So uh yeah... this was scribbled in the margin of my Sequences and Series notebook. Because proving and re-proving 1-1 functions work got kind of boring. I would imagine... given the tripe I wrote, it's for the greater good of the universe that I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender. Why yes, I do have a penchant for odd pairings, how kind of you to notice. But the chemistry of Zutara just really escapes me. I don't think Zuko would appreciate the smotheration.

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Dissimilar

Maybe it was because she was absolutely nothing like Azula. She wasn't perfect, hell no, and maybe it was self pity, but he preferred it that way. Azula was faultless in her father's eyes, and even though his mother said things to comfort him, he knew she saw which child was superior in every way. He couldn't be blamed for having an aversion to perfection.

Azula used even her appearance as a weapon. Azula threw a fit when she messed up her hair showing off. Azula treated her skin with expensive oils and lotions to hide the inevitable blemishes handling fire left on her hands. Azula wore her finery no matter what, because Azula was Princess of the Fire Nation, and no one was allowed to forget it.

Toph couldn't be bothered with looking proper, because it didn't matter to her. Toph didn't care enough to wear her tiny doll-sized shoes, preferring to wander around in her bare feet, despite her upbringing. Toph was quite proud of the hardened palms that contrasted with the white, white skin and aristocratic fingers. She thought they proved the life she chose, the life she had poured into bending. Toph ran around in whatever she was comfortable with, because being a princess was way too much work of the kind she didn't like.

Azula backed her words with blows. Azula couldn't stand it when people didn't listen to her, so she made sure everyone had an eye and an ear on her in case she decided to hurt someone. Azula made fun of weaponry because she reveled in making people feel inferior. Azula reminded him too much of his father; ambitions, indifference, and a stunning disregard for life.

Toph followed up her blows with words. Toph needed people to take her seriously, because she was afraid that no one did. They had that in common. Toph made fun of non-benders because she couldn't understand how they could stand not having the complete control bending gave. Toph reminded him of himself, because he wasn't sure he understood her completely, but what he did understand, he could identify with.

Azula always lied. Azula used sugary words to barely veil the venom that stung so deeply. Azula used words to hurt, because for some reason she enjoyed it.

Toph, as far as he could see, only withheld certain truths, because she knew she couldn't trust herself to say them right. Toph hid the sensitive little girl she didn't want to be behind the callous uncaring fighter she thought would be safest. Toph used cruel words because her other option was lying. Toph could tell him to his face what she thought of him, and mean it in the best possible way.

Azula could bend him into the next month, and mock him into next year. Azula gave him plenty of reasons to hate her.

Toph was the best Earthbender he'd ever seen, and she knew how useful words could be as weapons. Toph was infuriating but precocious. Apparently there was a difference.

There were plenty of differences between Toph and Azula, Zuko reflected. The most important being that Zuko would never kiss Azula.

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I should probably stop... but I've a lovely long, complicated plotline for a ZukoToph... but I'm holding off doing anything till I finish at least one of my Naruto fics. Now!linked to my xanga; the specific entry is hotlinked in Authoress's bio. Have fun children. Or if you think I should stop, I can give you my address and you can send me a letter bomb.