Greet the (New) Meat! (no, don't eat them!)

[cityship]

By hook or by crook or by avoiding hook and crook, the crew assembled from the previous podpops eventually made it up to the Living Area to greet their new crew mates. The creepy sculpture was also there, though less to greet them than it was always there.

The strange, fleshy seating had multiplied. You really, really don't want to know how.

Comments

[metalbent.livejournal.com]

Toph knew who he was, and, strangely, despite the fact that when she last saw him they were all on a bit of a shaky truce, she was absolutely relieved to see someone a bit familiar.

Which was why - and this might be a bit odd for him - Toph bounded toward him, a grin on her face, and punched him in the shoulder. Albeit this time, affectionately.

"You're here too? What about the others?"

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

Ow. What? Ow.

"Uh - The Ava - Aang's not. Neither is . . ." the Water Tribe peasants. What were their names again? "Katara and Sokka." He pauses, before adding "My girlfriend Mai is here, but nobody else that I know."

[metalbent.livejournal.com]

Toph then looked a little downcast. "Oh," she said, staring at the ground with her blinded eyes.

"... You have a girlfriend? I never thought you'd be the type."

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

Ever the oblivious, Zuko frowns. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Wait. This is very weird. The only time he's seen this girl was when they were all fighting Azula in the old mining town, and that was very briefly. She's acting like she knows him.

"Uh . . ." girlfriend comments aside, he should at least be welcoming. "How are you doing?"

[metalbent.livejournal.com]

"It means -" Toph sighed. "Oh, never mind."

See, the last time Toph saw Zuko he'd just left to go on a firebending adventure with Aang. He'd been at least introduced to their group, and were starting to actually get along.

Just a little bit.

"Well, being here is kind of freaky. No earth and all. What about you?"

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

"I'm doing all right." Zuko scratches the back of his head. "Mai's here. You're here. The people are okay."

He pauses.

"Actually . . . I don't know how much you know about the ship, but one of the . . ." how DO you describe Rommie? "There are things, sort of like spirits of the ship, and one of them told me that Aang is here. But he's alone. Trapped."

The Prince's old determination is back. "We need to find him and save him."

[metalbent.livejournal.com]

"I don't know anything," Toph admitted. "I just got here."

When Aang was mentioned, she brightened up considerably. "Yeah! We do need to get Twinkle Toes back..."

That was Toph. Not really caring about the particulars of the situation, but being okay with diving right in.

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

"As far as I can tell, Stacy's holding him prisoner. I don't know why. I'll show you all the places I've already looked. Maybe you'll see something I didn't."

[metalbent.livejournal.com]

"Sounds good," Toph said, still riding the enthusiasm that someone she knew was here.

Zuko... well, he kind of counted, but he was ... new.

Or he had been when she'd seen him last.

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

"Okay. Good."

So . . . this is weird. Toph's been with the Avatar's group for the shortest time out of the four, but she still shouldn't be this pleased to see him, should she?

"Uh . . . I guess . . . you're not upset to see me," he says, with a hint of a question on the end of his sentence.

[metalbent.livejournal.com]

"No," Toph said confidently. "You've helped us a lot."

Though something didn't add up here - this was Zuko, certainly he'd have known what he'd done?

"I know you're a bit... dim. But come on, you saved us from that crazy Combustion Man guy!"

[found-myway.livejournal.com]

Who? "Comb -"

Oh. The mercenary.

"That's . . . actually not his name, but - I did?"

Or . . . he'd have to?

"I . . . think you're from farther ahead than me. Maybe."