Gradual Changes

Club Interview

Club Interview

Toph sipped her milkshake lazily with the hopes of drowning her boredom out with mind numbing brain freeze. Usually around this time on a Saturday she would be out at the track with Aang instead of the school quad, but his coach had been rather insistent she not be around anymore. Apparently, after Aang's disappearing act to go to Burger Place, Toph was named a "bad influence." She snickered at the thought as she felt people making their way around the quad.

It was surprisingly busy for a Saturday. Most of the students were in class, but there was a steady flow of people jostling in the large hall. However, without Aang it was still boring. Toph fell to her side on the hard steel bench she was resting on and closed her eyes with the plan of resting until Aang came to meet her. Her plans were interrupted.

"Hey, Hot Head," she said before Zuko reached her.

"What're you doing here?" Zuko asked. "The track is outside."

"Got banned," Toph answered flatly. "Waiting on Sweetness?"

"Actually, I've been looking for you."

"Why?" Toph asked as she sat up.

"I found something you might like," he answered as he passed a paper into her hands. "Might help with your boredom problem."

Toph scanned the paper quickly. A frown covered her features the longer she stared at it. Realizing that he was never going to get the hint, she handed the sheet back to Zuko.

"Uh, as entertaining as this is, you wanna tell me what's on it?"

"Oh, sorry," Zuko said with an embarrassed blush. "It's a flier for a club that just got sponsored."

"What kinda club?" she asked unenthusiastically.

"Our kinda club," Zuko smiled. "It's a mixed martial arts club. They plan on participating in and holding inter-school and community tournaments and competitions, but they have to have more members before things can really get off the ground."

"You mean a club where I can wail on people and it's okay?" Toph asked. "You do realize my parents would freak if I joined up, right?"

"And you care?"

"No," Toph smiled. "That was just my way of saying 'show me where I sign'."

It did not take much time for Toph and Zuko to reach the gymnasium where the club introduction was being held. Toph felt the shifting of her schoolmates as she and Zuko pushed through the heavy doors and knew that all eyes were on the two of them. There were more people there than Toph had expected.

"Welcome," a voice from the front said.

"Don't just stand there like morons," another came. "Get over here."

The two sets of vibrations that emanated from the speakers were remarkably similar. There was almost no discernible difference between them at all. Indeed they were practically identical with a single small exception.

Must be twins, Toph thought.

She was correct. The two boys standing in the center of the group were twin third years. They introduced themselves to everyone as "Qiang" and "Rou", co-captains of the Martial Arts Club. Toph laughed to herself as she assigned the names to their owner's vibrations. Qiang's steps and demeanor were very heavy, much like her own, but Rou's were softer. Nowhere near as soft as Twinkle Toes', but softer than most. Toph barely listened as Rou spoke of honor and integrity and sportsmanship that he hoped would come of the new club. She was here for the competition and nothing else.

"Right, enough of that!" Qiang interrupted. "Let's get started already!"

"Fair enough," was Rou's reply. "First, who here has had previous training?"