This one is a bit short, sorry! I've been lacking in the inspiration department lately, I apologize.
In The Mansion -September 2015-
All five of them were huddled around a fire that Zuko had materialized out of thin air, and the dull glow cast malevolent shadows on the walls and their faces as they each told their stories. The rest of the house was quiet, the other Freedom Riders having long since gone home or to sleep. Katara spoke last, and her voice was low, and ominous.
"All I remember of my parents were that they were poor, and they couldn't afford me. I don't even know what their names were, or where they came from, all I know is that I was raised in that group home, and I was taught that I had a curse placed upon me, because of my peasant parents, and that I had to learn to suppress it, or pay the price. And for the first ten years of my life, I did just that," Katara locked eyes with Zuko at that moment, and continued.
"I denied the urge to feel water, to touch water, to lift it from it's source and swirl it high above my head. It was one of the most difficult things to do, it was like trying not to breathe, it was that painful. And then I met Iroh," Katara rested her hand on Zuko's knee. The four runaways had decided against telling Jet their true names, because they saw it as too much of a risk, especially when it came to Aang, as they were still unsure whether or not to tell Jet that he was the Avatar. Katara continued.
"Well, technically, we didn't have a formal introduction, I just saw him in the hallways, and I knew that he was a bender too, I could tell because of his hunched shoulders and the fact that he had no friends, just like me. I didn't actually speak to him until I saw him bend in public for the first time. We were in Environmental Science, and we were using those burners, and mine wasn't working properly, and I was always so shy before I started using my bending, and so Iroh, who was standing right next to me, snapped his fingers and suddenly a flame lit and I gasped out loud, and of course we both got sent to detention, and it was there that Iroh convinced me that my ability was a gift, and I should learn to appreciate it, and practice it, and I believed him. I mean, he was the only other person who understood what I was going through, the only person who had ever approached me," Katara looked almost lovingly up at Zuko, who blushed and scooted infinitesimally closer to Katara, their legs touching.
"And then, he and I wound up in detention at least twice a week, and we started to have longer, more intellectual conversations, all leading up to us practicing our bending in secret, in the fields behind Iroh's house, and it stayed that way for the next six years, and then, uh, I did something that caused me to have to run away, and Iroh came with me," she finished, gazing at the others.
Toph, of course, had a blank look on her face, and Aang was looking at Katara with some form of empathy. Jet appeared to be only mildly intrigued, and leaned forward, dragging on his vape once again. "What did you do?" he asked. Katara glanced up at Zuko, who gave her an almost undetectable shake of his head. Katara pressed her lips into a line as she turned back to face Jet. "It's not important, all that matters was that it was against the law," she said simply. Jet narrowed his eyes, leaning back and licking his lips. "Alright then, where are you all heading? And how did Bumi and Tenzin get involved?"
Aang's eyes widened a bit, and he looked to Katara, who swallowed nervously. Jet was asking all of the right questions. "Um," Katara said, glancing nervously back at Aang. "They wanted to go to Ba Sing Se too, and I couldn't deny them the opportunity. I mean, they were benders too, they knew my motivation," she explained, and sighed a sigh of relief as Jet nodded and leaned back against the wall, clearly buying her story, which wasn't a complete lie, after all.
The group was silent for a moment, all eyes fixated on the flickering fire, and then Aang stood up abruptly, stretching. "Well, I think I'm going to turn in for the night," he said, and Toph followed, standing up and stretching as well. "Yeah, Twinkletoes and I are pretty beat from all that dancing," she said, and then the two of them left, their footsteps fading away. Jet watched them go, and then stood up as well, running his hand through his styled hair, messing it. "I guess that's my cue to leave as well," he said, staring directly at Katara. Katara smiled a bit, slumping against Zuko. "Thank you so much for giving us a place to stay," Katara said. Jet shrugged his shoulders, his hand on the front door.
"Don't thank me just yet. You don't get to stay here for free," he said, and Katara sat up straight again, taken aback. She hadn't expected that there would be payment. "We don't have any money," she started to say, but Jet shook his head, holding up his hands. "No, what you have is much more valuable than money," he said, and Katara narrowed her eyes, looking back at Zuko, who looked apprehensive as well. Jet continued. "I need your bending skills," he said, and before Katara could ask any questions, he left swiftly the door locking behind him. Katara hesitated a moment before sliding back next to Zuko.
"What a strange guy," he murmured, before putting out the fire and wrapping his arms around Katara. As she fell asleep to the beat of his heart, she couldn't agree more. Something about this whole situation just felt off.