This is the most amazing thing, Gabzilla drew some beautiful fan art for this fic. Please go an check it out or click in my profile for the links
This one is based on chapter 8, the boob scene. She made it so funny!
http : / / gabzillaz dot deviantart dot com / art / Avatar-crack-AMoH-Measures-95741471
And this one, which is based on Taang's (oh so needed) Research. She made it SWEET and SMEXY!
http : / / gabzillaz dot deviantart dot com / art / Taang-kiss-1-95108706
I feel like a proud mama-hen!
THANK YOU GABI!!
XIV. Getting to know the suitors, Part II.
That night, at dinner, Toph was pensive. Her friends had forgo the State dinner that was being held in the main hall, particularly because Toph did not want to be near Kuei. Everyone, except Aang could delegate his or her duties to keep her company, but he was the only airbender and the only Avatar, so he had to attend the dinner-meeting. He almost threw one of his old tantrums, but before he could get in his stubborn stance, Katara sent him packing, reminding him of his duties. He left mumbling something on the lines that he would be back soon.
Toph remained lost in thought, her head in her hand, her half eaten food in front of her, partially listening to the others.
"What's up with you Zuko?" Sokka was asking "You've been almost smiling all afternoon. You look weird."
"You think so?" Suki asked. Toph heard her kicking Zuko hard under the table, and his muffled ouch! "Nope, he looks to me as unhappy as always. Aren't you Zuko? Because right now, there are no reasons to be happy."
She heard Zuko nod.
"None whatsoever." He said gravely. "I'm as gloomy as usual."
Next to Toph, Katara gushed.
"Look at him," She said in a very low voice. "He's so miserable always." She sounded delighted. "He melts my heart."
"Woman," Toph mumbled "You are so far gone that we will be sending a search party for you soon."
Sokka was in pondering mood, too.
"I wonder what the tasks are going to be." He asked aloud.
"You mean the Contest's tasks?" Suki asked "Who decides them?"
"Well, the elders of the Tribes. I'll bet dad, Arnook, Pakku, Gran-Gran, Yaguda, and probably the entire White Lotus clan are in the Task Committee."
"Are these tasks supposed to be as horrible as they sound?" Zuko asked. He was sitting across the table from Katara and Toph, and she could feel the glances. It had to do with Katara's body temperature and heartbeat, and how every time one of them moved, the other one seemed to quiver in response. Toph wondered if pheromones were contagious, like cooties.
"Well, past Contests included answering riddles, hunting rabid leopard-seals and a matching duel to the death between the contestants, with only a boomerang and a spear." Suki shuddered.
"It sounds awful." She said.
Zuko seemed less offended.
"It's not worse than Fire Nation's customs. We have Agni Kai's and historically, there was something akin to this Contest. It was practiced on top of rhinos and the suitor that dismounted the other first, had the right to wear the colors of his lady and to woo her."
"That's sound more civilized." Suki said. She then paused. "Wait, the colors of the lady? I thought the Fire Nation was color-limited."
"Yeah, usually red, black and gold. It was hard to know which lady was it that gave the suitor her color. But the main difference with here is that it only gave the right to woo her, not to claim her."
"Yeah, that's the problem with this Contest," accepted Sokka, "once Kuei requested it, he had the right to claim Toph as his own. If no one challenges him, he claims her. If he wins, he claims her anyway."
"What's with the claiming?" Toph exclaimed exasperated "Am I like lost luggage in the Ba Sing Se ferry or something?" She started waiving her arms "Hey you, here, here claim me!"
(Part of her chagrin was that in the romance scrolls there was always a lot of claiming involved. There were two favorite verbs in those scrolls: "take" and "claim". They sounded so sexy in the scrolls "he claimed her as his", "he took her" usually in some romantic smexy landscape, like a beach or a hot spring. Whomever wrote those scrolls never spend a vacation in the South Pole, did not have Kuei as a fiancee and never had to deal with attorneys. She was starting to hate those two verbs.)
"I think you are losing your cool about this." Sokka said cautiously.
"I am so freaking far away from cool that I'm firebending right now." She snapped. "If you don't cut it with the claiming, I'm going Azula on you!"
Katara had to intervene.
"No need to insult family members" she said softly, putting her hand in Toph's arm. "Sokka, Zuko, I think Toph needs some time to relax. I'm taking her with me to my room to help her unwind a little." Katara stood up, tugging at her arm. "Come on Toph."
Toph stood up, her brow knitted.
"I'm bringing the fire-whiskey with me." She said defiantly. Suki seemed doubtful. She suddenly stood up and kissed Sokka.
"I'm going with them." She said hurriedly. "I'll see you later, OK?"
Before leaving the room, Toph felt obligated to turn.
"Sparky, I'm happy for your gloominess. Seriously. But you should send notice to the Fire Nation about how wretched things are over here. If I were you, I would write a letter. Today."
Toph grabbed Katara's arm and left the room.
0o0o0o0o0
Back in Katara's room the three friends were back to the beginning. Drinking and watching the fire. Again, at least two of them were.
"So, Katara" this time it was Suki the one who breached the topic openly. "Are you telling Aang?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Tonight, after he's back from his State-dinner."
"Good." mumbled Toph under breath, "Hopefully you and Zuko can be open about this and I won't be scared stiff of dark corners anymore."
"Tonight might not be a good idea" Suki said. "I think Toph here needs company. Leave it for tomorrow. After the Contest starts, we are all going to be too busy and Aang will welcome the distraction."
Katara considered this.
"I just don't like feeling like a liar." Toph snorted. "Whatever you may say, I don't enjoy it." She insisted.
Toph nodded.
"Actually, I know. So, what's Sparky going to do with Sunshine?"
"I don't know. We haven't talked about it." Katara said slowly "He said once that the last two occasions they broke up were unfortunate. Mai deserves better. I don't know what he is going to do. We haven't really planned anything. But I know that I cannot continue like this. I need to face this, because it's consuming me."
"They have been so busy with their reconciliation that they haven't had the time to talk" Toph informed Suki. Katara for once did not correct her or scold her. She was thoughtful.
"Toph" she said, "I need to ask you."
Toph brazed herself. Here it comes.
"When you kissed Zuko, how was it?"
Toph breathed deeply. She opted for survival instead of honesty.
"You know that saying that a kiss can be a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation point?" She asked.
"Of course, that's basic spelling that every woman ought to know." Katara answered.
"Well, his was more like an eraser. I don't know if he was kissing me or deleting me, that should put your doubts to rest."
Katara seemed satisfied with the answer. But then,
"And Aang, how was Aang?"
Toph pondered for a moment. How was Aang? That was a good question. Should she tell her about the toe curling or the way he seemed to multiply by himself and surround her like a fence until there was no escape?
"It was OK." She answered.
Katara studied her in silence. Toph could feel her friend's gaze on her face.
"Really? he never kisses me like that." Katara said after a moment.
"What are you implying? Kissing you how?"
"Toph, your face is magenta. If you knew about colors, you would know that whatever magenta means, the word to describe it is probably not 'OK'."
Toph blew her bangs annoyed.
"Stop reading things on the colors of my face, you sound like circus-turned-Kyoshi-freak." She determined.
Suki grabbed the fire whiskey and poured herself a drink.
"Why were you kissing Zuko and Aang?" she asked, curiously.
"As research." Toph answered, realizing how lame it sounded.
Suki sounded grave when she said:
"If you are doing serious research, you should kiss Sokka."
"Oh, by Yue! Who is the pimp now?" Katara mumbled fastidiously.
"No, I am serious. Friends help friends. You should help him figure out his issues. You should kiss him."
"You know, just because you're willing to let Toph kiss Sokka doesn't mean that I'm going to be OK with you kissing Zuko." Katara warned.
"That's because you're selfish" Suki said.
Toph buried her head in her arms.
"Guys" she said seriously "I need to sleep. I need to rest because tomorrow is going to be a long and terrible day."
Katara rubbed Toph's back.
"You can sleep here with me." She said sweetly. Suki got up to leave.
"I'm meeting Sokka, I'll see you guys tomorrow."
Toph burrowed herself on Katara's bed and Katara covered her with a thick blanket. Before drifting to sleep, Toph thought about Aang. And something told her that he would probably go to her room tonight as well. It was part of the unspoken rules of those things that you do at night but don't discuss in the morning. Nocturnal visits always repeat themselves.
0o0o0o0o0o0o
Toph woke up to the usual voices. She heard hushing at the door. Sweetness was talking to, who else? Sparky.
"Oh, not again!" Toph groaned to herself, covering her head with her pillow.
"You are my torment" he was saying.
"I can't let you in tonight, Toph is sleeping. She didn't want to be alone in her room. You know how she is affected by all of this."
"One kiss and I go."
She heard the kissing. "One kiss my foot" she muttered after several minutes of kissing that somehow managed to turn into closing the door and moving against the wall. She heard them whispering.
"This is more than one kiss." Katara said.
"Stop kissing me back, then."
"I can't. I'm afraid that I will close my eyes and won't see you for another ten months."
"You will see me. This is the third time you've seen me today." She giggled. Toph gagged. Giggling? Really?
"I know." She was saying. "By now you should be sated. Wait, you're going to rip this. Let me do it."
"Sated? Of you? Impossible. I love you hair."
"I love your face. Uy, what are you doing?"
"You want me to stop?"
"No, but Toph … Oh, yes, like that. Please don't stop."
"Feel this?"
"Yes, is the scar in your chest. I should have done a better job, I'm sorry."
"No, it's not a scar. When I touch my chest I don't feel a scar. I feel the kanji of your name, right here, in the middle, and I don't want to lose it. I don't want it to ever go away."
She heard them brushing against the wall.
"I swear if this become rhythmical I'm outta here." Toph grumbled to herself.
"Yue knows I've missed you. I've missed you so much … Oh, Spirits!"
He was covering her mouth now because the sounds were muffled.
Toph got up, picked up her blanket and the pillow, walked to the door passing next to them, still against the wall. They stopped. She waved her hand without turning her head.
"Go to bed" she said before closing the door. "Save the wall burns for daytime".
When she got to her room, her worse fear was there. He was on her bed, sleeping. Waiting for her. She put her pillow down and slid under the covers. He curled up against her, passing an arm around her waist. He was warm and light. She fell asleep immediately.
0o0o0o0o
"Wrang!! Wrang!!"
Toph woke up with a start. A noise like a gerbil-cat scratching metal could be heard. She thought it was coming from outside her door.
"Twinkle Toes!" She shook him awake "What's that noise?"
He rubbed his eyes, waking up.
"It sounds like someone is in pain" He said, with alarm, and jumped to grab his staff. Then, she heard several voices.
"All I want is to kiss your feet
All I want is to kiss you toes
All I want is you
oooooo-aaaahhhhh
All I want is you"
A baritone was doing the oooooo-aaaaahhhh, while tenors were singing the lyrics.
"What's this?" She asked in panic. Aang stopped in his tracks.
"They are …" he doubted that the word actually described what they were doing "... singing. I think someone is singing outside your door."
"Is this more punishment for saying No?" She asked bewildered.
Aang leaned against the door listening.
"Actually, I think they are courting you. I've heard of this. It's practiced in certain islands of the Fire Nation. They call them 'serenades'." He scratched his head. "I think you are supposed to go out and say thank you or something like that."
She crossed her arms.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Under the bed, now!!"
"These beds, they are flushed with the floor, I can't."
"Fly or something! Do you want anyone to find us? How are we explaining that you are sleeping in my room?"
He looked for something, and then said with a bit of resentment.
"I will stand behind the door. No one will see me."
She picked up the resentment, immediately.
"What? Are you going to get angry now because I am telling you to hide? By the Spirits T.T., I'm your dirty little secret, no need to get all emotional about it. Sugar Queen may take it personal." She could have added that Sugar Queen was probably grateful that she was keeping him entertained, but they were already in too deep. He mumbled something and stood behind the door.
The voices kept going up like an staccato.
"All I want is to dance with you,
All I want is for you to yell at me
oooooo-aaaaahhhhhh"
She composed her nightdress, put a warm robe on, opened the door and walked outside.
The corridor was already full of people. She felt someone approaching her. Sokka and Suki. Obviously these two had solved their differences. Sokka scratched himself half asleep.
"Who are these guys?" He asked "Do you know them? Hey, I think I recognize them. Wait. Yep. They tried to kill us once. How are you doing? Nice seeing you again."
She heard Pops coming behind her.
"This is fantastic!" He said bemused. "Master Toph, you are being serenade by the Rough Rhinos, led by your suitor, the famous Colonel Mongke."
"You got to be kidding me." She said.
"Hello my little prize." The sexy voice of June could be heard over the racket of the singers. Toph got the chills. For the first time in her life she understood what Sparky meant every time he said that his uncle had no shame.
Sokka, meanwhile was appreciating the concert.
"No wonder these guys opted for murder and mayhem for their day jobs." He said after a minute. "Hey, don't quit the horde job! This is preposterous, I am going to bed." He grabbed Suki by the arm.
"I think is so romantic!" Suki said. Toph turned to her with 'Honestly??' written all over her face. "They do this in Kyoshi. The suitor brings serenades to the girl he likes, and then the father of the girl usually drops a basket full of refuse on the top of the head of the boy. If he is a good singer and his family has money, he gets invited a drink."
"So marriage in Kyoshi is based on singing capabilities?"Iroh asked.
"Well, not really. The quality of the refuse is. I should probably tell you now Sokka that my dad hates serenade season."
Toph had heard enough. She raised her arms, to get the Rough Rhinos to stop, but they didn't. They finished their verse, followed by polite applause from the audience. She then heard one of them coming closer to her and bowing deeply.
"My lady," a voice like a harsh, greedy growl was heard.
She heard Sokka whistling under his breath. Darn, Toph, that's an evil looking boyfriend. She crossed her arms.
"So" she asked her suitor in a bad mood "Why are you singing? Courting me is not a pre-requisite to winning this Contest."
"I just thought it would be a nice gesture to show you my good intentions." The growl softened a bit.
Fire Lord Pops felt obliged to intervene, obviously.
"You see my little friend" Iroh said "Colonel Mongke is a romantic at heart."
"Ooohh" the hag said "Lucky you."
Toph assented, wondering about the definition of romance in horde dictionaries.
"Frankly," she said to the group in general and to Mongke in particular, "I hope you guys get eaten by leopard seals. This is the worse singing I ever heard. Thank you for the lyrics, though. I appreciate the effort." She bowed elegantly, and turned on her heels to her room.
She closed the door and went to bed. He was already there, waiting for her. She burrowed in his arms and he started making circles on her back with his fingers. She turned to face him and that was the silent message for the kissing to start. He complied happily. She, however, pulled back after the first kiss.
"I still haven't forgiven you for the June thing." She said seriously. He caressed her cheek.
"You want my punishment to start now?" He asked. "I can be your slave tonight, if you want me to." She raised one finger.
"Kiss my finger." He did so.
"Now, kiss my hand." He did too. She thought hard about what else to do that sounded like a punishment.
"Now, my elbow." He bent over her and kissed the outer part of her elbow. She couldn't really think of anything else, and suddenly he moved and grabbed her leg.
"What are you doing?" She asked, in alarm.
"I'm going to kiss your foot." He said in a low voice. "So you can see me kissing you."
Toph trembled.
"T.T." She said honestly, while he removed the warm wool sock until her foot rested naked on his palm. "This is really sexy." He started kissing her foot, from her ankle to her toes and she whimpered. "You don't need any scrolls or any Zuko for that matter," she said with a deep sigh "you are so talented".
She saw him smile.
"Am I forgiven?" He asked, his mouth against her arch.
"Don't push your luc… Oh, by earth, yes!"