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Forgot for a second that Sokka is truly the character of all time because he truly just did all that with no powers, no money and no responsible adults around. Like he organised a schedule that made it possible for the avatar to learn everything in a year, freed nations, learnt a dozen different types of weapons and art forms planned multiple prison breaks, revolutions and actual invasions with nothing but a flying bison, the worlds most powerful children and a boomerang. Coffee was invented for him and for him alone.
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Toph hated to admit it, but not having you near was suffocating. She's clingy, she's needy, she's affectionate—all for you. Her affection was never limited to just casual punches and smacks. Unlike the friendly affection she showed the rest of the team, you always received more than that.
Quite frankly, during the early days from when you joined the team after the war, she'd give you "casual" pats in the cheek. But of course, it was never anything more than platonic. At least—that's what she wanted to believe. Toph told herself that it was a newfound form of affection, and somehow you were always on the receiving end of it.
That wasn't true, of course.
Toph used it as an excuse to study your face. She couldn't see you. Aside from her seismic vision, Toph wanted more than just to feel your presence. She longed to see your eyes, your nose, your lips. Toph wanted to see your crooked smile the most. That same smile you showed when you were flustered. In fact, that was the main reason as to why Toph could never stop teasing you.
She wanted to feel just how much she can make your heart beat. It was always fast, ragged, and almost heaving. So whenever there was an opportunity, she'd take it.
At first, you thought she was being mean on purpose. In fact, her mockery and teasing drove you nuts every single day. You were never fond of her company. She was rude, mean, arrogant, and—and painfully beautiful. Spirits! You couldn't help it, okay?!
Despite her enraging personality, you just couldn't help but feel attracted to her. You still avoided her presence, of course. But when she gave you those teasing cheek pats, you couldn't help but restrain yourself from kissing her square on those, annoying, stupid, and sarcastic lips.
One day, however, she managed to cross a line that's been teetering for a while now. And surprisingly, your patience had been challenged last night by none other than Toph herself.
It started of as a normal evening by the camp fire, and yes, even after the war everyone agreed that there was nothing more cozy than sitting down, and babbling none stop till your chest started to hurt from laughing too much.
Zuko had invited everyone in Ember Island, a quiet retrieve after having visited Gaoling the previous day. Toph had initiated the visit. She told you guys that she was back for her stuff, to visit the Boulder, and to take in the hometown she had long left behind.
But you all knew it was more than that. Toph wanted to meet with her mother with the silent hope that maybe, she wanted her daughter back.
This daughter. The strong and independent Toph who never wavered at the size of her enemy.
But the sour look on her face that afternoon suggested a different story.
Back at the campfire. At first, everything was perfectly normal. If you counted Toph's grim expression as normal, of course.
You tried to overlook the tension that emitted from her stance. She didn't want to sit, only having leaned against a tree, away from everyone else.
You took a step towards her, acting as though it was a casual gesture. Totally not because you were worried.
"You're acting weird."
She scoffed at your direction. "I'm the one acting weird? Really, princess?"
"What are you trying to suggest, Toph?"
She shook her head, trying to dodge your glare as she played everything off as cool.
What was wrong with her? Why is it suddenly your fault that she's acting so pissy? It's not like you were her close-minded mother who rejected her presence in Gaoling. The longer you looked at that grumpy expression, the more agitated you grew.
Why did it suddenly feel like you were at fault?
She spared a glance towards the team, her face now illuminated by the weak glow from the fire.
"You really are stupid," she muttered.
None of it was amusing. You wanted nothing more than to smack that smug expression on her face. What was so funny in making these mean comments? You couldn't understand her. Quite frankly, you didn't want to.
"Yesterday," She whispered.
"Do you like Sokka?"
The question was sudden. You tensed in your spot, now all the more confuse. Sure. You probably spent too much time yesterday with Sokka. What's the big deal? And why did you suddenly feel so guilty about it?
You stuttered. "As a friend, or—"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
You shook your head. No. You've never really acknowledged Sokka as a romantic partner. He was just a friend. A close friend to you like Toph was—right?
"No. I don't like him like that." You shrugged.
A smirk tugged at Toph's lips. You sounded so meek, so quiet.
"Good."
Silence soon dragged between you two. It wasn't the deafening type, in fact, both of you were quite relieved.
She was no longer frowning, and that alone made you feel at ease. Looking back, you never realized just how silly it all was. How you got so grumpy so easily. Small jabs from her earned an upset frown from you.
"Join me tomorrow…" Toph had decided to break the silence. "New diner opened last week… you like those places, right?"
Right. That new bistro near town, currently famous for young couples this February. It was an incredibly sappy spot.
"Flamin Hot!" Aang had described. He and Katara were invited during its opening. Along with Mai and Zuko, it was a fun time, apparently.
Toph sighed, finally leaning closer to pat you once again on the cheek.
You perked up, meeting those white eyes with intense focus.
"Don't make me beg—you know I will."
"Sure."
Maybe a simple dinner with her wasn't the worst idea. It could be fun.
no because nobody understands how hard it was to find x reader fics of anyone in the gaang or atla fandom in general before this movie came out. now there’s new fics coming out daily. I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS‼️
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Toph, the Chief of Police in Republic City. You never expected her to tread this path, but you always did walk beside her in every decision she made. And now, married and undoubtedly happy—you couldn't help but recall the old memories from when you two were young and painfully stupid.
"I'm home," Toph announced. She stripped off the heavy armor from her uniform, now left with only a tight fitted white tank top and black trousers. Her feet moved with familiar ease as she walked towards your side.
A grunt.
Then a weight comfortably settled as she rested her head on your lap. Her favorite spot.
You didn't bother asking questions. Her chest heaved softly as your fingers raked through her locks—long black hair she never really wanted to cut.
People say that hair holds memories, for Toph, those memories were you.
Growing up together just felt right. Each moment leading up to the very day you two spoke your vows. It wasn't unexpected, to say the least. She was your best friend—your only friend. The same went for Toph.
"Well, you're quiet," Toph interjected. She opened one eye in search for the expression in your face. Anything that could give her an idea as to why her wife had been so occupied inside her head.
"I just miss how stupid we were back then," you chuckled, eyes crinkling at the frown that now etched onto Toph's face.
Of course you'd be too busy thinking about the past, no wonder your fingers stopped playing with her hair.
She hasn't changed a bit in that aspect. Although she never minded people who touched her hair—with consent—back then, you were the only one she fully gave the pleasure to. Anytime, anywhere. And to be honest, it was a full blown side hustle to tame her hair early in the morning.
"You have no idea how hard it was to fix your hair before the tournaments," you protested. Toph didn't bother arguing, it had been difficult. But she knew you'd always do it. No matter how tangled her hair got.
Right. You were the first person she trusted most with her secrets. The only person who believed in her when no one else did.
It started off at a random afternoon. As a child, you were quite the rascal. Your father was a gardener who worked for the Beifong Estate.
And you were just eight.
What do eight-year-olds do? Exactly what an eight-year-old would.
You followed your father during one his weekly shifts. He was a precise and responsible man—you wished you were just like him. Gosh you were far from it.
"Sweetheart, you may roam. But stay beside me at all cost," your father had hummed politely.
Did things go his way? Of course not. You wouldn't have met Toph if you had decided to play nice and innocent.
"You were quite impressive back then," Toph muttered.
"I crashed right on top of you." You raised a brow. What was so impressive in nearly giving the Beifong's "beloved" daughter a concussion?
"Well, Bone Head." She emphasized. Toph was never letting go of that nickname. A well-earned one after having bumped your heads together.
Toph scoffed. "—you gave me quite the headache for a week after that."
You poked her nose. "Don't be silly, you loved having me around—"
"Still do." Toph chuckled under her breath. She also missed the old days. Not Gaoling in particular, but the girl she met and loved in Gaoling.
After the incident back in the garden, the two of you grew closer and a year passed more sooner than expected.
You soon learned that rich doesn't always mean happy. Watching Toph being treated as this frail, helpless girl was suffocating. And your nine-year-old mind failed to understand the reason behind their overbearing protectiveness towards her. Because for you—your version of Toph was this rugged rascal who'd do anything alongside you. Your partner in crime.
Meeting with her parents was an eye-opening experience. Turns out, not all dads were the same. And despite not having a mother growing up—you knew that Toph's mother was lacking in that parenting aspect as well.
But nonetheless, you stayed.
And maybe, that's when Toph decided that you were more than just a friend to her. You were everything.
Then three years suddenly passed and both of you were all of the sudden twelve. Twelve was an eventful age for the both you.
The Earth Rumble tournaments started to grow fame amongst the youth of Gaoling. And Toph had overheard her parents talk about it, claiming that it was a dangerous and dingy show for show-offs.
And who was the biggest show-off back then? Toph, of course.
So during one random morning, she had talked to you in secret about her plan. Toph was desperate to beat people to the crutch.
"No, Toph." You shook your head at her suggestion. It was a big fat no. Not because you didn't believe in her abilities, gosh no. You've definitely seen her fight before.
"What?!" Toph scoffed, bordering both a whisper and a yell. But she couldn't let other people hear her in this estate.
"I thought you'd support me? You're my friend," she protested. Toph's hands gripped tightly onto yours, her eyes pleading. She doesn't do "plead," But for you, she'd do anything.
And you would do anything for Toph. So begrudgingly, you agreed.
"You almost died during my first match," Toph retorted. And despite her amused tone, both of you knew just how angry she was when that happened back then.
"I sat at the front row seats, what did you expect?" You chuckled.
And yeah, you thought you were doing yourself a favor sitting upfront. But when a boulder nearly lunged at you? Safe to say it was a bad idea.
Toph had won her first tournament out of spite. She was furious. Initially—you had thought she was mad at you. But no. Never at you.
After the tournament, she pulled you aside and apologized. It was her fault in the first place.
"—I shouldn't have asked you to come with me." Her head hung low, not wanting for you to meet her eyes.
You weren't mad at her. In fact, after that, you were the one who kept pushing her to attend Earth Rumble. You saw how happy she was with fighting and honing her Earthbending skills. And you couldn't possibly say no to that.
But twelve was also the same age you met the avatar and his team. No sooner than that, you two were a part of that pack as well.
And now, no more Earth Rumble. No more hiding how you both felt towards each other. Cause now the two of you were as happy as one can be. Marrying you was Toph's greatest decision in life.
Summary : Toph encounters something ancient in the forest.
Warnings : Adult!Toph, ATLA!Medusa, first kiss, make-out session, hurt/comfort, discussion of SA, depression, loneliness, mild hostage situation, flirting, banter.
Word Count : 5.2K+
Story prompted by @krowwle and @macabeee. It isn't exactly what they asked for, but it's what came to my mind!
𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆♡⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ
Toph stepped through the undergrowth with a certainty reserved only for someone who walked this path all their life. Despite it being her first time on this island, she stomped and sensed between the looming trees, over their exposed roots, and under their lowest branches with ease.
Bird song echoed through the cathedral of trees and undergrowth, with an occasional cry of something so shrill it sounded otherworldly.
But it did nothing to deter her. There were few things that could stop her now. A wild animal was certainly not one of them.
She had left the rest of the group early that morning to continue their sleep while she went on this solo expedition. She woke up so restless it made her body itch, seemingly beckoned to action or she would risk going mad.
She wasn't looking for anything in particular; just a pleasant stroll, perhaps a rocky outcrop she could bend into a small statue of herself as a mark of her presence for future visitors. Something to say "Toph was here".
She brushed past something sweet that tickled her nose. A fragrant bloom of flowers. She paused to appreciate their scent before marching on.
Arriving at a gurgling brook, her toes tickled with vibrations of pebbles gently rolling beneath as the stream nudged them along.
With a strike of her foot to the earth and a punch above her head to the sky, a pillar of rock propelled her through the air and she cleared the water easily.
And back to her march, humming a tuneless song she made up as she went along.
"Mm mmm mm" she sang, "Mm-mm-mm.... hmmmm?"
She paused.
What was that?
She stomped.
There was someone there.
She listened.
But that couldn’t be someone.
She listened closer.
There was no pulse.
No rushing blood, no gentle pull of breathing lungs, nor the soft gurgle of organs co-existing in the fleshy sack that was a person.
Nothing.
Toph swallowed and concentrated harder on the figure.
It was nearby.
She chose to investigate.
The shape grew closer with each of her sure steps until it was only feet in front of her.
She stopped to listen again.
It was human shaped alright.
It stood perfectly still, its legs pressed firm to one another, hands held in front of its face as a ten-finger shield. Its mouth gaping wide.
Toph's heart started to pump blood faster in a bid to prepare for what might come next.
She took a cautious step, and then another, each one gauging what exactly she was coming up against.
Human in shape, object in every other sense.
Her earth bending recognised it.
It was stone.
Realising it was her familiar and not a threat, her heart decided to quiet.
She skipped towards what she now understood to be a statue for further examination.
It was surprisingly dense despite being porous, hollows in its interior where organs seemed to be. Or at least, space for them to have been. Its posture rigid and unbalanced. With a tap Toph could have easily toppled it.
Why would someone bring a statue this far out?
And not a very good one at that.
She shrugged and kept going, soon arriving at a wider river. To tackle this one, she fashioned a bridge from the surrounding rocks, traipsing over to the other side.
And as soon as her calloused soles touched the soft mud of the river's other bank, she stopped dead.
There were more of them.
Everywhere.
Rows and clusters of frozen bodies, unmoving and unbreathing as far as she could feel.
A shudder down her spine sent her pulse climbing.
But still, she chose to investigate.
Toph pushed on, wandering between the rocky figures to gather as much as she could.
All the same material, positioned like mannequins in a variety of tense poses. Their voided organs the only thing within them.
Toph realised that the vast majority were male, from all corners of the globe. She felt the yak seal furs of Water Tribe's men, the pointed shoulders of Fire Nation armour, and the long flowing tunics of Earth Kingdom explorers. She was sure she even recognised the draping shawl of an Air Nomad, but she couldn't be sure. The thought was too absurd.
After her fingers had probed over thirty statues, she came to the conclusion that a very skilled earth bender must have created this macabre exhibition. She couldn’t fathom why, and some sick part of her wondered if she could replicate the forms. The thought was abandoned once it occurred to her she had a poor understanding of anatomy and preferred to keep it that way.
Toph was mapping one more figure when she felt it.
From behind her.
There was a pulse.
One as sure and as strong as hers.
Why only now?
Why had she not sensed it before?
She turned around.
Perhaps now she could finally meet the sculptor who had fashioned this odd set of works.
Footsteps. The feet switching slowly between themselves in a crawl towards Toph. Their owner was not heavy but certainly sure footed.
Suddenly, a soft sibilance of rustling caressed Toph's ears. An overlay of menacing whispers where tongues and bodies slid past each in a wild dance.
Despite the thick humidity of the jungle, Toph felt a chill lick her skin.
She smelled earth. But not the kind Toph liked. No. The kind that had been left too long in the dark. The kind that had soured with time and stagnation, preserving only its worst qualities.
It stung her throat.
But Toph stood her ground. Shoulders pulled back, head held high, she waited for the confrontation.
The figure stopped just in front of her, the hiss reaching a crescendo.
Then, there was a silence. Only a single ethereal shrill.
Then silence again.
Toph shifted, tilting her head.
"Aren't you going to say something?"
"Aren't you going to look at me?" The voice asked. A deep sultry feminine husk, a voice that sounded unused after years of screaming itself to ruin.
Toph shuddered. Then smiled.
"Fancy yourself a looker, huh? Sorry I can’t see how pretty you are" she smirked.
The hissing intensified.
"Excuse me?"
"I said that I'm sorry I can't tell you exactly how pretty you must be" Toph replied.
"Pretty?" The voice mumbled. "You would only need to lift your eyes to know how sorely mistaken you are, little girl."
Toph snorted. "Little girl? I know I'm short, but not that short" she paused. "Though Sokka keeps leaning his elbow on my head..."
"Sokka?" The woman scoffed. "I care not for your words. Why will you not look at me? Do you already know your fate if you do?"
Toph wished she could roll her eyes.
"Sorry to break it to you lady, but I can't see you 'cause I can’t see anything!"
There was a silence. The figure stepped closer, lowering just enough to glimpse Toph's face. But a curtain of hair obscured her features.
The woman took Toph's chin in her hands and forced her head back. She had only moment to spot the opaque glassiness of her eyes before Toph jerked away.
"Hey!" Toph cried, wiping at her chin.
"You- you're blind" the woman gasped.
Toph scoffed. "Yeah, took you long enough, Detective."
"Probably still better than Sokka" Toph added under her breath.
"Again, with this word" The woman tilted her head. "What is a 'Sokka'?"
"A type of idiot" Toph giggled.
"Huh..." the woman hummed.
"He's my friend" Toph clarified.
"He? He is a man?" The woman growled.
"Eh, he tries to be" Toph smirked.
"Then he is not just an idiot, he is a monster."
Toph frowned. "Sokka's definitely an idiot, but he's not a monster."
The woman scoffed as she sauntered away, coming to stop at one of the stony bodies surrounding them.
She sneered up at its face.
"Yet" she muttered, trailing her finger across the tightly pulled cheek of its screaming face.
"All men are monsters" she snarled quietly.
Toph shifted where she was. She could tell the woman meant those words with every ounce of her being. To her, those words were an absolute fact. And there was only one way to achieve that level of certainty.
"Did something happen to you?" Toph asked.
The woman tensed, but the hiss around her head twisted into a warning cry, hot and furious like steam escaping.
Toph felt their menace and resisted the urge to run.
The hissing quieted down as the woman pondered for a second.
She glanced back at her intruder, who stood patiently waiting.
"Something did happen to me" she whispered finally.
Toph continued to wait.
"So, are you going to tell me or what?" She groaned eventually.
The woman winced, "It was a very long time ago. I see no reason to revisit it now."
Toph shrugged. "Sure, whatever you say, Hiss Lady."
"Hiss Lady?" The woman scowled. "I am Medusa!"
"Oh, so you do have a name!"
Medusa froze as though she had been turned to stone.
She fluttered her eye lids, uncertain with how to proceed.
Then she gathered herself. "Besides" she spat, "I have no reason to share such things with the likes of you."
"Well, the likes of me is called Toph" the blind woman still smirked.
Medusa only acknowledged her name with a silent stare.
Toph crossed her arms with a huff. "I guess courtesy is dead."
"More than just courtesy" Medusa hissed bitterly.
To her surprise, the woman smiled.
"Oh, don't be like that. Look, let’s try again" she cleared her throat. "Hey Medusa, my name's Toph!"
Medusa glanced around the forest helplessly.
"Uh, hello Toph" she grumbled.
"There you go, wasn't that easy?" Toph grinned.
"I suppose."
Medusa listened to the lilting cackle of the woman before her, confusion settling on her face with a brow pull.
“What is so amusing?” she grumbled, clearly offended.
Toph’s laugh evened to a sigh. “Eh, it’s not everyday I meet some random lady in the woods who doesn’t know how to say hello.”
“Again, you call me a lady. I could not be further from such a thing” Medusa spat.
The bitterness in her voice lingered between them.
Toph felt her skin burn where her nerves were on fire. But... she had to investigate.
"So... are you ready to tell me what actually happened to you or what?" Toph tried again.
Medusa swallowed though there was nothing in her mouth.
“Look” Toph’s words tore through the silence. “You don’t have to, but… I get the feeling you might want to get it off your chest?” she shrugged.
Medusa considered.
She looked the small blind woman over.
The only person immune to her glare.
Perhaps she would be immune to her pain too.
Medusa's heart shot up to an odd cadence, both too fast and too slow. Toph had never heard something so broken before.
She instinctively reached for Medusa, but the woman shifted away.
Medusa eyed Toph hovering hand. "Do not touch me."
She paused. "Please."
"Sorry" Toph mumbled.
Medusa nodded once then lifted her gaze to the sky, her head of snakes following her lead.
She sighed all the air from her lungs, as she finally unlocked the vault to those memories.
The temple.
That night.
She took a breath back, and began.
"I was not always here, and I was not always like this... once upon a time, I was a beauty" she huffed softly, a scornful sound. "So beautiful in fact that a man decided to claim my beauty as his own."
"He was a bronze skinned man from a cold part of the world; and his heart was even colder" Medusa's voice shook. "He commanded ice like a blizzard commands the wind, and he refused to be told that he could not do something."
"When he met me, I was just a young maiden, a priestess of the Earth. My temple was small, my mind smaller. I did not understand what this man wanted when he continued to visit the temple. Surely, it was so pray... surely" she wept softly.
"He visited my one moonless night, finding me indecent in my chambers. I asked him what he was doing, but he would not speak he only... he only did..."
"What he did to me..."
Toph did not want to know what he did, she could have guessed, but Medusa kept talking, and Toph would not interrupt her because she knew the woman had to.
"He violated me" Medusa whispered so softly it rustled out of her.
She whimpered, holding onto herself like she might come undone from the pain bursting forth from inside.
Toph stayed still, listening to her heartbreak, bearing witness to her truth. She felt a hot tear slip down her cheek and she refused to wipe it away.
Medusa collected herself enough to speak.
"The spirit of the temple, she found out what happened to me, after all it was no secret considering the way I screamed through the night" Medusa recounted quietly.
"She was so enraged by what happened that she chose to bless me the ultimate weapon against any man."
Toph lifted a brow. "And what's that?"
Medusa glanced at her. "She made it so anyone who set their eyes upon me would instantly turn to stone."
Suddenly the collection of immobile figures and their hollowed insides made too much sense. They were not odd statues, but petrified bodies, doomed to stone for having sight.
Medusa waited for Toph to run, try to hide, or even more likely, hurt her.
But Toph just stood still, the only change her lifted brows.
Medusa continued. "I was banished from the temple after a few other priestesses fell victim to my atrocious glare. Person after person rendered mineral monoliths upon laying their eyes on me" her voice left her hollow and broken.
Toph huffed under her breath. "You said she blessed you."
"She did" Medusa replied. "I am safe from any man who would wish me harm."
"And what about all the ones that don't?"
Medusa scowled. "They all do... that's just what monsters do."
Toph shook her head sadly. "They're not all monsters."
"They all have been to me!" Medusa cried, her snakes heaving with emotion. They spat from their places at her scalp.
"Even here! They come! Cutting the trees, killing the beasts! Speaking of conquest and discovery!" She growled. "Nothing is sacred to them!"
Toph stopped speaking for some time, realising that her opinion was useless in the face of Medusa'a experience.
She sighed eventually. "So now what? You just live here by yourself, scaring people?"
Medusa had never heard her situation put like that before. It made her feel ill.
"I... it's... it is not like you say" Medusa shook her head.
Toph nodded, tilting her head away. "If you say so." She muttered under her breath.
"Well, you've told me all this" Toph huffed suddenly. "Now what?"
Medusa startled, pressing her hand to her lips.
And she had never found herself in such a predicament.
"Honestly, I do not know" she admitted softly, "But I cannot let you leave."
"You can't keep me here" Toph said plainly.
"Not alive, no" Medusa replied just as flatly.
Up until now, Toph had not felt threatened by the woman with a hiss that followed her wherever she went. But those words, sent a shot of adrenaline coursing through her.
"I don't want to fight you" Toph warned in a low voice.
"I fear you might, though I am uncertain what kind of threat a small girl like you might pose to me" Medusa sighed.
Toph snorted, lifting her palm to the sky.
Medusa cried in shock.
Her knees buckled.
She looked down to find the earth had taken her foot hostage.
Another cry. She glanced round. Now it was her other foot.
She lifted her eyes to watch Toph step forward, calm as ever.
Toph smirked. "I should probably let you know something about me too."
Medusa knelt there with wide eyes and mouth agape, blinking up at the small woman towering over her.
"You're an earth bender" she gasped.
"Yup. I'm the greatest earth bender in the world" Toph sang.
"You're not the only one who can turn things to stone" she added with a mischievous grin.
Despite herself, Medusa cackled, a sound that made Toph stagger back.
"A blind earth bender" Medusa wondered aloud.
"Wait, is that how you got here?"
"Yup."
"I could not quite fathom how you came upon me, blind and unassisted" Medusa continued to ponder.
Toph shrugged. "I see with vibrations and stuff. It's how I knew you were there."
"So, you can... sense me?" Medusa doubted.
"Yeah. I can sense a bunch of stuff about you. I know you're pretty tall" Toph smirked. "And curvy too" she added more quietly.
Medusa gasped, then blushed. Her snakes began to writhe over one another at a faster pace.
"Are you flirting with me?" She accused.
"Why? Do you feel flirted with?" Toph grinned.
Medusa knelt there, dumbfounded and ruffled in a way she didn't think possible.
Toph's smile lingered a moment longer before falling into a frown.
"I can also tell" she continued, "that you're not happy."
The flustered slithering of Medusa's head of snakes ceased immediately.
The forest went quiet with them.
That otherworldly screech rang out, dragging Medusa back to reality.
She continued to kneel, even after she felt the rock shackles at her feet relinquish their hold.
She glanced up at Toph, who was still frowning sadly.
Medusa sighed, then tossed her head back to laugh humourlessly. "I suppose my sadness is so salient you need not even see my tears to know they're there."
Toph felt the hollow pit of sadness deepen. She too scoffed dryly. "Yeah, I guess so."
Medusa searched the canopy without actually looking, letting her sorrow settle into her bones where Toph could feel it loud and clear.
Medusa wept, silently but freely, the occasional sob the only auditory alert to her coming undone.
Toph hesitated, but tried again anyway.
Her hand landed on Medusa's shoulder. A few of her serpents lunged for the limb but there was no bite in their attack. Just a languid despair.
Medusa let Toph touch her, and Toph let her cry.
And cry she did. Sudden howls like the sky breaking open during her storm, only to return to the patter of whimpers.
All the while, Toph remained there. Just staying there.
Her hand fell away once Medusa rose, her tear-stained face finally tilting towards the woman beside her.
She seemed to be thinking, her lip stuck firmly between her teeth.
And then she revealed her thoughts.
"Do you want me to get rid of these?" Toph asked, motioning vaguely.
Medusa looked around the stagnant echoes of life around them.
Get rid of them?
To be rid of the ring of what she had done almost brought her to tears again.
She had never thought it possible, and yet… it was.
"Please" Medusa whispered urgently. "Please do it."
Toph's head jerked once in acknowledgement.
She lifted a palm high in the air like she wished to claw the sky open, only to curl her fingers into a tight ball.
All the statues crumbled to piles of grey sand around them.
Medusa cried out in both surprise and joy, her view of the forest cleared of her shame.
Hot tears flowed down her face in never ending streams. Their gentle streaks washing away years of emotions she denied acknowledging, for they may have cost her more of her sanity.
"Thank you" she whimpered through her sobs, the words failing to capture the true scope of her gratitude.
But Toph could hear it, she could feel it. These tears were different; they even smelled different.
Toph stood, the only figure with Medusa now, still as a statue but a steady presence while the woman composed herself.
Eventually her breath grew even, her eyes ceasing their downpour long enough that a wipe of her cheeks left them dry. Reddened and puffy, but dry.
Her eyes went to Toph, and she was still exactly as she last found her. Still as a statue. But smiling.
"Feel better?" The woman asked.
Medusa sighed, a release. "Yes. Yes, I do" she nodded. "Thank you."
But those words did not feel like enough.
Two words could not compare to the weight Toph had lifted with a single motion of her hand. No; but she had done so much more than that.
She had wandered into this broken woman's space and put together all her pieces, her story, her grief, her cursed blessing. And then she held them in place.
Mere words of gratitude could never compare to such a kindness.
Medusa cleared her throat. "Sweet Toph..."
Toph smiled. "Yes, Medusa?"
The blissed hisses at Medusa's crown betrayed her excitement of hearing her name in Toph's mouth.
Toph's mouth...
The thought was too ridiculous.
Medusa cleared her throat harder. "I feel like I cannot thank you enough."
Toph's lips tilted more to one side. "You already said it once. I wouldn't say it again."
"But" Medusa began. "...I don't know how I might show you how grateful I am" she whispered, realising she had nothing to return Toph's favour.
"Well, you could like... let me go" Toph laughed dryly.
Medusa wondered why those words stung like a miss-held poker.
Regardless she nodded. "I suppose you cannot be my hostage."
Toph could hear the sadness return to her voice. That aching, lonely, sadness.
She shifted awkwardly between her feet.
"Are you just going to stay here?" She asked.
Medusa jostled. "There is no other place for me in this world."
Toph's chest grew so hollow it ached. The lonely sadness had now settled itself in her.
"Look, I'm sure--"
"No Toph" Medusa interjected, her tone gentle and final.
"Unless all the world is suddenly struck by blindness, there is no place for me out there."
Toph shrugged helplessly. "Well," and she had no words thereafter. "Is there anything else I can do for you while I'm here?"
Medusa turned fully to the woman.
Medusa would give Toph the chance to leave, but she wanted to give her something more.
Perhaps...
"Sweet Toph... may I give you a kiss?"
The woman snorted. "Do you always kiss people you just met?"
Medusa frowned sadly. "No... I have... I have not kissed anyone in a very... very long time."
Toph's mouth fell open, then she pressed it shut into a determined frown.
"Right. Okay. Come here then" she said, motioning towards herself with a pulse of her fingers.
Medusa's eyes widened, now the one whose mouth decided to gape with surprise. She glanced around at the space the stone bodies once stood, frozen in terror at the sight of her, and then at the live woman in front of her. So alive, and ready to kiss her.
She smiled. It was a smile so sweet it felt like it didn't belong to her.
Medusa moved closer to Toph. She could see easily over the top of her halo of hair. She had to crane her neck down to bring her lips to Toph's ear.
"Please" she whispered, "lift your head so I may see you."
Toph's shoulders seemed to tense for just moment, before slowly, her face tilted skywards.
Medusa gasped softly, her hand on Toph's chin once again. But this time, Toph did not flinch and snatch herself away.
She just stayed very, very, still.
Medusa had seen and made plenty of statuesque forms since she banished herself to this forest. Every intrusion on her exile leading to a new body in the garden of petrified souls.
But the woman before her, with her marble pale skin, opalescent jewels for eyes, and sure, immovable demeanour, would have easily been the most beautiful creation of all.
Medusa struggled to find her next breath when she realised that this gorgeous creature who could not fear her had actually agreed to kiss her.
Kiss her.
Medusa leaned over, her neck straining from the angle to bring her face closer to Toph's.
Toph felt the gentle brush of Medusa's breath breeze past her cheek. It was cold for something that was alive.
She listened to the quiet hiss of Medusa's snakes slithering past each other, the only witnesses to what they were about to do.
She waited, parting her lips in anticipation.
For what felt like a lifetime.
She smiled. "Come on! Don't make me wait all day" she chided gently.
Medusa startled.
She leaned closer still, her eyes grazing over Toph's face one more time before she let their lips touch.
Medusa held herself there. She inhaled deeply, trying to take in all the scents of this wonderful human.
Freshly overturned earth. A tinge of salt from her dewy upper lip. The musk of Toph's breath as it left her.
Soft. Warm. Sweet. So painfully human.
Medusa reluctantly readied to leave those lips, when she felt hands slip under her mane of snakes. They struck at Toph's hand defensively, but her hand stayed where it was.
Toph's lips parted and closed around Medusa's, taking her breath and all coherent thoughts with them.
Medusa helplessly deepened the kiss with an open-mouth brush of her own. A desperate breathy plea for something she didn't know she wanted. Needed.
She felt Toph smile at her lips.
Then the gentle sneak of a tongue.
It wet Medusa's parched lips with a slick glide, goading her own tongue forward.
They met each other with a press and flick, both trying to figure out what the other might want.
Toph's tongue clearly wanted to give Medusa an unforgettable experience. It licked, and lapped, coaxed, and caressed. Shallow, deep, anywhere Medusa would allow her.
And Medusa allowed her.
She let herself be led by the smaller woman, her main contribution soft whimpers and appreciative moans.
Toph couldn't help but smile as she listened to the effect she was having on this fearsome figure, letting her fall apart in her arms.
The women’s lips finally parted, breathless.
"Toph, I believe I was the one who was supposed to be giving you a kiss" Medusa huffed.
Toph grinned. "Is that your way of asking for another kiss?"
Medusa gasped. "No- I, I would never--"
"Because I would" Toph smiled, her lips still glistening and puckered.
Medusa's snakes betrayed her with their aroused wriggles, their hisses a slow sensual approval of the prospect of kissing Toph again.
Before Medusa could react, Toph was at her lips again, but she did not lead the charge. Instead, she held herself there, waiting for Medusa's command.
She had not been so close to another person like this in so long, and she was a virgin up until that night. Her first kiss, her first time... it had been stolen from her in the dead of night.
But this was a gift.
She was being given a chance.
The women stood in each other's arms; a conversation held within their inseparable mouths.
The forest fell away, taking the memories with it.
The only thing Medusa could feel was strong arms keeping her close to an even stronger body, and a mouth that let her do what she wanted.
And Medusa wanted to taste, and so she did. An indescribable flavour of warmth that made her feel alive again. She wanted to play, and so she did. Her tongue engaged in a game of tag, touching and going and chasing after Toph's equally eager tongue.
By the end of the kiss, both women were breathless, their lips tingling like all the blood had been drawn to those pillows of skin.
Medusa held Toph's face for some time, admiring the woman who came upon her but did not perish by her.
So alive.
And because she was alive, she could not stay.
Toph felt the sadness return.
"Hey, hey" she said softly, instinctively caressing Medusa's rough cheek. "Hey. I'll--" Toph considered her words carefully.
"I'll come back to visit you" Toph whispered.
"Sweet Toph, please do not say things you cannot guarantee."
Was this something she could truly promise?
That didn't matter, she would do it anyway.
"But I will" she insisted. "I don't care what it takes, you will see me again."
Medusa softened, the hope so foreign it was almost enough to make her faint.
"Do you believe that?" She asked, wondering why her eyes were wet again.
"Yeah, I'm really stubborn" Toph chuckled softly.
Medusa joined her laughter.
The women kissed once more as though to seal their commitment with their lips, and then, much to Medusa's despair, they separated.
"So, I'll be back. I don't know when, but you will see me again, okay?" Toph said, wondering why her eyes stung.
Medusa nodded, smiling through her tears.
"Alright" she whispered. The loneliness returned, but it found less space for itself in Medusa's heart where a seed of hope had been planted and watered by the sweet waters of Toph's kindness.
Toph lingered a moment longer.
They didn't move.
"Okay. I better head back now" Toph said so sadly she didn't sound like herself.
"Must you?" Medusa tried.
Toph held her breath then hissed it out. "My friends will be worried about me."
"Ah" was all Medusa sighed, a sound of recognition and resignation.
"Well... farewell sweet Toph" she said softly, her voice thick.
Toph nodded, her tongue held hostage, and turned, walking away very slowly.
Her feet kept moving despite her will to keep them still, walking until that pulse began to fade.
She retraced her path through the undergrowth, just like she had, but this time every step felt uncertain.
She knew this was right, but she felt all sorts of wrong.
Her mind stayed in the forest even as her body emerged from its cool canopy and into the warm open air of the meadow.
She kept walking to where she heard friendly chatter and a chittering flying lemur.
"There she is!" Aang called, pointing.
The group turned united to welcome the sight of Toph strolling towards them.
"There you are!" Katara smiled.
"Where have you been?" Zuko asked very seriously, inspecting his friend for damage and snatching her hand when he spotted the small red punctures on her wrist.
She ripped her arm away. "I went for a walk."
"Yeah, we got that! Where?" Sokka asked emphatically.
"Yes, where did you go Toph?" Katara asked when she noticed the look on Zuko's face.
Toph shrugged. "Just about"
"Are we ready to go yet?" She asked, stepping forward to Appa. He greeted her with a bellow and a nuzzle into her palm.
"Yup!" Aang said, skipping over to her.
The group went on with their final errands, choosing to save their interrogation for later. Toph seemed lost in her own thoughts when Aang asked, "Did you at least have a good walk?"
Toph smiled gently. "Yeah. I did. Thanks. Might have to come back here."
"That good, huh?" Aang asked. "Can I come with you next time?"
Toph shook her head. "Nah. This is my thing, Twinkle Toes" she cackled, punching his shoulder.
He laughed. "Sure thing, Toph." And whisked away onto Appa's head.
Toph readied to join the rest of the group on their flying steed before she felt it. The faintest flutter of that familiar pulse.
She turned around, smiling at nothing at all.
But Medusa smiled back.
"Goodbye, Toph" she whispered, her voice breaking with her heart.
Notes:
A sticky situation and new lesson learned.
Not specific to any ship, just a slice of life oneshot but if you squint just enough I guess it can be a little romantic ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Pardon any typos or grammatical errors, I'll try my best to edit them out.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
"What now?" Sokka whined. It's been a couple weeks since they've made it in Ba Sing Se. Long days with little to no action. The most thrill they've experienced was messing with Joo Dee. Particularly with their constant whine for amusement. And by "their" it was often, if not always, Sokka and Momo.
"Walk around this place?" Aang sat up from the floor, his eyes flickered back towards the others. But they were too busy staring at the ceiling looking like lifeless cabbages on a soggy road to even respond. Oddly specific but accurate nonetheless.
A minute passed and the silence stretched into deafening stillness, save from Toph's serene hum as she mindlessly picked at her nose. This day couldn't get any more boring than it already was.
Aang was desperate to look for Appa, he spent a majority of his silence reminiscing about his friend who was probably lost, confused and, worst of all, hungry. Nights meant for sleep were dedicated to staring out the window, waiting for a bison to pass through his peripheral. Even just a glimpse of him, but it was never that easy. If not for Katara's constant nagging for him to go to bed, Aang would've been just as lifeless as those cabbages they constantly stumble upon.
It was weird, actually.
Katara noticed, of course she did. With how much Aang has been restless these couple of days, she was running out of ideas on how to cheer him up. Toph and Sokka shared the same sentiment. They all did. Appa's missing, and there was no telling if they could ever find him again. That thought alone was hard to swallow.
"Well," Katara announced, clapping the dust off her hands. "These flyers won't stick on their own now, would they?" She stood up with the left-over flyers now in hand.
They all tailed her quietly. Aang couldn't help but feel a fond warmth bloom in his chest; knowing that his friends cared as much as he did was comforting. Right, he was never alone from the start. They were family now.
"Won't Joo Dee pester us again?" Toph questioned. She wasn't entirely fond of how disingenuous the woman was. It all felt so fake—programmed even. Each word that exited her mouth sounded like a script to a poorly written play; it bothered Toph to no end.
Sokka hummed. "Now that I think about it, she hasn't shown up for two days now."
"Probably busy," Katara chimed. Everyone had a life no matter how inauthentic they portrayed themselves. But for someone like Joo Dee? A life outside her work was hard to believe.
The team had decided to exit as quietly as possible.
"Toph, you left the glue inside!" The door slammed shut behind Sokka as it swung lightly at the force.
As quietly as possible.
To be fair, the place had no need for any more flyers. One after another, they stuck and coated the wall with sticky residue before slapping in Appa's drawn face. Toph didn't even bother to help with sticking the posters on the wall, but unfortunately she was left with another boring duty.
"Pass me another one," the three demanded in tandem. Toph slammed the flyers into their outstretched palms with more force than necessary. Grumbling to herself, she handed Momo the tub of glue, gladly sharing her duty to the lemur.
But what could a lemur possibly know about glue? He shoved a fist into the tub curiously, raising his sticky paws up to his face like the liquid was somehow the most appetising dessert in all of Ba Sing Se.
Before Aang could even register what was happening, Sokka had already lunged himself towards the lemur with a loud, whiny grunt as he toppled over Toph. Well, that was fast.
The tub had now rolled over towards Katara's feet, nudging at her like a tattle-tail to their antics. Her eyes flickered to the scene before her, the flyer in her hand now effectively crumpling at the tight grip of her fingers.
"Move, Snoozles!" Toph yelled.
"I'm trying," he grunted.
Sokka tried, he really did. But this glue was no joke. They both stood up from the cobblestone road, ignoring the dust that clung to their clothes. Because there was another 'thing' clinging to their sides.
Katara held a palm out in front of Toph. "Hold my hand," she coaxed.
Aang did the same with Sokka. And together he and Katara pulled and pulled until finally—they wound back to one another with a slam.
"OW—"
Aang and Katara winced at this, silently reaching out to help them back up again.
How much time had passed by now? Ten minutes?
"—of complete torture!" Toph grunted.
Katara spent the last ten minutes attempting to take them out of this sticky situation, but to no avail. Sokka's right arm clung tightly onto Toph's left arm. Getting rid of the glue that coated their arms and clothes was a difficult task not even Katara's waterbending could help with.
"Guess you could say they're attached to the hip," Katara pondered. To which they were.
Aang snorted. "Nice one, Katara."
Momo was fortunate enough to not have stuck to anything or anyone. Aang helped him wash off the glue from his sticky paws but even that was a challenging task. Now with two paws stuck together and fur as rigid as stone, he sat near Aang. Awfully well behaved and innocent-looking after having caused this chaos in the first place. Not a single hint of guilt flashed behind those eyes.
"Let's go look for someone who can help." A soft sigh escaped Katara's lips. "There has to be a clinic somewhere—"
She paused. A few feet away from her, Aang stared at a small hidden building tucked away between the lavish architectures of two large homes. Despite being surrounded by grandeur, the building itself stood out on its own.
Aang was dazed. Children ran in front of the humble building with mud covering their hands and clothes. Their laughter echoed across the field, which was a rare sight here in Ba Sing Se. Specifically the upper ring. And for once he wondered what could've been if his old friends were still alive. They had a great future ahead of them until it was stolen—until everyone including the tiniest of children were murdered.
He swallowed. And so did Katara.
"You guys can wait for another minute… or hour, right?" She offered her most punctual, persuasive smile in an attempt to tug at their heartstrings. But both Toph and Sokka could agree that it tugged at their nerves instead.
"Come in, come in." An old woman greeted the team by the entrance. Her hair fell down in white waves that nudged at the small of her back. She shared an uncanny resemblance with Gran Gran. Or perhaps Katara just happened to miss her a lot.
"New faces, how exciting," the woman chuckled. Her eyes nearly closed at the heavy wrinkles that covered her skin. A breath then escaped her weary lips at the sight of the two glued to one another.
"I see Helo has another victim." She shook her head.
Sokka perked at this. "Helo?"
"Hi," Toph snorted.
"He's a famous glue maker here in Ba Sing Se. Also notorious for causing plenty…" she pursed her lips, "mishaps."
"But not to worry!" She clapped her hands together. "My niece is an expert at this."
Both Toph and Sokka entered a small nook tucked away inside the building, waiting impatiently to be taken out of this mess. Momo sat besides them looking more patient than ever. A suspect must never complain about their own crime.
"Where was I—oh right, welcome to my class," The old woman muttered, smiling heartily. She was not an inch taller than Katara as she offered the two to take a seat as well.
"Pottery class, I'm guessing?" Aang stated with a curious glint. His gaze danced across the small room that seemed to be no bigger than the place they were staying at. Albeit large shelves served as a second wall, comfortably isolating the scent of earth and moisture from water mixed with soil.
A huge table sat in between, surrounded by four smaller ones with what seem to be wheels. Aang wasn't sure.
"You can call me Jin," the girl stated. She was the old woman's niece that was kind enough to share her expertise with the three who fell victim to what was it again? Hi? Hello? Something like that.
Jin's fingers moved precisely as she lathered coconut oil onto their arms. There were a few other steps she had done, none that Sokka and Toph bothered naming. As long as they get out of this mess—anything to get out of this mess.
"Uhh thanks, Jin, and—" Sokka squinted his eyes at the old woman as if looking for a name tag somewhere in her tattered green outfit that was covered with a muddied black apron.
Sokka parted his lips hesitantly. "madam—"
"Lin," She muttered tersely.
Toph nodded approvingly at this. "Nice name."
Lin chuckled softly, her eyes shutting close at the fond compliment.
"Well, I suppose you children are here for pottery lessons?"
Katara glanced at the others expectantly before nodding in Lin's direction. "Why, of course," she muttered.
They all sat around the table, eyes now glued to the old woman at the far end, holding clay in her hands. Jin soon offered some clay as well to the rest, serving each of them a small bunch as though she were serving another meal.
"The act of sculpting and the art of pottery as a whole is a creative feat," Lin drawled. "However, to master it, one must learn patience. Because… it is, in a way, an act of listening to the Earth."
Her hands moved with practised ease, and for the first part of the lesson, they were given the freedom to shape anything, or anyone, they liked.
"This is too easy," Toph snickered. She held a tiny sculpture in her hands with a boastful glint. What was the sculpture, perhaps? Herself, of course.
Lin chuckled warmly at this. "You're an Earthbender?"
Toph nodded with a smooth hum.
"A talented one, I see." Lin nodded with acknowledgement.
"Thanks."
Lin's eyes curved as she smiled thoughtfully. "But for non-benders, I reckon it could be a little… challenging."
Sokka raised his head. "Can't relate," he shrugged. His tongue poked out at the side of his lips with intense focus that would come from someone professional in this field. To which the deformed-looking potato with ears in front of him suggested he wasn't.
The rest stifled a chuckle.
"So… pottery," Aang pondered. "It's the first time I've seen someone start a class for this," he added.
"Ah, yes. It is barely acknowledged when crafted from the hands of a non-bender, especially here in Ba Sing Se. Outside these walls there are many more people just like me." A pause. "But times have grown to be more dangerous than ever… and fortunately enough, my niece and I were moved here in the upper ring."
She gave a quick glance at Aang's direction. "But I shall warn you that you shouldn't trust the authority so much…" Her voice fell into a whisper. "Especially here in Ba Sing Se."
Before Aang could utter another question, Lin was quick with her tongue.
"Well anyway, I started this class for non-benders such as myself—and my niece."
Her hands never stopped from shaping the clay beneath her.
"Earthbending is a beautiful power not all of us are blessed to have. But who said we can't bend earth as well?" She chuckled.
They all nodded, and Aang couldn't help but remember the dawning task ahead of him. Mastering the four elements, battling with the Firelord, and saving the world from a war that they've built a life around for a hundred long years.
And for the four elements, it was a task he was reluctant to do. Fire is an element that has a life of its own. To control it means to risk harming the life he swore to protect.
"All elements have their own advantages and disadvantages. But together, they create balance." A soft sigh escaped her lips. "However that is something the world has long forgotten."
Too much time had passed. The late stream of the sun tore through the windows, nudging at them carefully as they rounded the table.
"Well, it's getting late," she grunted, reaching for the final ceramic pot. "Kilning takes a lot of time, and hopefully you'll be back to watch it finish."
"We'll make sure to pass by sometimes," Katara promised.
Sokka yawned. "This was an awfully nice day."
He yawned again.
"You're far too young to be this fatigued." Lin patted his shoulder with consideration that reminded Sokka of Gran Gran… to say that he missed her would be an understatement.
"I suggest you kids visit the Jasmine Dragon. The tea shop had opened a few days ago; they serve very nice tea," she hummed.
"Thank you again." They all waved goodbye, heading back to their temporary home with a joyful lilt that numbed the weight that burdened them. Maybe it wasn't too bad here after all, and maybe when they meet Appa again—maybe, just maybe, Aang can tell him all these experiences that he wasn't present for. And maybe for once they can finally forget these sleepless nights they shared without each other.
Notes:
A few made-up characters and also—Jin mentioned!!
I surprisingly had plenty of fun writing this, hopefully it wasn't too obvious that I've been wanting to attend pottery class these past few days (ಥ ͜ʖಥ)
A kudos and a comment is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading.
Marinette's left home-alone to watch over her neighbor's hamster. Her planned trip to the amusement park? Down the drain. Which could only mean one thing.
She had to miss out on seeing Adrien.
But it seems like she wasn't the only one who couldn't make it. Adrien is grounded.
But technically, Chat Noir isn't.
Notes:
Just a fair warning, I do not own a hamster. So I apologize in advance if whatever I write here is innacurate, I'd be glad if someone could correct me in the comments about things I wrote about the hamster that's painfully false. I tried my best to do some research so I hope it's not that bad.
Hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
"It can't be that bad? It's just a hamster." Tikki tried all she could to help calm Marinette down. Because right after school her parents had called her downstairs to meet with a neighbor. Just normal situations that a bakery sees day-to-day. A new order? Maybe. But no. Instead, she sat in her room with a cage containing a little white hamster named "Adrien."
"There's no school tomorrow, and I promised Alya we'll go to the amusement park..." She slumped back to her bed. "With Nino... and Adrien—"
"Just tell them you're going to take care of Hamster Adrien." Tikki couldn't help but hiccup at her own words. Hamster Adrien? She just had to tease Marinette.
"Funny."
For some reason, Marinette has the knack of rolling off her bed face-flat every time she's upset. Which is exactly why she's convinced she was incapable of taking care of a hamster. Marinette was too clumsy for this. She's not fit for hamster-sitting, babysitting, or house-sitting—heck even sitting she messes up horribly.
"And I can't even call Alya for help tomorrow..." Marinette groaned. She was exasperated with all these responsibilities. And for once, Marinette just wanted to breathe. Not that she couldn't, but it was starting to feel like it.
"You can do it, Marinette; you're already good at taking care of things!—like Paris, for one." Tikki chimed.
"That's different... I have Chat Noir with me, and even then we still mess things up sometimes." Marinette rose from her position. She sat there on the floor, fiddling with the huge cage of this tiny hamster, or as Tikki would call him, Hamster Adrien.
Great. Now she has to call Alya and explain why she has to ditch another hang-out. Often times it was pretty understandable, she had to save Paris from evil little butterflies. But no one else knew that, so for Alya it was just another bunch of excuses. Well—at least the fourth time this week.
Marinette assured herself that it couldn't get any worse. But the universe loves proving her wrong. And this time in particular, she's going to have to miss out on seeing Adrien. Not the first time it happened. She'd seen Chat Noir more than him this week, apparently.
"I am so so so so sorry, Alya." There was a huff from the other line. It seems like Marinette wasn't the only who was exasperated.
Alya chuckled. "So what's the deal now?"
"I'm taking care of Adrien—NO, Hamster is Adrien—Adrien is a hamster…"
"—Let me get this straight: the hamster you're taking care of is named Adrien?"
"yes."
Marinette could basically hear Alya shake her head. Whether she was amused, or disappointed. Marinette couldn't tell. Maybe both or somewhere in between.
"Can't you ask your parents to take care of Adrien Junior?"
"They're visiting my grandparents tomorrow…"
A sigh.
"It's alright then girl. I'll take plenty of photos of Adrien for you."
"You're the best, Alya!" Marinette squealed.
"The answer is no, Adrien. And that is final."
"But, Father—"
"No buts. You are not going to miss a whole day of lessons for a silly trip to the amusement park. Nathalie, read his schedule."
Nathalie nodded immediately. "Yes, sir."
"You will have to catch up on your Mandarin Chinese lessons—two of them. And a photo shoot with Vincent." Nathalie's voice remained even throughout. She tossed a glance towards Adrien's grim expression that grew sour by the minute. There was a pause before she finally cast an expectant look to Gabriel, whose back was turned from both of them.
He exhaled sharply. "Two lessons and a photo shoot…" Gabriel trailed off, "Where could you have possibly been during those hours?"
Adrien fell silent. There was no sound explanation to his expeditions. He was living a double life. One he couldn't openly disclose. How else should he go about this? Tell them that he was saving Paris in a latex cat suit?
"With your friends? A bunch of bad influences…"
The boy had no desire to conform to Gabriel's understanding of friendship. His father—ever the serious man—seemed unlikely to have developed friends with that constant ominous pride billowing at his feet. Adrien snorted.
"You don't get to talk about my friends that way."
"A temper. Such insolence will be rewarded by only one thing: You are grounded."
"But, Dad—"
"Father."
Adrien decided that further bickering was futile. Gabriel might not see it yet, but both he and Adrien are more alike than he thinks. They carried an unyielding temper. Convinced that they were never wrong whenever they entered a fit of back and forth.
The room fell silent, saved from the meek hum of the air conditioner. And though it blew cold, it was an ostensibly fierce morning that made Adrien sweat—not from the temperature—but with anger.
Nathalie pursed her lips shut and ought to remain silent lest she want to completely distance both father and son. The morning quiet was preternatural. Gabriel had resigned to his office per usual, busying himself with tasks unknown to the mass. A fashion designer who took pleasure in mystery. Not even his son knew what he was up to.
The house stilled. It froze into an abyss of restless expectations and obligations that would make Adrien wither, but not Chat Noir—never the hero of Paris. His claws do the destruction for him. And he decided that wallowing in his frustration will only lead to deeper resentment.
Plagg gave no consent to the sudden transformation. The kwami failed to understand the problem of Adrien's isolation. It meant more cheese—Camembert cheese—and sleep. But apparently not.
Chat continued his languid journey over the roof of every citizen in Paris. A thought often passes his mind. Whether these people wondered if there was a rat infestation in their attics. Or do they proceed to mind their business with the acceptance that a superhero will start running over their home?
Marinette stumbled. "Chat Noir? CHAT NOIR?!"
Adrien stiffened. It took little to rekindle his earlier tense figure. He turned to her with a crooked grin before letting a small laugh escape his mouth.
"Marinette?"
Marinette wanted to faint. Arguably on the brink of doing so. Her feet had nearly slipped a step backwards if not for Tikki balancing her from behind. However, this time, she wouldn't be throwing a fuss the way she did when Adrien handed her an umbrella.
"Is there an emergency?" She feigned a chuckle. Today was not the best day to handle another akumatized citizen. In fact, even the tiniest of inconvenience could end up with her becoming the said citizen.
"Er—no, not really. Just wanted to catch some fresh air…"
Right.
Fresh air on Marinette's balcony, specifically? He didn't mean to. Where else can he find shelter on this hot afternoon? Surely not at school. His body had taken him here without meaning to. It's just a familiar route, he told himself.
Adrien did his utmost to get rid of his sour mood. Wouldn't want to be on the end of evil butterflies, no? Though his heated altercation from earlier lingered like a bitter aftertaste.
However, he had to remind himself that he was no longer Adrien; he was just Chat. A stray cat who randomly landed on his friend's balcony.
"Is everything alright, Princess?"
Adrien's train of thought came to a stop. Marinette—who was right in front of him earlier—is currently bending into different acrobatic positions. Impressive ones as well.
"I'm looking for Adrien—"
"Adrien?"
"I mean, Hamster Adrien! He ran away earlier."
Chat paused. It wouldn't take much to convince him that Adrien—himself—actually turned into a hamster and ran away.
"Does the rascal look like a tiny white mouse, perhaps?" he shuffled.
"Like this?" Chat Noir held his palms out, revealing a confused hamster settled askew. It was a tad bit too eager to venture out into the pipes. Thankfully a cat would know its way with a mouse—or Adrien the hamster, technically speaking.
"I shouldn't have let the hatch open for too long…" Marinette shook her head. "This little thing knows how to cause some big trouble."
Tenuous peace had settled in her room. Chat Noir now sat in her chair, thoughtlessly eyeing pictures of Adrien—of him—plastered all over the walls. Marinette must really take a liking to fashion, huh?
Her passion was palpable through her sketches. She was ostensibly a designer at heart. A talented one. In fact, the derby hat she designed had successfully debuted in one of his dad's advertising campaigns. Modeled by yours truly.
"Marinette… why is he here?" Tikki whispered.
Marinette excused herself from Chat, leaving him alone with a sleeping hamster. Chat learned not to provoke a sleeping one. It was back then when he was little that he made the mistake of poking a hamster awake. He still shivers at the thought of it. However, that incident never changed his fondness towards the little creatures.
"I don't know why he's here…" Marinette answered. He wasn't unwelcome. Truth be told, Marinette could use an extra hand, or as Chat Noir insisted, paws. And who was she to deny his help? Chat had practically pranced in on a silver platter.
"Do you think he knows you're—"
"No way." Marinette froze. Sure, she was convinced transforming in public had been innocuous. There was never any audience to witness it, she was certain. Unless—
Chat's voice cut through their whispers like a jagged stone. "Marinette? Is everything alright?" He grew bored with the company of a sleeping pet. And though the silence was far from uncomfortable, he took greater comfort in the company of a friend. Particularly Marinette's.
"Mhm." Her eyes glimmered. More worried than amused. But seeing Chat Noir's familiar eyes peek in her direction, her shoulders sagged in relief. And her tense stature eased just a fraction. She'd grown used to his presence. And the possibility of him knowing that she was Ladybug was infinitesimal. After all, who would suspect a clumsy teenager to burden herself by being a superhero?
But she noticed. Of course she did.
Chat Noir was nothing like his usual self. It no longer felt like she was talking to Chat. The suave that Marinette had grown used to was gone. Replaced by a preternatural humor that felt more like an attempt to seem okay. Clearly, he wasn't.
"Adrien?" She wasn't calling a name. More so asking if the hamster was settling alright. But Chat Noir made the mistake of responding.
He stammered, "Y-yes?"
Adrien's heart slams—once or twice—before skipping a beat. A breath too long. He swallowed. Hoping that his slip would go unnoticed.
"Is Adrien still asleep?" Marinette muttered tersely.
Chat nodded. His lips curved upwards to a nervous and unsure smile. As if waiting for Marinette to point a finger at him and go: Aha! You were Adrien all along. How could you possibly save Paris when you can't even save yourself from your dad's awful pancakes?!
But the moment didn't come.
"So we have to just wait for Adrien to wake up?" Chat breathed. The two of them spoke in whispers without meaning to. It was an expected reaction when someone in the room was asleep.
"Yeah… once he's awake we can take him to the living room, his proper enclosure is there."
"Sounds purrfect." A pause. He's never giving up on those cat puns, apparently.
Marinette spent most of her evening yesterday with the hamster's owner. They were setting up his huge enclosure in their living room. Their neighbor, named Isabelle, had to visit her father in the hospital due to an emergency. And while Marinette was open for babysitting, she hadn't expected a hamster to land under her wing.
No problem. Was her automatic response yesterday. Knowing all too well that it was a huge problem.
She had no idea how to take care of a hamster. And without her parents home, she felt more lost. But to her relief, Isabelle had left her with a notepad listing all the things she needs to do. Most of which was to make sure "Adrien" was sleeping peacefully. No startling the poor guy awake.
Chat Noir had settled in the chaise lounge. With permission, of course. For the record, arguing with his dad takes a lot of mental effort.
"Cozy."
"Make yourself at home."
A beat—
"So…" Adrien dragged. "It's Saturday."
Marinette hummed. It was indeed Saturday. She spent her whole week ruminating over this. A day with her friends, and especially Adrien? Sounds like a dream. After all, she had spent enough time with Chat Noir. And today, Marinette hoped to at least spend some time with Adrien in the amusement park. But even that was stripped away from her.
"Aren't you supposed to be, y'know, with your friends? Like a trip to the amusement park…?" Chat Noir perked. His father had grounded him because of this planned trip. And he was convinced that the three of them would have plenty of fun without him. Yet here they were, taking care of a hamster while Nino and Alya enjoyed their date without them.
Marinette groaned.
"I was… I was supposed to go out with my friends…" she sighed. Her chair had spun with her weight. "Now I have to wait till Monday to see—" Marinette couldn't continue. Her body now fully slumped against the seat. Speaking of Adrien. She realized that his posters were proudly plastered on her pink walls, a ton of them too.
Normally she'd take them down whenever she took in a visitor. But why bother? It's Chat Noir. The probability of him knowing Adrien was close to zero if not for him being a model. And the only other blond guy she knew was Adrien. There's just no way Chat would know him personally.
"Pfft—I'm pretty sure he wouldn't make it either," Chat sneered.
"You mean Adrien?"
"Yeah. His father is a stuck-up, and besides, why bother with his company when I'm right here?" He winked.
"Wow. I'm just so honored to have Chat Noir in my room to help me take care of a hamster." Marinette's delivery landed like a deflated balloon. Flat—and awfully unimpressive.
Chat glared at her. "A little more enthusiastic next time," he pouted.
"I'm just so happy to have you here." Her chair now pranced across the room towards him.
"Really?" Chat Noir's eyes sparkled. For a moment, he almost believed her. But her deadpan expression was a dead giveaway.
He flicked her forehead. "You're clawful."
"Ow—"
"And so are your puns!" Marinette retorted.
From across the room, Adrien Jr. was vigorously cleaning himself. Chat stared, and the two stuttered their bickering to a halt. Marinette was quick to pull herself together. She placed Isabelle's note between them like a blueprint.
"Wow. Hamsters are always so complicated," Adrien wondered thoughtfully.
Marinette chuckled. "Our neighbor just got him three weeks ago."
Isabelle has never owned a hamster before Adrien. They were complicated little animals. But absolutely worth it.
"So… take him to the enclosure, clean his small cage, refill food and water—"
"Sounds easy enough." Chat shrugged.
It was indeed not easy at all.
Hamster Adrien had entered into a fit of panic. When Marinette tried to coax him into a mug, he shrunk and started pacing.
"He was fine earlier," she whispered, both worried and equally concerned. He wasn't supposed to be in her room in the first place. Yet her worry had led her to place Adrien into a cage and up to her room so she could keep watch.
"Just leave the mug in his cage and see if he climbs to it on his own," Chat suggested. He pulled her aside to leave the little guy alone. And before they knew it, Marinette now rested in Adrien's lap—sorta—while they wait. Not one of them made a sound. Worried that even a single huff could send the hamster panicking in his place.
And when the hamster settled—
"Pound it!" They exclaimed in tandem as their fist collide into a smooth fist bump. Too deliberate, as if they'd done it multiple times before. For Chat, it's a given. He and Ladybug never missed a "pound it" after saving Paris. But with Marinette? It threw him off-guard.
Whoops. Too excited. Adrien Jr. climbed to his little mug, but Chat Noir could not care less right now. And Marinette was sure the only thing pounding at the moment was her heart. She chuckled nervously, waiting for the moment to end.
"That is one huge enclosure."
Marinette nodded. It was large, even though Adrien was only staying here for a day. The hamster needed to be comfortable.
"He's a dwarf, right? My cousin used to own a Syrian. I was supposed to adopt the children. But she ate them. Too bad." Chat shrugged.
Oh.
Marinette had him settled carefully inside the enclosure. Her mind started to go blank.
"Adrien's pregnant?!"
Chat pauses. I'm pregnant?
His hand flickers to his stomach—oh, wait. It's the hamster.
"ADRIEN'S PREGNANT?!"
The two of them sat crisscross on the floor. Baffled would be an understatement. So this hamster was a girl all along. He—or now apparently she—was pregnant. Cute, but also, did Isabelle not know she was a girl?
Being a first time hamster owner is one thing. But to mistake your pet's gender for this long was baffling. An expecting one as well! Make no mistake. Adrien Jr. was well taken care of. Unlike Chat Noir, who had run away from home after an altercation that led him into this mess. Who needs an amusement park when you get to do hamster-sitting for a day?
"What do you think her children's names should be?" Chat nudged.
At the sudden thought of Adrien—not the hamster—Marinette paused. She still had future kid names listed out in her diary. Specifically for a future that she sees with Adrien. Who was, unbeknownst to Marinette, sitting right beside her.
She hesitated. "Louis has a nice ring to it…"
Adrien nodded before parting his lips. "Hugo sounds paw-some too, don't you think?"
Marinette stilled. For a second she felt as if her breath caught in a knot. She nodded vigorously. Her eyes sparkled. Adrien recognized that gleam.
"So what's your opinion on Emma?" She nodded expectantly, waiting for Chat to respond.
"Sounds wonderful, M'lady. And a little personal." He raised a brow. "Planning for someone in particular?"
"Pfft—as if…"
"So Louis, Hugo, and Emma. Oh, and a hamster," she listed. Not a mental note. But Chat Noir decided to keep it in the back of his mind. Just in case.
The names rolled off his tongue effortlessly. As if he could picture himself calling these imaginary kids in the future. With his last name too? Kinda bougie.
Knock. Knock.
"I'll get it!" Chat insisted. Before Marinette could call him back, it was already too late.
"Hey girl, Nino and—"
"Marinette, you dog!" Alya gagged.
"Hey dude."
Chat stood by the door, awkwardly reaching for a fist bump with Nino. But his hands faltered to his side. Right. He wasn't Adrien at the moment.
"Ugh—wait, I need to capture this for my ladyblog!" She fumbled. Her hands reached for Nino's jacket.
"Where's Adrien?" Marinette hoped for a chance to see him. Even just a glance would make up for this day.
Nino raised a brow. "Haven't y'all guys heard?"
"Heard what?"
In the background, Alya was busy interviewing poor tomcat. She paused and turned to Marinette.
"Adrien's missing," she muttered softly. Waiting for her friend to take it in.
"He's missing?"
Nino interjected. "Yeah, dude! His bodyguard and that assistant lady stopped us at the park, but he wasn't even with us!"
"And apparently they've been searching for him all over town; the police weren't involved yet from what I know. I'm just surprised they didn't come to see you, girl," Alya added.
Chat Noir tensed. Only he knew that under this latex suit was Adrien. He had run away. Did his dad even bother to search for him? Or was it just Nathalie and his bodyguard who even bothered?
Silence stretched between them.
Marinette was stunned. An ominous feeling settled in the room. It moved like a sillage of perfume from a burdened passerby.
Chat breathed before speaking. "Don't worry guys. I'll go looking for him. Couldn't have gone that far, right?"
No answer.
"Are you sure you can do it on your own?" As much as Marinette wanted to help as Ladybug, she couldn't leave the house. Not until her parents were home and knew she was alright.
"You wound me, m'lady. Don't you trust this kitty?"
"I trust you. But they've spent the whole day looking for him and—"
"Trust me. He'll be back." Chat Noir's eyes softened. He felt guilty. Guilty for feeling happy at the thought that someone else worried so much about him.
"Be careful."
"I will, Marinette. You too." He kissed her hand. And just like that. He was gone.
Alya chuckled. "Ohoho! Would you look at that!"
"Alya, don't post that…" Marinette whined.
"I won't. I won't," Alya repeated. "I'm just surprised you guys are so close."
"I guess we are…"
Notes:
I had the same question. "Where did Tikki go?" So I'm just gonna assume she's just hiding somewhere around the house😭
Thank you for reading! Feel free to check out my Ao3 account with the link below!
(I saw the movie leaks and I was INSTANTLY thrusted back into ATLA hyperfixation and I wanted to give it a go at drawing one of my all time favorite characters because Toph's story is so wonderfully done and theres so much nuance that I HAD to draw em out. This is a two parter piece AND I still have more ideas so buckle up)
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