#but her now only dunebabies

[stitch1830]

Hey Stitch! If Aang and Kanto were both competing for Toph's affection who do you think she'd choose?

Hi Ronin! Thanks for the ask! :D

And oof hitting me with the tough questions—

I think it's a surprise to no one that my attention for Toph ships has turned to Kantoph only at this point LOL. And while I'd pick Kanto for selfish reasons, I do think there are reasons why Toph would pick Kanto (the Kanto with the characterization that Twinkles and I have developed over the years) over Aang.

In the event that Kanto and Aang show their affections for Toph at the same time, I think Toph would choose Kanto because:

Partly, I'd say it's because there's not this childhood familiarity between them. Aang and Toph have known each other for years, and I think Taang is compelling both from a friendship or a relationship standpoint. Aang was Toph's first real friend, and she values her friendship with him immensely. If Aang began to pursue Toph romantically, I think there's a possibility that she would decline because she doesn't want to ruin their friendship, she is concerned about changing their status quo within the friend group, and/or because she doesn't feel the same way. They've been friends for 10+ years, and she doesn't see him (ha) in that way. With Kanto, there's more to discover, more to learn about him. He's a little more mysterious to Toph, and I think that would excite her a little bit.

Aang's responsibilities would keep him constantly traveling. Toph loves adventure, but I think at a certain point in her life, she'd crave stability and a place she goes home to everyday. She knows that Aang is a free spirit and loves to go with the flow, and I think Toph would eventually dislike that.

Also, I think if Toph was building the Republic City Police Department, she would probably want to stay in the city to see it through. She wants to completely build it from the ground up, and she wouldn't want to split her time between being on the road with Aang and her personal project/career aspirations.

I think Kanto would notice the distress this choice is putting Toph under. He'd realize that she needs time to decide, and he'd give her that space after telling her his feelings. Aang doesn't push her, but I feel like he wouldn't necessarily give her the space to think and choose.

Okay! I think those are like... the main reasons why Toph would pick Kanto. She would probably be mad at both of them for a bit for doing that to her though LOL.

Of course, I still have my Taang AU and they have their lil dunebabies and whatnot, but I think now I just always make AUs with Kantoph since it's my new preference :)

Thanks for the ask, Ronin! Would love to hear your thoughts if you agree or disagree. No wrong answers when it comes to AUs haha!

Hope you have a great day!

......

Send me asks about ATLA or LOK!

[su-univeralai]

GOOODDDD MORRNNNNIINNNGGGGG SUU 💛

I am here for your essay. Or yknow, just any dunebaby facts that you can spare.

*heavy breathing* oh no, she's come for my OCs exactly like she said she would.

lolol Ok, I've got bios on 9 out of 10 of my kids so far, but I wrote a quick blurb about them so hopefully you can't figure out who I didn't start until now lol. The older 4 (which 3/4 are legit characters in LOK, but tweaked to my liking) are grown-ass adults while the other 6 are probably between 14-21. So, our beloved Taang parents have been popping kids out from when they were 18 or 19 to 39 or 40 years old.

At some point I'll make a family tree for you, since most of the older dunebabies have their own families and that can be confusing. Some have more information than others, but more will be added on each of them as time goes on. I just haven't figured them out yet.

Also, gonna put a cut here, because it's a long post and I know not everyone wants to see my OCs lol.

Ok Onto the Dunebabies from oldest to youngest:

Gyatso (M) Airbender, 35: Named after Aang’s father figure, Gyatso is Toph and Aang’s first born and first of several airbending children. He has a knack for the art and excelled quickly with mastering it, narrowly falling short of beating Aang’s record of mastering airbending at 13. As he got older and his parents continued having children, he became like a father figure to the younger ones. That’s the best part about having tons of kids, right? At some point the older ones raise the younger ones and the parents can just have fun. Once Tiao Wu turned 13, Gyatso and his own wife, boyfriend, and kids moved away from home and resided in the Western Air Temple with some Air Acolytes.

Lin (F) Earthbender, 32: Lin is a straight arrow, always following the rules. Sometimes Toph’s jokes that her first born daughter is actually Katara’s because wasn’t as goofy as Gyatso and Tenzin. As kids, Lin and Tenzin butted heads like no other. They may have had a year or two when they got along, but that was when Lin was training to be a police officer and Tenzin was always out because he was dating Pema. They constantly bicker at family gatherings, but make a mean team when they spar against the other next gen kids. Their twin telepathy (yes, they are twins in my universe) comes into play and they are undefeatable. That is until the triplets becomes masters in their own right. While Lin is a talented earthbender and metalbender, she struggled with picking it up (perhaps because of Toph’s hardcore teaching style). She responded to a “more gentle approach” as Katara would say, and Aang helped her learn the basics until she was ready to take on Toph’s more intense lessons. Lin is definitely closer with Aang than she is with Toph, but goes to mom if something needs to be done quickly and under wraps. Lin works long hours as chief of the police force in republic city, so she doesn’t have much time for romance. When she finds a spare moment for intimacy, she frequents a bar that accepts everyone. She brought Songa with her before her little sis fell in love with (insert steambaby daughter name here).

Tenzin (M) Airbender, 32: Tbh Tenzin still marries Pema and has his four kids, like in LOK. Lol. Unlike the show, with the weight of the whole air nation not on his shoulders, Tenzin was not a serious kid. He played pai sho with the white lotus members and roughed it up with Lin. Tenzin had a difficult time mastering airbending, though. He lacked the spiritual connection that his father and brother easily had. He blamed being stuck with an earthbender in the womb for 9 months at his lack of skill with airbending. His masters airbending at 21 and is pumped to finally get his tattoos. Since Pema is an air acolyte, I'm saying that her parents were also acolytes, and she and Tenzin met as kids and got along really well. They started dating at 16. Tenzin wanted to wait to get his arrows before proposing to her, so they date for 5 long years as Pema cheered him on in the grueling training. Tenzin and Pema eventually move to the Northern Air Temple and kept Teo company.

Suyin (F) Earthbender, 26: Suyin was a troublemaker when she was a kid, always pranking her siblings. She spent way too much time with Sokka. At least that’s what Toph says. Her teenage years, that’s when things became dicey. With Lin on the streets as a cop and Su committing petty crimes, the two were bound to cross paths. After Lin brought her in for whay must have been the thousandth time and Toph had to bail her out, Toph sent her to the her old stomping ground: the Earth Rumble 6. Toph still had her ear in the stadium and stayed in touch with The Boulder, and she thought it’d do her some good to get beat up by other earthbenders. Su stayed with her grandparents and got the structure she needed and got her act together. She got pounded by her opponents the first few years, but she slowly moved her way up the food chain and eventually held her mother’s old title as champion. Once she turned 18, she left to travel the world, meeting up with Kya (can't decide if Kya will be a steambaby or a Sukka baby. Is there a cut name for Sukka babies?). Along the way she met Bataar and fell in love with him and together build zaofu and have all their kids from LOK.

Songa (F) Airbender, 21: The oldest of the triplets to be born. Songa is a calm spirit, she reminds Aang of Yangchen with her way of keeping the peace in their large family. She’s a true romantic like her father and catches the attention of a lot of men, but alas, her heart is won over by one of Katara and Zuko’s daughters, (insert steambaby name here lol). She sees the best in everyone and trusts a little too easily. Watch out though, if you get on her bad side or betray her trust one too many times, her mother’s sass and tongue come out and no one wants to be hit by her earthbending styled airbending. Songa is a talented bender and has a tendency to use her airbending like an earthbender, facing things head on. She can seemlessly switch between styles, but she'd prefer to take her opponents on directly.

Kera (F) Nonbender, 21: Kera is the heart of the triplets. She’s passionate like a firebender and meets conflict head-on like her mom. Being the first non-bender didn’t feel great coming from the lineage of the Avatar and Toph Beifond, strongest earthbender in the world and metalbender originator, but she found peace in being a non-bender when hearing all the stories of Sokka, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee, Teo, and their many other friends taking down bender and non-benders alike. Kera begged her parents to live in the Fire Nation to study under Mai and Ty Lee. Aang and Toph didn’t have any problems with her going, but Zuko and Katara did, fearing she (being a dunebaby) would cause mayhem in the palace. Only after swearing to Zuko that she wouldn’t make a mess did the Fire Lord allow her stay with them. During her time there, she mastered Mai and Ty Lee’s techniques and trained under the Yuyan archers. When she came home, she could beat the other two thirds of her triplets easily. Only when she teams up with the other two, can they take down Lin and Tenzin.

Choekyi (M) Airbender, 21: The last of the triplets to come be birthed. Choekyi is a free spirit, much like his father. He enjoys traveling and meeting new people. As a child (and an adult) he is easily excited and is a very charismatic guy, which gets him far with the ladies in his teens and early twenties. He’s never scared of trying new things, sometimes to his detriment, as he gets hurt a lot for someone light on his toes. His preferred method of transportation is air scooter. Choekyi gets along with Uncle Sokka the most, with his never ending jokes and letting him learn how to throw a boomerang even though he’s a bender. Choekyi spends some time in the swamp with the swamp benders just because he finds them to be hilarious and interesting. This is where he connects with his spirituality and returns to excel in airbending, and earns his tattoos.

Songa and Kera are idenitcal twins, so no one (beside Toph and Choekyi) can tell them apart until Songa earns her arrows. Choekyi looks similar to them, as he is their triplet, but since he came from a different egg, he turns out to be much taller than his sisters. Just imagine Toph's face when she feels three freakin' heartbeats along with hers. Idk if that's scientifically sound, but it's my universe, so I can say what I want lol.

Gyun (M) Nonbender, 18: He's a very musical guy. Gyun means music, but it can also mean germ or bacteria. So his older siblings make fun of him when he’s young. While his bending siblings practice and spar, he masters most musical instruments and even becomes a skilled singer. He’s a favorite of Uncle Iroh’s and spends time with him playing music and perfecting his tea making when he’s not training with Master Piandao and mastering different types of sword fighting styles. Gyun is a lover, not a fighter, and is recruited as the youngest member of the national opera company. He rises in fame, without having to reveal his high ranking connections to his family members. Gyun is a true renaissance man (you know if the renaissance existed back then). He looks up to all of his siblings and soaks in all the stories and advice his can get to perfect the art of storytelling and acting.

MeiLin (F) Nonbender, 17: MeiLin may be one of the youngest, but she’s definitely the sassiest of the bunch. With the personality like her mother, it’s no wonder she’s a bosslady even from a young age. She doesn’t take shit from anyone. While she’s the beauty of the dunebabies (but who really isn’t attractive in this family?) and can hold her poise better than any royal, from the tender age of three, she’s wanted to become the fiercest fighter in the world. After a lot of convincing, Toph and Aang let her train with Aunt Suki and learn how to fight like a Kyoshi Warrior. After she masters that, She begs her parents to send her to the Fire Nation to study under Mai and Ty Lee. By the time she’s 14, she’s already mastered the art of dagger throwing, chi blocking, and the Kyoshi warriors fighting style. Aang isn’t too pleased that she fights in tournaments like Toph did, but Toph watches every match she can get! MeiLin asks her to bet on her and they split the wealth at the end. Lin wants her youngest sister to join the police force when she turns 18, but MeiLin isn't sure she wants to enforce the law like Lin.

Tiao Wu (M) Earthbender, 14: The baby of the family, and loves it. Unlike MeiLin, Tiao Wu is a homebody and a huge mama’s boy, though really isn’t a mama’s boy in the Beifong Family? Like his name suggests, he’s a great dancer and for an earthbender, he sure is light on his toes. While Gyatso is called Twinkletoes Jr, Tiao Wu is known as the Fancy Dancer. Literally. That’s the stage name he chose for his bending dance competitions. When he’s not dancing or hanging out with Toph, he’s studying his cousin’s bending forms, wanting to incorporate it into his repertoire. Tiao Wu is also close to Aang, as he showed an early talent to be one with the spirits. As a six year old, he would meditate next to Aang and beat the freakin’ Avatar, master of all four elements and bridge between the physical and spiritual world, to the Spirit World. He’s also known to be the only human who is allowed to visit Wong Si Tong’s library there.

ALRIGHT Joy, here are some basic facts about my dunebabies universe. If you or anyone else wants to send me asks so I can more deeply construct their personalities, feel free!

[authorjoydragon]

Question... What kind of bear is bes—No, wait. Wrong question.

What, if any, routines do Toph and Aang have? Together, with the dunebabies... anything. What's their routine look like?

Please ignore that this sat in my inbox all day work was HECTIC today. All the more reason to have some fluffy taang convos. 💛

Before kids, they had a loose routine. Aang always wakes up first- he claims the sun rising just immediately wakes him. He’s smart enough to not disturb his significant other who is... not so pleasant in the mornings. Aang quietly gets up and meditates for about an hour or so. Then he cooks breakfast for them. It’s the smell that will draw Toph from her slumber and make her stumble downstairs.

She proceeds to cling to him like a koala sloth until she wakes up fully and has at least one cup of coffee in her. Aang loves mornings- it’s when Toph is the cuddliest. (Also I guess I’ll make this particular hc canon adjacent.) They get ready after eating and head into work together. They’ll hold hands up until they walk in the doors- and then it’s game time. Toph made a strict rule about no PDA or romance of any kind in the work place. Can’t have people thinking they’re distracted from their jobs. At work, they are only Avatar Aang and Chief Beifong. (There was ONE TIME Aang broke this rule when he locked them in her office and.... well. Let’s just say that Toph allowed the exception. 😏 But he also got chewed out for his little stunt.)

Once kids come into the mix their routine changes. Aang still gets up first, but after a shorter meditation he wakes up the kids and gets them all dressed and ready. He cooks a larger breakfast, Mama stumbles downstairs, they all eat together. It’s only 8am but it’s loud as hell. Toph gets ready for work and leaves them all with many kisses and tickles. Aang stays with them/sends them off to school. There’s times when he’s called away and then Mama stays with them. In a pinch they drop the kids of at Uncle Sokka’s and it’s his problem now.

Before and after kids, their nightly routine always includes one thing: brushing Toph’s hair. She taught him how to undo the intricate bun and then he could spend hours just brushing it out and playing with her hair. Occasionally Toph will weasel a foot rub out of him (particularly when she’s pregnant). But she isn’t all selfish! There’s times when he’s exhausted and she will massage his shoulders or volunteer to go take care of Appa and Momo while he gets some rest.

With the babies, they still have those nightly routines, but there’s new ones too. Usually Baba is snoring on the couch at their bedtime, so it’s Toph that ushers them upstairs to get ready for bed. (When they were younger, Baba had to help her- it’s hard being outnumbered.) The kids love bedtime stories. Mama humors them and holds a book, pretending to read a story from the pages. She makes up pretty good ones sometimes. Sometimes... not so good. The kids love hearing about their old adventures of traveling the world and beating up the baddies.

When the kids are asleep, Toph will head back downstairs (usually- occasionally she wants alone time and gets in a bath instead). Sometimes they’ll eat ice cream or listen to an Earth Rumble match on the radio, and sometimes they’re just too tired to do much of anything but cuddle on the couch and accidentally fall asleep. Aang always makes sure to take her hair down though. 💛

[theotherace]

Hey Der! I know you have a big extended family for Taang (maybe even Sukka and Zutara too!), but are there any facts or HCs about grandkids of the Gaang that you can share?

Hm. Enabling me, I see. Well. This is gonna get long, lmao.

The kids in these two drawings are only half canon to my main AU, by which I mean they might be changed and switched out at my convenience. I might have to replace some boys with girls, because there's always too many boys. The only one's I'm actually attached to (already) are these two:

and him:

The first two boys are Wan and Jin, the sons of Bumi and Kya II. So Taang and Zutara's grandsons. Wan (on the left) is the older one, which obviously isn't very visible here. He's an airbender. Jin is a non-bender. There are a lot of rumours flying around about their paternity, because their parents are neither, and that's despite the fact that Wan is basically Bumi with blue eyes and that Jin definitely has his dad's eyes. It gets to them, Jin especially, because with Wan it's like: Well, our grandpa's an airbender, it just skipped a generation. But I feel like there's a certain stigma to being born a non-bender to two benders, especially when you come form Fire Lords and Avatars. And then there's people saying his dad's not his dad because he can't make fire. It's sucks.

I'm attached to them because I used to think about them going out, being vigilantes together:

(Yes, there's art. Obviously. Their looks changed quite a bit.)

I'm getting back into comics, so who knows, maybe I will one day resurrect this niche, self-indulgent superhero AU. I do kinda like the thought of them hearing stories about the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady and sneaking out for Earth Rumbles from their grandparents and going: Well, we can do that! And of they went, two princes of the Fire Nation called Beifong, off to safe their city. I mean, really what else would one expect when combing Zuko, Katara, Aang, and Toph's genes? Dramatic-ass superhero wannabes, that's what. Jin's less excited about it than Wan, lol, but he follows along anyway, because somebody has to make sure his big brother doesn't get himself killed. And then he also gets into it.

Aguta is the only child of Norbu (and Miki, who barely even exists yet). I guess I'm less attached to really him and more to how he happened? I dunno. Norbu's ace (hello, projection), and he has a lot of fears and anxieties around relationships and intimacy, because sex seems important, and really, he's not interested in that at all, but at the same time, he's acutely aware of how few airbenders there are in the world, and that he kinda ... needs to have a child or two if he wants them to not die out. When he meets Miki, he's in his thirties and this eats away at him. Most people he tells about his troubles are understanding but not necessarily willing to deal with it in a long-term relationship. She is, though, because she gets it. Not the airbender part, of course, she's a non-bender from the South Pole, but the sex part. She's not that into it, either. They eventually have Aguta, obviously, who I don't know much about other than he is indeed an airbender and that that isn't the only reason his parents had him. He looks a bit like Sokka up there, because of the hair, but they're not related. He's a gentle guy with a lot of Grandpa Aang in him.

Otherwise! I know that Metok takes a lot after his dad. He's the oldest grandkid and takes that role quite seriously. His younger siblings take more after their mom, who is very carefree, at least compared to Tenzin. They live in the Fire Nation, close to Grandmas Mai and Ty Lee, and travel on occasion because they are still Air Nomads. Metok's a non-bender like Dawa. I think I wrote down somewhere what the rest of them bend or don't bend, too, but I'm too lazy to search for it now. Also, I do kind of love Metok, because he's the first grandchild I made up and the first I drew. I don't think I could ever change him much, either.

Kavi has three kids. He's only biologically related to two of them. Probably. They bend air, so there's a high chance. Not that it matters, really. These kids grow up on the road like Kavi did, and they grow up with a very loose, fluid definition of family. There's rumours about their parentage, too, and tons of judgemental people, but they've been taught very early on, before that gossip could even reach their ears, that blood isn't what matters. That Nuka's Kavi's kid even if he didn't help make her and that Mattaq loves Mida and Kipu even if they don't look like him, and that family is who they decide to make it, and that there's nothing wrong with the way they live and love and all that stuff as long as everybody involved is happy.

Li Wei receives similar talks, because he's adopted, and he was adopted at four or five, so there's a lot of reassuring that things are alright and that his moms love him and that he belongs, because while I'm not entirely certain what happened before he was adopted (yet), I do know he didn't have it easy. He's a goofy kid, usually. Not always the brightest but definitely one of the kindest people around. He is a very recent addition, actually, because Asha doesn't have any kids in my document, but I kinda like him now.

I mean, I kinda like all of them. If I ever get to a point in "the most important mark" where a NextNextGen actually comes into play, we'll see if I use all of them or none of them.

And ... that's the Taang grandkids. Also two for Zutara and four for MaiLee. Gotta admit that the NextGen kids not related to Taang are not nearly as fleshed out as the Dunebabies are (especially Ursa, Koji and the Bladebabies), but ... all in due time, I guess. These are already too many OCs, anyway, lol.

Thank you for the ask! I'm not sure if I acutally answered it properly.

[getinthering]

Taang Week Day 3: Spirit World

“i believe that i know you”

tw: major character death

@taangweek Day 3: Spirit World

In the swamp, we see visions of people we’ve lost, people we’ve loved, folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they’re not. We’re still connected to them. Time is an illusion and so is death.

After Aang’s death, Toph leaves Republic City and their family and friends to feel closer to him.  Takes place in 153 AG, some time after Aang’s death.

Read on AO3

[A/N: I should say here and now that in pretty much every ATLA thing I create (except for Modern AU or unless otherwise stated) has Aang/Toph at 16, Katara at 18, Suki at 19, and Zuko/Sokka at 20, because writing for/as children just makes me uncomfortable idk.

This one was frustrating but fun!  I’m a big fan of bittersweet writings so here we are.  I liked Lin/Suyin’s canon dynamic too much to not hc both of them as Taang’s kids, canon Bumi is just very Dunebaby energy to begin with, and I kinda just recreated Tenzin as Tashi for my own reasons.]

She had always thought that Avatars were supposed to live exceptionally long lives.  True, Kyoshi’s age was a great exception no one expected to ever be replicated again.  That didn’t change the fact that Toph had always assumed she would have at least another decade with Aang.  

She felt lost without him now.  Neither had ever been the most present parent to their four children, despite their best hopes and efforts.  He had his Avatar duties, she was Chief of Police.  There was constant rivalry between the kids, which she supposed they both encouraged (perhaps her a little more consciously than Aang), and there was now a large chasm between her and their children.  She knew that Bumi, their first-born, had always felt neglected and left out as the only non-bender in the family, whereas Tashi, their youngest, was the only airbender and thus was taken under Aang’s wing.

Toph’s hands were most often full with their two middle daughters, Lin and Suyin.  They were both earthbenders, both two sides of the same coin, and she supposed that—combined with her stubborn Beifong blood—was the reason they had the deepest feud within the family.  She tried to give them the freedom she longed for as a child, but it only ended with her eldest daughter all but refusing to talk to her, and Toph and Aang having to send Suyin away to live with her parents.

It had been too much for her then, almost ten years ago.  She passed the title of chief of police onto Lin and decided it was time to finally spend some time with her husband.  They traveled for a while, mostly to the Air Temples to check in on his Acolytes or the Earth Kingdom where her family was.  She was proud of her husband for finally achieving all he had wanted, grateful that he had an airbending child to pass it onto.  But she was never one to simply tag along on someone else’s adventures, not even for him.  They struggled to find balance while roaming the world endlessly, just as they had as children.  

By the time they neared their mid-sixties, they had finally settled into a routine they thought they could live with throughout their retirement.  They had a home on Air Temple Island near Republic City.  The kids all had their own lives, their own stability.  Their attention was no longer divided between young children, their careers, their city, their homelands.  It was just theirs for the rest of their lives.

She never expected “the rest of their lives” to be a mere two years.

***

“Mom, that’s ridiculous, you can’t just leave.  You just settled into your retirement!” Bumi insisted over the dinner table where the three of them sat.

Toph sighed jaggedly.  Of course it had been a bad idea to tell them she was leaving.  “No, your father and I settled into our retirement,” she snapped.  “You think I want to just sit around every day by myself?  No!  I’ve spent my whole life on the road and that’s where I belong.” 

(maybe that’s a lie maybe she had been excited about settling down maybe she hated traveling at this point)

“Mom,” Tashi interjected, trying her best to remain calmer than her brother.  “If you’re lonely, you know that Jinpa and I would be more than willing to move back home to Air Temple Island.”

“I’m not lonely,” Toph protested, slamming a fist on the table perhaps too roughly.  “I didn’t have to tell you, and I wasn’t going too, but I didn’t think you’d all be silly enough to try and fight me.” 

“Thanks for that, Mom,” Bumi grumbled.

She spent the next hour fighting off her children’s arguments.  Her mind was made up a long time ago and although she would never admit it out loud, she missed Aang too much to stay anywhere near the city they had helped create.  Every corner burned with memories of him.  Their home echoed with emptiness.  There had even been nights she had bolted up, drenched in sweat, grasping the sheets begging to find him.  She could swear that she could hear him whispering to her, just quiet enough that she couldn’t make out the words.

The only memory of him she could stand to be around now was their children.  She wished desperately to have them all together, for them to be some semblance of a real family in the wake of his death.  But they were scattered—Lin in Republic City, Suyin in Zaofu, Tashi split amongst the Air Temples, Bumi traveling constantly with the United Forces.  No matter how hard she tried, there would never be a way to be connected to all of them at once.  Not here, like this, anyway.

Eventually, Tashi and Bumi accepted that there was nothing either of them could say to keep Toph in Republic City and dejectedly said their goodbyes to her before parting ways.  She kept up the stony-faced façade she had always known best while she finished packing her things, making note for most of them to be sent to her children.  She wouldn’t need them anymore.

She had told the two of them that she was simply returning to the nomadic life she and Aang had shared after her retirement from the police force.  It would be true, for a while; she had plans to visit the Earth Kingdom again, stop in Zaofu to see her grandchildren and tell Suyin of her new search for enlightenment, maybe even see her old friends one more time.

She wouldn’t tell any of them that she was really going to the Foggy Swamp.  They would only try harder to talk her out of it, tell her the swamp was dangerous for an old woman, that she was being ridiculous and irrational.  Really, she had never felt more sure of anything in her life.  Her heart belonged with her family and with Aang gone, it felt shattered.  She was desperate to put it back together before it broke her.  She knew of only one place that could make her feel connected to all of her children and Aang at once.

***

In her mind, Toph had a clear image of what she remembered from the swamp.  She had visualized her new life there over and over.  Stepping into it now, she was blindsided by a chilling feeling she could not quite place, like a wind threatening to barrel her over.

The one possibility she hadn’t allowed herself to dream now coursed through her mind as she ventured deeper into the heart of the swamp.  

(what if he’s not here what in the name of the spirits would she do with herself) 

It was not as if she could go back to her old life.  She would have nothing left to keep her afloat, no hope of ever seeing Aang in this life again.

(maybe she shouldn’t have left maybe the hope was what kept her going) 

Eventually she reached the banyan-grove tree at the heart of the swamp.  Discouragement sinking in her stomach like a rock, she leaned her back against the tree and slid to the ground.  Toph Beifong had only cried a handful of times since her young childhood.  The only person in the entire world who had ever seen her so vulnerable had, of course, been Aang.  Somehow, even from the start, he always knew when she needed him.

(which was fortunate because she would never tell him that)

He would come find her, no matter where she was, wrap his arms around and silently hold her close to his chest until the steady beat of his heart and the warmth he radiated soothed her.   She hadn’t even cried when he died, not properly.  

Now, alone in this ancient swamp, Toph let go of her strength and let herself break.  Sobs wracked her frame.  She could picture how ridiculous she must have looked: a blind, middle-aged earthbender, sitting on a mucky floor, screaming with grief like she never had before.  

She had abandoned her children, her city, her entire life to venture into the Foggy Swamp.  It was supposed to be a Spirit Wild, supposed to be the connection between the two worlds.  But it was foolish of her to believe she would find her husband here; he was the Avatar, his spirit was reborn into a new body, surely there was no reason to find any Avatar in the Spirit World..  

As she let her anguish consume her, slowly icing her to her core, she imagined that this was it for her, the end of her line.  

A flash of warmth spread throughout her right side, a faint but familiar scent wafting around her.  At once, her tears stopped and she jumped, alarmed.  Every muscle in her body tensed as the sensation gradually transformed into reassuring arms around her shoulders.  Everything clicked in her mind as she heard the voice she dreamt of every night, simply murmuring,

“Toph.” 

“Aang?  Aang, tell me it’s you, tell me this isn’t some dark spirit playing a dirty trick,” she gasped, unwilling to trust her senses.

“It’s me.  I’ve been waiting for you.” 

At that moment, she was sixteen once more, sitting side-by-side with a young monk, and she knew that she was home.

[stitch1830]

Hiya Stitch!!! I hope you're doing well!

How do you think elderly Taang would handle becoming grandparents? How would they react to their grandchild?

Have a Taangtastic day, pal!

Hi Ronin! Hope all is well, and thank you for the ask!

Good question, and rather appropriate, because it’s been a while since I’ve chatted about Taang headcanons and I miss my dunebabies LOL.

So since it’s been a while, my main dunebabies include Lin, Gyatso, Suyin, and Kenji. I don’t necessarily go into grand dunebaby details because I like the idea of leaving that up to one’s imagination, but I think it’s possible that all the dunebabies grow up to have families of their own.

Su seems like the first dunebaby to have kids, and she probably starts her family relatively young. I think at first, Aang would freak out a bit, only because Suyin is a baba’s girl and so he’s a little overprotective with her. Toph on the other hand would probably know that Su is pregnant before she even realizes it haha! Toph is pretty relaxed about it all, but she makes sure that Suyin is happy about this revelation and whatnot. Having a kid young is tough work, so Toph just checks in with her baby girl.

Overall I think Toph and Aang would be very happy and supportive of Suyin! She doesn’t necessarily live in Republic City anymore, so they don’t get to see her often when she’s preparing for the baby’s arrival. I can imagine that Toph and Aang visit Su once the baby is born, and that’s when it hits them that they’re grandparents.

Aang would definitely get emotional. He’d think about the passage of time, he’d think about when Suyin was first born and what that was like for both him and Toph, and he’d think about the future, how this baby will grow up and how they’ll interact with their aunts and uncles and future children that come along the way. He’d get swept up in all of it, especially when he holds the baby for the first time.

Toph would likely feel the same way. After all, she did marry the sentimental Twinkletoes, his personality rubs off on her just a bit LOL. But she keeps her feelings at bay, and no one really notices that she thinks and feels all the same things that Aang is feeling when they hold their first grandchild. I think her mind would also wander to the thought of the Air Nation being reborn through their family, and she smiles at the thought of Aang’s heritage and culture continuing on as the generations continue.

As far as how they interact with the baby as they get older? Well, Toph and Aang like to spoil their grandkids in things and experiences, mostly to bother the kid’s parents LOL. Toph and Aang love spoiling the kid and they love getting under Suyin’s skin. It’s all in good fun, of course, no boulder are thrown post-teasing/rule breaking session.

Okay! That’s all the ideas I have for now when it comes to Toph and Aang’s first grandkid. If you guys have any HC’s about dunebabies or grand dunebabies, I’d love to hear them! Feel free to stop by my asks, and I’ll get to them eventually :)

Thanks again for the ask, Ronin! Always nice to hear from you, bud :) Hope you have a great day!

……

Send me asks about ATLA, or anything, really! :D

[su-univeralai]

I just think it would be a very entertaining juxtaposition to see TOPH giving KATARA pregnancy and parenting tips

YESSS!!! I think so too!!

I just imagine Katara very hesitantly visiting Toph when she finds out she pregnant and asking for advice.

Toddler Gyatso would of course be clinging to Toph as she spewed out her wisdom. She'd hand him over after she demonstrates how to properly hold him, swaddle him, etc.

Toph would definitely mess with Katara by weaving some random not so true advice into her real advice just to mess with her.

I also see Toph throwing Gyatso in the air to freak Katara out only to watch him glide back into his Amma's arms. By this time, Aang and Toph have already learned that Gyatso is an airbender, but Katara doesn't know that and sends Toph a disapproving look.

In the end, Katara has to admit she learned a lot from Toph and believes Toph is a great mother. She takes back a lot of her advice back to Zuko.

Now, Aang giving Zuko and Sokka parenting advice would be a sight to see too. While I think we all believe he would be a great dad, no one expected him to have kids first either. I think Toph and Aang have a very lax, but loving parenting style that the rest of the Gaang both admire and despise (because the dunebabies destroy every place they go, but are ultimately good kids).

[su-univeralai]

Hi Su! I have a question....

What were Toph and Aang's reactions to all their pregnancies/incoming dunebabies?

Oh boy! This is something I have strangely haven't thought too hard on, but here goes something:

So I HC them popping out babies from a young age, earlier than the rest of the Gaang, which is a shock to everyone. Gyatso is the oldest of all the next gen babies except Azula's daughter, who is three years older than him.

Gyatso: I think Gyatso is born when Toph and Aang are around 18 or 19, and is definitely a surprise. They had been dancing around admitting their feelings for each other until they were 16 and now 2-3 years later, they've got a bun in the oven. They both intended to be life partners, but Toph hadn't considered being a mother, yet. Both were nervous about being parents because Toph didn't have a great time growing up with hers and Aang grew up in a community. But with a lot of help and bothering from Katara, the pregnancy goes well and the Gaang eases their nerves of becoming parents.

T&A = 19

Three years later

Lin and Tenzin: Gyatso begged Nana and Amma for a little brother or sister since he could talk. Toph had always intended to have multiple children once they had Gyatso since she hated being an only child, so now was a perfect time to have a kid. Of course they were shocked when she heard two heartbeats instead of one, and that got them nervous for a new reason. They'd be outnumbered lol. Even as wombmates (lol) Tenzin and Lin fought with each other, making for a rough pregnancy.

T&A = 22, G = 3

Six years later

Suyin: Su was another surprise baby. After the roughhousing that the twins did in Toph's womb, she was good with three kids, but fate had another idea when Su was conceived. Now, in their late-twenties and with the rest of the Gaang popping kids out left and right, they didn't have to worry about Su being younger than the rest of her siblings.

T&A = 28, G = 9, L&T = 6

Five years later

Songa, Kera, and Choekyi: Yet another surprise with becoming pregnant. An even bigger surprise when they realized they had one-upped themselves by having triplets. Aang and Toph had tried having another kid a couple years after Su was born, but never succeeded and gave up. With Gyatso, Lin, and Tenzin now being adolescents, and there being triplets on the way, Nana and Amma roped the three of them into contributing to taking care of the rapidly growing family.

Toph was done with giving birth after Choekyi came out and threatened Aang not to get her pregnant again.

T&A = 33, G = 14, L&T = 11, S = 5

But alas, another three years later Gyun came around.

Gyun: Toph was not happy finding out she was pregnant again. Weren't seven kids enough? apparently not. Even the rest of the Gaang had stopped having kids at this point, but Toph and Aang were making an army of dunebabies - unintentionally of course. Aang was thrilled to be having another kid because their family was starting to become like his childhood, a community as a family, but everyone had the same parents!

T&A = 36, G = 17, L&T = 14, S = 8, SK&C = 3

One year later

MeiLin: They actually conceived MeiLin quickly and was trying for her, wanting Gyun to have someone around his age to play with. By this time, Toph being pregnant was a family affair and everyone took part in raising the family. MeiLin and Gyun are known as Irish twins because they were born within a year of each other.

T&A = 37, G = 18, L&T = 15, S = 9, SK&C = 4, G = <1

Three years later

Tiao Wu: The last surprise, and a difficult pregnancy. Toph destroyed the fighting ground she was practicing on when she felt the heartbeat of Tiao Wu in frustration. Katara had told her that she couldn't get pregnant anymore just a few months ago, but lo and behold, another baby. Aang nervously laughed more scared at what Toph was going to do than worrying about a 10th child. Let's just say that Katara got an angry welcome the next time she and the family visited.

T&A = 40, G = 21, L&T = 18, S = 12, SK&C = 7, G = 4, M = 3-4

LMAO Ok stitch! Here are the reactions of all the children that Aang and Toph have. I think... more than half of them were happy surprises? That's 21 years between the oldest and youngest of the dunebabies

[stitch1830]

You said to send in Taang, Zutara, Sukka thoughts (the three best ships by the way!) and I always wondered. Do you think Aang and Toph would remain the goofy troublemakers they were during their youth when they became parents? I can just imagine the two trying not to get into all sorts of antics with the dune/blade/steam babies but ultimately failing.

Anon, Anon, Anon. Can I call you Nonnie? We're on that level now. Peas in a pod.

Lmao ignore my attempts to be casual and humorous, and thanks for the ask! I agree, Taang, Zutara, and Sukka can just be so personal, you know? I'm not opposed to convos about Tokka (my OG ship), but I think I've established myself as passionate Taang shipper, and it's understandable... they live in my mind rent free at this point lol! Okay, enough of me rambling, and let's answer the question! (Thanks again for the thoughts, feel free to send more! :)

I do think that Toph and Aang have a very relaxed parenting style. They do not seem like the type to make chore charts, designated nap times, or worry about the state of disarray their house is in. Both of them understand some of the things that are sort of required of parents (a bit of discipline, or at least an understanding of right and wrong and education are the two main ones that come to mind), but I don't think they let a ton of rules dictate how they raise their kids. Not unless they need it for success (an example that comes to mind is my dunebaby Lin. She does better if there's order in her life, so both try to give her that if it's what she needs). When it comes to discipline, I see Aang having to take control of that. Toph hated the rules and orders of her parents, I think she would always be apprehensive about being resented by her kids just because she told them to clean up their mess. Maybe there's some favoritism that occurs for Aang when it comes to the airbenders in the family, but I don't think Toph would let that stand for long and he'd correct his errors.

Aang gives me super fun dad vibes; he's always asking and encouraging the kids to play outside or to make up games with him, and all the kids have a great time with him! He loves spending every second he can with his kids and just wants them to be happy and themselves. Toph to me radiates chill mom vibes. She won't initiate play time with her kids, but if they ask her to play, she'll never say no and she's a great play buddy. That kind of translates into the rest of her parenting style. She does things casually, and tries not to make a big fuss out of things ("Yeah, I put the kid to sleep, Twinkletoes. That is my job, you know"). Their house is full of teasing, banter, and laughter, and it makes them a pretty strong family unit. All the kids need some thick skin to withstand all the silly jokes, and they learn to go with the flow and egg their family on as they get older.

As for getting into trouble with the dune/steam/bladebabies? Ohhhhh you bet! They are the aunt and uncle that you go to when you need to get away with shit. Toph and Aang ask little questions... usually the only one they ask is "All right, where do you need me?" lol. They love giving their friends extra grey hairs and if they can and they'll escape every single boring adult conversation to wreak some havoc with their children and niblings. This makes them great relatives to go to for any problems they may be having. Obviously the steam and blade babies look to their families, but I think if anyone wants additional advice, they trust Toph and Aang with their troubles.

In conclusion, I agree with your thoughts, Anon! Out of everyone in the Gaang, they would be the most fun and mischievous pair, and I think that would carryover into their parenting style, as well as make them the designated Fun Aunt and Uncle without a doubt. Other members of the Gaang are fun, but no one really comes close to the shenanigans Toph and Aang play with the kids. Frankly, they don't need a competition to try and outdo those two, either. Cities would burn. Islands would cease to exist. LOL ;)

Thank you for the thought/question, Anon! Like I said earlier, feel free to send more if you'd like!

Send me questions, asks, or headcanons about Taang, Zutara, or Sukka!

[stitch1830]

For @nanunanu22 prompt ask. Original ask is here!

Bit of next gen context if you need it. Also going to make a cut because this is long!

Bladebabies: Malek (~18) and Kiyoko (~13)

Steambabies: Kya (~17), Izumi (~15), and Iroh (~8)

Dunebabies: Lin (~10), Gyatso (~6/7), Suyin (~5), Kenji (~6 months)

Next Gen - #92 - “This is one heck of a storm”

Flashes of light and loud claps of thunder startled the young children inside the Ember Island house. They all put on brave faces, but some still showed discomfort at the scene.

Kya peered out the window to see the status of the storm, hoping to find any signs of it letting up. They were currently waiting on their parents to return back to the house; they said they had group errands to run and that she, plus Malek, was in charge. “It’s really coming down,” she noted.

Malek nodded, bouncing a crying baby Kenji in his arms. “Yeah, this is one heck of a storm.”

“Kya, I’m scared!” Suyin exclaimed. She held on tightly to the teenager’s leg, and Kya patted Su’s back reassuringly. “It’s okay, Su! The storm will pass. We’ll be fine.”

“What about Mama and Baba?”

“They’ll be fine, too! I’m sure they’re just waiting out the storm before they come back.”

“Or, they could be swept away into the sea, never to return!” Izumi teased, putting on her best spooky voice.

Suyin’s face turned pale, and her lower lip trembled as she ran off to find Lin.

Kya scowled at Izumi and hissed, “Now why on earth would you do that??”

“What?! I’m just having some fun!”

“Yeah but you don’t have to scare a five-year-old!”

Izumi waved her hand at her older sister. “Oh c’mon, Su’s tough, she’ll be fine.”

“Seriously, though, did you really have to—”

“—Do we have anything to eat?” Kiyoko interrupted.

Izumi pointed her head in the direction of the kitchen. “Kitchen’s that way, Kiki.”

“I know, but do we have anything edible to eat? Uncle Aang just brought vegetables!”

“Iroh always sneaks some seal jerky in his bags on these trips, ask him,” Kya suggested.

Kiyoko cheered and ran off, ready to bug Iroh into giving her jerky. Malek shifted in his stance and said, “Hey, uh. Anyone mind taking this little guy? I uh… wouldn’t mind some jerky too.”

Izumi rolled her eyes. “Malek, you’ve been holding Kenji for two minutes. Go get jerky with him!”

“Hey! I didn’t expect him to be crying this entire time! I mean, really, when are the parents coming back?”

Kya sighed. “They said they’d be back soon. Just walk him around the house, maybe he’ll calm down.”

“He’s never calm,” Malek whined. “Can’t you hold him?” he asked, holding out the baby to Kya. “He probably just likes people that look like Aunt Toph.”

“And I look like Aunt Toph??”

“You both have long hair.”

“Malek, you’re so dumb,” Izumi playfully sighed. “Whoever put you in charge needs a head check.”

“I’ll have you know that my dad put me in charge!”

Izumi held her hands out, palms facing up toward Malek. “I rest my case.”

Malek frowned at Izumi. “I dislike you very much in this moment.” But he relented after seeing that his efforts to pass off a crying Kenji were not working.

“I���m crying on the inside,” Izumi teased.

The young man’s frowned grew as he grumbled and bounced away with baby Kenji. “Stupid family trip. Coulda been at Kyoshi Island hangin’ out with the warriors…”

Izumi rolled her eyes at her cousin, then turned to Kya. “Did the parents really not say what they were doing and when they’d be back?”

Kya shrugged her shoulders and looked out the window once more. “You know as much as I do, Iz.”

Before the teens could say any more, Iroh and Gyatso came running in and complaining to them.

“Kya! Gyatso keeps blowing puffs of air and making me trip!”

“Only ‘cuz you keep tripping me! Literally!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Gyatso you're a klutz you trip over your own feet! I don’t have to do anything to trip you!”

“No I’m not!”

“You kind of are, G,” Izumi added. “But we love you for it.”

“Why must you add fuel to the fire?” Kya muttered.

“Because it’s fun,” she whispered to her sister, and the two watched the young boys continue to bicker and complain to each other. Izumi just wished she had snacks.

“Lin!” Gyatso yelled. “Tell Iroh that it’s not—”

“—I’m reading, Gyatso! Figure it out.”

Gyatso huffed and stomped over toward his sister to start yelling at her. “You never back me up!”

“Because you’re fighting about silly stuff and Su is over here crying!”

“Aw, Su, why are you crying?”

While the Beifong kids continued to console and bicker off in the distance, Kya pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

She really hoped the parents would be home soon.

......

Send me a prompt and a ship to write about! (For ATLA).

Or just send me asks lol

[stitch1830]

Stitch my luv. Give me the cheesiest, fluffiest taang headcanons you can think of off the top of your head.

Hi Joy! Oof, cheese and fluff? Let's see...

I think the cheesiest one I ever came up with was when Toph is pregnant, Aang wants to do this one thing with the baby everyday until baby Beifong arrives. With lots of complaining and sighs, Toph agrees, and Aang decides on drawing a heart on her stomach, kissing it, and then saying something sweet to the baby. He does this everyday without fail, and then when they have future dunebabies, Lin and dunebabies to follow do the same to Toph's stomach, multiple times a day now... And well, Toph can't tell her kids to stop being sweet, but it's just tons of cheese and fluff when baby Lin kisses Mama's belly to say hi to the baby. Nearly wrote a one shot about this, but I think it's a little too cheesy, even for me.

Baby Su was a fussy baby for a long time, and the only way she could sleep for periods of time was on either Toph or Aang's chest, Aang mainly. He's the baby Su whisperer.

I still think the badgermole kisses would be cute for Taang and the dunebabies lol.*sniff sniff kiss*

When Toph is alone with the babies, she does a silly dance with them and tries to make them laugh. I feel like it would be really important for her to hear their first laugh since she can't see their first smiles. She's pretty adamant about being around for their first laugh if she has any say in the matter.

I can see Toph getting mad or angry about something and she goes off to vent to Aang, and after a while, he'll just kiss her forehead and gently pull her into a hug until the angry Toph gremlin calms down. He knows she's all better when she wraps her arms around his waist.

When Aang is upset, he just whines and complains into Toph's shoulder. He leans down a lot and Toph lets him vent and she'll pat the back of his head and goes "there there." lol

They're big on cuddling, especially with the kiddos.

Toph loves giving raspberries on the the dunebabies' bellies. Sometimes the kids laugh until they cry (then Aang is left to wipe away the tears LOL).

And... that's all I have for now! :D

[stitch1830]

It's been thrown around that Toph would be able to see if she enters the Spirit World via meditation as there's no bending there. I'm kinda interested in knowing if you think it's a likely possibility or wishful thinking, and if you're open to write a short story of that happening? You've won me over to Taang and the dunebabies with your stories and I'D CRY IF TOPH GOT THE CHANCE TO SEE HER KIDS AND IT'D BE SO EMOTIONAL AND ok I'm good now just had to get that out of my system... Anyways hope you have a nice day 😊

Hi Anon, thank you for the ask! Also I'm very touched, haha! I'm so glad you like Taang now, and the fact that I had anything to do with it?? Wow. You humble me, Anon. Truly :)

This is a great question, and super complicated for me to wrap my mind around and decide what's possible, because I can really see and accept both headcanons (possibility or wishful thinking). For this question, I'm going to assume that no one is traveling to the Spirit World physically (since that only happened after Harmonic Convergence). I'm also going to assume that every member in the Beifong family is considered 'enlightened' because those seem to be the only people that can travel to the Spirit World well when the portals are closed.

So, the human body does not actually go to the SW, which is what's needed for bending to occur there (and why it can happen after Harmonic Convergence). Because of this, Toph cannot see with earthbending, because her body isn't actually traveling to the SW and she can't use seismic sense. Vision may also be considered a body function, so if her spirit (or whatever form travels to the SW) doesn't have human body inhibitors, I don't see why she wouldn't be able to see. The argument could be made that because her body isn't going to the SW that she's really, truly blind when she goes to the SW, and I can see that and would agree in some instances (I just need more evidence, and the Wiki pages don't convince me that blind people seeing in the SW is impossible).

I'm hesitant to make Toph be able to see in my Taang universe when she goes to the Spirit World, only because I feel like that's in some ways a loophole to make her more able bodied and lose some of the quality features of her character. She's a proud blind woman and is able to excel in society, but she still has her limitations. If we give her the option to see in the Spirit World, the ability to read letters written in a metallic ink (or graphite... are minerals earth bendable??), to be able to see specific facial expressions through earthbending, or anything else that gives her more qualities of a person that has perfect vision... It kind of takes away from the badassery of her character in my opinion. I can vibe with those HC's, but I try not to add those to my Taang universe to set limits to her abilities. Because even Toph Beifong isn't perfect!

And I think in my stories, her inability to see her children adds a ton of depth for her, because never has she had this super strong urge to see... not until she had a family of her own. Also, it's extremely difficult to travel to the SW if I'm not mistaken. I feel like it would be difficult to get all the Beifongs to be able to travel there at once and spend the time they need for her to 1) understand what she's looking at and 2) being able to take the time to absorb all their features and characteristics.

BUT I've had one or two people request a story about her actually seeing her kids in the SW, and it's such a fluffy, heartwarming idea that I can't not write it. So at some point I will, but it won't be considered a Taang One Shot. It'll most likely fall under the series "Miscellaneous But Taangy Stories."

Phew! I said a lot and honestly, not sure it all makes sense, but those are my thoughts on Toph visiting the Spirit World and seeing! If you guys have thoughts or suggestions on this, would love to hear them! Very interesting thought/HC to ponder in my opinion.

Thank you so much for the ask and the kind words, Anon. I'm so glad that you enjoy my Taang family and want to see a story about this! I'll do my best to work on it soon so maybe you will get your fluffy wish soon haha! Hope you have a lovely day as well :)

[stitch1830]

No one asked for dunebaby (or dustdevils? Either way lol) headcanons, but I’m sad bc my team lost in March Madness bball already and Taang makes me feel happy lol.

Oh, and these might help understand some of my stories in the future. Most of these are inspired by other HCs I’ve seen, and I wanted to incorporate them into my Taang world as well. 

4 kiddos (Lin, Gyatso, Suyin, Kenji), all basically a surprise, especially the last two rascals.

Girls are earthbenders, boys are airbenders

They all call Toph Mama and Mama only.

But they call Aang Baba, Dad, Daddio, Pops, You name it. Typically Dad and Baba tho.

Lin and Gyatso are like carbon copies of Toph and Aang respectively, but Su and Kenji are a bit of a mix. Su is an earthbender with airbender tendencies and moves. And Kenji is the opposite. 

Su is a Daddy’s girl and Kenji is a Mama’s boy.

Kenji has a stuffed badgermole that he takes with him everywhere, big comfort item lol. Lao and Poppy bought out an entire shipment of the stuffed animal, so everyone (Zutara, Sukka, and Taang) have backups in case he destroys the one he has or forgets it when they travel. 

Gyatso LOVES meeting new people, and basically makes friends with everyone

He’s also the big mediator between his siblings, especially for Lin and Su (they butt heads a lot).

Lin likes to read to Toph after she saw Zuko read/teach her fancy words at the fire nation.

Since Gyatso’s name has a lot of syllables, his main nicknames include G, Jr. (as in Twinkletoes Jr), and Geo, but only Toph really calls him Geo (rock reference. Get it?).

The whole family is pretty rowdy and they argue often, but they’re very close and get over arguments (relatively) quickly and will FIGHT anyone that bothers their fam.

That’s all for now, I’ll get off my soapbox and your feed lol. Have a nice weekend!

[stitch1830]

sentence prompts: #39 Taang!

Ooooo such a good one! And there are so many opportunities with this prompt haha. Thanks for asking as always! 

Some dunebaby context for those that need it:

Lin = 12; Gyatso = 7 ish; Suyin = 6 ish; Kenji = 2.5  

And I made a cut because it’s kind of long so, sorry/not ~that~ sorry about it lmao.

...... 

Taang - #39 - “They are so your children”

They were just trying to have a nice cup of tea together.

Why they thought they could do in silence was beyond them.

Just as Toph and Aang filled their cups, they heard a commotion outside, likely due to their kids complaining about something.

“Mama!”

Toph raised an eyebrow and turned in her seat to hear what Suyin was whining about this time. Multiple quickened heartbeats ran into the kitchen in a small cluster, and Toph had a feeling an argument was about to ensue.

“Mama,” Suyin began again. She huffed and stomped right up to Toph’s chair and had her arms crossed over her chest. “Please tell Gyatso that earthbending is way cooler than airbending.”

“Yeah!” Kenji yelled, and Toph let out a small snort. The two and a half year old didn’t quite grasp the concept yet that he was an airbender (even though he showed signs of airbending since he was one).

“Mama,” Gyatso said loudly. “please tell Suyin that it doesn’t matter which one is better, but that it is obviously airbending!”

“Why would Mama agree with you?” Suyin asked. “She’s an earthbender!”

Gyatso paused, noticing the flaw in his argument point. He then yelled, “Dad! Please tell Suyin and Kenji and Mama that airbending is better!”

“Oh I’m not getting into this argument.”

“Lin!” Gyatso turned to face his sister, who was sitting on the couch trying to read a book. “You were telling me the other day you wanted to be an airbender!”

“What?” Toph asked. “Since when?”

“I didn’t say that, I just said that it would be cool to fly on my own,” Lin explained, not even bothering to look up.

“Whatever!” Suyin tossed her hand in the air. “Lin’s opinion is lily-livered like yours, G!”

“Yeah, livered!” Kenji exclaimed. Both Aang and Toph chuckled. The ‘lily’ part of the insult never caught on for Kenji, and the whole family found it amusing that he ran around calling people just that. Livers.

But Kenji’s cry of agreement made Toph notice something. “Wait, why are you covered in dirt, Kenji?”

“It’s my coat of earth, Mama,” he explained. “For earthbending fighting.”

Toph nodded. Hard to argue with that logic.

“Anyway,” Suyin interrupted. “It’s clear to me and just about everyone here that earthbending is better! So you can chew on a rock, Geo!”

“Hey!” Gyatso protested. “Only Mama gets to call me that!”

“Only earthbenders get to call you that!”

Gyatso huffed, “Well, it doesn’t matter, because I can still beat you in a fight.”

“Oh yeah?” Suyin roared.

“Yeah! Lin knows—”

“—Do not pull me into this, G,” Lin whined.

“Mama,” Suyin grumbled. “You know better than anyone. Tell Gyatso that I’m a better fighter!”

“No, tell Su that I am!” Gyatso yelled.

A silence fell over the family for just a moment as Toph made her verdict. Now, if she were to be honest with her children, she would say that earthbending is leaps and bounds better than airbending, and that Suyin would probably win a fight. Not because of her element alone, but because she was already a natural fighter. Suyin and Kenji both were.

But, she couldn’t outright call the verdict, so there was only one other way to settle the argument objectively.

Toph took a deep breath. “There’s only one way to settle this,” she began, then pausing for dramatic effect. Everyone in the room held their breath, even though they all knew what she was going to say.

“Earth Rumble Fight!” she roared. “You two,” pointed to her middle children. “Out in the yard, first person on their butt is the loser of this fight.”

Groans and roars of excitement filled the kitchen, and the three little ones ran back outside to duel it out (or watch the duel, in Kenji’s case). Toph pointed a finger at Lin. “Badgermole. Can you go watch your siblings and make sure they don’t kill each other?”

Lin let out a grumble and shut her book dramatically, then stomped out into the yard to referee the match. Toph turned back in her seat to sip her tea, and found Aang silently laughing his ass off in his seat. “What? What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he replied in between fits of giggles. “It’s just that, they are so your children.”

Toph couldn’t help but join in, because it was true. They were all rather stubborn and rowdy and sassy. Mini copies of Toph Beifong’s attitude, and whether or not that was good or bad was to be determined. But it sure made for a fun and loud household. “And you love us for it,” she replied.

Aang smiled and got up from his seat to kiss her. “That I do.” The two smiled and fell silent for just a moment, and they couldn’t stand it. 

Why they even wanted silence to begin with was beyond them.

“Wanna watch them fight?”

Toph stood up excitedly. “Fuck yes!”

......

Send me a prompt and a ship to write about! (for ATLA).

Or just send me asks lol

[stitch1830]

You have a ton of headcanons for Taang and the dunebabies - which I love - and lately you've been talking a lot about Kantoph - which I also love but kind of feel sad about and my heart JUST SHATTERED BY THE RING HC. Now onto my actual question haha: do you have any hc for Azulaang? Like how they got together, their family and friends' reaction to them dating (and let's just throw the world's reaction for good measure) and their children, and overall everything about their lives?

Hi Anon, thank you for the ask! Oh goodness I know I'm sure everyone's sick of all my headcanons haha! That's always been my favorite part about fanon, though. I just make up a little scenario and sometimes it evolves into a whole story. Those stories then have added layers for meaning and boom. Headcanon accepted in my book lol. I'm glad you like them, though, and I'm very grateful people are curious about my opinions on different ships, especially my OTP Taang. I've spent months thinking of dunebaby characterizations because I had nothing better to do, and now I can't write stories fast enough to tell you all about them, so Tumblr asks is a good route to go! :)

Also glad you like the Kantoph HC's! They are now my absolute favorite canon ship for no other reason than the AU that I've been creating LOL. But yeah the ring HC... that's a rough one. And I made it worse by writing about it. That's my b LOL. Anyway! There's a LOT we could unpack with this ask and I've rambled for too long. Let's go!

I’m thinking maybe Zuko asks if Aang will take Azula with him to help rebuild and restore some fallen EK villages. Just providing aide and things and being helpful. She’s still recovering from her breakdown and trauma, and Aang’s calm spirit will probably help her go down the right path. At first she’s not having it, she abhors all the work and help they have to do. But she finds that complaining about the work is not accomplishing anything, and she’s a woman that likes results. Aang’s company becomes less and less annoying and more endearing. They admit their feelings to each other when they were ambushed one day (that happens a bit) and one of them almost gets hurt. After, they argue and one of them silences the other by kissing them and they just…. Don’t stop LOL.

Their friends are very perplexed by the relationship. They’re worried that Azula is using him and that Aang doesn’t realize what she did to him when he was a kid, and they’re really worried this will affect Azula’s mental health recovery. But Azula and Aang know each other after years of travel and trust each other. Eventually, their friends are on board and realize that the two are good for each other, so they slowly but surely become supportive! The world finds the relationship strange, yet intriguing. The Avatar and his Enemy’s daughter together… a little poetic and the world loves to speculate that’s for sure.

Azula is a very formal woman, so they do end up married (because she asks him), and they have proper FN and AN wedding ceremonies. They have two kids, I believe I named them Seiki and Kelsang, an airbender and Firebender respectively (personalities yet to be made, but I imagine Seiki gets her matter-of -factly way of speaking from her mother).

The only nickname Azula really uses for Aang is dearest. Aang typically calls her darling, but he has a plethora of nicknames he can use for her as well.

They butt heads a lot on their different cultures, but they appreciate that the other is so passionate about their upbringing, so the argument is never long.

The family sometimes travels because of Aang’s job, but they settle in the FN so they can be close to Uncle ZuZu. And the familiarity is comforting for Azula.

Hmmm that’s all I can think of for now! Hope this answers some of your questions :) Thank you again for the question, and hope you have a nice day!

[stitch1830]

Taangst writing is making me sad how about we talk about dunebabies instead. Let’s see... what were Toph and Aang’s reactions to their first born Bumi being an earth bender?

PSHHHHH OF COURSE we can talk about dunebabies! All this angst writing is making me unbalanced so dunebaby talk is helpful lmao.

So...obviously if you ask Toph and Aang their thoughts on their son bending air or earth, they’re just gonna say “Oh! we love him the way he is! We’ll be happy either way. Even if he’s a non bender, he’s still amazing!” They are both certainly thrilled when he’s an earthbender and are on cloud 9 when they learn this.

But Toph Beifong would never let a teasing opportunity go to waste. After all, Beifong earthbenders now outnumber airbenders and she is thrilled. She teases Aang relentlessly about it, no matter how many times he says he’s okay and happy with it. She just rags on him because it’s funny. Aang just takes it in full stride because he knows no matter what he says, she’s gonna tease him and he’s grown some thick skin over the years. He can take the jabs Toph throws at him. 

Now, behind closed doors and after they learn that lil Bumi is an earthbender, Toph is just... beyond herself. Because not only does she have this amazing and beautiful kid to raise with Aang, but she also has a new student to pass down all her wisdom to. And Toph is very prideful with her earthbending, so to be able to pass down everything she knows to her son?

She couldn’t be more excited, and she really wants Aang to know the same feeling she’s experiencing. 

Maybe another kid, possibly an airbender, wouldn’t be so bad...