I Won't Leave You (Toph Beifong x Male! Reader)

City of Walls and Secrets

"Maybe you missed what I said. We need to talk to the king about the war. It's important."

"You're in Ba Sing Se now," Joo Dee says, still holding that fake smile, "Everyone is safe here." Soon you're in an ostrich-horse drawn buggy, riding through Ba Sing Se, "This is the lower ring."

"What's that wall for?" Katara asks.

"To keep the lowlifes out. Right, 'Joo Dee'?"

Her eyes glare at you, but her smile is unwavering. "Ba Sing Se has many walls. There are the ones outside, protecting us, and the ones inside, that help to maintain order. This is where our newest arrivals live, as well as our craftsmen, artismen, and people that work with their hands. It's so quaint and lively."

"Sure as much so as a place run by gangs and thugs can be." You say, trying to break her character, she doesn't budge.

"Why do you have all these poor people blocked off in one part of the city?" Katara asks.

"This is why I never came here before." Aang says, "I always heard it was so different from the way the monks taught us to live."

You ride in silence for a while, feeling Joo Dee's eyes drilling into you. Toph feels your discomfort and keeps touching your arm, possibly out of habit. The eerie silence continues until you get past the next wall, "This is the middle ring of Ba Sing Se, where Y/N lives primarily. It is home to the financial district, shops and restaurants and the university."

"Yeah, we met a professor from Ba Sing Se University. He took us to an ancient underground library where we discovered information about the war that is absolutely crucial for the king to hear!" Sokka says, without taking a breath. You are almost impressed.

"Isn't history fascinating?" Joo Dee asks, "Look, here's one of the oldest buildings in the middle ring, the town hall.

"Is that woman deaf? She only seems to hear every other word I say."

"I don't blame her." You grunt, making Toph giggle. "Besides, she has to stick to her script." You all look at Joo Dee and get out. She tours you all around the place for a while, before you get back into the carriage and head to the upper ring, where you've only gone on six separate occasions.

"The upper ring is home to our most important citizens. Your house is not too far from here." Joo Dee says. Soon, we come across the final wall. The castle. Katara asks what's inside it. Joo Dee faltered and for just a millisecond, you saw Zhi Ruo, only for Joo Dee to take her frustrating control again. "Inside is the Dai Li palace, those men are the Dai Li, the cultural authority of Ba Sing Se. They are the guardians of all our traditions."

"As well as a bunch of pricks, stay away from them." You add. Joo Dee looks like she's about ready to snap, but the smile persists.

"Can we see the king now?" Aang asks.

Joo Dee laughs fakely, "Oh no, one doesn't just pop in on the Earth King." The rest of the ride is spent in silence as you all just wait, "Here we are, your new home!" Joo Dee cheers. A man runs towards her with a scroll, "More good news," She says, reading it, "Your request for an audience with the Earth King is being processed, and should be put through in about a month. Much more quickly than usual."

"A month?!" Sokka exclaims.

"Six to eight weeks to be exact." She follows you into the house, you look around. It's very nice. Plain, but nice. "I think you'll really enjoy it here."

"I think we'd enjoy it more if we weren't staying so long." Sokka says, "Can't we see the king any sooner?"

"The Earth King is very busy running the finest city in the world-" You cut her off with a loud, rumbling laugh, everyone looks at you with surprise and you wave Joo Dee on. "He will see you as soon as time permits."