Disclaiming Banner: Hear ye, hear ye. Let it be known throughout all the Fandom; the Lord and Master of ATLA is not me.
No Boys Allowed: A Mai and Katara friend drabble by request.
It started with the Fancy Lady Day Spa. They had barely spoken while in the Fire Nation. There was too much to do, to many loose ends to sew up and no one managed to make more than passing acquaintances. The sojourn to Ba Sing Se was more restful. Things had been quieted already by the Order of the Old People and that meant that the really important things could now be tended to.
Like her hair. Yes, Mai knew it was silly, and shallow, and many synonyms along that vein. But by Koh, she had certain standards and she was going to get it done. Prison life had been terrible for her hair and she just hadn't had the time for it yet. Today, though, today was the day. It was going to happen. Mai was going to a popular, near-by spa: and Katara decided to come too. And in her little Water Tribe brain, that meant that every other girl in the group was coming along. It was going to be a Girls' Day Out. Oh, joy.
Somewhere between Suki correcting the massage therapist on the proper technique, and Toph doing unnatural things to the pedicurists, she and Katara started talking. Mai had been prepared for awkward, polite, boredom in the company of these people she didn't actually know. Their chat, however, was surprisingly interesting. It was easy to spend an hour in the steam room discussing food rationing, chest-binding, moisturizer, and brothers.
It was so easy, Mai feared the next time they met hair-braiding was going to be the next logical step in their acquaintanceship.