discaimy bobaimy. I see not a penny from the amusing of myself.
IlIlIlIlIlI
Boys! Katara fumed. You would think that she had nothing better to do than find things for them to do and make sure they didn't kill each other. Which they had been mostly trying to do all morning. And Toph was not any better. In fact, it seemed the diminutive earthbender had actually been egging them on.
They had just stopped yelling, and were dangerously close to a physical confrontation, both boys standing tense and ready. Sokka was fingering his club and Zuko was staring at his fist, as if to remind the younger boy exactly what he could do with it.
"Sokka! Zuko! That's enough!" She pulled the stopper from her water skin and dropped threateningly into fighting stance.
"Don't test me, Katara." Growled Zuko, a flame sparking to life at the bottom of his fist. "Sokka and I are just having a... gentleman's disagreement."
"Is that what you call it?" Sokka huffed. "His highness here seems to think that he's too good to do menial labor when there are peasants around."
"What?" She instinctively formed a water whip. But, she took a deep breath and decided to let it go. She needed things done more than she needed to be dragged into their squabble. As infuriating as Zuko's position might be... "Zuko, Appa needs a bath." She smirked to herself. Peasant indeed. "Sokka, we need water and food. Toph, you can..." she paused, trying to remember what Toph actually did.
"What? You think I can't do what they can do because I'm blind???"
"Fine. Toph, you can get the water, Zuko can bathe Appa, and Sokka can gather food. Better?"
They all started their protests (loudly) at once. Zuko began sulking hotly as soon as he realized that he wasn't going to get anywhere with words. Toph and Sokka didn't find any reason not to fill the void of Zuko's voice with their own, quickly adjusting their volume.
"Enough!" Katara yelled. "Get started, all three of you, or you're all washing Appa, and I'll be there to watch you like little babies!"
Zuko fumed. Literally; she thought she could see a little steam coming out of his nose.
"What are you going to do?" Sokka protested.
"What I always do, Sokka. I'm watching Aang train."
"Oh, so you get to-" She shut him up with a look and he joined Zuko in sulking. But Toph was more than willing to jump in.
"Katara, tell Sokka he needs to wash his sleeping bag." she piped up. "It smells like a dead hogmonkey."
"It does not!" Sokka shot back.
"Yes, it does!"
"Well, you should wash your... clothes! And your... hair!" Clearly Sokka was running out of steam.
Katara broke in. "Toph, we can do laundry tomorrow. You'll both survive one more night. Zuko? Do you need anything washed?"
"No. I can take care of my own personal hygiene, thank you."
It was true, she noted. Zuko had never smelled like Sokka. He always smelled sort of sharp and smoky, but clean; and had never even begun to reach the level of funk that Sokka and Toph both obviously aspired to. Although the thought of him smelling like wet fur and mud amused her a great deal.
"Well? Get going!" She slapped a branch into Zuko's hands, a bucket into Toph's and a spear and basket into Sokka's. Then she shooed them from camp like the children they were.
IlIlIlIlIlIlI