Party Preparations

“Now that things have been restored to normal, I have an announcement,” the King said, speaking now that Iroh and Zuko had joined them. “This has been a trying few weeks. And to celebrate this victory, I’ll be having a huge gala in two days. All of you will be the guests of honor. I want to thank all of you for your courage and helping me back onto this throne. My assistants will begin the preparations for the party, and after lunch, you’ll all be shown to your rooms. Now, if you’ll all follow me to the dining hall, we can all eat.”
Kuei stood and they all took their seats at the large table, the King at the head. Everyone happily dug in. At one point during the meal, an assistant came by the table and whispered something in the king’s ear. He nodded and she left.
“Everyone, my assistant just reminded me! After lunch, someone will be stopping by each of your rooms. They’ll simply take your measurements and be gone.”
“Our measurements? What for?” Toph asked.
“Well, you can’t go to a big party without special clothes! Trust me, I’ve had plenty of parties in my lifetime,” Kuei informed them all.
After they ate, they went to their rooms and found new clothes laying across their beds with a note pinned on them. Of course Toph couldn’t read it. She went down the hall until she felt Katara’s vibrations. She knocked on the door and walked in.
“Katara, I can’t read this. What are these clothes for? Can you read me what it says?” Toph asked.
“Sure. It just says ‘here are some fresh clothes to wear until your others are washed. Please leave your others on your bed. Thank you.’ So just change and leave these in your room, Toph.”
Toph held up the robes in frustration. “I can’t see all the ties and other stuff on this dress. All my fancy clothes at home were made especially for me.”
Katara helped Toph change into the clean Earth Kingdom wear. Toph thanked her and left so Katara could change. As soon as Katara had finished there was a knock on the door. Katara opened it and two women walked in. One was dressed in very nice robes, and the other dressed in simpler ones. The fancy lady walked up to Katara and quickly bowed to her.
“Let’s get started,” the woman said, opening the sketch book she carried in her arms. “Definitely blue for you. Hmm, Water Tribe I presume, judging by your blue eyes.”
And so it went. As their clothes were cleaned the women went around designing looks for the party. Toph had held back her impatience for the sake of the king going through all this trouble. Sokka ignored their measuring after realizing the women were too old for him to flirt with. Aang was excited at the prospect of getting new Air Nomad inspired clothes. Zuko was as impatient as Toph when the women knocked on his door. Ty Lee was as bubbly as ever, while Mai said nothing. Ursa and Iroh looked forward to some new ensembles. None of them were allowed to see what was designed for them until the clothes were delivered to them. Kuei happily directed the party planning.
After they all were measured for their new clothes, they bathed and readied themselves for dinner. Once seated at the table, Kuei said he had forgotten another important party detail. He asked for their attention, and specified the boys’.
“In all the excitement of being back in the palace, I neglected to tell you something else. I apologize. The people who come to this party will all have escorts. Dates, if you will. I will advise, but cannot force, you to find escorts of your own for this party. I think its going to be a lot of fun. Now, your new clothes will be delivered to your rooms tomorrow. I’ve seen what the designer is creating for you, and I think you’ll all like it. I appreciate the attention,” Kuei told them.
The guys looked at each other, similar looks of nervousness on their faces. They each had to take a date to the party. They tried to remain calm, but it was nearing impossible. After dinner was over the gang went their separate ways for the evening. Katara felt like going for a walk, so she strolled out into the palace gardens. She took a seat on a bench by a fountain. Katara sat back and looked up at the moon and the stars. Zuko had decided to follow her out so he could spend some time with her. He walked up to the bench and sat down, Katara not even realizing he was there until she felt a hand intertwined with hers. She looked over at him, startled.
“Hey,” she said. “You scared me.”
“Well if you hadn’t been zoning out,” he said, grinning and leaning in to kiss her.
After a few minutes, they broke apart and just sat enjoying the night. Katara leaned against Zuko on the bench. He turned his head to look at her. Zuko new they were together now, but asking her on a date made him more than a little nervous.
“Katara?”
“Hmm?”
“I want to ask you something,” Zuko said, the nervousness audible in his voice.
“What is it?” Katara questioned, moving to face him.
“I was just wondering if, if maybe, maybe you’d like to go to the king’s party with me?” Zuko asked, a blush creeping across his cheeks.
Katara giggled at his red face. Zuko looked at her, thinking she was laughing at the idea of them going to the party together.
“Of course I’ll go to the party with you,” Katara said. “You don’t need to look so embarrassed.” Katara leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
“Come on,” Zuko said after a few more minutes. “We should get inside before everyone comes looking for us.” They got up and went inside.
Meanwhile, Aang was in the middle of looking for Toph. He didn’t have to look any farther than her room, as it turned out. He knocked and she gave him permission to come in. Toph was sitting on a chair by her window. She turned her head towards him when he walked in. She read the nervousness and embarrassment in his vibrations easily. He slowly walked over to her and grabbed another chair to sit in front of her.
“Hey Toph,” Aang began shakily. “I, um, I kind of wanted to ask you a question about something.”
“Okay,” Toph said. She was trying to hide her laughter at his anxiety.
“I wanted to know if, maybe-. Well, would you go to the king’s party with me?”
Toph wore an expression of shock on her face. She’d kind of tuned out Kuei at dinner. She hadn’t really listened. And from what she’d caught, Toph still didn’t think Aang ‘liked’ her, so she didn’t see this coming. An awkward silence hung in the air.
“Well, I mean, it was just an idea,” Aang said after a minute, looking crushed. “I understand if you don’t want to go. I guess I’ll just see you in the morning.” Aang got up to leave, a weak smile on his face.
The door closing snapped Toph out of her trance. Of course she wanted to go with Aang! Toph hopped out of her chair and ran out of the room. She caught the feel of Aang’s vibrations farther down the hall.
“Aang!” Toph called as she tried to catch up to him. He stopped and turned around. Toph finally caught up and panted as she caught her breath.
“What is it?” Aang asked, his voice flat.
“I just wanted to say that I’ll go to the Earth King’s party with you,” Toph said, her head bent.
“Toph, its okay. You don’t have to. I understand. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Aang turned and began to walk away. Toph grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him back around. In a matter of seconds she leaned forward and kissed him, her hands on his face to prevent him from trying to walk away. His eyes widened about a mile but then shut fast. Toph broke off the kiss.
“I really do want to go with you, Aang. I wasn’t just saying that because I felt bad. You know I’m not good with sympathy and pity,” Toph told him, ‘looking’ up at him with a timid smile, her face on fire.
Even though Aang wasn’t the human lie detector like she was, he knew she was telling the truth. “Alright. It’s a date,” Aang said. He moved forward and kissed her. When they’d finished kissing, Aang walked Toph back to her room and bid her goodnight, wishing that he didn’t have to leave her.
The next morning at breakfast, they realized that the party was that night. Attendants and servants were rushing around getting ready.
“So,” Kuei began. “Did you find escorts?”
The teens were silent, so Iroh spoke up. “I’m escorting Zuko’s mother to the party.”
The gang looked shocked.
“Don’t worry,” Iroh chuckled. “Tea is my first and only love!”
Aang decided to go next. “I’m taking Toph,” he said.
His friends looked back and forth between them. Katara and Zuko looked at each other. She asked him with her eyes if they should say they were going together. Zuko shrugged in response, so she figured she might as well tell them.
“Zuko and I are going together,” Katara said, trying to make it not sound like a big deal.
“What?!” Sokka shouted, standing up. Everyone looked at him, startled by his outburst. “You can’t go with him!”
“Why not?” Katara said angrily, standing up as well.
“First of all, he’s Fire Nation! That alone’s a good enough reason!”
“No it’s not! I can go to a simple party with anyone I choose! You have no right to tell me who can or can’t be my date!” Katara yelled, her voice getting louder. “And besides, look who you’re insulting besides Zuko! There’s Iroh, Ursa, Ty Lee and Mai! Haven’t you learned that not all of the Fire Nation is bad?!”
Sokka was silent for a few minutes as Katara glared at him, all of the liquid in the room rippling. “Fine,” he said. “But if something happens I’ll-”
“Yeah, yeah, Sokka. Whatever.” Katara bowed and sat back down, apologizing for her and her brother. Everyone nodded back in response.
“What about you, Sokka?” Aang asked. “Don’t you have a date?”
“No,” he replied.
“Why not?” Katara asked him.
“I’m not gonna talk about it,” he said stubbornly.
After breakfast, the gang made it outside so they could train. When they had finished, they made their way back to the dining hall for lunch. On the way back to their rooms after to get ready for the party, Aang grabbed Sokka and pulled him aside.
“Sokka, why don’t you have a date for the party tonight?”
“That’d be cheating on Suki,” Sokka said.
“I don’t think it would if you’re escorting a girl to a party. What about Ty Lee? Just tell her that you just want to go as friends. I’m sure she’ll understand,” Aang told him.
“All right, fine. I’ll go ask her,” Sokka said, walking off toward Ty Lee’s room.
When he got to the door he knocked hesitantly. He heard footsteps echoing inside, and a few moments later the door opened and he saw Ty Lee standing there.
“Sokka? What’s up? Is something wrong?” Ty Lee asked, a look of concern on her face.
“No. I just, uh, wanted to talk to you about something,” he said.
“Sure, come on in,” Ty Lee offered, opening the door wider so he could come in. “So, what’d you want to talk to me about?”
“I just wanted to know if maybe you’d like to go to the Earth King’s party with me. As friends,” Sokka asked. “So, would you?”
“Sure,” Ty Lee responded, a smile on her face. “I’ll meet you before the party starts.” And with that, Sokka left to go get ready.
The gang all went to their individual rooms so they could bathe before the party. Toph had asked Katara to come to her room to change and help her get ready, because she wanted to look presentable. Katara had agreed, and when she came out of the bathroom, she went to the wardrobe to get the dress a maid had delivered earlier. It was wrapped, so Katara still hadn’t seen it. She picked up the parcel and headed for Toph’s room. She knocked and walked in. Toph had the package containing her dress still wrapped on her bed. She sat in a robe, clean and waiting for Katara to help her.
“Why haven’t you taken your dress out yet?” Katara asked.
“I can’t see it, so I figured I’d wait till you got here. I was hoping you could try and describe it to me.”
“Sure, I’ll do my best.”
Katara took the cloth of the dress and proceeded to describe it as best as she could. She helped Toph get into the new clothes and tie them. Katara then sat Toph down so she could do her hair. Toph said she wanted it the same as usual. Katara put Toph’s hair into its customary bun, but made sure it was very neat. Two tendrils were left hanging and Katara adorned the bun with a headband that matched her dress.
“Toph, you look beautiful,” Katara breathed. “Aang’s going to love it!”
“You think so?” Toph asked nervously.
“I know so,” Katara reassured her.
She unwrapped her dress next so she could change herself. She stared at her dress in awe. It was perfect. She slowly put it on, loving the feel of the silk on the outer robe. She hoped Zuko would love it as much as she did. Katara did her hair in its customary fashion as well, and then put on her mother’s necklace to complete her look. A servant’s knock on the door signaled that it was time for the party. Everyone was ready.