Polar Opposites

* :( Hair

It was getting to the point again where Elodie was getting restless on the ship. She was running out of things to do as they traveled across the waters and she could only take so much of doing the same things over and over again. She had practically mastered the few waterbending techniques and moves that Katara had taught her, but there was no way in hell that she could ask the younger girl to teach her more. Katara literally hated her guts at the moment, and Elodie couldn't blame her. That's how she found herself braiding Zokkik's hair in his temporary office in the Fire Nation ship, pestering the older man with her commands to stop moving his head as he tried to fill out some reports.

Zokkik sighed and turned around to face Elodie, ignoring her protest about him messing up the braid she was working on, "Elodie, you know how much I enjoy your company, but I am very busy right now, so shoo." Elodie made a face at him, "Rude. I'll just leave then." She humphed and headed towards the door, not actually mad at the healer. He chuckled and shook his head at her vocabulary, "I'll see you at dinner." She waved at him as an answer and left the room. Back to being bored.

Elodie had already explored the ship twice, so that was a no-go. She couldn't bother Petak and Konoye because they were tasked with swabbing the deck and she would rather be bored than have to do that. And, she couldn't go just sit with Hakoda in his office because he was in a war meeting at the moment. Well, he said it wasn't a war meeting, but Elodie knew that's what was probably about to happen. War. The men were training harder than ever, Hakoda had suddenly been very much in favor of Elodie learning how to defend herself, and Hakoda, Sokka, Bato, and the older men of the tribe have been in long meetings every day for two weeks. Elodie was smart enough to put the clues together, and they weren't looking good.

She sighed softly as she headed to her and Hakoda's room. The thought of war happening soon was chewing at her nerves, and the added boredom didn't help. She had more time to worry about the impending war when she had nothing to distract her. So, she decided to wash the blankets from their room to hopefully stop her thinking. It didn't take long for her to reach the room and grab the mix of furs and red blankets to wash. Hakoda didn't like using the red blankets from the Fire Nation, but it got very cold at night in the hull of the metal ship and Elodie couldn't handle the cold like he could.

Elodie left the room draped in the red blankets, humming softly as she headed to the deck where the washing water was. She was almost to her destination, just a couple of steps away from the opening of the deck, when she heard loud voices, thudding, and pained noises behind her. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned to the noise before seeing the previously unconscious avatar running towards her... and then being slammed into the metal wall of the ship by an insanely strong gust of air. The breath was knocked out of her as she collided with the wall and dropped to the ground in a jumble of body and blankets.

Elodie's breath finally came back to her after a couple of moments of panicked gasping as someone kneeled next to her. She was still breathing heavily as she looked up to see Hakoda by her side, "Elodie! Are you ok? Does anything hurt?" Yeah, her whole body, but she shook her head as she pushed herself up, "I'm fine. Woah-" She had to shut her eyes due to the world suddenly spinning. Hakoda pulled her into his arms gently to steady her, "Don't sit up. I need Zokkik to check your head." She slumped against him slightly, "It's really ok. I didn't hit my head. The breath just got knocked out of me. And besides, there's someone else that needs our attention." That was a lie, she did hit her head, but there were bigger things than that going on at the moment - like the newly awakened avatar. She opened her eyes again, looking for the young avatar. He was surrounded by the kids, Katara giving him her entire attention.

The poor thing looked confused and in pain. He must have been so scared when he thought he woke up in the enemy's ship. Hakoda followed her gaze and he was obviously having an internal battle on whether on not he should go over there or stay with Elodie. Elodie made the decision for him, "Go over there. I'm fine. They're going to need you." He nodded and kissed her head quickly, "Don't get up. I'll send Petak over here to take you back to our room. I'll tell Zokkik to come check on you after he helps Aang." Elodie happened to look back over at the kids, only to see Aang looking at her with guilty eyes. She figured he felt bad about slamming her into a metal wall, and she didn't want to make him feel worse, so she just smiled and started to stand up, "I'm really ok. Now, go."

Hakoda gave her one last uncertain look, really wanting to stay and make her rest, but he knew that the kids needed guidance at the moment. He jogged to the group of people surrounding the overwhelmed boy and changed into "chief mode" to settle the excitement.

Elodie refused her want to slump against the wall as she looked down at the blankets at her feet. Now they actually probably needed to be washed since they had been on the floor, but she did not have the energy to wash them. So, she picked them up, trying not to grimace as she bent down, and headed towards her room. When she was halfway there, she heard Toph's voice from behind her, "Are you sure you're ok? I felt how hard you hit the wall. You definitely hit your head." Elodie turned to her, "I'm totally all good. I have a hard head." Toph's face showed her disbelief in Elodie's words, but she didn't say anything as the older girl walked towards her room again. She just needed to lay down for a little bit and then she would feel better.

***

Elodie's short rest turned into hours of napping, and she still felt like crap when she woke up. She pried her eyes open and winced as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She begrudgingly peeled herself off the bed and trudged over to the mirror in the room. She gently lifted her shirt, trying to ignore the soreness all over her body, and grimaced when she saw her whole back was bruising from bodyslamming the wall. She let her shirt fall back down with a sigh and sat in the chair in front of the mirror. Elodie blankly stared at her reflection as she brushed through her bedhead, lost in her many thoughts.

She was snapped out of her trance when she heard shoeless footsteps enter the room then saw Toph's reflection in the mirror. Elodie greeted her, "Hey Toph. Do you need something?" Toph looked shy (but was obviously trying to hide it). "I was wondering-" she paused, "Nevermind actually." The younger girl turned to walk out of the room, but before she could, Elodie called out, "Wait Toph." Toph stopped leaving and Elodie smiled, "You can always come to me for anything." Toph looked like she was contemplating something very hard before she walked into the room, "I- I have some knots in my hair that are in a weird place that I can't get out... Can you help me?" Elodie nodded before verbally confirming her answer, "Of course. You can sit in that chair."

Toph gingerly sat down and Elodie grabbed her brush. She took out Toph's hairband and got to work brushing through her thick hair, trying to not pull the tangles roughly. Toph suddenly spoke up, "I can brush and fix my own hair by the way. I don't need help because I'm blind." Elodie smiled down at the younger girl, "I know. I wasn't thinking that. I also know what this sea air does to hair, my hair does the same thing." Toph seemed way more relaxed and comfortable after Elodie's reassurance.

Although the aura was awkward at first, the two quickly fell into comfortable conversation as Elodie brushed Toph's hair until it was smooth and shiny. Elodie said when she was finished, "There. I think it got all of the knots out. Do you want me to put up for you?" Toph looked like she was going to decline the offer, but she instead nodded, "Yes please." Elodie hummed softly as she pulled her hair into its regular updo and placed the hairband back in its place. Toph thanked her when she was finished and Elodie gently laid her hands on Toph's shoulders, "It's really no problem. I've always enjoyed doing people's hair, so don't hesitate to come to me if you ever want me to do it."

They headed to dinner together, laughing about a story Elodie told the younger girl, and Elodie couldn't help but think that she just made a new friend.