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Description
Zutara Week – Monday 7/7/08
Prompt 1: Denim

“Magic Cloth”

The two lone copper pieces in Katara’s pouch clinked melancholically with each step as she made her way through the crowded and cacophonic marketplace. The voices of the merchants beckoned her and tempted her to peruse their exotic and extraordinary merchandise. However, the thought of those two copper pieces weighed heavily upon her mind. Her friends needed new clothes, but what kind of cloth could she possibly afford with two measly copper pieces?

Suddenly, a voice rang out, clearly and loudly over the chatter of the townspeople and the bellows of the merchants. Turning to the source of the voice, Katara saw an old man surrounded by a large group of shoppers, holding up something blue.

“Come get your miracle cloth!” yelled the old man. “Come see this wonder from the far eastern islands of the Earth Kingdom! Behold its durability, its lightness, its comfort, its versatility! You can get an entire roll for only two copper pieces!”

The group of shoppers shouted excitedly, calling from all directions.

“I’ll buy one!”

“One roll!”

“I want two rolls!”

“FIVE!”

Katara squeezed and maneuvered her way into the center of the circle. The old merchant smiled at her and handed her a small square sample of the strange cloth. Running her fingers over those smooth yet tightly woven stitches, Katara marveled at the craftsmanship. The cloth felt tough in her hands, yet surprisingly light, just as the old merchant had advertised. She reached into her pouch, and after a moment of hesitation, withdrew the two copper pieces.

“I’ll buy one roll,” she told the merchant, giving him the last of her money.

The old man handed her a long and thick roll of the cloth, and tucking it under her arm, Katara returned to camp. However, her friends’ reactions to her purchase came quite unexpected.

Aang inspected it curiously, turning the cloth over and over, brows furrowed.

“Are you sure that this stuff is wearable?” he asked rather timidly, as he held it out for Katara again.

She felt her pulse quicken as she snatched the roll from his hands. “Of course it is,” she snapped, her eyes daring him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“It’s just… it’s kind of… stiff,” said Aang, slowly backing away.

Angry, she turned toward her brother. “Tell him that this is perfectly wearable,” ordered Katara.

“I think you were tricked,” said Sokka. “There’s no such thing as a ‘magic cloth’.”

“It’s not magic!” said Katara exasperatedly. “I never said it was magic!” She released a cry in frustration. “What do you two understand anyway? Toph…”

“Don’t ask me, Sweetness,” interjected the blind girl. “I don’t want to be involved, and I most definitely don’t care about some useless piece of stupid cloth.”

Katara glanced uncertainly at the last member of their small group, but Zuko was suddenly very busy with tea and seemed to be purposefully oblivious to the conversation.

“You know,” said Sokka through a mouthful of cake, “you’re supposed to be the responsible one. That’s why we let you manage the money, but then, you go and pull something like this.”

“FINE!” she screamed, seething. “I’ll show you how this ‘magic’ cloth can be worn! You just wait!”

With those last words, Katara stormed past them in a huff, slamming the door to her room.

For the next week, Katara worked tirelessly to prove them wrong, to show that the cloth could be made into wearable clothes and to alleviate her guilt about having spent their last two copper pieces on something that could very well be useless. Rising at dawn every day, she measured, cut and sewed until her fingers cramped and she nearly became permanently cross-eyed. Until at last, one blissful evening on the sixth day, she had completed her project. With a tired smirk full of pride and satisfaction, she put on her new pants and marched outside to her friends, who were laughing and telling stories by the fire.

“I told you the cloth wasn’t useless!” she shouted suddenly, startling the group.

She spun around in her new pants for everyone to see. She had been right; they were comfortable and most certainly wearable. The pants clung to her curves flatteringly, and she had perfect freedom of movement, which means that her bending was not inhibited in the least. She proudly demonstrated this ability with the confidence of a person with the assurance that she was indisputably, and, oh, deliciously, RIGHT.

Katara smirked, her gaze moving along the circle of shock and speechlessness. Only Toph was not looking at her, but the younger girl was turned toward Zuko’s general direction, and she wore a smirk that mirrored Katara’s own. Katara watched Zuko curiously. Was he blushing or was it merely the fire playing tricks on her eyes? Abruptly and most incomprehensibly, she felt self-conscious of herself and her form-fitting new pants. She flushed in agitation.

“I think you’d better change back to your old clothes, Sweetness,” said Toph, now positively grinning. “I don’t want my feet getting numb because of all the vibrations from Sparky over here.”

Zuko looked at Toph, his jaw dropped and his face now unmistakably crimson, an expression of humiliation and disbelief written across his face. Katara flushed to the roots of her hair and quickly ran to her room to change. Her heart pounded brutally against her ribcage, though she didn’t know or perhaps she didn’t dare fathom why.

Description
Zutara Week – Monday 7/7/08
Prompt 1: Denim

“Magic Cloth”

The two lone copper pieces in Katara’s pouch clinked melancholically with each step as she made her way through the crowded and cacophonic marketplace. The voices of the merchants beckoned her and tempted her to peruse their exotic and extraordinary merchandise. However, the thought of those two copper pieces weighed heavily upon her mind. Her friends needed new clothes, but what kind of cloth could she possibly afford with two measly copper pieces?

Suddenly, a voice rang out, clearly and loudly over the chatter of the townspeople and the bellows of the merchants. Turning to the source of the voice, Katara saw an old man surrounded by a large group of shoppers, holding up something blue.

“Come get your miracle cloth!” yelled the old man. “Come see this wonder from the far eastern islands of the Earth Kingdom! Behold its durability, its lightness, its comfort, its versatility! You can get an entire roll for only two copper pieces!”

The group of shoppers shouted excitedly, calling from all directions.

“I’ll buy one!”

“One roll!”

“I want two rolls!”

“FIVE!”

Katara squeezed and maneuvered her way into the center of the circle. The old merchant smiled at her and handed her a small square sample of the strange cloth. Running her fingers over those smooth yet tightly woven stitches, Katara marveled at the craftsmanship. The cloth felt tough in her hands, yet surprisingly light, just as the old merchant had advertised. She reached into her pouch, and after a moment of hesitation, withdrew the two copper pieces.

“I’ll buy one roll,” she told the merchant, giving him the last of her money.

The old man handed her a long and thick roll of the cloth, and tucking it under her arm, Katara returned to camp. However, her friends’ reactions to her purchase came quite unexpected.

Aang inspected it curiously, turning the cloth over and over, brows furrowed.

“Are you sure that this stuff is wearable?” he asked rather timidly, as he held it out for Katara again.

She felt her pulse quicken as she snatched the roll from his hands. “Of course it is,” she snapped, her eyes daring him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“It’s just… it’s kind of… stiff,” said Aang, slowly backing away.

Angry, she turned toward her brother. “Tell him that this is perfectly wearable,” ordered Katara.

“I think you were tricked,” said Sokka. “There’s no such thing as a ‘magic cloth’.”

“It’s not magic!” said Katara exasperatedly. “I never said it was magic!” She released a cry in frustration. “What do you two understand anyway? Toph…”

“Don’t ask me, Sweetness,” interjected the blind girl. “I don’t want to be involved, and I most definitely don’t care about some useless piece of stupid cloth.”

Katara glanced uncertainly at the last member of their small group, but Zuko was suddenly very busy with tea and seemed to be purposefully oblivious to the conversation.

“You know,” said Sokka through a mouthful of cake, “you’re supposed to be the responsible one. That’s why we let you manage the money, but then, you go and pull something like this.”

“FINE!” she screamed, seething. “I’ll show you how this ‘magic’ cloth can be worn! You just wait!”

With those last words, Katara stormed past them in a huff, slamming the door to her room.

For the next week, Katara worked tirelessly to prove them wrong, to show that the cloth could be made into wearable clothes and to alleviate her guilt about having spent their last two copper pieces on something that could very well be useless. Rising at dawn every day, she measured, cut and sewed until her fingers cramped and she nearly became permanently cross-eyed. Until at last, one blissful evening on the sixth day, she had completed her project. With a tired smirk full of pride and satisfaction, she put on her new pants and marched outside to her friends, who were laughing and telling stories by the fire.

“I told you the cloth wasn’t useless!” she shouted suddenly, startling the group.

She spun around in her new pants for everyone to see. She had been right; they were comfortable and most certainly wearable. The pants clung to her curves flatteringly, and she had perfect freedom of movement, which means that her bending was not inhibited in the least. She proudly demonstrated this ability with the confidence of a person with the assurance that she was indisputably, and, oh, deliciously, RIGHT.

Katara smirked, her gaze moving along the circle of shock and speechlessness. Only Toph was not looking at her, but the younger girl was turned toward Zuko’s general direction, and she wore a smirk that mirrored Katara’s own. Katara watched Zuko curiously. Was he blushing or was it merely the fire playing tricks on her eyes? Abruptly and most incomprehensibly, she felt self-conscious of herself and her form-fitting new pants. She flushed in agitation.

“I think you’d better change back to your old clothes, Sweetness,” said Toph, now positively grinning. “I don’t want my feet getting numb because of all the vibrations from Sparky over here.”

Zuko looked at Toph, his jaw dropped and his face now unmistakably crimson, an expression of humiliation and disbelief written across his face. Katara flushed to the roots of her hair and quickly ran to her room to change. Her heart pounded brutally against her ribcage, though she didn’t know or perhaps she didn’t dare fathom why.