There was nothing like a tragedy to get people to fall off the wagon. The Fan had been packed before the attack on the Temple of Koh, but now it was ridiculous how many people managed to cram themselves into the saloon every night. They came seeking to ease their worries, but no matter how much they drank, tension still remained. It was visible in the way the Saloon's patrons held themselves, the way they glanced sidelong at each other. Previously, nonbenders and benders had mixed with relative calm, but now the two groups tended to keep apart, each to their own, and the bouncer's pat-downs turned up far more concealed weaponry than was usual. There was a storm brewing, and everyone knew it.

But today was not a day to think of such things. Today was a day to relax and enjoy herself, and that was exactly what Katsumi was going to do. She'd jumped at Ling's suggestion of a girl's day, and though it had taken some serious finagling to secure the day off, she'd managed it, and was now was on her way to meet her friend at the Market District. This was going to be a good day; she would make sure of it.

She approached the archway that marked the Market District and scanned those assembled there. Ling was not hard to spot; the waving helped. Waving back with a smile, Katsumi glided over, weaving around those in her way with the occasional muttered "excuse me."

"Hey yourself." Katsumi reached out an arm to hug her friend. "Been a while since we've seen each other outside the Fan. I had to practically sign away my soul to get one of the other girls to take my shift, but…" She shook her head. "It was worth it." She turned to cast her eye upon the market and all it had to offer. "Shall we?"

With an exaggerated flourish, Ling bowed to her friend. "After you!"

Then she laughed and hooked her arm around Katsumi's. "It's been a busy time," she said lightly. The attacks on the Temple were still fresh on everyone's mind. The Market District was more removed from the thick of things, but even here the usual hustle and bustle of shopping was charged with an anxious undercurrent. Parents clutched their children's hands a little tighter, shopkeepers watched customers a little closer. It was both business as usual and very much not.

As they walked, Ling tried to keep the conversation light. She pointed out the various quirks market-goers had, slyly stole some cheap knick knacks off a kiosk to give to some beggar children, made snarky comments to over-eager merchants demonstrating their newfangled technological wares.

Eventually though, the subject of the Temple attacks had to come up.

There was a small scuffle in the middle of the walkway. Instinctively, Ling moved in front of Katsumi, holding out an arm protectively, her other hand resting on the release trigger for her knives. A man dressed in the distinctive style of the Triple Threat Triad was standing, smugly, in front of a distraught young man dressed in neutral colours. The distraught man pointed a shaking finger at the Triad's face, screaming blame for the attack.

The Triad scoffed in return, making a rude gesture and looming over the man with every bit of swagger that the Triads were known for, daring him to make an official complaint against him to the RCPD. Luckily, a larger man — a very large, muscular man — stepped between the two of them. His tone was calm, but he was clearly not someone to argue with. The Triad laughed derisively and sauntered away, a small pack of his cronies following behind.

The crowd began to move again, giving the distraught man, who was now being comforted by the large man, a very wide berth. Ling relaxed a little, dropping her arm.

"That could've been ugly," she murmured, breathing a small sigh of relief.

Katsumi laughed at Ling's theatrics. That was one of the main benefits of being friends with Ling: she was always good for a laugh. True, Ling's tendency to look for the humor in everything sometimes meant that serious matters were not treated with the care they should be. But for a day like today, exaggerated flourishes were exactly what was called for. Katsumi happily took her friend's arm as they stepped together into the Market District.

"Busy's a good word for it." Katsumi looked over at Ling, raising an eyebrow. The Fan was certainly proof of that. For the most part since the attack on the Temple of Koh, people were staying indoors to avoid trouble. The drunks, though, and anyone looking to forget about their worries for a little while, came out in force, crowding the city's many alcohol-peddling establishments, including the Golden Fan. That was normal. What was not normal, however, was that a rift had developed in the Fan between those who could bend and those who could not. Where before the two had mixed with relative ease—barring the occasional fight, usually motivated by alcohol or bad luck at a card game—now there was a clear divide. Nonbenders clustered together on one side of the saloon, stealing baleful glances at the benders on the other side when they weren't paying attention. The Fan was a microcosm of the entire city at the moment, everyone holding their breath, waiting for the next explosion of violence to further inflame tensions. Sooner or later, they would reach the point of no return.

Today, though, would not be that day. Today was a day for shopping and idle chatter with Ling. There would be no talk of the rising anti-bender sentiments, not if she could help it. Katsumi clung to Ling's words. She "oohed" and "aahed" as Ling shed light on their fellow market-goers' strange habits. When Ling suddenly had several small trinkets in hand—she had definitely not pulled out her wallet at any point between when they passed that stall and when the trinkets ended up in her hands—Katsumi didn't comment, hiding a smirk behind her hand. If Ling wanted to tempt fate—and, more importantly, the ire of money-hungry shopkeepers—that was her choice to make as a (sometimes) responsible adult.

Suddenly, she was brought to a halt as Ling's arm shot out in front of her. "Ling, what's—" Then she heard the shouting, and did not need Ling to explain. The Triad member and the man accosting him were about the same size, but the way the gang member exuded cold, threatening confidence made him seem to tower over the other man. The distraught man's entire body quivered as he screamed, and his voice was full of rage and pain. It was difficult to say which of the two would lash out first.

Luckily, a third party entered the fray, and he was able to defuse the situation. Katsumi let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She nodded at Ling's assessment of the situation, her eyes on the distraught man, who looked only marginally better with the large man's comfort. "Tell me about it. I would've thought here, in so public of a place, things might be a little calmer. I guess not." She was keenly aware of her water skin, hanging on her hip, a clear sign to all around her that she was a Waterbender. These days, she didn't leave home without it; it was her only real line of defense against the many threats that lurked in Republic City's shadowy corners. But did it also mark her as a target?

She moved casually to Katsumi's other side under the pretense of hooking arms together. Like Ling's sister, Katsumi carried around a water skin.

"You know the Triads," she said. Her tone was light, but she kept her voice low. Bright grey-blue eyes casually scanned the area, searching for any sign of lingering Triads. "Always underfoot."

The mood of the afternoon was dampened, so Ling decided it was time to grab a bite to eat. She steered her friend in the direction of the food stalls and small mom-and-pop restaurants that made their home in the Market District. She chose a small, out of the way tea shop that she knew served taho. They were also known for their pork buns. For Ling, it was a match made in the Spirit World.

Once Katsumi had placed her order, she sat at a table in the far corner of the shop, close to the kitchens. It would be hard to hear their conversation over the din of cooking and dishes clattering together.

"No one would mistake you for a Triad," she said once her friend had sat down. "But I can't help but worry. Everyone's on edge, and with the ... well, you know..." she avoided saying the Temple's name out loud, "... I feel like peoples' patience is running out. I keep having to turn down cases for people who want me to find the culprits. Too much of the neighbourhood knew someone in the attacks."

Most of the people in the Dragon Flats District, where Ling lived, were nonbenders. Most of them were frequent participants in the Koh Festival, which was held in the largest Temple in the city versus the local one since it was much larger and could accommodate the throngs of visitors. More than half of the people on Ling's street alone knew someone who was there, had been there themselves, or knew someone who was under the Monks' care for their injuries. One little girl on her street was being cared for by a neighbour, her father in critical condition.

"I wish the Council would do something," she added, a colourful expletive punctuating the end of her sentence. "This is getting out of hand. You know me, I'm not really much of a council supporter but if the Police aren't going to do anything someone should." She drummed her fingers on the table in irritation. "How are they going to explain it if someone dies of their injuries?"

Ling linked arms with her again, and Katsumi smiled at the contact. Given what had just happened, it was good to know she had a friend at her side. With Ling watching her back, it was easier to feel safe. That sensation was one she’d found herself missing lately. It seemed like every day now the radio blared out news of another assault, on benders and nonbenders alike. Both sides were angry, and unfortunately both seemed to think that violence was the best recourse.

The suggestion of food was welcome. She was hungry; she’d purposefully had only a light breakfast in anticipation of this outing. After all, one couldn’t go to the marketplace and not sample at least some of the amazing food on offer there. She grinned as she saw the place Ling brought them to. “Of course they sell pork buns,” she laughed upon glancing at the menu. “I swear, if you didn’t have friends and family to keep track of your eating habits, you’d live off of those things. I’ll have to talk to your sister sometime when you’re not around, make sure we’re working together to keep you at least semi-healthy.”

She joked, but truth be told, she was just as much a fan of the buns as Ling was. She ordered a couple pork buns for herself as well as a couple buns filled with taro, and some tea. Then, she followed Ling to their table. Between the noise of the kitchen behind them and the other customers around them, she had to lean in to hear what Ling said. “I know what you mean,” she replied, nodding. “It does seem like the Council is weirdly silent right now, when we need to hear from them more than ever. But what can they do? I’m sure they’ve sent people to help care for the injured, and besides that…it’s not like they can prevent further attacks from happening. Maybe they just don’t want to say anything because then they might have to take a side. That’d be a dangerous thing to do.”

The heavy weight of their conversation was lightened a bit by the arrival of their food. Katsumi eagerly bit into one of the pork buns, fanning her mouth at the heat of the food. “Ah, a bit too hot,” she moaned, feeling her tongue burn. “But delicious all the same.”

An expert bun eater, Ling blew gently on her bun before taking the first bite, immediately taking a small sip of the complimentary ice water that had been delivered. The cooling effect was instant, and the small sip ensured that the lot didn't become soggy in her mouth. She smiled lopsidedly, watching Katsumi fan her mouth.

"A small sip of water with each bite," she instructed, nudging the other glass over to her friend. "A tip from a professional."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's company and the deliciousness of their meal. Ling thought that she could probably live off of pork buns alone if Mei-zhen wouldn't have thrown a fit. They were easy to make, convenient, portable — what more could an on-the-go, slightly lazy, private detective want in a meal?

"So how you holding up, Katsumi?" Ling asked, reaching for her second bun. "The Fan was busier than I expected on a weekday, and rowdier too. No one's giving you any trouble?" There was a hint of a promise in Ling's voice. She may be lazy and irreverent, but she was quick to come to the defense of those she cared about.

“You eat too many buns if you can call yourself a professional.” She grumbled, but she smiled as Ling slid her the water, which brought welcome relief to her scorched tongue. “Thanks. This definitely helps. It’s my fault, I suppose, for being too eager. These are too good to wait for, though.”

There was something endlessly satisfying about sitting in companionable silence eating buns together. And after the tense encounter they’d just witnessed, this was a good way to de-stress. They should really make a point of spending time together like this more often. If only their jobs would allow for that…

“I’ve been okay,” she said as she finished off her first bun and reached for another. “The Fan’s busier than ever, though. People will find any excuse to drink, even tragedies like the Temple attack. Honestly, things have been a little better for the girls lately; everyone’s so busy mentally preparing themselves for a fight to break out that they don’t have time to get handsy with us. I feel bad for the bouncers though. We do the best we can to calm the tension, but I swear, there’s at least one scuffle a night now.” She shook her head. She was friendly with one of the saloon’s bouncers, and he’d told her how much more intense his job had been lately. She did not envy him.

“What about you?” she asked, taking a sip of her water. “How’s business been? I’d think you’d be busy too with everything that’s been going on. Plenty of mysteries to solve?”

Ling clicked her tongue in sympathy. The Fan was rowdy on a good night, so she was completely unsurprised that everyone being on edge led to more frequent fights. "As long as you and the girls are safe, you know."

Wiping her mouth, Ling gave a noncommittal shrug. "More than plenty, I'd say," she said, taking a sip of her water. "Mei-zhen still hasn't gotten off graveyard shift at the clinic, so I'm having to pass on some of my cases to other private eyes."

The freckled woman frowned into her pork bun. "Of course," she added in an undertone, "there are plenty of people asking for help with regards to the thing." Ling emphasised the word in such a way that it was obvious she was referring to the Temple attacks. "But, you know me." She flashed a smile, but it was forced. "Can't get into trouble with the Triads again. Or drag my family into Galgori Six business."

An aproned man poked his head out from the doorway that lead to the kitchens, asking if Ling would like to try a new kind of bun he had developed. Eyebrows raised, Ling nodded and held out her plate eagerly.

She took a huge bite, immediately sipping a little water to quench some of the heat. Her eyes lit up. "Teriyaki chicken!" The cook chuckled, nodding, and brought out another plate. "On the house," he said, "as a thank you for your frequent patronage."

He disappeared back into the kitchen, and Ling looked at her friend with a sheepish grin. "And maybe that's my cue to cut back on the steamed buns." But she helped herself to another one anyway, gesturing to Katsumi to do the same.

"You know," she said, words a little muffled through the food, "Mama would love to see you again, if you wanna come 'round to the flat sometime."

Katsumi shook her head. “You don’t need to worry about us. Most of the girls at the Fan can handle themselves okay, and we’ve got the bouncers to step in when we need them. We’re all used to dealing with angry drunks.” When she’d first started at the Fan, she’d had no idea how to handle the belligerent people who felt that what they paid for a drink also bought them unrestricted access to the bodies of those who served those drinks. One of the other women working there had taken her under her wing, and shown her basic tricks and self-defense strategies to keep herself safe. Every new employee brought into the Fan was taught the same, and they all worked together to keep each other from harm.

She nibbled at a bun as Ling talked about her work. The life of a PI seemed all sorts of exciting to her, and she’d purposefully avoided asking Ling about the specifics of her job so as to maintain that illusion. As far as she was concerned, Ling spent her days exposing corruption in the city’s elite society, sneaking into homes and escaping by the skin of her teeth.

“It’s good that you’re being careful.” Ling’s smile was a bit tight, but if she wasn’t going to go below the surface of her comments on the Triads, Katsumi wasn’t going to push her. After all, this was supposed to be a fun outing. She couldn’t help it that a fight had nearly broken out in front of them, but here, between the two of them, she could help keep things light. “I hope Mei-zhen catches a break soon, though, for both of your sakes. Working overnight over and over can’t be healthy.”

Just then, a chef approached, offering Ling a new type of bun. Katsumi giggled at the way Ling’s eyes lit up at the possibility. Her laughter grew as the chef explained the reason for the gift, and she shook her head. “Yes, that’s a sign if ever I’ve seen one. One of these days you’ll come in here and they’ll offer you the whole darn shop.” Still, even as she chastised Ling, she reached for one of the buns and eagerly took a bite. “Mmm, this is great.” Now it was her turn to look a bit sheepish. “I changed my mind. Eat as many buns as you want if it means you get to try new ones like this—and bring me here with you more.”

She took a moment to swallow and cool her mouth down with some water before responding when Ling spoke of her mother. I’d love to—if I ever had time. I keep waiting for it calm down at the Fan so I can have some kind of social life again, but so long as things like the Temple attack keep happening…” She trailed off with a shrug. “Well, at least the money’s good.”

Ling laughed. "I'd love to take you to lunch more. Do you have a telephone at your place yet? We could try and coordinate our schedules."

A few moments passed as the pair of them munched on the new steamed buns contentedly. It was Ling who broke the silence with an idea.

"Hey. So, the Fan needs more employees obviously, so that you and the regular girls aren't so swamped. Maybe some temporary help, yeah? I'm sure that if you put up some signs downtown, around the Temple there, that the people whose primary breadwinners were injured would be interested in some work." Her grey-blue eyes shone as she warmed up to the idea. "I mean, there's clearly enough business for a couple of extra hands serving, maybe some busboys and help in the kitchens."

Then she paused. "Or maybe not," she said, frowning suddenly. "Most of the people there would likely be nonbenders, and maybe that would just add to the tension."

Ling looked at her friend, head tilted inquisitively. "What do you think?"

“No, not yet,” Katsumi sighed, taking another bite of her bun. She spoke around a mushy mouthful of chicken. “I keep meaning to get one, but it seems like such a hassle. I don’t want to have to spend a whole day waiting for someone to come install the darn thing. And honestly, besides you, I don’t have many people to call.” She’d been thinking more about that, recently. She hadn’t had any romantic entanglements in a little while, and one of the bouncers at the Fan had caught her eye more than once. And it was so difficult to talk while at work, while having a phone would make it convenient to just call the guy…she should really get a phone. “I’ll stop by your place first chance I get,” she promised Ling. “We’ll figure it out.”

After a few moments, Ling got a certain look on her face, her eyes shining in the way they did when gears were turning in her brain. Katsumi put down the bun she was currently munching and leaned forward to give Ling her full attention. She smiled gratefully at the suggestion of getting extra help at the Fan. There was no question that that was desperately needed these days. But, as Ling then pointed out, hiring nonbenders who’d been directly affected by the Temple attack might not be the best idea. But they’d certainly be looking for work…

“That’s a tough one,” she said, sipping her water. “I mean, there’s no good reason not to help those people out if they need work, and we do really need it…I think it’s worth a shot.” She nodded, feeling surer with every second. “Mi-ja runs a tight ship; she won’t let things get out of hand.” The owner of the Fan was a kind woman, but firm. Usually the bouncers handled belligerent customers, but it was not a rare occurrence to see the saloon’s proprietor on the floor taking matters into her own hands. General loud carousing was fine, but Mi-ja was quick to put a stop to real violence one way or another, especially where her employees were involved. Any nonbenders who took jobs at the Fan would be protected from angry benders—but would be expected to control their tempers too.

“It’s a good idea, Ling.” Katsumi smiled at her friend. “Thank you for thinking of us. You’re a great friend.”

ooc; i feel like maybe this is wrapping up? thoughts?

She grinned, then quickly closed her lips as she felt a little piece of chicken sticking out from between her teeth. After a few moments of concentration she drank some water and grinned again. "Well I admit it wasn't entirely altruistic." Ling made a silly face. "The Fan is my home away from home, what am I supposed to do for a good drink otherwise? Go to some hoity-toity bar-and-restaurant?" She laughed.

"And," Ling added, waving another bun in Katsumi's general direction, "you really should get a telephone. It's a bit of a pain, making sure that the number of rings is the one for your house, and I don't recommend discussing anything that you wouldn't want overheard, but it's so much more convenient than writing a letter and hoping it gets to the other side of the city by sundown."

"You know, mother called up an old cousin that lives in Ba Sing Se. The connection was a little crackle-y, but do you know how long a letter would have taken to reach them? The phone call took a few moments to connect, at best."

Nudging Katsumi gently with her foot, Ling wagged a finger. "Get with the times, dear."

OOC: I'm cool with wrapping it up.

Katsumi laughed with Ling. “I can’t imagine you getting a drink at one of those upper-crust places,” she agreed. “I mean, can you even enjoy alcohol if you’re not drinking it while simultaneously scamming drunk men out of every hard-earned yuan they’ve got?”

Ling’s point about getting a phone was well made. Honestly, it would make life so much easier, even if she only used it for work purposes. Mi-ja had a phone in her office, and it would be so nice to be able to just call when she needed a shift covered or had a question, rather than having to go all the way down there. Really, what she needed was better impulse control. She could never resist the lure of a cute skirt or a new book, and spent so much money on those frivolities that she never had enough left over to afford something actually important like a phone. She needed to work on that.

“Okay, I’ll get a phone,” she promised. “And you’ll be the first one I call. No way we’ll go this long without catching up like this if we can just call each other. I suppose we’ll have to be careful, though, what with you being a P.I. and all.” She winked. “Don’t want anyone listening in to our conversations to hear about your cases, you know?” She giggled.

It was with no small amount of sadness that Katsumi finished the last of her buns. “Oh, those were wonderful,” she sighed as she swallowed her last bite. “I should tell Mi-ja to get some of the buns we serve from this place. She’d make a fortune on them.”

She let silence take over for a moment as she watched people pass by outside. The incident earlier served as a grim reminder that tensions still ran high, but that didn’t stop people from finding reasons to spend money carelessly. It was nice to be one of those people for a change, as opposed to the endless hours she spent at the Fan trying to coax money out of drunks. This was a welcome change of pace.

But the day couldn’t last forever. The buns were gone, and as she drank the last of her water, Katsumi remembered the deal she’d struck to get this day off in the first place. She looked at Ling with a bit of a grimace. “I’m afraid I have to head out soon,” she said. “I took on a double shift tomorrow, and if I don’t get enough sleep I’ll keel over into my pitchers of beer. But!” She held up a finger. “I will get a phone, and then we will do this more often. I expect you to bug me so we see each other more.”