Toph and Zuko Friendship Fic---
People Watching
They were in a former fire Nation colony, and though the fire nation had retreated some five years back, its cultural impact was still strong as ever. The clothing, for one, was very much in fire nation style, despite the flourish of the green color palette, as well as architecture and cuisine. It was here that Toph decided to initiate Zuko into one of her favorite pastimes. “Ok Sparky, here’s the name of the game: people watching.” They were seated in a café, sipping on tea and snacking on fire flakes, waiting on their brunch orders. It was a very nice tea shop, possibly the best in town. True, they were on a field trip and camping, but that didn’t mean Zuko or Toph would tighten up the purse strings anytime soon. “I always play this with Uncle, but I suppose you’ll do just as well.”
"People watching?”
“Are you a Reptile Parrot now? Sheesh, let me finish.” She slurped the rest of her tea. “You play by paying attention to funny people around. Usually I’m not much on paying attention, but with this game it’s worth it, great for some laughs. I thought it would be really boring at first, but then Iroh—“
“But Toph…”
She sighed. “There you go again with your interrupting, and my name isn’t Toph. It’s Hawky. Get it right when we’re in public, Lee.”
“How can we… I mean, how can…”
Toph smirked. “Oh, I get it, you think because I’m blind that I can’t play. Well I’ll show you. Pick someone.”
Zuko swallowed and scanned the crowd out in the streets around them. “Uh, the girl at the skewer stand to your right.”
“Hmm, you mean bigfoot? Yeah, she’ll be alright.” Toph didn’t bother to turn her head, but did pull her feet from their perch on the gate to the ground. “Describe her to me.”
“Well, she’s um, about Suki’s height, black hair, wearing Fire Nation robes.”
“You mean robes from the Fire Nation or robes that just look Fire Nation?”
Zuko narrowed his eyes, “Not that there’s much of a difference, but robes from the Fire Nation, I guess.”
“Oh, there’s a big difference. Keep going.”
“She just bought some stupid trinket. Now she’s reading a paper very closely, a map maybe.”
“Ah, a tourist,” she chuckled with an evil air. Toph took in a deep breath of air, and then stomped her feet to the ground, once, twice, three times.
“What did you just do?”
“Uncle wouldn’t like it very much. He hates when I play tricks on tourists, but they make it too easy. I just made her map a bit more obsolete… by changing a few road signs.”
“Toph!”
“It’s Hawky!”
---
It would take a few more days, before Zuko became even tolerable at people watching, but by their last day in the former Fire Nation colony, Toph was beginning to notice a trend. “Lee, what’s Miss Drags-her-feet wearing again?”
“She’s wearing an average Fire Nation top, sleeveless, in green.”
“Sleeveless, like Katara’s Fire Nation disguise?”
“… yes.”
“What about Maggie, the loud eater? Is she wearing something like that too?”
“I, um, can’t see her. She’s sitting down.”
“But you saw her before.”
“Yes.”
“So, you remember her outfit.”
Yes. I believe she was wearing something similar.”
“Sparky, I’m noticing a trend.”
“… really.”
“Yes, really.”
Zuko took a sip of tea, trying (unsuccessfully) to steady his breath. As he set down his cup, as calmly as possible he asked, “What kind of trend?”
As Zuko had progressed in his abilities in the game of People Watching, Toph had added in practice of naming their observe-ees, as well as imagining what their days and lives were like. Clothing description was a must. “An increased-heart-rate-to-less-clothes ration,” she said, smirking.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You can’t fool me, Lee. I’m a human lie detector, but remember heart rates are good for noticing many other things too.”
Zuko had never been much for people watching, but he’d never done it like this before, where it was a game, trying to find the most interesting or funny or just plain odd person. He snuck a look back over at Maggie the loud eater. The girl was standing again, leaning forward to pay her lunch bill, in just the perfect way as to give him quite a view, so to speak. Yes, she was a ridiculously loud eater, but at this distance, he didn’t really mind so much…
“There it goes again.” She was taken by a fit of chuckles. “Oh it’s just too easy. Your heart goes a mile a minute, Sparky.
He cleared his throat. “Men are very visual beings,” he said in a monotone, pre-packaged voice.
Toph rolled her eyes. “Oh now that’s original. Face it you objectify women. But don’t worry, I’m not judging your pig-like behavior,” she chastised, but the tone in her voice was anything but like a reprimand.
He put a finger to her button nose, with a reprimand of his own, “someday, Toph, you’ll like someone, and then you’ll be sorry.”
She brushed it off harshly and crossed her arms over her chest, saying softly, “Not Toph, Hawky.”
