Sokka had always known why Toph asked questions. She was blind. He understood when she asked what stuff looked like and for him to read things to her, but some questions were just so random.
"Why are you so attached to your boomerang?" She had asked him one day. They were sitting on a cliff near their camp. It had been an average day for them in the Fire Nation. They had roamed town and shopped for food and other miscellaneous things, using the money they earned scamming.
Katara and Aang were now practicing waterbending at a nearby stream. Sokka sat quietly for a moment pondering how he should answer the question.
"My father gave it to me before he left the Southern Water Tribe. It was his." He replied. Toph nodded.
"What was it like when your father left?" Toph asked casually. Sokka again rolled the question over in his mind. This one was more complicated.
"It was... empty. Both my mother and father were gone. I only had Katara and Gran Gran. Ya, there were the few others of the tribe, but the space my parents left never seemed to fill." He answered. He now had a sad tinge in is voice.
Toph looked over to him. She gave a small smile then tightly embraced him, slightly throwing Sokka off guard.
"I'm sorry." She whispered. Sokka was bewildered by the sudden show of emotions from the girl he had known to never let anyone crack her shell. He let is confusion pass and he hugged Toph back, enjoying the moment.
"Do you think that's how my parents felt when I left?" Toph asked quietly.
"Probably, I mean your dad did want you back so bad that he sent two guys to kidnap you and bring you back home." Sokka chuckled. Toph also let out a soft laugh. She loosened the embrace and turned her face towards him.
"Thank you Sokka." She said sincerely. Now that Sokka was thinking about it, most of Toph's questions did have a reason. Wether they were deep or rather unimportant, he was happy to answer any question she had.
