"We Were the Kings and Queens of Promise"

[markofthebrave]

Who: Zuko, Aang, and Katara
What: Family Dinner!
When: April 15th
Where: House 56
Summary: The Fire Lord, the Avatar, and a Master Waterbender all sat down to dinner.
Rating: Should be fairly low key

Life goes on. And as Sokka and Suki go off to celebrate their very real love and their very real anniversary, someone still has to make dinner. And tonight, as with many other nights, that someone is Katara. There is a vegetarian dish for Aang, a large dish of rice and mango, and some spicy shish-kabobs for Zuko (and some less spicy ones for Katara). Despite the awkwardness, this is life, and they have to keep living it.

Comments

[savedtheworld]

[He collected some of the rice and mangoes for his place while smiling gratefully.]

Sure. It'd be nice to have an audience. [And maybe act as a buffer if Zuko got too strict.]

[burningdownfate]

[Zuko holds out a hand.] Rice, please. [Pause] An audience won't make me go easier on you.

[He knows what you're thinking, Aang. He knows.]

[savedtheworld]

[Aang just meekly hands over the rice. He catches a glimpse at Zuko's food as he does so and quickly averts his eyes. In a thought less likely to be predicted by Zuko, he can remember shish-kabobs being delicious. Aang quietly buries himself in his rice.]

[markofthebrave]

I'm sure that you'll do just fine, Aang.

[There is no light note of threat in her voice towards Zuko, and those aren't the droids you're looking for.]

[savedtheworld]

[Aang of course doesn't notice the presence or absence of such a threat, especially when receiving a Katara complaint. He looks up and smiles at her.]

Thanks, Katara. I'll do my best.

[markofthebrave]

[And Katara takes a sip of soda and gives Zuko a Significant Glance.]

When do you think you'll have your first lesson?

[burningdownfate]

Whenever Aang wants to start. [Zuko shrugs.] I do my bending practice every morning.

[savedtheworld]

[Aang noted this strong concern about his bending training.]

I don't have much in my schedule except for school, so I can do some practice before I head there pretty much any morning. Maybe we could even start tomorrow.

[Early to bed, early to rise was the Avatar way.

...He was almost ready to suggest more Waterbending sessions with Katara as well, but he soon realized that it would be too weighty to suggest considering how connected such practice was to that horrible other week. He focused on his rice instead.]

[markofthebrave]

[The bending was a concern, but... Katara was from a point where Zuko and Aang weren't exactly friendly, and she... was concerned, okay? Sometimes things got weird, and she just wanted to make sure that everyone was as they should be. That everyone had someone to fall back on.

Also, ugh.]

What you call "morning" I call "pre-dawn."

[savedtheworld]

[Of course, this Aang was used to everyone getting along with the exception of Zuko at Yu Dao. He would probably be surprised at Katara herself getting along with Zuko if he thought out the time she came from.]

That's because you're a sleepyhead. We can find time to practice when you're awake.

[burningdownfate]

Hey, sun's up when I practice. [You know. Barely.] Tomorrow's good. If you're up early enough, I'll make enough breakfast for the both of us.

[markofthebrave]

[There is something seriously wrong with both of you.]

[savedtheworld]

Sure! That sounds great, Zuko.

[He nibbles on some mango.]

[burningdownfate]

You got it. I'll wake you when I get up, then. [They're not crazy, Katara. Just different.]

[markofthebrave]

[No, they're crazy.

She reaches for the soda.]

...and when is that, exactly?

[burningdownfate]

About when the sun's coming up. Dawn's a beautiful time.

[markofthebrave]

[She fixed Zuko with a look.]

This is revenge for something, isn't it.

[She hates you. 8|]

[burningdownfate]

[...

... wait, what?]

I'm not waking you up.

[markofthebrave]

But that's when I have to go see you practice! And that early in the morning is just - evil.

[burningdownfate]

[Pause] You know, you could ask me to practice in the afternoon one day if you wanted to watch.

[savedtheworld]

Yeah. Maybe on Saturday!

[He says, with sauce dribbling down his chin.]

[burningdownfate]

[Well, Aang hasn't changed. Zuko just... kinda stares at that sauce.] Yeah. That'll work.

[markofthebrave]

Aang, you've got sauce on your chin. [And without pausing a beat.] Maybe. I'm still mostly free on Saturdays.

[savedtheworld]

Oh. [He swipes at his chin with a napkin and smiles at Katara's affirmation.] Great! We'll find the right time on that day. ...And we have to get some planning for cultural day in too!

[markofthebrave]

Definitely! [EXCITEMENT.] We have so much to plan.