Chapter 32.2- And so the Dragons Danced

“What’s up?” She asked and I smiled at the phrasing. There was no one I was more unguarded with than Toph. And because of that, even more phrasings from my first life had been shared between the two of us. The young blind girl picked them up with ease and seemed to have a fun time trying to figure out the meaning of phrases I used from the context and nothing more. So far, she had an impressive accuracy rate and was getting better with time.

“So the Fire Nation soldiers and Generals outside of those under me will have a way of reacting to you. A way that you must be prepared to deal with”

“You mean they’re going to be mean? I’ll beat them up if they’re mean, Natsu. I won’t take it lying down” She said.

I smiled at her and reached out to ruffle her head before I reached into my pocket and handed her a token for getting that one right.

“Knew it” She whispered to herself as she pocketed it.

“I’d never ask that. Anyone who disrespects you was asking to be dealt with and you should feel free to do so. Anyone but the Princess, I mean. But I doubt you’ll get much of her attention with a Siege of all things going on. No. What you might not realize is that when I took you in, I needed a way to protect you. Standard procedure for captured benders is for them to be sent to breeding camps-“

“What are breeding camps?” She cut in and flushed once she realised what she’d done. I stretched out my hand and she passed the token back and I slipped it into my pocket.

“Nothing important for now” I said quickly. So quickly that I knew that even without the ability to hear my heartbeat, she probably knew that I was lying, but I didn’t care. I would not be giving Toph the talk.

“That’s cap”

“So? That’s not the important bit. What you need to know is this- I adopted you.”

“Adopted me?”

“I mean as far as the Fire Nation is concerned, you’re my daughter. This doesn’t affect your life in any way and you will of course be free to return to your parents whenever you want”

“Oh okay then. So why are you telling me now?”

“Because you being my daughter makes you technically fire nation nobility and you will need to be ready to deal with the reactions people have to that fact”

“So I have to learn stuffy noble stuff?”

“Just basic manners and nothing more.” I said, trying to get her to agree quickly.

“What’s in it for me?”

“Not making a complete fool of yourself?” I tried.

“Nuh-uh. Me making a fool of me would make a fool of you. That means we’re at an impasse”

“Fair point. Didn’t get the word, though” I said, making her facepalm before she brightened up as I continued.

“What do you want? Be reasonable.”

“Move curfew back by three hours.”

“Nice try. You’d be much too tired the next day for the lessons to have any effect. Thirty minutes”

“That’s barely anything. Manner lessons will cut into my day so I need to be contemplated for the extra time. Three hours thirty minutes.”

“You mean compensated, not contemplated, for one. For two, your negotiation is terrible and that’s not how it works. Fourty-five minutes”

“Thank you. I won’t take less than four hours.”

“That’s not how any of this is supposed to work” I said, palming my face.