"What's up?" Toph asked nonchalantly, plopping down next to him and snacking on something she had stashed in a small pouch next to her. Zuko regarded her curiously for a moment, then turned back to the fire without a word. "Come on, Sparky, you're a prince. I know you have better manners than that," Toph scolded. Zuko's curious look became a glare.
"Leave me alone," he mumbled softly.
"I can tell you're lyiiiing," Toph replied in a sing-song voice. Zuko grumbled under his breath.
"What do you want from me?" he asked in his most brooding voice.
"Just conversation. Passin' the time, you know." Toph crumbled the now-empty bag of snacks, turned to one side, dropped the garbage in front of her feet and kicked it into her earth tent.
"How do you... do that?" Zuko asked.
"Do what?"
"Well... you're blind, aren't you? How can you tell where you're going, where things are? You don't use a walking stick or anything... not to mention that creepy lie-detector thing you did."
"I'm a earthbender, so I see with earthbending. I can feel even the slightest vibrations in the earth, and that tells me where things are, where people are and what they're doing, and if someone's breathing and heartbeat increase because they're lying." Toph leaned back on her hands and wiggled her toes in front of the fire.
"That's amazing..." Zuko murmured. He hissed as a twinge of pain shot through his scar.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing... my scar hurts."
"You have a scar? Where?" Zuko looked at Toph, taken aback. Toph turned towards him inquisitively.
"You... don't know? They didn't tell you?"
"All they ever told me about you was that you were an 'angry freak with a ponytail,' I believe Sokka put it. Uh, no offense. You know." Toph put her hand on the back of her head and gave Zuko an awkward smile.
"But you can see everything with earthbending, right? Couldn't you see it?"
"I can't see EVERYTHING with earthbending. I can see general shapes, and movement, but details like facial features just don't come through the vibrations. I can tell the difference between you and Sokka, for example, but it's by your height and build, not your face."
"I see." Zuko absently touched his scar and turned towards the fire.
"Well?" Zuko startled and looked back at Toph. "Are you going to answer my question?"
"Oh, I guess... I have a scar, over my left eye. Over most of the left side of my face, actually. I got it a few years ago from... from someone I loved and respected a lot."
"Wow... that's terrible. I'm sorry..." she said, reaching towards his face. Zuko leaned back.
"Don't."
"I can't see faces with earthbending, but I can see them the old-fashioned way," Toph informed him, wiggling her fingers. A goofy grin spread across her face. A smile tugged at the corners of Zuko's mouth, and he leaned into her hands. The pair sat quietly as Toph's fingers carefully explored every detail of his face, predictably lingering a few moments longer on the scar.
"I hope it's not too frightening," Zuko said, barely above a whisper. Toph removed her hands and sat up.
"You look fine to me."