Okay so you know how Toph is the only one not to go on a life-changing field trip with Zuko?

...What if she went on one with Azula?

Azula needs her own Uncle Iroh, but, instead of soft love like Iroh gave Zuko, she needs tough love. So Toph—who is arguably the best people-reader of everyone and so ‘sees’ that Azula needs someone to give a damn about her instead of coddle her—becomes her Uncle Iroh. (And Toph had a convo with Iroh before and got his wisdom—Azula may not want her around, but she’ll be there if she needs her)

They both have unresolved issues with their moms. Azula thinks her mom didn’t care about her. Toph thinks her mom cared too much about her. (And Toph already reconciled with her dad in the comics, but not with her mom—the one who Toph got excited to see when she heard the letter Long Feng had in Ba Sing Se).

Zuko orders Azula to go on a buddy-buddy trip with Toph because, like Iroh said, sometimes the best way to solve your problems is by helping someone else solve theirs.

Azula helps Toph reconcile with her mom in a very Azula-way that doesn’t work out, and she doesn’t understand why. She had the perfect strategy, so why is it taking so long for the blind fool to get it over with? But Azula comes to realize that wounds can be healed, sure, but you can’t rip out stitches. These things take time and care. So Azula stops talking and starts observing, and she sees, over time, how Toph and her mom compromise in order to understand each other better and come to peace with one another.

^^^Azula tries to hide how jealous she is, but Toph can ‘see’ right through her. Azula can never hide anything from the blind earthbender, and it makes Azula feel vulnerable in a way she hates.

^^^Because of her change of heart, Azula loses her firebending. Toph doesn’t know about the dragons, but she does know about the badgermoles. She takes Azula to them, and Toph and the badgermoles help Azula learn that the elements and bending are a way of interacting with the world and not just weapons.

Toph gives Azula advice like she gave Zuko advice at the Ember Island Players. (“Your mom talks about you all the time, y’know. It’s pretty annoying. But also very sweet.” “She despises me.” “Doubt that. She’s just sad.” “Pfft. Hardly.” “I’m serious. She’s not mad at you. She’s just sad that you lost your way.”)

Ozai scarred both of his kids—Zuko just has a scar that’s easy to see. Toph can’t see at all, but she knows that Zuko and Azula were both equally hurt by their father. Zuko just had someone (Iroh) to take him under their wing. Azula had—and still has—no one.

Azula and Toph start to argue but in an endearing way like sisters because their personalities are actually more alike than not, and Azula is baffled by having what feels like a real sibling. Azula has a lot of trust issues, but Toph is literally the most trustworthy person around because she has mastered the art of not ever giving a single damn. She’s like a rock. A foundation. A cornerstone.

They both think they’re more self-reliant than they actually are, but they truly do crave companionship. Toph understands this, now. She didn’t have a real friend until she was 12. Azula is almost a young adult and never had a real friend (that wasn’t forced to be her ‘friend’.)

I think that Toph and Azula would get along so well once they become friends. “Fuck you.” “Fuck you, too.” would be their version of a hug. They both hide their weaknesses and are the ‘strongest earthbender to have ever lived’ and the ‘strongest firebender to have ever lived’.

imo They’re so much more alike than not, and I really, really want them to have a buddy comedy adventure together.

PART I

Toph tells Azula that she was Melon Lord. Azula likes her style. Toph also tells her that Katara hates papaya, so Azula calls Katara the Papaya Peasant.

Toph tells Azula about the time she became the Blind Bandit, and Azula is impressed. They restart the gig for a while, and Toph loves Azula’s strategies. Together, they wreak havoc in gambling and other dastardly (but mostly harmless) ventures.

They pass the time by people-watching and making fun of everyone. (“Well, that sounds really shallow and stupid. Let's try it!”)

They meet June and have an absolute blast together. (God I want to write something with these three causing chaos together. ‘Chaos Crew’ lmao).

June joins them...and Azula suddenly realizes that she doesn’t want to talk to boys anymore. (“Do you...You like her, don’t you?” “What? That’s ridiculous. June is just a valuable asset to our operation.” “I can tell you’re lying~”)

^^^Azula still has a lot of trouble flirting, but Toph kicks her in the ass and gets her to try again and tells her to just be herself. Azula does try to be herself, and, surprisingly, June is in love with her method of flirting. (“Together, you and I will be the strongest couple in the entire world! We will dominate the Earth!” “You son of a bitch, I’m in.”)

Azula needs an outlet for her anger and the war-driven nature that Ozai instilled in her, so Toph helps her become the Kemurikage (but without a cloak) to dole out vigilante justice. Azula loves destroying the mafias and etc. that they find around the Earth Kingdom, and as they travel and she doles out justice, Azula comes to see what the Fire Nation did in the war because her great nation allowed low-life’s like this to worm into and take over their conquests (her experience is very a la ‘Zuko Alone’)

Toph teaches Azula what makes one-liner jokes funny, but she immediately regrets it because Azula becomes the Queen of dad jokes and is very proud of it because she can cause pain to anyone within earshot and laugh at them at the same time.

(Will add more ideas as they come to me because I am loving Toph’s and Azula’s dynamic)

Azula: God I wish that were me.

June: *kneeling over a defeated opponent and talking all soft and menacing* That was a fun little game, friend. Maybe next time try to last longer. Give me some kind of challenge.

Azula: Spirits give me strength—

I don’t wanna say what it is, but Azula names it Pita and for a very specific reason (in other words, guess who dug into some mythos and found and then made something better than a dragon☺️).

Fat drops of rain pelted Azula’s back like a shower of stones. She shivered. The cold dug under her skin and wrapped frozen manacles around her bones.

The mass of mud and soft cries shivered just as hard as her. Filth and fur squelched between Azula’s fingers as she picked it up.

“You’re pathetic,” she said. She held the small creature to her chest. It cuddled into one of the holes of her tunic. “An absolute disgrace. Too weak to keep going but too stubborn to die.”

It curled against her chest, just above her breast.

It was searching for her heartbeat.

...It was searching for its mother.

Azula sneered and held it like she was cradling the very last of her fire. “...No wonder your family left you behind.”

I’m writing Azula and Toph a field trip one-shot because I adore their dynamic and have so much more to share about them and I want a life-changing buddy comedy with these dorks gosh dangit

(I’m tagging these hc’s with #papayamelon because the posts are starting to add up)

Toph tells June and Azula, in passing, about the time the girls in Ba Sing Se made fun of her looks. She laughs it off with them as they exchange stories, but Azula and June know her now.

^^^The next day and days thereafter Azula complains about how bad she herself looks when Toph doesn’t even have to try—and Azula always makes sure Toph can hear her when she pretends to talk to herself. (“You’re nauseatingly pretty.” “I am?” “Buzzkill is right. What I wouldn’t give for lashes like yours.”)

^^^They also, without asking and just kindof naturally or by instinct, migrate to Toph as they do their morning makeup and do her up, too. They don’t even pause their conversation, and Toph is grateful for it because she doesn’t like to be the center of attention when that attention is affectionate.

^^^Toph doesn’t tell anyone that she loves it, but she forgets that her face does a thing called smiling that Azula and June can see from a mile away.

Azula has a personal awakening that Toph and June carefully cradle and grow. But they aren’t called the Chaos Crew for nothing. And their be gay do crime rampages are just as glorious as you would imagaine.

^^^Azula discovers that she is actually a phenomenal flirt-er. She was just speaking to the wrong sex before.

Toph becomes Nyla’s new favorite...for now.

The Chaos Crew pass the time making up new ways to cuss people out. Azula ‘refines’ them, though, because royalty would only spit clear, concise cusses.