AN: See profile for disclaimer. (I reject the reality of the new canon of Avatar: The Legend of Korra and substitute my (Zutarian) own!) Merry Christmas BTW! Christmas Gift-fic to you guys, cos Christmas is about family…

Smoke sugar is not mine, props to Vathara of Embers (awesome fic BTW) who inspired me

Daily Chores

or

5 Times Katara Had To Do Everything By Herself, And The 5 Times She Had Backup.

(Part of the Night Terrors series)

1. Cooking (Part 1)

There had been a time when this was relaxing. That she could lose herself in a mix of ingredients and recipies. That the time was for her, and her alone.

But that time was back in the South Pole, with around 20 other mothers and her own Gran Gran to help out. There cooking was a communal exercise. Everybody pitched in. Everyone knew what everyone could eat. Couldn't eat. Like how Feinsja was allergic to whale-shellfish. And how Gran Gran couldn't stand a particular type of seaweed. But when the long months of winter came, even if Feinsja was allergic to whale-shellfish and even if Gran Gran hated that kind of seaweed, everyone ate. Times got tough, and whale-shellfish in your belly was alot better than nothing at all. Good thing Gran Gran knew how to stop Feinsja's allergies...

But out here? On the run? With Crazy, Stretch (Oooh, one day she'd make her pay for taking away her bending, no matter how temporary it was), and Needles on thier tail?

It was plain exhausting.

Nope. I won't eat meat. (Aang)

Nope. I won't eat vegatables. (Sokka)

Sorry. Allergic to ground nuts. (Toph)

So dinner was always preparing 3 pots of stew, two more than nessecary in her mind.

A meat and potato one for Sokka. (Let him be constipated for all she cared.)

A vegatable and potato one for Aang. (With nuts in it, because he was a growing boy and needed the protien.)

And a mixed one, without nuts for Toph and her to share. (Because they needed the fibre. Period.)

Now Aang, she could understand, he took vows, he was a monk!

But Sokka... Was it really needed?

And so she would slave over the stove.

She would put up with thier compliants about her cooking.

She would continue to do a task she no longer cared to do.

Because the last time she asked for help.

Sokka said no. (He always did)

Aang didn't know how. (And never bothered to learn, taking a cue from Sokka.)

And Toph was blind. (There was absoulutely no way she'd allow her close to a fire.)

So she would cook alone.

2. Cleaning (Part 1)

Never had there been a time when cleaning was fun. But there was a time that it had been bearable. She was used to the South Pole where the 20 older females (including herself and Gran Gran) would work communally to clean the messes up. Cleaning was never fun. But it was bearable because everyone pitched in and helped.

So when she started off on their epic journey, she thought that Sokka would at least help her keep the campsite clean.

He didn't.

She thought the monks would have instilled some sense of tidiness in Aang.

Turned out that they believed that the wind should take whatever belongings of theirs where it wanted.

In other words...

He didn't.

She thought that Toph liked having things in order.

But no, order would be succumbing to her parents.

She had to oppose her parents in every way.

Thus, her healthy coating of dirt.

So rather than clean up messes.

She made them worse.

So, because they needed to look presentable.

Because Team Avatar couldn't be seen as a bunch of ragged travellers. (Because, really, was that the message they wanted to send to the general populace?)

Because a tidy camp site was easier to get rid of than a dirty one.

She would tidy.

And organise.

And clean alone.

3. Mending (Part 1)

There had been a time when she could pretend while she was sewing. Pretend that, no this wasn't polar deer-bear fur that she was sitching. It was fine linen. The type that dad brought back from the Earth Kingdom.

The blue threads she used weren't made from the fibres of the sea prune stalk. They were fine silks in brilliant colours. The oranges of the long forgotten Air Nomads. The bright greens of the Earth Kingdom. Never red, gold and black though. Those were the colours of the enemy. The colours of the people that hurt others.

The clothes she sowed wasn't clothes, there were actually fine taperstries, with embroidery of her own making. She was a captive damsel, high in an icy tower, waiting to be rescued. Just like the ones in mum's stories.

But now...

Now there was no icy tower to be rescued from. Just a campsite with a ragtag bunch of children and teenagers. She wasn't waiting to be rescued. She was doing the rescuing. The fine silks of the Earth Kingdom turned out to be delicate cottons that shimmered like silk, somehow. In fact, turned out the mass producer of silk during peacetime 100 years ago was the Fire Nation. On top of that they still were.

The daydreams of long ago were shattered.

There was no place for such things in her new reality.

They couldn't stop her though from dreaming up that vague future with a powerful bender. But Azula, Mai and especially Ty Lee could.

So she would be methodical.

Because Sokka was too stuck up to learn.

Because Aang generally was picking up Sokka's bad habits.

Because Toph was, after all blind.

She would patch up the holes in their clothes.

And attempt to patch up their little family too.

4. Laundry (Part 1)

Laundry wasn't something she was very used to. Of course she liked to keep clean. But when you live in the South Pole, the only time you could take a bath was if there was a fire close by. Anyway, most people didn't even sweat back in the South Pole.

It was too cold to.

Laundry days were rare and far between. They usually took place during the summer months when the air was dryer and the wind carrying the summer snows was still. Then, the village would turn into a place of parkas and skins, no trace of the snow and ice the Poles were famous for.

Laundry days were days of play in the past. They were hide behind parka's and snoop through underwear. It was hide and seek and chase all at once. Then the raiders came and ruined it all. Laundry days weren't the same after that.

Then she went with Aang.

And found herself under piles of laundry every three days.

So what if she was a waterbender and a trained one at that. Laundry was definitely not fun, you couldn't imagine during it or lose yourself while scrubbing. Especially, if you're on the run.

After all you didn't want to be caught or fight in your underwear.

Logically she was the best choice for this, she was after all, the quickest at it.

Sokka said it was a girl's job (even after Suki)

Aang followed suit (he didn't see the need for laundry)

Toph, well Toph was blind, and she didn't want her to fall in the river.

Once again, she was alone.

5. Budgeting (Part 1)

This was explainable. Very explainable and short too. Someone needed to get things done around here. Someone had to be responsible with money and make sure they had enough food, clothes and medicine.

Sokka couldn't be responsible for this. He'd go on a shopping spree.

Aang was no better.

Toph at heart was still a wealthy heiress so no way.

It just made sense for her to be the only one in charge of their funds.

6. Cooking (Part 2)

She was through asking for help at this point. She was through wanting to make things better, wanting everyone to be happy. They'll eat what she makes and that's final. Aang could just pick the meat out of his, Sokka could just pick the veggies out, but she'll leave the peanuts out, for Toph's sake and hers (she couldn't heal allergies yet). She didn't ask for help and she didn't want it.

Now if HE would just stop helping her!

She didn't know why but he was silently preparing a vegetarian one for Aang right now. And if that wasn't the makings of smoke sugar….

Urgh!

Wait… Was Aang in the kitchen now? Why?

7. Cleaning (Part 2)

She looked around the temple. Clean. Clean. Clean? Wait… What?

He was behind this. She knew it. And if that wasn't Sokka clearing up his own mess with HIM watching over him nodding his head and saying something about the efficiency of the navy being proportional to the tidiness of the ship, she'll eat Sokka socks.

8. Mending (Part 2)

"See? You feel the earth in the metal, so you don't need to point it the wrong direction."

"Just Like how you put dust on the cloth Sparky?"

"Yes, now one, two, okay tie a knot there… and there you go. One mended hole."

"What about the dust?"

"Don't worry, I'll wash it off later…"

Katara stepped back from the room. What sorcery was this?

9. Laundry (Part 2)

She had to smile. Everyone was pitching in now, well everyone old enough and not blind that is. Toph was hiding behind HIS blanket and Aang… was he snooping through her underwear? GROSS!

She turned to him and asked as he said… "Every man for himself on a ship, and when you're a teenage boy, there are some things you'd never, ever, want your crew to know."

10. Budgeting (Part 2)

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Teaching them. Helping them. Giving them responsibility."

"It's no big deal, I had to do this with my crew when they went into port as well."

"Still, thank you."

"For what?"

"Backing me up."