Tragedy is never fitting!
Tragedy is never fitting, thought Sokka son of hakoda while franctically trying to make some kind of bun out of his brownish hair. Even if the councilman had quite nimble fingers, he even was installing his water taps himself, his hair was not at it´s masters will. He made a quite silly looking face as he stared into the rather small, oval mirror. This whole Republic City project had deprived him – and the others – of anything that could be called luxury. A dry room to sleep in was luxury, as was eating something besides rice. At least from this perspective the burial of Lao Bei Fong was a highly joyous event. „Oh fuck." he sighed while he tried to fumble hairpins through his hair. It was just not enough, not even the one month travel to Gaoling had changed that. Sokka wrinkled his nose, some evil spirit must have possessed him as he OFFERED Toph to accompany her to the ceremony.
But she had seemed rather lost and shaken and so his soft heart won over his rational spirit – he would definitely regret this afterwards! His absence in the viciously growing, unfinished city was quite dangerous. Toph´s absence too. Why did the noble prick have to die just like that? Toph´s father never had appealed to him much – especially because of the guarded but still overbearing love he had felt towards his daughter. Not that Toph would have listened to her father, who arranged marriages and tried everything to make his daughter behave like a decent woman. Whatever the fuck decent was! Toph was as decent as a woman could get. Of course a lot of people had other opinions of a single woman who worked a man´s job. The fact that Toph had a much more active love life than your average woman surely didn´t contribute to a good reputation. Sokka just didn´t understand why the eartherners were so gharishly prude. Also, why under the ninetynine heavens was it admirable if a man slept with many women?
If it was wrong for women to sleep with men - how could these noble pricks animate their sons to pick „ three flowers" before marriage? But hey – he was just a meatheaded savage to this sophisticated people! Sokka himself could become furious about such things – he had a sense of justice after all and society in many cases wasn´t even logic! Toph definitely had picked more than three flowers, while he still was stuck with Su ki and one girl he didn´t even know. „Yeah I´m a total ladiesman – what the heck were ya smoking uncle Bato." he muttered as he watched himself in the mirror. He wasn´t looking half bad. At least he was quite the councilman and that was something that mattered more than some romantic relationships. He could change the world – if Republic city worked he would be remembered in a thousand years to come. He would be the man who built the Republic – since Aang had quite the amount of spiritual bridge duties all over the four nations. The age was drawing to it´s end and the spirits again became restless. That and the fact that people just loved cutting trees and digging for ores and gems led to a lot of problems, especially in the industrializing earthern nations and the rural south of the thousand isles.
Moonless nights had become dagnerous and even he knew some family where a child had been snatched away by a boogeyman in quite spectacular manner. Sobody knocked on the door of his bedroom. „Yes? Enter please." he responded switching into his smooth an beguiling office voice. The door slid open and a smirking Toph wobbled into the room. „Enter please?" she mocked him with a tilted heat. „Are you some bloody princess?" she added. Sokka blinked and gulped. It wasn´t the fact that Toph looked stunning that startled him, but the fact she actually looked like a – lady. Of course she noticed his uneasiness. He wasn´t sure how she felt since the heavy white base and layers of other beauty products had produced an artificial face that was barely recognizable, even for him! Her mouth was painted a bright red and the lips had a different shape. That was quite bad since her lips told everything about Toph. Her eyes were dead after all. „Who knows..." Sokka responded and crossed the room while almost tripping about the long emerald and golden robes he was wearing. Toph´s mother had sent them and demanded him wearing them. Po Pi Bei Fong wasn´t appreciating his presence but since he was a war hero she endured him.
The servants of course were sickeningly polite. Sokka didn´t like the world he had entered. People ought to be free, otherwise this world would be trapped in the past forever and things like the air nomad genocide would repeat themselves at some point in the future. He sighed. „What?" Toph snapped sharply while gripping hold on a couch, she almost fell since the long, white and golden cloth restricted her movement strongly. „Don´t fall." Sokka chuckled as his friend frowned. „Oh shut up Sokka, that stuff´s killing me!" Toph whimpered. „Damn I´m so happy I was such a weak child." she responded while shuddering. „My mom started with the - feet binding...again." Toph admitted silently. Sokka let out a silent hiss. „Lucky that she didn´t start it in front of me. I might have forgotten some manners." he responded enraged. Breaking little girls feet to make them look cuter – things like these were unforgivable to him. How parents could willingly put their children through such an amount of suffering for mere looks was beyond him! There was a twitching beyond the many layers of makeup. He would have liked to ruffle her hair if that hadn´t undone hours of work, also most likely he would have risked a flurry of punches and snarling– her little fists did sting!
„Eh – I know I´m an embarrassment Sokka. Most likely father would have preferred if I didn´t … even arrive." there were tears brimming in her eyes. She was the same woman who had referred to her father as an „pietistic fart who can kiss my ass" not even a year ago. „You´re not. I refuse to accept that." Sokka responded while his troath constricted slighly and he wished to have some serious words with Po Pi. He wanted to tell her that her daughter wasn´t a rebellious slut but a truly big person who shaped the future in a much more lasting way than he ever could. He heard little girls calling themselves Toph on the streets, throwing rocks and sticks at boys. He wanted to believe that they would keep hurling stones and sticks, even when they were grown up. And maybe then there would be a world were women like Toph and Katara weren´t strange butterflies anymore. That also went for men like him – men who liked things like shopping clothes or writing romance novels. Well not that he wrote romance novels – but Zuko did! And most likely that was the precise point about Po Pi´s rage. The old woman saw her world crumbling – not just was her husband gone, her way of living also faded away while she had to watch from her comfortable prison.
Sokka was quite astonished that a well manicured hand gripped him, without all the callouses Toph´s hand was quite soft, she squeezed his forearm quite ferociously. For some mysterious reason Toph wasn´t all touchy feely with him, maybe because she truly valued him – unlike her frequently changing bedroom aquaintances... He smiled smugly, it still felt like the right descision to come here. „Still there´ll be rumors about me being cheaper than a fifty shim whore. And I can´t kick the noble bastards asses."Toph balled a fist, it was the first time she didn´t take pride in being called a slut. Well, what should Sokka do? Even if he rounded up half a dozen earthern nobles and demonstrated his skills with a wooden sword that wouldn´t change gossip! Sokka scratched his beard. „You know people are calling me a sodomist by now? Cuz I´m not married and don´t fuck my secretary." he mumbled amsentmindedly. Toph snorted „Just admit you are..." she added mischievous. „W-What. I´m NOT! It´s just that I´ve too much work to do? And I´m not into this steamy closet stuff...Do you know what nasty diseases you can get? I´ve seen a guy who had whore pox." Sokka was interjected before he could describe the horrible effects that sickness had on male genitals.
„HAH you SAW a guy...That´s how you perverts call it!" Toph wiggled her eyebrows. He bad mood was slowly dissipating, even if just for a moment. Sokka shook his head, he would never get bored of that. He wanted to use the moment to find out something that had bothered his pen pal Zhu Jing for quite a while. „So what if I were a sodomist Toph?" he responded seriously. His friend jipped, it was a cute sound. Her hands covered her face in something Sokka would have described as pure astonishment. „Y-You´re not joking aren´t you Sokka? I- I apoligize if, if I hurt you." she stammered, without a doubt blushing furiously under her mask. „I – I mean I´m the last person who can point fingers, but if you´re happy that´s um...ok?" she added slowly regaining her usually high self esteem. „I´d still be your most awesome friend!" she reassured herself looking quite determined. It made Sokkas heart flutter even if he – definitely -was not into men. „Sokka? Could you please answer me?" Toph added in a quite soft voice. The man shook his head. „Oh...yeah. No I´m not a sodomist Toph. I love women that´s a given, but there are just more important things than romance." her responded, she nodded in consent. „But why did you visit me - the ceremony is starting soon and I´m not even dressed up properly." he noticed slightly shocked. „You´re properly dressed for me." Toph added. Sokka snorted „Yeah – since you see so much of my clothes and hairstyle." he grumbled. „Exactly." Toph nodded. Damn, she again had the last word – where was his eloquence when he truly needed it.
Sokka started fumbling around with his green Sash and the Jian sword. It was an overornated piece of decorum that wouldn´t even survive a decent cutting session in a dojo. His friend ignored his question. Obviously she was here because she searched for somebody that comforted her - what was so difficult about admitting that? If he had lost his father he definitely would feel sad and frustrated. Since they had arrived two days ago Toph didn´t talk much at all. The golden chains of her childhood wanted to wrap themselves back on and it seemed that his friend was somehow afraid of something. „ Let´s talk after the funeral, hm?" Sokka suggested. He was quite sure that he would turn his friend into a crying heap if he started talking about her father now. And Toph would loath him for something like that. She would never forgive him if she seemed weak on the funeral – stupid woman she was. Toph grit her teeth and rose. „Bloody prissy clothes!" she fumed at her gown and wanted to tear it off. „Rise you head, throw your shoulders back and kick some bastards in the face." Sokka interrupted her walking up next to the little woman. He punched her upper arm without holding pack. „Oww." she whinced as she was almost pushed from her feet.
It was then that the walls of stone rose again and Toph bei Fong was the iron lady. They walked into the dining room where the family was waiting. Sokka was eyed suspiciously, like a chained up gorilla goat. The watertribe man was towering at least a head above everybody else. He walked besides toph and of course gossip would spread now. He glared at Tophs mother who couldn´t hold his gaze for more then a few heartbeats. Po Pi could be glad that a guest had to behave polite – she really could!
The people were waiting for the priests and the men carrying the heavy stone coffing in which Lao Bei Fong no rested. A wooden mask and golden coins over his eyes. The ritual within ritual had to be obeyed to the word, otherwise a vengeful ghost would roam the Bei Fong Manison and Tophs father wouldn´t move on to be reincarnated. Sokka had no idea if that was true, if rituals were older than time itself. Still he held a great respect for those talented in the supernatural. He had learned the hard way that there were things science could not describe and man could not understand. He checked for the umpteenth time that the three yuan were resting in his sleeve pocket. He definitely would not make a mistake – he would not be the silly watertribe peasant who barely surpassed a trained animal. The councilman walked like a noble, his face plain an unreadable. They stood there waiting as tiny brass bells were ringing. Six men were carrying the white marble coffing. Carrying was not the right word – they were bending it. Most likely Toph would have loved to carry her father herself. His friend stood rigid like a porcellaine doll. She was granting her father his last wish and acted like the perfect lady he wanted her to be. It was touching, so much that Sokka wanted to give himself a good cry.
Toph left towards her mother and the other ladies, while Sokka joined the men who were directly following the priest and his two, incese carrying, temple servants. The Bei Fongs had an own ancestral shrine in which Lao would be laid to rest. So they had hired the head priest of the Gao River shrine to perform the rites of passing. The priest was a middleaged man who seemed to have a rather high opinion of himself. He carried himself with every inch the demeanor of a man who could speak with the spirits. The bells were still ringing as the walked through the gardens. Sokka had no ear for the monotonous chants the priest was mumbling. Earth return to earth blabla... As If spirits cared about human language and tiny brass bells! Then the priests reached the shrine, which looked more solid than the current jail of republic city. The green laquered doors were opened by the temple servants and the benders let the coffin levitate in the center of the temple, where the priest turned and waved around with a feathery spirit-brush. This should symbolize the pacification of the ancestral spirits that should be appeased before the deaths ghost joined them. The coffin still was hovering in the air and then was slowly lowered into the stone. The benders were very skilled since the coffin simply sunk into the earth as the priest chanted. Then the man burned cabbage, wine an gold in the glowing coal brazier that was heating the temple.
The utter silence was unnerving – people were supposed to cry and yell at a proper funeral. For Sokka everything was foreign and strange. Suddenly the priest stopped and exited the temple. He simply walked through the guests and stood in front of Toph and her mother.
„By soil, rock and stone I demand the payment due. For the spirits is the ritual and the humans is the offering." the priest repeated the traditional phrase. Toph stood there expressionless and her mother seemed to fight for her composure. She was a tiny, ethereal woman, even smaller than her daughter. She gracefully sunk her hand in the sleeve of her right arm and handed the priest a small, emerald pouch, a crystal bottle and a small painting. Once, twice and thrice the spritisman is payed. That the nobles acted like peasants should show that they were the same. Sokka was short of commenting this hilarious scene but he kept his tongue at bay. Afterwards the men started entering the temple and gave the spirit their offerings.
Most of the noble business partners seemed like greedy sharks that were circling the widow – the Bei Fong business would have harsh times ahead. Sokka also threw the traditional three coins on the bare earthen floor of the temple which was covered with countless coins. Incese sticks were burning and strange idols were viewing him, cut from even stranger looking wood. Then Sokka left.
women weren´t allowed to leave presents for the dead, since they would turn infertile through the lust of the manly ancestoral spirits. Utter bullshit! The men were talking to each other in hushed voices, nobody was talking to him. The servants had used the time of the ceremony to prepare a buffet in the gardens, Sokka could smell the grilled meat. His mouth was watering but he didn´t rush to the buffet. Instead he was searching for his friend. Toph was standing in front of some prissy guy. They were talking, or to be precise the man was talking and fumbling on Tophs shoulder. The woman seemed slightly annoyed. What kind of indecent asshole was trying to get into a girls pants just after her father was buried? „Oh my honored Lord. have you tried the buffet yet?" Sokka interruped the man politely. The flirtatious squirt turned haughtily and almost stumbled into the larger mans chest. He was startled as Sokka gripped his shoulder forcefully. The man whinced in pain as the grinning warrior added. „You know." he leaned closer „We of the people have an ancient saying." „Y-Yes." the man whimpered obviously afraid of the crazy wet that was standing before him.
„He who stares on the she mourning not returned to sea shall be." he responded silently. It didn´t bother him if Toph heard his threats or not. The man gulped in sheer terror. Sokka released the lordling and the man bowed low. „Miss Bei Fong. It has come to my mind that I have to express my condolences to your mother – I´m sure we´ll have the pleasure again!" her responded smoothly and bowed himself away from Sokkas reach. Instead of throwing a snarky comment the woman just turned around. „Thank you." her voice was slightly vibrating. „Otherwise I´d have ruined my fathers last celebration..." there was a supressed sob that cut into the large mans heart like a blade. Sokka sighed – what should he do now? „I´m not hungry – how about we take a walk." he lied while feeling quite nervous. A hurting Toph was like a field of drift ice. One false step and you had a big problem. Toph simply followed him through the gardens, the glowering stare of the bulky man led to the lordlings turning away, maybe that also had to do with his hand carelessly resting on the jian´s hilt. They reached one of the many pavillions that were placed all throughout the garden, nobody was to be seen, not even servants.
Sokka seated himself on the bench and waited. He had to be patient and hope the best. He was right. „I-I miss him." Toph suddenly blurted while silent tears were running down her face. „I-I – own him my manners, my life and everything. I mean – I was - am - a horrible daughter!" she accused herself. „I never listened to my father and he just wanted the best! I cursed him – you know!" she bit her bottomlip to muffle the sobs she was breaking into. „He knew you loved him Toph – why else would he have nobody actually marry you? Why did he stare at me and Aang as if we were demons that would torture and rape you?" Sokka chuckled. Overzealous fathers were quite irksome, but he wanted to bet that he himself would turn into such a monster if he had daughters some day. „He just saw you as a three year old toddler, no matter how old you got or what you achieved. That was HIS fault, not yours." he explained „Just fuck yourself Sokka!" Toph croaked and put her face behind uprised hands. He just placed an arm around her shoulder and looked at the rhododendrons.
„You know that I´ve lost my mom, right?" his voice still was rough since he never talked about this topic. Toph didn´t respond, her shoulders were trembling slightly. „I still remember her face, you know – Katara would be jealous but I – I would´ve like to have forgotten her." he paused as old pain and guilt seared through his chest. Irrational and senseless guilt of a little boy who had sneaked out after being grounded to play with the other children. „As the raiders came I – had been grounded. But I sneaked off as mom was doing the laundry. And while playing outside I saw the ships – I SAW them but I pissed my pants and hid like the others!" he growled. „Yes, I know I was a little boy and my mom wouldn´t have run away from the raiders because that would´ve been suicide for Tara and me. It was winter! Still I wasn´t there – I didn´t hold her hand when she died, I let my little sister watch all of this... She didn´t speek for a whole month! I couldn´t sleep and it´s just thanks to grangran we got over it. Still I feel guilty. Whenever I think about it." he trailed off. „But I guess my mom would be happy that I didn´t watch her die and – did not obey her – I guess that your dad knew in some piece of his heart that you just HAD to escape this cage." Sokka responded. A small hand had gripped his. „Thank you Sokka." a voice mumbled almost inaudible. The Councilman furrowed his brows – what the hell could he do to help his friend? Nothing at all! Yeah – Tragedy never was fitting!
Authors note:
Team: air nomads
prompt: funeral
Cathegory: Themed
Words: 3703