[It's already been a week full of crazy, but Toph's not expecting to be surprised any further. So the angry voice of a New Feather on the journal doesn't grab her attention until it's wrested away with the mention of the Metalbending Police.
"Lin's great-er-est! She's Chief of the Metalbending Police!"
Her stomach twists. Her throat contracts. She gasps and drops the journal. Was this...was she...the daughter Ikki had mentioned?
Her daughter? Here? They brought her here?
No, that couldn't be right. She was just jumping to conclusions. It could be some other person who'd been Chief of the police force. But Ikki had made it sound like Lin had directly succeeded Toph herself, and the odds...what were the odds?
An unfamiliar feeling bubbles in her heart and she feels like dropping the journal and just running. Outside, somewhere. Running away from something she wasn't ready to face. But that would be cowardice and she's anything but a coward.
But she doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know what to say, and her skin is starting to prickle. What if Toph isn't the way Lin remembers her? She undoubtedly would have changed as an adult if she ever became settled enough to have family. What if she's estranged, like Toph was to her own parents? What if they'd disagreed, or what if they loved each other so much that meeting Toph like this would be too weird? Or maybe she's wrong and this isn't the person she thinks it is. But she doesn't have the feeling that's the case.
...Wait, why doesn't she need to bend? Why was she the former Chief of Metalbending Police? Ikki hadn't mentioned that. Just that she'd saved them and--
She can't forget to breathe. Breathe.
But what could she even say? Maybe it would be better...not to say anything at all yet. Let Katara take the reigns until...until things could be explained and Toph could figure out what it even is she's supposed to be feeling right now.
But this is family. She can't just ignore it. It'll gnaw and poke at her until she does something. The uncertainty seizing her at this moment is nearly unbearable. So. Here goes nothing.]
voice;
"Lin's great-er-est! She's Chief of the Metalbending Police!"
Her stomach twists. Her throat contracts. She gasps and drops the journal. Was this...was she...the daughter Ikki had mentioned?
Her daughter? Here? They brought her here?
No, that couldn't be right. She was just jumping to conclusions. It could be some other person who'd been Chief of the police force. But Ikki had made it sound like Lin had directly succeeded Toph herself, and the odds...what were the odds?
An unfamiliar feeling bubbles in her heart and she feels like dropping the journal and just running. Outside, somewhere. Running away from something she wasn't ready to face. But that would be cowardice and she's anything but a coward.
But she doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know what to say, and her skin is starting to prickle. What if Toph isn't the way Lin remembers her? She undoubtedly would have changed as an adult if she ever became settled enough to have family. What if she's estranged, like Toph was to her own parents? What if they'd disagreed, or what if they loved each other so much that meeting Toph like this would be too weird? Or maybe she's wrong and this isn't the person she thinks it is. But she doesn't have the feeling that's the case.
...Wait, why doesn't she need to bend? Why was she the former Chief of Metalbending Police? Ikki hadn't mentioned that. Just that she'd saved them and--
She can't forget to breathe. Breathe.
But what could she even say? Maybe it would be better...not to say anything at all yet. Let Katara take the reigns until...until things could be explained and Toph could figure out what it even is she's supposed to be feeling right now.
But this is family. She can't just ignore it. It'll gnaw and poke at her until she does something. The uncertainty seizing her at this moment is nearly unbearable. So. Here goes nothing.]
...You're Lin Bei Fong...aren't you?
[What happened to your bending?]