Toph lies on a field. She's not sure what sort of grass this is. Tatami? Long-blade? Nurtured hay? It feels docile against her back, her bare shoulders and lower part of her legs. It's soft, but not too soft and the field is a little damp, like… dew drops.
Toph wonders what colour dew is. And ok so she doesn't exactly know what colours look like anyway, but she's figured that white is bright, and apparently your aura is white before you die and black is dark, and ironically doesn't link to death although society tends to think elsewhere. She knows that red is passionate, like her love for earth-bending. She knows it's the colour of love, and she knows it's the colour she bleeds.
Toph knows pink is just a meeker version of red, a little bit like her crushes towards Sokka and maybe a little bit even towards Zuko. Toph is confused because she's doubtful on who she likes better. They're so different, but she likes them all the same.
A cool night breeze tickles Toph's face and her blank stare emits towards the heavens. The summery air caresses her cheeks and Toph can sense the friction of the coming days of the comet based on the mental tension within camp. Everyone is worried, and no one knows whats going on at the same time.
It's confusing, in Toph's mind. Is she meant to fight or not? When? Where? And after all, she's just a little girl (even if she won't show it.)
Her head is tilted towards the sky, allowing the access of the evening aura to kiss her face. Toph constantly sees a night sky with no stars. She's heard that many things are pretty, like the stars. Toph wonders what pretty is because quite frankly, she has no flipping clue.
The Blind Bandit is told that things that appear 'nice or appealing' is pretty. Sokka told her to trace her finger over the blade of his sword, note down how sleek yet pointy the weapon is. Toph doesn't get it.
Katara exhibited her mother's necklace, telling Toph to try it on, see if she feels exceptionally sweet.
She doesn't.
Next, Aang gave her a flower to hold, play with its petals and scatter dandelion seeds around the dirt. He asked if that felt pretty to her, made her feel airy and light like she wanted to pirouette.
Toph almost vomited.
All these expressions of pretty and beautiful didn't make sense. And now she wonders, as her face is tilted towards the heavens, what pretty is. She wonders if she's pretty (although she sort of doubts it.)
The floors start to vibrate slightly, and Toph's seismic senses pick up, alert and tense. "Who's out there?" She asks, slightly suspicious that the heartbeats might belong to an enemy.
And it does, in a way. Well a former enemy anyway. "Toph, it's just me. Zuko."
Toph relaxes, her muscles unclasping and relaxed again. Oh phew, just Sparky.
"Oh, Hi Princess, what's up with you?" She asks casually, still lying flat against the grass.
The ground moves besides her a little, indicating the banished princes' position next to her. Zuko mimic's his new ally's moves and he rests against the grass, taking up the star-gazing Toph was attempting.
"Nothing, you? Why aren't you in camp? That Haru kid with the caterpillar moustache wanted to talk earthbending to someone who 'didn't think like an airbender, no offense Aang.' It was getting annoying." Zuko quotes, remembering the scene back at base.
Toph shifts her position so that her body is turned, facing the older teen. She can't see him, but Toph wanted it to appear like she was listening anyway (even if she wasn't.) "Meh, Haru-poo can wait." Toph scoffs. Although he's an earthbender, the blind girl would much prefer Aang's skills. Since he is the avatar.
The girl goes quiet for a while. Out of her close friends, Toph hasn't asked Zuko yet. "Hey, Sparky. I needa ask you sommin'." She demands, rather a statement than a question. "Ok so I've been trying to realise what pretty means, but no one can get it right, wana' give it a go?" Toph explains to the boy, feeling a little bit embarrassed that Toph, the great mighty master is asking some guy what pretty means.
And she can tell Zuko is a little creeped out. Ok not creeped out, but surprised nevertheless. And although she can't see it, Zuko raises one eyebrow. "Er well…" The two are greeted with silence for a while, and if you listen hard enough, you could hear the ticking of Zuko's mind and the impatience of Toph's curiosity.
"So, Sparky?"
Zuko sits up, and Toph follows straight, now the two are facing each other. "Ok Toph, I want you to… ahem… touch my scarred side. Then after, feel my good eye. Note the differences. Beauty is difference. It is the illusion that we deserve and would rather want or admire something or someone with a better skill, appearance, attire… well anything really. My burnt side of my face indicates ugliness and the alright side, shows the improved version of my scar." Zuko explains, a little flustered at his own request.
Toph is too, and she can feel her own heartbeat as well as Zuko's hammering against the ground. Attentively, she reaches up. As her fingers circle the pattern of crisp and burnt skin, Toph is amazed. So this is a major mark. Wow. Next, her hand moves to Zuko's other half, noting down the smooth yet hard and slightly sweaty skin. The differences.
"You get it now?" Zuko asks, edging a little closer, the usual aggression back in his voice.
Toph regains herself too. "Yeah yeah, I see it now. But personally, I like your scar. It makes you different, in a good way."
The boy chuckles a little. First time someone's said that. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it Princess, don't mention it."
A/N:
Kay so in my first I forgot to do a little AN. Anyway, I've decided to make some drabbles instead of writing a story. So this leads up to Sozin's Comet and will go on after that. Kay so in this, you'll see… Tokka, Toko, Maiko and I might hint some Sokkla 'cause I like weird pairings. XD SO RR HAR HAR HAR! Er.. yeah, kkthnxbai!