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Day 11: Balance
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Legend of Korra Universe
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"You owe me a gold piece, Miss Chief of Police."
"Sure. Waltz into my office. It's not like I ever told you to knock first!"
"Well, considering that you told me to rush over with any news on those smugglers that you spotted yesterday, I would have thought you'd be grateful for my presence."
"Yeah, well, when you've been running around all day, sometimes you get migraines. And sometimes you want to lock yourself up in your office where it's nice and quiet and get a good nap in."
"The years are catching up to you, eh?"
"Speak for yourself. Who's the one that still gives you rock massages when your back gets thrown out, old man?"
"Alright, alright. Let it go. Avatar work is just as exhausting."
"I guess it's too much to hope for all that young virility to carry over into your forties."
"I'm afraid it is."
"…so about this money that I supposedly owe you?"
"Ah! Well, I thought you'd like to know that your daughter officially agreed to accompany my son on a date."
"…you're kidding."
"You'd know if I was lying."
"Just to be clear. Sharing a smile and brushing hands doesn't count as dating. I don't want your romanticized head to get the two confused, as you are prone to do."
"…I am not twelve."
"Maybe not, but you are no less hopeful and gullible when it comes to matters of the heart."
"Well, I assume that when Tenzin comes home ready to take his—and I quote—"girlfriend" out to lunch this afternoon, I equate that as dating."
"…wait. Lin is going out to lunch with Tenzin? She said she was going to be out practicing today."
"Aw, isn't that precious. Her first lie about her boyfriend."
"Alright. No. There was no way that you predicted the two of them would start dating. You did some meddling so that you could prove me wrong."
"I did no such thing! You can't tell me that you didn't think Lin was interested in Tenzin."
"Of course I noticed that. I pay attention to my daughter. What I didn't expect was your son to actually have the balls to ask her out. You helped him."
"I swear to you, Toph. I didn't. It was all him. He was a nervous wreck right before he did it, not that I think about it, but he did it."
"…huh…"
"Right?"
"…does this make us in-laws now?"
"They're not married, Toph."
"It feels like it."
"It's just a date. They're getting old enough for it. Sixteen is plenty old enough for them to start."
"Twinkles Toes, she was hanging off of my back yesterday, kicking around pebbles because she couldn't quite bend yet. Now I wake up and she's dating."
"…I guess you're right."
"Spirits, we're getting old."
"You've only just realized that?"
"Actually? Yeah. I was kinda hoping I could juggle my youth and be an adult at the same time if that makes sense."
"Katara was making fun of me for that the other day. I was trying to show Tenzin an air scooter the other day."
"…you fell on your ass, didn't you?"
"…I don't want to talk about it."
"You don't have to. You're embarrassment is explanation enough."
"… … you're right, though. Sometimes, I still think that I can hop on Appa and fly off to wherever I want. But I can't do that anymore. I have to balance a family now. As if my job wasn't enough stress already."
"Yeah. Wake up call, huh?"
"You're telling me."
"Not that you have anything to worry about. From what I can tell, you're doing a decent enough job of it as it is. Nothing's exploded yet, so that's good. And all of your kids are well adjusted...I mean most of them."
"Thanks, Toph. You always know what to say."
"No problem."
"Well, I'm pleasantly impressed with you. Chief of Police and a wonderful daughter to boot. My son is a lucky kid."
"Yeah, well. I try. It could've been a lot worse, huh?"
"Definitely."
"…"
"…you still owe me that gold piece though. I totally won that bet."
"You cheated!"
"No, I didn't!"
"You knew something you slimy little sneak. You always do!"
"You're just mad that I won!"
"Of course I'm mad. I'm not giving you crap."
"No you don't! I won fair and square. Payment. Now."
"In your dreams."