42 - text

[kyasdaughter]

Toph Bei Fong has gone home.

Comments

[text]

[kill_joo_ded]

the cool ones always do.

[text]

[kyasdaughter]

you knew her?

[text]

[kill_joo_ded]

pretty good sparring partner i guess.

[text]

[kyasdaughter]

yeah.

[And then, a few minutes later:]

she invented metalbending.

[text]

[siriuslymagical]

That one of your friends from home?

[text]

[kyasdaughter]

yes. hi sirius.

[text]

[siriuslymagical]

Hey Katara.

Need some company?

[text]

[kyasdaughter]

meeting a friend soon

but after?

[Text]

[daath_vader]

Would you join me for a walk?

[Text]

[kyasdaughter]

i'll need a few minutes

[Text]

[daath_vader]

Take your time. I was thinking the river, unless you have somewhere you would like to go.

[Text]

[kyasdaughter]

i will meet you there. 20 minutes.

[Offline] Much, much later?

[angle_on_it]

[This is becoming all too familiar. Zuko, Aang, now Toph? It's anyone's guess who might go next, a disturbing thought to the saddened warrior.]

[Sokka waits, knowing Katara will be busy answering questions over the network, but intent on talking to her. At least she isn't gone. Yet. When he finally decides they won't be interrupted too much, he heads over to the other row house and lets himself in.]

[He tries the kitchen first, calling out to the too-quiet house.] Katara? Are you here? [Maybe he should have called first.]

perma-offline, and course!

[kyasdaughter]

[Katara's voice actually rings out from upstairs, and it's almost cheerful.]

Hi, Sokka! Come on up.

[If he does, he'll find her dressed in old clothes, hair pinned up and tied back as she scrubs the floor in Toph's old room. The furniture is pushed to the walls; there's a pile and sack full of trash, too, sitting near the door.]

[angle_on_it]

[No shock, he's surprised to see Toph's room so clean when he ascends the stairs. Sokka hovers in the doorway.] Hey, uh... wow. Been busy?

[kyasdaughter]

Yeah.

[She's actually sweating a little, reaching up to slide the back of her hands against her forehead. Her fingers are pruney from the water she's used to scrub the floor, apparently having avoided waterbending at all and doing it the old fashioned way.]

It was filthy in here.

[offline]

[fn_rebel]

[Hope she doesn't mind Jet creeping in her room. Well, he'll lean in the doorway.]

When'd she leave?

[offline]

[kyasdaughter]

[She does mind, in fact - she was using text because she was crying, crying too hard to want to let anyone see.]

I don't know, Jet -- ! Get out of here, would you?

[offline]

[fn_rebel]

Katara....

[He frowns. He knows it's more than Toph leaving - it's Aang and Zuko and now Toph, and everything else this place was putting her through. He takes a step in the room and shuts the door behind him.]

[offline]

[kyasdaughter]

I said get out, not come in.

[She's crying into her sleeve, now, though she still manages to shout that pretty clearly.] I'll be okay in a few minutes.