait in our group. She fussed a little and said that now he was just being silly. But he was serious, he said that all of us, except for Suki, have tantrums and sulks and moments of stupidity etc. But Suki was always pretty level headed about things. She was calm in prison and calm when she was explaining penguins sledding to Aang. (We all glanced at Aang but he shrugged again – this time in a rather confused fashion. I still don't think Aang knows what was going on in that penguin sledding conversation.)

Suki, however, smiled and said that Sokka had an unhealthy fixation on penguins. Zuko agreed and said that he also had an unhealthy fixation on boomerangs and they had a bit of a laugh over Sokka's various foibles and less sensible moments. Suki loudly exclaimed about the common sense stick. What was he thinking? Giving her that stick! Zuko agreed emphatically. (Oh my spirits- that stick!) he went on about how I have poked him with it every single day since I first got it. I never failed to poke him with it. (Me and Sokka glanced at each other open-mouthed in surprise – were they making fun of us?) Suki shrugged and said that she rarely got poked with it and Zuko said that was because she was the calm and sensible one and already had enough common sense. Suki smiled a little to herself and said that she could live with being the calm and sensible one.

-?-

Toph released them and Zuko went off to firebend with Aang. Sokka and Suki hopping in the hammock together for a discreet canoodle. I started making dinner.

-?-

Sokka joined me after a little while and helped out in the kitchen. This is a first. Really he just wanted to talk to me. Sokka and I are a bit cranky that team we hate useless puzzles have been laughing about us and have bonded over our commonsense stick/boomerang loving foibles. But bonded they have. They are no longer snapping at each other, sneaking up on all of us. This is a good thing. They have also changed their team name to team stealthy badasses. This name change has not given them anymore points and they are still in last place on minus 15, but this doesn't seem to bother team stealthy badasses one jot.

-?-

I am glad they are getting along now.

Really I am.

I am really glad.

Really.

-?-

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typical rambly authors notes:

Lovely readers! I hope I have not tested your patience too much! You have reached the end of a test of patience. Congratulations and I hope you enjoyed it. Big thank you to all my fabulous, brilliant wonderful reviewers! You guys make me smile! If I could I would give you all 10 air nomad points.

This chapter deals mostly with the relationship between Suki and Zuko and the way that they both relate to their various warrior skills and position in the gang and Suki gets a little more comfortable with her place in the group.

Firstly, those little puzzles are the Avatar equivalent of those little impossible puzzles you get at science shops/ markets/fairs etc. I am terrible at them but my boyfriend is great at them. I find having to separate two horse shoes that have been welded together a pointless waste of my time, however there is a logical and simple way to do it. This logical and simple way often eludes me. However Sokka is quite brilliant and very logical on the show and I think he would love these sorts of puzzles and find them quite easy to solve. I also think Katara gets overlooked a little bit in the brains department- but she is a clever cookie. She is also very quick on her feet and logical – she came up with the plan to trap Azula over the metal grate in the final battle quite quickly on her own. I think she'd be okay at the logic puzzles. Aang is maybe not quite paying attention to logic puzzled and is focusing more on his beautiful team mate and Toph is just along for the ride.

Team we hate useless logic puzzles on the other hand: they get frustrated, with the puzzles and with each other (both of them are wishing they were on different teams) and they resort to mild cheating/puzzle breaking. Zuko and Suki aren't dumb, they are just clever in different ways. Neither of them are great at those impossible puzzles and in all honesty breaking the puzzle box, gluing the balance puzzle together are quite quick and logical solutions to the problems the puzzle poses.

Aang disagrees with them and take five points off for each broken puzzle.

Sokka and Toph are the most functional team and rightfully win both games. Team boomerang five!

Sokka just wants them to get along. I think he sees Zuko as his bestie (though he's not just going to come out and say this) and he wants his bestie and his girlfriend to get along. Katara wants them to get along too and they both pull their respective people aside. I think both of Zuko and Suki would drop the shenanigans if either Sokka or Katara said 'stop this stupid stealth off if only for my sake' but Sokka and Katara rely on logical arguments. The stealth off is beyond logic.

I actually think that Zuko and Suki have some very similar traits when it comes right down to it, they are both very hard working warriors, both have terrible/lame senses of humor, both are young leaders etc. While they start off a bit grumbly with eachother, they would have always been able to eventually work something out between themselves. Toph just speeds up this process by doing the earth bending equivalent of locking them in a room together until they figure it out. Toph is blunt enough to do this and she also figured out what was going on with regards to the stealth off pretty quickly.

What the other guys don't fully grasp is that the stealth off isn't ever really about stealth. Not really. The stealth off is about identity. Being stealth ninjas is a huge thing to both Zuko and Suki. Suki can do some amazing things and she is a highly stealthy, but she is also a non-bender surrounded by amazing benders and she is having a bit of an identity crisis. She is used to being the best and the brightest and a leader and now she is none of those things. She is none of those things, but she is still an amazing stealthy warrior – however she is not alone in this because Zuko is a stealthy warrior too. This annoys her because to her -Zuko can be so many other things, he's a prince, he's a fire bender and he shouldn't be impinging on her stealthy/identity territory.

For Zuko, his ninja skills and his dao blades are one of the only things he doesn't feel conflicted about (being a prince and a firebender has brought him a rather mixed blessing afterall). He is good at stealth and good at being a ninja and he knows it. These skills have served him well and have rarely bitten him in the arse. I think it would have been a source of consolation and comfort to him as a kid to have some martial arts that he was really good at. And he is also going through a bit of a crisis of Zukoness at the moment,( the catalyst for this particular crisis being his cousin's letter which I promise you will get to see next chapter.)

Being stealthy is a thing for both of them and they don't want to give it up/share it initially, however Zuko eventually offers Suki the role of stealthiest person – in his Zuko way – because he can see it matters to her a little more, but by that stage in the conversation Suki is happy to be on equal footing with him and share the stealth.

They needed to talk about/ acknowledge what happened at Kyoshi and bury the hatchet/clear the air. I needed a bigger conversation than that quick apology at the boiling rock from the show. Suki gets to express her anger about it and get it out of her system and Zuko gets to sincerely apologize and also show that he really does care what happens to people and he didn't mean to hurt anyone. This would be important to Suki. She can see that he feels guilty so she reassures him that he didn't kill anyone/completely destroy the town.

Katara would have gone on a bit about the guilty dance when she was chatting with Suki. Suki assumes that Zuko knows that this is what Katara calls it -so she is just being matter of fact when she starts talking about the guilty dance and is not deliberately letting any cats out of the bag- she doesn't say much more when she realizes that Zuko had no idea that Katara went on (and on and on) about him when she was drunk and she has given little nicknames to some of his traits/behaviours. So she tells him he will just have to ask Katara and keeps her mouth shut. This does not stop Katara from having a moment of Panic!

When Suki is talking about her place in the group she actually referring to her role or function- what she brings to the group. Zuko however, who really does want all the gang to like him, and thinks in these terms, believes that she is referring to how much they like her. To Zuko, it seems like Suki has had an easy run becoming part of the group because everybody likes her and he still has moments where he feels a little unwelcome/awkward. However when Suki explains that it is about uniqueness/position, Zuko can recognise how important that is in a group like the Gaang. Sometimes it takes an outsider to point out a really simple strong personality trait. Zuko does this when he points out that out of everyone, Suki is probably the calmest/most sensible (these last two days notwithstanding) and this is something that is uniquely hers in their group. Suki is the calm and sensible one to me. Perhaps this was because she didn't get that much screen time in the show, but we never see Suki completely loose her s**t, have a tantrum or do something really stupid. The girl takes over an airship like she's just popping out to the shops to get some milk, but to the gang she brings a much needed voice of reason. This is a role that Suki can feel more comfortable and useful doing.

Another thing they have in common besides lame/no sense of humor, being young leaders and being stealthy warriors, is that they are both very enamored on water tribe people and I thought it would be a sweet moment for them to bond of the various foibles of the objects of their affection. They both think the common sense stick was a bad idea. I think they'd have a lot of respect for each other and will be better friends in the future.

In the next chapter there will be further North Wind celebration shennagins. Team Stealthy Ninjas will get along much better and Katara won't be mad with jealousy. At. All.

Til then lovely readers...