ninja_butterfly giftfic - Holiday Cheer
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Title: Holiday Cheer (or In Which Mai Narrates A Holiday)
Chapter: N/A; complete oneshot
Characters/Pairings: Mai, Ty Lee, Zuko, Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Iroh, OC baby; Zuko/Mai, Mai/Ty Lee, Zuko/Katara, Sokka/Suki
Genre: General
Word Count: 1,392
Rating: T
Notes: For ninja_butterfly, who asked for "A:TLAfic! with some variantion of Zuko/Mai/Ty Lee, whether it's Zuko/Mai with Ty Lee or Mai/ Ty Lee with Zuko... Mai loathing the holidays and being her usual dry, deadpan, this-is-stupid self while Zuko is slightly more excited and Ty Lee is SUPER STOKED OH MY GOD CHRISTMAS/whatever holiday you'd like to make it." I chose Midwinter. It's basically Christmas, only there's no Christ in Avatar-verse (/resisting an urge to make a joke about Aang). Families gather, eat, drink, pass out, and exchange gifts.
So this is basically a set of scenelets and included is a bit of everything you asked for, except the rest of the Gaang. They're a bonus. I worry about having gotten everyone's character down, especially Mai's, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. Happy belated Christmas and New Year.
Ty Lee's excited squeal cut through the quiet of the lounge even before she reached it. Mai's eyes rolled, but in spite of her disdain for this holiday - and indeed, all holidays - she smiled to herself. She hadn't seen her friend in months, not since her last visit to Kyoshi Island.
Beside her, Zuko was having trouble suppressing a wide grin as he fidgeted anxiously. In spite of the warning, he jumped when Ty Lee bounced into the room on her hands.
"Oh my gosh, you two!" she gushed. "It's Midwinter! Already! Can you believe it?"
"It's not Midwinter for another three days, Ty Lee," Mai corrected flatly.
Ty Lee beamed. "It's close enough," she said. "Pretty soon, we'll get to see everyone and catch up and exchange presents!"
"And see Sokka and Suki's baby!" Zuko burst out, apparently unable to help himself. When Mai turned to give him a blank look, he flushed almost guiltily and glanced off to the side. And she was reminded all over again of one of the reasons why she'd dumped him. The boy had no backbone against her. Well, that and being Fire Lady would keep her cooped up in an office all day, and she'd never be able to tolerate that kind of boredom. Not since she'd tasted freedom.
Ty Lee was undeterred by Mai's attitude. "Yes!" she shrieked, even though she'd been on Kyoshi Island for the birth and the infant's first six months of life. "You'll love her, she's so small and squishy and cute." She deteriorated into baby talk, squeezing empty air with her fingers as if the baby's cheeks were there, her eyes shining.
Had Ty Lee always been this jolly? Mai couldn't remember, but decided she didn't mind as the acrobat came at her with her arms raised and enveloped her in a hug. The soft smell of Ty Lee - fresh and warm - wafted to her nose and she surreptitiously inhaled deeply. This was the most important reason she'd dumped Zuko and was currently facing the scorn of the Fire Nation.
Ty Lee pulled away, grinning slyly at her. "C'mon, Mai," she ordered cheerily, linking her elbow through Mai's. "We're going to have a girl's night tonight in my room." She looked around at Zuko. "Goodnight, Your Majesty!"
Zuko looked a bit glazed. "Goodnight, Ty Lee," he answered dazedly.
--
Early the next afternoon, a sky bison descended in a courtyard and five people climbed off. One of them, a man dressed in blue, was holding a yellow and green bundle like it was delicate glass.
Mai watched impassively as Ty Lee took off at a dead run and threw herself with a happy squeal at a woman in green. "Suki!" she cried. "It's so good to see you!"
"Ty Lee, we've only been apart for four days," Suki said wearily. But Ty Lee had already moved on, squeezing Katara, Aang, and Toph with equal enthusiasm. She hovered for a moment when she reached Sokka, but eventually just cooed over the infant and hugged him around the middle.
Sokka shifted the baby awkwardly to one arm and patted her uncomfortably on the shoulder. Ty Lee released him and Mai was pleased when she immediately bounded back to her side, standing closer than was strictly necessary. Even though the Fire Nation really never got very cold, she enjoyed the feel of Ty Lee's body heat nearby.
Zuko approached with trepidation, but was soon waggling his fingers at the baby and grinning like a fool. The young adults would have happily lingered in the courtyard all day, especially Toph, who had flopped onto the marble flagstones and made herself quite at home, but Iroh found them and ushered them inside to an intimate lunch in his rooms.
The formal dinners and galas to entertain foreign dignitaries and emissaries and the Avatar would happen the next day, and after that would be Midwinter, where they would gather in a private sitting room to exchange gifts and socialise amongst themselves.
--
"Isn't she adorable?" Ty Lee murmured, staring down dotingly at the bundle of red silk and baby she'd practically confiscated from Suki at breakfast. She was curled up against Mai on a loveseat, and only Mai could hear her.
"It's a baby," Mai said tonelessly. "She eats, poops, and cries, I don't see what the big deal is." She was having traumatising flashbacks to having to take care of TomTom when that lazy excuse for a nursemaid her parents had 'carefully vetted' sneaked off to trysts with a stable boy.
"Mai!" she gasped, scandalised. "Be nice! She can hear you."
"It's not like she'll remember," Mai pointed out.
"So? She still knows."
It was hopeless. Ty Lee was besotted and there was nothing anyone could do to tear her affections away now. It was far too late for anyone to take this baby away from her-
"Time to open gifts!" Katara called, standing near a heap of packages. Still mothering after all this time...
-and suddenly Mai found herself with a lap full of infant while Ty Lee had materialised next to the Waterbender. She squealed, her loudest and shrillest one yet, and announced, "I'll hand them out!"
Of course holiday cheer is the only thing that could, Mai thought.
Katara shrugged, too used to Ty Lee's Ty Lee-ness to be fazed by it any longer, and retreated to her chaise lounge. "If you insist."
The acrobat plucked one up and read the name on the tag. "'To Zuko, from Katara,'" she read, dashing over to deposit the package on his lap. He shivered lightly, looking dizzily excited, and glanced at the faintly blushing Water Tribe girl in a way he probably thought was subtle. Everyone noticed, especially since he'd claimed the armchair closest to Katara's seat and couldn't seem to stop stuttering and flushing when he talked to her.
Mai was happy for him. She had Ty Lee now. He deserved to be happy with another girl if she was going to be, too. In the meantime, while Ty Lee passed out the gifts, Mai adjusted the baby more comfortably in her arms, happy that it was asleep and perfectly aware that the girl's parents were staring at her so hard it was a wonder she hadn't burst into flames.
A small pile of gifts appeared at Mai's feet, surprising her. She hadn't gotten anyone anything, but she refused to feel guilty. Holidays weren't her thing. They were just days, however much emphasis people wanted to put on them.
Even so, a small, traitorous cockle of her heart warmed to have been remembered.
It seemed to take too long for the gifts to be delivered to their recipients, despite Ty Lee's hurried bouncing along, and Mai was relieved to have her settle back into the sofa beside her.
"Well!" Ty Lee demanded. "Open them!" She waved her hands emphatically. She seemed almost crazed in her exhilaration, and slowly the rest of the group began to unwrap their packages. She took the baby back from Mai and sat, almost quivering as she watched.
She'd gotten everyone scarves. Warm and woolly for the men; gauzy and decorative ones for the women. They were all brightly colored, but not gaudy, and Mai could see that her sense of taste had matured. Toph's had small, semi-precious stones sewn into it.
Mai ignored everyone else's gift-opening frenzy and quietly opened her own. Zuko had given her fine senbon needles and throwing stars, along with a set of whetstones. In a box marked 'from Suki and the Warriors of Kyoshi, which includes Sokka' was a set of razor-sharp fans and a note that read, "Come stay with us longer than a week and we'll teach you to use these properly." She received a small whalebone hunting knife from Katara and Sokka. The scarf from Ty Lee was a deep shade of gold and strung with bells.
Holidays were still stupid and unnecessary, but as she sat there beside Ty Lee, who was fanatical in her enthusiasm for this day, Zuko, who was probably just as thrilled as Ty Lee but trying vainly to repress it, and a number of other people she'd only just met and barely begun to know, Mai decided that perhaps this one wasn't so bad. But just for today.
Title: Holiday Cheer (or In Which Mai Narrates A Holiday)
Chapter: N/A; complete oneshot
Characters/Pairings: Mai, Ty Lee, Zuko, Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Iroh, OC baby; Zuko/Mai, Mai/Ty Lee, Zuko/Katara, Sokka/Suki
Genre: General
Word Count: 1,392
Rating: T
Notes: For ninja_butterfly, who asked for "A:TLAfic! with some variantion of Zuko/Mai/Ty Lee, whether it's Zuko/Mai with Ty Lee or Mai/ Ty Lee with Zuko... Mai loathing the holidays and being her usual dry, deadpan, this-is-stupid self while Zuko is slightly more excited and Ty Lee is SUPER STOKED OH MY GOD CHRISTMAS/whatever holiday you'd like to make it." I chose Midwinter. It's basically Christmas, only there's no Christ in Avatar-verse (/resisting an urge to make a joke about Aang). Families gather, eat, drink, pass out, and exchange gifts.
So this is basically a set of scenelets and included is a bit of everything you asked for, except the rest of the Gaang. They're a bonus. I worry about having gotten everyone's character down, especially Mai's, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. Happy belated Christmas and New Year.
Ty Lee's excited squeal cut through the quiet of the lounge even before she reached it. Mai's eyes rolled, but in spite of her disdain for this holiday - and indeed, all holidays - she smiled to herself. She hadn't seen her friend in months, not since her last visit to Kyoshi Island.
Beside her, Zuko was having trouble suppressing a wide grin as he fidgeted anxiously. In spite of the warning, he jumped when Ty Lee bounced into the room on her hands.
"Oh my gosh, you two!" she gushed. "It's Midwinter! Already! Can you believe it?"
"It's not Midwinter for another three days, Ty Lee," Mai corrected flatly.
Ty Lee beamed. "It's close enough," she said. "Pretty soon, we'll get to see everyone and catch up and exchange presents!"
"And see Sokka and Suki's baby!" Zuko burst out, apparently unable to help himself. When Mai turned to give him a blank look, he flushed almost guiltily and glanced off to the side. And she was reminded all over again of one of the reasons why she'd dumped him. The boy had no backbone against her. Well, that and being Fire Lady would keep her cooped up in an office all day, and she'd never be able to tolerate that kind of boredom. Not since she'd tasted freedom.
Ty Lee was undeterred by Mai's attitude. "Yes!" she shrieked, even though she'd been on Kyoshi Island for the birth and the infant's first six months of life. "You'll love her, she's so small and squishy and cute." She deteriorated into baby talk, squeezing empty air with her fingers as if the baby's cheeks were there, her eyes shining.
Had Ty Lee always been this jolly? Mai couldn't remember, but decided she didn't mind as the acrobat came at her with her arms raised and enveloped her in a hug. The soft smell of Ty Lee - fresh and warm - wafted to her nose and she surreptitiously inhaled deeply. This was the most important reason she'd dumped Zuko and was currently facing the scorn of the Fire Nation.
Ty Lee pulled away, grinning slyly at her. "C'mon, Mai," she ordered cheerily, linking her elbow through Mai's. "We're going to have a girl's night tonight in my room." She looked around at Zuko. "Goodnight, Your Majesty!"
Zuko looked a bit glazed. "Goodnight, Ty Lee," he answered dazedly.
--
Early the next afternoon, a sky bison descended in a courtyard and five people climbed off. One of them, a man dressed in blue, was holding a yellow and green bundle like it was delicate glass.
Mai watched impassively as Ty Lee took off at a dead run and threw herself with a happy squeal at a woman in green. "Suki!" she cried. "It's so good to see you!"
"Ty Lee, we've only been apart for four days," Suki said wearily. But Ty Lee had already moved on, squeezing Katara, Aang, and Toph with equal enthusiasm. She hovered for a moment when she reached Sokka, but eventually just cooed over the infant and hugged him around the middle.
Sokka shifted the baby awkwardly to one arm and patted her uncomfortably on the shoulder. Ty Lee released him and Mai was pleased when she immediately bounded back to her side, standing closer than was strictly necessary. Even though the Fire Nation really never got very cold, she enjoyed the feel of Ty Lee's body heat nearby.
Zuko approached with trepidation, but was soon waggling his fingers at the baby and grinning like a fool. The young adults would have happily lingered in the courtyard all day, especially Toph, who had flopped onto the marble flagstones and made herself quite at home, but Iroh found them and ushered them inside to an intimate lunch in his rooms.
The formal dinners and galas to entertain foreign dignitaries and emissaries and the Avatar would happen the next day, and after that would be Midwinter, where they would gather in a private sitting room to exchange gifts and socialise amongst themselves.
--
"Isn't she adorable?" Ty Lee murmured, staring down dotingly at the bundle of red silk and baby she'd practically confiscated from Suki at breakfast. She was curled up against Mai on a loveseat, and only Mai could hear her.
"It's a baby," Mai said tonelessly. "She eats, poops, and cries, I don't see what the big deal is." She was having traumatising flashbacks to having to take care of TomTom when that lazy excuse for a nursemaid her parents had 'carefully vetted' sneaked off to trysts with a stable boy.
"Mai!" she gasped, scandalised. "Be nice! She can hear you."
"It's not like she'll remember," Mai pointed out.
"So? She still knows."
It was hopeless. Ty Lee was besotted and there was nothing anyone could do to tear her affections away now. It was far too late for anyone to take this baby away from her-
"Time to open gifts!" Katara called, standing near a heap of packages. Still mothering after all this time...
-and suddenly Mai found herself with a lap full of infant while Ty Lee had materialised next to the Waterbender. She squealed, her loudest and shrillest one yet, and announced, "I'll hand them out!"
Of course holiday cheer is the only thing that could, Mai thought.
Katara shrugged, too used to Ty Lee's Ty Lee-ness to be fazed by it any longer, and retreated to her chaise lounge. "If you insist."
The acrobat plucked one up and read the name on the tag. "'To Zuko, from Katara,'" she read, dashing over to deposit the package on his lap. He shivered lightly, looking dizzily excited, and glanced at the faintly blushing Water Tribe girl in a way he probably thought was subtle. Everyone noticed, especially since he'd claimed the armchair closest to Katara's seat and couldn't seem to stop stuttering and flushing when he talked to her.
Mai was happy for him. She had Ty Lee now. He deserved to be happy with another girl if she was going to be, too. In the meantime, while Ty Lee passed out the gifts, Mai adjusted the baby more comfortably in her arms, happy that it was asleep and perfectly aware that the girl's parents were staring at her so hard it was a wonder she hadn't burst into flames.
A small pile of gifts appeared at Mai's feet, surprising her. She hadn't gotten anyone anything, but she refused to feel guilty. Holidays weren't her thing. They were just days, however much emphasis people wanted to put on them.
Even so, a small, traitorous cockle of her heart warmed to have been remembered.
It seemed to take too long for the gifts to be delivered to their recipients, despite Ty Lee's hurried bouncing along, and Mai was relieved to have her settle back into the sofa beside her.
"Well!" Ty Lee demanded. "Open them!" She waved her hands emphatically. She seemed almost crazed in her exhilaration, and slowly the rest of the group began to unwrap their packages. She took the baby back from Mai and sat, almost quivering as she watched.
She'd gotten everyone scarves. Warm and woolly for the men; gauzy and decorative ones for the women. They were all brightly colored, but not gaudy, and Mai could see that her sense of taste had matured. Toph's had small, semi-precious stones sewn into it.
Mai ignored everyone else's gift-opening frenzy and quietly opened her own. Zuko had given her fine senbon needles and throwing stars, along with a set of whetstones. In a box marked 'from Suki and the Warriors of Kyoshi, which includes Sokka' was a set of razor-sharp fans and a note that read, "Come stay with us longer than a week and we'll teach you to use these properly." She received a small whalebone hunting knife from Katara and Sokka. The scarf from Ty Lee was a deep shade of gold and strung with bells.
Holidays were still stupid and unnecessary, but as she sat there beside Ty Lee, who was fanatical in her enthusiasm for this day, Zuko, who was probably just as thrilled as Ty Lee but trying vainly to repress it, and a number of other people she'd only just met and barely begun to know, Mai decided that perhaps this one wasn't so bad. But just for today.