Chapter Text
“It’s so hot,” Katara groaned. She sat down on the black leather couch but immediately jumped up with a yelp. Placed by the window, the couch had become more of an instrument of torture as it baked in the blistering sun.
Nearby, Suki sat on a stool by the register, fanning herself. She looked over and gave Katara a sympathetic look. “You okay?”
Katara rubbed the stinging from her calves and plopped herself into one of the parlor’s swivel chairs. It was also leather but thankfully far from the oppressive heat pouring in from outside.
“No,” she said finally, folding her arms. The CLOSED sign that hung on the door agitated her, and she spun away so she wouldn't have to see it.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” she admitted softly. “The AC keeps breaking down, and while Sokka tries to repair it, they're just temporary solutions. This heatwave is nowhere near over. Fans just blow the hot air around, and no one is going to sit for a three-hour appointment while they sweat to death. Meanwhile, every day that we do stay closed, we’re just losing so much money. Never mind how rent keeps going up every year.”
She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, hiding her face in her hands. “Maybe this is it for this place.”
“Hey…”
As Suki hopped down from the stool, Katara heard the squeal of wood on linoleum. Suki put her hand on her friend’s shoulder, and Katara lifted her head.
”Water Tribe Ink is one of the most popular shops in all of Jing’an. You and Sokka practically built this place from the ground up, remember? Five years ago, this street was nothing like it is now, and a big reason for that is because of you guys. It's not just a tattoo place; it's a community. The people who come here aren't just customers; they're family. They came for the incredible work you guys do but stayed because you and Sokka are wonderful people who make everyone feel at home the second they walk through the door. There's no way that this little speed bump is the end for you two. I won't allow it, and I'm sure that no one else will, either."
Katara smiled. "Thanks, Suki. That really means a lot. This place was our way to share a little piece of our culture with people from all over the world. I'm not ready to let that go. Sokka and I just need to have a serious talk about what to do next, I guess."
As if summoned, Sokka emerged from his office at the back of the shop, a little room that also served as the supply closet. He had a single sheet of paper with him and a damp cloth across the back of his neck.
"So..." he started as he strolled over. "I ran the numbers about how much it's gonna take to fix the AC... professionally."
Katara swallowed. "What is it?"
He chewed anxiously at his bottom lip and handed the paper to his sister.
Katara gaped at the figure and looked at Sokka. "Ten thousand? How is that possible? Last week it was three!"
"It's summer," he tried to explain. "So many ACs are going bust, and these maintenance services are taking advantage of that. Believe me; I called every place I could find. That's the cheapest we're gonna get right now."
"Assholes," Suki muttered, to which Sokka nodded in silent agreement.
Katara slumped back in her chair, staring at the paper and its too-many zeroes.
"We are so screwed."
Later that night, in their tiny apartment above the parlor, Katara sat across from Sokka at the kitchen table. She sighed and sipped at her iced green tea. The dinky light that dangled from the ceiling made the room feel more like a police interrogation.
”We need to discuss what we’re going to do,” she said, twirling a pen between her fingers. “I personally think our only choice is to just grit our teeth and pay the ten grand to fix the AC. For all we know, the price will double by next week. We’ve been closed for four days in a row now. There’s no income coming in, but rent and utilities are still due at the end of the month. It’s expensive, but I figure once the AC’s fixed, business will go back to normal, and we’ll recoup.”
Sokka didn’t say anything. In fact, it seemed like he wasn’t even listening; his gaze focused on the outside world.
Katara tapped the pen on the table’s edge. “Hello? Sokka, are you paying attention? You need to be involved. You’re the finance guy here.”
Sokka turned back to her. “Sorry. I just had this idea. It’s a little risky, but I think it could be a good opportunity in the long run. Just hear me out.”
Katara steeled herself. “Tell me.”
“What if we started renting the store next to us, too?”
She blinked at him, dumbfounded. “Are you insane?”
He laid his arms on the table, palms facing up.
”No, I’m just saying that by expanding, we can get more clients and increase revenue. Hiromi just closed up shop after twenty years to live with her daughter, and I’m sure people will be swarming to scoop up the place in no time.”
Katara set her pen on the table. “Sokka, we can barely afford the rent for the shop we have now. How can you think we’d be able to swing another?”
”Well, we’d probably have to take out another loan, but-“
”No,” she cut in. “No more loans. We owe the bank enough as it is. I can’t take another burden like that on my head.”
”Didn’t you just say I was the finance guy?” Sokka countered. “Don’t you trust me?”
Katara got up and pushed her chair in. “Of course, I trust you, Sokka. But that idea is crazy. We can’t take something like that on, at least not now. Please. I’m gonna go to bed. We’ll talk more tomorrow and figure it out, okay?”
Sokka wanted to protest, but he could see in Katara’s face that she was not up for an argument.
He sighed, acquiescing. “Yeah. Fine. Tomorrow.”
“So much for renting out the space next door,” Sokka grumbled the following week, standing by the window.
“You say it as if I agreed to that plan,” Katara said. She sidled up to him. “What’s going on?”
Sokka pointed to the moving truck parked on the street. “Someone got the place, just as I suspected they would. It’s prime real estate.”
“What do you think it’s gonna be?” she wondered aloud. “A vintage boutique? An organic bakery?”
“I’ll tell you what it won’t be. A tattoo shop,” he muttered.
Katara flicked his ear. “Shut up.”
“Real mature,” he said, flicking her cheek.
The truck continued to idle, and Katara was about to return to work when something stopped her in her tracks.
There was a flash of orange, and it looked like something descending from the heavens themselves. Then the figure landed gracefully on the sidewalk with some winged apparatus in hand.
”He’s an Airbender,” Katara murmured in amazement.
“A monk?” Sokka asked, incredulous. “Isn’t Jing’an a little too… exciting for them?”
”Shh!” Katara hissed. “Let’s go say hi.”
With Katara already out the door, Sokka had no chance to stop her. Defeated, he followed dutifully behind under the harsh glare of the sun.
As she approached, Katara saw the Air Nomad standing at the rear of the truck, talking with the driver. The truck doors were flung wide open, revealing stacked pallets that held an incredible array of exotic flowers and plants, all of which Katara had never seen before.
The driver grabbed one of the pallets, quickly brought it inside, and set it on the counter. He repeated the process a dozen more times until the truck was empty. Then he and the monk exchanged pleasant goodbyes, and he got back in his truck and drove off.
A second shadow appeared as Sokka joined Katara at her side. Katara cleared her throat to draw the Air Nomad’s attention.
The boy turned, and Katara was taken aback by just how young he looked.
He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish. “Oh. Uh, hello. I didn't realize anyone was there.”
Katara smiled and lifted her hand in a small wave. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to startle you. But we saw the truck and wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.”
Now he just seemed stunned. “Oh. Wow. Um… thank you. That’s really kind of you both.”
He stepped closer and extended his arm, smiling. “I’m Aang. It’s nice to meet you.”
Katara took his hand, and a warmth not caused by the temperature rose in her cheeks. “It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Katara, and this is my brother, Sokka. This is our tattoo place right next door.”
Aang was about to respond when a tremendous roar shook the ground. It nearly knocked Katara off of her feet, and she had to hold Sokka's arm to steady herself.
"What... was that?" Sokka looked around for the source of the disturbance. "It better not be an earthquake because we do not need that right now."
Aang laughed. “No, it’s not an earthquake. It’s just Appa, my flying bison. He doesn't like being left alone for too long.”
”Who?” Katara asked.
”Your what?” Sokka chimed in.
“My flying bison,” Aang said, looking up toward the flat roof of the building. "Appa, come here, boy! Come say hi to our new friends!”
Katara heard Sokka snort under his breath. “Yeah, and you’re my flying sister.”
A giant fluffy head with a pair of horns appeared over the short barrier wall and peered down at the trio. Sokka shrieked.
“Do you want to meet him?” Aang asked with almost childlike enthusiasm. "He's very sweet."
Sokka regained his composure and clapped his hands together. "No, thank you. We don't exactly care to meet animals that could eat us in one bite."
"You don’t have to worry about that," Aang said. "Appa’s a vegetarian. His only prey is fruit and hay. He might weigh ten tons, but he has the gentlest soul. Come on. I'll introduce you."
Eager to see a creature she had only read about, Katara dragged Sokka along as Aang led them through the shop, up the back stairs, and onto the roof.
From this vantage point, they could see Jing’an in all of its splendor. Yet Katara was far more interested in the magnificent animal that was lounging in the sun.
Dropping Sokka’s hand, she slowly approached the bison, looking to Aang for guidance.
“It’s okay,” Aang told her. “You can pet him. He loves it.”
Reaching out, Katara touched Appa's flank, her hand immediately disappearing into several layers of thick fur.
She laughed. "He's so soft. Hi, there, Appa. Hi. You're so soft, did you know that? Aw, you're so cute. Yes, you are."
"Right?" Aang patted the space between Appa's eyes. "Hey, buddy. I'm sorry I was gone so long. Want a treat?"
"So, Aang, what's your story?" Sokka asked. He hung back, still not trusting the furry behemoth that his sister was currently fawning over.
Katara shot him a look, but Aang seemed unfazed. He took a few moon peaches from his bag and tossed them into Appa’s mouth. “What do you mean?"
“Like, when did you decide to come to Republic City? Why Jing'an specifically? Don't Air Nomads usually just travel around? I've never really heard of them settling in one place."
"Sokka!” Katara admonished. “Please forgive my brother, Aang. He’s very nosy and doesn’t know when to stop talking.”
“No, it’s alright,” Aang said. “He’s not wrong. It’s pretty unusual for an Air Nomad to make a permanent home somewhere that’s not one of the temples. But the man who raised me — Monk Gyatso — really encouraged me to go out and find my own path. So that’s what I did.”
At the mention of Gyatso, Katara couldn’t help but notice the fleeting sadness that washed over Aang’s face.
”That’s really admirable, Aang,” she said. “What made you choose a flower shop?”
Aang’s eyes lit up with the same infectious joy from earlier.
“Well, I grew up at the Southern Air Temple,” he said. “Right in the heart of the Patola Mountains. It has some of the rarest and most beautiful flowers in the entire world there. Like Jongmu lilies, bison’s breath, Patola primroses, and the Kelsang rhododendron. They grow all over — between the peaks, along the cliff sides, down in the the valley. Springtime is especially amazing. The air is so fresh and sweet. But then I realized that nobody outside of Air Nomads had ever seen these flowers in person before and I thought, ‘Well, that’s a shame,’ you know? It’s also one of the things I miss the most about the Southern temple, so having a flower shop just seemed like a perfect choice to solve both problems at the same time. Baking two pies with one egg, in a sense.
“Once I get everything straightened out, I could show them all to you. If you want, of course,” Aang quickly added.
“I’d really like that,” Katara said.
“Hey, what about your tattoos?” Sokka asked. “Don’t Air Nomads have tattoos all over?”
“Only when they become Airbending masters,” Aang explained. “I haven’t completed my training yet. I’ll probably go home in a couple years to finish up. Then there’ll be a ceremony and I’ll get them.”
“Hm. Interesting,” Sokka murmured. “If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”
”I turned twenty-one on the Lunar New Year,” he said. “We don’t really have individual birthdays or anything. Everyone just gets year older, plus their choice of a favorite dessert. It’s simple, but it’s nice.”
“You seem younger.”
”I’ll take that as a compliment,” Aang said.
Katara was in awe of Aang’s patience in answering her brother’s increasingly invasive questions, but she didn’t think it wise to test it much further.
“I think we should get back,” she said, edging closer to the rooftop door. “We’re having some trouble with our air conditioner, so we’ve been trying to figure out what to do.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Aang said. “If you ever need to cool off, please don’t hesitate to pop over. My plants require a mountain climate to thrive, so it’s always going to be freezing here.”
”That’s really considerate, Aang. Thank you. And, same to you, okay? Anytime you want to come by, please do. Our very good friend Suki works with us too, and I know she’ll love to say hi. She’s just out of town for a few days.”
”Sounds good,” Aang said. “Thank you Katara, and you, Sokka, for being so friendly and welcoming to Appa and me. I really do appreciate it.”
”Of course,” Katara said. “Thank you for inviting us up here and letting us meet Appa. He is such a sweetheart. Bye, Appa. I’ll see you again soon, okay?”
Appa made a soft lowing sound in response before curling in on himself for a nap.
Aang then escorted the siblings down the stairs and out of the shop, waving back and forth with Katara until she and Sokka had made it back inside.
“Aang seems really nice,” Katara said, locking the shop door for the night. “Don’t you think?”
“I guess,” Sokka answered. He was on a step stool, tinkering with the air conditioner.
“You guess?” Katara narrowed her eyes at him, hands on her hips. “Why do you say it like that?”
Sokka gave a little shrug. “I just think he’s not telling us everything, that’s all. Not lying, necessarily. Just withholding some things. Like the tattoo thing. Air Nomads only leave their temples once they’ve gotten their tattoos.”
”And you know this how?”
”I may have done some research when we got back,” Sokka replied in his irritating, know-it-all voice that Katara despised.
She rolled her eyes. “He just met us, Sokka. He’s not obligated to share his whole life story with a couple strangers. Why are you always so suspicious of people?”
Sokka came down from the step stool and put his tools away.
“Look, you asked me what I thought, and I told you. Let’s just call it instinct, okay?”
She scoffed and started for upstairs.
“Oh, right, I forgot. Your instincts. For the record, your instincts suck, because you’ve been wrong a hundred times more than you’ve been right.”
“Really? What about Jet?”
Katara froze. That name felt like a tsunami that slammed her to the ground and left her too shattered to move.
”That’s not fair,” she whispered, her voice shaky.
At least Sokka had the self-awareness to look remorseful for his hasty rebuke.
“No. It’s not. I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean that. Listen, I’m sure Aang is a good kid. But we don’t know anything about him, yet. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again, okay?”
Katara gave a wry laugh, despite the tears stinging her eyes.
“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about Aang, then. You’re doing a great job of that all on your own.”