(no subject)
The next three pieces are a follow up to Storm. It would probably help to read that first, if you haven't already. Think of this as a miniseries. Comments and concrit are, as always, encouraged. And, as usual, my font is all screwed up. >_<
Author: blonde_warning
Prompt: #57 - Strangers
Word Count: 210
Rating: PG
“Unbelievable,” he mutters to himself as he stares at the sleeping girl. He's tempted to set a corner of her parka on fire to see if she'll wake up-but thinks better of it. She'd probably be furious, and Uncle always did tell him that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Actually, he's not sure if setting a girl on fire counts as 'scorn,' but he'd just as soon not take any chances concerning Katara.
He wonders for a moment, if their situation had been reversed, if she had been the one already in the cave and he the one who had wandered in, would he have done the same thing? Would he have ignored her, forgotten their strife in the face of adversity? Or would he have fought her for the cave, attempted to kick her out? He thinks he knows the answer, and he doesn't much like it.
It's a wondrous thing, really, that she'd fall asleep in front of him. To leave oneself so completely vulnerable in front of an enemy is unthinkable to Zuko. But perhaps, he thinks as he lies down and closes his eyes, they aren't quite enemies after all. And just maybe, with a little time, they won't be strangers, either.
END.
Author: blonde_warning
Prompt: #83 - Peace
Word Count: 302
Rating: PG
“What's in there?” Zuko asks cautiously as she rummages through the pack. For a moment he's afraid she's going to ignore him again, or close the pack and leave him alone again, or maybe even pull out a weapon. Instead, she takes out two mugs, a pot, and a small loaf of bread. Without a word, she steps just outside the cave's protection and dips the pot into the two-foot high snowbank, scooping snow into it. Then, to his surprise, she thrusts the pot at him.
“Boil this,” she instructs, and he's too shocked to disobey. The fire burns in his hands, heating the metal pot until the snow melts into water, until the water begins to bubble and steam. She smiles when he brings the pot back to her, his expression unsure of what he's supposed to do next. She holds the mugs out in front of him, and he carefully pours the hot water into them, making sure not to spill any on her. She sits down besides the fire and breaks the bread in two, then pats the ground next to her, motioning for him to sit down.
She holds out a mug for him, and he takes it, still taken aback by her behavior. Not knowing what else to do, he sits down beside her. She smiles again, sips the hot water, and hands him a piece of bread. “Eat up, you're probably hungry, right? I think I've got enough food to last us until the storm ends.”
He takes the bread wordlessly and bites into it. It's hard and coarse and common, but it tastes delicious after nearly a day without food. And as they sit in the cave together, sipping water and watching the blizzard outside, he wonders if this is what peace feels like.
END.
Author: blonde_warning
Prompt: #42 - Blanket
Word Count: 321
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Ah, the infamous Blanket challenge. Don't worry, this isn't the last one in the miniseries, just the last one I'm writing at the moment. ^_^
“I'm sorry,” she begins apologetically as night begins to fall, “but I've only got one blanket. We'll have to share.”
He stares blankly at the thin blue square of fabric. It doesn't look very warm. “I'm a firebender,” he tells her brusquely. “I don't need a blanket.”
She frowns but nods in acknowledgment, glancing towards the dying fire. The wood is almost gone, and there's little chance of finding more in this god-forsaken hole in a rock. The cave is getting colder, and they both feel it.
Later that night, Zuko awakes to a strange noise coming from Katara's direction. It takes him a few minutes of intense listening to figure out what it is, but then it hits him like a brick: it's the chattering of her teeth. He tries to ignore it, tries to fall back asleep, but the chattering is growing louder. The fire, he notices, has burnt out; only a few smoldering cinders remain. By their dim light he can just barely make out her form, curled up on the ground, and visibly shaking.
With a sigh he stands up and lies back down beside her, his back to hers, and pulls the blanket across the two of them. She immediately snuggles closer to him, absorbing his warmth. Within a few minutes he feels her shaking stop and her chattering cease. He closes his eyes again, her hair brushing the back of his neck and her breathing soothing him to sleep, and looses himself to the darkness.
The next morning he awakes to a tiny patch of sunlight streaming in through the storm. The light softly illuminates her face, and before he knows what he's doing he brushes a stray strand of hair from her face. He stares at his hand as if it has betrayed him, and quietly moves out from under the blanket. Some things, he thinks, are better ended before they've truly begun.
END.
Author: blonde_warning
Prompt: #57 - Strangers
Word Count: 210
Rating: PG
“Unbelievable,” he mutters to himself as he stares at the sleeping girl. He's tempted to set a corner of her parka on fire to see if she'll wake up-but thinks better of it. She'd probably be furious, and Uncle always did tell him that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Actually, he's not sure if setting a girl on fire counts as 'scorn,' but he'd just as soon not take any chances concerning Katara.
He wonders for a moment, if their situation had been reversed, if she had been the one already in the cave and he the one who had wandered in, would he have done the same thing? Would he have ignored her, forgotten their strife in the face of adversity? Or would he have fought her for the cave, attempted to kick her out? He thinks he knows the answer, and he doesn't much like it.
It's a wondrous thing, really, that she'd fall asleep in front of him. To leave oneself so completely vulnerable in front of an enemy is unthinkable to Zuko. But perhaps, he thinks as he lies down and closes his eyes, they aren't quite enemies after all. And just maybe, with a little time, they won't be strangers, either.
END.
Author: blonde_warning
Prompt: #83 - Peace
Word Count: 302
Rating: PG
“What's in there?” Zuko asks cautiously as she rummages through the pack. For a moment he's afraid she's going to ignore him again, or close the pack and leave him alone again, or maybe even pull out a weapon. Instead, she takes out two mugs, a pot, and a small loaf of bread. Without a word, she steps just outside the cave's protection and dips the pot into the two-foot high snowbank, scooping snow into it. Then, to his surprise, she thrusts the pot at him.
“Boil this,” she instructs, and he's too shocked to disobey. The fire burns in his hands, heating the metal pot until the snow melts into water, until the water begins to bubble and steam. She smiles when he brings the pot back to her, his expression unsure of what he's supposed to do next. She holds the mugs out in front of him, and he carefully pours the hot water into them, making sure not to spill any on her. She sits down besides the fire and breaks the bread in two, then pats the ground next to her, motioning for him to sit down.
She holds out a mug for him, and he takes it, still taken aback by her behavior. Not knowing what else to do, he sits down beside her. She smiles again, sips the hot water, and hands him a piece of bread. “Eat up, you're probably hungry, right? I think I've got enough food to last us until the storm ends.”
He takes the bread wordlessly and bites into it. It's hard and coarse and common, but it tastes delicious after nearly a day without food. And as they sit in the cave together, sipping water and watching the blizzard outside, he wonders if this is what peace feels like.
END.
Author: blonde_warning
Prompt: #42 - Blanket
Word Count: 321
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Ah, the infamous Blanket challenge. Don't worry, this isn't the last one in the miniseries, just the last one I'm writing at the moment. ^_^
“I'm sorry,” she begins apologetically as night begins to fall, “but I've only got one blanket. We'll have to share.”
He stares blankly at the thin blue square of fabric. It doesn't look very warm. “I'm a firebender,” he tells her brusquely. “I don't need a blanket.”
She frowns but nods in acknowledgment, glancing towards the dying fire. The wood is almost gone, and there's little chance of finding more in this god-forsaken hole in a rock. The cave is getting colder, and they both feel it.
Later that night, Zuko awakes to a strange noise coming from Katara's direction. It takes him a few minutes of intense listening to figure out what it is, but then it hits him like a brick: it's the chattering of her teeth. He tries to ignore it, tries to fall back asleep, but the chattering is growing louder. The fire, he notices, has burnt out; only a few smoldering cinders remain. By their dim light he can just barely make out her form, curled up on the ground, and visibly shaking.
With a sigh he stands up and lies back down beside her, his back to hers, and pulls the blanket across the two of them. She immediately snuggles closer to him, absorbing his warmth. Within a few minutes he feels her shaking stop and her chattering cease. He closes his eyes again, her hair brushing the back of his neck and her breathing soothing him to sleep, and looses himself to the darkness.
The next morning he awakes to a tiny patch of sunlight streaming in through the storm. The light softly illuminates her face, and before he knows what he's doing he brushes a stray strand of hair from her face. He stares at his hand as if it has betrayed him, and quietly moves out from under the blanket. Some things, he thinks, are better ended before they've truly begun.
END.