(no subject)
Title: Glutton
Author: evilhanyou
Claim: Toph
Challenge: Individual
Chakra/Theme Set: Thought/Earthly
Prompt: 6. wheat; grain; corn
If there was one thing nobody suspected about Toph Bei Fong, it was the fact that she loved to eat.
She was tiny, small, and thin, and her clothes often hung loosely from her body. The fragility often associated with her was only a painted picture, and her friends knew not to cross her on a bad day. They had learned a harder lesson, which carried on the idea of not getting on her bad side when she was hungry. A hungry Toph was full of an extra dose of snark and sarcasm, and she would very happily bash someone’s face into the ground if the fuse were lit.
Katara was the first to learn this lesson, and while cooking, she always prepared in secret a little extra for the blind girl. It was never anything noticeable, and it was just enough to satiate her tastes. In return, Toph allowed her Waterbending friend to take her on so called "girl time fun" trips. With grumbling and complaints, of course.
Aang was next to make the discovery, after getting into an argument with her while sparring. He’d only just managed to dodge a sharp boulder, and shortly after, he heard a low rumble from his teacher’s stomach. Putting two and two together, he realized the extra bit of rage in her temper was due to lack of nutrition. He mentally reminded himself to avoid her when food wasn’t readily available.
Surprisingly, Iroh had realized her large appetite quicker than all else. He’d stumbled upon her in kitchens, from the North Pole to the Fire Nation, in the middle of the night many times. He arranged little rendezvous with his friend, in which they sat in the dark, eating pastries and tea.
Zuko found out the hard way, getting into a battle of wits and losing horribly to her talents. He found the Earthbender easily the sanest over her friends, but only when her stomach was full. He realized he could only hope to best her directly after a large meal, when her attention was slightly unfocused.
Sokka, unsurprisingly, was the last to make the breakthrough. Being the victim of her almighty snark more often than not, he hardly recognized the moments in time when it was cheekier than usual. And it had taken a blunt, in-your-face moment for the realization to even occur.
"Toph?"
"’Sup, Snoozeles?" she replied, hands covered in sauce and grease from the fried arctic hen on the table. She viciously bit into the leg, chewing loudly, as her eyes sightlessly stared in his general direction.
"Did you eat that entire arctic hen?!" he demanded, slamming his hand on the table.
"Not yet," she said briskly, taking another bite. "I figured it was pretty much fair game though, as it was left on the table."
"I was gonna eat it for lunch tomorrow!" he groaned, gazing sadly at the half eaten poultry.
She shrugged, stopping briefly to take a sip of her flavored water beverage nearby. Slurping it loudly, she watched Sokka carefully, although her eyes were staring straight ahead. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "That is actually a good idea, Sokka! As I’m not terribly fond of the other Water Tribe cuisines, I should save what’s left for lunch tomorrow! See? Even you can have good ideas."
While desperately trying to spit out something witty in reply, she packed up what was left of her meat and put it away in storage, patting Sokka on the head on her way out. "And if I were you," she started, "I wouldn’t touch that hen tomorrow."
She left the kitchen, leaving behind a dumbfounded future chief. Unfortunately, Sokka paid little attention to her warnings, and when lunchtime came around the next day, he made himself a sandwich, cutting the hen into thin strips and stacking it on the bread to reach at least two inches thick. After only one bite, he found himself peering over his meal into the eyes of a very irritated Earthbender.
"Are you eating my artic hen?" she asked, her voice eerily calm.
The Water Tribesman blinked once, mouth open and ready to inhale. "This arctic hen belongs to whomever eats it first. And at the moment, that would be me."
"So you are eating my arctic hen."
"Finders keepers," he muttered, daring to take another bite. Just as his tongue tasted the precious meat and temped his inner carnivore, the ground shook beneath him, and the chair fell backwards. He tumbled, groaning, as he clutched the back of his head. "Ow! Damnit, Toph! What was that for?"
She crouched down, swiping the sandwich effortlessly from his distracted hands before taking a large bite, chewing loudly. "What was it you said before? Finders keepers?" she asked, taking another bite. "Oh, look what I found! A delicious looking arctic hen sandwich! Thanks, Sokka. You made it just the way I like it."
He struggled to his feet, as she walked away, waving her hand in farewell; the sounds of her chewing echoing into his ears, even as she turned the corner to disappear into the house.
Crossing his arms, he pouted. And then, he raised an eyebrow, the gears in his mind turning. Toph liked to eat, did she? Well, he could certainly play on that little detail.
Hours later, Katara stared in confusion, wondering why on earth her brother was face first in the snow, surrounded by pieces of seal jerky. It looked more like the meat had exploded somehow, and her brother had been trapped in the middle of the blast. When questioned on it later, Toph only remarked that blasting jelly had its good qualities.
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