Chapter Text
Prologue
In Ba Sing Se, in the middle ring Eastern district, just beyond the Tsu Market, wedged between a residence and a hairdresser, stands a Southern Water Tribe store. It firmly marks the presence of the Water Tribes, a small but close-knit community, and is run by three generations; Kanna, who first migrated from the North to the South, Hakoda, her son who decided to move to the Earth Kingdom and establish the store - naming it Kya’s Kargi in memory of his wife - and his children Katara and Sokka, who both spent their teenage years travelling across the world before returning to their family and the store.
Each of them has brought in something new; Kanna her knowledge of the North and her baking and cooking - tourists and regulars flock to taste her authentic Water Tribe food. Hakoda brings his connections from the South, and the imported materials, which his good friend Bato brings in once a fortnight, allow the water tribe community to practice their culture and pass it on to children who have never seen snow. Sokka and Katara bring new ideas from their travels to the Air temples and Fire Nation, and across the Earth Kingdom; so now the store offers modernised, blended items, for those who are neither one or the other; a water tribe doll in earth kingdom clothes, for the girl who looks like her, and metal hairpieces with moon and ocean carvings on them, as well as beads and bands in bright blues, yellows, reds and greens.
The store proudly landmarks its community’s existence for years, with little trouble. Everything changes when a big Fire Nation corporation breaches Ba Sing Se’s walls, and settles in the city, expanding its empire from the inner ring outwards.
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Episode 1 - Dumplings
It is just after the midsummer festival and Kya’s Kargi is buzzing with excitement. In the residence next to it, a decent but small building, Katara is getting ready for the big day. She’s combed her hair and put it up in her usual style, decorated with beads, and a light, long tunic with leggings. She typically doesn’t wear jewellery, with the exception of her mother’s necklace. The pendant sparkles happily from its place just under her collarbones.
Aang, her best friend from the Southern Air temple and practically family at this point, knocks on her door to come along. The chipper monk usually doesn’t stay long in one place, but when he heard why Katara signed up for the contest he wanted to help, so now he too is a contestant. With a big smile, Katara finishes her braid, ties it off, sends a handkiss to her mother’s photograph and runs downstairs where Aang is waiting. They enter the store through a connecting doorway and Katara’s family bids them good luck, and to have a good time. Kanna touches her fingers to Katara and Aang’s foreheads and then tells them to get a move on before they’re late.
Katara is touched; her whole community has come to cheer on her as she exits the store. Everyone lines up in the street and chants well wishes, some with drums, as she and Aang walk towards the big park in the South district; and as they walk through the maze of the middle ring the two fill the time chatting idly or going through some of their favourite recipes. They reach the filming site, giddy with anticipation. Katara sees the cameras and feels the nerves coil in her stomach. Aang reminds her that once they start baking, it’ll be like the cameras aren’t even there. Someone comes to guide them along, and mentions that the first meeting is off camera, and there will be a quick briefing after the meeting.
The tent is filled, and she is surprised to recognise more than one face; Haru and Jet, two boys from her middle school, wave at them and Katara remembers the sweet taste of Haru’s apple-and-cinnamon muffins and the richly filled chicken-pig soup Jet made for her when she had the flu. Behind them, she realises with a jolt, is Suki - face covered in face paint, but Katara would recognise her anywhere. She hasn’t heard of Suki joining, and the name tag says Kyoshi. Suki gives an embarrassed grin and taps the name tag; Katara understands the hint and Aang nods to Suki too.
Later Suki tells her that she doesn’t want Sokka to know, it should be a surprise. Knowing the family’s hardships, she wants to chip in, to repay the family that took her in and made her part of it. Katara’s heart feels full for the girl who lost everything yet keeps on giving to their family. She makes sure to treat her to a girls day out together with Toph soon.
Aang recognises a boy in a wheelchair and runs off to chat - apparently a friend from his pickleball matches.
The final contestant joins and Katara doesn’t even have to read his nametag; his face has haunted her nightmares for months. Zuko. Heir to the Agnisol chain, a brand store company that has been spreading like wildfire. He sees her and glares, which she returns in full. She had already set her mind on winning, but Zuko’s presence only fuels her further. His company is the very reason she is participating in the baking contest, after all.
With the prize money her family can finally pay off the remaining debts and even hire an attorney to get Agnisol off the family store’s back for good. She won’t allow the Fire Nation to bully the Water Tribe community out of Ba Sing Se, and certainly won’t allow this corporate brat to snatch the prize money away from her.
The hosts, Jo Dee and Aunt Wu, explain the order to the participants during the briefing. They will have a challenge each week, divided into three rounds – a signature dish, where they have to give the recipe their own spin, a technical challenge that’s all about getting the dish as perfect as possible, and a showstopper round where they have a chance to impress the jury. Jo Dee smiles wide and introduces the jury: Piandao, a calm man of Fire Nation origin, and Yugoda, a gentle looking older woman from the Northern Tribe. Both have travelled the world and are well acquainted with the wide variety of cuisines. Aunt Wu gestures grandly and wishes all the contestants the best of luck.
The first challenge is dumplings, something Katara is not too familiar with. Of course, the universe thinks it’s funny to put Zuko at the counter next to hers, so he’s constantly in her periphery, and she can tell he’s made plenty of dumplings before. She won’t let the sharp smell of fire flakes deter her from her mission, and focuses instead on her fish dumplings. In front of her, Aang frequently looks over his shoulder to check how she’s doing, a worried crease warping his arrow.
The technical round doesn’t give her too much of a challenge, her biggest concern being how well-put together Zuko seems while making his dango.
Between the technical round and showstopper the contestants have a lunchtime break. Suki, Katara and Aang claim a spot near the big pond on the terrain and eat their lunch, while musing on a showstopper. Suki calls dibs on bao and Aang thinks he’ll make zhongzi. Katara wants to try her gran gran’s hohhot shaomai even if she’s not a big fan of them. (They also gossip about the other contestants, but stay away from talking about Zuko too much. Instead, Aang updates Suki on Jet, who used to date Katara in high school. Katara, hands on her burning cheeks, stresses it was only for two months).
In the end, her dumplings are neither here nor there, and she’s happy enough to stay in the race.
A woman named Song produces a gooey, sticky mess during the technical round and is eliminated. A girl named Meng surprises the jury with her green tea dumplings in the showstopper round and the consistently stellar dough and is chosen as the star baker.