#esmiu

She remembers when she was young – too young to understand things – and people put her in a room with her cousin, Azara and stories were told. A man she never discovered even the real identity would be the one to tell them – with Alexis’ presence on the room – about everything they needed to know about all the History of the world they were in.

He told them about the Fire Nation and its numerous attacks and defeats to important places elsewhere. With the good parts, he’d theatrically talk about everything they’ve ever won – conquest was the word he used mostly – and the aunt would smile proudly on the other side of the room. But when the woman’s face writhed into a grimace so Sato-ish, the teller would stop telling about the failures the army had been through and would switch the subject to other events more festive—

In these moments, Aisha remembered well, he’d smile bright enough and comment about the delightful only the girls’ generation would be able to attend very soon, when they were no longer innocent and, instead, powerful and strong, beautiful women who were able to understand the circumstances of Celebration of the Golden Age.

Thirteen years later, the waterbender can not, for sure, say his predictions had gained life or if she even understood—what she knew for sure is that she wasn’t powerful or strong as he probably meant, and the thought itself was good excuse enough for her to skip the golden that has been put up everywhere the city and find a place where she could be quiet and, preferably, drunk.

And her wishes were about to be fulfilled, but before she had to go past the crowd covered in the different tones of red and brown. Head down, attention anywhere and everywhere else but the people she tried to avoid got her bumping into more people than she intended to, and when she was about to mutter a quick apology to this poor soul, she saw it.