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middleofnowhere92 · 3 years

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Ranking all ATLA Villains/Antagonists from worst to best (by someone who loves villains)

This post was inspired by this ask

Warning: I swear quite a bit in this post and I’m a dumbass, not an ATLA scholar, so take this with a grain of salt. Also I have no idea wtf my ranking criteria was. I assigned arbitrary and meaningless points like Dumbledore giving all the points to Gryffindor at the end of the year.

Iroh

I have a secret for you...Iroh is an antagonist.... Say it with me... Iroh is an antagonist. For the people in the back, IROH IS AN ANTAGONIST. He’s not particularly good at at it, but he belongs on this list. Primary reason being, his siege on Ba Sing Se, which was a major battle in the 100 year war and all the other things he did in the war to become a general. If he was good at being a villain, he would at least have the decency to conquer the city, but as Ozai points out, Iroh excels at tea and failure. When we see Iroh in Book 1, He’s a very chill antagonist for the same reason a lot of our other antagonists are (June, the Yuyan Archers, Combustion man etc)-they are helping a villain achieve their goal. In Iroh’s case, he does help Zuko in many ways ( like sneaking him onto Zhao’s ship) and these in turn help Zuko get closer to his goal of capturing Aang. I love Iroh as a character, but he’s not good at being an antagonist, which is why he is ranked the worst.

Circus Trainer

This man is straight up, evil. I like villains, but I do not like this man. He’s cruel and not in a fun way, which is why he’s near the bottom of the list. The whole point of being a villain is to be cool and do bad things, but he’s not even a little fun to watch. He’s the least interesting to look at...

Yon Rha

This man is a coward. Like how did he lead the Southern Raiders? He went soft when he got old. He was more savage back in the day. Like this man is a firebender, but he cowers from Zuko before Katara even pops up. He needs to grow a pair. Like Katara said man is pa-thet-ic.

The Rough Rhinos (ignoring the comics)

They get points for creating my favorite antagonist, Jet. But the first time we see these clowns in the show, the gang just rides away on Appa, easily avoiding them. And then the gang easily defeats them in their next run in. These clowns are good at destroying things, but not really fighting or pursuing others.

Ozai

I expected more from this man. He was hyped up for three seasons and I just didn’t feel like he was smart enough to be the bad guy for the whole ass show. The man clearly doesn’t think for himself or show up throughout the series doing menacing things. The final agni kai overshadowed Ozai and Aang’s showdown. That’s the theme, Azula outshines a grown man as the star villain of the show. He does get some points for his fashion and flair for the dramatic.

Mai's Uncle (Boiling Rock Warden)

This man, is a dumbass with the reflexes of a sloth. Suki overpowered him in 2 seconds flat. How is this grown man getting defeated by a little nugget like Suki? She was only holding his wrist. He could have just kicked her? Like you are a prison warden, look alive man! And he should have captured Zuko’s little ass and sent him right over to Ozai to get some street cred, but instead he just gets pissed cause Zuko broke up with Mai? First lesson in being a villain/antagonist- power over everything (including family). He does get points for ordering them to cut the line. That’s straight savage.

Xin Fu and Yu

Toph gets it right, these are two dunderheads. How did they not hear Toph bending metal? They react almost as slowly as the Boiling Rock Warden, letting Toph easily overtake them. They are two skilled benders and they didn’t even stand a chance.

General Fong

This man gets points for being a bat shit crazy. And I think he’s one of the first non fire nation antagonists we see in the show, so points for him. He’s an underrated antagonist. He does cool bending and his emotional manipulation to get Aang into the Avatar state is A+ villain work.

Azulon

Azulon gets villain points for keeping the war going. He didn’t fuck it up like Ozai. But Azulon gets his villainness handed to him on a platter, he didn’t really do much, besides maintain status quo. We do get the scene where Ozai asks for the throne. But I don’t think Azulon assumed Ozai was going to kill Zuko. Azulon was trying to make a point, that Ozai’s request was absurd, but he obviously didn’t know Ozai well enough...

Koh

Koh almost didn’t make the list. I don’t really consider him to be an antagonist. Aang came to him asking for information and Koh was trying to do what he does..steal faces. He was just vibing. I included him on this list, because he antagonized us (the viewers). Dude is easily the most terrifying part of the show.

Ghashiun

He muzzled Appa! He’s not ranked high on this list, because he didn’t know Appa was Aang’s so he wasn’t intentionally trying to fuck with the Avatar. I do like the sandbenders as a whole. They just run around causing chaos with their cool bending. This character, however, loses points, because when he is confronted about stealing Appa, he gets defensive and tries to lie. If you do something bad, at least have the balls to own up to it.

Wan Shi Tong

Gets points for his flair for the dramatic a la Ozai. I did like Wan Shi Tong’s logic around not giving the gaang information: “You think you're the first person to believe their war was justified?!” He had more brain cells than some of our other villains/antagonists, but was also dumb too? Sokka pretty easily outsmarted him. This Spirit has been alive forever, he shouldn’t be outsmarted by a child.

The Old Man

Oooof. I almost put him in the number one spot tbh. He did us and Haru so dirty. Like he could have died,but he turned in the person that saved him??? He gets points for shock value and pettiness. I personally think Jet should take him out...

June

June gets points for being a bad bitch. I like her vibe. She’ll do anything as long as you’re paying her the right price and I can respect that. She isn’t higher on the list, because she is executing someone else’s plan, not her own.

The Yuyan Archers

Speaking of bad bitches, the Yuyan Archers are so cool and I wish they got more screen time! We see very few antagonists that can keep up with Aang the way that this group does. They add a bit of spice and a different flavor to what we know about Fire Nation fighting styles, which I approve of. I hope we see more of them in future ATLA projects. They aren’t higher up, because they are still doing someone else’s bidding. If they had their own leader and their own agenda, that would be some cool shit.

Combustion Man

This man gets points for giving the gaang a lot of trouble. As viewers, we really worry about whether they will be able to defeat him. I like that he has a different style of bending, which in and of itself is terrifying. He still doesn’t make it up higher on the list, because he’s still doing someone else’s (Zuko’s) bidding.

Rig Warden

On second thought, I may have him ranked a little too high. But oh well, fuck it. He gets many many points for being voiced by George Takei. This man also gets points for having general villain swag. He is sassy and I am here for it. He’s highly effective at crushing the souls of the Earthbenders on the rig. Also, he does not stutter when Haru throws those rocks at him.Came at him full force which is what all the other himbos on this list should have been doing when these children played them! He outright told Katara he was gonna kill her “You’re one mistake away from dying where you stand.” Loses points for begging as he’s dragged off the rig. Go down with some dignity!

The Southern Raiders

So the Southern Raiders get ranked separately from Yon Rha, because he led them towards the end of their conquest. I think they started under Sozin’s reign. This group gets ranked fairly high, because they were very effective at their task. They came, they saw, they decimated-leaving the SWT defenseless and barely able to sustain itself.

Mai

I like Mai and wish I could rank her higher. I like her knives, they are very cool form of defense that was unique to her. I also love how she just immediately flung arrows at Aang, no hesitation. She does get style points, her aesthetic is everything. Her one liners are pretty funny, “You’re so colorful, you’re making me nauseous.” She lacks in her commitment. Anytime anything inconveniences her she’s just like eh, no thanks. Hardcore antagonists need to be have some dedication to their cause, which Mai does not. I feel like she would eventually run out of weapons in a longer battle, which would be a big issue for her.

Long Feng

Gets instant points for villain swag, creepy vibe and sass. This man kept news of a whole war from Ba Sing Se, even though the city was filled with refugees? Long Feng had his work cut out for him. He loses points, because he lets the children get away with too much. He should have locked down Aaang and co immediately, because they were trouble as soon as they rolled up. Also, he should have fought Azula. He let a fourteen year old take his whole career away. He was never even a player.

Sozin

Sozin gets a large amount of hypothetical points from being the one to start it all. He’s the one who initiated the 100 year war. He did not play around. He used that comet to its maximum potential. Also he has a dragon, which is fucking cool. He gets bad bitch points for leaving Roku on the exploding island. Like that’s a power move right there. He wiped out the air nomads and invaded the Southern Water Tribe, which is why his successors are ranked much lower on the list. They really didn’t do shit.

Hama

Gets points for being a waterbender, which is something cool that we hadn’t seen in a villain yet. She also gets points for executing her own deranged agenda. I would love to see her and Jet link up, cause that would have been chaos. She also gets heaps of points for inventing bloodbending. Many of the villains of this list can barely think and homegirl has big brain energy. She is cunning and quick, like when she utilizes Sokka and Aang to attack Katara. I like her general bruja (witch) vibes. She gets more points because she does not motherfucking stutter when Katara figures her out, she just starts bloodbending immediately. She really enjoys her power and I can’t blame her for it. She’s a baddie and she knows it. More points for Hama, because she gets Katara to carry on her legacy (whether she wants to or not) and goes off to jail with her dignity. She’s an all-star villain and I love to see it. She loses a few points, because her bloodbending is limited to the full moon, but she still has her waterbending which is terrifying enough...

Dai Li

Like the rig warden, I probably ranked these himbos too high, but I love them as henchmen. Their bending is amazing, they are sneaky and they can brainwash you? Like fuck me up man. They really are just a joy to watch and their betrayal of Long Feng is so unexpected. This group really creates the creepy/ominous aesthetic the creators were going for in Ba Sing Se. Don’t think their bending is good? They one upped Toph and almost had her, but Jet saved her at the last second.

Zhao

I feel like Zhao’s characterization is inconsistent (sometimes he has a bad temper, sometimes he doesn’t?) which makes him hard to rank, but let’s do it anyway. He gets points for being voiced by the guy that played Lucius Malfoy, like yaaas work that Slytherin aesthetic. Gets points for using the Yuyan Archers. Loses a lot of points in his fight with Aang, like that child was obviously baiting him. He has a lot of ambition and actually has to work to his rise to power, which he obviously relishes. He’s the perfect antagonist for Zuko. He accomplished his goal of frying the fish/moon and he actually captures Aang. I think the writers added in his hot temper later on, because they realized he was too competent and had to give him a flaw.

Zuko

Ohhh my morally confused prince, Where do we even start? Zuko gets a lot of points for his sheer determination. I would love to see an unhinged Zuko without Iroh. Zuko’s tenacity and unpredictability make him a fantastic antagonist. Iroh and Azula try to control Zuko, but they never really know what he’s gonna do next and neither do we as the viewers. He’s near the top of the list, because even with so many struggles he kept Aang on the run for two seasons. I like that he actually struggled to be good. He obviously loses points for joining the good guys, but we still love him.

Jet

Speaking of morally grey, cue up Jet’s theme music. He gets instant points for swag and cool swords. Like the Yuyan archers, Jet is one of the few antagonists we see that can keep up with Aang. Like Zuko, Jet’s dedication to his cause get him high on this list, because he will defeat the Fire Nation at any cause. The creators lose points for being cowards and killing him off. We saw plenty of other people (Sokka) get hit with similar rocks and not die. Jet is a fantastic antagonist with a backstory that the audience can sympathize with. He loses points for not being more versatile in his tactics. I’ve written more on this here.

Ty Lee

Katara is terrified of her, do I need to elaborate? Ty Lee by far has the scariest skill set on the show. It’s too easy for people to underestimate her. Katara and Suki make that mistake once and then never do it again. Like Toph, Ty Lee knows to wait for the right time to strike, making her highly effective at taking out our favorite benders and whole groups of benders (The Terra Team). Her betrayal of Azula is ICONIC and unexpected, but as always, Ty Lee knows just the right time to strike. I think Ty and Mai were perfectly capable of getting away at the Boiling Rock and I’m disappointed they were captured so easily.

Azula

Look down, you’re talking to your highness. Can’t see her? She’s the reason for your blindness.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Azula is the baddest bitch in the game. PERIODT. She is ruthless, cunning and powerful. Her lightning bending is at a whole other level. She is the smartest person on this list. She takes Ba Sing Se from the inside out, utilizes the Da Li perfectly and has antagonized Zuko from the beginning. As far as I’m concerned, she was made to be Firelord.

#atla villains #atla unpopular opinion #unpopular opinion

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lovelydelightfultraveler · 3 years

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TOP 10 AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER CHARACTERS

We’ve all seen Avatar The Last Airbender, but which characters are the best? This post explores my favorite characters and my arguments on why I chose them. starting with the best and least favorite. All characters were considered not just main characters.

1. Uncle Iroh

Nicknamed, ‘The Dragon of the West’, Iroh was the general of the fire nation army and crowned prince of the fire nation. After the loss of his son, Iroh takes Zuko, his dishonored nephew, under his wing becoming his teacher and father-figure. Unlike the rest of his family, Iroh has a deep knowledge and respect for the other elements and cultures. He travels with Zuko in his quest to capture the avatar showing patience and kindness towards his hot tempered nephew. Suffering from true pain and learning from past experiences, everyone he encounters receives tea and enlightenment.

2. Katara

The last waterbender in the South Pole, Katara grew up without a master or a mother. Outspoken and eager to help others but also at a great disadvantage because she knows little to anything about the outside world. Her raw talent and determination help her to learn waterbending and teach Aang to fulfill his destiny. Her character development mostly involves learning about how every issue is different and how unique circumstances affect the outcome and others who may not have been involved.

3. Toph

From a wealthy and prominent family in the earth kingdom, Toph is anything but a stereotypical rich kid. Leaving her lap of luxury, that felt more like a prison due to her blindness, to travel and be Aang’s earthbending teacher. The ability to earthbend was taught to her by giant badger moles, the original earthbenders. She mastered a bending technique that was considered impossible. And unlike most benders, can bend more than one form of their respected element.

4. Aang

Taking one look at Aang you would see a fun-loving, happy boy who just wants to make everyone laugh. But in reality he is destined to save the world and has the pressure of holding the entire world together. Suffering from survivors guilt and culture shock after disappearing for one hundred years. Learning to adapt to the new world but still honoring the ways of his nomadic roots gives him an riveting character arc.

5. Sokka

Even though he has no bending ability he was able to woo benders and non-benders alike. And let’s not forget his sexist remarks that got Aang out of the iceberg! Sokka is a comic relief character but also very innovative and creative with problem solving. Son of the chief, Sokka is a natural born leader who was able to organize the invasion on the fire nation during the solar eclipse.

6. Avatar Kyoshi

Dying at the age 230, Kyoshi was the longest living human. Though descended from criminals and known to be ruthless, her efforts were only to keep peace and did not shy from violence if necessary. Her island of Kyoshi was a product of creative problem solving, pushing her village out to sea to avoid conflict with Chin the Conqueror. Also confirmed to be bisexual and fight from rights of those like her.

7. King Bumi

King bumi, leader of the earth kingdom city Omashu, he is actually a childhood friend of Aang, making him over one-hundred years old. But his age is not a reflection of his personality having the quirkiness of a child. The king was also deemed ‘A Mad Genius’ by Aang when creating a new and innovative method of transportation through the city at a young age. One of the greatest earthbenders and a member of the secret society ‘The White Lotus’ that liberated Ba Sing Se the earth kingdom capital from the fire nation.

8. Chong and the Nomads

A group of nomads consisting of Chong, his wife Lily and other companions. Met by Aang, Sokka and Katara on their way to Omashu, they agree to travel together to avoid encountering the fire nation by going through the Cave of the Two Lovers. They love writing songs and going wherever the wind takes them. The nomad’s easy going lifestyle does not mix well with Sokka’s rigid personality shown when separated in the cave from Aang and Katara.

9. Ty Lee

A fire Nation citizen born into high status, Ty Lee is a childhood friend of Zuko's tyrant sister, Azula. When forced to join her to hunt the avatar, she appears chipper and easy going. Her relationship with Princess Azula is nothing but toxic, being a mere pawn to Azula. Though not a firebender, she mastered the art of chi, or energy, blocking. At first glance, a seemingly naive character, but actually extremely agile and a formidable opponent in combat who holds her cards close to her chest.

10. Zuko

It is arguable that the show is just as much Zuko’s story as Aang’s. Having the most difficult and vast character development of anyone else. Going from someone who wants to earn the respect of his abusive father to helping overthrow him in the end. The way he was raised makes it very clear when trying to be good, always suspicious of others and a tough teacher, but parts of his mother and uncle show at times.

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snippychicke · 4 years

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The Jasmine Dragon

What’s this? More Avatar the Last Airbender fic?

Yeah, I like Iroh too much. Shout to my fude @phrogballz for inspiring this mess. Here is part one!!

Rating: This one is maybe teenish?

Triggers: Awkward flirting? Otherwise none.

The Jasmine Dragon had quickly become your new favorite place to relax after work. Within a few weeks, you had become a regular, stopping by every afternoon to indulge in a cup or two of the various teas and just to enjoy the atmosphere.

Tea shops in the middle ring usually had a very… haughty atmosphere. Stern and stiff with dress codes and who they allowed in. Yet not the Jasmine Dragon. Its atmosphere was far more relaxed as people happily chatting over tea, kids allowed to laugh and giggle while their parents caught up with the day's gossip.

Never mind the tea was far better than any other tea shop. You weren't exactly a tea connoisseur but you could still deduce Mushi certainly was.

Which was the other reason you frequented: Mushi. He was not a typical man that the other ladies enjoyed fawning over, but to you…

Well. You were in deep. Heads over heels deep, which made you feel rather guilty because he was certainly older than you, and he also had to be married. You may have never seen his wife or heard either of them mention her, but there was little doubt in your mind that there was a missus in the back. Perhaps a high-class lady that was shy and demure. After all, something about the way Lee carried himself told you he was definitely high-class, even if Mushi didn't quite act it.

And here you were, unmarried, overworked, and in love with a man that was completely out of reach.

---

"There she is," Mushi greeted as you entered the tea shop, your name rolling off his tongue as you blushed at the wide smile on his face. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't be joining us today!"

"And miss your handsome face?" You replied without thinking because it had been the first thing to pop into your head. It was his turn to look surprised; a faint blush crossing his cheeks before he laughed your slip of the tongue away as if it had been a joke.

Which, it hadn't. It had actually been your main thought as you were forced to stay late at work because another employee had walked out and you had too much integrity to leave your co-workers to work short.

Thankfully someone else had shown up, allowing you to leave and rush to the tea shop before they closed.

"Take a seat, my dear!" Mushi waved toward your usual table, breaking your train of thought. "Lee will be with you shortly."

He turned back to the group he had been talking to and you slinked to the table and slid into your seat while wishing you would just melt into the floor.

"Nice," Lee commented dryly as he appeared a moment later. "Very subtle."

"I feel so embarrassed," you whined pitifully as he poured your usual order.

"As you should." Lee was often dry with you once he started to feel comfortable in your presence. Yet a’;t the same time, he seemed to actually care, going as far as patting your shoulders awkwardly as you tried to hide your face.

"It just…" you gestured the word popping from your mouth. "Every time. Whatever thought is at the front of my mind just pops out."

He was quiet for a moment, "...He likes it," he muttered quietly, almost sounding embarrassed as well. When you glanced towards him, he was looking away with a very put-upon expression. "When you...flirt with him."

When Lee looked back, you were fairly sure your face expressed your delight and hope, judging by his own soured expression. Yet after a second, your mood started downwards again as you caught sight of Mushi. "I bet your aunt isn't as happy."

"Aunt?" His expression morphed into confusion as he quirked his eyebrow. "What aunt?”

You paused as you looked to him, hope once more blooming in your chest despite yourself. "Isn't Mushi married?"

"No, well…. A long time ago, but she died before I was born."

It was bittersweet hurting in sympathy for Mushi, yet also having butterflies as you realized you might actually have a slight chance. You weren't crushing on a married man.

Just one that was more than just a few years older and thought you were just being playful when you shyly flirted with him.

"He hasn't said anything about being interested in anyone in particular, has he?" You asked as you played with your hair, your eyes drifting to the man in question as he bid the other customers farewell and disappeared into the back.

The odd noise from Lee made your attention snap back to the young man. His face was somehow both green and red at the same time, his expression truly horrified. "Don't give me that look!" You balked, feeling embarrassed yourself. "And don't tell him I asked! Omashu," you buried your face in your hands. Why was it things just popped out of your mouth when it came to Mushi? This time around Lee nevertheless.

"I just...I can't. I just can't." Lee shook his head and marched back towards the kitchens.

And okay, you could kind of sympathize with the poor boy. You could imagine what it would be like to have someone fawn over your older uncle in front of you.

You sighed and sipped at your tea, watching the sunset out the window as lights started to flicker to life. You weren't sure if today was a good day or a bad day. Or maybe just a day.

He wasn't married.

He was still twice your age.

He noticed you weren't there. You smiled to yourself as you remembered his bright smile when you entered. His deep laugh turning your stomach into butterflies.

But he thought you were teasing.

You sighed as you took another sip. How could you convince him you weren't just bantering. That you did look forward to seeing him every day. He may not be a strapping young Dai Li agent that looked as if Oma and Shu had granted life to a statue, but there was something to be found attractive in his shorter and rounder appearance.

He'd be a lot more comfortable to hug, for one. To he wrapped in his arms, resting against his full-frame and drifting off to sleep….

"What with that look, nephew?" Iroh asked as Zuko entered the kitchen sans teapot. Instead of answering right, the teenager groaned and rested his head against the wall. "Did someone leave you another love note?" He chuckled at the thought. A lot of the young women would leave notes ranging from simple /you're cute!/ To poems using flowery prose to describe his unique gold eyes and black hair.

"I wished," Zuko muttered, opening his bad eye to look at his uncle.

"Well, did our favorite customer say why she looked so frazzled this evening?' Iroh gently pried as he busied himself with dirty dishes. "It's not like her to be so late."

"I guess I didn't ask…"

"Oh? Then what were you two talking about? She seemed rather flustered."

Of course, he would notice that. Because just as he had to listen to you try to deny and admit your crush in the same sentence, Zuko knew his uncle enough to know his flirting with you was different that the attention he gave other women.

He never talked about them. But he would talk about you. Small comments here and there that had caught the prince's attention.

"She thought you were married," he blurted out with the finesse of a komodo rhino. To his credit, Iroh didn't drop the cup he had been washing, though it was a close call. It was actually comical the way his eyes widened.

"She what?"

"I told her that my aunt died a long time ago," Zuko shrugged, trying to act indifferent when he really enjoyed seeing his uncle flustered for once, though the older man was trying to hide it as he continued. "She then made me promise not to tell you that she asked if you were interested in anyone."

The clay teacup shattered in Iroh's hands, though he barely seemed to care, judging by the smile forming on his face.

Zuko expected his uncle to burst into the cafe and do something over the top and embarrassing. Instead, he turned his attention back to the broken cup, though still smiling widely as he hummed to himself, picking up the fragments.

"Wait...aren't you going to do anything?" Zuko asked after a moment.

"When it comes to matters of the heart, dear nephew, you cannot rush. Patience is key. One must allow a fruit to ripen before harvesting."

"What is there to ripen?!" Zuko groaned after a long moment of trying to understand his uncle's words. "She likes you, and you like her, right? Right?" He stressed as Iroh just continued to hum to himself, which sounded a lot like the girls of Ba Sing Se.

---

The next day you had a feeling something had changed when you entered the tea shop.

"Welcome, my beautiful firelily," Mushi greeted as soon as he saw you, smiling widely as ever though you swear there was more of a glint in his exotic golden eyes.

"Thank you, my handsome tea master," you blurted back without thinking. You enjoyed the shocked but pleased expression as he chuckled but returned to his customer he was pouring tea for.

You once more slinked to your usual free table. You expect Lee to appear and give you grief once more. Or express his usual dismay at your flirting.

Instead Mushi slid up next to you, setting a cup before you and pouring the tea gracefully despite your jump of surprise. "I know you prefer my Jasmine Chamomile with honey after a long day of work," he started lowly, making a shiver trace down your spine at the huskiness of his voice. "But I think you will enjoy this blend as well. It's a sultry full-bodied tea, aged so it's slightly smoky yet sweet. Something I believe you're fond of."

You were fairly sure your face was as warm as the steaming tea in the innocent cup. You shifted slightly in your seat, rather ashamed of the shivers and warmth pooling in your abdomen from his voice and words alone.

Then his free hand rested lightly on your lower back, and you swore his hand was hot as the teapot, which felt like heaven on your sore muscles. You looked from the dark tea up to him, able to notice the flecks of dark amber and gold in his eyes as he smiled down at you. "Enjoy my dear," he continued as he pulled away slowly. "I hope you find this brew as pleasing and fulfilling as I expect."

You were going to die and melt in a puddle right there. You couldn't even think of a single word, let alone say anything as he went to tend to the other customers, once more his usual bright and cheerful self, no hint of…

Of…

What exactly was that? You wheezed as you turned back to your tea, cupping the warm porcelain with your slightly trembling hands. That was not Mushi's typical banter and light flirting that left you with butterflies but smiling ear to ear.

That was... sensuous. Sultry. Seductive.

You brought the cup to your lips to hide your smile, closing your eyes to enjoy the subtle scent of the tea. As he said, you caught a whiff of slight smokiness mixed in with deeper earthy tones.

Full-bodied indeed, you thought pleasantly as you took a sip, letting the tea ease the feeling of cotton mouth Mushi had left. Intense warming flavor that you couldn't describe, but certainly addictive.

With speed you were rather ashamed of, given how you liked to savor your tea, the cup was emptied of its last drop. You traced the delicately painted flower around the porcelain of the cup, chest warmed both by the tea and the emotions stirring in your chest. His words, his tone, repeated itself over in your head, your back still tingling where he touched you.

You needed more.

Tea. You needed more tea, you thought rather embarrassed at the feeling settling in your lower regions. Being attracted to Mushi was one thing, but it was something quite different to imagine him….

"You look flustered, my little flower," Mushi reappeared as if summoned by your thoughts, making you squeak. He had a secretive smile on his face as his hand reached around your back and settled on your opposite shoulder, subtly bringing you closer to his frame. "Was the tea too strong for you?"

"No, I-I loved it," you answered honestly, dangerously being bold enough to look up at him. "And your right, I do enjoy aged full-bodied...teas."

The pause was barely noticeable, and you hadn't fully intended it, but you were proud to see surprise flash across his face, followed by a faint flush on his cheeks as he smiled, rubbing your shoulder slightly.

"Good, good," he chuckled lowly. "I am glad I know my favorite customer so well. It would be a great shame if I misjudged what you were interested in."

You were fairly sure he was meaning more than what he was saying. Your stomach twisted and your heart fluttered as you were caught up in his amber eyes. "No, I think you've figured out exactly what I like. But, um, maybe we could still take some time to, uh, get to know each other better," you finished in a rush, realizing what exactly you were saying. Asking.

A date. You were asking him out on a date. Out loud.

The blush on his face deepened but it was a look of happy surprise on his face. "I quite agree. Perhaps at the festival next week?"

"Yes!" You agreed instantly, breaking into a smile. "I...! Yes,I would love to, Master Mushi."

#atla iroh #atla #Avatar The Last Airbender #i love iroh so much #iroh #irohxreader

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headquartersforlievmuses · 6 years

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► Toph

Toph Beifong is an earthbending master, one of the most powerful of her time, and the discoverer of metalbending. Blind since birth, Toph was constantly treated condescendingly because of her visual impairment, particularly by her overprotective parents, Lao and Poppy Beifong. Upon discovering badgermoles, earthbending animals who are also blind, she learned how to use earthbending as an extension of her senses. This gave her the ability to "see" every vibration that passes through the ground.

Having developed her own unique style of earthbending, Toph acquired a toughened personality and became famous for winning underground earthbending tournaments under the name "The Blind Bandit", doing so behind her parents' backs. Although initially uninterested in directly aiding the war effort, she eventually chose to leave behind her old life, and travel with Avatar Aang and his friends as his earthbending teacher, when her parents finally became unbearable for her. Toph's total mastery over earthbending, unique personality, and thoughtful pragmatism made her a valuable addition to the team.

After Republic City's formation, Toph became the city's first Chief of Police, forming the Metalbending Police Force to help maintain order. She had two daughters with two different men: Lin, who succeeded her as Chief of Police, and Suyin, who created the metal city of Zaofu. Toph eventually set out to roam the world in search of enlightenment before settling down in the Foggy Swamp.

Toph was born in 88 AG as the only child of the wealthy Beifong family from Gaoling. Born blind, she was sheltered by her parents, who believed her blindness made her fragile and incapable of looking after herself. They went to extreme measures to protect her, including hiding her existence from the rest of the world, which resulted in very few knowing that the Beifong family even had a daughter. Her parents expected their daughter to be well-mannered and proper due to their noble status in Earth Kingdom society, something with which Toph secretly disagreed, causing her to resent her parents' treatment.

At the age of six, Toph ran away from home into a cave inhabited by badgermoles. Badgermoles were the first earthbenders and according to Toph, she and the creatures understood each other as they were both blind. She learned earthbending by imitating their movements.[9] In this way, she learned to "see" through the use of her earthbending, detecting people and other objects through their vibrations, which she sensed through the ground via her bare feet. Her blindness and patience helped her to develop a keen sense of hearing.

Lao Beifong later hired the earthbender teacher, Master Yu, to instruct her. Acting upon the orders of Toph's father, he did not teach her anything other than beginner's moves, unaware that she had already achieved mastery in the art. She became such a formidable bender that she secretly entered underground earthbending tournaments as the Blind Bandit, and was successful to the point where she became the champion of Earth Rumble VI more than once. After meeting Aang, Toph soon ran away in order to teach him earthbending, but also to escape her parents, who never granted her any real freedom.

Toph traveled the world to teach metalbending to other earthbenders, founding an academy for the art soon after the Hundred Year War's end. Her first known students were Penga, The Dark One, and Ho Tun, whom she chose due to fact that her meteorite bracelet would shiver in the presence of these "super emotional people".

Toph met Team Avatar while they were on their way to Yu Dao when they were visiting the colony to learn of its situation. On their way toward Ba Sing Se to inform Earth King Kuei about Zuko's decision, Toph decided it was time to go back to her academy, and she left the team, accompanied by Sokka. He inquired her about her initiative to start the school, to which she answered that she had felt a "calling" to teach what she had discovered. However, Sokka did not believe this and realized the real reason was that she liked to tell people what to do. When they arrived at the academy, Toph caught her students leaving, but they excused themselves saying they had been kicked out. The earthbender proceeded to the academy and saw Kunyo and his firebending students, and ordered him to leave the place; the firebender refused, stating it was his school before the Harmony Restoration Movement. When they were about to fight for the academy's possession, Sokka interrupted them and proposed a "match to the sit" between their students in three days, which both instructors accepted.

Toph told Sokka how she had chosen her three students, but was unsure whether they could metalbend, so Sokka offered to help by being a "motivational bender". However, after two unsuccessful attempts to get the pupils to bend, Toph gave up and confessed to her friend her feeling of failure as she was trying to make her students something they were not; she stated her intention to surrender on the day of the battle. That day, at their opponent's arrival, she began sitting down but was interrupted by her "lily livers", who demonstrated they could metalbend and attacked the firebending team with metal coins, easily defeating them and making Kunyo sit down. Toph, happy at her students' victory, renewed her trust in them and continued with their training.[

Later, Toph was waiting with Sokka for Aang and Katara to pick him up. However, instead of greeting the pair, Suki arrived in a Fire Nation war balloon, and explained that Kunyo had complained about a "dirt girl" and a "snow savage" taking over his school near Yu Dao. She continued to say that they were both needed to help her stop Zuko's army from going to war against the Earth King. Complying to the request, Toph left her students, telling them once again to practice their forms in her absence.

After the conclusion of the battle, the fame of Toph's school rose, and she had to decline an invitation from Zuko to come to the Fire Nation Royal Palace as she had too much work to do at her school.

When the peace talks in Yu Dao came to an end around a year later, Toph and the rest of Team Avatar returned there to witness the introduction of the city's new coalition government. Afterward, she attended a banquet in celebration of the election with her friends, during which Katara inquired about the state of her metalbending academy; she answered without excitement that her school was doing well, to the point that she had more students than she could properly house. When Sokka suggested charging tuition in order to be able to finance the school's expansion, Toph promptly refused, stating that her school was doing something innovative and important, something from which she did not want to profit by developing it into a business. When Aang finally joined them at dinner, she seemed unenthused to learn that he would be taking her and the others on a field trip the following day.

Toph's attitude toward the festival's celebrations did not improve during the next part of the ceremony, given that they were to walk toward a sacred meadow where they would eat a ceremonial, vegetarian meal. Along the way, the Air Acolytes and Aang created traditional Air Nomad music to accompany the group's walk, visibly irritating Toph to the point that she used her metalbending to destroy Yee-Li's cymbals. She tested Aang's nerves further by loudly announcing that she thought she had done away with the need for "fuddy-duddy rituals" when she left her father's house; it did not evolve to a conflict, however, as the group arrived at a town with a large refinery built on the meadow. Contrary to the others, Toph and Sokka were delighted to find the settlement and they promptly parted from their friends in order to find a decent meal of meat. They later reunited with the rest of the group on the grounds of the Earthen Fire Refinery, where the factory's interim boss, the engineer Satoru, became starstruck by Toph. She accepted his offer of a guided tour of the refinery, with her friends tagging along as her entourage. After being shown the factory's bender and mechanical production lines, Toph commended Satoru on his factory and in turn earned his praise when she managed to fix the motor of a forklift in mere moments through the use of metalbending. When he offered to sponsor a new school building for her and her metalbending students in exchange for their coming by the refinery on a regular basis to help out with the machines, she enthusiastically agreed to his offer by stating that she would love to be in a partnership with him, though immediately corrected herself by saying that she meant the refinery.

By 174 AG, Toph resided in the Foggy Swamp, where she one day found Korra passed out in a pool of mud. She took the unconscious Avatar back to her home and laid her to rest in her bed while she made a meal. When Korra awoke and requested to know what had happened, Toph answered that she was hoping Korra would be able to tell her that. She revealed that she had known about Korra's presence due to being connected with her surroundings. Upon being asked if she was the person Korra was supposed to find, Toph merely stated that if Korra was led to her by her Avatar senses, she probably needed to listen to them. When Korra grew surprised over being recognized as the Avatar, Toph revealed that she had been good friends with her in a previous life and greeted the young woman as "Twinkle Toes".

The following day, Korra asked Toph to help her get back into Avatar fighting shape, as she was currently in no condition to help the world, which she believed to need her. Upon hearing Korra say that, Toph briskly told the young woman to get over herself as the world did not need her at all, clarifying that while she was Chief of Police of Republic City, she had worked relentlessly to stop crime, though eventually realized that while the names changed, the street remained the same. Despite this and wanting to soak her feet in mud for a few weeks, Toph still decided to train Korra, stating that she simply could not stand the Avatar to be "so pathetic and getting [her] butt kicked all the time". As Korra surged forward to embrace her, she created an earth wall against which Korra crashed and fell down, stating that if the young woman wanted to hug something, she could go find a tree as they were there to work.

Toph faced Korra in a sparring match, during which she easily sidestepped three of Korra's airbending attacks and a water strike, before knocking the Avatar down with a mud pillar. As Korra was gathering her bearings, Toph asked her to reflect on what she did wrong and pointed out that the young woman should not think during battle. Turning her back to Korra, she ordered her to go again. She easily avoided Korra's elemental barrage and defeated her with one mud pillar once again. Walking up to Korra lying in a shallow water pool, the earthbender berated her for her "pathetic" performance, declaring her to be by far the worst of the two Avatars she worked with. As Korra defended herself by pointing out that it merely looked like Toph was enjoying to have someone around to beat up, the elderly woman agreed with her, since the local swampbenders could not take a punch in her opinion. She took offense to Korra's insinuation that she was disconnected from the world by having retreated into the swamp, declaring that she was more connected than Korra had ever been as she could tap into the swamp's vines to see all that went on in distant cities, like Zaofu and Republic City. As Korra attempted to test that statement by attacking her from behind, Toph knocked her down with a mud stream, stating Korra to be the blind one compared to her.

By keeping an eye on Zaofu via the vines of the Foggy Swamp, Toph saw that Suyin and her family had been captured by Kuvira. She traveled to the metal city, though by the time she arrived, her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren had already been moved to a prison camp. She later found Lin, Opal, and Bolin surveying the area around the city in order to determine where Suyin and the rest of the Beifong family were held captive. Approaching them, she told her daughter they should not bother trying to get closer to the city, since the prisoners had been transported elsewhere. When Lin greeted her as "chief", she acknowledged her daughter in the same fashion, before being warmly hugged by Opal. Entangling herself from the embrace, Toph fondly noted that Opal only reached to her waist the last time they had been together. Her demeanor switched to annoyance, however, when Bolin started to hysterically squeal and hop up and down over being in her presence and she abrasively asked him if he needed to use the bathroom. Ignoring Bolin's antics for the rest, she included the threesome on her discovery that Suyin and her family had been moved to a prison camp. When Bolin pinpointed its location to be that of a nearby factory and reeducation facility, Toph asked her granddaughter how she had ended up dating the kind of "dipstick" that worked for Kuvira. Now knowing where to go, Toph was introduced to Juicy, though immediately noted that the "leaky, nasty thing" smelled worse than Appa.

During dinner, Toph told Bolin that she used to have a metalbending academy where even a "blockhead" like him could have learned metalbending, ignoring Lin's sarcastic jab about her being a "real sensitive instructor". She was surprised to hear that Bolin had learned the rare skill of lavabending, complimenting him on the possibility of being talented after all, much to his excitement. When Lin scoffed at the conversation, sarcastically noting that Toph was "real encouraging", Toph bit back that she was blind, not deaf. Upon being asked who Lin's father was, she casually answered that he was a nice man named Kanto with whom it did not work out. Sensing her daughter's "enraged breathing", Toph ordered her to say whatever it was she wanted to say so they could "get it over with". Infuriated even more by that comment, Lin snapped at Toph that growing up without a father and never even discussing him weighed heavily on her, though her mother waved it off by stating that those were all things of the past. Being blamed for not knowing or caring why Lin was furious with her, Toph solemnly accepted her daughter's decision of not wanting anything more to do with her after they had saved Suyin if that was what would make her happy.

Toph was hailed as a hero in Republic City following her retirement and a metal statue of her in her police uniform was placed in a niche above the main entrance of the police headquarters. Several statues of Toph were also built in Zaofu in honor of her discovery of metalbending.

Upon joining Team Avatar, Toph brought a completely new personality to the group. Unlike the nurturing Katara, flighty Aang, or gruff but goofy Sokka, Toph was fiercely independent, sarcastic, direct, stubborn, and confrontational. She appeared to have the same carefree and adventurous personality as Aang and was very tomboyish in the way she acted and dressed, in contrast to the delicate doll her parents saw her as. Toph loved battling and took great pride in her earthbending skills. She appeared eager to prove that she was as strong as anyone who could see and once claimed that she was "the greatest earthbender in the world". This attitude was most prominently shown when she was teaching Aang earthbending, as she taught him to face his enemies and problems head-on.

Toph's eagerness to prove that she could be independent led to some initial difficulties with Aang and his friends. Toph insisted that she could "carry her own weight" and often mistook a simple friendly gesture as an act of pity for her blindness. Her encounter with Iroh, however, taught her that Aang, Katara, and Sokka cared for her because they were friends, not because her blindness made them feel obligated to do so.

Toph was often brutally honest when criticizing others, especially her friends. She was vocal about her opinions on others regardless of status (the Avatar, Aang) or age (Iroh). Her occasional attitude or aloofness is likely related to her being the only child of one of the richest families in the Earth Kingdom. Due to her time as a competitor and champion of earthbending tournaments, she was an expert in verbally taunting and insulting her opponents and, on occasion, her friends, particularly Sokka. She revealed to Katara that, being unable to see what she looks like, she did not feel the need to fuss over her appearance. However, despite her many quirks, Toph showed that she was a quick learner, and her courage and loyalty to her new friends seemed very stable.

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#Avatar: The Last Airbender #Avatar: The Last Airbender [Toph]#Female Character #non mutuals #face claim: Ah-sung Ko

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