Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > One Step At Time
The Reason People Have Parties
0 reviewsA series of drabbles based on the Tokka100 LJ Community. Rocks, boomerangs, and all that lie in between.
1Funny
/ #80 - Dance/
The Reason People Have Parties
Toph caught herself swaying to the music and quickly stopped before someone noticed her. She hated her parents' parties, but couldn't get out of joining them, especially since she was planning on taking over the business and skipping the whole part about getting married altogether. She figured she needed to make them happy as much as possible to make up for completely turning tradition on its head.
From the murmurs she heard pointed in her direction, she was drawing too much attention to herself as it was. At least, she was allowed one small bit of female pride that she was finally getting attention for something other than her blindness or her bending; if she heard correctly, she looked beautiful tonight...stunning even, if others were to be believed. The high, wide skirt was a bit cumbersome to wear, her collar itched, and her head ached because of how tightly her hair was pulled back, but she supposed she could suffer a bit for beauty. After having three of her handmaids fussing over her for more than four hours, it was almost worth it.
Words were fine and good, but Toph would have liked one of the young men standing nearby to quit whispering and just ask her to dance. She did enjoy a nice spin on the dance floor now and again, and even though she had no intention of marrying any of the men her parents had invited, she enjoyed the kind of power she felt when they catered to her every whim. It was different, but not unpleasant. Usually, at his point during the night, one or two would have already asked her to dance, but so far no one had. If she was so beautiful, why was she standing without a partner? What was the point of having a fancy party if she was only going to stand around while everyone else had a good time?
"Sokka, is my skirt crooked?" she hissed at the lurking form behind her.
Distracted, Sokka glanced over at her, and the heavily ornamented young man he'd been glaring at started to creep forward towards Toph again. His movement drew Sokka's attention back and Sokka's eyes narrowed dangerously. It was enough to make the other man turn on his heel and seek out another dance partner. Silently, Sokka gave himself another point.
"It's not crooked," he answered Toph, pushing himself off the wall he was resting on to stand next to her. "Why?"
"I haven't danced all night. Something's wrong. You wouldn't play a joke on a blind girl by letting her walk around with a crooked skirt or tilted hairpin at a fancy party, would you?" she accused.
"Of course not," he said, sounding insulted that she would even think such a thing. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"
"Okay, then be honest. Did my maids do something weird to my makeup or are the other men here also blind?"
"Toph, you're beautiful, and they can see you," he sighed.
"Then why the hell haven't they asked me to dance?" she raged.
"Maybe it's because of your nasty temper."
"Shut up. I don't have a nasty temper."
"I didn't think not being asked to dance would bother you this much," Sokka said thoughtfully.
"I'm a woman, aren't I? You might not believe it, but I do like being fawned over once and a while, and by people who aren't paid to do it."
"Oh."
Toph sighed. She wondered if he would ever think of her as more than the little girl who'd run away from home to join in an adventure.
Sokka smiled. He wondered if she would ever realize that he was no longer the teenage boy who'd fallen in love with the moon and the flash of a golden fan.
To Toph's surprise, he took her hand in his.
"Would you like to dance, Lady Bei-Fong?" Sokka asked formally, bowing over her hand.
"Uh...I-I guess."
He led her onto the dance floor, and in unison, they moved closer to each other.
"If you step on my foot with those heavy boots of yours..."
"Have a little faith," he whispered in her ear. "I'm a lot better at this than you think."
Her hand resting in his, Toph couldn't help smiling. The arm he put around her tightened just a little bit, and they began to dance.
-fin-
The Reason People Have Parties
Toph caught herself swaying to the music and quickly stopped before someone noticed her. She hated her parents' parties, but couldn't get out of joining them, especially since she was planning on taking over the business and skipping the whole part about getting married altogether. She figured she needed to make them happy as much as possible to make up for completely turning tradition on its head.
From the murmurs she heard pointed in her direction, she was drawing too much attention to herself as it was. At least, she was allowed one small bit of female pride that she was finally getting attention for something other than her blindness or her bending; if she heard correctly, she looked beautiful tonight...stunning even, if others were to be believed. The high, wide skirt was a bit cumbersome to wear, her collar itched, and her head ached because of how tightly her hair was pulled back, but she supposed she could suffer a bit for beauty. After having three of her handmaids fussing over her for more than four hours, it was almost worth it.
Words were fine and good, but Toph would have liked one of the young men standing nearby to quit whispering and just ask her to dance. She did enjoy a nice spin on the dance floor now and again, and even though she had no intention of marrying any of the men her parents had invited, she enjoyed the kind of power she felt when they catered to her every whim. It was different, but not unpleasant. Usually, at his point during the night, one or two would have already asked her to dance, but so far no one had. If she was so beautiful, why was she standing without a partner? What was the point of having a fancy party if she was only going to stand around while everyone else had a good time?
"Sokka, is my skirt crooked?" she hissed at the lurking form behind her.
Distracted, Sokka glanced over at her, and the heavily ornamented young man he'd been glaring at started to creep forward towards Toph again. His movement drew Sokka's attention back and Sokka's eyes narrowed dangerously. It was enough to make the other man turn on his heel and seek out another dance partner. Silently, Sokka gave himself another point.
"It's not crooked," he answered Toph, pushing himself off the wall he was resting on to stand next to her. "Why?"
"I haven't danced all night. Something's wrong. You wouldn't play a joke on a blind girl by letting her walk around with a crooked skirt or tilted hairpin at a fancy party, would you?" she accused.
"Of course not," he said, sounding insulted that she would even think such a thing. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"
"Okay, then be honest. Did my maids do something weird to my makeup or are the other men here also blind?"
"Toph, you're beautiful, and they can see you," he sighed.
"Then why the hell haven't they asked me to dance?" she raged.
"Maybe it's because of your nasty temper."
"Shut up. I don't have a nasty temper."
"I didn't think not being asked to dance would bother you this much," Sokka said thoughtfully.
"I'm a woman, aren't I? You might not believe it, but I do like being fawned over once and a while, and by people who aren't paid to do it."
"Oh."
Toph sighed. She wondered if he would ever think of her as more than the little girl who'd run away from home to join in an adventure.
Sokka smiled. He wondered if she would ever realize that he was no longer the teenage boy who'd fallen in love with the moon and the flash of a golden fan.
To Toph's surprise, he took her hand in his.
"Would you like to dance, Lady Bei-Fong?" Sokka asked formally, bowing over her hand.
"Uh...I-I guess."
He led her onto the dance floor, and in unison, they moved closer to each other.
"If you step on my foot with those heavy boots of yours..."
"Have a little faith," he whispered in her ear. "I'm a lot better at this than you think."
Her hand resting in his, Toph couldn't help smiling. The arm he put around her tightened just a little bit, and they began to dance.
-fin-
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