Virtuous Patience

For some reason, people tended to think that Toph was impatient. She had no idea why.

Didn't the Avatar pick her to be his Earthbending teacherg because she knew how to wait and listen? Hadn't she deciphered the physical language of the Badgermoles and used it to develop a whole style? Hadn't she puzzled out a way to use her Earthbending to 'see?' Hadn't she taken Metalbending from a mere concept to a recognized style famous throughout the world?

Hadn't she worked through relationship after relationship until she found the right person?

Again?

Toph was even being patient right now. She had been standing in front of all her guests for a good hour by this point, not saying a word. She hadn't even moved away from the Yunnan Shaman, despite the fact that his heavy robe had started emanating a really funk scent starting about twenty minutes ago. Even Lin's cranky squalling hadn't dragged Toph down from the platform. She was being very patient, and she was sure her patience would be rewarded.

Any minute now.

Any minute.

Any minute now her beloved would finally arrive, and they would get married, and they would wait a sensible number of years to have a child (another daughter, because then Lin would have a sister), and they would only take a little money out of Bei Fong Investments to get a sensible townhouse in Republic City, and of course marriage didn't guarantee happiness so they would be content most of the time and maturely work through the tough spots.

Toph just had to stay here until that cowardly rat showed up for the wedding.

Five minutes later she yanked her coronet out of her hair and threw it on the ground. "That's it! One way or another I'm getting married right now. Who's volunteering?"

Mai almost raised Zuko's hand before he snatched it away.

END