We're sitting around the table in our room, thoroughly stuffed, minus one Judai. I found my hair tie beneath the bed (however it got there), so while Sokka is presenting a crazy-long scroll he calls his 'Master Schedule' and reveals it to be what he's been working on last night, I braid my hair. About time that I get those strands out of my face.

"I calculated how much distance we cover on average, and we really need to pick up the pace if we want to make it to the Black Cliffs in time."

"The Black Cliffs?" I repeat uncertainly. The Black Cliffs are a thinly populated coastal area with a couple uninhabited islands in the middle of the Fire Nation. I don't know that much about them, but I don't think it's a good place. Volcanic activity and a shortage of freshwater don't make for desirable living conditions. "You want to hide there? Not a good idea. I mean, sure, nobody lives there who could find us. But people don't live there for a reason."

"We won't be there for long," Sokka explains. "According to my schedule, we'll be hard pressed to get a few hours rest."

"Rest for what?"

I'd like to say I do well in the ensuing staring contest, but... Har har.

"Okay, I get it. Secret anti-Fire Nation stuff. Thanks for the reminder."

Better get back to braiding my hair. I gnash my teeth, my chest aches. There is so much hatred, nothing else to call it. Hatred towards my situation, the utter powerlessness. Not even the bars of the slave cell made me feel this much like a prisoner.

At least now I know where we're going. It's not exactly helpful as an information, but it's progress.

Toph punches my shoulder. "Don't be such a sourpuss, Fireflake!"

Give me a reason not to be!

I reach behind me. My plan requires some stretching, but then my fingers clasp around the pillow on the lower bunk. I bury my face in it and scream until my vocal chords fail and my mind is wiped blank.

Stress relief at its finest.

"Better now?" Sokka asks.

"Yeah." I nod and prepare to get out of my seat. "I'll fetch a cup of water if you don't mind."

"I'll do it," Aang interrupts however and airbends himself to his feet, then disappears into the washroom. Before long, I can enjoy the sweet sensation of cold water soothing a raw throat.

"Thanks, Aang." I shake my head wearily. "Sorry for stirring up such a drama."

"It's okay," Aang says and returns to his own seat, then Toph decides to occupy my attention with an "Impressive scream, Fireflake."

I pretend she was serious and mumble "Airbender staple, I guess...", then wave at Sokka. "Please, go on."

He nods. "We'll stay another hour or so to stock up on supplies. We also don't want to look hasty."

"Wait a second, Sokka," Aang chips in. "We just replenished our supplies on Cinder Island."

"And picked up an extra mouth to feed."

"I resent that statement." I cross my arms. And get skillfully ignored.

Aang shakes his head. "Appa can't carry this much weight for so long. We'll make better time if we make more stops for supplies."

Sokka wrinkles his nose and directs his attention back at his Master Schedule. "Fine."

"How far will we get with our current stock?" Katara asks and Sokka hovers his finger above his scroll.

"The Jang Hui river. If we save some vegetables for Aang, we might be able to fish." He wrinkles his nose unhappily. "Or we'll have to go hungry for a day."

"Or we stock up on supplies in Jang Hui Village," I suggest, drawing three pairs of eyes. "What? Sokka, don't you have a map?"

Sokka starts rummaging through his backpack and procures a piece of parchment with an ominous yellow tint. Parchment. Yellowed.

My suspicions are confirmed when he rolls it out on the table. This thing must be a thousand years old!

"Don't you have anything more... up-to-date?"

"Nope," Sokka deadpans. "The Fire Nation is a little stingy with maps."

"Not around here. And I think it would be a worthwhile investment if you plan on getting anywhere. But anyway..." I point at an archipelago in the east, at an island which is cut in halves by a sliver of water. "This is the Kagio Channel. And over here..." I trace a line across the map with my finger, spanning two small islands to the next bigger one with another stripe of water. "This is the Jang Hui river. See this bend where the river broadens? A village is located there, and a smelting plant. We should make this a stop."

"Right..." Sokka complains. "Just wreak havoc on my schedule."

"It's not my fault you used this ancient antiquity to plan our route. Or that no one's telling me what's going on. I could have helped you with this from the beginning."

Sokka scowls, but he doesn't say anything. I sigh and roll up the map. Parchment. Agni. "So much for this. Next chance we get, somebody's gonna buy an atlas. From paper." I return the map to Sokka, but I can't resist tapping him on the head with it beforehand. The scowl deepens.

And here I thought these people were smart...

"Uh, Kami?" Aang tentatively speaks up. "We don't have the money to buy an atlas."

"Oh the High Dragons have mercy..." I raise my eyes to the heavens. "Alright. Then let's see how far we'll get with your map. There is only so much space for geography in my brain, unfortunately." I shake my head at another unpleasant thought just crossing my mind: "Where did you get the money anyway?"

I direct the question at Sokka, but he's still stewing. "We captured a Fire Nation ship," he explains curtly, leaving me to fill the blanks by myself. I assume the ship transported money. Or... I swallow hard. Or the crew did...

"What happened to the people on the ship?"

Sokka waves dismissively, the seriousness of the question snapping him out of his passive-aggressive anger. "Don't worry, they're alive. They were such sloth snails that nobody got hurt, and we simply dumped them on the nearest beach."

And the ache is back, though it's centered around my stomach this time. There is still a lot of danger to a ship's crew on an unknown beach. Wild animals, thirst... Better not ask whether the team made sure that my compatriots weren't in any danger of dying.

I throw the pillow away and stand up. "Excuse me for a minute... I need some air."

A couple apprehensive looks are shared, but nobody tries to stop me. At least until Toph warns, "Our friendly Featherdragon is back."

By the time the words properly registered, I can hear it too: the sound of footsteps on the stairs. I open the door and sure enough, Judai is here. The grin on his face brightens my mood instantly.

"Hey, you're back!"

"Sure I'm back! You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"So, what happened?" A step to the side to let Judai in, then the door snaps shut. "Sora was right, wasn't he?"

"'Fraid so. I see you found your tie. I gotta say though, I liked you better when your hair was loose."

Um... Okay? "It makes me look even more like a colonial."

Judai lifts his hands and shrugs. "Well, I'm not gonna tell you how to wear your hair."

He pushes past me and faces the table, leaving me with a good view of his back. I put a fist on my hip. "For the record, I like you better with loose hair, too."

And what in the name of Agni made me feel compelled to say that?

Judai sends me a glance over his shoulder. "You don't even know what I look like when I'm not a mess," he points out, striking me speechless. He got me there.

"Ouch," Toph comments, but she doesn't sound particularly disapproving.

"Come on, fire boy," Sokka joins in the fun. "You look fine."

Judai sighs, shoulders sagging, and joins my... companions, I guess. Maybe 'friends' is stretching it after all.

"So, and what are you guys up to?"

"Adjusting our schedule," Aang replies truthfully while I walk over to stand next to Judai. He seems in no hurry to sit, only crosses his arms and pulls a face.

"Yeah, I suppose a rescue wasn't in it. But can I have a minute anyway?"

"Is something wrong?" Katara asks, concern painting her voice. Judai's posture relaxes, but his expression is wry.

"Matter of perspective, I guess," he says and raises his hands to his chest. Oh, I think... Yup, he's bowing. And about time, too. "I apologize for referring to the people of the Water Tribe as snow savages." He straightens, giving a good view of the doubt written all across his face. "I never really thought of it as a slur, to be honest."

"Tell me about it..." I mutter under my breath and finally manage to tear my gaze away from Judai. Katara has a relaxed smile on her lips. Sokka seems more skeptical, and I can't shake the feeling he heard what I said.

"Yeah, you're not the first one to run into that trap." Called it.

I press my lips together and examine my toenails. I think they can use a trim?

"Well, that's a relief," Judai remarks dryly, and maybe, in a way, it's true. What was that with safety in numbers? Judai slipping up does show that my slipping up is only partially my fault. You simply can't know what you don't know.

Not that it makes such comments any less hurtful.

"Hey, regular mortal to Kami! Do I need to get a messenger hawk?"

"Hmm? What?"

Judai shakes his head with a soft groan. "Keep hunching over like that and you'll look like an old granny in no time." Without giving me a chance to piece an adequate retort together, Judai switches back to cheerful and grabs my hand. "Speaking of which, I'd like you to meet somebody. That is, if I can borrow you for a few minutes?"

"Have fun," Sokka sends us off and I allow Judai to drag me down into the taproom. Some kids are still around, chatting, drinking tea or sleeping on the tables. Guard Hina is talking to the innkeepers. The only new arrival, whose table Judai is heading for, is a lady who seems about ten years too young to be the grandmother of a fifteen-year-old, but I don't doubt her identity for a second.

"Grandma!" Judai calls, and the woman stands up to welcome us. Aaaand yes, if that lady is not related to Judai, I don't know who is. Black hair streaked with gray, done up in a neat topknot, kind gray eyes and laugh lines gracing the corners of her mouth. There is a certain slyness to her smile when she greets us.

"Honey, the time has passed when you courted a lady by hauling her after you."

"Grandma, knock it off!"

You tell her, Ju. Agni, isn't it enough that Sokka and Toph keep teasing us? She's right though, Judai could have let go of my hand long before running into this situation.

The woman turns her smile at me. "Hello, child."

"Ma'am," I answer and bow, expecting Judai to take it from there and introduce us. He doesn't, which throws me off. Protocol, anyone?

Judai's grandmother apparently senses my disorientation and laughs. "Trust my grandson to cause confusion."

"What's me to do with this?!"

"You know what you've to do with this."

Judai huffs and crosses his arms. What's his deal?

"You must forgive my grandson, he's a little peculiar with introductions."

"Gee, thanks gran."

Wow, this is almost as intense to watch as an Agni Kai. Maybe I should do something? We're not getting anywhere like this. "So, is this the part where I say my name?"

The woman laughs. "Very well. What may this old hag call you, young lady?"

"Um..." Agni help me, I'm caught in a nerve-wrecking comedian crossfire. I don't know, aren't old people supposed to be all wise and stern? "My name is Kamina, but you're not an old hag, ma'am..."

She laughs. Again. "Nice to meet you, Kamina. Please call me Fen."

Fen? Not a name I would choose for a child, but... yeah, why not. "Okay... Fen. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"No need to be so formal, my dear."

"Yeah, my ears are starting to bleed over here." And Judai is back in the conversation, too. He places a hand on my arm and smiles encouragingly. "Relax, it's just my grandma. She's not gonna eat you."

I guess that's true. Okay Kami, breathe... "I'm sorry. Thanks, Ju. But would you be so kind and explain to me what your problem is? This would all have been significantly less awkward if you just did your job."

Judai wrinkles his nose. "My job is not to suggest that you're too dumb to introduce yourself."

I blink once. I blink twice. I slap my forehead. "Are you kidding me?!"

Judai does not deign me an answer, but at least the nervousness has been blown away. The sheer absurdity... But it does explain his walking out on me after I told Lori his name.

"I agree with your grandma here: You are one weird person, buddy. It's just etiquette, nothing patronizing about it."

"Well, that's your opinion."

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. I let Judai have the last word and shrug. Everyone has a personal weirdness, and if that's his... Well, I've seen worse.

"Anyway, is there some greater purpose behind your dragging me around?"

Now it's Judai's turn to shrug. "I figured that introducing the girl who saved me from slavery to my grandma is a great purpose."

"But I didn't..." I trail off and let my shoulders droop. It's no use. No matter how often I repeat that the whole thing is mostly on the Avatar's gang, it's my face that'll stick. "Oh, forget it."

"Hardly."

I realize only after my reflexes kicked in that Judai tried to underline his statement by poking my breastbone. And I'm every bit as shocked as he is – my body is capable of some serious speediness when it comes to swatting hands away.

"Uh..." Face burning, I hastily hide my arm behind my back in a ludicrous attempt to undo the damage. But my chest is off-limits, decent and indecent zones alike. "Sorry, but... You're not the only one who'd rather not be touched. Okay?"

Judai himself has been frozen with his arm close to the chest while I was talking, but he finally loosens somewhat and nods solemnly. His grandmother chooses the moment to intervene, and a pang of jealousy rushes through me when Judai is granted an embrace to hide away in. I could use a hug for myself just about now, but as it is, I'm left to pondering my reaction.

I thought I had it under control. Hide did a lot of prodding, and I simply let it happen. One day and a half away from home, and I'm already changing. Makes me wonder what sort of me is standing at the end of the road.

A warm hand, a warm smile. Turtle whiskers, I need to stop spacing out in the middle of things. Gratefully, I wrap my arms around Judai's neck and relax, let myself fall.

I'm changing, but no matter what, I'll make sure that it's a change for the better. And I can't wait to see it.

*sigh* Cheesy much?

Sooo, since the last update, I've gotten two guest reviews, and one of them made the delete button look more tempting than ever. But okay, it's only half as offensive as it looks at first glance. Made me google the name Kamina, for the lols, and I found this one anime called Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann with a character named Kamina. Oh yeah, it's a he.
I also searched the ATLA fandom for characters named Kami, without the -na. And lo and behold, I found an abadoned fic from 2013/14 with an OC main character - a Fire Nation airbender. The fic is titled "The Lost Air Nomad: Water", and of course I dived right in. Found it a little underwhelming, though that could be just me.
So Kamina is not the most original name out there. I don't care. I'm not going to rename her Shiyumakila, because I don't want my readers to look up the spelling every five seconds. That's not the point of a name. A name should be easy to memorize, easy to pronounce, it should fit the universe, and maybe, just maybe, be meaningful. On that note, I'm very happy with my name choice, thank you very much.

From the other guest review I'm catching I-think-I-know-you vibes, but I admit with much chagrin that I can only narrow it down to two candidates instead of one. Thanks anyway, and as you can see, we're not rid of Judai just yet. ;)