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A worrisome friendship
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Subject is off on an adventure with Aang today to restore his firebending and whatever else. I was very reluctant to let Subject out of my sight as he is so sneaky and he will be alone with Aang and could abscond with him back to the firenation. I mentioned this concern to Aang, but Aang….laughed at me! Said I was being paranoid and Subject was 'kinda cool.' There is that phrase again and I hate it. Subject is not, in any way, shape or form, cool. Subject is the opposite of cool! Subject is hot! No, wait…
Aang also said that he could beat Subject one on one with his Avatar powers, if Subject gave him any trouble. And so they have gone! Off to see the Sun warriors and maybe find dragons. Perhaps a dragon will eat Subject and I will no longer have to worry about him.
Things I have learned about Subject
Nothing because Subject has buggered off!
-!-
Second day with no Subject.
Am unsure what to do with myself without Subject to follow around.
-!-
Without Subject to follow I elected to bother Toph about her worrisome, burgeoning friendship with Subject. Toph refused to give up being friendly with Subject even after I pointed out the many evils of Subject, the many failings of Subject and the many misdeeds of Subject.
Toph said to me that I should give Subject a break and that I've never been like this with anyone else. Well, that is because no one else has tied me to a tree and chased me and Aang and Sokka halfway across the world. It is easy for Toph to be nice to Subject because to her, Subject is only the source of piggybacks and terrible snacks.
Toph has assured me that Subject would never hurt Aang or any of us now. She can tell through her powers of knowing these things. This reassures me somewhat. Toph has never been wrong about these things before.
Still, Toph is not normally so friendly herself and can be quite standoffish, especially with new people. I am baffled by this friendship. Toph explained to me that she just likes Subject's voice. A voice is like a face to her, it is her way of identifying the person. She can tell things about a person from their voice. Apparently Subject has a nice voice to listen to. Toph can tell from Subject's voice that Subject is very determined and very lonely. Toph understands this. She was determined and lonely for most of her childhood until she met us.
I have decided not to bother Toph about being friendly with Subject in the future. She makes me feel like I am the one being unreasonable.
-!-
Subject is back! With Aang and his firebending ability in tact. Subject has spent most of today training with Aang with his shirt off. I have observed this from afar (and maybe a little closer when I was sure they wouldn't notice.) Subject's firebending is much better, as is Aang's. Apparently Subject and Aang met dragons and dragons make everything better. The dragons judged them and found them worthy to understand the true art of fire bending. Finding Aang worthy, I understand. What the dragons saw in Subject, I cannot fathom.
There was also dancing involved at some point. Sokka is teasing Subject about this most vigorously as it makes him go the most delightful shade of red. Aang who doesn't care about dancing in public or what people think of him, frequently wants to demonstrate this dance for us, with Subject. This is also most hilarious. Subject fusses each time but eventually complies.
And much fun is had by all.
-!-
I have, during the course of today, overheard Toph and Subject discussing me and my hostility towards Subject. I know it is rude to eavesdrop, but I simply cannot help it when Subject is involved. Who knows what he is planning! Toph is of the opinion that I'll come around, and that I was a bit hostile to her when she first joined the group as well. This is patently untrue. I have never been hostile towards Toph.
Subject feels that I am justified in my anger towards him and doesn't expect me to forgive him or thaw towards him. Thank you Subject! At least Subject agrees that I am not treating him unfairly and merely with the suspicion he deserves. Subject is also vaguely perplexed at Toph's friendliness towards him. He has never had any one be this nice to him and it confuses him. Really? Toph is the nicest person Subject has met? Toph, who I love, don't get me wrong, is not exactly nice. She is crazy stubborn and self sufficient and sarcastic and strong (she is lots of words beginning with S). But she's not all sweetness and light. Toph said he shouldn't think too much on it. She just knows what it is like to be new to the group.
Toph also pointed out that she and Subject have similar affluent backgrounds with complete with overbearing parent(s) with crazy standards and expectations. Subject agreed but pointed out that his father is noticeably more homicidal and evil than Toph's. Toph's point was not the relative evilness of their parents but that both of them have been raised differently to the rest of the group and neither Toph nor Subject had many friends growing up.
Toph would like to be friends with Subject because she thinks he needs all the friends he can get. Subject agreed. I have a horrible suspicion they hugged. I could not see because that would give away my position. But the suspicion remains.
Things I learned about Subject.
Subject is not used to have friends, people being friendly to him or friendship in general. This does not surprise me.
Subject claims not to miss his home very much because 'It's not really home anymore.'
Subject feels terribly about what he did in Ba Sing Se. As he should.
Subject does not believe I will ever forgive him and has resigned himself to the simmering hostility between us.
Subject is less awkward around Toph.
Something I learned about Toph.
I never knew that Toph felt a bit lonesome and confused when she first joined us. She told Subject she felt a little like and interloper because me and Aang and Sokka were such a close knit group back then. Why doesn't she tell me this, but she tells it to Subject?
She also claimed that Sokka was probably the friendliest out of us. My brother the meat eating, sarcastic guy? Who dropped a giant Earth Rumble 6 belt on her head?
Toph has unusual taste in her boyfriends… I mean boys who she regards as friends.
-!-
Author's note: Hello again lovely readers. I have been experimenting with the page breaks in this story. had been acting up on my a bit and had been eating them like the are fireflakes. I like the -!- for Katara because I feel it expresses her state of mind.
Yes Katara's a little jealous in this chapter, but I think it is strictly platonic between Toph and Zuko. I do think Toph would probably be the friendliest to him, especially in those early days. And they do have a lot in common. Toph doesn't have the negative history that the others do with Zuko. I think she knows that it can be a big deal to leave the life you know and your family behind to join the Gaang. I mean both of them are happier with the Gaang but it's still a big adjustment period. So she makes overtures of friendship because he seems lonely. Zuko appreciates all overtures made in his direction.
I Flove their friendship in the show, but neither of them fancies each other, they just like and respect each other.
They did hug, but that will be a very rare occurrence. Neither is touchy feely. Though Toph can be punchy-kicky.
Hope you enjoyed it!