0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Meddlesome misinterpretations by family and friends.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Subject has been in the moon peach tree again.
I don't know what he's moping about now, but I am enjoying the fruits of his mope. He picked a whole bunch of moon peaches this morning and he gave me one in the kitchen before he put them on the table for breakfast for everybody else. It was the best one apparently, just ripe and without any spots.
It was a peachy, tasty peace offering. I asked him what I was meant to be mad at him about now? Why did he feel the need to appease me with a peace offering? He replied that he didn't know, but I'd probably find something to get mad at him about during the course of the day, so it was a pre-emptive moon peach peace offering. Honestly, the way Subject carries on, you'd think I did nothing else but follow him round and scold him. I swatted him playfully with the dish towel in retaliation. He swatted me back and we had a small swatting fight.
At that point, Dad came into help Subject set the table. And he gave us both a weird look and then very pointedly asked Subject for his assistance with the plates.
-!-
Some time later….
-!-
So… my Dad's acting weird about Subject.
Really weird.
I don't know if he's following me while I follow Subject, or if he is following Subject himself. If he is also following Subject, that makes Subject the most stalk-able person I know. Subject would have a total of four stalkers, me (the best), the Duke, My dad and some crazy guy who stalked him in Ba Sing Se.
I heard him telling Toph about it. Apparently he and the crazy guy had a crazy sword fight (sword fights with crazy people are naturally crazier) and afterwards the crazy guy stalked him no more. Whether this is due to Subject's prowess with the dao swords or because the crazy guy got dragged away by the cops is still a mystery. Either way, Subject has promised Toph to go all dao sword ninja on Haru if he really is bothering her. Toph declined his kind offer. She kind of misses the haikus. I knew she would!
Anyway, my Dad has taken a…how do I say this…a keen interest in Subject. It is most distressing. I do not know what has prompted this sudden interest in Subject, but suddenly my Dad wants to know all about Subject. He is forever asking Subject to 'tell me all about yourself'. Subject is extremely perplexed by the sudden interest and stutters/mutters/splutters the usual sort of things (name, age, firebending rank, etc) in response to these inquiries.
What is my Dad up to? I plan to have a chat with him as soon as possible.
-!-
A short while later…
-!-
Dad is crazy!
He's reading way too much into things!
Dad first claimed his sudden interest is because Subject is a good friend of Sokka's and he wished to know him better. I did not think this is the real reason because Dad gave me a look when he said this. Also, everyone here is a friend of Sokka's, but he's not asking Toph to tell him all about herself, is he?
I nagged a bit. Dad said it was normal for a Dad to worry and to want to get to know the boy who gave his daughter moon peaches. But he said moon peaches like he meant something else. I knew what Dad was getting at and I was completely aghast! How could Dad think that me and Subject would… I mean eeww.
I told Dad he could put his mind at ease and that it was just a moon peach and that there was no way in this whole entire universe that me and Subject would…exchange the other sort of moonpeaches. Because Subject is annoying and intractably stubborn and willful and impulsive and bossy and he has a terrible temper and he is prone to moping and he's a firebender to boot.
And he eats too many fireflakes.
Dad gave me a very fond look and kissed my cheek and said I was growing up so fast.
What the hell does that mean Dad?
-!-
Later still…
-!-
Horrifying turn of events!
Dad has arranged a male-bonding-sort-of-hunting-fishing-faffing-about-in-the-woods- trip. He has taken Sokka, Subject and reluctantly Haru and Chit Sang off into the woods today. They will camp out. Dad said it's a coming of age thing and that all boys should do it when they turn 16 and Sokka and Subject have both had their 16th birthdays in the past year with no smelly male bonding trip. I think Haru and Chit Sang got taken as an afterthought, mostly because Dad did not realize that Haru also turned 16 this year. Well now he knows, because Haru volunteered that information and wanted to come along. And Chit Sang said he didn't want to be left behind with all the womenfolk if there was manliness afoot.
Subject said Haru could take his place because Subject wanted to stay and work on precision bending with Aang. Aang wanted Subject to stay and work on precison bending with him (because he really enjoys it) and for a minute I thought they were going to form a precison-bending-anti-faffing-about-in-the-woods-alliance, but they were both gently over ruled by my Dad. Dad went on about coming of age rituals and manliness and honor. At the mention of honor, Subject was going on the hunting trip whether he wanted to or not. Because failing to go and faff about in the woods all day would somehow besmirch his honor and he can't have that! Stupid honor.
All five of them have set off in search of manliness.
What is my Dad up to?
How long to these hunting trips take?
-!-
Lunch. Uneventful.
-!-
What did I do before I followed Subject around?
-!-
Subject left Aang with a long list of things to practice while he's off being manly. Aang has lost the list and is trying to figure out how to secure the Duke into Teo's chair so they can all go gliding together. At first they planned to tie to Duke to Aang and he'd tandem with Aang on his glider. I gently overruled this somewhat foolhardy plan, and have helped them construct a sort of harness to keep the Duke in the chair with Teo. Aang is prone to doing loop-de-loops and that is hard going for a first time glider like the Duke. It's not that I don't trust Aang to look after the Duke. It's just that I think the Duke would have an easier/safer time if he's harnessed in with Teo.
-!-
It was just us three girls! Toph and Suki and I tried to recreate the fancy lady day spa mud bath. We had limited success. Then we had the idea to try and recreate the sauna and had much better success. And it was a lovely girl's day in! Toph said the sauna would be a lot easier with Subject around to keep the rocks hot and she is right. Perhaps next time I will ask him if he wants to come along and get steamy with the three of us. Cripes! Not in that way! I mean help us with our home made sauna.
We talked about bending with Aang. Toph is quite worried that his earthbending is not up to scratch if he has to face Ozai soon and she knows Subject feels the same way about his firebending. We discussed a few strategies and plans. Suki raised the idea that we wait until after the comet before Aang has to face him. That way Aang can have time to master all the elements and he won't feel so pressured and terrified. She said that now that Ba Sing Se has fallen, there doesn't seem much point in facing him before the comet. We've lost the last stronghold after all. Suki would never send a half trained warrior to face a superior foe if she could help it. We tossed this idea around for a while and couldn't come to an agreement. Toph thinks there is no way that the firenation will let the comet pass without doing something evil and we should try and defeat Ozai before then. I'm on the fence. They both have a good point.
The conversation moved on to Toph's trouble with Haru and the lack of Haikus. She just got used to being constantly told that she was the most awesome person ever and now she kind of misses it. I told her that Haru was a nice guy and a good kisser and I got a few pebbles flicked (good naturedly)at me for this comment.
Suki started talking about Sokka's over-protectiveness and how she's an elite warrior who can look after herself, yadda yadda yadda. I realized that Sokka hadn't told her about Yue. I don't know if I did the right thing, but I told her. I thought Suki should know. Sokka got very much more protective of all of us after we lost Yue the way we did.
They both looked at me expectantly as if it was my turn to share something about boys. I didn't really want to talk about Aang and the Great Seaprune Debacle because I feel awkward just thinking about it. So I started talking about my Dad's preposterous notions about me and Subject and moon peaches.
Suki gave me a knowing looking and then asked me what it was like exchanging moon peaches with Subject. She added that she thought it would be HOT and totally cracked herself up and kept saying 'get it- hot because he's a firebender.' Yes Suki, I got it, Toph got it, even the rocks got it.
Suki is spending too much time with Sokka. His terrible jokes are contagious.
I was most irate and embarrassed that she had misunderstood me so badly. I explained that I have never and I do not ever wish to exchange moonpeaches with Subject and that I was just perplexed by my Dad inferring that I did. Toph said that Subject definitely wanted to give me a moon peach. I misunderstood her and took her statement literally and said that Subject had already given me a moonpeach that morning. The girls exploded with laughter.
Then there was much hilarity at my expense while I tried to explain myself.
I mean he gave me an actual, literal, fruity peach. NOT the other peach.
Toph and Suki are very silly sometimes.
-!-
It was just the six of us for dinner. I made a nice soup and Toph bent one of her spoon bouquets back into just regular spoons. I think she looked a little sad while she did this. But she has many more spoon bouquets where that one came from.
The menfolk are still out being manly.
-!-
The next day….
-!-
The menfolk have returned. Everyone was all wet for some reason. I asked Dad how it went and he laughed a little and shook his head and said 'Don't ask-you don't want to know.'
What does that mean?
-!-
Just as I predicted, Sokka made a comment about Subject's fishing prowess and Subject tried to give him a noogie in retaliation and the whole thing dengerated into an inelegant joint-noogie-giving struggle that resulted in both of them falling in the river and scaring away the fish. Somehow all the others ended up in the river and no fish were caught.
Boys.
Subject was quite cross that Aang spent all yesterday gliding and they are about to start a grueling training session.
-!-
Some time later
-!-
Oh Calamity!
I am incandescent with rage.
I am crosser than I have ever been in my life!
And it is not at Subject!
It is at Sokka! My dirty, smelly, terrible excuse for a brother. Sokka was looking for the seal jerky again and he went through my things and he found this stalking journal… err… record of observations.
AND HE READ IT!
It is such a violation of privacy! It is so terrible! I don't even have the words!
I am so mad!
I was in the kitchen, minding my own business and Sokka came in and started going on about how Subject wasn't such a bad guy and I should lay off on the stalking especially if I fancied him. I asked him how he knew I was stalking (I wasn't going to dignify the fancying comment with an answer) and he waved this book at me and I don't think I have ever been more pissed off in my life. I am just so angry right now. Sokka thinks I have a big fat crush on Subject (Sokka's words, not mine). In fact, our argument culminated in Sokka crowing:
"Why don't you just admit that you have a big fat crush on Subject."
The universe must hate me. Subject chose that moment to walk in. Clearly he overheard Sokka's last sentence.
"Who's Subject?" he asked somewhat bemusedly. Sokka nearly asphyxiated from laughter. He told Subject that he would figure it out and then he gave Subject this book, clapped him on the back and left. Subject gave me an odd look and opened his mouth to say something. I will never find out what he was about to say because in that moment I tackled him to the floor! A proper water-tribe style tackle at that.
I was in a blind panic. What else could I do in a blind panic but tackled Subject to the floor and wrested this book from his grasp. Actually he gave it up quite willingly and was rather surprised to be tackled by me. He probably would have given it back if I only asked politely, but I didn't think of that in my blind panic. Subject asked me if I was okay in a rather confused fashion and looked extremely baffled by the fact that I was sitting on top of him. I got up quite quickly when I realized I was sitting on him.
In a fit of maturity, I told him he had stupid hair and was lame and annoying and I was cross at him. I then ran away like a little girl. I could hear him exclaim 'What have I done now?' rather exasperatedly behind me.
I am ashamed.
And cross!
-!-
A little while later…
-!-
I have had words with Sokka. Very strong, angry words. I have had words with Suki to relay to Sokka, which were the more reasonable words of female solidarity and lady-outrage. Sometimes Suki is more convincing than me when it comes to dealing with Sokka. After a much briefer conversation with Suki, he has stopped teasing me and has promised to never, ever mention my Stalking Subject Journal, err…record of observations. Ever. How did Suki do this? Is this something they teach you when you train to be a Kyoshi warrior? Or is this just Suki's magical powers?
I can continue to stalk Subject in peace!
-!-
Subject was talking to me quite softly and calmly as we did the dishes together. Almost as if he was trying to calm a savage sabre-tooth moose lion. He apologized a bit for whatever he had done (he remained quite perplexed as to what this was). Subject was most concerned by my behavior and was very gentle with me and we didn't tease each other like we normally did.
It was infuriating!
I was already cross! Subject talking to me like he expected me to tackle him again or burst into tears at any second was the last straw. I told him I was bloody fine and he hadn't done anything wrong. But I was still cross with him. I said this rather angrily and this seemed to confuse Subject even more. He asked me if I wanted another peace offering moon peach.
No!
No, I do not!
That bloody moon peach is what started this terrible chain of misunderstandings.
-!-
There was just a knock at my door. It was Subject. He presented me with a peace offering mango and a very baffled face. I told him that it didn't matter what fruit it was, it was the peace-offering-ness of the fruit I was opposed to. Subject looked a little disappointed that I was rejecting his peace offering and said that I should think of it as a midnight snack instead.
I felt like I was being a bit unfair to him. It wasn't his fault that people had jumped to ridiculous conclusions and Sokka had read my journal. I got one of the moon peaches I keep in my room. I swiped several from the breakfast table the other day. I told him I would accept the mango as a midnight snack if he would take the reciprocal moon peach midnight snack. Subject accepted. I don't know why I gave him the peach. It seemed like the polite thing to do after you've tackled someone and been behaving like a mad harpy towards them.
The others must never know that we have exchanged any sort of fruit. They would get the wrong idea.
-!-
The next day….
-!-
I'm avoiding Subject today, just to prove to those people who make big, giant, stupid assumptions that I do not need to follow him everyday. I have no idea where Subject is or what he is up to. And I don't even care. at . all. I could care less! Pfft! Subject- who needs him? So suck it all you assumers! Hopefully today will prove to the big, giant, stupid assumers who assume things that they are WRONG in their assumptions.
SO WRONG!
-!-
Suki is a great ally. She thinks we should have a sneaky girl's night tonight and have a few beverages and a chat, because we didn't get drunk that other night with the boys. We don't want boys at our girl's night anyway, because if they come, we can't chat about them. She has procured a bottle of Saki from Chit Sang . Tonight after dinner, we'll go up to the top of the temple, near the orchard for the occasion. Suki is nice to talk to and I should try to get to know her better if Sokka is so serious about her. I want to find out how she got her magical Sokka controlling powers. I have never done anything like a girl's night and I think it sounds like fun.
I'm a bit thrilled.
-!-
An indeterminate amount of time later….
Must be the next day because the sun is up.
I never drink again.
Ever.
-!-
Goddamit, where did Subject put my shoes!
-!-
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Time for another frightfully long authors note:
Congratulations lovely Readers! You've reached the end of Meddlesome misinterpretations by family and friends. I hope you've enjoyed it! This chapter is a bit longer than some of my others so if you have reached the end then I applaud you!
Huge thank you to my lovely reviewers! You guys are fantastic! And brilliant! And if I could- I would give you all moon peaches, though not in that way ;-). Seriously though, you make my day with every review. Thanks so much!
In this chapter :
Zuko is in the tree having a bit of a mope at the start because he's developing a big fat crush on Katara and wants to ignore it as best he can. So he does what he does best and sulks it off! Sulk it off buddy! But then he can't resist picking some moon peaches for her because he knows she likes them and he's a softie. And then he frantically picks a whole bunch to give to everybody so people won't suspect his crush.
Hakoda does just want to get to know the guy who's giving his daughter moon peaches. Seriously, I don't think Hakoda would dismiss Zuko out of hand, especially after Zuko was instrumental in saving his arse at the Boiling Rock and Sokka thinks quite highly of him. He noticed that Katara follows Zuko around and he made the assumption that she did this because she was rather enamored on him. When he notices Katara and Zuko being quite flirty, he's a bit put out- as most dads would be when someone's flirting with their baby girl. He decides to suck it up and get to know the boy better and see if he has cause for worry or if he'll have to get his threatening mojo on or if Zuko's actually a good lad (dad speak for "If my daughter absolutely must have a boyfriend-he will be an acceptable candidate" .)
Originally he planned just to drag Sokka and Zuko off for male-bonding time, but his plans got crashed by Haru and Chit Sang and it became the camping trip of doom. Shennagins happened on this trip, lots of them. But we don't get to see them because this is entirely from Katara's pov. This is what I find so hard about a single pov. At the end of the day, Zuko would have proved that he's good lad material, even though he's a firebender and he didn't know he was being tested.
I wanted the girls to have some girl bonding time and for them to tease Katara gently about Subject. And I also wanted to flag the start of the idea to wait until after Sozin's comet, because that idea had to come from somewhere. I think, initially, it would have just been said as an offhand comment and then the more Suki thought about it, the more sense it made.
I also love Suki's terrible jokes. Ever since the end of Sozin's comet when she called Ozai the lord of the people who don't win or whatever it was, I've floved the idea that she makes just the cheesiest jokes and cracks herself up.
Katara telling Suki about Yue will annoy Sokka a little bit, so he feels more justified in reading her journal. She's exposed his secret after all. I think he would have wanted to tell Suki about Yue and the affect she had on him in his own time. However at the same time, it does affect how he treats her and I think Katara's not wrong about Suki needing to know.
I think one of you guessed Sokka or Hakoda would be the sneaky journal reader, so four points for you glen coco! You go glen coco! I did toy with the idea of Zuko reading it and going "what the F is this?" but in the end I decided against it. I honestly think he'd be a bit too polite to rummage through people's things and read their private stuff. He was a thief but he wasn't a rummager and I think he puts such emphasis on his own privacy and his desire not to talk about certain topics that he'd have a bit more respect for the privacy of others.
The Water tribe on the other hand? They are big rummagers! It's how they roll! privacy schmivacy! Katara's always going though the Gaang's stuff and Sokka went nuts rummaging about Hama's house looking for evidence. If anyone was going to read Katara's journal and live to tell the tale it would be Sokka. He really was looking for seal jerky when he found it and then he'd read a few pages and could not put it down. He'd be all "what the F is this?" and it would be like a canoe crash –morbidly fascinating. He wants to tell Zuko, but he does have a lot of love and respect for Katara and Suki and they will kill him for real if he does this. So he'll keep it to himself, very reluctantly.
Zuko is as curious as all hell as to what's in the book and what's with Katara. This whole day would be one massive ball of confusion for him. One minute they're cool, the next she's tackling him and the next she'd super pissed off in the kitchen. So he's exceptionally curious. He assumes he owes her an apology for something, even though he has no idea what it is. When she rejects the idea of moon peaches he gets her a Mango instead because they are her next favourite fruit. There are many fruit trees in the orchard after all. So many different ways to apologize.
To find out what happened with Suki and the girls night and where Katara's shoes are, you will just have to wait my lovely readers!