This is yet another entry in Avatar Spirit's drabble contest. This time there were no rankings, so I guess you could say I tied for second. On an unrelated note, is apparently having trouble with its Reviews system, so I can't reply to any at this point in time. All reviews are appreciated, though, and will get responses when things are running smoothly again.
Prompt- Ugliness and Beauty
Criteria:
Humor!
Make me laugh! Make me giggle! Make me go "what the he... oh! AAHAHAHA!" Ugliness and beauty is a very serious subject, and injecting humor into it will cheapen the story unless done skillfully and correctly. Do it skillfully and correctly.
Creativity!
I love it when people come up with stuff I could never, ever think of in a million years. Ugliness and Beauty is a broad and general subject. Take it and run with it! Don't stray too far, though. Keep it as the main theme (or one of the main themes) for your story please.
The twist!
Ambiguity and confusion resolution are two of my favorite things that happen in stories. Make me go "huh. Didn't see that one coming." at the end of the story!
Seeing Beauty
Toph decided it was time to ask a difficult question. Her friends hadn't been humiliated enough today. "Is Suki pretty?"
Suki choked on her tea. Sokka twisted his face in a way Toph had learned to partner with confusion. Katara, Aang, and Zuko whipped their heads around to face the blind girl. Mai gave a little snort of amusement, and Iroh continued to calmly sip his tea.
Of course, these people were all warriors and heroes, and couldn't be shocked immobile for long. "Of course Suki is pretty! Suki is the prettiest girl in the world!" Sokka shouted. His words were just the catalyst Toph had hoped for.
"Gee, thanks, big brother."
"What about Yue?"
"Or your mother?"
Toph put some fake hurt into her own objection. "You didn't even have to think about it? I'm hurt, lover boy." Sokka started to stammer qualifications, but Toph cut him off. "Besides, you being in love and all is influencing you. You're blinded by love."
No one laughed at that, but at least Mai gave another snicker-snort. Jerks.
"I think that's really sweat," Aang smiled. "That's why Katara looks like the prettiest girl in the world to me." Katara blushed fiercely at that, and Aang's face reddened in response.
Suki patted Sokka on the shoulder. "I like the sound of that."
Toph had to put a stop to this before she the gagging reflex took over. "Yeah, great, thanks for heating the room up, my tea was getting cold. But seriously, I want to know. Katara says I'm pretty enough when I bathe, but I want to know about the other girls. Aang, give it me straight. Is Suki pretty?"
His irregular heartbeat was a reward of its own. "Yeah, sure." Then he calmed and grinned. He must have had an idea. "She wears the makeup a lot better than I do."
Everyone had a good laugh at that, except Zuko and Mai. The jerks would laugh at that but not another blind joke? "Fine. Sokka, is Katara pretty?"
"I guess."
Katara crossed her arms in that way Toph knew made everyone think her menacing. "You guess?"
Sokka slumped. "It's just... you remind me so much of mom. I'm... what did Toph call it? Influenced!"
Katara actually smiled. Huh. Nice save on his part. Making everyone uncomfortable again would require Toph's direct intervention. "Okay, lover boy, I guess you're excused. Zuko! Tell me if Katara is pretty!"
Ooh, that was good. The Fire Lord was sitting there with his jaw hanging, making little gasping noises. Mai's smirk was so big, Toph could feel it without even trying.
Katara's own smile was gone. "What's the trouble, Zuko? It's a simple question. Am I pretty or not?"
Zuko swallowed and began. "Although you're not what I was taught to consider beautiful, I can... see... where other people would... find you... attractive."
"So you do think I'm pretty."
"...yyyyyyyyyyyyes."
Mai actually giggled. Sokka, Suki, and even Aang were suppressing full blown laughter. Toph could feel Katara's heart rate pick up a little, so she must have been blushing slightly. "Thank you, Zuko. That wasn't too hard, was it?" The Fire Lord didn't answer. He was too busy breathing.
Toph drained the last of her tea and plunked the cup down. "That's what I wanted to know. Thanks, everyone. With your help, I've reached a decision."
Sokka, of course, was the first to take the bait. "What's that?"
Toph grinned. "I've decided that Mai is the prettiest girl in the room. I've been listening and feeling the whole time you've all been going on about makeup and moms and Zuko's little hang-ups, and she's the only one who didn't show an ugly mood the whole time. Good job, Knives."
Toph felt that deep smirk come back to the quiet girl's face. "Thanks, Toph. I try. You're kind of cute yourself, in your own strange way."
Iroh laughed in that deep way of his, and reached over to pour Toph more tea. "Very wise, my dears. Toph, you may not have sight, but you have a solid concept of beauty that you live your life in accordance with. And it's not a superficial beauty, either, but one relating to the soul." He nodded and moved to refill his own cup as well. "For the record, I think Mai is very beautiful, too."
That feeling! Mai's heart was beating a little faster. Was she actually blushing? Over what Iroh said? "Thank you, Uncle," she returned smoothly. "And congratulations on being the first member of the royal family to say so to me."
Everyone fell silent at that.
Sokka spoke first. "Real smooth, Zuko. You moron."
Everyone, even Toph and Mai, laughed.
END
