The Art Of Finding Each Other (Zutara)

A Celebration, Not The Time For Something Else

An unceasing hustle seemed to have taken over the house. The laughter and liveness of the group trying to get ready as fast as possible filled each and every one of the rooms. The upper floor was particularly loud, with the five girls that resided there constantly whirling around doing one thing or another.

Katara was alone in her and Toph's room, holding up the new dress before her. She had bought it specially for the occasion, right there in Ba Sing Se. Ty Lee had convinced her and Suki that shopping for something to wear at the celebrations would be a fun little way to get excited for the event. And the waterbender had to admit that it worked. After the unexpected stress of her last few days at the Fire Nation, searching for the perfect attire had been a more than welcomed distraction. Now, the upcoming event didn't seem like a diplomatic obligation but more of what it supposedly was: an excuse to celebrate and have a good time.

Once she had slipped the dress on, Katara walked over to the dressing room in order to look at herself in the full length mirror. The long tulle gown had a velvet bodice trimmed with a ruffled design that was only slightly off the shoulders, as there was still a small strap on each side preventing the soft fabric from slipping down, ending in a semi-sweetheart neckline. A delicate silver embroidery of tulip flowers in bloom embellished the piece, starting from the end of the neckline and all the way down to mid-length of the tulle. It perfectly complemented the bold navy blue hue of the dress. Indeed, she had chosen to wear the colors of her tribe for the event. It seemed like the perfect reminder of how far she had come.

She twirled around for a bit, looking definitely pleased with the results. Just as she was about to get started with her hair, some familiar voices filled the room.

"Katara, you look amazing! I told you that dress was the one." Ty Lee excitingly complimented her.

Suki whistled. "Seriously, you somehow manage to look both absolutely fierce and charming."

"Sugar Queen, that dress is splendid on you. No one will be able to take their eyes off you." Toph viciously grinned.

Katara smiled at her in an instant of obliviousness, only to immediately grunt. "Toph, seriously? That joke is getting old..."

The girl simply laughed. "It gets old when I say so. Now, what do you think of what I'm wearing?"

Toph moved around to show off the dress she was wearing. It was an off emerald green piece, with a straight neckline and a cap sleeve bodice. It had a midi length, which clearly made her feel more comfortable on it since she wasn't at risk of the fabric slipping under her feet. The girls had gotten it for her on their shopping trip, with the hopes that she wouldn't refuse to wear it.

"Look, it even has pockets!" She grinned, sticking her hands into them.

Katara laughed. "I'm glad you like it, Toph. We really thought you were going to throw rocks at us or something when we gave it to you."

"Yeah, I can't believe we convinced you to actually dress up for the occasion." Suki smirked.

"Well, what can I say? It feels comfortable. As far as I know, I could look horrible right now. I had to trust you all in this one." She was graciously smiling.

"Okay, I think I'm ready to work with this." Ty Lee put down the hairbrush she had been quickly to use while the girls chatted. She shook her loose hair around, seemingly trying to decide how to style it. She already had her dress on, a rose pink pleated gown with a ruched criss cross wrap on the neckline and a strapping back. It was just as bold as her.

Just as Katara was about to suggest a potential hairstyle, Mai entered the room.

"You know, you should simply style it as you always do." She instantly joined the conversation.