101 Chapter 101 - Animals
Chapters in advance in Patreòn
Pa treon.com/HolyJoker
(20+ chapters in advance)
***
Was Sokka's luck with women getting worse? No, he knew that if there was one thing that he believed in himself, then it would be his fate-defying luck. Still, he could see that Toph wasn't willing to join him, and no amount of Luck could manipulate her mind.
But of course, like any other stalker, he wasn't going to give up so soon. Though he wouldn't consider himself a creep, just someone who does stalker-like behavior. Sokka shook his head, dismissing any weird side thoughts distracting him.
He also knew many possible ways that he could convince her, though their effectiveness depends. Everyone has a plan until reality punches them in the face, and while Sokka could try to calculate through all the possible alternatives, he wasn't omniscient, or all-knowing. There were many things he couldn't take into account here.
But even through all that, he would be good with coming up with something on the fly. But that was when another problem would arise. The biggest worrying factor and why having Toph see things his way was likely to fail.
Gamer's Mind was a good, amazing Skill. Something so otherworldly that wouldn't let anyone mentally influence Sokka and it would crush anything that tried to invade his mind.
But that same skill had many side effects, Sokka knew that due to the skill. Toph probably didn't sense anything from him. Just like a cold, emotionless rock. While that wasn't true on the inside as his feelings were still there, Gamer's Mind and Body would make him appear calm to her senses even if he wasn't. He could understand why anyone wouldn't trust someone she couldn't read at all and appeared so calm.
'This is an annoying obstacle. But not something I hadn't planned beforehand. Everyone can be bought, though sometimes, the price isn't always money.'
"How about I teach you a new form of earthbending?" He laid it out directly, no side-stepping the issue or trying to outmaneuver Toph. This wasn't a situation where he could use his innocent-looking face to try and have girls agree with him.
His expression was still gentle, just in case anyone was observing (June likely is) but against Toph, his acts had no effect at all.
"I am going to scream now," Toph said simply, taking a deep breath, getting ready to do what she had just said. Since he didn't seem like a bad guy, she at least gave him a warning, but Sokka was still very suspicious.
Fwish!
But before she could do anything, Sokka was right in front of her with his hand covering her mouth. "How about we keep this quiet, little princess? I really mean it when I said that I will teach you new forms of earthbending."
As proof, he took out a scalpel and slashed it across his hand. Blood dripped out and formed into the shape of a star. "You see? Bending is amazing, and you haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg yet."
Brushing his hand aside, Toph frowned, but she didn't scream so Sokka saw that as some progress. "So you want me to follow you? A sketchy man who suddenly appeared and was told to come with him? Also, your twisted bloodbending doesn't help at all. It makes you seem like the villain."
Hearing that, Sokka smiled. "That's where you're mistaken. I am the good guy here. Also, it wasn't like I would ever be able to meet you the regular way. How would I even go about that? Ask your parents if I can see their young daughter? That sounds like something that would get me put in jail. Can you imagine what happens to cute, innocent-looking guys, like me, in jail?"
She looked at him confused. "What happens to them?"
'Oh, right, this world doesn't have the internet so kids her age can't learn such things.'
Sokka remembered that his reference wouldn't be understood by anyone.
Sighing, Toph shook her head. But she knew that what Sokka said was true. It would have taken him years to even meet her parents if he went by the regular route, let alone her, they would have been both in their fifties when they met. The Beifong Family wasn't at a size that would pay attention, or grant someone an audience just because they asked. "Sorry, but I have a tournament to go to soon, and I-"
"Metalbending," that one word made Toph stop in her words. Her eyes widened for a split second.
"That's impossible. Every earthbender knows that, even the children."
"Yes, and a blind girl can't be one of the best earthbenders in the world," Sokka retorted with a small smile on his face. "Even children know that."
Letting go of her body, he started walking away and was about to jump over the wall. But turning toward her one last time, Toph could feel the smile on his face widening.
"Metal is but a part of refined earth, of course, an earthbender can manipulate it. Don't let common sense cloud your creativity, Toph. I am confident you will one day become the greatest earthbender to ever live, but before that happens, don't limit your mind with poisonous norms of normalcy. After all, you're already a very special girl."
Sokka remembered just how strong Toph was by the time Avatar Korra came around. By then, this little girl would be an old woman, but still, her bending would have reached an unimaginable level, something that no one before her had reached. Even as a blind woman, she would establish some kind of link with the swamp she lived in and have the ability to sense 'everything' being able to keep an eye on her daughters when they were on the other side of the world.
By then, Sokka wondered if even Gamer's Mind would be able to deceive her. But for now, he knew that she couldn't sense his real intentions.
"I truly believe that you have the potential to be the greatest earth bender to ever walk the earth," after saying that, he jumped over the wall in a very casual leap that created a crack on the ground he jumped from.
Toph fixed the ground like it was before with just a twitch of her hand. With a contemplative look on her face, she walked back home, a small, almost unnoticeable rush to her steps.
'I need to find something made of metal.' Thought Toph, desperately wanting to try what she had heard. While she had outwardly dismissed him, deep inside she was someone passionate about the one thing in her life she could control.
***
When dinner came around, Toph's parents noticed that she was acting weird; she stared at her spoon while drinking her soup.
"Toph, dear, is something wrong?" Inquired her mother worriedly. Even her father became worried when he noticed that his daughter wasn't acting like she usually would.
Since she could sense from the vibrations on the grounds if people were lying. Toph knew her parents were very worried, usually, they were always worried for the smaller things when nothing happened. But seeing that she wasn't eating her soup, Toph knew that her mother likely would call the best doctor in the Earth Kingdom by tomorrow. So she hurriedly, but at the same time elegantly drank her soup. "Sorry," she smiled happily at them. "I just had some thoughts in mind and was distracted."
"..." her father silently stared at her.
"If you're sure, dear. But remember, if you feel uncomfortable in any way, tell us." Her mother still was worried.
"Okay," Toph nodded and as she got up, a female servant came forward to escort the young lady to her room. The movements were skillful, this was already a routine.
What neither her mother nor father noticed was that the spoon Toph was using previously was now missing.
**
Back in her room, Tops clenched the spoon in her hand, and it rigidly and crudely morphed into a crumbling metal
*Creak!* *Creak!*
The sound of metal bending in strange ways was a little loud so she had to stop. But slowly a smile came to her. "He was right… "
She would have felt proud if this was her achievement, but it wasn't. Instead, she felt stupid for limiting herself to other people's perceptions of bending. When she, herself, was an exception to the rules, being a good, blind, earthbender.
**
Sokka stood atop the roof of a restaurant building, which had the perfect view into Toph's room. At first, he was alone, with only the wind keeping him company. But not long after, June joined to see what he was up to. "Ew, you know that the Beifong family's daughter is only eleven, right?"
"Of course I do," Sokka nodded, not bothering himself to think what June might make out of this situation. "But she's amazing. Truly the future greatest earthbender to ever live. If Bumi and a certain other man weren't around, then without a question she would already be the best."
June didn't say anything to that, at first she thought about trying to tease him. But she knew that Sokka wasn't the kind of guy who would lust after a young girl.
'He probably wouldn't even lust after the prettiest woman.' - she was confident in her analysis. As she thought of how it would look if a pretty woman came to try and seduce him, June could picture Sokka roughly pushing her aside and walking off, which made her chuckle a little.
She knew for a fact, through her mount when Sokka had complimented her, he had released no hormones that are usually associated with when someone feels a certain way for another person… or even lusting after them.
'A person so cold-hearted that he can get an unbroken iron fist through his emotions, control them to such an inhuman degree. Even the instincts of his body respond to his commands.'
June made many assumptions that she saw were logical.
"By the way, June, why haven't you left my side yet? After all, you already did your job." Sokka suddenly asked her, she didn't know whether it was a casual conversation or he was trying to pick her mind apart.
'Yeah! I did your job, but what about the Fire Lord? You think he will let me go like this? I know you're smart enough to see this, but at least act like you care enough to contemplate my dire situation for a split second. If you thought about it, someone like you should be able to see it. Also, who knows if you're going to cut me off like a loose end as soon as I leave your side.'
June was cursing at him internally, but on the outside, she smiled charmingly. "Oh, I don't know. I never had a brother," and she never wanted one either. "But the energy you give off is like a protective shield of an older sibling-"
"Okay, okay," Sokka interrupted, waving her off. He was more interested in Toph's progress as she had already gained a deep understanding of metal bending, being able to form the spoon in her hand into the shape of a star, dog, and many other things. The last thing he wanted to hear was June's story.
"Also," he added without bothering to look at her. "Don't lie to me. I can tell when someone lies."
That was only somewhat the truth, as it was mostly his [Acting] skill that allowed him to see through that, and good enough actors could easily bypass that. But he had something the Gamer Interface didn't account for, and that was common sense. To see through acts like this he just needed to think logically, and knowing how June acted until now, only a fool would assume that her words were genuine.
"Don't worry, I am not the kind of guy who will kill you for some small discretions. Even if you run off whenever you feel that things calmed down, don't worry, it's a small thing that I won't be troubled over. Especially not enough to kill you." Sokka reassured her. "Can you imagine how tiring it would be to chase you? No thanks, I don't want to do something so annoying for hardly any profit."
June smiled and nodded politely. Feeling like she was next to a lion.
'That's what everyone who kills people over small matters says. But it's better to have a monster on your side than against you. The Fire Lord won't be able to touch me as long as I stay by your side.'
Sokka had made quite a reputation for himself. Which had caused quite a lot of desertion from the Fire Nation army. His fighting powers could only be matched by his charisma. Though she hadn't heard them herself, June knew of some of the speeches Sokka had given.
