#like toph COULD MAYBE be a cop if she was like. a cop in the way poirot is a cop

[stormiclown]

After rewatching the Legend of Korra, specifically the pro bending episodes, I feel like it would've made much more sense for Toph to have invented pro bending instead of becoming a cop/chief of police. I can understand why her developing a school to teach metal bending would be an aspect of her future, but a cop? Not so much. Considering her past as the Blind Bandit, creating pro bending makes much more sense for her character.

[iidsch]

People who complain about the focus on cop characters in the legend of korra are valid and I agree with them but at the same time it's weird to criticise that when the avatar is a worse version of a cop

[wilcze-kudly]

What do you think Lin and Suyin relationships with their grandparents, Lao and Poppy, were like?

While I've seen plenty of people put forth the idea about Toph's girls spending a lot of time with their grandparents, but, while adorable, I don't think that would be exactly in the cards.

I think, even after reconciling with her parents, Toph would keep them at arm's length. I don't see her visiting them in Gaoling, I feel like the place may be uncomfortable for her to be. So the only way for the Beifongs to connect with their granddaughters would be by visiting Republic City. I can see them trying to do so regularly, though travel would be difficult.

I think Lin would be Lao's little princess? Like she'd have her grandpa wrapped aroudn her little baby finger. He'd buy her a pony if Toph would let him. I can imagine him fretting over her following in her mom's footsteps and wanting to become a cop. But I think he's learnt from Toph to not meddle too much.

For Su, well she's Poppy's baby. I think Su could remind Poppy of what Toph could've been if they hadn't been so strict on her. She may see this as a chance to 'make things right'. Anyway, she adores Su and lets her get away with anything.

When Toph sends Su to live with her grandparents, I imagine they're very happy to take her in. Up until Lao learns what Su did to Lin. I can see this sparking an argument. Maybe he goes to Republic City for a while, to support Lin. But eventually, I think things will cool down a little.

When Toph retires and leaved Republic City, Lao becomes the only family memeber Lin would regularly see, as he makes an effort to visit her more.

As Lao gets older, however, it gets harder for him to travel. Eventually, Lin is left all alone. I don't know if she would go to his funeral. I think she would want to pay her respects, but wouldn't be able to bring herself to confront her grief. And her family members, who would be at the funeral.

Suyin travels a lot. But I think she sends plenty letters and postcards to her grandparents. When she eventually settles down, I think they're very relieved and more than willing to reach into the family's coffers to fund her odd little passion project.

I'm quite sure they'd approve of Baatar Sr. I think at this point they've long since given up on the idea of their granddaughters marrying a noble boy and living a conventional Earth Kingdom noble life.

Zaofu is quite close to Gaoling, all things considered, so I like to think there would be a lot of visits on both sides. I like to imagine that Lao and Poppy would be able to meet at least Baatar Jr? I think they deserve to see at least one of their great grandkids.

[aanglican]

How do you think the Gaang would react if Iroh was forced to face a tribunal for his actions during the war, particularly his actions during the Siege of Ba Sing Se?

the one most affected would be zuko for obvious reasons.

aang, sokka, katara, and suki would feeling a range of clarity and sympathy the second they learn of (1) specifics from his past that contradict with his current - and most familiar - conduct of himself and (2) the existence of such a tribunal, but ultimately they understand its necessity. it’s a postwar world and reparations must be made and justice must be served no matter how belated.

toph, being from a well off background and sheltered for most of her life, would imaginably be the most out of touch of them all. she’s earth kingdom sure but she’s not from a heavily affected polity nor does she have personal lifelong experiences with violent FN colonialism like the rest of the gaang do. i think her positive feelings for iroh and the fact that she first encountered him as a kindly man on the road serving tea would color her impression of him as an ex-fire nation general and imperialist, i.e. “he was helping us out now, can’t we try to let this issue go just this once?” (after all, she’s to be a corrupt cop in the future so this could be a preview of her as an adult.) (or maybe she’ll be swayed into the same thought camp as the rest of the gaang, who knows!)

[atuats-sidechick]

Fake fic titles:

When Our Eyes Meet

Snap Crackle Pop

Hand It Over

I'm yelling about the second one! This is prime whump material, or smut, thank you!

Hmnn let me think...

When Our Eyes Meet: I think it'd be a nice one-shot premise to have Aang look into Azula's eyes and remember Rangi. Maybe Kyoshi can tell him about the Fire Nation's history leading to the war, like Roku did but starting with the clans' consolidation under the Fire Lord. Or she could talk about the pressure Fire Nationals put their kids under, I bet she had some thoughts about that and it'd be relevant to Azula's story.

Snap Crackle Pop: Hei-Ran gets ahem hurt during sex and Atuat gives her a massage. Or the other way around.

Hand it Over: Toph is a teacher AU (bc I would never write her as a cop) and she catches Suyin stealing. She's way too sloppy, Toph will have to teach her how to do it properly.

Thank you! :)

[aangarchy]

post atla toph should have become a robin-hood esque crime lord... or a vigilante (?) who adopted feral ragamuffin children...

what r ur thoughts

I feel like that's slightly more accurate than straight up being a cop, but it still doesn't really fit with what i understand about Toph's character. Maybe it's because she hasn't really had that much character growth in the comics (it's been awhile since i read them i could definitely be wrong here) but to me she doesn't really seem like the type to look out for the little guy.

When we meet Toph she's a spoiled selfish little brat who got her first taste of true freedom. It results in her being reckless and destructive. She became a scam artist for her own personal gain. It seems like her morals are very black and white. "This person is a scam artist so it's okay for me to scam them back." Even though she was never a victim of the scam in the first place. "This person abused her bending abilities, so it's only right for Aang to take it away." This is something that happened in the comics btw. She has a strong sense of Justice, but it's not like she's ever gone out of her way to help people. Katara on the other hand has gone rogue in order to help, even when being told it isn't the smartest or safest choice to make (the earthbenders in the metal prison, the town in the painted lady).

But Toph really only seems to help people when the problem is thrown onto her path. Examples i can think of is freeing Hama's prisoners (she heard people under the mountain, would she have gone to investigate on her own if Sokka hadn't been suspicious of Hama, and if him and Aang didn't want to investigate the stories of the malicious spirit) and putting out fires created by the meteor (would she have suggested putting out the flames herself if Katara and Aang hadn't first?). And it's very clear that when she does help, she expects to be praised for it (she complained about not receiving love from the villagers after they put out the meteor fire).

In the first few comics Toph owns a metalbending school, where she basically kinda bullies her students into becoming metalbenders? So i do see her taking in more apprentices, being a metalbending teacher, maybe even expanding the schools and having a chain of them across the earthkingdom. That's the kind of career i see for her. She does have the bones for business, seeing as her father is one of the most successful ones in the world (they reunite and make up in the comics so i can see Lao Beifong giving her pointers on business here and there). But nothing where she goes out of her way to help, and definitely not law enforcement.

[sanrielle]

I see a lot of chatter in fandom spaces about how Toph would never have become a cop and I have OPINIONS about it, so please allow me to scream them into the void.

Firstly, her reasons for becoming a cop might've been similar to the ones that led her to join the war:

-Avoiding boredom. Toph needs to be doing something important. She loves being important. And she would love chasing bad guys through the city with metal cables. She would love the hunt, the detective work, and the interrogation with her truth sense. She would LOVE being the boss and telling her underlings what to do, and she would love being the authority who gets to enforce the laws (you know, whatever they are...).

-Strong sense of justice. At no point during her time with the Gaang in AtLA did she give any indication that she wasn't fully invested in bringing peace back to the world. She'd want the same thing when living in crime-infested Cranefish Town/Republic City.

-Stickin' it to her parents. I have no doubt that Toph ran away at least partly because she knew it would piss her parents off, and I also have no doubt that she knew that they would be horrified by the thought of her working as a police officer. I think it's safe to say she might've gotten some satisfaction from that, regardless of her age.

Which brings me to my second point: People aren't the exact same person they were when they were twelve. "But she has that episode where she does a bunch of illegal things!" Yeah, and when I was fifteen, I wanted to marry Legolas. What's your point?

Finally, the request to start a metalbending police force would likely have come from either Aang, Sokka, or both. Let's be real: she probably would've done anything Sokka asked her to do. And they would've said 'If you don't do it, someone else will.'

How would our girl have reacted to the idea of someone else stealing her thunder? Any guesses?

All that said, I fully believe she would've grown to hate the job more often than not, especially when it came down to bureaucratic BS that she didn't care about.

I'd be willing to bet that, after Lin was born, Toph was raring to do something, anything besides be pregnant and take care of a newborn 24/7. And she probably didn't have a clue how to be a mother, so it's very likely she would've hired a nanny to do it for her so she could go back to what she already knew she was good at (her job).

Now, I'm firmly in the 'Toph loved her daughters to absolute bits' camp. I just think she didn't know how to be an effective parent and communicate well. Then when Lin started to get older and Su came along, resentment began to grow and Toph retreated to the familiarity of her job where the rules were clear and everything made sense.

But eventually, the strain became too much and she was faced with choosing between the job and her daughter's entire future. And maybe she made the wrong choice. Maybe she didn't. Maybe her whole life felt a little like that, where every decision she made felt wrong but it was the best she knew and she accepted whatever consequences they brought.

[themattress]

Avatar (TLA & LoK) for 001

Favorite character: Zuko (TLA) and Tenzin (LoK).

Least Favorite character: The two feuding tribes (TLA) and the two incompetent cops (LoK).

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Aang/Katara, Sokka/Suki, Korra/Asami, Bolin/Opal and Varrick/Zhu Li. And hey, all of them are canon! Kudos to Avatar, that’s pretty impressive.

Character I find most attractive: Asami Sato. I mean, damn!

Character I would marry: If they weren’t already spoken for, Katara, Suki or Opal.

Character I would be best friends with: Sokka (TLA) or Bolin (LoK).

a random thought: Avatar Studios shows promise; it’d better damn well deliver on it.

An unpopular opinion: I actually liked The Promise more than many, as I felt it rectified a lot of lingering minor issues left over by the show, especially in regards to Aang and Zuko.

My Canon OTP: All of the ones I listed before.

My Non-canon OTP: Azula/Ty Lee.

Most Badass Character: Toph. She started out badass and only became more so.

Most Epic Villain: Azula and Ozai (TLA), Amon and Zaheer (LoK).

Pairing I am not a fan of: Zuko/Mai, although maybe future developments will change that.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Several characters got screwed up by Gene Yang in the comics, and Katara got screwed up by Bryke in LoK.

Favorite Friendship: Sokka and Zuko. Their chemistry in “The Boiling Rock” is amazing.

Character I most identify with: Bolin, save for late Book 2 and early Book 4.

Character I wish I could be: Varrick. Yes, really.

[marinsawakening]

Wait the Legend of Korra seriously made Toph a cop???? Toph???? Toph "My Character Introduction Was Being An Underground Fighting Champ And I Spent The Entire Series Kicking Against Authority And Doing Crimes" Beifong???? THAT Toph????? A cop???? I genuinely thought you guys were joking about that????

[cherrychonk]

The Past Present, Chapter 1 part 2

The sun had set long ago and Lin still sat in her desk chair with a pen and a piece of paper. She kept looking at it hoping that the words would magically appear on the paper and she wouldn't have to write them. They didn't of course, nothing ever did go how she wanted. In all honesty she had no idea how to start the letter, this was something that she hadn't planned beforehand. So she just started writing as the words came to her. She was careful, mindful of them. The pen felt smooth on her fingers and the ink stiff on the paper. She kept writing, pouring herself into the paper like she never had done before. She thought of her pain, her sorrow. The ugly times and the moments she lost hope of things getting better. She continued, tears slipping from her eyes as she tried to swallow the knot in her throat. She felt broken, lost and confused. It was as if her mind wasn't working probably. She wouldn't be surprised if she had lost it by now. Toph had joked once that she was too emotional and that made her weaker than her. Those words stuck with her, they marked her soul and not for the better. She couldn't even understand how she was feeling, only that it was her time to go. Like something had snapped. Maybe it was all the years of problems finally crashing down on her, or the feelings she shoved into the back of her mind. It didn't matter now, nothing did.

When she was done, she looked at the paper. She was far from satisfied but didn't have the strength to rewrite it. She just sighed and folded it neatly, placing it on her bed. She looked at her room, it felt like she was in another dimension. Nothing seemed familiar anymore. She didn't belong here, never had.

Maybe a shower would clear her head. She grabbed some clothes and a towel and walked towards the bathroom closing the door behind her. She started to shed her uniform, and she avoided the mirror. Hopping into the shower she turned it on, it was cold. Suyin probably had used all the hot water and now she had to settle for this. She scrubbed her body angrily, scratching and hurting herself while doing it. She hated this feeling, she hated this fucking family. She hated how they made her feel. She would never be enough. Enough of a daughter, a sister, a cop… a friend. The pain in her cheek made her snap back to reality and she finished her shower after washing the soap off.

She dried her body just as carelessly and started getting dressed. A simple tank top and blank slacks. She walked towards the door and grabbed the handle, but before turning it she looked at the sink. The mirror was on top, she could see it with her peripheral vision. She walked closer and slowly looked up. There were bags under her eyes and bruising was forming on her right side of her face. She stared for what felt like ages, trying to find the courage to move on. She had to change the bandages just like the nurse had taught her. Slowly she reached her face and started unraveling her bandages. She was looking down at the sink, too scared to see what would be starting back at her when she looked up. Toph was right, she was weak. Her eyes stung as she inhaled sharply before slowly raising her head.

She cried the moment she saw herself. She looked wrong. The scars were red and angry and incredibly painful. She was disfigured, ugly. Who the fuck would want her now? She wasn't the nicest, friendliest or even kindest. As selfish as it sounded, she relied on her beauty to make connections with people. And now that had been taken from her.

Everything was eventually taken from her. She grabbed the sink edges in anger. Everything would always be snatched from her. But she would never allow this to happen again, she was going to make sure this was the last time anyone took anything from her. It was a promise.

When she walked out of the bathroom she looked at the clock down the hall, it was two in the morning. She sighed and walked back to her room, stopping in front of Su’s room. The light was out and the door unlocked, she opened it quietly and saw Su sleeping on her bed peacefully. The bags were made, now sitting at the edge of the bed. She wanted to hug her, to hold her. Spirits knew she needed it, to be comforted by someone. But if she got close and Su woke up, they would only fight all over again. So Lin walked out and closed the door.

Walking back she passed her mother’s office, she turned back and walked in. Books were on the shelves alongside pottery Su and she had made for her mother many years ago. Toph never really used her office, yet here it sat. Lin remembered helping Suyin with her homework at that desk. The many mountains of paperwork she had to help Toph with even as a young kid. Always helping her mother, her idol.

Lin looked at a miniature figure of Toph that sat on her desk. One she had made herself when teaching Lin metalbending. She grabbed the figure and felt the edges in her palm.

“You have to be patient but determined if you want to be as good as me one day, kid. Though I doubt it, you're too much of a lily-liver.” Toph had joked.

She sat the figure down and walked back to her room. The hall seemed endless as she walked back. She felt like the floor was swallowing her with each step. She reached her room and grabbed her uniform, she took the badge out and pocket it and folded the clothes. She placed them neatly on the bed alongside her cables.

She stared at her shelves when a particular thing caught her eyes. She walked towards it, grabbing the object from the top shelf. She smiled as she caressed the stuffed badgermole her mother had given her years ago as a birthday gift. She was probably five at that time, Toph had taken her to see the badgermoles back in Gaoling. She remembered how happy she felt that day. It was one of her favorite memories with her mother.

Lin sat on her bed staring at the animal when the front door opened and closed. She could hear Toph sighing and her footsteps as she approached her room. Lin could see Toph’s shadow from under the door’s edge. She didn't move her gaze as she waited for something to happen. Did Toph want to talk? Heaven knew she needed it. But of course, that didn't happen. Toph walked away from the door and Lin could hear her mother’s room door open and close. Tears pricked her eyes as she laid down in bed. Of course she would carry this pain alone. She always did. She hugged the stuffed animal tightly as she laid in bed, she cried quietly not wanting to alert her mother or sister.

Lin laid for an hour when she got up from bed, her eyes still puffy from the crying. She grabbed the bag with the money and settled it next to her uniform and the note. With one last look around her room and grabbing the stuffed animal she opened the window and climbed out, closing it behind her. She didn't know where she was going, all she knew was that she would never come back.

________________

Lin walked towards a bridge, the moon was full and bright in the sky. She wondered if Kya was having trouble sleeping. Lin remembered Kya telling her about her sleepless nights whenever the moon was full. She walked into the middle of the bridge looking down at the water as she leaned into the railing. The night was quiet and relaxed, the rhythmic sounds of the city were in the background. She sighed and looked back at the stuffed animal. It felt nice to be alone, maybe she didn't have to do this. But again, it's not like they would care. Toph would probably shrug it off and Su would even cheer. She climbed on the railing looking at the moon and feeling the cold air in her hair. She looked down, a fall from this height would be fatal without a doubt. Maybe she could just go back and-

“Hey! Get down from there will ya? You’ll fall and die moron.” An old man reprimanded.

Lin looked behind her to see an old man standing looking back at her. She ignored him.

“Hey! You deaf?!”

“I can hear you old man.” Lin responded irritated.

The man huffed. “You're one crazy kid standing there. You suicidal or something? Because either you're mad or want to die. Or both!” He said, stepping closer.

“Who cares.” Lin shrugged.

“I don't know, your parents probably?”

Lin laughed, dryly and low. “Never knew my father and my mother doesn't give a flying fuck.”

“Go back home kid. She's probably waiting for you.” He said slowly walking towards her.

Forget it. She would have to go back and justify where she was. If not, she would have to go back to work with her face hurting as much as it was. Toph wouldn't really care about her pain, she never did. Su would be gone and her family torned. It wouldn't matter anyways, it never did.

Lin looked back with a dead stare holding her stuffed animal in her hands. “Will you do me a favor?”

“If it's gonna get you down from that ledge sure” The man walked closer.

Lin threw the stuffed animal at the man. “Give that to Chief Beifong for me.”

“What are you-“ The man didn’t get to finish his words when Lin jumped from the railing and into the water below. He ran as fast as he could but was far too late to grab her. He stared down in horror, yelling for help as her body descended.

You know… It was euphoric. The wind in her face, her heart beating faster than the speed of light. She wondered if this was what flying felt like. She felt free, but just for a second. So many thoughts flooded her mind as she looked at the water, everything was going so fast yet so slow. One feeling burned into her chest as the water approached. Regret. She regretted jumping the moment her feet left the ledge. She could've fixed things back home. She could've sat down and talked to Toph about her feelings, she probably wouldn't have been heard but maybe she would. If things hadn't worked out after it she could've gone to Temple Island and asked for a transfer at work. She could've asked Bumi about joining the army. But now it was too late, she had sealed her fate in one mindless act. She would hit the water in seconds, and if she was lucky the impact would kill her at once. If not she would drown, unable to swim due to her broken bones and lack of energy.

Lin raised her hand towards the sky, she yelled but she could hear no sound coming out. It all happened so fast she didn't even get to react. Her body hit the water at a horrifying speed, the last thing she remembered was a sharp and immense pain in her back, then everything went black.

_______________

Su snapped from her sleep and looked out of her window. Her breath was unsteady as she quickly stood up from bed and walked down the hall to Toph's room. Something compelling her to go to her mother.

“Mom?” She said as she opened the door.

Toph lifted her head confused. “Su? What is it?”

The girl walked towards her mother's bed, getting up and under the sheets.

“Su?” Toph asked again, confused.

“I had a nightmare, can I stay here?”

Toph rolled to face her daughter. “Sure, you're already here.”

Su got closer to her mother, cuddling her and laying her head on her shoulder.

“Mom?” Suyin whispered.

“Mm?”

“I don't want to go…”

Toph sighed. “Su… it's what's best for everyone.”

Su started crying softly. “But I don't want to leave you.”

Toph just hugged her daughter. “And I don't want you to leave badgermole, but our actions have consequences.” She said while caressing Su’s hair.

Eventually she calmed down and fell asleep. Toph just sighed before cuddling closer to her daughter and falling asleep holding her.

Before the sun had risen she was awoken by her office telephone ringing. She cursed before getting up from her bed and walking to the other room.

“Chief Beifong speaking.”

“Chief sorry to bother you at this time, there was a call of a jumper tonight, a woman, we have an eyewitness at the station giving us his information and the woman's description. He also said he wanted to give you something in person. Something the victim left. A toy of sorts? He wishes to talk to you immediately.”

“Officer, do you know what time it is? My shift starts in a few hours, let me sleep. I'll check the report when I get there later and call the man myself.”

She hung up the telephone and went back to bed where Suyin was waiting.

“You're leaving?” Su asked sleepily.

Toph crawled under the covers and cuddled Su close to her chest. “No, I'm here with my family now. I can deal with it in the morning.”

Suyin nodded and rested her head on Toph’s chest. The blind earthbender rubbing circles on her daughter's back. I can deal with it in the morning, nothing can be more important than being here for my child.

_______________

Morning came and soon Toph got ready to leave. She woke up Suyin to get ready so the train wouldn't leave her. The girl sighed defeated but obeyed her mother's orders. Toph didn't feel Lin around the house but knowing how puntual she was, the girl was probably already at the station by now.

“Did you say goodbye to your sister?” Toph asked her daughter.

“No, she most likely left before having to see us. She probably hates my guts if I'm honest.”

Toph frowned. “You should go to the station before you leave and say goodbye, she's still your sister Su.”

“Yeah, Yeah whatever.” Su dismissed her.

Toph rolled her eyes and with a kiss and a hug she left the house.

The morning felt off but Toph dismissed it. She continued her walk down the station, it was her morning exercise every day. The city was loud as alway, vivacious as ever. She arrived at the station to be greeted by Saikhan.

“Morning Chief!”

“Morning-”

“Lin isn't with you?” He asked, confused.

“Isn't she already here?” Toph asked back, puzzled.

“No. No one has seen her since yesterday morning. Not after she got injured.”

Toph sighed irritated. “I told her to cover for Song, I thought she was here already. We are having a word when she gets here.”

Saikhan nodded and continued walking by her side.

“Brief me with everything.” She asked.

_________

Su continued getting ready, her train wouldn't leave for about two more hours so she had time to kill. She showered, ate breakfast and finished getting dressed, she was ready to go and with an hour to kill. Now the only thing missing was her favorite pair of earrings. They weren't hers but Lin never cared if she used them. So she walked to her sister’s room and was intrigued by a bag on her bed.

To Su’s shock, the bag was filled with money, a lot of it. Lin’s uniform was also there, with her cables. So she hadn't gone to work that day. Su was puzzled by this but soon saw the folded sheet of paper and grabbed it without thinking much of it. She unfolded it and started reading.

“I don't know how to start this but, here I go. Su, you're probably the one reading this because you know, mom's blind and all but I just need you to know this wasn't your fault, or mom's. I've been feeling tired for a while and things kept mounting on, I just want to make one thing clear. It wasn't your fault. Or anyone's. I'm just… I'm tired and I don't think I can keep going anymore. Things keep getting worse and I can't handle seeing my family be torn apart like this. I love you, I love mom too. I just want to be free but I don't think I can do it in this life. I'll never be a good enough daughter, or sister, or even officer. I think it's time for me to go.

Su...Bet you're gonna be really happy to be an only child like you wanted. Mom will be happy to have one less thing to worry about. I left some money you can take to Gaoling with you. Buy some nice clothes or not, whatever you do with the money is up to you. I'm sorry I wasn't a good sister Su, I really gave it my all. I tried to keep you out of trouble and guide you into a better path but I failed miserably. I care for you, I always have. I know you probably hate my guts and that's fine, I understand. I forgive you either way, you're my little sister. I just wished things had been better between us.

Mom… I'm sorry things ended like this. I wish I had been what you expected of a daughter and an officer. I didn't mean to disappoint you. I just wanted you to be proud of me. I really tried, but I was just not good enough. Just know that I always gave the best of me in everything I did, especially for you. I'm proud to be your daughter, just wished you had been proud to be my mom.

I love you both, I'm sorry.

-Lin”

Suyin felt her blood run cold as she ran to her mother’s office phone. She started calling the precinct as her heart felt like it would explode.

“Mom, pick up! Mom!” She yelled into the receiver.

Unable to reach her mother after many calls she called the only other number she remembered.

“Air temple island, Master Katara speaking.” Katara said as she responded to the call.

“Katara! Katara! Mom! You need to call mom!” Su yelled frantically.

Katara gripped the receiver tighter as she listened to her distressed niece. “Sweetie! Sweetie! Slowdown what happened!?” Katara gestured to a near acolyte to get Aang.

“MOM! Call Mom!” She broke down and started crying.

“Where are you Su?” Now Katara was worried sick thinking the worst.

“Home! Call mom! Please call mama!”

“Are you hurt!?”

“No! No! Just get mom! Get my mom! It’s Lin!” Su couldn’t stop sobbing to the point she was barely understandable.

“Is Lin hurt!?” Katara asked frantically.

“No- Yes! I don’t know! Just get my mom!”

“Su, I need to know if Lin is hurt!”

“I don't know! She left a note and she’s not - JUST GET MY FUCKING MOM!” Now Suying was screaming.

Katara yelled for Aang, Tenzin and Kya, she didn't know what was going on but they needed to act fast. Soon enough the three of them rushed into the room with worried looks on their faces.

“Something happened with Lin, Aang and Tenzin go get Toph. Kya help me get Su!”

“What do you mean something happened to Lin?!” Kya asked worriedly. “What the fuck did Toph do now!?” She yelled.

“Kya calm down, I don’t know what happened but I think it’s bad. We just have to rush there and see her condition.” Katara calmed her daughter.

Katara went back to the phone where she could still hear Su sobbing. “Su, Baby stay where you are, I’m on my way to get you. Uncle is getting mom okay? Stay there.” Katara tried calming her.

“Hurry!” Suyin sobbed more.

The group took two bisons and headed each to their locations, rushing in hopes to make it in time to whatever was happening.

[princess-of-the-corner]

I mean, TOPH becoming a questionable parent because she overcompensates to try and avoid becoming like her parents is something I can actually see.

(I'm not going to lie, I originally thought that her daughter became a cop SPECIFICALLY as an act of rebellion against her mother.)

And Aang favoring his Airbending kid, even unintentionally, makes a tragic amount of sense considering his situation in canon. If he wasn't the last Airbender, that might not have been an issue.

So like. That’s why I said I /low-key/ agree with this criticism of LOK. 

I completely understand why Aang and Toph would lean toward being that type of parent. 

With Toph, yeah she’s compensating for her own trauma! She hated the way her parents raised her. It was a bad situation. And while she might have eventually repaired things, it was after 12 years of that bad situation, and at least two years of her being on her own with a found family and creating a life where she didn’t need them before she even /started/ to find some way to repair things. Far too late for them to really be her parents, but at least she might’ve been able to talk to them later on. 

So I can absolutely see her compensating in the other direction. Giving her kids the type of freedom she wished she had and encouraging them the way she would’ve loved to get. But then pushing too hard with it. Freedom to the point of not seeming to be involved with them at all, words that are supposed to be saying ‘I believe you can do this’ but come across as pushing them to be the best. 

And Aang! My boy!

Within Canon, there was so much pressure on him. On creating new Airbenders, on rebuilding what had been destroyed, on all of that. It is perfectly understandable that he would focus on the only kid to be an Airbender and teaching him everything he could. It makes sense that, in doing so, he might accidentally sideline the other two kids because while he loved Bumi and Kya just as much as Tenzin, he wasn’t the only person who could teach them about things and what he did.

Though honestly I really do think the rest of the Gaang would have smacked some sense into them at some point. Especially Zuko because he’d go ‘If your kids remind me of my childhood then maybe you should rethink what you’re doing!!”, but also just like. With Aang, if he was fucking up, Katara should’ve said something because she is his wife and mother of his children and would know better as well. 

However I just....

I feel like these issues would have worked better as something /in the moment/ rather than in LOK. 

By the time of LOK, Aang is dead. Even if his kids come to terms with each other and how he fucked up, he can’t really do anything to fix it other than maybe have Korra channel him and be like ‘Lol sorry guys’. 

Toph is still kicking in LOK, but like. Her kids are grown ass adults. Hell, Toph has /grandchildren/ who are grown ass adults. It’s so far afterthefact that even if Lin and Suyin did work their shit out, confront Toph on how she accidentally fucked them up, and she did decide to fix things, it’s so late for her to be the mother they need and honestly who knows how much longer they’d have because while Toph is a stubborn fuck she will die eventually. 

So I think that if we were going to get plots about them being not-the-best parents, I very much would’ve prefered it if we saw them struggling with it while they were alive and still raising said children. If there was time for them to bounce back. 

And I think like

On the whole, I like the idea of ‘flawed yet trying to be good’ parents. I like seeing that dynamic, and how the kids are affected, and all sorts of things. 

But it hits different here because this isn’t just ‘our character’s parents’. The parents are characters we saw and loved as main characters in the previous series. And we don’t want that ‘anger at parents who, even if they were good, still fucked up’ feeling aimed at them. 

[willsimpforazula]

Fight night part 3

Hello, itsa me again with another inconsistent posting schedule (mostly because i forget sometimes that tumblr exists or is a thing, but I digress.

Anyways, we here for the steambaby action (no, not that kind of action get your head out of the gutter please)

Picking up where we left off........ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Office

While the kids begrudgingly went to their rooms and packed, Sokka and Azula headed upstairs to their office to discuss their next moves out of earshot of their children. Leaning against the furniture, both of them contemplated in silence what their next moves would be. Glancing up at his wife, Sokka broke the silence by asking "Did…did we make the right call, sending them off to Aang and Kat?"

"Don't tell me you're taking the kids' side?"

"No, but it's easier to keep an eye on them here versus sending them away. I mean, what if Risa or Miska gets the bright idea to sneak back somehow? Spirits know they won't hesitate to pull off something like that."

"I-I guess." Azula conceded, her shoulders similarly slumped like Sokka's, the gravity of the whole situation feeling like a ton of rocks were saddled upon them, the unspoken question of where did it all go wrong hanging in the air as the sun steadily dipped below the horizon.

"So then what do you propose?" she asked.

"I think I can get Toph to dispatch some plainclothes cops to help out in setting up security and getting the kids to have a bug out bag on standby is not a bad idea. Beyond that, I suppose training the kids to…well, do what needs to be done."

"You and I know what it's like to have taken life in combat, I sincerely hope our kids don't have to know what it feels like. Because between you and me Sokka, I truly believe we've failed as parents if our kids have to resort to such measures to fix their mistakes."

"Then we'll make sure that they don't have to." Sokka replied, his normally calm blue eyes hardening into the colour of a roiling sea.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toph's house

"And you're one hundred percent about this?" Toph asked.

"Why would I lie about something that could potentially get Risa and her brother killed?" Suyin responded.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before dragging them into this mess."

"In my defense, she was the one who said yes without hesitation."

"Doesn't absolve you of your charges, of which there is more growing by the day from my officers, to say nothing about what your sister has you written up for."

"....."

"There's only so much I can do as chief of police. You get me intel, and I'll see to it that your records are sealed away and marked classified for the next 80 years. However….."

"What's the catch mom?"

"I'll have to send you away to live with your grandparents after this whole case is over and done with."

"H-how long would that be?"

"Until I say it's okay for you to come back."

"Which is?"

"That remains to be seen. Actions have consequences."she replied, walking over to the cabinet where a bottle of hard Earth Kingdom rice wine sat on the top shelf. She was definitely going to need the liquid courage to make some hard phone calls after this. Sensing her daughter was walking away, she called out "Suyin?"

"What?"

"I-I"

"Save the apologies. I know I'm not the perfect daughter like Linny is."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sokka and Azula's apartment

Having decided on a plan, each of them agreed that Sokka would deal with Risa while Azula would deal with Miska and talk them through what the next steps were going to be. As they stood outside their rooms, they gave each other a brief glance, before simultaneously knocking on their doors.

"Risa?" "Miska?"

"Can I-"

"-come in?"

Anxious seconds passed, before they each replied "yes."

Once in, both of them found the other seated on the floor, the order to pack their belongings for the stay with their relatives unheeded.

"Risa-"

"Miska-"

"I thought we told you to-"

"No. This was our mess to begin with and we'll stay here and clean it up. You taught us to take responsibility for our actions-"

"-so why are you telling us to shrug it off and throw it to you to clean up?"

Clearly, the twins had decided amongst themselves that they would not seek refuge, but face the threat head on. Sensing that they would get nowhere by arguing, both Azula and Sokka decided to bring them out to the living room and have the conversation both did not want to bring up.

"Risa, Miska," Sokka began once all of them were in the living room "before I begin, I just want you both to know that we really do love you, which is why your mother and I decided that sending you off to live with your aunt Katara and uncle Aang is because we don't want to see you hurt, not because we think that you are less capable than us."

Turning the floor over to his wife, Azula took a deep breath and continued "While the fact that you survived a no rules bending cage match repeatedly is a testament to how well I trained you, using it to take a life is a totally different scenario. Your father and I,we….we were children of our time, forged in war and as a result, we have…. blood on our hands. That stays with you and it's a very, very heavy burden to carry for the rest of your life." 

Placing a hand on each of her kids, she choked slightly "Me and your father don't ever, ever, ever want that for either of you. At all. Your father and I aren't going to stop you if you want to stay and fight, just…I don't want to see either of you regret your choices.", her golden eyes slightly glistening with tears.

Stepping forward to join his wife, Sokka put his arm around her waist and ruffled the hair of his twins without saying a word, having nothing that he could add to make his wife's point heard and that it was up to his kids now to make the choice for themselves. 

Seeing their mother come this close to tears, their resolve to stay and fight alongside their parents wavered and for a moment, they came close to acquising to their parents' wishes to be spirited away, safe from harm. Taking a deep breath, Miska gave his sister's hand a squeeze before replying "I-I understand, but I will not walk away from this fight. Mom, dad, you taught me a long time ago that actions have consequences and that we should be responsible for the actions that we take. If I run now, I….I think..I would disappoint you both even more that me and sis already have."

Now, blue and gold eyes turned on Risa, who slightly withered under her parents' gaze but swallowed a gulp and added "I believe Miska said what we both are thinking." 

"I guess there's nothing we can do to change your minds. I will make the call to Toph and get the necessary arrangements done. In the meantime, could you and your sister make something for us? It's been a long day."

As the kids rushed off to the kitchen, Sokka pulled her into himself, letting her release her tears on his shirt.

"Sokka," she mumbled into his chest, "I hope we made the right choice. For their sake."

"Spirits princess, for their sake I hope so too." he whispered back, stroking her hair

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that evening

"Bout time you called Snoozles, was thinking you weren't gonna call at all." Toph replied when he called.

"Did Suyin tell you-"

"About a bunch of ashmakers plotting a life on your precious little prince and princess? I fucking called it that afternoon. I'll dispatch the plainclothes unit to beef up security first thing tomorrow."

"What about Suyin?"

"She'll be heading back to gather more intel."

"Okay hold up, aren't you worried about her safety?"

"That's for me to worry about. In the meantime, what are you and that purple platypus bear of yours going to do?"

"Just so you know Toph, I'm right here." Azula interjected.

"Good, at least I don't have to make a separate call to your office tomorrow. Anyways, we've spent enough jibber jabber here; what are you guys going to do?"

"We're staying put, if they come for us we'll handle it. That is, if they get past your boys."

"Works for me. You gonna send your kids to Twinkletoes' place till the heat dies down?"

"No, they're staying as well."

"Your kids got balls, I'll give 'em that. Question is though, what if they get hurt or-"

"That will not happen if we have something to say about it."

"Please, you and I have been through enough situations to know that isn't the case."

"I'd rather them stay here than risk them pulling off something irresponsible if we send them over to Aang's."

"Point noted. What are you going to do with Suyin?"

"Probably send her off to live with her gramps once this whole kerfuffle is over and the meatheads put behind bars."

"That's some grade A parenting."

"I don't tell you how to raise your kids. I'd appreciate it if you and sparky would do the same."

"Noted."

"Anything else?"

"Keep us informed if there's updates."

"Grade A parenting indeed." Azula muttered.

"One day that shit is going to come bite her back in the ass, I just know it."

"Look Sokka, she's got her reasons for doing so. At the end of the day, how she raises her kids is her business."

"Yeah, and look where that led? Our kids are now mixed up some underground fight scene because of her."

"Let's just focus on what we can do and control, okay?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two nights later,

Locker room

Warehouse 8

Taking a breather after two gruelling back to back matches, Somchai was getting tended to by his gang when the door burst open and a hand tossed a brown bag into the room before the door slammed. Divvying out of the cash, they pocketed the cash while Somchai counted out his cut before putting some away, as he planned to make another trip to the information broker to gather more intel on his target.

Seeing him count out and divide his winnings into neat stacks, one of them asked "What's that money for?"

"You'll see." was his reply.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dining table

"Dad?" Miska asked.

"Yes?"

"Do we really have to go to school?"

"Neither me nor your mother put our education on pause even though there was a war going on in full swing, so there is no excuse. Especially given your mother and I tried to kill each other. On multiple occasions."

"Are you sure both of you didn't sneak off and make out like jackalopes instead?" Risa smirked.

"I would rather you pay more attention to what your textbooks have written down versus unsubstantiated rumours and hearsay." Azula replied, though the slight blush in her cheeks only served to confirm her daughter's allegations.

"But mom, you and dad are practically Oma and Shu but actually with a happy ending! Though I do wonder, which one between you was the initiator" she asked, placing her chin on her hands and glancing between her father and mother.

"It's too early in the morning for something like this, sis." Miska pleaded weakly, his face turning a shade of green.

"Pfft, do you know how many times I came back home only to hear you and Kaie sucking each other's face? Did you ever think about what kind of physical, emotional and spiritual trauma you and Kaie put me through? Me, your poor sister having to endure sappy face sucking noises from her innocent younger brother?" she shot back, the memory of her walking in on her brother's makeout session one autumn afternoon making her stomach churn slightly, though outwardly she maintained a posture of poise.

"We-I-You weren't supposed to be back! And-and-and it was only that one time!" he blustered.

"Sure it was." she retorted, enjoying the spectacle of watching her brother implode in slow motion while digging his own grave in front of their parents.

"Miska, why were we not informed about this….relationship of yours?" Azula asked.

"Be-because we uh…uh..weren't ready yet?"

"And when do you both think you will be ready?" Sokka asked.

"Well….we're were um, hoping to well…get around to it sometime during the full moon festival?" he replied hesitantly.

"See to it that you do." Azula ordered. " As for you young lady, don't think we've forgotten about you."

"Me?" Risa answered innocently.

"Yes you Risa, don't give us that look of innocence here. If your brother here managed to keep his dalliance under our noses for this long, I shudder to think what you have been doing behind our backs as well." Azula sternly replied, her mind already thinking of a suitable moment to have a one on one talk with her daughter. 

Before Miska could reply with incriminating evidence of his sister's follies, Sokka looked up at the clock and noted "Wow look at the time, hurry up or you'll both be late for school." 

"But dad!" both of them uttered.

Fixing them both with his displeased glare, Sokka put his foot down and replied "Both of you told me that you'd take responsibility for your actions. This is part of it. Now go and get ready, no more ifs, ands or buts. If I and your mother were able to finish our education in the midst of the war, when we were actively trying to kill each other no less, there is no excuse for either of you to miss school. Do I make myself clear?"

Seeing that their father was in no mood to negotiate and with their mother firmly in their father's camp, the twins reluctantly scarfed down their food and rushed to get ready for school. After they left the apartment, Sokka turned to Azula "Come to think of it, how did we find the time?"

"I don't know Sokka. I really don't know."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back room

Po Chi Lam Apothecary

"You should really learn to let it slide." the old man spoke as he leaned back against his chair and took a few puffs from his pipe.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, old man." Somchai retorted.

"Tsk, firebenders and their tempers." he shook his head, pouring himself a glass of herbal tea before reaching for a file in his cabinet. Placing it on the table, he swiped the beads on his abacus, sipping intermittently while Somchai devoured the contents. When he had what he needed, he closed the file and placed it on the table.

"How did you-"

"I do not ask from whence you earn your living nor how you spend it. I suggest you do the same regarding my sources." Putting down the abacus, he picked up a brush, dipped it in the inkwell and filled out a chit, which he handed over. 

"That's a lot more than what we agreed upon."

"Accurate and reliable information always has a steep price tag. Whatever it is that you seek to do, I hope, for your sake, is worth the cost."

Stuffing the chit in his pocket, he stood up and made to leave the room. When he was at the threshold, he turned around and replied "What something is worth is up to the individual to determine, not some outsider."

"Suit yourself."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Classroom 5-Szeto

Republic City Academy of Science and Arts

"Look, I think she's going to be more worried about why you weren't at school yesterday than…whatever it is you had planned until your winnings got confiscated. Also, why weren't you here yesterday?" Hyun-woo asked.

"Yeah, why weren't you here yesterday?" Berkut added on

"No comment." Miska replied, his mind running at a thousand miles a minute. 

"Can't say or won't say?"

"Can't talk about it."

"Sounds like you got yourself in some serious trouble."

"Well I would be if you guys wouldn't stop speculating, so stop speculating and help me figure out how to break it to her!"

"Break what, exactly?" A familiar feminine voice interjected. 

"Shit."

Immediately, Berkut and Hyun-woo exited stage left, leaving him alone with Kaie. 

"That's not exactly the greeting I was expecting to get, but I'll let it slide for now. Anyways, what is it that you were planning to tell me? Nothing too groundbreaking, I hope."

Deciding that it was probably a better idea to come clean instead of beat around the bush and earn himself a verbal ass beating, Miska explained that while he still intended to do something nice for their two year anniversary, the initial plan of a fancy night out would have to significantly be scaled back due a sudden lack of funds to support said night out due to his his mother confiscating his funds and the current threat of disgruntled street fighters gunning to place his head on a pike and do unspeakable things to his twin sister.

"....so uh, yeah, that's why I wasn't here yesterday." he finished, swallowing a nervous gulp as she processed the information, her brows furrowed in thought.

"Kaie?"

"I need a moment to process. We'll talk during recess, okay?"

"You're not-"

"Not unless you give me a reason to. Which you haven't, if that's what you're thinking."

-------

-------

Classroom 5-Yangchen

While Miska was getting grilled by his friends, over in Risa's classroom she was getting a similar grilling from her friends, who by now were starting to ask a lot more uncomfortable questions such as her recent injuries and the fact that she was slowly starting to look like a panda, of which their concerns were noted.

"Risa?"

"Yes Maki?"

"Somehow I get the feeling that there's a lot more that you're not telling us, girl."

"A girl's gotta have secrets y'know."

"Look, when you've been showing up for the past month and a half off and on with these bruises we can't help but be concerned for you. Is your brother-"

"C'mon Anju, do you really think Miska can take me on one on one?"

"Miska? Nah. But still, is everything okay with you?"

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

"Seriously?" Ji-Min asked, her face a mix of scepticism and incredulousness.

"Okay maybe not the last part, but seriously I can't talk about it. Not unless each of you promise to keep it to yourselves and only to yourselves. Especially you, Ty Lin." 

"Hey!" she protested.

"In any case, are you joining us later after school?"

"About that…I uh, got grounded." Risa replied, the last part said in a small voice.

"You what?!" Ty Lin yelped, slamming her hands on the table and sticking her face into Risa's personal space, making her scoot back and almost tip over her chair, drawing the attention of everyone in the class.

"Personal space Ty!" she whispered loudly.

"Heh, sorry." 

"You must have seriously fucked up for your parents to ground you." Jin Woo commented.

"You don't say."

"So…you won't be joining us later?" Ty Lin asked.

"What do you think?"

"How long will you be-"

"I don't know. Could be a week, could be a month, could be forever really." she shrugged. 

"That's rough girl."

[firelxdykatara]

re: your reblog on mako and bolin, people really be calling mako trash for becoming a detective (when 1. LOK takes places in a universe without the history of U.S. policing and 2. he's grew up in poverty and this is the first job that he didn't take out of survival) WHILE glossing over asami and varrick being war profiteers, wu being an ass-hat royal, and korra being repeatedly tortured so that she could "empathize" with a fascist. classism is real in this fandom.

oh it's so fucking weird, like

sure, there are discussions to be had about the way police were portrayed in lok, particularly in the context in which the show was created (in universe, they didn't have the history of US policing, but the show was aimed at an audience who did, and there are worthwhile discussions to be had about that, especially considering the way lok was westernized compared to atla), and especially given the optics of all police in republic city being benders when book one revolved around nonbender oppression (so maybe something should have been made about the fact that law enforcement was entirely populated with benders that had highly specialized bending forms [like entire squads of metalbenders]), but those clearly weren't discussions the show was interested in having.

which is absolutely a criticism to be leveled at the show, but why does mako get all of this hate for??? taking a job with a steady income???? a reliable steady income, that isn't reliant on winning a whole series of competitions (pro-bending) or physical labor intensive/dangerous (factory work)???? so that he can provide a better life for himself and his brother????

nevermind the fact that, like you said--asami and varrick are war profiteers (and varrick doesn't even get a real redemption arc, he just... lingers and eventually grows on people like a fungus, and then has a really western wedding to a woman he mistreated for the entire series), wu is a spoiled prince, and korra spends the entire series upholding the status quo. ("you're all oppressing yourselves" continues to live in my mind rent-free to this day, and not in the good way, since it's not a stance she ever meaningfully confronts or reverses; nonbender oppression is just forgotten about by the next season and i guess we're meant to think it's just Over because a nonbender is president even though he seems to be little more than an ineffectual figurehead, but anyway)

it makes no sense to me that mako gets so much hate in fandom for 'being a cop' when becoming a cop doesn't have the same weight in-universe as it does in the US (the reason i talk shit about toph becoming a cop is that growing up to enforce laws when she spent her entire life before then flouting them is completely antithetical to her character, and i think lin becoming a cop as a form of rebellion against her mother would've made a much more compelling family narrative for the beifongs, and also wouldn't have involved toph being a corrupt police chief hiding evidence to get her child out of trouble and then running off to hide in a swamp so she didn't have to deal with the fallout from the way her choices affected her family), and so many other characters did stupid shit that makes a whole lot more sense to rake them across the coals over????

especially since war profiteer varrick (who only stopped because, as far as i can tell, it stopped being particularly profitable for him--not because he actually cares about where his money comes from) continues to be a fandom darling lmfao. like where is the understanding and compassion for the boy who watched his parents get murdered when he was eight years old and struggled to survive while protecting and raising his little brother????

[rynliadon]

some haru headcanons (what nooo I’m not projecting shh)

haru has some mommy issues on top of his daddy issues

of course he loves his mom, so much, but she can be controlling and patronizing at times and she just. doesn’t understand him.

in contrast, his dad is his BEST FRIEND. he understands haru perfectly, and while haru knows that you’re not supposed to have a favorite parent, his dad is his favorite.

his mom is there to parent him, to tell him what to do and to protect him. but he really feels like he can talk to his dad about anything. like he could do or feel anything and his dad would understand and help him through it.

he’s mildly popular in his village, he’s got a couple of friends he hangs out with when the work is done for the day. but one by one, they get taken by the fire nation for earthbending. he still knows people, but his best friends are gone.

then his dad gets taken. his mom doesn’t blame him (she never would), but she gets even stricter. more chores, less free time, no bending at all ever. without having earthbending, his friends, or his dad anymore, he goes a little crazy. much angst, talking back, etc.

one day he just can’t TAKE it anymore. he runs out to the woods near his village and smashes the rocks around just to get the turmoil in his head to stop. and it works.

he goes out as often as he can, and actually starts to practice his forms and get better. he’s no toph, but he’s better than your average earthbender. it makes the lonely days easier.

then one day the avatar and a pretty water tribe girl show up out of nowhere and his life changes for the better. (you know this part lol)

haru definitely had a crush on katara (or tried his hardest to; comphet is a bitch). badass revolution girl who brought his dad back? if he wasn't gay he'd be simping

he helps his dad and the other earthbenders rid their villages from the fire nation. and it feels right.

after that, he does whatever he can to stick it to the fire nation wherever he finds them. ruining their supplies, taking on soldiers, the works. he doesn’t stray too far from his village though, his mother (and father) didn’t want him to leave home at 15 (I hc him as 15 I have no idea how old he is canonically)

then he gets a letter from katara. well, maybe not katara PERSONALLY, but the letter said that it was from her dad.

he grew out that dumb mustache because one of his friends thought it would be funny to give him really bad fashion advice fkslfjkd

the first time suki sees him she gently breaks it to him that his mustache looks awful. and oh. oops.

he shaves it immediately

toph is his literal hero. he asks her to spar once and she beats him up. he learns as much as he possibly can from her before he has to be separated from the gaang

the reason toph thinks that haru and katara had a secret “thing” is that she notices the crush he has on her lol (or the crush he was trying so hard to have. haru ily). he tried to talk to toph about it a few times but she just went “ew feelings” and threw a rock at him

when they are separated, he goes with pipsqueak and the duke, and they keep doing what haru and freedom fighters were doing before: just generally sticking it to the fire nation

once the war is over, he goes back home. and it’s… okay. he writes to some friends he made (pipsqueak, the duke, katara, toph, teo) and misses having a purpose. his friends back home are great, of course, but they were never in the thick of things in the same way. 

in one of toph’s letters (katara still writes for her in my mind it makes sense) she mentions that she’s opening up a metalbending school! and haru says YES SIGN ME UP

he’s one of the first people to learn metalbending from toph, and she trains him beyond that too, until he’s an earthbending master nearly as good as she is.  

okay i didn’t go into this thinking of haru & toph friendship specifically but wow i love them

eventually he becomes one of the teachers at toph’s metalbending school! neither of them become cops tho bc i said so

basically just. haru is such a cool side character i’d love to see more from him

[sparkles-and-trash]

You asked for modern atla headcanons. I am usually not that into modern AUs for ATLA, unless they’re set within the world of ATLA - unlike in other fandoms, I find it really weird when I can see a person’s highly regional lived experience stamped all over these characters. But I die for modern AUs where, for instance, Ba Sing Se has outgrown its original walls into a full-on megacity, or the Sato-style mecha - now piloted remotely - are being used by both the benders and non-benders of Republic City (non-benders trying to level the playing field, benders using all tools at their disposal to keep that from happening).

I was really disappointed by the weird political messaging of LoK and in many ways I feel like my desire to see the Gaang translated to that era or an era more similar to our own is a wish for a fixit where Toph’s not a cop and Sokka is around to push back at the assumption of bender supremacy in their society. If I wrote fic I’d write one set in a world similar to our own, with a similar anti-colonial plot as the first ATLA but with some of the conflicts of LoK season 2 added to the mix. I like the idea that the Gaang would at first be fighting an imperialist fire nation, but that Sokka (and Suki) would suck them into a more complex conflict with the world’s current power structure. They’re all in their early 20s instead of their teens - like maybe Sokka’s an engineer who ends up being scouted and initiated by a group of non-bender freedom fighters, and he has to manage his conflicting relationships with them and the Gaang. And maybe Aang and Katara don’t actually get it at first - like Aang’s like, how can you talk about supremacy when I’m literally the last of my people, and Katara’s like, all the Southern Water Tribe benders are dead or (more hopefully) imprisoned stfu, and Sokka’s like - what does it say about our world that benders are so powerful that the fire nation didn’t even consider us when they attacked the SWT - nonbenders still had to pick up the pieces though, and your life is still considered more valuable and important than mine. And Toph’s basically an shameless bender-supremacist that has to have this shit explained to her repeatedly despite the fact that she has experience being condescended to as a result of her disability. Like I want the Gaang to have a serious conflict around this but then actually come around to the idea that defeating the fire nation isn’t the only thing they need to accomplish.

Zuko would actually get it way more quickly, because he knows first hand the intimate damage bending can do, and I love to imagine Ty Lee surprising everyone by leaving Azula for this non-bender army, rather than for Mai or (tangentially) Zuko. She’d be like, yes, I will teach everyone chi blocking, and then they’ll never be as afraid of their “loved ones” as I have been. But Zuko would still be a shitty imperialist at first - just with differently shitty hair. He’d be doing more more intelligence-style stuff (basically Ozai would be like, you’re not even worthy of being called a bender, or being in charge of benders. Go sit in submarines and offices and geotag possible locations for the avatar and spy on the earth kingdom, and maybe if you find the avatar you can come home).

And at 22 Zuko would be mostly going through the motions, totally emotionally stunted, having spent all his time alone or with people he’s been taught to think were really beneath him, but he’d be slowly getting the idea that Ozai’s absolutely full of shit. “Spying” (he’s not very good at it) and spending all this time with non-benders has a)allowed him time to move in circles Azula never would (nobody but the royal family and a fire nation few nobles know about Zuko’s scar, so he’s not clocked as anything but a victim of the fire nation) and b) allowed him time to appreciate his non-bending skills (he’s still really into swords because Zuko’s always going to be a nerd) and the non-bending skills of his underlings. He starts wondering why these people are even working toward the fire nation’s goals, and then slowly realizing some of them actually aren’t - there’s a whiff of low-grade sabotage around a lot of fire nation missions, and Zuko begins to realize specific non-benders are responsible. He doesn’t immediately expose them - instead he (inexpertly) tails them to a meeting, and is promptly kidnapped by chi-blocking non-benders. Ty Lee obviously knows who he is, and while most of the leaders of the non-benders want to use him as some kind of bargaining chip with the fire nation, she nixes that idea on account of Ozai not giving a shit, and instead says, “shit, we’ll just have to imprison him.” Meanwhile Zuko’s like… this sucks but also I think you guys are onto something. Sokka (in glasses, because I love Sokka in glasses) keeps visiting him to gather intel (which he could just get from the more advantageously placed Ty Lee) and stare at him. And bring him food and films, and complain to him about the fire nation’s drone technology. And accidentally little bits of the non-bender’s plans. Eventually Zuko’s like you shouldn’t be telling me any of this, but since you are I’m going to help you with this stupid thing I think you might be planning that I know won’t work for reasons and tell you what to do instead. And Zuko saves a bunch of non-bender lives that day, so they begin to trust him more and more.

Of course this turns into yet another conflict with Katara once she and Aang are brought in on the fact that Sokka and his movement are working with the literal heir of the Fire Nation’s dictatorship. Aang is totally fine with it, and Toph (still a bender-supremacist, though humoring her friends in this new cause of theirs) is like, no, this is great, we need as many benders as we can get (Toph would be a sardonic goth if she could see colors well enough to avoid them - instead she’s just a very loyal asshole with dirty feet and a lot of brutal/abstract blackwork tattoos. She’s likes how much they scare people).

Anyway eventually they do all work together to no only unseat Ozai from his imperialist dictatorship but also begin an equalist uprising out in the open. Aang toys with taking everyone’s (and I mean everyone in the whole world’s) bending away but realizes the whole problem is benders having the power to make decisions for other people, so instead he throws himself behind the equalist cause (literally behind the leaders of the equalist cause) and says he’ll support their mechanization and their right to protect themselves (and agitate for laws wherever they live that support justice and protection for non-benders) with all the powers at his disposal. In the end they build republic city, which is envisioned as a multi-national city with non-bender representation build into its governing structure. Toph doesn’t become a cop. She goes around building literal bridges and tearing pavement out of places that shouldn’t be paved, and has three kids by different unnamed fathers and one of them is a non-bender that gets really into metallurgy but also talks a lot of loving shit to her mom.

Blah blah bah. I have overstayed my welcome in your ask box, but you got me thinking. If only I actually knew how to write!

my dude, you straight up sat down and wrote a whole ass one shot and sent it to me on anon???? you have to be an actual godsend???

nobody ever overstays their welcome in my ask box (if they're nice!), but this is above and beyond, I am blown away by how cool this is????????

I don't even know what to say tbh, and if you ever write this, or want to talk more about it, please feel free to hit me up, in any way, and I'd be stoked to hear more about it!!!

share your fav modern au head canons with me ~

[grilledsquids]

Toph is a character very loved by most of us (myself included) and I like your BNHAxATLA story, but I have noticed that in most fandom stories they do something like that by putting Toph as part of the BNHA world.

And I was wondering what it would be like if instead of Toph it was Katara (since there are almost no MHAxKatara stories), what would the plot and interaction be like?

*cracks knuckles* I’m gonna headcanon the shit out of this

I’d love to read a Katara x BNHA fic!! If it was in the same vein of crossover as my story, where Katara just exists as her own character in BNHA... hmm. The thing is, I think Katara is WOKE from the very start, while my version of Toph is a slow-burn build of getting fed up with society over years of bullshit.

I kinda think Katara would go straight to vigilantism, because she’s extremely aware of the commercialization of heroism from an early age (unlike Toph, who’s sheltered and can’t really use social media as much) but maybe not??

I think Sokka would have to be a part of the story too, their relationship is so integral to their personalities, so—hm... quirkless cop Sokka? No... Engineering madman? Ooh. Maybe. Yes. He was just a regular old mechanical engineer, just living his life, but then his little sister started breaking the law and he, as the older brother, had to get involved to make sure she doesn’t get herself killed.

(Sokka makes equipment for her, often stumbles into danger, and eventually he’s the brains of the operation because his hotheaded sister doesn’t always look before she leaps.)

Ok wait I’m getting ahead of myself. Katara should be 14ish at the start of the story, buuut I guess I should age up Sokka a little? So he can take on a more reasonable role as the support/caregiver? Think Spencer & Carly Shay. Yeah. I like that. Hakoda? I don't know him (idk he's working abroad like Deku's dad lol)

If Katara were in Class 1A:

She gets along best with Tsuyu and Yaoyorozu. They work on Yaomomo's self-esteem and fix her hero costume IMMEDIATELY

She bursts into the principal’s office on day 2 to demand Mineta’s expulsion.

She loses the Todoroki in a 1v1 at first, because she’s strong but has no formal training yet (maybe she only got into UA because she healed a bunch of students in the entrance exam!!)

Next time she fights Todoroki though, ohohohoho, next time she ROCKS his shit, having mastered the skill of bending all his ice back into water!!

Douses Bakugou’s hands with water whenever she gets the chance because shut up already you egotistical maniac. She definitely stands up to Bakugou on a regular basis for his horrible attitude.

I don’t know how to incorporate Hama but oh my god I know it’d be like a tipping point for Katara, learning that someone she idolized was actually so cruel and amoral. Damn, maybe Hama is a semi-retired hero that she interns with?? Shit!!

Midoriya thinks Katara might be the ultimate hero. She can heal AND fight. And she just gets stronger and stronger, she’s outspoken and passionate and endlessly kind.

She is Eraserhead’s favorite at first: respectful, confident, has a strong sense of justice, knows her limits... until he finds out she’s a vigilante and then she’s just another goddamn problem child

I could go on but i need to go eat lunch now