Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > Magma
Chapter 20: Date
0 ReviewsToph and Zuko go on a date.
Magma
Chapter 20: Date
"Zuko," Toph quietly spoke as the group soared in the skies on Appa.
Sokka continuously showed his affection towards Suki, and she returned it. Katara was having a conversation with their new member, and Aang listened to Suki's narration of her experiences. Suki occasionally gave Zuko uneasy looks, though she didn't say anything.
"Yeah?" Zuko felt as if he was starting over, once again trying to earn the group's trust.
"Have you ever taken the first step to ask someone on a date?" Toph's question took Zuko by surprised.
Zuko gave it some though. There was Song, he didn't actually date her, but she seemed interested. Then there was Jin, he went on a date with her after Iroh said he should, she had taken the first step as well. Finally, there was Mai, daughter of a high ranked Fire Nation politician, close friend of the princess and whom everyone expected Zuko to be with. She had taken the first step as well. "No."
Toph laughed and Zuko gave her a confused look. "It's nothing never mind."
"Toph, will you go on a date with me when we land?" Zuko didn't stop to think, he simply let the words flow out.
For a moment Toph wondered if he was just kidding, if he had forgotten what was decided at the cave and was starting the competition again. But she realized, he wasn't, he was actually sincere. "Sure... if you want to."
This time Zuko wasn't going on a date just because he thought he should, this time, he really wanted to go.
Appa landed in a town famous for its local fortune teller, Aunt Wu. Suki has not been seriously injured, and any scratches were already healed by Katara. Sokka wasn't too fond of fortune telling but that was not the main activity around town that day. There seemed to be some kind of festival going on, the festival of hope they called it. The day of the black sun had passed, but the town was trying to remain optimistic and believe the avatar would save them again, as he once did from the volcano.
Sokka was off somewhere in lovey-dovey world with Suki, so he wasn't very responsive, except if Suki did as much as breathe, then he was all over her. A few of the towns people recognized Aang and asked him to tour the town, to lift the spirits; the avatar was all too happy to comply. Thus the group was spit into four tiny groups. Sokka and Suki, off in lovey-dovey world, Aang and Katara, touring the town and giving inspirational speeches, Momo and Appa, being fed and spoiled by the locals, which left Zuko and Toph.
Those who had curiously, yet fearfully approached Zuko to ask who he was, had received an answer from Toph before he could reply. "This is Li, he's new in our group," and they believed that any resemblance between the fire nation prince and this Li guy, was a mere coincidence.
"So... Do you want to take a walk and see if we can find anything good in the hope festival... thing?" Zuko asked, noting that an awkward silence had formed.
"Sure," The pair walked around the festival, passing by the many booths, and occasionally stopping to take in the sights, or scents, or sounds.
"Young lady," as they walked past a booth, Toph felt that the voice was directed at her.
Toph and Zuko stopped. From what she could fee, Toph could tell there were many small containers on the booth and wondered what kind of goods the woman was selling. "You mean me?"
"Oh yes, would you be interested in buying some..." The woman paused taking a good long look at Toph, her eyes were unusually pale. "...make up?" she finally finished.
Toph had never cared about make up, it's not like she knew what it looked like, and she couldn't put it on without seeing what she was doing. She recognized shapes, but colors were unknown to her. That make-up substance was so thin when applied to the skin that she wouldn't really feel it, and thus she wouldn't know the difference between subtle matching colors, and a big colorful mess. "I can't really put it on..." Besides, the one time she did wear make-up she was led to believe it didn't look good, though Katara tried to assure her it did.
"That's fine, if you buy some I can put it on for you, then you can get a friend to do it later, or your mother can do it," the make-up selling lady didn't know she had been taking the conversation from bad to worse.
Suddenly, Toph found herself comparing the make-up to a mask forced upon her by her parents, and she decided that make-up was just fine and dandy for the girl who chose to wear it of their own free will, but it was not meant for her. "I don't think it'll work out... thanks anyway." Toph started to walk away, followed by Zuko, who had been patiently waiting for Toph to decide if she wanted something from the booth or not.
The thought of buying something for Toph crossed his mind, as Zuko reflected on the unknown status of his relationship with Toph and how spontaneously he had asked her out, and she agreed.
Desperate to make a sale, the woman called out to Toph again. "Don't you want to be beautiful?"
Toph stoped, she wasn't confident about her looks, she knew she had talent and brains, but when it came to beauty, how could she believe in something she could not see? "I..."
"I'm sure I have just the right products to work miracles for you!" The woman smiled at the prospect of a sale, but Toph frowned.
"Does that mean I need a miracle to look good?" The earth bender asked, clearly upset.
"Well, I'm sure there's nothing that the right amount of make up can't solve..."
That was all Toph could take. She ran away into the crowds, and as she disappeared among them, a small earthquake concentrated only directly under the make up booth, shook it harshly, throwing the merchandise everywhere.
Zuko rushed after Toph mentally kicking himself over and over for not saying anything when he should have. Toph had always been confident in his eyes, he didn't think she needed the extra support, and as much as he secretly wished to be her hero, he wasn't sure she would be okay with that. He felt frustrated to have messed things up yet again, but he wasn't going to give up. Even if his entire life was made of messes and attempts to fix those messes, he would keep on living. He would just have to think of a way to make things up to Toph and cheer her up.
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I do not own Avatar. MastaDrumma22 pointed out Toph's insecurity towards her looks in a review. We also see it in an episode in book two which is referenced in this chapter.
Chapter 20: Date
"Zuko," Toph quietly spoke as the group soared in the skies on Appa.
Sokka continuously showed his affection towards Suki, and she returned it. Katara was having a conversation with their new member, and Aang listened to Suki's narration of her experiences. Suki occasionally gave Zuko uneasy looks, though she didn't say anything.
"Yeah?" Zuko felt as if he was starting over, once again trying to earn the group's trust.
"Have you ever taken the first step to ask someone on a date?" Toph's question took Zuko by surprised.
Zuko gave it some though. There was Song, he didn't actually date her, but she seemed interested. Then there was Jin, he went on a date with her after Iroh said he should, she had taken the first step as well. Finally, there was Mai, daughter of a high ranked Fire Nation politician, close friend of the princess and whom everyone expected Zuko to be with. She had taken the first step as well. "No."
Toph laughed and Zuko gave her a confused look. "It's nothing never mind."
"Toph, will you go on a date with me when we land?" Zuko didn't stop to think, he simply let the words flow out.
For a moment Toph wondered if he was just kidding, if he had forgotten what was decided at the cave and was starting the competition again. But she realized, he wasn't, he was actually sincere. "Sure... if you want to."
This time Zuko wasn't going on a date just because he thought he should, this time, he really wanted to go.
Appa landed in a town famous for its local fortune teller, Aunt Wu. Suki has not been seriously injured, and any scratches were already healed by Katara. Sokka wasn't too fond of fortune telling but that was not the main activity around town that day. There seemed to be some kind of festival going on, the festival of hope they called it. The day of the black sun had passed, but the town was trying to remain optimistic and believe the avatar would save them again, as he once did from the volcano.
Sokka was off somewhere in lovey-dovey world with Suki, so he wasn't very responsive, except if Suki did as much as breathe, then he was all over her. A few of the towns people recognized Aang and asked him to tour the town, to lift the spirits; the avatar was all too happy to comply. Thus the group was spit into four tiny groups. Sokka and Suki, off in lovey-dovey world, Aang and Katara, touring the town and giving inspirational speeches, Momo and Appa, being fed and spoiled by the locals, which left Zuko and Toph.
Those who had curiously, yet fearfully approached Zuko to ask who he was, had received an answer from Toph before he could reply. "This is Li, he's new in our group," and they believed that any resemblance between the fire nation prince and this Li guy, was a mere coincidence.
"So... Do you want to take a walk and see if we can find anything good in the hope festival... thing?" Zuko asked, noting that an awkward silence had formed.
"Sure," The pair walked around the festival, passing by the many booths, and occasionally stopping to take in the sights, or scents, or sounds.
"Young lady," as they walked past a booth, Toph felt that the voice was directed at her.
Toph and Zuko stopped. From what she could fee, Toph could tell there were many small containers on the booth and wondered what kind of goods the woman was selling. "You mean me?"
"Oh yes, would you be interested in buying some..." The woman paused taking a good long look at Toph, her eyes were unusually pale. "...make up?" she finally finished.
Toph had never cared about make up, it's not like she knew what it looked like, and she couldn't put it on without seeing what she was doing. She recognized shapes, but colors were unknown to her. That make-up substance was so thin when applied to the skin that she wouldn't really feel it, and thus she wouldn't know the difference between subtle matching colors, and a big colorful mess. "I can't really put it on..." Besides, the one time she did wear make-up she was led to believe it didn't look good, though Katara tried to assure her it did.
"That's fine, if you buy some I can put it on for you, then you can get a friend to do it later, or your mother can do it," the make-up selling lady didn't know she had been taking the conversation from bad to worse.
Suddenly, Toph found herself comparing the make-up to a mask forced upon her by her parents, and she decided that make-up was just fine and dandy for the girl who chose to wear it of their own free will, but it was not meant for her. "I don't think it'll work out... thanks anyway." Toph started to walk away, followed by Zuko, who had been patiently waiting for Toph to decide if she wanted something from the booth or not.
The thought of buying something for Toph crossed his mind, as Zuko reflected on the unknown status of his relationship with Toph and how spontaneously he had asked her out, and she agreed.
Desperate to make a sale, the woman called out to Toph again. "Don't you want to be beautiful?"
Toph stoped, she wasn't confident about her looks, she knew she had talent and brains, but when it came to beauty, how could she believe in something she could not see? "I..."
"I'm sure I have just the right products to work miracles for you!" The woman smiled at the prospect of a sale, but Toph frowned.
"Does that mean I need a miracle to look good?" The earth bender asked, clearly upset.
"Well, I'm sure there's nothing that the right amount of make up can't solve..."
That was all Toph could take. She ran away into the crowds, and as she disappeared among them, a small earthquake concentrated only directly under the make up booth, shook it harshly, throwing the merchandise everywhere.
Zuko rushed after Toph mentally kicking himself over and over for not saying anything when he should have. Toph had always been confident in his eyes, he didn't think she needed the extra support, and as much as he secretly wished to be her hero, he wasn't sure she would be okay with that. He felt frustrated to have messed things up yet again, but he wasn't going to give up. Even if his entire life was made of messes and attempts to fix those messes, he would keep on living. He would just have to think of a way to make things up to Toph and cheer her up.
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I do not own Avatar. MastaDrumma22 pointed out Toph's insecurity towards her looks in a review. We also see it in an episode in book two which is referenced in this chapter.
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