#re-runs

This is the first fic of a series that I call Out of Yesterday's Ashes. This was a gift fic for an exchange that I was a part of in 2019 (wow! That feels like a decade ago!). This was originally going to be a one shot, but the inspiration bug kept biting me until it turned into a series of canon divergent one shots. I probably could have posted them as one continuous story. I don't really remember why I didn't, but whatever. Es lo que es.

If I recall correctly, this was one of the first scenes that I imagined when I began this fic. I wanted to have some interaction between the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit. At this point, Katara knows that the Blue Spirit is a human, but Zuko thinks that the Painted Lady is an actual spirit. I really liked the idea of having royalty bow to Katara- even if he doesn't know who she is- because there's just not enough people bowing to Katara in general, IMO.

Katara’s eyes widened when the Blue Spirit- it couldn’t be anyone else she decided- knelt  before her. Her. As if she were true royalty and not just the chief's daughter  of a crippled tribe. She thought she would have to fight him when she found him standing at the door, but then he set down the box of food and Katara realized that he was on the same mission as her. This, though…

The point of wearing the mantle of the Painted Lady was to act anonymously and maybe scare off anyone who happened to get too close. She expected people to flee at the sight of her, not genuflect. Straightening her shoulders to hide her awkwardness, Katara reached down and touched the Blue Spirit’s shoulder, noticing for the first time the dao swords Aang had told them about. He flinched slightly at her touch- did he think she would hurt him?- and looked up slowly. Katara angled her hat and veil down to keep her face in shadow, and motioned for him to stand. He was taller than her by some inches, but Katara drew herself to her full height and turned back towards the infirmary. Behind her she heard the shuffling as he grabbed the crate and followed her inside.