Healing Trust

"I'll... join you," Jurishe smiles, taking Katara's hand as it was offered, figuring that it would be best to stay close, "I haven't danced in a long time; it should be fun!"

Her dancing wasn't great - mostly consisting of swaying her hips - but she had been watching the people of Shu Jing, so she thought that maybe she'd give it a shot. Really, a few of their dancing moves looked like bending; maybe that would help her?

On the other hand, Jurishe looked a little awkward. While she had observed the dancing, she seemed unsure of how to make the movements flow together. She also didn't have Katara's happy disposition to excuse her floundering, so the effect was a lot harsher.

Finally giving up, she chose to resort to going through her waterbending techniques; without actually bending any water, of course. The result was actually a decently fluid dance, which made her smile, going through the motions.

After a while, Jurishe called to Katara, "I'm going to go stand off to the side; head to your left, when you're finished." After making sure that her friend heard and understood, she moved away from the dancing and hopped off the stage, waiting on the grass.

It was far too hot here, for her, to continue any kind of movement for too long. It annoyed her because, back home, she could have danced all night. Or hunted, or sparred with other waterbenders, or anything else that was needed. Here... she felt almost sapped of her strength, if she went at more than a walk.

"Of course!" came the happy answer, "We should have at least one girls night in every town we go through; how does that sound?"

Despite being too hot to dance for long, Jurishe really had enjoyed herself. She had been shopping, dancing, tried new food, and was now ready to head back to the room, to get ready for bed. After that... perhaps it was time to head on and see something new. The festival would, surely, be the high point of Shu Jing.

"Ah, ah," Jurishe chides playfully, taking Katara's hand to lead her back, "I told the last two stories; it's your turn to tell me a new one."

The walk home wouldn't take long, with the streets empty; everyone was behind them, at the festival. This far away from the square, it would also be nice and quiet, giving no hints that a party was in full swing across town.

"But I've only ever gotten to collect stories from my Tribe!" She countered the argument, "So, really, I don't have very many yet, either. That's why I need to hear yours!"

Jurishe grinned as the banter went back and forth; she enjoyed being with someone her own age, again, even if she were a little older. That, and she really did need to hear more Fire Nation stories... She'd only heard the one, so far.

Reaching out, Jurishe took hold of the back of the gown, "Let me just loosen it... and then I can unbutton it for you; then it should slide right off." Her fingers shuffled down the back of Katara's dress, quickly opening it up. Then, when she reached the golden clip, she pulled it loose, and it allowed the dress to slide right down to the floor.

"I could take your hair out, too, if you don't want to sleep on the ponytail part," She offers, releasing the silky fabric of the dress to move back, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It's uncomfortable, at the very least," Jurishe supplied, from experience, "No girl in my Tribe would want to sleep with her hair coiffed... It feels like pins and needles in your scalp, the next day."

The one time she had done it as a young teen - hoping to save time the next day, doubtless - her head had stayed in pain until her mother had concocted a particularly foul-scented ointment to lessen it. To this day, she could remember the smell, but she didn't know how to make it, herself. Instead, she went without the elaborate styles; it was just easier, that way.

Ushering Katara to the chair, she pulled the tie out and expertly unwound the braids, letting the young girl's hair fall free. There were crimps that started from her scalp and extended several inches, from being braided while wet. The sight made Jurishe giggle slightly, "That's quite a style, in itself!"

"Having someone else do your hair is one of the best things," Jurishe agrees, "My mother used to do mine, and then let it down; until I was about fourteen. Then she made me learn to do it myself." Then, undoing the final braid, "She said that it was because I was old enough to 'take interest and pride in my personal appearance'... but I think that she was just sick of me bemoaning the time it took."

Then, after a laugh: "Mind you, she wouldn't let me leave it DOWN."

"Your burns and cuts are gone!" Jurishe tells her, delighted, "It's like they were never there!" Her own happiness in having healed the smaller girl so completely had distracted her for several minutes as she inspected the mostly-smoothed over areas of her skin.

Soon, she remembered the other questions and answered; "Your hair is definitely really pretty," Jurishe smiles, "I like the kinks and curls a lot, especially the way it lets it fall a little further across your shoulders." She points that out, reaching out to gently tug on a lock of Katara's hair.

Jurishe smiled for a moment, hugging the other girl close before letting her loose. "Speaking of your burns," She begins, helping Katara find the chair so that she could sit down, "Have you ever thought about finding someone to help you control your bending?" She tries to ask as gently as possible.

Jurishe nods, humming slightly. "I wouldn't really know where we should go, either, to find someone," She very clearly includes herself in this plan, "But it might help; at least with keeping your burn count down."

Then, reaching over, she tugged on another of Katara's curls, "You know I'd be there with you, to meet them - and even for your training, if you wanted me to stay."

Starting to brush her fingers through Katara's curls, almost like she was brushing her hair, she continued: "I don't even know where we could find a firebending master... Do they have a temple, or a city? - Or even a committee hall?" The last was said with clear humor, trying to make her friend smile, at least, if not bring forth a chuckle.

Thought she was joking about the committee hall, Jurishe was very serious about finding a bender to help Katara. She couldn't imagine what she would be like, if the water hurt her each time she tried to bend.