4914/Gaoling to see the Folks

Gaoling to see the Folks
Date of Scene:	21 December 2016
Location:	Avatar World <AW>
Synopsis:	Toph drags Sokka and Tony with her to Gaoling to check up on her parents after the whole multiverse went funky.
Cast of Characters:	20, 1076, 301

---

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The last trip to this world had been a cold and near fatal experience. But that was before the Multiversal Puking Event as Toph so lovingly referred to it as. Just how was this world doing? Certainly it was okay, as Sokka had put it; it had the Avatar after all. And Aang hadn't grown weaker since he saved the world, now had he? Still, there's one place that Toph wants to, no... needs to see for herself.

    Gaoling doesn't seem to be much different at first glance. But it's clear that things have happened here due to the increased traffic and activity in the usually calm mountain area. It shouldn't be hard to figure out just what happened either, as the citizens here are chittering and chatting about it as the three travellers head through. An earthquake hit the area, with several ravines forming, roads destroyed and some fields literally falling together. Not exactly horrific, but it's clear that Toph does look concerned as they head on through town. She's unusually quiet, which might be a sign to her two companions. Though Sokka might have additional information regarding Toph's behaviour concerning their earlier meeting with their Curator earlier today.

    Upon nearing the gates of the Beifong Estate however it's clear that the area here hasn't been too badly disturbed by the quakes in the area. It does seem that there's a gap in the outer wall however, although the houses appear to be standing still as all of their rooftops can be seen. Toph herself is perhaps the only one who can really 'see' the entire state of things. Her expression is a bit hard to read, but she doesn't look terrified at least. The last time she was here was when the entire Mu incident went down, after all. Increasing her pace, Toph hurries towards the gates, and this fact isn't missed by the guards. This time Tony should be pleased that they don't look aggressive at all. Though one of them does slip inside the gates, presumably to tell the Beifongs. The other one pushes the gates further open for the three. "Toph! We're alerting your parents that you're coming, please come inside." He does glance at Tony, not daring to look too much at him. Though his gaze lingers on Sokka, as if trying to remember something about his face.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka followed behind Toph, in his Water Tribe clothing this time. Sword over his shoulders, supporting his arms as he walked through the town, occasionally mumbling one story or another. "And so then he says 'Island of nunya. Nunya business!' ah man, it was wonderful," he said with a big snicker. The place was a little trashed, but not too bad. He imagined all the earth benders in the area probably helped. After all, they had an earth bending SCHOOL here, so it wasn't like the town was undefended against such things. Taking their sweet time on the repairs, it seemed.

He walked in after Toph, giving the guard a mischievous grin as he walked in. Oh, he had been thinking quite a while on how to do this. It reallllly depended on how Lao reacted. Namely, how deep that stick was inserted into his lower regions. Deep enough, well, then Sokka would just have to give it a little twist. Alas, Sokka didn't know about the whole Mu incident, yet. Or he'd have had quite a few extra words to throw at the old geezer. "So, did you bring the whole shiny suit in case we need it, Tony?" he asked, glancing back. "I mean, I doubt we will. We've got Toph. Sghe could wreck everyone in this town if she wanted. But you never know."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony mostly lets Toph set the pace; he's just here for moral support this time. And punching, if it comes to that. He makes a game of trying to look the guard in the eyes, to see just how far he can push the other man into avoiding his glance. If, on the other hand, the guard mans up and meets his gaze, he'll just smile and nod politely.

One eye remains on Toph at all times though. He certainly hasn't forgotten the reception the last time he had to force his way onto the Beifong property, plus Pepper would murder him if he let anything happen to their daughter mere days before the expected birth of their son.

"It's nearby," he assures Sokka in a measured undertone. Just in case. "It sounds like Toph's parents were about as nice to you as they have been to me. Nice to know I wasn't just being singled out."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The guard does arch an eyebrow at Sokka, but closes the gate after them. For whatever reason he doesn't challenge Tony's glance.

    Inside the estate the gardens have seen better days, the turtleduck pond disturbed, several of the flower beds collapsed into the ground, even one of the bridges is no longer there. Many trees have fallen over, though luckily the houses /are/ still standing. The servants are busy working on getting the place back in order it looks like. While they walk Toph is quiet, though she's certainly heard whatever Tony and Sokka are talking about even if she's a bit ahead of them. Both of them should be aware of that freaky hearing of hers.

    It doesn't take long for the guard to return however, and with two familiar people at his heels. Even if it's been some time since he last saw them Sokka shouldn't have problems recognising Lao and Poppy, and it's been nearly 10 months since Tony last saw the two. Poppy isn't slow to run up to Toph, and the blind earthbender runs up to meet her. "Mother!" Though the ensuing hug is clearly a bit too tight for her, and she finds herself smothered by kisses all over her face. "Toph! We were so worried!" Yes, it appears that Toph's mother will never stop worrying about her. And Lao joins the two, reaching out to turn Toph's face to inspect her, concern written on his face. "We didn't hear from the Union, and the news we could get from the other worlds--" A heavy sigh leaves the man, and he pulls Toph in for a hug. For now it looks like Toph accepts the coddling, and she looks a bit relieved to know that her birth parents are okay.

    Even as Poppy continues fussing over Toph, brushing hair away from her face, Lao turns to the other two. And well, Tony should be able to tell that the man isn't feeling entirely comfortable, which is usual after what happened two years ago. But he nods, glancing at Sokka. "Thank you for visiting. We were quite worried... please come inside." At that he turns towards the nearest servant. "Prepare tea for Toph and our guests."

    At least it doesn't look like Lao's an ass today.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka blinked a few times. Hey, tea! Guess he'd be polite then, so long as Lao was. He walked up behind them, glancing back towards Tony. He might note that sokka seemed pretty casual, but he was far from it.

With every step, he was scanning the area. Windows, doors, any sign of an earth bender attack or servant ambush. He wouldn't be caught unprepared this time. He almost said something, but stopped. This was toph's moment, her chance to be with her father and... mother.

As they walked, he eventually moved back a little to stand by Tony. "So. Guessing you've met them before, right? They actually make a pretty good cup of tea. Last time we were here. You know, while we're here, once we're done with this we should see if they have any earth bending tournaments going on. The Boulder is like, the second coolest earth bender ever. After Toph.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony also can be the perfect gentleman, pressing fist to palm before his breast and bowing slightly as Toph's parents arrive. "We would have come sooner, but... things have been in something of an uproar back home, too. I'm glad to see you're both well." The smile he keeps on his face is rather stiff, but he's too good a showman after all these years to be TOO obvious about it. "Thank you," he adds, to the offer of tea, and steps toward the door, but he won't go inside before Toph does.

"I've been here a few times," he murmurs to Sokka. "Poppy has never been anything but gracious. Her /father/, on the other hand..." he flexes his fingers and clenches a fist briefly. Yes, there would seem to be some history there. "Well at the very least we need to pick up dumplings on the way home or Pepper will never forgive us."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Upon closer inspection Sokka should be happy to note that there doesn't appear to be any ambushes planned. The gardens and courtyard are bustling with servants and guards doing their best to repair the damage caused by the quakes. And Toph herself just looks mildly uncomfortable at her parents being so close. At least Poppy isn't too close now, merely resting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. And as always she offers Tony a polite smile. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. Of course we understand that you had to settle matters in the other worlds first, I'm just so glad to know that Toph is safe. I trust your wife is doing well...?" Poppy does have a soft spot for Pepper, after all.

    Lao nods, leading the others inside. "Do you know what caused these events? Our traders have been unable to come into communication with the other worlds just yet, the radio would not work. And the warp gates to Ivalice have appeared to be dangerous..." He looks at Tony, though after a few seconds he arches an eyebrow at Sokka. "I thought you were travelling with the Avatar...?" At least he had been when Aang had first visited this place nearly four years ago.

    Toph slows down her pace a little and asides to Tony and Sokka both, "You mean we need to get four boxes of dumplings for Pepper, otherwise she wouldn't let us hear the end of it..." At the thought of stopping by the bending tournament, Toph does seem to consider it. "I guess we could do that..." Tony's only been there once too.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Well and about ready to pop," Tony replies amicably to Poppy, pantomiming Pepper's roundness with his hands in front of his belly. Did she know about the pregnancy? Well, she does now. Counting back to the evening she attended their wedding... no, they didn't wait very long at all to get down to business, did they?

We don't know yet," he answers Lao, following him inside, one eye still on Toph but allowing her mother some space to be gooshy at her. "But it affected... everywhere. The entire known multiverse, as far as we can tell. I've personally been working on getting multi-global communication up again, though. I can tune your radio to the StarkNet while we're here." Not a shred of humility, this man, naming everything after himself.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka shrugged. "Well, I was. But then we saved the world and I decided, 'Eh, a politician's life isn't for me. I miss the good old days when people tried to blow me up.' So now I'm back trying to save the multiverse with lil Toph..." He paused, almost calling her a nickname. "With Toph and the others." He glanced down to her and then...

There was a high pitched squeel. "Wait, we can get dumplings here? YES! Gaoling has the best dumplings! I think it's the chicken pigs they use. Cause oh my gosh they... errrr..." And quickly tried to go back to super serious mode.

"Yeah, whole universe went all boom, splat, sploosh. aang is probably at his wit's end keeping people from trying to deep fry other people in oil or some nonsense over the whole thing."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Oh really? That is wonderful, congratulations Mr. Stark!" Poppy smiles sincerely. "Children are truly a blessing, are they not?" It certainly looks like she believes it as she hugs Toph closer to her side. The blind girl allows this, following after her mother into one of the nearby sitting rooms where the servants have already rushed to set the table, steaming hot tea cups ready along with delicious dried fruits.

    Lao takes the head seat at the table, and Poppy sits down right next to him, finally letting go of Toph so she can sit down. Though when Sokka almost calls her by one of those silly nicknames he has for her she shifts her arm, as if to jam her elbow into his side. Luckily for him he catches himself, and she instead sits down. "Sokka joined the Union. Right before this all happened. It's no more however."

    The news of the multiverse does seem to trouble Lao as he pulls his cup close and takes away the lid to smell the scent. "That... is troubling to hear. It might affect the trade that Sir Senra set in place for the family." Sure, Lao and Faruja weren't on the best of terms, but the trade had benefited both of them and the countries they live in. At the mention of StarkNet however, Lao visibly hesitates. "I... see. So there are new ways to communicate?"

    If Sokka is so hungry, then today is his lucky day. "Get our guest some extra snacks," Poppy says, turning towards one of the servants, who bows out and leaves the room. "I'm sure the Avatar is doing his best... there have been talks about how he has been busy helping the Fire Lord quench forest fires in the Fire Nation. There are also the floods in the western Earth Kingdom, and storms out at sea..." she continues with a sigh.

    Toph has opted to take a seat between Tony and Sokka, taking her own tea cup in her hands. "And then there are the earthquakes here..." she muses. Lao nods, taking a sip of his tea. "Yes... though matters are under control now. I dare say we got off pretty easy... I heard the Union is no more. Is that true?" A somewhat stern look is given to Tony.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"New channels. Same old ways," Tony clarifies. "Just a matter of tuning your radios to the new frequencies. It may actually be more open now than it was before. I can certainly get you back in touch with Faruja if need be."

He sips his tea serenely. "In the aftermath of our entire infrastructure collapsing in the space of a day, along with that of the Confederacy, the... superfactions have splintered into smaller groups. For now at least. The /people/ are all still here, and we stand for the same things we always did."

He picks up a dried apricot and nibbles at it experimentally, before raising his eyebrows slightly and taking a larger bite. Pretty good.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded. 'nice that they all happened in areas with the right bender nearby." He sipped his tea. "Water tribes are doing pretty well, all things considered." He takes a seat next to Toph. and then reaches out to pat her head. "Yeah, whole union fell apart. We're members of the paladins now."

Big grin. "That's right, lil Toph... Toph is going to be a cop now. arresting people instead of being--" And cut himself off. "So, snacks? Got any meat?" Yes, fill his mouth with something other than his foot. Quickly sipping his tea. And sitting close to Toph... Because why not make this awkward?

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "So... we still use the radios," Lao confirms. "Please do. It would be a shame if our shipments were stalled further..." Lao states firmly. As Tony explains the state of the former Union and former Confederacy the two look a bit surprised. "So... you're not in the Union anymore then..." One might almost be able to read the question Poppy's face as she looks at Toph. But then Sokka says something unexpected, causing Lao to arch an eyebrow. "The... Paladins?"

    At that Toph swallows, and nods. "I... was asked to join by one of its members. It's law enforcement across the multiverse. And... I'm among the trainees," she informs the two. Sure, Lao doesn't look too happy, but he's not protesting out loud like he used to do. "Well, at least you might not be doing anything /too/ dangerous while a trainee," he settles for, and Poppy nods. At that very moment the servant returns, and offers a light dish to Sokka. Sure, there's meat, but not an awful lot of it. And on the way out the servant is stopped by Poppy yet again, who whispers something to the young lady before allowing her to leave.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded, glancing to toph. "Yeah, we're just trainees for now. but this is Toph we're talking about, the greatest earth bender, and metal bender, in the world. She might just be a lil trainee now, but in a few months I bet she'll be the chief," he said with a snicker. "And yeah, besides, most the people who try to kill us use metal. You know, guns, bullets, swords, things like that. as a metal bender, she's practically immune to it. I'm usually the one who gets shot up, eh Toph?" And elbowed her in the side with a big grin.

And then food! Yes! his stomach rumbled a bit and he popped a few into his mouth. at least he didn't eat all of them! Just some.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Like I said," Tony remarks, "the /people/ are still here. Most of the Paladins are former Union members." He does not, however, say anything about his own affiliations. He does shoot Lao a somewhat dirty look at his expression of relief that Toph isn't putting herself into too much danger. She was, after all, never in any more danger than when he, her /father/, nearly got her killed.

Tony kicks Sokka under the table. Quit talking about guns and swords in front of Toph's mother, you dimwit, is what he means to convey, though knowing Sokka he may well interpret it as flirting. "And she is still surrounded by good people who are all out to protect one another," he summarizes firmly.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Tony isn't the only one who's trying to get Sokka to keep quiet about the deadly things that they can enounter in the field, though she's perhaps slightly less subtle about it as the floor underneath his chair shifts, making it a bit unsteady if he doesn't sit still.

    "We're going to do what we can to keep people safe as they're settling down after the events. The war is over, but there are still lawbreakers out there. And we have to stop them," she explains, gesturing to herself and Sokka. "And my bending is even stronger, you of course know about the academy I opened..." Man, she needs to let her students know she's safe too!

    "I guess it's better than there being a multiversal war," Poppy concedes, smiling a bit uncertainly as she sips her tea. "And perhaps these Paladins can help your business associates, dear?" She turns to Lao, resting a hand on his arm. The Beifong patriarch looks like he considers this for a moment. "Perhaps... that would be prudent. There have been talks about shipments not reaching their destinations..."

    Toph herself looks like she's deep in thought for a moment. "I... can forward that to the Paladins, yes."

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka blinked a few times and then let out a yelp, chair going off as he's kicked and sent to the ground. He groaned, getting back up. "Guess I'm really falling for this place, huh?" he said, rubbing his leg and glancing down. "Do you have termites? I swear something bit my leg..."

... He couldn't be that clueless, could he?

"And yeah, no war this time. Just multiversal pains in the butt and trust me, compared to the stuff toph and I used to deal with all the time, this'll be nothing." He nodded matter of factly.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony just... looks at Sokka, closes his eyes as if in some existential pain, and rubs the spot between his eyebrows.

There is, at least, some truth in the boy's most recent comment. It's not as if Team Avatar hasn't seen their way through a lot of dangerous situations already; of course Tony isn't sure how much of THAT Toph's parents know about either. "We're all fine," he tries to put a cap on the issue, before Poppy can start imagining what kind of horrors they've faced already.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Man... he's really clueless, isn't he? As Tony rubs the spot between his eyes Toph lets out a silent sigh, closing her eyes.

    "Well, that's a relief," Lao says, though he doesn't look nor sound entirely convinced. Before he can say anything more the servant from earlier returns, carrying a box with her that she hands over to Tony without a single word. That is left to Poppy, who beams. "Mrs. Stark will need clothes for the child, will she not? And there should be various teas that is good for circulation in there as well. She should have three cups of tea a day. Do bring her our well wishes, won't you? And I do hope we will be able to visit one day soon."

    While Poppy is talking to Tony, Toph takes the chance to lean in closer to Sokka, whispering to him. "Ixnay on the ightingfay...!" Seems she has to say it straight out. Sorta.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded. "Yeah, we're doing great and... and..." He paused and leaned in close to Toph. "Toph... I don't know what language that was. What did it mean?" He doesn't even know pig latin. 500 year old scrolls? No, he can decipher those in a few days. But pig latin, that's just tooooo much for him, it seems.

And he accidentally blew on her ear a bit when he did it, too. To make it worse. This. This was the guy she liked. Whyyyyy?

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony blinks in surprise, and has to make a conscious decision to set down his teacup and take the box, his cheek twitching slightly at the effort of being cordial while Being Handed Something. "Uh... thank you, Poppy," he gets out awkwardly. And then JUST quickly enough to not make him just an afterthought, he adds, "Lao."

Not like they can't afford entire wardrobes for the kid, but it's... thoughtful. If it were just Poppy he'd almost say it was touching. As it is, he smiles, and this time it does reach his eyes. "I'll make sure Pepper gets her daily quota along with the well wishes," he quips. "And -- of course," a little haltingly, "I'm sure we'd love to have you visit, once things settle down a bit of course." Maybe he could take Lao out to meet Cuddles.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Ugh, of course Sokka doesn't know pig latin. And she lets out a slight eep when Sokka blows on her ear, reaching a hand out to hit his leg underneath the table and trying to do so without her parents noticing.

    Teenagers.

    As Tony is clearly happy about the gift Poppy smiles warmly and nods. "We understand if you want things to settle down. You do not have servants to help look after the child, do you?" Of course it's easier for nobles, considering all the extra hands they have to help with tending to their children. "We will visit you when we are invited," Lao confirms with a nod, returning to his tea.

    LATER.

    "Well, that went less horribly than I thought it would..." Toph says with a sigh of relief as she walks down the road leading towards the main area of Gaoling. No yelling is always a plus, and well... Sokka didn't make a too big fool of himself. And Tony even got a gift for Pepper and Bitchin' Camaro! "So... are the clothes scratchy? I bet they're scratchy," she asides to Tony, wrinkling her nose.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka lets out a sigh of relief, putting an arm around Toph! And Tony. "Well, you're in a for a realllll treat, Tony. The dumplings here are the best. After that, the earth rumble! Toph, maybe you can go back out there, defend your title. I find it hard to believe that ANYONE they might have shown up now could hold so much as a pebble to you," he said, giving Toph a light jostle, followed by a laugh. "You know, I think your dad was a lot less uptight than I remember. I was thissssss close to pretending to be from one of the swamp tribes. See if I could make him think you were gator wrestling."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony paws the box open and rifles around inside. "Hmm, no, they're pretty soft. I mean they're /baby/ clothes." He lifts up a tiny light green tunic and rubs the fabric between his fingers. "Actually I think this is silk," he mutters, a little disbelieving. /Rich people/, right?

Sokka's jabbering brings him back down to the present moment. "...really?" he humors Sokka, wishing he could cast Toph a wink though he's sure she can read his tone just fine. "You'll have to point out the best ones for me." Hundreds of Gaoling dumplings, this man has eaten.

His mouth pulls to the side in a half-grimace at the talk about Lao though. "Well, a lot of that is probably because he's afraid I'll punch him again," he notes ruefully.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    There's only some faint blushing when Sokka puts his arm around her, though she does smile a little too. "Meat head, I told you-," she begins to explain, elbowing Sokka in the side. Not too hard though. And she halts when Tony pulls Sokka's leg. Well, if he wants to joke around with him...

    "And I don't need to defend my title, I still have the belt, remember?" So the championship is still hers, technically! Even if she hasn't fought there for nearly four years..." For some reason Sokka still seems to refer to Lao as her 'dad' however, and Toph sighs. "It's easier when you call him my father and /him/," she says, pointing directly at Tony, "dad." It's the best way to keep them apart since she has two sets of parents, after all.

    "Silk, huh? Lucky kid. All I remember is that my clothes were scratchy..." And not to mention way too formal for her preference.

    It's true, isn't it? Lao is afraid of getting in trouble with Tony, not that she blames him. "Yeah," she sighs, her own arm raising a bit behind Sokka's back, but just as she's about to put it around his waist, she lowers it again.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded. "Right. Well I think--" Then... gasped. "You PUNCHED him? Oh my gosh, you're AWESOME! Really, Toph, you traded up. Like, the only way you could have a cooler dad is if you had my dad," he said with a chuckle.

"And don't worry, Tony, I'll show you all the best dumplings. Why, I'm a regular conasopal... coniesword... con... I'm very good at determining the best kinds of meat to eat!"

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"He... said some things that resulted in him needing to be punched," Tony admits vaguely. "I just happened to be the guy there. Being insulted. After convincing his daughter to come see him at all in the first place." He flexes his right fist again.

"Although... if your dad is so much cooler I guess I'll understand why you want to leave and go hang out with him instead." He's going to make Sokka carry all six boxes of Pepper's dumplings home.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's a bit weird to have Sokka fanboy Tony about punching her father. It's usually his suits and workshop that gets the 'awesome' comments. But still, Toph does let out a slightly amused snort. "Nah, I think I'll stick with this dad for now. I wouldn't want to live down at the South Pole, way too cold for me, plus... no earth and all," she shrugs. Also... "The word is conaisseur," she comments to Sokka. Though she does cant her head a bit.

    Is... Tony actually helping? True, it seemed that way when they were speaking on the radio, but... well, that wasn't as much helping as saying things he shouldn't say just yet because what if... okay. Or maybe he's just being pouty at his ego not being stroked. "I did tell Sokka he should come by on New Year's Eve. I mean, it's bound to be more fun than non-celebrating down at the South Pole..."

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka snickered softly and ruffled Toph's hair. "Aw, that's fine. I wouldn't want to leave your dad either. Though, I imagine having two dads would be enough. I can't imagine having a third. Besides, you'll be like a little sister to me either way." Noogie!

He then blinked and chuckled nervously. "Y-yeah. About, err, the whole coming during holidays thing. Really, if you don't want me to, I don't have to. I mean, I have places I could go." No he didn't. "I-I'd rather not be a disturbance to you, sir." He'd defintely carry all six home. Hopefully tony bought extra or all six might not make it there, though.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"You're perfectly welcome to come over for New Year's Eve," Tony declares. Then amends, "That is, assuming the squid's timing is amenable." If the kid's born on the 29th it's unlikely they'll be throwing much of a party on the 31st. "Then again, if I'm busy changing diapers, you can be there to describe the fireworks to Toph and you guys can both not get into the liquor cabinet together. So... yeah," he decides. "It's fine with me."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Again with the little sister comments. And she does her best to look dignified even though her hair doesn't at this point after being ruffled and noogied. "... stop lying already, Sokka," she mumbles and elbows him in the side again. This time /hard/.

    As for Bitchin' Camaro's imminent arrival, Toph huffs. "He should be out before Christmas if you ask me. Mom certainly wants him out of the premises as soon as possible." Which is understandable, because it seems rather uncomfy. Though it seems that Sokka is invited over no matter what, and well... that does bring a soft smile to Toph's face. "Eh, fireworks are only noisy if you ask me. And why would I get into your liquor cabinet anyway?" she snorts in Tony's direction. He should know her well enough by now that she's not going to make the same mistake twice!

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded. "Oh yeah, that'd be awesome! Hey, remember after we took down the fire nation? Remember what you told me, Toph? To you, Fireworks look like BOOM!" right in her ear. Vengeance! And then he totally pulled away before she could smack him for that, using tony as a shield.

"So, is that one of those things where you tell us not to do it, but you DO want us to get into your liquor?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Uh, yeah, why? It was ra--AH!" The yelling right in her sensitive ear causes Toph to jump, and she winces, reaching one hand up to her ringing ear. And sure, Sokka might off to hide behind Tony, but he keeps on forgetting one thing, doesn't he?

    Toph raises her foot slightly and slams her heel down into the ground, and Sokka gets knocked back by one dull earth pillar aimed for his abdomen. As he is sent into the ditch next to the road she mutters, walking past Tony. "... ugh, boys." Of course she's blushing a bit as she heads on first back to Gaoling.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka came walking out of the ditch a few minutes later, rubbing his chest and laughing as he wheezed. "Ugh, she got me good with that one. Heh heh. Probably deserved it. Man, if what you said about her hurting the ones she loves is true, she must wanna marry me," he said with a laugh, shaking his head and rubbing his abdomen. "M-mind if I sit down for a second? Just... just need a second." Ow. Ow ow. Ow. He'd have to lay down on the bench, gasping. "Woo. You really know how to knock a guy off his feet, huh? I must be really falling for you. Can't believe you totally ditched me." Right. To. The. Puns. All the puns.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"I said you could both NOT get into it," Tony retorts. "It's more fun to not do something together. And NO, that doesn't mean I'm trying to reverse psychologize you."

His fingers drum over the lid of the box tucked into the crook of his left arm. "Well he's got four days to make that deadline," he muses. "I know Pepper wants him out, for sure. But the doctor thinks he was, uh, conceived toward the END of our vacation, so he might decide to cook for another week, yet. Due dates aren't exact science."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    How can Sokka still be so dense and yet so close? Toph sighs for herself, though. Instead she turns towards Tony. "I promise I won't go near your liquor, and I'll stop Sokka if he gets close to it." See? You don't have to deal with drunken teenagers on what will be a family plus Sokka night.

    Though when he starts going into details, the blind girl throws her hands up and begins humming loudly. "LALALALALA OOGIE I CAN'T HEAR YOU LALALALALA!" Yes, how mature. Then again, Sokka is there too so that makes it worse.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka chuckled softly, laying there. "Really? So in your world you're able to plan all this out? Figure out when they want to pop out of the oven?" he asked with a grin. "You know, Gran Gran always said I came out a bit too early, said I should have cooked a while longer." Then paused. "Though, she also said dad probably dropped me a few times..."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony gives Sokka a sidelong glance. "You can't tell in your world? I thought 40 weeks was pretty universal. Among humans." At the remarks about being born too early and/or dropped though, he chuckles and slaps the young man on the back. "Hey, no one's perfect. I came out feet first."