In what has become a very common trend with this fic, one I should have pointed out much earlier, Katara summarizes the content of a scene before she shows it- in this case, her realization that she should have trusted Sokka.
Katara cries herself to sleep, and Sokka notices it. He tells Hakoda that he won't be coming to the meeting, and tries to make Katara feel better with tea and dumplings. Katara, knowing that Sokka knows how she feels, and knowing that she can trust him, realizes that she can't lie to him this time.
Katara admits that she and Zuko had a fight. Sokka, still ignorant as to the cause, suggests having Katara mismatch his socks to get back at him (something Katara did out of a petty desire to get back at him, and was glad he didn't hold against her), and then suggests kicking Zuko's "arse" (until Katara points out that she was at fault).
Katara then gets to the point and sums it up succinctly- she and Zuko are in a relationship, but it's in crisis. Sokka's shocked, but takes it better than Katara had expected. Katara then summarizes their relationship, and Sokka, rather than being disappointed, is actually impressed that they kept it secret for so long, and relieved that they finally got together. While this would seem a bit like a case of Everyone Can See It, Sokka specifically recalls seeing them making out on the roof. Katara points out that Sokka tongue-kissed Suki at breakfast, but he points out that he didn't stalk her.
After a few attempts by Katara to defend her stalking, Sokka points out that he understands why Zuko would be angry with her for stalking him, and more so for essentially saying she was ashamed of him. The former is fair enough, but while the latter is also something Katara shouldn't say, the story also pointed out many pragmatic reasons for keeping things under wraps. In spite of criticizing Katara's actions, though, Sokka concludes that neither of them wants to break up at this point, so she wouldn't worry about that, adding that he and Suki have many spats (hardly any of which I've seen) and are still a couple.
Sokka concludes by telling Katara to give Zuko space and let him chill out, noting that he took a bolt of lightning for her. (Again, I don't think Zuko would have let Katara die just because he doesn't love her- notice that he seemed to be trying to redirect the lightning, meaning that he wasn't planning on being electrocuted).
While raiding the kitchens for lunch, Sokka and Katara overhear the Dowager trying to convince Song that she's not "queen material" and take some money to leave Kuei. Unfortunately for her, Song refuses to be bought, or to believe the Dowager's claims that this is for the best, using her fan to indicate displeasure and seeing the Dowager off with a mocking "Your Majesty".
Katara and Sokka want to go talk with the couple, but Mai intervenes, saying that their interference would not be welcome or helpful. That isn't the reason why she was looking for Katara, though- she wants someone to teach her, a non-bender, how to make a fire. Katara isn't Mai's first choice, although she would seem to be natural, since making fires is vital for survival at the South Pole. While noting how sheltered Mai is, Katara also wants to encourage her, since she's doing this so that June won't see her as useless.
Jet also comes into play, and Mai notes that Jet has four personality settings- 1)flirting, 2)gloating, 3)crazy and 4)being a colossal dick. She finds one of those personality settings impossible to deal with, and Katara guesses #1(oddly enough, not #4), but Mai says it's #2, since Jet's more in his element in the wild. Mai knows that she's in her element in the city and will lose that advantage when they leave Ba Sing Se, but at least wants to master making a fire before she goes- and she does.
There's a nice moment between Katara and Mai, but Katara insensitively asks Mai how she dealt with her fights with Zuko. Mai says that she gave him the cold shoulder and silent treatment, but she knows that won't work for Katara, and when Katara asks Mai how she knows about her relationship, Mai says, verbatim, You Just Told Me. That said, after an attempt by Katara to make an apology, Mai seems willing to be friends with Katara, even if she insults her by calling her "Bossy Hairloops" (the same way Katara's been calling her "Gloomy Hairbuns" until midway through NSFLZ), but Mai reiterates her advice against the silent treatment, and proves willing to keep Katara' s secrets.
The author, in a welcome change, writes an author's note that's one paragraph long (plus a "Til then, my lovelies!"), and mostly complains about/apologizes for not having enough time to do a longer author's note or include the second half of the chapter. She then says the next chapter will involve Zuko and Katara reconciling.
She doesn't say it, but it's also the last chapter in this series. I suppose it's too much to hope for a good resolution at this point, since thatt would take at least a dozen NSFLZ-length chapters, but I'll let you know how it ends.
What I liked
- Katara and Sokka's sibling bond.
- Short and concise author's note
- The start of a friendship between Mai and Katara
- Song standing up to the Dowager
- The fact that Zutara doesn't quite fall into Everyone Can See It here.
What I didn't like
- Again asserting that Zuko Taking the Bullet for Katara is proof of romantic love.
