Avatar:The Performance

"As much as I love watching you verbally set people on fire, be a little more careful. That same conversation between two Fire Nationals could have ended with an Agni Kai."

— Rangi to Kyoshi after the letter's argument with Shing.

Template:Chapter infobox"The Performance" is the sixth chapter of The Shadow of Kyoshi.

Overview

Kyoshi and Rangi spend a short time together before the welcoming party for the Avatar. Rangi tells her girlfriend about the customs and rules during the party before they leave for the festivities. During the extravagant party, Kyoshi meets Lu Beifong and Shing, a governor in the Earth Kingdom with whom she has a short argument. Shortly afterward, Hei-Ran comes toward them.

Synopsis

Kyoshi exits the dressing chamber, prepared for the challenges ahead. She enters her bedroom and cinches her sash as she sees Rangi sitting in a throne-like chair. The firebender notices she made some changes to her outfit and she replies she kept mending the original fabric, but it took too much damage and she needed to replace some pieces. Rangi states that Kyoshi still wears the chainmail and has made it heavier as the Avatar knows she is worried about what dangers she faced without her, saying that safety comes first in order to relieve her girlfriend.

Rangi sighs, telling her that there is more than that as tonight she is the guest of honor and that she could have worn the finest robes in the world instead of the clothes she goes to battle in. She adds that this will be a small reception with a few guests invited by Fire Lord Zoryu himself and that she does not have to be equipped for fighting all the time. Kyoshi thinks about what happened the last time she let her guard down, recalling Lek's death and wondering how Rangi felt about the time they spent with the Flying Opera Company. She muses whether the firebender would mention them and their adventures together or if she sees those events as just a trail on Kyoshi's path to Avatarhood, pretending their team never existed.

The Avatar states that Rangi will not let her wear her bracers during the reception and she confirms this, saying that in this country there is no need to hide wounds as half the attendees they were going to meet have hidden scars underneath their clothes. Kyoshi tells Rangi that she has not seen scars on her body and she replies that that is because she never loses duels. The firebender gets up and inspects her own dress, explaining how much appearances matter to Fire Nation nobles as Kyoshi admires her beauty. She continues saying that no one was watching them in the Earth Kingdom as opposed to here, where everyone pays attention to them.

Kyoshi replies that this is worse than a battle as Rangi tells her that she should put on different clothes during the festivities, adding that wearing make up for the duration of the holiday was out of the question. The Avatar is about to argue as her girlfriend continues saying that the paint is for missions with their sworn brothers and sisters, not for wearing among law-abiders.

Kyoshi hugs Rangi tightly and kisses her on the forehead, thinking that, even though she did not swear the daofei oaths, the Flying Opera Company are her friends, whom she values as much as her honor. She also muses how Rangi makes her feel human and complete while brushing her lips against her.

The firebender lets Kyoshi know that she will not be able to touch her head, face, or hair in public as doing that in the Fire Nation outside of one's closest family is considered an act of utter disrespect. She voices her dislike of the situation and tells the Avatar not to touch her from the neck up while someone can see them.

Jinpa knocks at the door and says that it is time to go. As they leave for the reception, Kyoshi is happy she can keep her fans as they will provide comfort during the upcoming events.

The Avatar angrily tells Rangi and Jinpa that they are worthless as they stand on a dais in front of a crowd of more than five hundred. The firebender tells Kyoshi that Zoryu assured her the reception will consist of thirty people at most and she rhetorically asks whether this seems like a small gathering. Kyoshi notices percussionists and erhu players enveloping the gardens with ferocious music as she considers she should have suspected something like this might happen when Dairin came to them and led them through perplexing corridors, talking about last-minute changes to the program.

She knows that people organize such parties only when they want to prove something as she sees Zoryu in the distance, sitting on a platform, and Lu Beifong at the edge of the crowd. His presence unsettles her as she looks at the Earth Sages considering they were chosen to come here because of how much they hated her. Jinpa apologizes, saying he was unaware there would be an Earth Kingdom delegation here.

The musical performance ends and Kyoshi, Rangi, and Jinpa get down from the dais to join Dairin. The Avatar asks him what will happen next and he replies that she and the Fire Lord should walk toward each other, meeting as equals. Rangi explains that she cannot go directly to Zoryu and that, on the way to him, the people who have enough status to speak in her presence will introduce the ones who do not. She says that Kyoshi may address whomever she wants, but that it is best to reserve that honor for the Fire Lord.

Kyoshi, frustrated, asks whether she is going to die here and Jinpa assures her that he will not fail her again as her chamberlain.

As the three stroll through the gardens, the Air Nomad is kept busy by people interested to meet an airbender, and Kyoshi and Rangi continue without him. The Avatar feels uneasy as people stare and whisper about her, moving out of their way as they keep walking. She tries to take her mind off this by observing the nobles as she would study dangerous territory during a mission.

Kyoshi notices they wear simpler clothing compared to the high-ranking inhabitants of the Earth Kingdom, and that they express their affiliations through the sigils sewn on their shoulder pieces. She sees that about a quarter of the attendees, the largest faction, wear stone camellia designs on their clothes and is worried about being outnumbered by a specific group, before she remembers that these are Fire Nation nobles, not the outlaws she fights continuously.

The aromas of the spicy food waiters carry around almost make her sneeze and she does not eat anything, thinking how happy a meal would have made her as a child. Rangi looks at the dishes offered at the party stating that it is odd that there are no stalknose mushrooms which are a symbol of good harvest. Kyoshi asks what is the matter and Rangi explains that if the Fire Nation Royal Palace does not have them, no one else does and that means the country's food industry is struggling. The Avatar notices the pout on her girlfriend's lips as she is trying to hide how much she enjoys the dish, which makes her want to hug her. She plans on telling the kitchen staff at the Avatar mansion to prepare stalknose mushrooms for Rangi the next time they go there.

Kyoshi hears Lu Beifong greet her and looks down to see him bowing slightly as she thinks that he must want a transaction since he reached her so fast. She salutes him in return and asks how his grandchildren are. He responds that they are numerous and unproductive, saying he wishes for a talented leader, a good mathematician, or a half-decent earthbender as he voices his concern over the Beifong family becoming obscure.

The Avatar is angry to see Lu only cares for his children and grandchildren to fit his needs and Rangi taps her on the back of her foot to let her know her face is turning red with her emotions. Kyoshi thinks that this is why she needs makeup as Lu introduces Shing, the governor of Gintong Province.

Shing almost pushes a waiter as he comes closer. He skips a polite introduction by telling Kyoshi she has spread lies among the people on his lands, disturbing the peace and order. Lu gives her a look of admonishment as she says she remembers Shing as the one who bought land at distressed prices from people who could not grow crops as a result of daofei attacks, forcing them to work without payment on the farms that used to belong to them.

Lu is surprised to hear this and accusingly tells the governor that he assured him he was paying a substantial amount of money to rid his lands of criminals. Kyoshi replies that she cleared the area of daofei and that she told the farmers the lands are theirs again. Shing yells that he acquired them legally and that he has contracts. She considers that an Avatar skilled in diplomacy might compensate the governor as she wonders why would he deserve to exploit a population who has already suffered from a calamity.

The Avatar responds that if Shing is so strict about dealing with conduct, she can send him a bill for saving his territory that, given the outcome, would be the same as the price for the supplies and payment of a medium-sized army. Rangi suppresses her laughter before Shing furiously accuses Kyoshi of being an outlaw.

Lu cuts him off, warning him to be respectful to the Avatar as the nobles around them watch eagerly. He sighs as he excuses himself for leaving the party early and strides toward the garden entrance, followed by Shing.

Kyoshi thinks that Lu will cut the governor loose from the Beifong family's circle of influence as he annoyed the Avatar and embarrassed the Earth Kingdom in another nation. After the two men leave, Rangi tells Kyoshi that, while she enjoys seeing her swiftly win an argument, she should be more careful as an identical conversation between Fire Nationals could have been the prelude to an Agni Kai.

The Avatar takes in the tense atmosphere as Rangi says that there are stakes at this party. Kyoshi promises to do better next time as the firebender lets her know that Hei-Ran is walking toward them.

Production notes

Series continuity

• Rangi informs Kyoshi that touching someone's head in the Fire Nation outside one's own family is highly disrespectful, as seen in "The Beach" when Azula makes a girl fume at a party on Ember Island by placing a drink on her head.
• The traditional Air Nomad robes Jinpa wears to Kyoshi's welcoming party, which pin up at one shoulder and leave the other uncovered, match the style of clothing Aang adopts in "The Day of Black Sun, Part 1: The Invasion".
• The contrast at the garden party between the overzealous musicians and subdued audience echoes the Fire Nation music teacher's commentary in "The Headband". His insistence that young people must maintain rigid order and discipline is seen in the reserved crowd, while his recognition that his people's national pride sometimes causes them to lose control over their own bodies is seen in the musicians shouting and splaying their limbs.
• Contrary to Lu Beifong's fear that his family name threatens to slip into obscurity, the Beifongs remain a powerful and respected family in the Earth Kingdom well into the era of Korra, as seen throughout both of the original animated series.
  • Additionally, Lu's resignation that he would appreciate even a marginally adequate earthbender among what he otherwise views as disappointing progeny is ironic given that his descendant Toph Beifong, who is likewise initially viewed as weak and unpromising by her family, goes on to become, in her own words, "the greatest earthbender in the world".
• Upon seeing his reaction to her sardonic remark, Kyoshi notes that Shing looks like he needs to suck on a wood frog, the same treatment the herbalist prescribes Aang to administer to Sokka and Katara in "The Blue Spirit".

Goofs

• On page 71 of the Kindle edition of The Shadow of Kyoshi, the paragraph beginning with "As she took Kyoshi in..." is missing the closing quotation marks.