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Just the way you are.
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We went down to the kitchen, where there was more light – so I could read the letter. Zuko busied himself making tea. I unfolded the letter and scanned it quickly. Hey snugbug, it started. I said snugbug? out loud and Zuko shrugged and said it was what his cousin used to call him. It was short for snuggle bug. Lu Ten was the only person whoever called him that. He had insecty-nicknames for both Zuko and Azula. Apparently, he used to call Azula dragonfly and she hated it. Zuko put two cups of tea down on the table and leaned against the wall, arms folded and looking away from me. His usual mopey pose. I looked down at the letter again.
Hey snugbug.
If you are reading this right now it means that I'm gone. If this is my final letter to you then I have some things I would like you to know. Firstly don't be in too much of a hurry to grow up and join us out here Snugs. I know they tell you that the war is glorious and we are blessing inferior people with our superior culture. In reality, it is not like that at all. This war is not at all what I thought it would be. I don't think that we are so very different from the earth kingdom folk after all. We all bleed the same Snugs.
Secondly, if I'm no longer around, then there are a few things I will need you to do for me.
You'll need to take care of my dad for me. If I'm gone - he'll need someone who cares about him to make sure he doesn't get too despondent. Just be there for him snugs. You know how he gets.
You'll need to look after your mum as well. She's a gentle-hearted lady. You should always listen to her because she is the best person I know. You can't go wrong following her advice.
You'll need to be a good big brother for Azula. I know she acts like she is tough as irons, but I think she's not as hard as she'd like us all to think. Azula is a bit odd and scary at times, but she can't help being what she is. But also you know, watch out for her too – because she's turning out exactly like your dad and that is not a good thing.
Snugs this is important: I don't want to frighten you, but your dad is gunning for you. Keep your elbows out and your wits about you. You may not believe me now, because I know you want to think he doesn't mean all those things he says and does. Take care around him and try not to make him angry. I know you have a lot to say Snugs, but sometimes silence is golden. If he ever comes at you again the best advice I can give you is to dodge and aim for his left side. My dad says he never learned to properly balance his chi. He is all rage and no restraint, so his bending is a bit weaker on his left side.
If you ever get an audience with Grandpa, then know that he hates time-wasters. Say what you need in 10 words or less. Be obedient, modest, and brief and you'll be fine.
Keep practicing your Dao swords and your Ninjitsu. You've a natural talent for that my sneaky Snugs. We all have different strengths and blades and stealth are yours. If there is a dagger in my personal effects – it is yours. While I hope you never have to use it, it is always good to have a dagger on you. It's like my dad says – you never know.
Don't get too frustrated with your bending. We can't all be like Azula and that is a good thing. Practice makes perfect after all. If you keep at it and are disciplined in your training, eventually it will come naturally to you.
But more importantly, don't get too frustrated with yourself. You are who you are snugs.
In my opinion, people don't change, not really. I know you feel like everyone is wanting you to be more like Azula, but I think you should try to just be you. Your dad says you could go any number of ways if you just put your mind to it and try harder, but that's not true. If you have a sink full of water and you tell it that it can go any way it wants, if it just tries harder – and then you pull the plug- that water is only going to go in one direction. Try it and see what happens. You're the water snugs, you'll always be the way that you are and you should learn to accept that.
Finally, don't forget about me -but don't spend all your time feeling sad about me either. The best way you can honour me is by having a long and happy life snug bug .
With Agni's blessing,
Lu Ten
I folded it back up and handed it back to him and he put it in his pocket and sat down across from me. I said you two must have been close and he nodded and said they were. I wasn't quite sure what else to say so I sipped my tea. Zuko sipped his and we sat in silence for a moment. It wasn't an awkward silence by any means.
We were both just quiet and sometimes I like just being able to sit and be quiet with somebody.
I asked what Lu Ten had meant when he wrote about his dad 'coming at him'. Zuko looked down at his tea for a second and took a deep breath. He explained that in the firenation it was a common teaching practice for the master to attack the pupil to see how well they could defend themselves. Being attacked was a good way of finding out how much a student had learned and how well they were able to put techniques into practice under pressure. I remembered how Piandao had attacked Sokka on his last day and how freaked out we'd been. But apparently that is just normal practice. I told him about how Sokka had used bamboo and his wiliness in their fight.
Zuko said that his dad had done it to him when he'd been really little. Was this how he got his scar? He shook his head and said no, he hadn't got it from that time. Afterwards, his dad claimed he'd been just trying to teach him a lesson- (what this lesson was still eluded Zuko). Zuko had adored Lu Ten for sticking up for him that day. He didn't seem to want to say any more about it but eventually I beguiled the story out of him.
I am so wily.
He'd been quite little and he'd said something (he couldn't remember what it was) and his dad had gotten really mad and had attacked him. Zuko had run away from him, instead of fighting back. That made his dad even angrier and he'd ended up cornering Zuko in the palace. Then from nowhere, Lu Ten burst in, fist flaming and it was ON. Lu Ten and his dad had fought crazily and his uncle had to come and separate them. But then his uncle ended up fighting too and it was a three way fight and there had been shenanigans and shouting and swearing. Azula had ended the fight by setting a vast array of tapestries on fire (ostensibly because no one was paying attention to her). That definitely got everyone's attention and then there had been more shenanigans. Lu Ten had sneakily taken him out for ice cream (while everyone else was preoccupied by the great tapestry debacle) told him that he was a smart kid.
I liked the sound of Lu Ten.
Zuko smiled and said that everyone had liked Lu Ten. He'd been clever and kind and funny and really good at everything and Zuko had adored him. Zuko confided in me that he used to just wish Lu Ten was still alive because everything went bad after Lu Ten died. His mum disappeared and his grandfather had a heart attack the day after they got the news...and then his dad was firelord and nothing was the same. He always figured that Lu Ten would have known the right answer to any of his questions and would have been able to make things better for him.
But now he had his cousin's answers and it hadn't made him happy.
I asked why. It sounded like his cousin had loved him and given him some good advice. Zuko huffed and said it was the sink thing. He looked at his cup again and said quietly that he had been trying so hard to change. Ever since joining us, he'd been trying really hard to be more patient and less angry. He just wanted to be better. But then he got his cousin's letter. Lu Ten basically said that he was stuck the way he was and was just water in a sink and could only go one direction. He felt like Lu Ten was saying that change wasn't an option for him.
Zuko always has the most negative interpretation of things. I had a different take entirely. I said that I hadn't known Lu Ten at all, but to me it sounded like Lu Ten thought he didn't have to try so hard to be better – he was fine just the way he was. He scoffed at the thought of someone liking him just the way he was. I don't know what came over me, I really don't, but I reached out and took his hand and told him not to be like that. I didn't think he needed to change either. I liked him just the way he was.
He looked up in surprise when I said that. Then he smiled at me this really hesitant, heartbreaking smile. It was true really. I do like him just the way he is – but it is another matter entirely to just come out and say it.
Out loud.
To his face.
I felt a bit awkward and shy suddenly, which is rare for me. I'm not normally shy about much (except dancing). But we were just holding hands and looking at each other and it was another one of those moments. I could've leaned forward and...but I didn't. I was feeling shy and embarrassed and I rapidly started talking about how it wasn't true anyway, what Lu Ten wrote about water only going in one direction. I could make water go in any direction I wanted after all.
-?-
I had a dream about Zuko. This is only remarkable because normally I don't remember my dreams unless they are exceptionally weird – like the dream about master Pakku as a Ba Sing Se showgirl. This dream was also exceptionally weird and also (shamefully) featured master Pakku as a Ba Sing Se showgirl. Zuko was in his prison outfit and he looked very fetching in it. Like really fetching. (am I weird for thinking this?)
A horde of Ba Sing Se showgirls (Master Pakku was their leader for some reason) had taken him captive and they were going to do whatever showgirls do to boys unless I intervened. I had to choose between kissing him, which would somehow save him from the showgirls AND NEVER KISSING ANOTHER BOY EVER. Or leave him to his floozy fate and get a horde of showboys who looked like Jet to command and bash with the common sense stick.
Zuko was waving at me and urging me to pick him and kept saying that he wanted to kiss me. The Jets were gyrating with each other and sequins were going everywhere and they were urging me to pick them because they only wanted to serve me (and gyrate with each other I guess). Anyway, in the end Master Pakku defected from the showgirls to help me fight them and I got Zuko and the Jets. I didn't quite know what to do with the Jets -so I made them carry a palanquin for us.
Anyway I woke up a bit dazed and confused.
It was all very weird.
-?-
Am I the biggest weirdo ever for dreaming something like that?
-?-
Does Zuko still have the prison outfit?
-?-
Was about to tell Sokka about my dream to see what he thought. Me and Sokka sometimes over-share when it comes to our dreams. We always end up telling each other everything. There no secrets between Sokka and me really. Anyway, we were both eating breakfast and Sokka was telling me about his dream (the food eats people dream again). Anyway I was just about to regale him with my dream when I thought better of it at the last minute. I think he would tease me forever or even worse – tell Zuko. And I can't be having that.
-?-
We were joined first by Toph and Suki (both of whom had a sleep in this morning) and then later by Zuko and Aang, who have been firebending training since sunrise.
Today is Aang's day of Courage. Aang started chatting happily about courage and needing courage in the face of powerful winds/storms etc. The air nomads all had very courageous spirits and their courage would be tested during the North wind festival etc.
Today's activity would be a game of honesty and bravery.
The way he explained it sounded familiar to me and I asked if he actually meant truth or dare, which me and Sokka used to play. Actually our games always degenerated into just plain old dares because we both knew each others' truths.
But anyway.
Suki had played lots of times with the Kyoshi Warriors. Zuko had played one time with Azula, but he shuddered at the memory and said never again. Truth or dare is definitely not a game I'd want to play with miss crazy lightening bolts. Aang cajoled and poked Zuko repeatedly and eventually he agreed to play if it would make Aang happy. Aang said that it wasn't so much about making him happy, it was just that everybody had to join in.
Toph was the only one in our group who had never played – because she hadn't had any friends to play with and it's not really the sort of game that you play with your mother, is it?- she asked if it was hard to pick up. I told her she'd pick it up pretty quickly, in a reassuring fashion. Poor Toph. It must have been hard to be so isolated as a child. I always forget what a sheltered life she led before she joined us.
-?-
Screw Toph!
She is the worst person to play truth or dare with EVER! She is just so blunt and tactless and she can tell if you are lying and she seems to know exactly what will make people the most embarrassed! And she just LOVES embarrassing people. It's her thing. It's how she rolls.
Anyway, we were all sitting in a circle and we'd had a few rounds. Most of the truth and dares had been harmless. I have learned that Suki is not a fan of elephant rats and finds them really creepy and is willing to jump in the ocean fully dressed on a dare (She may have gotten out and given Sokka what she referred to as a wet person hug, before I could dry her off.) Sokka can fit two whole apples in his mouth and likes alphabetizing the library best out of a selection of activities. Toph hates abrasive noises like things scratching really harshly on the wooden floor, or nails on a chalkboard, has agreed to let me and Sokka teach her to swim (just in case) and can fit inside the smallest cupboard in the kitchen. Zuko cannot juggle at all and is unnerved by clowns. Aang found this rather amusing and has made a few comments about the fact that Zuko is actually in great need of a clown. Apparently Zuko needs a clown to make him smile because he so serious all the time. Aang's joking and clowning did not seem to have the Zuko-cheering effect he thought it would.
Zuko's next dare was for Aang to be quiet for five whole minutes.
Aang last 3 and half. Which is good for Aang.
Aang we have discovered, (though I already suspected) cannot be quiet for longer than 3 and a half minutes and will do almost anything if you say I dare you. Aang loved being dared so much that we all started daring him with increased frequency. He just took so much pleasure in showing off/proving how brave he was. We didn't want to spoil his fun. He started handing out his turns because he had so many. After a while he gave Toph his go to dare somebody.
She dared me to kiss Zuko.
And there were shenanigans.
I didn't want me and Zuko's first kiss to be because Toph had dared us. I didn't want it to be public and in front of everyone and part of some juvenile game. I wanted it to be private and intimate and natural. We'd be on a beach and he'd be shirtless (or in the prison outfit. Mmmhhh). If there are candles or a fire of some description and a full moon – then great. If not, I can live with it.
This is not to say that I spend any time thinking about what it would be like to kiss Zuko.
Because I don't.
I have better things to think about after all and I am very busy and important. Too busy and important to spend my day indulging in fantasizing about Zuko. Pfft. Who would spend their time doing that?
Anyway, I did not want to kiss him in front of everybody as part of a game of truth or dare. He looked a little nervous and caught my eye and I think we were in silent agreement – this would be too embarrassing for words. We both started mildly protesting at the same time that Aang interjected loudly that Toph couldn't dare his girl to kiss another guy.
Oh boy.
Well then.
Now I was just plain cranky.
I am not his girl at all. Aang and me have never even had a proper conversation about this... and even if we did, I would not know what to say to him. He hasn't even asked me if I would like to be his girl. Does he just assume that because he is the Avatar, I'll say yes? I am his friend and I do love him, but I am not his girl. It just riled me the way he claimed me like that. I felt really cross at him and I had to prove my independence somehow. If I didn't kiss Zuko then I would be tacitly agreeing with Aang's proprietorial claim over me. I can't be having that.
So I got up really quickly and strode over and knelt down and just grabbed Zuko's face. He seemed a little startled actually, when I did that. I forgot that he hates people making sudden moves towards his face. My bad.
Anyway I grabbed his face and planted a big one on his cheek. I made a big show of this and even made a mwah kissing noise while I did this. I may have...errr...smelled him a little while I did this. Not in a weird way or anything. I just like the way he smells. That's not weird. Zuko sort of leaned away from me at first – because he seemed exceptionally surprised/startled. But then he kind of leaned into it. I may have run my fingers through his hair a little absentmindedly and I felt him sigh deeply when I did this.
See, Toph had never specified where I had to kiss him, just that I had to do it. The cheek is friendly. The cheek is not awkward for everyone later. I had been aiming for his cheek. Really. But I ended up kissing just above the corner of his mouth. It wasn't quite inappropriate – but it was just on the borderline between friendly and something else.
It wasn't a long kiss, just a few moments really. Then I got up, ruffled Zuko's hair and declared that everyone was very immature and announced that I was finished with the game and I was going to make lunch. Then I stomped off and got the common sense stick and came back and wielded it like the righteous bearer of common sense that I am. I have poked Aang and Toph especially hard with it and scratched the ground near Toph with it – so it makes a high pitch noise. She hated that. Serves her right! Truth or dare is over for the day.
-?-
While I set about making lunch, Aang and Toph were earthbending and Sokka and Suki were canoodling and I wasn't quite sure where Zuko had gotten too. I thought about looking for him, but I was just feeling this weird feeling in my stomach. It was like indigestion, but not.
And I just needed a moment.
I was in the kitchen, just staring at some capsicum in a daze. I had been about to do something with it but I just kept having mental blanks and daydreams and it was all very distracting. It is hard to prepare lunch when you brain keeps wandering off like some lost, excitable child.
Come back brain.
-?-
Lunch was a little awkward. Aang was kind of pouting and Zuko was really quiet and Toph was a bit smugetty-smug. Sokka and Suki started trying to fill in the conversation blanks and engage people in any sort of talk. Eventually Suki offered to do a fan demonstration for us. Aang dances when things get awkward or he's in public...well, actually, Aang dances fairly frequently, with little provocation. Anyway, Suki's fan thing is the Suki equivalent of the Aang dance. It fills in awkward moments. It was certainly mesmerizing actually. Soon we were all watching and clapping and forgetting to be awkward with each other. Sokka re-iterated his food eats people dream and there was much commenting on the likelihood of this occurring. I feel like we can all put this little awkward moment behind us.
-?-
I was going to write some scores on the board. Everyone had done their dares-so each team got ten points. Then it was time to teach Aang some more healing. I was a little cross with him, but I tried to push that feeling aside and just concentrate on teaching him. I was going to be in gentle encouragement mode, not cranky-pants wench mode. This is very important stuff after all and Aang seems to find it exceptionally difficult, so I need to help him as much as I can.
I got one of Toph's mannequins out and was explaining the theory of how to heal cuts in great detail. I had even drawn diagrams and everything. But after a while I realized that Aang wasn't actually paying attention to what I was saying. He was staring at me in an odd fashion and seemed a bit preoccupied. There was a conversation we had to have – but, oh boy, was I dreading it.
Aang wanted to ask me a question and for a fanciful moment I thought it would be a question about waterbending healing. No such luck. Aang wanted to know why I had kissed Zuko when he could have used his Avatar-ness to get me out of it. Ugh. I did not want to have this conversation. I couldn't see a way out of this conversation that wouldn't end in awkwardness or me getting cross at Aang. I just didn't want to get into this particular topic. I have so far been able to avoid this subject coming up with Aang like an expert. I decided the best course of action was just to play it light and easy.
I told him that it was just a silly and immature game and I had only kissed Zuko on the cheek anyway so he shouldn't read too much into it and it wouldn't have been fair on the others if he just used his Avatarness to get me out of things and furthermore – I didn't need him to get me out of things. I said this bit much more seriously because I really need Aang to understand.
I'm a person. I'm not a possession.
I don't belong to anyone and I can take care of myself.
I said that as a master waterbender- I could get myself out of things and I didn't need Aang to play the white knight for me. Aang nodded and said he understood what I was saying, but he had just wanted to help. Aang always just wants to help after all. I told Aang that the best way to help me would be to concentrate on his lesson. He did his best to pay better attention, but he is still struggling with healing concepts.
-?-
After our lesson, Aang had some free time and I let him fly around on Appa. As long as he flew low and didn't stray too far from the house. Sokka is reading Love Amongst the Dragons and Suki is teaching Toph how to play this Kyoshi Island game, that looks a little like pai sho but isn't. They asked if I wanted to play, but I wanted to find Zuko, so I left them to it and started my search.
I hadn't seen Zuko since lunch and I hadn't had a chance to talk to him since the dare. I had used him to prove a point to Aang and that's not cool. I just wanted to find him and explain my various feelings on the matter. And just check if he was on the same page. I found him in moping mango tree and climbed up and sat with him. I started talking about earlier and he held his hand up to silence me and said simply that it was okay that I didn't want to kiss him.
I actually hadn't come to say that I didn't want to kiss him. Not to say that I do want to kiss him. I mean- I don't know.
But he was just dismissing the possibility of us kissing out of hand. He was acting like I already said that I didn't want to kiss him. I have never said that, so I don't know where he got that idea from. But I couldn't correct him because that would be like declaring – I want you to kiss me- and I am not about to do that. I don't even know if I...I mean we are so different...Kissing would complicate everything...he drives me crazy most of the time and I can't see kissing alleviating this...and he still has his family pack of fireflakes, so I am sure that he would taste like a fireflake. I've become accustomed to fireflakes but I don't want to taste them all day. Not to say that we would be kissing all day if we started kissing.
Bollocks to it all!
It is all very frustrating.
I think I made a frustrated noise and said that he was putting words in my mouth. He said he just wanted me to know that things didn't have to be weird and I didn't have to explain myself and that he thought people should kiss because they want to kiss each other, not because of some juvenile game. I was in complete agreement and we have agreed with each other and that is all very well and good.
But I think I have agreed to no kissing and I'm not sure how that came about.
I'm not saying that I want to kiss him, but if I did – Look, I am thinking to much about this and I'm am just going to stop thinking about this and writing about this because I am getting obsessive.
-?-
I wouldn't mind just being able to keep the option open.
-?-
I have decided that Zuko is very frustrating.
-?-
Okay, so I told him yesterday that I liked him just the way he is, but I just wish he could be a little less obtuse and difficult and didn't automatically leap to the most negative conclusion over everything.
-?-
But I guess if he was a little less obtuse and difficult and pessimistic- then he wouldn't be my Zuko.
-?-
Gah!
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Usual long and rambly notes.
Lovely wonderful readers! You have reached the end of Just the way you are. Congratulations and I hope you enjoyed it. Cuddles and snuggles and oodles of love for all my wonderful reviewers. Seriously, you guys are just lovely and it makes my day to get all your comments so thanks!
So in this chapter I wanted to explore Zuko's relationship with Lu Ten a little. I think they were close. The lovely Em Dixon * waves at Em* hypothesized that Ursa probably had a big part in raising Lu Ten. Iroh's wife is never mentioned, ever. Her absence leads me to belief that she has been dead and gone a significant amount of time and I think Ursa with her mama bear instincts would have stepped in and been maternal towards Lu Ten. She looks devastated when she gets the news that he has died after all.
All this is a long way of saying that even though Lu Ten was significantly older than both his cousins, I think he was a big part of their formative years. They would have all lived in the palace together after all. I actually think Ba Sing Se was his first campaign away from home. Not sure why, but I do. Anyway I think he was a bit of a golden child – he was Iroh's son, future heir to the throne if the proper succession was to be followed and I think he was just a bit awesome.
I think he would have tried to be good to both his cousins, but he would have naturally just liked Zuko more, possibly due to the fact that Zuko not afflicted with a mild form of sociopathy/narcissism (whatever is wrong with Azula is no little thing.) At the same time Azula is really young when he writes this and I'd like to think that he wouldn't just dismiss her out of hand. I think he would recognize that Azula is emulating Ozai's example and is really a product of her environment. She is not as tough as she acts. Her complete and rapid breakdown at the end, I think, is evidence of all this vulnerability and humanity that she's just suppressed for years. She's been on her own with Ozai and (no other role models) for a long time when we first meet her in the series and I think she has very much become her father's daughter.
I also think that Lu Ten and Ozai would have had a lot of simmering tension between them. Like Scar and Simba but with Mufasa alive and..anyway you get what I mean. I think there would have been a veritable ass-ton of dislike there. Lu Ten would notice that something is not right with Ozai and that the way he treats both his kids is pretty terrible. Lu Ten would have had a good role model in Iroh and he knows that it is not normal for a father to treat a son the way that Ozai treats Zuko. But at the same time he probably would have been reluctant to tell little Zuko "hey, just so you know, your dad like really hates you." because that would serious make little Zuko a sad panda. So he teaches Zuko things he knows, things he thinks will be of use to him and looks out for him as best he can. He sticks up for him the first time Ozai attacks him (I don't think the Angi kai was the first time Ozai would have physically hurt one of his kids) and earns Zuko's undying hero worship.
I thought it would be reasonable for Lu Ten to warn Zuko about Ozai in this letter. If it gets sent then it means that Lu Ten isn't going to be there to look out for him any more and he's got to keep his head down for survival's sake. Lu Ten Tells Zuko the things he needs to know. Ozai's weakness and how not to annoy their grandfather (the current firelord). In the episode with jeong jeong, he emphasizes how important restraint is to firebending but Ozai just had no restraint, so I have wildly leapt to the conclusion that it would affect his bending. He's a powerful bender, but he's not an expert, efficient bender and I think his chi would be unbalanced, which would result in unbalanced bending.
Lu Ten also asks Zuko to look out for the people they both love. He knows his dad will need someone to keep him going. I think he would worry about his mummy figure Ursa being married to someone like Ozai and knew that she'd need extra cuddles as well after he died.
The main point of his letter is that Zuko should be true to himself. This is the most important life lesson Lu Ten can offer. He's probably witnessed many scenes where Ozai has been at the kid, saying 'Why can't you be more like Azula?' But he knows that Zuko needs to try be more like Zuko. This is very similar advice to what his mother tells him when she leaves. Zuko's main journey is figuring out who he is and how to be true to himself. I think Zuko was a sweet kid back then and his cousin thought he didn't need to change. Of course this all gets lost in translation for Zuko, because Lu Ten picks an unusual metaphor to illustrate this point. I think Zuko would have a tendency to jump to negative conclusions. He doesn't have great self image in general. He's really trying to change and be better when he's with the gang and then he gets this letter from his cousin who he adored that says 'you can't change.'
In all honesty, I think Zuko would have always thought that his life would have been a lot better if Lu Ten was alive. Everything thing goes to hell in a hand basket for him immediately after Lu Ten's death.
I think Zuko would have had this idea in the back of his mind that Lu Ten would know all the answers and could wave a magic wand and make everything better. But the he gets this letter and it doesn't have the answers he wants.
I think it is a big gesture for him to show something this personal to Katara. This is a big divulging of personal baggage for him. But she has a much more positive and optimistic spin on things and really cheers him up. Who wouldn't be cheered up by someone like Katara saying she likes you for who you are.
Katara's dream is just something I thought would be suitably ridiculous. She has to choose between one Zuko and a horde of Jets (gyrating and dressed in sequined costumes – just for shiggles).
Aang's a bit attention seeking, bless his cotton socks, and quite fond of dares/thrill seeking. That's why he's all for playing truth or dare for his festival of Aang. I think he wants lots and lots of the dares so he can show everybody (Katara in particular) how awesome/talented/brave his is. He just wants some more attention people! He is like Tinkerbell or Rachel from glee – He needs applause to live! Flameo Aang. Unfortunately his brilliant plan to show Katara how awesome he is through his ability to do dares backfires on him, when Toph dares her to kiss Zuko. And Katara does. This makes Aang a sad/confused panda.
I think Toph just likes to mess with people (Katara in particular) just a little. She's blunt, she's tactless and she knows that there is a bit of fancying going on between Katara and Zuko. Toph like many of my dear, lovely readers is thinking 'oh for goodness sake, just kiss him already!' So she dares Katara just for shiggles and to see what will happen. In all honesty, I'm not a huge fan of the truth or dare kiss trope because I think it cheapens the kiss – so I didn't have them kiss on the lips here. Like Katara, I want their first kiss to be special, not awkward and embarrassing and the result of a dare.
Aang does not want.
Aang and Katara dance around the topic of Aang's massive crush on her. Katara cannot lace up her sneakers and head for the hills fast enough when they get even close to this conversation. I think she avoids this conversation at all costs. She avoids this conversation like Aang avoids eating meat. So when Aang calls her my girl, she chooses to actively prove that he doesn't own her rather than enter into that conversation. She doesn't blow a gasket at him later because that would bring up the giant conversation of awkward and there is no way that Katara is going to voluntarily enter/bring up that conversation.
She is also entertaining the idea of kissing Zuko as a result of the dare. And because I am wily I have Zuko and Katara, sitting in a tree, talking about kissing – but not actually kissing at the end. Their conversation is another one that dances around the point. As I said earlier, Zuko always leaps to the most negative conclusion and in this case, he thinks she doesn't want to kiss him at all and that she only did it because it was a dare etc. So he mopes a little bit and tells himself not to be stupid, not to get his hopes up, they are just friends etc. He doesn't want to lose her as a friend – she is the first person to tell him she likes him for who he is, after all. So when she comes to find him (like he knew she would) he just wants her to know that he's okay with her not fancying him and things don't have to be weird at all between them. It is like the reverse of her conversation with Aang. He dismisses the idea of further kissing before Katara can get a word in edgewise and then Katara has thoughts. Rambly, obsessive thoughts. Bless her cotton socks.
In the next chapter we are approaching the end of the week of Aang. Cakes will be made, moments will be had and a calamity will strike!
Til then lovely readers...