[ Toph is part of a group of very hug-prone friends, and maybe they've gotten to her, okay? She doesn't just hug people willy-nilly, but people she cares about who are having a hard time, sure. And since she can't put this Hojo guy in the ground where he belongs, she has to do something with the pent up sadness and frustration from hearing Vincent's story.

That doesn't mean she's going to go easy on him. Toph draws back but not totally away, frowning at him. ] You might need to talk to him to do that, [ Toph says pointedly. ] I don't even mean about how you might be his dad, though uh, that too.

I mean you have to know what he wants for the future before you can help him get there.

[ This is at the heart of Toph's problems with her own parents, so she's extremely clear on the importance of it. It lends a heavier weight and emotion to her words than she usually has. ]