Toph thinks of Sokka then. That polluted Fire Nation village on the river with the crazy guy who had two imaginary brothers, and Katara faking Appa's illness to try to help them.
"NO. I will never ever turn my back on people who need me. I'm going down to the village, and I am going to do whatever I can."
"Wait... I'm coming, too."
"I thought you didn't want to help."
"You need me... and I will never turn my back on you."
It feels like something similar playing out here, only instead of a sister who refuses to walk away from people in need, it's a sister-- cousin-- who refuses to walk away from a threat to her ego. And one who apparently thinks little of Sokka himself, a fact that makes Toph angry inside (yes, she heard that lowered voice just fine, thank you).
She keeps quiet for Omi's sake, not least of which because the knowledge these two are engaged has started giving her an uncomfortable feeling she isn't sure she can articulate. Instead, she joins Sokka moving towards this 'housecleaning' project, getting more context as they walk.
Toph tries to process what it had to be like growing up, always having a monument to the Fire Nation's destruction of your people practically in your back yard. And what it might mean now that the war is over, and Sokka and Zuko and Aang and Katara are all trying to rebuild those burned bridges. Probably a memory best buried.
"What, Miss Stickler-For-The-Rules? That's rich!" In a funny way, of course. Katara proved long ago that even if she's more uptight than the rest of them, she's still fun in her own way. It's an irony that Toph doesn't plan to let go without at least a little teasing, though, next time she sees the girl.
"So, housecleaning. I think I can help you here. Might take a few days, of course. A ship is a lot to take apart."
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Toph thinks of Sokka then. That polluted Fire Nation village on the river with the crazy guy who had two imaginary brothers, and Katara faking Appa's illness to try to help them.
"NO. I will never ever turn my back on people who need me. I'm going down to the village, and I am going to do whatever I can."
"Wait... I'm coming, too."
"I thought you didn't want to help."
"You need me... and I will never turn my back on you."
It feels like something similar playing out here, only instead of a sister who refuses to walk away from people in need, it's a sister-- cousin-- who refuses to walk away from a threat to her ego. And one who apparently thinks little of Sokka himself, a fact that makes Toph angry inside (yes, she heard that lowered voice just fine, thank you).
She keeps quiet for Omi's sake, not least of which because the knowledge these two are engaged has started giving her an uncomfortable feeling she isn't sure she can articulate. Instead, she joins Sokka moving towards this 'housecleaning' project, getting more context as they walk.
Toph tries to process what it had to be like growing up, always having a monument to the Fire Nation's destruction of your people practically in your back yard. And what it might mean now that the war is over, and Sokka and Zuko and Aang and Katara are all trying to rebuild those burned bridges. Probably a memory best buried.
"What, Miss Stickler-For-The-Rules? That's rich!" In a funny way, of course. Katara proved long ago that even if she's more uptight than the rest of them, she's still fun in her own way. It's an irony that Toph doesn't plan to let go without at least a little teasing, though, next time she sees the girl.
"So, housecleaning. I think I can help you here. Might take a few days, of course. A ship is a lot to take apart."