Video - 001

[seismometrics]

[There's a small girl onscreen. Tiny, pale, likely no more than 13, with a mass of heavy, dark hair and pale green eyes that spear outward from the feed.]

[. . . Though there's something off about that glare. It doesn't quite seem to focus like a glare should. And the screen itself is not quite centered on her; it cuts off her chin.]

[But there's certainly enough visible to say that she is decidedly Displeased.]

[And wet.]

I think I've gotten pretty tolerant of weird stuff going on around here. Bending suddenly getting yanked away? Managed. Invasion of the purring fluffy things? Whatever. Dream-sharing? Yeah, fine. Way, way messing up the timeline, until my-- . . .

[She cuts herself off there, though, her lips pressing together sharply. And when she pushes on, she lets that go.]

Forget it.

The point is, enough's enough. When I go to sleep in my own bed in Earth, I'd better darn well wake up in my own bed in Earth, not turn over and find myself tipping over into a fountain in the Water Sector. Whatever's going on, somebody had better speak up about it now, because I'm wet and I'm cold, and there's some kedan family living in my house, and I want an explanation now so I can smash the source into a pulp several times with a rock and get back to bed.

[A sneeze. But she looks no less fierce for it, jerking the back of her wrist across her nose.]

Start now.

Comments

[12goingon113]

[There's a sharp intake of breath from Aang as Toph's punch lands true.]

Yeah, I guess we had that coming.

[He's smiling even as he shakes his arm out in an effort to make the pain dull that much sooner. When it does, he shifts into a waterbending stance. Tendrils of water begin to wind their way out from beneath Toph's blanket, coalescing into a single ball which then freezes solid and drops to the ground with a thud

With that taken care of, Aang shifts his stance again, this time moving a bit backwards before he warms the air around his friends with breath-of-fire.]

[theideaguy]

[Sokka will rub his arm just a little bit at that. Toph hits hard, and it's been a long while since his Toph-induced bruises there healed since he'd remembered that.]

Well, I would have been here earlier if you hadn't stopped talking to me. [Ha! He's got an excuse. Even if it's not a good one.] But for old time's sake, I'll let you get away with that one.

[Besides, he knows that's how Toph expresses her love to people. Right?

[He lets Aang go about his business of waterbending and earthbending to heat the poor girl up, making sure he's nowhere near that large chunk of ice that plunks down on the floor or standing within the fire used to warm Toph up.]

All that's left is to get you back to the Hotel, though... your feet are going to have a rough time out there in all that cold.

[seismometrics]

I thought you were-- . . . [It's a retort, but she cuts herself off.] Never mind.

[Meanwhile, Aang seems to have pulled the water off her in the fanciest way possible -- into a sphere of ice that echoes into her brain as it bounces solidly to the ground. (That kid never could do anything straightforward -- always had to add some twist to it.) She sneezes again, burrowing, looping a fold of blanket over her head. There's way too much insanity going on. Right now she really, really wants to burrow into bed and try to block it out for a few minutes.]

[The warmth from Aang's bending, though, begins to spread through her, and her muscles start to ease, welcoming the heat.]

Thanks. [The word itself is warm, and grateful. Warmth. She will never leave it again.]

[Which means, as far as Sokka's comment:] I'm not walking around out there. Already tried it. Not happening.

[Which leaves how she's going to get to the hotel a mystery, but. Never leaving warmth again, remember?]

[Muttered,] Just come get me when it's spring or something.

[12goingon113]

I don't think that's going to work out all that well for anyone, Toph.

[Not you, and certainly not the proprietor of this particular establishment.]

Oh I know! Sokka can carry you!

[theideaguy]

[There's a brief moment where Sokka almost volunteers to do the task that he just suggested, but now—now that he's been volunteered by someone else—Sokka now chooses to be half-indignant about the whole thing.]

Aang, do I look like a camel yak to you? Or Toph's seeing-eye Sokka?

[Sokka sighs dramatically, perhaps overdramatically. He's not really as ill-disposed to the task as he makes it seem. In fact, if Toph had her feet on the floor, she might even be able to feel that in his voice.]

Come on, you, up you go. Besides, you could probably do with a nice bed.

[He kneels down in front of her and hoists her legs up to carry him on his back.]

Just... if you're going to sneeze, don't do it in my ear.

Forever and a day later . . .

[seismometrics]

[Were she in any other frame of mind, Toph would totally be making commentary about this. But as it is, she's worn and she's tired and the world isn't making sense. Frankly, bed would be really, really good about then.]

[So she doesn't resist when Sokka tugs at her legs, feeling out for his shoulders -- while keeping the blanket around her as well as she can. She lets out another sneeze that, to her credit, is only half in his ear, settling in against his back. At least he's warm.]

Fine. Just . . . don't take the scenic route, okay?

[That's right, Aang. She's talking to you.]

We're totally judging. Totally. And judging.

[12goingon113]

[Aang winces when Toph sneezes.]

Don't worry, Sokka. It'll wash out.

[Because, you see...he's helpful. Yes. Helpful. That's Aang all over.]

I'll do my best. Sokka, yip yip!

[What?! He's just happy his friends are here!]

Always judging. Guilty. So guilty. And guilty.

[theideaguy]

[Sokka does more than wince. There's Toph cooties and germs all over his coat. Thankfully, it will wash out; Aang's right about that. But...]

Not worried about that, [Sokka says while making a face.] Going deaf on the other hand...

[And he definitely is also worried that Aang thinks he's suddenly a sky bison as well, hence the marginally dirty look that he shoots Aang. Again.]

Ah, the things I do for my friends. Enjoy this while it lasts.