#toph beifong loving hours

[stitch1830]

Sometimes I look at pictures of toph from the show when she's 12 and I just realize, "this girl became a mom" and then it's just emotions because then I think about her with a little baby lin or suyin in the house after waiting the better part of the year for them to come and feeding them and rubbing their backs when they cry and cradling them and they'r so small that they fit right into her arms and her patting their little bums when they're still crying and just AH

Hi Anon, thank you for the ask, and your patience!

And I’m with you on that. Knowing that Toph Beifong is a mother of two just hits me right in the feels.

Of course if you’ve been around my blog, you know I’m a fan of Fluffy Beifong Family vibes. So just thinking about Toph learning about the pregnancies and just getting everything prepped and ready for the baby’s arrival. And then when baby Lin is finally here, Toph just gets all protective Mama badgermole. The first few weeks are certainly nerve wracking and she calls Katara all the time, but she loves Lin with every fiber of her being and just—

Toph also loves carrying Lin around in the little baby carrier, and it’s not surprising to see the Chief of Police working and taking Linny to work. (Which, is also a super adorable and emotional thing like Toph being a proud mama and taking her kiddo to work when she has to and the officers low-key admire their chief even more than they currently do).

And then when it’s incoming Su, Toph and Lin grow really close even though both are nervous in their own way about the addition of a little one, but then when Su arrives, they are the Beifong trio and are practically inseparable. In the middle of the night, when Toph is consoling a crying baby Su, Lin will sometimes come into the room to help if she can, or she’ll make her mama tea for when she’s done settling Su. If it’s early in the morning and Toph isn’t working, the three of them will have a day in and just cuddle together on the bed—

I’m also a sucker for Toph in a happy relationship (usually with Kanto nowadays lmao) and so just… the idea that she could have a happy life and family with someone always just makes me :D

Anyway, I won’t ramble too much about how I love Mama Toph and her little badgermoles and everything, and I’m always down to chat about them :)

Thanks again for the ask, Anon, and like I said before, feel free to stop by and send me more asks. Hope you have a great day! :D

……

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

[superliz6]

Text:

Lin as a Teacher Lin learned earthbending and metalbending from her mother, the greatest Earthbender of all time. However, Toph wasn’t the most gentle, nurturing, or flexible of teachers, and Lin herself ran out of patience for everyone and everything long ago. She believes martial practice should develop precision and sensitivity alongside physical endurance, prioritizing observation techniques like seismic sense to bolster the bodily aspects of training. Lin’s go-to methods aren’t designed to make you feel good about yourself or Lin. She hasn’t got time for that kinda thing— and besides, she thinks emotional adversity builds character. With certain students, though definitely not all, she’s right. Lin Beifong works long, difficult hours, and loves doing it. She’s not exactly freely available to teach students…but she is highly protective of her police force and her allies. Anyone who starts to work with her and help her may find themself a recipient of her hard lessons, whether they wanted the tough love or not. Students must adhere to the same level of professional and martial discipline Lin demands of police cadets. Training involves a lot of doing the same difficult thing over and over until a student figures out on their own how to make it work. She doesn’t expect them to be a natural at it, but, well, it sure helps. Lin’s mastery conditions emphasize both that same kind of willful obstinacy in the face of difficulty and group training. Lin herself strongly prioritizes group training, both practicing in step with others and learning to work together to execute combined maneuvers. In camaraderie with others, her students can often find the moral support she herself prefers to delegate.

[boylikeanangel]

round one of the tournament to crown the ultimate supreme weirdgirl is over! here are the results and the brackets for round two!!!

the voting page is here! voting ends on october 19th, at 11:59PM GMT / 3:59PM PST. be sure to share this post after voting to spread the word!!!

thank you all so much for your votes in the first round!!! we had an excellent turnout with a total of 1,364 votes and a whole lot of sharing the tournament around tumblr, which was really exciting to see. some of these matches were extremely close and it was so intense to watch the vote count go up over the last two days! round two is gonna be even more intense going off the statistics, so be sure to stay tuned!!

before I go any further I want to briefly talk about this amazing art drawn by my good friend @volatilemask campaigning for trucy wright in her round 1 match. judging by the way her vote count suddenly spiked after this was posted, it seems that campaigning for your favourite really does make a difference, so I highly encourage anyone who feels inspired to make a campaign post to do so!! your enthusiasm means the world and I would love to see more of these kinds of posts, so be sure to tag me and link to the voting page!

I'll quickly run through the results of the first round matches under the cut.

Lydia Deetz vs Pinkie Pie: Lydia Deetz with 773 votes (56.7%) and Pinkie Pie with 591 votes (43.3%)

Ponyo vs Tsukimi Kurashita: Ponyo with 1075 votes (78.8%) and Tsukimi Kurashita with 289 votes (21.2%)

Wednesday Addams vs Little My: Wednesday Addams with 776 votes (56.9%) and Little My with 588 votes (43.1%)

Orla McCool vs Kate Bush: Orla McCool with 723 votes (53%) and Kate Bush with 641 votes (47%)

The Thirteenth Doctor vs Janet: The Thirteenth Doctor with 419 votes (30.7%) and Janet with 945 votes (69.3%)

Mabel Pines vs Tina Belcher: Mabel Pines with 1046 votes (76.7%) and Tina Belcher with 318 votes (23.3%)

Dot Warner vs D.W. Read: Dot Warner with 671 votes (49.2%) and D.W. Read with 693 votes (50.8%) [literally 20 votes between these two. this one was absolutely insane to watch. I really believed dot was gonna pull ahead by the end!!!]

Trucy Wright vs Meilin Lee: Trucy Wright with 726 votes (53.2%) and Meilin Lee with 638 votes (46.8%) [another crazy one. meilin was winning for most of the round and then trucy started gaining speed out of nowhere in the last few hours. as a diehard trucy fan this was extra intense for me, LOL]

Coraline Jones vs Haruhi Suzumiya: Coraline Jones with 1161 votes (85.1%) and Haruhi Suzumiya with 203 votes (14.9%) [Coraline received more votes than any other girl this round. whether she can keep up that momentum will be very interesting to see!]

Alphys vs Entrapta: Alphys with 837 votes (61.4%) and Entrapta with 527 votes (38.6%)

Toph Beifong vs Sticks the Badger: Toph Beifong with 1113 votes (81.6%) and Sticks the Badger with 251 votes (18.4%)

Lilo Pelekei vs Frankie Stein: Lilo Pelekei with 1129 votes (82.8%) and Frankie Stein with 235 votes (17.2%)

Leslie Burke vs Misa Amane: Leslie Burke with 595 votes (43.6%) and Misa Amane with 769 votes (56.4%)

Tome Kurata vs Emu Otori: Tome Kurata with 1009 votes (74%) and Emu Otori with 355 votes (26%)

Lisa Simpson vs Velma Dinkley: Lisa Simpson with 501 votes (36.7%) and Velma Dinkley with 863 votes (63.3%)

May Chang vs Matilda Wormwood: May Chang with 301 votes (27.1%) and Matilda Wormwood with 1063 votes (77.9%)

[zukosdualdao]

6, 7, 8, and 16 for the fandom asks!

6. My favorite character:

*nearly buzzing* hey have you guys heard of my good buddy zuko?

okay this is gonna be long and then i'll try to be normal shshhsghjh it's funny because the answer definitely used to be katara (and don't get me wrong, i still adore her and she is absolutely is a close second, she deserves everything tbh), but something about zuko on my last rewatch (before my current rewatch) (i am ridiculous) just... really stuck with me. i hadn't seen the show in years at that point, and while i'd always liked his story, this time around, i couldn't help but appreciate the nuance in it, as someone who is both a victim of abuse and a villain in the narrative, and how the show goes out of its way to show you why he's acting the way he is and doing the things he's doing in a way that allows you to sympathize with him (and that helps to sew the seeds of his redemption because his abuse cannot be disentangled from the fact that he was once a kid who valued kindness and things like not unnecessarily sacrificing new recruits on the front lines, and that he is now performing his father's ideals of cruelty to try to both conform and cope.)

but i also feel the show does a good job at showing this without ever falling into the trap of justifying what he's doing. and his story is really cathartic, as it's one of not just redemption but healing, and the idea that those two things go hand in hand? that the narrative didn't demand zuko hate himself to be redeemed (and, in fact, discouraged it, "pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source", after all) but instead, the actions he took toward changing his life and helping people made him a healthier, happier person??? it's just. it's so good. i could talk about zuko for hours, and i won't do that but. yeah i love this character a normal amount.

7. My least favorite character: (*i decided to interpret this as characters i don't like as people rather than characters i don't like the arcs of. that's a different, more complicated answer i don't feel like delving into at the moment.)

ozai is the boring answer, but i mean. c'mon. (he's not a BAD character, he's just the literal worst.) i don't feel like this one requires that much explanation.

also, though, i don't hear enough hate for my guy zhao. (again, good character! he does what he's supposed to in the narrative, which is overshadow zuko as a threat/villain and showcase viewing oneself as inherently superior as something that will ultimately lead to downfall, which foreshadows the defeat of both ozai and azula.) like.... i don't totally know why, but zhao actually really gets under my skin as a villain lmao. maybe it's because he's more tangible than ozai? like, ozai spends so long as this shadowy, untouchable figure, and so much about him is implied, but zhao is just right there throughout book one, being the worst. and i don't know how to explain it, because there are honestly a lot of similarities between them, but i feel like not everyone has met someone like ozai, but most people know someone like zhao. he has less power than ozai (not none, but less) but just as much ego and will rub whatever power he does have in your face and i just. yeah i hate him.

8. Is there anything I wish people would write more about in fics? (A dynamic, an exploration of an arc, just a character that doesn’t get much screentime, etc): honestly more of toph's dynamics with like, everyone in the gaang, because at a certain point, i do feel like toph gets shoved to the side a bit. (you're telling me TOPH BEIFONG of all people wouldn't have an opinion in the southern raiders?) the friendship moments we do get in the show are cute!!! she's never had friends before and now she does, let her have friends, let it be cute!

i do think some corners of the fandom try to remedy this but i just. i'm having a moment about toph pour one out for my my girl <33

16. Favorite inside joke the fandom has:

zuko, a man who cannot be killed!

[raewritez]

for the want of the sun | chapter fifteen: fascinating strangers

a/n: heyy guys...long time no see :D I haven't updated since February lol. but Zuko's back! hope you enjoy, my loves.

---

The sun is in the high crest of the sky, beating down on us. My muscles ache from hours of walking. Iroh shuffles beside me, humming a cheerful tune, and I have a smile on my face, despite the tiredness. I rarely feel glum when I’m with the old man.

I step alongside him. I open my mouth to speak, picking at my nails. I don’t want to ask, but I can’t help it. “Hey, when we find Zuko, do you think he’ll come back with us? What if he wants to stay alone?”

Iroh shakes his head and stops his humming. I can’t help but feel a bit guilty for bringing up his nephew. His nephew who left him. “He’ll come back. Zuko is not meant to be alone. He needs support, even if he can’t accept it yet.”

I nod. I hope that’s true. I don’t want Zuko to be alone. Even if he doesn’t care about me, I care about him. I don’t think that’s a weakness, just a nuisance. 

I swing my hands as I walk. “So, what do you think he -”

The ground falls out from around me. I screech, seeking purchase in the dirt around me. I think I’ll keep falling, but then it stops.

I hear Iroh groan from nearby. “Ohh. That really hurt my tailbone.”

I trace the path of crumbled earth to behind Iroh. I see a girl, younger than me, standing with her hands upon her hips as she surveys the damage.

I push myself up from the ground. “Can we help you?” I call. Whoever this girl is, I’m feeling annoyed. I have fresh scratches lining my knuckles, and the skin on my knee has been scraped off. My body stings as I rise to stand.

“Who are you?” the girl demands.

“We’re travelers!” Iroh pipes in, struggling to get up from the ground. “Just enjoying a nature walk?”

“Hmph,” the girl scoffs, and hops down from her rock to give Iroh a hand. She pulls him upright and gives him a little pat on the back. “There you go.”

“Why thank you,” Iroh says, smiling.

“Yeah,” I say, “Thank you even though you were the one who pushed him down. You’re an earthbender?”

“Yep,” she nods and cracks her knuckles. “I’m pretty good, too.”

“Yes!” Iroh exclaims. “That was a quality ambush! If we’d have been your enemy you’d be in good standing.”

“Thanks!” She’s smiling now. There’s something off about her eyes when she looks at me, as if she’s looking through me instead. 

I don’t say anything. Who is this girl? Her eyes stay on me, through me, whatever, and she doesn’t speak either.

Iroh butts in. “How about a nice cup of tea after that exciting ordeal?”

I break my gaze away from her. “Tea sounds nice, Iroh.” I’m not particularly thirsty, but I wouldn’t mind resting for a bit. 

“And you, my dear?” Iroh asks the strange girl.

She hesitates. “...Sure. I guess. Tea.”

“Excellent.” Iroh walks over to the side of the road and starts digging through his pack, looking for the kettle that Zuko brought him.

I look at the girl again. “So…what’s your name?”

She stands up straighter. “Toph Beifong. What’s yours?”

“Y/n…Y/n.” I forget for a moment that I don’t have a last name.

“Y/n Y/n? Wow, your parents must have hated you.”

“Just Y/n.” I start walking away from her.

“So, are you guys really travelers? No one takes this road, from what I’ve heard.”

I look back but keep walking. “Yeah, we’re travelers. We’re looking for someone.”

“Who?”

“Doesn’t matter. A friend.”

“Your heart’s beating awfully fast.”

“What?” I whip around, and Toph nearly crashes into me. “What do you mean?”

“Woah there. I can feel your heartbeat. It’s an earthbender thing.”

“Oh,” I say. “I…didn’t know that.”

Toph is silent for a moment. “It’s your boyfriend, isn’t it?”

“What? No!”

“Girlfriend?”

“No,” I growl. I walk faster, and I hear her laughing.

“Tea’s about ready!” Iroh calls.

We sit down across from him, and he begins to ladle tea from his kettle into three small cups. He hands one to Toph first, then me.

“Thanks, Iroh,” I say. I take a sip, wincing slightly at the burn on my tongue.

“So,” he says to Toph, taking a cup for himself. “You seem a little too young to be traveling alone.”

It’s true. The girl is small, not even up to my shoulders. She can’t be older than thirteen.

She takes a sip. “You seem a little too old.”

Iroh bellows. “Well, I suppose that’s true. I wouldn’t get along quite so well on my own,” he says, giving me a smile.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Toph says. “I look like I can’t handle being by myself.”

Iroh’s smile flattens, and he listens intently. “I didn’t say that.”

“You wouldn’t even let me pour my own tea!”

“I poured your tea because I wanted to! No other reason.”

I chuckle. “No use crying over poured tea.”

She sends me a glare. She sighs. “People see me and think I’m weak. They want to take care of me, but I can take care of myself, by myself.”

I can tell she’s worked up about this. Something must have happened to make her upset. I reach over to set my hand on her shoulder. She stiffens momentarily. “I’m sure you can,” I tell her. “There’s nothing wrong with accepting a bit of kindness, though.”

Iroh nods. He smiles, but it’s wistful, far off. “You sound like my nephew. Always thinking you need to do things on your own. There is nothing wrong with letting the people who love you help you.” 

I feel that ache of melancholy in my chest. 

Iroh shakes his head, breaking out of his trance. “Not that I love you. I just met you,” he chuckles.

Toph laughs. “So, your nephew? Is that the friend you’re looking for? Where is he?”

“We’ve been tracking him actually.”

“Is he lost?”

Iroh looks away.

“Yeah,” I offer. “A bit.”

Iroh looks up and nods. “His life has recently changed and he is going through some tough times. This is how he is choosing to deal with it. He’s trying to figure out who he is, so he went away.”

“So now you’re following him.”

“He doesn’t want me around right now, but if he needs me, I’ll be there.”

Toph turns to me. “Does he not want you there either?”

I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t. I’m here anyway, though.” Story of my life.

“Well,” Toph says, “he’s lucky, even if he doesn’t know it.” She stands up. “Thank you for the tea.”

Iroh grins broadly. “My pleasure! Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights.”

I stand up beside her. “It was nice to meet you, Toph. I hope you find where you’re looking for.”

“I think I will. I know where I should go now. And, thank you for what you said. It helped me.”

“I’m glad,” Iroh smiles.

She takes a few steps away from us, and she turns around. “Oh, and about your nephew. Maybe you should tell him that you need him, too.”

Neither of us respond as she walks away.

I sit down again and lift my cup to my lips. It’s jasmine, my favorite. From the corner of my eye, I see Iroh watching me intently.

“The tea is good, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

He shakes his head. “No, no. I just…” he trails off, and I raise my eyebrows. He sighs. He looks at me with a soft urgency, with fondness and a message. “Y/n, I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re not wanted. I’m so glad you’re here, and so is Zuko. He always has been, since he was banished. I do not think he would have made it so far without his best friend beside him.”

I try to smile, grateful for the sentiment. “Thanks, Iroh, but…” I furrow my brows, thinking. “I don’t want you to lie to me. Zuko’s never been glad that I’m here, not really. Maybe a couple times, when I was of use to him. But I’m hardly his best friend. I don’t even know him anymore.”

“I think you know him better than he knows himself. He’s lost right now, that’s certain. Maybe he’s learned something in his isolation. But, Y/n, he cares for you. I know it. He just…doesn’t know how to show it.”

“He doesn’t know how to care about anyone but himself.”

Iroh pauses. His tea is barely touched. “I know Zuko is harsh, and cold. He struggles to

let us in. But he appreciates it, appreciates you, more than you know. Maybe more than he knows.”

I smile at him. It comes out a bit sad, but not forced. “Iroh, I love you, and I’m always going to care about Zuko, whether I like it or not. But I’ve waited my whole life for him to choose me, for him to want me.”

I pause. I want to tell him. I want him to know my story. “I think I was lost, too, for a while. I didn’t know who I was apart from him. And he moved on years ago.” I watch a bird swoop down into the tree behind Iroh, the sunlight catching on its wings. “I spent years waiting for him, and wishing that he’d finally come back to me, that we’d belong together again. But, I realized recently, that I don’t belong to anyone but myself.”

I take in a breath. I’ve never told this to anyone: my fears, my failures. I am not alone. 

“I can’t choose him anymore, Iroh. Not over myself, not over what I want. I lo- I care about him, of course, but I won’t make that sacrifice anymore. I won’t wait on an old dream.”

I stay silent for a moment, almost scared. What is he thinking? I look at the leaves at the bottom of my tea. It looks like the sun, almost.

“What do you want, my dear?”

His voice is soft, thoughtful. When I look up, his eyes are warm and fond. Understanding. I feel tears spring to my eyes.

“I think I’m still figuring that out. I won’t abandon him, but I want something more than this. I mean, we all have a purpose, right?”

“Purpose, perhaps. Destiny, I believe so. Your life is yours to be lived, Y/n. Whatever path you take, I know it will be the good one. The right one. You’ve always had that spark of hope and goodness in you. I admire you for it. And you know I will love you whatever you choose, and I will always be here.”

Emotion wells up inside of me. I know. I am endlessly grateful for Iroh and his grace. I nod, and take his hand in mine. There is a new hope in the air, a new promise. My destiny is mine for the taking.

-

Hours later, we’re walking again. We’re in a hurry.

“I should’ve known Azula would get involved with this,” Iroh growls. Earlier, we’d found tracks in the road that he identified as Fire Nation. In the woods, a royal hairpin. There was no questioning who it belonged to, except for the surprise that she would have dropped it in the first place. Iroh was sure of it, Azula was back.

“Why would she, though?” I ask, breathing heavily as we all but jog. “I mean, the Avatar’s not her mission. Is she really that caught up with Zuko?”

“Even I cannot tell what drives her. If Zuko is in her way, I doubt anything could stop her.”

We run until we see the outline of an old village, the buildings crumbling. Beyond it, we see bursts of fire: red and blue. 

I slow to a stop. “Zuko.”

Iroh grabs my hand. “Let’s go!”

We round along the outskirts of the encampment, the sounds of the commotion rising from inside. Behind me, I see a flash of blue. I turn to see Katara running into the fold. Aang must be here, too.

Iroh pulls me through a small gap in a wall, the wooden edges singed and smoking. I see him, then, sprawled out on the floor. Zuko must’ve fallen.

Iroh hurries beside him, kneeling down. I stand behind, waiting for an attack. Iroh shakes his nephew’s shoulders slightly, willing him to wake. I hear Zuko breathe in. “Uncle…” he says, sounding dazed.

“Get up!” Iroh orders, pulling Zuko to his feet. He sways for a moment, then his eyes lock on mine. They widen, as if he’s surprised. His face is scraped slightly, and covered in dust. He opens his mouth, maybe to speak, when Iroh drags him along.

We run through the village entrance, out into the field. Azula is there, perfect and violent as ever, sending an arc of flames toward Aang as he billows it away. Sokka is there, too, and I see his boomerang fly back into his hand. His blue eyes meet mine from across the chaos, and they widen. Why is everyone surprised to see me? He stares at me for a moment until the earth ruptures beneath us, and there is Toph Beifong, riding the ground like a wave.

Oh.

“I thought you guys could use a little help,” she says. I’m guessing she doesn’t mean us.

I stare at her, then look away. A conversation for another day, I guess.

Azula tries to run away, leaping over some rubble, but Katara comes around the corner and pushes her back with a wave of water. I step to the side with my hands up, blocking her in, and Zuko comes up beside me, his palms poised offensively. We stand in a circle, all of us, Azula caught in the center. She glares.

“Well, look at this,” she drawls. “Enemies and traitors all working together.” She stops backing away, raising her hands. “I’m done. I know when I’m beaten. A princess surrenders with honor.”

I don’t lower my hands. I’m ready to chi-block her if she tries anything, and I have a feeling that she will. Azula never surrendered a day in her life.

I’m ready, but not ready enough. It happens too fast for me to stop it.

She steps forward, and sends a blast of fire at Iroh’s chest. He takes it, falling back. I think I hear Zuko scream. 

I run straight at her. “Ah!” I yell, barreling down at her with my fists. I reach for her pressure point on her shoulder, but she dodges. I’m almost blind, and all I can feel is rage. I hate her. I hate her. I reach for her again but she peels away, running, and then she’s gone. I stand there, looking at the spot where she used to be. She escaped, again. 

I hear Katara behind me. “Zuko,” she says, “I can help.”

“Leave!” I hear him yell, and I feel sudden heat at my back. It leaves in an instant.

I turn around, still catching my breath, and trying to fight the stinging in my eyes, in my chest. Iroh is lying still on the ground, Zuko kneeling next to him. This was not supposed to happen.

I see Toph walking away with Aang, Sokka, and Katara. She pauses, as if she senses me looking. Something hits my knee. “Ow!” I exclaim, rubbing it quickly. It’s a pebble, sent flying towards me. I look up, and Toph is walking away. 

I make my way over to Zuko. He’s holding his head, and I can tell he’s crying. I kneel down next to him. I put my hand on his shoulder, and feel him shaking. Iroh’s eyes are closed, but I put my fingers to his mouth, and feel him breathing. I nod, centering myself. 

“Zuko, we have to get him out of here.”

He sniffles, and lifts his head from his hands. He looks over at me, his amber eyes clouded with misery. His face is thinner than I remember, and his good eye is underlined with shadows. He nods and stands. Together, we carry Iroh away.

-

We take shelter in an old, rotting cabin, a fire lit in the middle. Iroh is situated on a cot in the corner. I tended to his burns, making and applying the healing salve that he taught me years ago. The injury wasn’t severe - it was more from impact than the fire itself. He would be okay.

Zuko’s awfully quiet, not that I’d expected anything less. He’s sitting outside, back against the wall. I finish my work bandaging Iroh’s chest with some old cloth I found, and go to join him.

The night air washes over me in a chill, the slight breeze lifting my hair around my face. I breathe in the coolness, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. Zuko looks up. He doesn’t say anything, but I can feel him watching. 

I sit down next to him. His breathing is still shallow from crying. I lean my head against the wall.

“He’ll be okay, you know.” I hadn’t told him much as I was working, just trying to focus. He’d lit the fire, waiting for me.

He releases a breath. It holds more relief than his words could’ve.

Silence engulfs us for a few minutes. I don’t think either of us know what to say. The last time we spoke we were in a fight. The last time we saw each other he was leaving.

“Thank you,” he whispers. 

I nod. “Yeah.”

Another minute. 

“How…how have you been?” he asks. He’s not looking at me, his eyes on the ground instead. He pulls restlessly at the grass.

How have I been? Really? Well, Zuko, I’ve spent the last few weeks wanting to murder you. Wanting to hug you, too, but you don’t need to know that. I’ve been lonely and miserable, but not all the time. How have you been?

I laugh lightly, I can’t help it. He whips his head up at the sound. “I can’t even answer that question,” I say.

He stares, and then his lips crack up into a small smile. “Me neither.”

I laugh again, and then he laughs, and then we’re laughing together, apart for so long, and too exhausted to do anything else. 

We quiet down. His smile fades. I look away.

“I, um, I’m sorry,” he says. “I am sorry. For what I said before I left. And…for leaving.”

Images float through my head. The meadow. The cave. His retreating figure. A wilted flower crown.

“I missed you,” he breathes.

The words are so soft I might’ve imagined it. But the look in his eyes tells me I did not - the full, deep glimmer in his irises. I missed you. How long I’ve wanted to hear that from him.

I stand up, brush the dust from my pants. “I hope you found it out there. Whatever you were looking for.”

“Y/n-” he calls, but I’ve already gone inside. The moonlight follows me onto the wooden floor.

---

taglist: @aquaamethyst96 @kaygilles @midnightfury71 (comment to be added!)

[sanrielle]

It was just a dream, right? Not real. But it was so sweet, nonetheless. The howling loneliness that kept him awake at night was finally quieted, if only for this moment. There was no thought to it—no plan, no analyzing, no shame. She was simply there, in his arms, graciously letting him drown himself in the ocean that swirled around them.

I'm stoked to finally publish the first chapter of this Tokka fic! I was stuck on it for ages and recently found the will to work on it again, and I'm really happy with how it's turned out!

Rating: Mature

Warnings: None

Tags: Post-Canon, Friends to Lover, Idiots in Love, Flirting, Innuendo, Humor, Happy Ending

Excerpt:

‘Just wanted to let you know Suki and I split up. It was mutual. I guess. Anyway, she went back to Kyoshi Island. I guess she figured it would be too weird for her to stay here and keep being Zuko’s bodyguard. Ty Lee has taken over.

Speaking of Zuko, he’s planning a vacation on Ember Island to celebrate your, my, and his birthdays. You’ll probably get an official invite soon. It’s been way too long since I saw that grumpy face of yours, so you better be there! No excuses!’

Toph lounged in her bed, her head against the wall and ankles crossed out in front of her, and idly tapped her finger on the letter. Her assistant had read it aloud to her about an hour ago, and now the words were forever etched in her memory.

Over and over again she replayed them, imagining his voice instead.

‘Suki and I split up.’

‘It’s been way too long since I saw you.’

‘You better be there!’

In four months, summer would come—along with her eighteenth birthday. It wasn’t a milestone of any significance. She’d celebrated the official beginning of adulthood on her last birthday, which had sadly lacked Sokka’s presence thanks to some political shenanigans in the Fire Nation.

How long had it been since they last saw each other? Since she last felt his strong arms giving her one of those bear hugs she pretended to hate? It was a silly question, of course; she knew exactly how long it had been.

Two hundred and seventy-five days. 

Even then, it had been only briefly. His job as Zuko’s advisor kept him busy. Too busy. The frequent letters they exchanged weren’t nearly enough.

But he broke up with Suki…

Toph decided something then and there: She was going to make him see her. She wouldn’t chase him; it couldn’t happen like that. Toph Beifong chased no man.

No—

She was going to make him fall for her.

[awanderingmuse-fandom]

Book 1: Intertwined Destinies

Chapter 1

Fandom: Avatar the Last Air Bender

Summary: Music night washes over Iroh. The crew’s attention  on each other means no one notices  their allegedly ill prince slipping over the side of the Wani and onto the dock. 

Zuko, as The Blue Spirit, is leaving to meet another White Lotus Bud agent to exchange information on the Earth Armies for similar details on Fire Nation troops. 

The White Lotus Buds are more successful than Iroh expected. Sometimes he thinks the war would end in days if they left the operatives in charge. 

The White Lotus Buds were inspired by Zuko himself. It wasn't difficult to connect The Blue Spirit’s earlier escapades with Zuko. Not once one realized there were connections to make.

Iroh does not know when the sneaking began, though he has his suspicions. Ten year old princes don’t go missing for days on end easily. And there's the  ambiguity surrounding  Azulon’s death and Ursa’s sudden flight. When it started doesn’t truly matter when Zuko will not speak of it.

Shaking off his wandering curiosity, Iroh lets himself be drawn into the singing of an old sea shanty. It helps keep an old man awake, which he will need if he wants to be alert for his nephew’s return later that night.

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Violence, Strong Language, References to Child Abuse, Aftermath of Genocide, War

Characters: Zuko, Katara, Blue Spirit, Painted Lady,Sokka, Aang, Toph, Suki, Iroh, Kanna, Bumi, Ty Lee, Azula, Jet, Paku, Haru, Tyro, The Boulder, Smeller Bee, Jeong Jeong, Teo, Yue, Yugoda, The Wani Crew, Hei Bai, Arnook, Lieutenant Jee, Other Cast, Original Characters, Zhao

Pairings: Zutara, Taang, maybe Tyzula, maybe Sukka

Other Tags:  Cannon Divergent, Cannon Re-Write, Zuko Joins the Gaang Early, Zuko is in the White Lotus, Nearly everyone is in the White Lotus,  There’s like 80 Percent More Lotus Members in this, You get to be a Lotus Member and You get to be a Lotus Member, Spirit Shenanigans, Identity Shenanigans, Spies, Ninjas, Secret Organization actually effecting change for once, Mentions of Jet/Katara, Kanna loves her grandkids, Ozai’s Terrible Parenting, Azula Redemption, You can take the General out of the war…, Zuko is an Awkward Turtle Duck, Protective Katara, Toph Beifong is a Menace, Sokka is the real MVP, Aang is Trying y’all, Jet being an Asshole, Aged-Up Characters, Enemies to Lovers, Love Square - Kinda, No Beta We Die Like Jet, Multiple POV

Chapter Preview

Sokka stomps his feet against the  iron deck of the abandoned Fire Nation ship beneath him and pulls the arctic fox-bear skin lower over his face. Until recently he’d thought the mask-hood combo Gran Gran had insisted he keep was ridiculous. He might technically be a White Lotus Bud, but much like being a man of the tribe, it was in name only. Despite his eighteen years he’d never even been ice dodging. 

Then he’d received word from Gran Gran that he’d be meeting with another operative, The Blue Spirit himself. To say that Sokka was excited was to put it mildly. The Blue Spirit was a legend in their organization. The top operative the White Lotus had to offer. And Sokka was going to meet him tonight! Though his excitement had waned in the last  three hours and several degrees.

[theowritesfiction]

'The Earth King'

It felt so good to see Aang and Appa reunited at the start of the episode. I noticed Katara referring to Ba Sing Se as 'this horrible place'. She is way more upset about Jet than anyone else in the group who seem to have moved on already. Storming the palace in Ba Sing Se really does feel like an act of desperation because they have to cut through the lines of supposed 'allies' - it's endearing to see Katara constantly apologizing to everyone they're forced to take out. She's just too sweet. <3

Of course, the plan to storm the palace and expecting to be warmly received by the Earth King is kind of silly, as Toph very reasonably points out, why would you expect a warm reception when you violently storm the palace and dispatch the king's guards.

Long Feng commits a really stupid error here by disclosing that one of these intruders is the Avatar, which immediately captures Kuei's interest. That's just ridiculous from Long Feng - he clearly still had Kuei eating from the palm of his hand at this point.

I remember not being particularly fond of Zuko's internal struggle manifesting as physical illness. I just think it's a very weird way to approach that. Wait, is coming down with a high fever part of one's road to redemption now? I don't know what to read into Zuko's fever dreams either. I think they're just foreshadowing the Book 2 finale decisions and nothing more than that. Iroh's lecturing how Zuko's illness is unnatural and is merely the result of Zuko being at war with himself is such a crock of shit. Are you a fucking doctor of medicine now, Iroh? Did you even get a doctor for your nephew, you cheapskate? How the hell do you know that Zuko doesn't have pneumonia? And no, Zuko is not undergoing a metamorphosis, you dolt. He's NOT an insect.

I have to say, Kuei's ignorance rubs me in all the wrong ways. He's such a terrible king who should have lost all of his legitimacy to rule over his people. That he's never set his foot outside of the palace is shocking to me. I guess good on Kuei to eventually, in the face of overwhelming evidence, deciding to arrest Long Feng and support the invasion plan. But I'm still annoyed by Kuei's lifetime of incompetence and neglect, so he gets further 50 Jerk Points.

I love the moment where Katara makes the sacrifice to let Sokka go and meet their dad while she stays behind. Katara just can't stop being amazing. Also, I am not implying anything (or am I), but if Zuko had ever kissed Azula like that, the Zucest shippers would have lost their few remaining brain cells, yelling wildly 'Canon! Canon! Canon!'

Also, for trying to start a Kataang moment, Aang gets 30 Jerk Points for grossing me out. It's never going to work, kid.

So, I don't particularly like this episode, but I love the way the ending builds up towards the finale, with Long Feng plotting in his cell and the 'Kyoshi Warriors' being welcomed by the Earth King. The dangerous ladies look especially fetching as the Kyoshi Warriors. Azula is about to take Ba Sing Se by the storm and I can't wait to see the hour of her greatest triumph. <3

Jerk Points for Book 2:

Iroh, Long Feng - 560 Azulon - 300 Ursa, General Fong  - 200 Aang - 190 Zuko, Toph - 120 Ozai, King Kuei - 100 Sokka - 70 Bumi, Lao Beifong - 50 Pakku - 30

[tamras-shieldmaiden]

Jinora and Ikki, for the character asks please! Oh, and Opal too! :D

Bob cut squad

1: sexuality headcanon 

Okay, so Jinora. I don’t have a defined sexuality headcanon for her but she strikes me as demisexual while I believe Ikki is ace. I think Opal is bi/pan but at the present she identifies as straight.

2: otp 

Jinora’s OTP is Kai. They look very cute together and I think they complement each other well. I don't have a romantic OTP for Ikki. For Opal, although I think her romance with Bolin is cute, I actually like the Korra/Opal pairing since their interactions while Korra was in Zaofu were brief but nice, but I’m not sure if it would be an OTP, so at the moment, her OTP is Bo.

3: brotp 

Jinora in canon has a great relationship with her aunt Kya and in a canon divergence AU, I believe she would strike an unexpected friendship with Kuvira because as I mentioned in my Kuvira headcanon, Kuvira enjoys the company of smart people and Jinora certainly fits the bill while Jinora is perceptive enough to see that underneath the aloof countenance, Kuvira has an awkward side to her that makes her relatable.

For Ikki, her brotp is her uncle Bumi. I think she would also get along well with Wei and Wing Beifong because they share the same carefree, energetic vibes.

Opal is Toph’s favorite grandkid and Toph makes absolutely no effort in hiding this fact, and it's fun to see cranky old Toph being protective and a softie for Opal. I think Opal would also get along very well with Asami. They have a lot in common if we think about it since they’re both rich girls from prominent families who have been underestimated.

4: notp 

Anything remotely incestuous is a big no-go for me for all three characters. I see those and I nope the hell away.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head 

Jiinora has been an avid reader since before she knew how to read well, and she would look at the pictures of the books fascinated. Once she learned how to read, which was earlier than most kids, she would spend hours in the library at Air Temple Island reading so much that she ended up memorizing the complete biographies of Yangchen and Aang. 

Ikki is the main Sky Bison caregiver, no doubt about it. She understands them so well that she can even predict which bison will bond with any Airbender.

Opal will eventually become master airbender and will earn her arrow tattoos before marrying Bolin, and she will eventually lead the new Air Nomads Temple in the Earth Kingdom. 

6: favorite line from this character 

Jinora: There haven't been this many airbenders in one place for a long time either. We have power together.

From Venom of the Red Lotus

What can I say? Jinora more than earned her Master tattoos here with her initiative and leadership.

Ikki: But, I guess the nice part about a family is they'll always be there for you. Even though Twinkle Starchild and Princess Rainbow fight, they still love each other. 

Book 2 Civil Wars part 2

Ikki, remembering what's most important

Opal: I'm glad you're okay, but it's a little late for "sorry". 

From Beyond the Wilds

Opal giving a piece of her mind to Bolin when he was trying to win her back never gets old. 😆

7: one way in which I relate to this character 

With Jinora is her love for books and learning. With Ikki I share the middle child syndrome, and what I can relate to with Opal is her strained relationship with a sibling.

8: thing that gives me secondhand embarrassment about this character 

Being related to Meelo 🤣

Opal: having to explain to everyone that her brother Baatar and Kuvira, who was raised as a "sister" were engaged. 😬

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

They’re all pure cinnamon rolls  😊

[ao3feedzukka-blog]

sometimes you cant stay on your own mainland

https://archiveofourown.org/works/50471269 by sulkybender Since Zuko was little, he’s been able to shift. Sozin’s Blessing, they call it, although it’s never felt like much of a blessing to him. His bones hurt; his skin tears; he comes back to himself feeling split open, sometimes, disoriented and lost. In the hours after, he forgets how language works. His father tried to use him as an instrument of war. Zuko will never forget the look of disdain in his face—not disappointment, but hostile disgust—when Ozai realized he didn’t have the stomach for it. Or the mind, really. Ozai kept him caged when he changed. Zuko could never be trusted with his own body. Words: 1582, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Aang (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar), Suki (Avatar), Piandao (Avatar), Toph Beifong Relationships: Sokka/Suki/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Zuko (Avatar) Additional Tags: Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Dragon Zuko (Avatar), Depression, Disability, tons of touch and unconditional love, like to an extent that is just obscene, Zuko being loved on by everyone October 01, 2023 at 02:37PM

[stitch1830]

Hey, first time here!

I've been thinking a lot about kantoph lately (I'm probably always thinking about them lol) and I'd like to know how you think kanto would react if toph was kidnapped and seriously injured

I really think he would freak out, especially when he finally found her cuz he was starting to lose hope to ever see her again

Ouch my heart hurts

(Sorry if my english is bad, it's not my first language and I'm still learning)

:O :D Hi hi hello, Anon! So happy you stopped by to chat about Kantoph. They bring me so much joy and I love rambling about them :)

But yes lets chat about this scenario!

It's funny you mention this scenario, because my Kantoph partner-in-crime, @wangsfires, and I are hoping to write a collaborative work about this! Here are some of our thoughts for a fic we'd like to write:

Toph and Kanto are in a secret relationship, mostly because she's the chief and he's her deputy, and a relationship within the workplace can get a bit messy. So, they sneak around, stay at each other's places, and their feelings for each other do grow a lot. Kanto wants to make their relationship more public, but Toph is still scared to. It leads to a fight in the middle of the night, and she walks off to her place, but gets attacked on a wooden bridge on her way back.

She wakes up and doesn't know where she is, but she knows she's in a wooden cell, and the kidnappers eventually reveal themselves to be part of a triad/gang that she helped put away, and they're seeking revenge. There's a bit of torture during this part, many many ouchies—

Kanto, of course, would be beside himself. In this scenario, he's upset mostly because he can't show his true feelings in the office while he's trying to find her. Everyone thinks he's upset because the chief is missing, but he's upset because he loves Toph, and he didn't tell her. He didn't fight for her to stay at his place, and because of this, he feels responsible for her being kidnapped. If they're too late when they find her, he'd never forgive himself. He also hates that it took for Toph to be kidnapped for him to realize what he feels for her.

But eventually, he does find her. They find where the kidnappers are holding her, and he comes to the rescue. Kanto takes Toph in his arms and she doesn't hesitate to hug him back, and before she passes out from the pain, she tells him that she loves him—

Kanto doesn't leave her bedside for one second while she's recovering. He holds her hand, kisses her knuckles, talks to her while she rests. When she does wake, Kanto is so relieved, but still feels so guilty for not doing more. But Toph tells him that he saved her, that he's the reason she kept fighting even when she couldn't see in the wooden cell, when the beat her for revenge. She told herself that if she got out alive, that she'd tell Kanto how she felt about him. And now, they're together and they go through this recovery period together and Kanto isn't gonna leave her side— :')

Now, if Kanto and Toph were together and it was known, he'd go a little dark trying to find her. He'd stop at nothing to find her, to get her back in his arms. He knows that Toph's a fighter, and so he's gonna fight for her.

I agree that if she was held captive for a while, he'd lose a little bit of hope. But the clues start to come together, and eventually he finds her (I also think that she'd probably try to make her escape until she's eventually successful).

When they reunite, Toph collapses in his arms and he's just so relieved to see her again. They both cry, and he's by her side the entire time.

What I love about this scenario is the hurt/comfort that comes with it, but also the fact that Toph can lean on Kanto during this situation. She doesn't always have to be the strong one, and Kanto will be there for her—

Okay, I've rambled probably way too much for a simple ask, but I just can't help it! Big fan of Kantoph, right here. But, if there's anything missing, @wangsfires feel free to add to it!

Thank you so much for the question, Anon! If you have any others about Kantoph, Toph, Kanto, or anything ATLA related, feel free to stop by again! Hope you have a great day!

......

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

[ao3feed-zukka]

sometimes you cant stay on your own mainland

Read now on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/bViQEDT by sulkybender Since Zuko was little, he’s been able to shift. Sozin’s Blessing, they call it, although it’s never felt like much of a blessing to him. His bones hurt; his skin tears; he comes back to himself feeling split open, sometimes, disoriented and lost. In the hours after, he forgets how language works. His father tried to use him as an instrument of war. Zuko will never forget the look of disdain in his face—not disappointment, but hostile disgust—when Ozai realized he didn’t have the stomach for it. Or the mind, really. Ozai kept him caged when he changed. Zuko could never be trusted with his own body. Words: 1582, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M, M/M, Multi Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Aang (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar), Suki (Avatar), Piandao (Avatar), Toph Beifong Relationships: Sokka/Suki/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Zuko (Avatar) Additional Tags: Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Dragon Zuko (Avatar), Depression, Disability, tons of touch and unconditional love, like to an extent that is just obscene, Zuko being loved on by everyone via AO3 works tagged 'Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)' https://ift.tt/8dXRWG4 October 01, 2023 at 11:37AM

[sensiblegirl-fe]

We are (not) Alone [Chapter 2]

⚔❤ "We are (not) Alone" ❤⚔ | sukka; minor kataang | Mature | chapter 2/? | Established Relationship | Emotional Hurt/Comfort | POV Alternating | Happy Ending

ENG: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39327126/chapters/101366847#workskin

ITA: https://www.efpfanfic.net/viewstory.php?sid=4028404

Summary:

"Sokka had always thought it was worth it and he knew she felt the same way too. He would have always preferred a week, a day, even an hour with Suki rather than nothing.

[...]

He would do anything to see his father's proud expression, again, and he had always thought that his destiny would be that since he was a child; yet, now it didn't seem the only possible path to take anymore. A part of him kept telling him that if he stayed in the Southern Water Tribe, he would give up many opportunities. On the occasion of learning new things, on seeing where the studies of other Nations were leading, on traveling freely and designing new inventions with engineers from all over the world.

[...]

"What if—" he tried to answer, then stopped. “I guess I'm not ready to give up on anything. Maybe I'm not the man that dad thinks I am." Katara frowned. "Who says we have to give up on something?" He turned to look at her widening his eyes, as if he had heard something nonsense. “It's certain. This is how the world works." "We have already given up on so much." She whispered looking down, as if she were talking to herself and; spirits, she was right."

Due to a bug it wasn't possible for me to add the curiosities regarding this second chapter at the end of the notes, so I'm forced to post them here and when I'll publish the third chapter I will put the link of this Tumblr post in the opening notes.

⚠ Read the curiosities only after reading the second chapter ⚠

➡ CURIOSITY ABOUT THIS CHAPTER ⬅

  Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/F; F/M

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar); Minor or Background Relationship(s); Aang/Katara (Avatar); Mai/Zuko (Avatar); Toph Beifong/Satoru; Hakoda (Avatar)/Malina (Avatar Comics); Mingxia/Meilin (Avatar Comics); Aang & Toph Beifong & Katara & Sokka & Suki & Zuko; Suki & Ty Lee (Avatar); Mai & Suki (Avatar); Hakoda & Suki (Avatar); Hakoda & Sokka (Avatar); Suki & Oyaji (Avatar); Sokka & Oyaji (Avatar); Kyoshi Warriors & Suki (Avatar); Suki & Mingxia; Sokka & Mingxia; Suki & Meilin; Sokka & Meilin; Suki & Giya; Sokka & Giya; Suki & Malina; Sokka & Malina

Characters: Sokka (Avatar); Suki (Avatar); Aang (Avatar); Toph Beifong; Zuko (Avatar); Mai (Avatar); Ty Lee (Avatar); Hakoda (Avatar); Oyaji (Avatar); Katara (Avatar); Mingxia (Avatar); Meilin (Avatar); Malina (Avatar Comics); Kanna (Avatar); Pakku (Avatar); Satoru (Avatar); Ru (Avatar); Biyu (Avatar); Giya (Avatar); Thod (Avatar); Hahn (Avatar); Arnook (Avatar)

Additional Tags: Post-Canon; The Promise Comics (Avatar); Suki Alone Comic (Avatar); Imbalance Comics (Avatar); North and South Comics (Avatar); Shells Comics (Avatar); Emotional Hurt/Comfort; Established Relationship; Long-Distance Relationship; Fluff; Implied Sexual Content; Adventure & Romance; Developing Relationship; Character Development; POV Alternating; Angst; Angst with a Happy Ending; Happy Ending; Non-Sexual Intimacy; Dorks in Love; Suki (Avatar) is Orphan; Marriage Proposal; Good Father-Daughter in law Relationship; Good Sister-in-law Relationship; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD; Cultural Differences; Marriage; People Change People; Forgiveness

⚠ — DO NOT REPOST!      ⚠ NON RIPOSTARE!

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🖊   EFP (ITA)

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[stardust948]

Your SharkGirl/LavaBoy AU is awesome! Consider:

Zuko is the grandson of Avatar Roku and Katara is the great-great-granddaughter of Avatar Kuruk (the latter is a headcanon). Both were chosen by Agni, Tui, and La to guide the new Avatar and save the spirit world.

Backstories:

Katara, her brother and her father are on a fishing vessel and they get hit by a storm. A nasty one. Katara falls overboard but is saved by Tui and La who come to her in the form of sea wolves (orcas). They gift her sharp teeth and the ability to breathe her element. In a whirl, they send her back to the ship, back to her family, where Sokka finds her and brings her in. But strangely, she won’t get completely dry…

Prince Zuko’s last 24 hours in the palace were the worst of his life. The evening brought the war cabinet meeting, in which he spoke out of turn. The night brought the dreaded Agni Kai, where Ozai the Cruel would forever scar his son. The early dawn brought the Dragon of the West to the Sun Warriors, broken nephew in his arms. The rising sun brought Agni himself to the boy, twin dragons dancing and writhing about the both of them. He gives the boy the strength of the earth and flaming hair the color of plum blossoms, so that he can never be harmed by his native element. The young prince wakes up, in pain and screaming, and Iroh’s heart breaks a bit more, knowing Zuko’s life has taken a different course completely.

Both spirits before the depart say this:

These gifts are weapons for the fight ahead. Use them to guide the Avatar. Aid him. Save the DreamWorld/Spirit World.

Aang has known only the Zephyr Monastery his entire 12 years. His only friends are monk Gyatso and the stories and tales he embellishes in his notebook. So when the monks tell him that he must journey into a nation and learn from them (indiscriminately) he’s less than thrilled. The thrills drop significantly lower when he finds he’ll be staying with the Beifongs. Their young daughter, Toph, isn’t the helpless little girl they think she is.

There’s more to this I want to hash out but that’s all I’ve got so far. Whaddya think?

OH MY GOD! ANON YOUR MIND! I LOVE THIS!!!!

[arnieb95]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Thanks....

Thank you for asking me! I'm so happy to have this chance to rant about my favorite characters.

So, I anticipate this is going to become obnoxiously long, so I will start with the list, and continue with my explanations below the cut. I will also limit myself to just one character per piece of media, otherwise I could rant for hours on just one or two shows.

In no particular order, except first place:

1. Weiss Schnee (RWBY)

2. Rayla (The Dragon Prince)

3. Rue Kuroha (Princess Tutu)

4. Nia Teppelin (Gurren Lagann)

5. Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai/Kaguya-sama Love is War)

6. Rukia Kuchiki (Bleach)

7. Winry Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

8. Shallan Davar (The Stormlight Archives)

9. Kanao Tsuyuri (Kimetsu no Yaiba/Demon Slayer)

10. Toph Beifong (Avatar: the Last Airbender

Alright, to begin my explanations, I want to preface that I very much have a type when it comes to blorbos I obsess over, so much so that my mutuals will often recommend me a new piece of media, along with the likely candidate for my newest blorbo and they are usually correct. So, I usually fall in love with princess-esque characters, who often initially come across as cold and mean, have backstories riddled with family trauma, and who turn out to be completely full of love for their friends and found family. I also tend to really love tsundere characters and characters who see themselves as unworthy of other’s love and affection. Whenever I see a character like that, I just want to love them so much and make everything ok for them.

That being said, if you are familiar with the media these characters are from, you can likely see why I fell in love with the characters I did. There are a few times I will stray further from this description, but for the most part, this fits all of my blorbos to some degree. If you are not familiar, I will avoid spoilers, for the most part.

Beginning with my all-time favorite, Weiss Schnee, I cannot say enough to express just how much I love her. When RWBY starts, she is very much cold, mean, arrogant, stuck up, and in general a really bad person, earning her the nickname "Ice Queen." However, she quickly changes, the love of her friends begins to thaw her frozen heart, and she overcomes the mindset with which she was raised. So much so does she change that by halfway through Volume 1, she has accepted Ruby, whom she had claimed to hate just a few episodes before, as team leader and promises to be the best teammate Ruby will ever have, the two then become incredibly close friends. by the end of Volume 1, she overcomes her father's instilled hatred of the faunus and warmly welcomes Blake back into the team. And by Volume 3, she goes so far as to sacrifice herself for Yang, with whom she usually bickers constantly. And these are just some of the many highlights of her growth throughout these volumes.

Then, in Volume 4 we see just how abusive her home was, her father's psychological, emotional, and even physical abuse, had very much been the cause of her earlier behavior. But she is not the same person now, her life has forever changed, and so she runs away from home and returns to her team. This trend continues throughout the rest of the series and she is constantly shown to be incredibly loving towards and protective of her friends, even if sometimes she hates to admit it.

This peaks in Volume 7, when, once again, she confronts her father and explains that she ran away for "Not just friends. Family."

Onto the next one, Rayla, my adorkable elven assassin. So, to start with, The Dragon Prince was the first show that I really became obsessed with as an adult and really reintroduced me into fan spaces. Because of this, and just how good the show is, I have a very special place in my heart for this show, and Rayla is, without a doubt my favorite character in the show.

Rayla grew up in a village of Moonshadow elves and was raised by her parent’s friends, as her parents were called away from home when she was younger to be a part of the Dragonguard and protect the egg of the Dragon King and Queen. This resulted in serious issues with abandonment and a lack of self-worth, since she felt she wasn’t good enough to keep her parents around. To top this off, she was trained to be an assassin in a culture where one is taught to live as if they were already dead, their life does not matter.

However, as depressing as this sounds and in fact is, Rayla remained a very determined and kind person, with an incredibly good heart. She was unable to kill an unarmed guard on her first mission and later befriended her target and his brother and went on a mission across the continent to return the missing egg of the Dragon Prince to his mother. Along the way, she fell in with Callum, the older prince, and became like a sister to the younger crown prince, Ezran.

Over all, while, her issues of self-worth remain, and her self-sacrificial tendencies are extreme, she is motivated by that same love that is the very center of her being, even though her ways of dealing with things are not the best.

Now for my beloved Rue, she is a complete disaster and I love her so much. Again, we have a girl with an incredibly abusive father, this time an evil giant Raven, who gaslights her constantly into thinking she is unlovable and that the only person who could love her is the fated prince who loves everyone, for only “he could love someone like her.” Now, this results in some very serious trauma and it affects her personality and actions to an incredible degree, and she is an incredibly mean and manipulative person for most of the story, becoming the evil Princess Kraehe

However, as time goes on, she begins to become more self-aware and wakes up from the spell that has made her forget who she is really is and her true self begins to emerge. In the end, she is an incredibly loving girl, who, though she never once had known love in her life, became capable of the truest love. “The more she loved, the more she suffered, and she couldn’t even seek help from anyone. But she never tried to stop loving…”

Nia, my sweet girl Nia, is an absolute precious sweetheart. Again, she was raised by a very mean and unloving father (look, I told you there was a theme), who literally threw her out in a crate, despite being the princess. However, she is the kindest and sweetest character ever and really becomes the loving heart of the team. She is soft, and sweet, and pure, but will also not hesitate to stand up to injustice and put her life on the line for her friends.

In the end, her love is even strong enough to resist the very nature of the being she was made as.

Number 5, Kaguya, is, again (surprising no one), an initially cold girl from one of Japan’s most powerful families. However, despite this cold exterior, which earned her the nickname “Ice Princess Kaguya” (noticing a theme?), is actually an incredibly sweet girl MADLY in love. This love is all consuming and greatly contributes to her change in character, and while she may sometimes revert to her former ways and look down on herself for it, ultimately, she wants to make others happy and see them smile.

Rukia is a very recent addition to this list, as I only just finished Bleach, after starting it 13-14 years ago, last month, but my love for her character is still intense. She’s a little firecracker in the beginning, but despite her attitude, is also shown to be very kind and affectionate to her friends. What sealed the deal for me though, again, her backstory.

Winry from FMAB is another favorite, and one of the ones who doesn’t fit my normal type quite as closely. However, one thing that is consistent for her throughout the series, and the thing I love most about her, is her genuine kindness and love, no matter what happens. Her relationship with Ed and Al and the promises they make to each other are some of my favorite parts in one of the best pieces of media ever made.

Shallan Davar is honestly one of the best written characters I’ve come across in one of the best written book series I’ve ever read (even though I’m still only at the beginning of book three after several months since I started that book). Again, she has an INCREDIBLY traumatic backstory, in fact she takes the cake when it comes to the characters on this list. This affects her so much that she selectively forgets all about it and only remembers it again in pieces as the story goes. As my friend who got me into it can attest, each chapter that had more of her backstory had me screaming and crying.

However, despite this all, she is an incredibly good and principled person, and an incredibly complex and compelling character. Her humor and relationships with the other characters are highlights in an amazing series of high fantasy.

Kanao is an initially emotionless person. Her life has made her suppress any desires in her heart and she only follows orders, either given by her superiors or from the flip of a coin. However, thanks to the influence of Tanjiro, she begins to listen to the voice in her heart and become her own person. In the end, she is incredibly passionate about avenging the loved ones she has lost and protecting those she still has.

 And finally, we have one of my favorite characters from when I was younger from one of my all-time favorite shows, Toph. Toph is an incredibly funny and tough character, but she is also incredibly kind and loves her friends so much, just don’t say that to her out loud XD. Again, her parents didn’t truly understand her and tried to make her into someone she was not, and it made her very unhappy. It was only in embracing who she truly was and helping others that she found real happiness, and friendships that last more than a lifetime.

[authorjoydragon]

For @badlucksav asking about Toph for this ask game! Sorry I just realized I never posted this my b.

Favorite Thing About Them: She is so perceptive and much more emotionally in tune with others than people give her credit for.

Least Favorite Thing About Them: Um, she’s perfect???

Jk I’d probably say that she can be a bit selfish sometimes, not that that is always a bad thing. Girl knew what she wanted and who she was.

Favorite Line: Tbh any of her blind jokes. Also “Sounds to me like you’re scared, Boulder!”

BroTP: Toph and Zuko. They really understood and related to one another.

OTP: Taang really is the perfect match. They just complement each other. If I had to pick another pairing I’d probably say Tokka.

NoTP: ummmm again just like, don’t ship her with grown ass adults lol. I like most Toph ships!

Random Headcanon: Cop Toph who? She instead likes to show off her bending prowess by creating new things; building, statues, and ofc rebuilding the Air Temples with Aang. Her designs are sought after by all nations.

Unpopular Opinion: I actually love the headcanon that Toph is ace/aro. I haven’t really explored that in my writing yet, but I might one day.

Song Associated With Them: Precious Metal Girl by Weezer and also Woman by Kesha

Favorite Pic: She’s so happy!!