Does it surprise you to find that I'm laughing? (houseofleaves) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-03-02 16:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, avatar korra, toph bei fong |
Who: Korra and Toph
When: 3/2
Where: The bar
What: Korra has shit to tell, Toph is clearly ecstatic about it
Rating: pg-13 for language
Status: Complete
While Toph was not technically old enough to drink, she had managed at the beginning of the school semester to find someone who could make a new ID for her -- and anyway, who was about to challenge a little blind woman about whether or not she was allowed in a bar?
She was meant to meet Korra -- the friend she'd made in the courtyard one day -- here around three. Her phone literally told her that it was 2:55, so she was apparently just in time.
Korra arrived at their planned meeting location a few minutes past 3. She had forgotten to take Naga for a walk that afternoon, and had to run out quickly to let the oversized dog out of the apartment for a bit. Having dropped her back off at home, she arrived with an apologetic smile, hands stuffed in her hoody’s pockets.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, shrugging her shoulders a bit. It was a little chilly out. Nowhere near as cold as she was used to back home, though. “I had to get some shit done before heading over. Ready?”
The apologetic smile was lost on the shorter girl (who was sporting black hair with red highlights this week, thanks for asking), but she did give a little nod and push herself off of the wall that she had been leaning on. “It’s cool,” she said, sounding the badass, even as she flicked her cigarette down (at her feet, it wouldn’t do to light someone on fire accidentally. Today, anyway). “Lead on.”
Korra would like the idea of using fire. Probably, anyway. Little did she know... “Your hair looks badass, man. How often do you change it?” she asked, peering at the hair. She started walking, hands still in her pockets as she watched the path in front of them. “Still wish I could get away with those colours.”
“I dunno,” Toph said, smirking even as she followed Korra into the place. It was still too early to be carded at the door, so they were allowed to walk in freely. “Whenever I get bored, I guess.” Toph: was kind of bored a lot.
“You could get away with it. Come to the hairdresser with me next time. You can make sure they don’t do anything stupid looking with me.” Because, frankly, she was convinced her hairdresser might just do whatever he felt like one day. It wasn’t really like she’d be able to tell. They moved in, and sat at the counter of the bar, Toph feeling a little vaguely for her seat before scooting into it.
Korra took the seat beside Toph. “Yeah? I’d love to do that!” as in, go to the hairdresser with her. “I have never seen your hair look bad. But I’ll definitely do a quality check.” She was smiling, because Toph was kind of awesome. It was cool they’d become friends so quickly. Similar interests, probably.
“Think blue might work?” she asked, as if Toph could really judge that. Korra had figured out since the last time they’d met that Toph was blind. But she wasn’t about to treat her any differently because of that. And that is why Korra is basically the coolest ever.
And Toph liked Korra for that, an awful lot. There was something to be said for how people treated her when they found out she was blind -- and most the time it put Toph completely on edge. What, exactly, made people think they needed to speak louder when they realized she was visually impaired? Ugh. People.
“Oh yeah,” said Toph, leaning against the top of the bar. “Blue would look awesome.” Because Toph was kind of a smug asshole.
Yes she was. “Agreed. I’m into it,” Korra said, ordering a beer when the server came over, and letting Toph order her own (helping if she needed anything but NOT offering) before continuing. “When are you going next? I really want to dye my hair, now.”
Okay, so she might have been avoiding telling Toph what was going on.
Well, what was going on? Toph ordered a drink of her own, and thankfully was not carded -- intentionally, she had looked in an odd direction that the bartender was standing in, because she was totally not against using what she had to her own advantage.
“I dunno,” she said, sounding lazy. “We could go after this. I’ve got nothing better to do.” She just assumed that her hair was so awesome that Korra couldn’t wait to be that awesome, too.
“Fuck yeah,” Korra said. She enjoyed impulse decisions. And having blue hair would be cool, okay? They got their drinks, and Korra immediately downed a quarter of it. Liquid courage, or something. “My parents are going to cry the next time I Skype them. Well, my mom will. My dad’s the silent treatment type.”
Toph only let out a cackle at that, before sloshing a good portion of her own drink back -- she never did much with restraint. “My parents got over it,” she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Just tell em it’s a college phase.”
“Good line,” she said, clearly not wasting time with her drink. They were far too similar, it seemed. Taking a breath, Korra decided to go on with what she needed to get off her chest. “Do you know a guy named Mako?”
Toph considered the name for a moment, pulling her eyebrows down in thought. “I’ve heard of him,” she offered finally. “He goes to the same school as us. Apparently he’s pretty, whatever that’s worth.” Her shrug was careless, as if she’d never put much stock into that word. And why would she?
Then again, if Korra had brought him up, it was probably for a reason. “Why?”
“Yeah,” she agreed. To him being pretty? Or going to the same school? Who knows. Probably the pretty one, since she sounded a bit distracted. “Well, he’s kind of a cocky asshole. We basically don’t get along at all. He just says the stupidest shit all the time. And is not the pleasant kind of confident.”
If anyone was good at getting behind subtext in words, it was Toph. Instead of pointing out that she was pretty sure Korra liked the man, she gave a bit of a scowl and leaned further onto the bar. “So why don’t you just beat him up?”
Yeah, Korra liked him. She just didn’t want to admit it. She liked the way he looked when he was mad. And, okay, she had found herself admiring his ass a few times. Maybe that’s why she didn’t really mind fighting with him so often. “I definitely should,” she agreed finally, sighing. “But instead, I chose to make out with him. Twice. Okay, a few times. I think I have problems.”
Toph rose her eyebrows, leaning in a little more as if she were just waiting for more gossip about this. Hey, she had to get her kicks in somewhere, right? “So he’s an over-confident asshole,” she said, spelling it out, “but you like making out with him?” Her tone said: yes. You probably do have a problem. But tell me more.
“I hate him, seriously,” she said, looking at Toph. Though she couldn’t see her expressions, Korra was good at emoting through her tones and words. “I don’t get it.” She took another drink to pause before continuing. “And I know that he hates me too. But it’s not like he wasn’t into it, too.”
Seriously, Korra and Mako were complicated.
Probably, Toph decided, Korra and Mako were not all that complicated. Just kind of stupid. But she wasn’t about to say that to her newfound friend here. She liked having someone to drink and get her hair did with, after all.
Instead, she moved away from the counter, leaning back in her chair. “Are you sure he hates you?”
Korra could probably take the stupid comment. She really was being fucking stupid about the whole thing. Maybe she had to be hit on the head. “Yeah,” she nodded. She took another drink because fuck, Mako was even annoying to just talk about. It made her stomach feel unsettled. Or maybe that was butterflies. “Well, he tells me basically every time I see him.”
“Uh-huh,” said Toph, who sounded very much like she just didn’t believe this second hand account. Grabbing for her drink, she found it and lifted it to her lips, only to pause before drinking. “And then he kisses you? I’m sure I’d be totally convinced by his words after that.” Her tone was laced and dripping with sarcasm. Seriously, Korra, if Toph is the voice of wisdom here, you’re really fucked.
Korra heard the sarcasm. And rolled her eyes a bit, sighing. “Fuck. I don’t even know, man. He just pisses me off. And it’s totally weird that I’m into it.” She shook her head. “I think I should probably just try avoiding him. It would solve all this stress of thinking about it, man.”
Inclined to disagree, Toph finished off her drink and set the glass back down on the counter with a thump. “No.” she said, firmly, staring in Korra’s general direction, and looking a bit like someone with a plan. “You should ask him out.”
Korra totally spluttered on that one. Luckily she hadn’t had beer in her mouth or Toph might have been covered in it. “What?” no, seriously. She lifted her eyebrows, giving Toph a look. She had to be messing around. “Are you fucking with me?”
“I fuck with everyone,” Toph said, sounding prim and smug all at once. Her smile was absolutely wicked, and it was probably fair to say she’d make some man or woman very, very miserable some day when she found a relationship of her own. “But this time I’m serious.”
“Ugh, that could just be torturous though. Seriously, he’s so infuriating. You’ll have to meet him to understand I guess,” she said. And just thought about it for a second. She and Mako hadn’t really ever gone on a date. They’d had dinner together, but that wasn’t really planned. It had just sort of happened. Did that count? Maybe she should ask him out. But then she’d have to admit that she enjoyed his company. “Maybe I’ll text him later.” She finished her drink.
“I’m never wrong,” Toph pointed out, and was clearly wrong already because that was a lie. But whatever, man. “You should text him now. So you can go out tonight. After we get our hair done.” Her grin? Absolutely predatory.
Korra just stared at Toph. She could never tell when the girl was being serious. So she just watched as Toph grinned at her for a moment before rolling her eyes and pulling out her phone. “Fine,” she acquiesced. Because honestly? KorrakindofwantedtoseeMako.
She tapped a quick message into her phone, mumbling it aloud because she knew that Toph couldn’t peek at it. “What are you... up to tonight?” She looked up for approval and then sent it.
Toph crossed her arms, listening to Korra writing out her words with absolute glee. After a moment, she sat up a little straighter. “Did he reply? What’d he say? Are you going to tell him you wanna see his stupid face?”
Korra was about to say he hadn’t answered yet, but then her phone went off. Three times. “He said... ‘Nothing. Why?’” She tapped her phone against her chin as she groaned. “Ugh, do I really have to?”
Toph was deciding if her new nickname should be “match maker extraordinaire” or just “awesome”. He pursed her lips and gave a nearly arrogant expression in short reply to Korra’s new indecision. “Of course you have to. You’ve already started it. Ask him out! To dinner!”
Korra rolled her eyes. She seemed to do that a lot around Toph. “Fine.” She began typing in her phone again, reading it aloud for her new friend and match-maker. “Wanna grab dinner with me?”
She put her phone down on the bar and waved the bartender over, because she totally needed another drink for this one.
“Me too,” Toph told the bartender when he came over, because she was possibly just psychic or something. She was disgustingly delighted by the way her afternoon had gone. Like, seriously -- she would sit in her apartment for dozens more Wonderlands if they all resulted in things like this.
Noting that Korra’s phone had vibrated again, Toph rose her eyebrows in expectancy. Read it.
Korra took a drink before she read it for Toph. “He said, ‘is this a trick?’” She laughed, shaking her head. “And you don’t believe he hates me?” If she’d been on her own, she wouldn’t have bothered replying to that. But Toph was giving her that look and she felt compelled to say something. “I’ll just say ‘no.’ Because he’s an asshole.” And so she did.
Toph held her drink in both hands, and with her wide, unseeing eyes and round face she looked a bit like a child -- especially since both of her feet were dangling in the air, unable to reach the ground.
“Well, you did say you fought a lot,” she said, with a smile that once again dispelled her innocence.
“Yeah I guess,” Korra agreed, watching her phone. It vibrated and she checked the messages. She groaned as if she was unhappy with his replies.
Honestly, Korra was so dense sometimes. “He said yeah,” she told the red-haired girl. “Damn.” She didn’t sound so committed to that one, though.
“Yes,” Toph responded, looking smug. “I thought he might.” A pause. “Because he hates you.” She sipped at her beer again, and then rose an eyebrow. “Where are you going to take him? Somewhere nice I hope.”
Korra laughed into her cup. “Yeah, something like Applebees.” She paused as she laughed again, taking a huge chug of her beer. “I’ll just ask him where he wants to go.” And she did.
“Ugh,” said Toph and she rolled her eyes too, even though it had much of a lesser effect than it might for most people. “No class at all,” she said, sounding a little spoiled and haughty about it. Which, to be fair, she was. “No. You’re going somewhere awesome. He’s hot right? Make him wear a suit. I know a place. I’ll call in a reservation for you.” She was fishing through her pockets for her cellphone.
“I don’t even know if he owns a suit.” But he was a model, right? He must have something. “And I dunno if I own anything nice enough for a place like that.” Toph would probably have a solution for that too. Damnit.
Of course she did. She had a solution for everything -- so long as it was something she was interested in. And currently, she was very interested in getting her friend a date. And not only because she wanted subsequent sex stories from the affair. Just mostly.
Toph’s phone was talking to her -- names in her contact list and she held up her hand in a vague gesture that said that she wanted Korra to be silent a moment. Finally she got to what she was looking for and called the number.
“I need reservations for tonight,” she spoke into her phone. “Impossible? No. I should-- hey. Shut up. I’m talking. Bei Fong. There should be a table --right-- no. Yes. You are sorry.” She paused. “Oh yes. Eight sounds delightful.” And then she hung up, and gave Korra the most innocent of expressions. “What were you saying? Oh. We’ll get you a dress. Whatever.”
Korra had texted Mako while Toph was on the phone, to make sure that he owned a suit. Honestly, how did she get roped into this? She sent it off and then looked up and listened to Toph, laughing just a little. “This place sounds fucking expensive, man,” she said when she got off the phone. Korra was worried. “I don’t know how either of us is going to pay for it,” she said, because after all they were both students. And Korra came from a very poor town out of state.
“Do your parents like, own the restaurant?” Legitimate question.
Toph pulled a ‘what, really?’ sort of expression even as she stowed her phone away again and reached for her beer (she missed on the first try, but you go ahead and try laughing at a girl who had just intimidated her way into dinner reservations).
“Who said you had to pay? Don’t worry about it.” She waved her free hand in nonchalance. Toph made more money by sitting around with her thumb up her ass in a month than most people who worked terribly hard made in a year. Probably more, but she’d never had much of a mind to give a shit about numbers.
“I can’t let you do that,” Korra protested, shaking her head. “Seriously man, that’s way too much.” Korra, on the other hand, was always worried about money. And she was proud, okay? She wasn’t good at accepting help or money, specifically, from people.
Toph, on the other hand, worried about very little. She looked utterly bored with the protest that Korra was making, and didn’t mind saying so. “Oh, give me a break,” she said, “I’m rich. It’s nothing. Anyway, it’ll totally get you laid. You think he’s weird now? Just wait until you emasculate him by taking him someplace like that and looking like you’re settling the bill.” God, this tiny girl was evil.
She seriously was evil. Korra rolled her eyes and then just grinned at Toph. “Fine,” she said for probably the 80th time that day. She downed the rest of her beer and then just laughed. “He’s gonna fucking hate it.” And she was excited for that. Who wears the pants? Definitely this one.
Actually, if we’re keeping score here, it was this one. Toph wore the pants. Yup. But she supposed she could loan them out for a while. “He might,” she said in reply, tone nearly vicious. And then she finished her beer in a giant chug. “Let’s go,” she said, pushing herself to her feet. “We’ve gotta get your hair done and a dress before eight.”