Master Katara:

Katara can scarcely believe that she is teaching anyone how to bend, considering that she is literally having to learn the stances and techniques the day before passing them onto a pupil, who usually succeeds in learning them that very day. It's sometimes frustrating- some days it feels that her being the Avatar's waterbending teacher is a mere formality. One day, when she's already tired and cranky, she just plunks down the scrolls in front of Suki.

"You might as well just learn from the scrolls … you do this stuff better than I do half the time, you learn the stances in half the time I need. I should practically be learning from you."

Suki looks up at her and Katara immediately feels like a louse-mite. "Master Katara, that's not true." She looks at the scrolls for a moment, longer than she should, having to carefully recall the words to the symbols. It didn't help that several of the words were in the Water Tribe dialect and that she was unfamiliar with Waterbending terminology. But that's not even the most important problem, really. Only a Waterbender, a native Waterbender who could hear the song of the Moon and Ocean spirits in their blood could possibly translate the stances into living action.

"These scrolls mean nothing for me unless they're interpreted by a Waterbending master. Mostly I learn so quickly, Master Katara, because you're such a good teacher." She smiled warmly. "Besides, I like spending time with you. You're my friend, too."

Katara smiled right back. "Well, then we should get started for the day. Let's see how you're doing with the water whip."

Suki concentrated, going through the gesture and summoning up a long string of water which twisted and coiled into what looked like a real whip. Katara's eyes opened wide. Not that she was incapable of such fine control herself, it's just that it looked so … realistic. The way that Suki wielded it suggested that she had more than a little experience with the real thing.

"Wow, Suki, you're really good with those whips. You ever, uh, use an actual whip before?" Katara quirked her eyebrow a little bit as Suki cracked the whip just like a real one.

"Yeah, you could say I'm whip-smart." Suki grinned at Katara. "Because I'm really good with whips. Water ones, too."

Katara groaned. And she thought that Sokka had the worst taste in jokes …

Master Toph:

"Hey Greaseface, are you ready for your first earthbending lesson?" Toph called out into the tent before realizing, with her earthsense, that she wasn't even in it. She sighed used her earthsight to figure out where her pupil had even got to, annoyed that she didn't get the small pleasure of forcing her out of bed, only to find her working on her earthbending and waterbending by the side of the river in a state that looked next door to a frenzy. Toph listened to the earth underneath her. Truth was, that Suki was already a pretty good earthbender by most standards.

But she was Kwan-damned Toph Bei Fong and she was going to set a ridiculous new standard for excellence in earthbending that would rock Greaseface's world. Grinning maliciously, she stomped the earth, sending a column of Earth soaring towards Suki, ready to save the Avatar's distracted ass if need be. She was actually almost disappointed as Suki simply used it as a springboard- the chagrin coming from the fact that Toph knew damn well she'd never be half that agile- to end up at Toph's feet.

"I'm sorry Master Toph. I was practicing and I neglected to realize that the sun had risen as we'd agreed."

Well, now that she was on the ground … it was pretty easy for Toph to just shift the earth around her and knock the Avatar on her ass. Because nobody showed up Toph Bei Fong, ever, without her getting at least a little bit of revenge on them. It wasn't personal, Greaseface was a pretty sweet kid, but she wasn't gonna save the world by being a pretty sweet kid. She'd have to be, Spirits, the second-best Earthbender in the world.

Though of course, Suki barely even falls. Doesn't make a satisfying plop like Snoozles, she just pulls herself up and assumes stance, thinking it's go time for some ridiculous sparring match. Toph doesn't have time for that stuff.

"Put the stupid fans away, Greaseface. No crutches. This is just you and me. And you're gonna hate every second of this but you'll be stronger for it. So shut up and do what I tell you to." Toph nodded in self-satisfaction. That would do. Nevermind that Greaseface was probably eight inches taller than her and a seasoned warrior. None of that mattered anymore. All she was right now was a mediocre earthbender that needed some shaping up, Bei Fong-style.

Suki's eyes narrowed in what looked like a real challenge before she sighed harshly and set the fans aside, and then she launched herself off the ground and went completely blind to Toph and the next thing she new, her nose was exploding in pain and she was flat on her ass, blood liberally dribbling out of her nose.

"What the HELL, Greaseface?!" Toph sputtered as she got up.

"I get your whole drill instructor approach, Master Toph. I don't care if you feel you need to be abrasive. But you will not mock my culture." Suki's voice was low and dangerous and Toph for her part simply wiped her nose and … well, she grinned.

"You know what, Greaseface? Tell you what. I call you Greaseface. It's not a culture thing. I have a special nickname for everyone. You can put away your fans because I know you use them to make bending easy for you. And I'm laughing because that was a pretty good stunt, but we both know you aren't getting to do Sucker Punch, part Two. Ever. Again." Toph laughed. "But it's cool because we're all friends here. Even after I make you regret ever meeting me six times before breakfast. I'm gonna go wake up Sugar Queen and she's gonna fix my nose and then you're gonna pay for that cheap shot."

Suki simply smiled sweetly. "Of course, Master Toph. I look forward to your expert instruction in the art of Earthbending."

Master Zuko:

It is strange to be learning Firebending from a person who not so long ago was engaged in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with you. Even stranger to realize that you two have a lot in common- you both have father issues, though you concede that his are far worse and both of you have temper problems, though his flares up and then is consumed, yours tends to smoulder and turn into grudges. But you've proven willing to forgive Zuko and you've quickly grown into friends.

You do well enough with your firebending lessons, though you're not quite used to its explosive power, or to the iron control that you need to possess over it. You're an Earthbender by blood, though Waterbending comes almost as naturally to you, child of a sea-girt island that you are. What little you know of Airbending from Guru Tenzin, you learned easily enough. But Fire is the element of outright, hostile confrontation, of explosive offensive strikes.

It's wonderful, though, if you're already frustrated and angry and want to turn it to something useful and productive instead of trying to distract yourself or get around it like you so often do. And after you've half-exhausted each other from training, you pick up the fans and Master Zuko draws his dao swords and you spar. It's wonderful. Zuko's a master in his discipline and his dual wielding technique meshes well with yours. He's stronger, but you're faster and neither of you ever know who will win in a particular duel.

This time, he's the winner, but you laugh and go to get a drink of water afterwards, swapping combat tips and stories like old friends.

"Does it ever seem strange, that you'd be teaching the Avatar firebending?" You ask curiously. It certainly seems strange to you.

"Yeah." Zuko replied in his inimitably taciturn style. He's only a year older than you, but he seems more like five. As much as you'd been through, you're willing to concede he's been through so much more. The scar also lends him a certain gravitas, though it does surprisingly little to obscure that he's a good-looking boy.

Not that you're interested in him, you've got someone else in mind. But a girl can look.

You realize there's been a bit too much silence, and he shifts a little uncomfortably. "I never got the chance to say I'm sorry. For what happened, before."

You didn't expect that, though the baldness of the sentiment is very much in line with what you know about Zuko. You don't say anything for a moment, trying to think of how to express all those intense, mixed emotions. Then you realize that there's no need for it. You can forgive him. He was misguided, angry, driven by demons that you can barely comprehend. Zuko was never evil, never malicious. And he's suffered so much already for his mistakes.

"I forgave you a long time ago, Master Zuko." You reply sincerely. "You're my friend, now. And whatever we've done wrong in the past, we will make it right. All of us."

"Yeah, we will." Zuko replies, with the tiny ghost of a smile. "You still have a lot to learn about firebending, though."