Toph Beifong

My name’s Toph, because it sounds like tough!

[firelxrdsdaughter]

Family Reunion | Closed RP

[waitandlisten]

zhizhuzhikeneng:

didntaskforyourwholelifestory:

zhizhuzhikeneng:

The feeling had been foreign, unusual. It was exhilarating, draining; an usual withdrawal and deposit of energy. So powerful that the fact Azula shouldn’t be able to do this would not come until later.

Her father was gone, exactly in the manner her daydream- no- scattered vision had depicted. They were together, Zuko watched on in horror, nothing remained of Ozai and the roadblock he represented remained.

And all she had to do was seized the throne-

But no, but yes, her mind was racing and her heart beating so fast that she could not think deeply upon it. In that moment she would have scooped Azula in her arms and looked upon her with the most; alluringly passive, pleading expression she could in hopes of… something, anything. Somehow the taste of blood, the smoke that permeated the air and the smoking remains of what was once thought to be the most powerful man in the Fire Nation had stirred a powerful want for the former princess that others might find disturbing.

Mai surged forward and there was no time for it.

“Run!” Ty Lee exclaimed to Azula before dashing forward, zigging and zagging erratically towards her friend. “Leave her alone!” She shouted, but she knew Mai would not listen.

“I fucking knew it,” she bit the words out of the air with vitriol as Ty Lee ran toward her in pursuit of protecting Azula. Just as the acrobat had turned on their mutual companion nearly a decade before, now she was once more so smitten by her that she had turned on Mai – and Zuko in the process.

But it wasn’t really Ty Lee’s fault. Mai knew that well enough. The other woman was so easily besotted by love, and loving Azula had come as a second nature to her from the time the three of them had set foot at the Royal Fire Academy for girls. 

Mai should never have let them grow so close again. It was a mistake she would remedy starting now. 

Knives in hand, she tossed the first one at Ty Lee’s feet, hoping to pin her to the ground by her shoe long enough to pin some more of her down as well. “Katara, go!” 

She would see to Ty Lee. Katara and whoever else might decide to join her could see to the stumbling former princess where she was attempting to make a break for it away from the group. The ground had begun to rumble under her feet. Toph going to work.

Ty Lee knew Mai would do that. Knew it. Her actions had been the start of it all. Before she had protected her, and now it was Azula’s turn. She would not let her fall to them if she could help it.

One, two, three, four, she dodge Mai’s blades. “Leave her alone!” But when it came to it she veered to the right jabbing Katara in the right arm just as she proceeded to bend. She was truly Azula’s greatest adversary in all this. Another jab to the bender’s other arm.

Katara dodged

Everything was happening quickly, and Toph took in a deep breath, feeling for each individual vibration of her friends and...apparently foes. She felt Mai adjusting for Ty Lee’s quick dodge, Katara dodging Ty Lee...

Zuko was still obviously in shock, he hadn’t started moving yet. There was another on the field, though, one that she didn’t know. She’d come to combat with Sokka, who had started to run to help his sister.

Toph scoffed at them all, frowning deeply as she sank into a low stance, clenching her fists hard as she moved the sand and bedrock beneath her, sending a missile of stone tunnelling toward Ty Lee, aiming to grab at her ankles and keep her in place.

She couldn’t feel Aang anymore...He was obviously airborne.

[firelxrdsdaughter]

Family Reunion | Closed RP

[waitandlisten]

scarredlord:

lastairnxmad:

Aang smiled in thanks at Katara as she intervened with his battle in turn. Aang bent a plume of flames out of his way, turning it back on his enemy. The man flailed away, and then Aang was at Katara’s back – just in time for the combustion bender to unleash his fury once more.

Aang grabbed part of Katara’s bending water, wheeling his arms and encasing them in a bubble of water just as the explosion permeated the air. 

The water turned to steam at his back, burning at his exposed skin a little, and then Aang had turned once again, ready to face another attack. The man had already begun his next assault.

Aang’s eyes grew wide, and he made to tackle Katara, getting them out of the way of the blast.

Father was no longer attempting to retreat. His forces had now focused their attacks upon himself and Mai. It was easy to understand why, aside from father’s hatred of him.

If they could take out both of them no one other than Ozai could inherit the throne by blood. Mai herself could not inherit, but if… It was a possibility he chose not to think of now that he had brought her into the middle of this.

For a moment he considered asking Mai to fall back. She wouldn’t listen.

He kicked aside a wave of fire targeted at them before throwing a blast of his own. The targeted soldiers ducked quickly and dropped low to send a flaming volley towards their knees.

This battle was a real shit show. 

Toph felt the muffled vibrations of those around her through the sand and twisted, identifying Aang and Katara, Sokka near to her, Zuko and Mai by Ozai...

She had felt Azula’s fall...maybe her last gasp of breath, and then nothing else. If it weren’t for the fact that they needed to take the ex-firelord down she would have suggested they get the heck out of there. 

But they did need to take him down...And as much as Aang didn’t agree with it; as much as Zuko didn’t agree with it...Toph couldn’t see any other way than to kill him and be done with it before he had done the same to Zuko as well as his sister.

She moved in a contained shuffle, hands digging toward the earth, separating the stubborn layers of sediment beneath the sand that would provide heavier, more sturdy, hits.

She sent two flying at some of the attacking firebenders, and then a third backward with the slide of her foot when she felt a soldier sneaking up on Sokka’s turned back.

“Sweetness, Twinkletoes, your help might be appreciated over there!”

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

“You know what I mean, Sparky.” Toph felt her annoyance buoying to the surface. 

“Living relatives? Anyone in the city? Someone who would miss her, or who we should tell about her death other than you?” 

Azula waved a dismissive hand. “Her manager would likely know more about that. You may find this utterly shocking but I avoid meeting families if I can. They are… bothersome.” Like Zuko.

She looked from Beifong to each of the officers accompanying her. It was obvious why there were so many. Why she had needed to know where she had been and if there had been witnesses. “It makes no sense for me to have killed her. If I was particularly put out with her I would have simply changed the locks to the guest home.”

A non committal noise escaped Toph’s throat in response. There were plenty of reasons that flights of passion might turn into something more insidious, and the former princess and her brother weren’t exactly known for their level headedness...Well...perhaps Azula was but her temper rivalled even Zuko’s when it was provoked.

There were plenty of ways a lover could make an argument personal.

“Well you know, we always check out the people closest to a murder victim first,” Toph excused. Another sigh, and then she turned slightly toward her subordinates. She was done here for now, she’d gotten her preliminary impressions.

“Thanks for your time. We’ll be in touch, so don’t leave the city.” Toph started to lead her men away and then stopped, turning toward Azula again. She pointed in the direction she could feel her vibrations coming from.

“Call your brother.”

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

Toph supposed that getting hold of the things that others coveted was something like satisfying for Azula. Azula who had lost the throne to her brother which had been so important to her. 

Azula who had swooped down upon the industry in Republic City like a dragon and razed it to the ground, all for her own amusement. 

“Has she got any family?” Toph sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides.

Azula raised an eyebrow.

“No, she simply sprouted up from the ground.”

Of course she had one, perhaps the performer’s manager knew them. The former princess did not. Meeting families was rather high on the list of things she wouldn’t do with people she occasionally felt like sleeping with. The idea of seeing her own family made her skin crawl enough as it was.

“You know what I mean, Sparky.” Toph felt her annoyance buoying to the surface. 

“Living relatives? Anyone in the city? Someone who would miss her, or who we should tell about her death other than you?” 

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

“She have a lot of interest from patrons?” This wasn’t really getting her anywhere. Toph stretched a crick out of her neck, feeling more disgruntled than when she’d entered Azula’s office.

“Of course,” Azula scoffed. “If she didn’t I wouldn’t have paid her mind in the first place.” What a waste of time that would have been. If she wanted to date someone sub-par in the art of song and dance Azula would have went for one of the city’s politicians.

Toph supposed that getting hold of the things that others coveted was something like satisfying for Azula. Azula who had lost the throne to her brother which had been so important to her. 

Azula who had swooped down upon the industry in Republic City like a dragon and razed it to the ground, all for her own amusement. 

“Has she got any family?” Toph sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides.

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

There was a small vibration, difficult to read, and then nothing. Azula took a breath and suddenly she was a stone wall of neither one emotion nor another. Toph resisted the urge to frown and growl in frustration. 

“Mostly. The coroner seems confident in his evaluation. If it isn’t her, then I dunno who it could be,” Toph admitted. They’d found her in an apartment under her name, with a trail that led back to Azula’s company in terms of payments of the monthly rent. 

“Do you know of anyone else she might have been seeing? Anyone that might have thought she was seeing them?” Anyone that might have thad the guts to make it look like Azula had committed the crime?

It was rather obvious, though. Azula probably wouldn’t have used fire to kill the girl…

“Any ideas what her schedule was like? What she did on the day to day?”

Unfortunately no.

She did not know her daily schedule exactly. Seven months and she did not know what this woman did with her time while within the guest house independent from what she needed her to do. Azula was aware that no one could enter without her knowledge and she did make certain that she was followed when she left.

“She wasn’t seeing anyone else.” Azula knew that much at the very least. “Mingzhu went to rehearsals and performed at upscale cabarets. On her days off she liked to try to bring stray animals home or go to teahouses. She was very,” foolish, “…nice to everyone.”

“She have a lot of interest from patrons?” This wasn’t really getting her anywhere. Toph stretched a crick out of her neck, feeling more disgruntled than when she’d entered Azula’s office.

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

Toph paused, listening to the other woman’s breathing, feeling the vibrations of her body through the floor. 

She’d vouched for Azula all of those years ago, when she’d come to Republic city to stir up trouble in the business sector. Part of Toph thought that she’d probably done it partly because she felt that she owed it to Zuko, to give his little sister the benefit of the doubt. 

Part of it had been that Toph wasn’t convinced that Azula couldn’t change too, if Sparky had. 

For the moment, the Police Chief decided, she was willing to believe that Azula had not done what it was the underground was rumbling about – willing to go to the press about before there was even any evidence on the matter that was particularly substantial.

“Alright,” Toph finally said, a sigh breaking at the end of the word, “I have to be straight with you. Your girlfriend’s body was found this morning. Autopsies are still pending, but it’s pretty obvious what happened. I’m uhm…sorry for your loss…” Toph nudged the ground with her feet, feeling around for any reaction either negative or positive from the firebender before her.  

A breath.

Of course she receives this news in front of an audience. This was not how she would have wanted to first hear about it. Her smug expression had faded entirely by this point.

Briefly her eyes looked downward, focusing upon her now folded hands for a second before moving back to the earthbender. “Are you certain it is her?” She spoke evenly, calmly, her expression entirely neutral.

Likely it was her.

There was a small vibration, difficult to read, and then nothing. Azula took a breath and suddenly she was a stone wall of neither one emotion nor another. Toph resisted the urge to frown and growl in frustration. 

“Mostly. The coroner seems confident in his evaluation. If it isn’t her, then I dunno who it could be,” Toph admitted. They’d found her in an apartment under her name, with a trail that led back to Azula’s company in terms of payments of the monthly rent. 

“Do you know of anyone else she might have been seeing? Anyone that might have thought she was seeing them?” Anyone that might have thad the guts to make it look like Azula had committed the crime?

It was rather obvious, though. Azula probably wouldn’t have used fire to kill the girl...

“Any ideas what her schedule was like? What she did on the day to day?”

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

A dog couldn’t really vouch for someone. Toph frowned a little. She wasn’t so certain that Azula was taking this seriously enough. She would be soon.

“Okay. When was the last time you saw your girlfriend?” Behind her one of her officers shifted impatiently. Toph ignored him. Let them be antsy, it wasn’t as though they had enough evidence to haul Azula out of here today. Not yet. And she was cooperating to an extent.

In all honesty Toph hoped that she was wrong about Azula’s involvement in the case. If only to spare Zuko the humiliation and anger. He had enough on his plate. 

She supposed this counted as checking in on Azula for him.

Girlfriend. She hated that word, it sounded sappy. Stupid. Like how Mai and Zuko had behaved around eachother. Aside from being seen arm and arm at the occasional gala Azula did not do public displays of affection and rarely any in private either unless truly pushed for it. Which Mingzhu did because she was foolish enough to become infatuated. That was not how this game was supposed to be played.-

Why would the police chief ask such a question though? Had Mingzhu done something foolish? Did Beifong think she had asked her to?

“Four days ago in my guest house, after leaving a gala celebrating the renovation of the Firelight Theatre. Why?” She was cooperating, for now. The addition of her paramour was oddly troubling however.

What has she done now?

Did she accidentally kill someone? Azula wouldn’t put it past her. The woman was dimwitted enough to fall asleep without extinguishing candles in the small guest library.

Toph paused, listening to the other woman’s breathing, feeling the vibrations of her body through the floor. 

She’d vouched for Azula all of those years ago, when she’d come to Republic city to stir up trouble in the business sector. Part of Toph thought that she’d probably done it partly because she felt that she owed it to Zuko, to give his little sister the benefit of the doubt. 

Part of it had been that Toph wasn’t convinced that Azula couldn’t change too, if Sparky had. 

For the moment, the Police Chief decided, she was willing to believe that Azula had not done what it was the underground was rumbling about -- willing to go to the press about before there was even any evidence on the matter that was particularly substantial.

“Alright,” Toph finally said, a sigh breaking at the end of the word, “I have to be straight with you. Your girlfriend’s body was found this morning. Autopsies are still pending, but it’s pretty obvious what happened. I’m uhm...sorry for your loss...” Toph nudged the ground with her feet, feeling around for any reaction either negative or positive from the firebender before her.  

[makanidotdot]

dump

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

“Uh huh…” she breezed passed the question about which company got hit. Corporate espionage was high on Azula’s list of crimes that the Chief of Police could not quite pin on her – yet – but this was a different animal all together. 

And besides. Toph wasn’t particularly invested in seeing Azula fail so long as she didn’t bring any undue burden to Toph’s plate. Murder was certainly an undue burden, especially when early signs were already pointing to the press wanting to paste it to the former princess’ swinging corpse.

Toph could feel the smugness coming off of Azula in waves. Really she ought to be more grateful for Toph’s role in her getting to where she was now. 

“Anyone who can corroborate that you were at home?” Toph prodded at the vibrations made by Azula’s body. She’d become better at reading the other prodigy over the years. The subtlest hints of this or that, but for the most part she remained an impenetrable wall…Frustratingly so. 

Of course not.

Azula did not let anyone into her home, not even servants. The guest house was another matter, the present resident was a cabaret singer by the name of Mingzhu. She had lived there nearly seven months, which was a long time considering it’s previous occupants, but even if it had been seven years she wouldn’t have allowed her access to the main house.

The woman was incredibly stupid. Not in terms of schooling, no, she could read, write, discuss history and literature. Common sense was what she didn’t possess even a shred of. The woman would probably leave the front door wide open and be shocked as an intruder slit her throat.

“Aside from my hound? No.” Whatever it was that had Beifong so bothered, Azula was well aware she was not providing any evidence thus far that she was not guilty of it. This mattered little. It wasn’t her job to prove her innocence, it was the earthbender’s to show that she was guilty.

A dog couldn’t really vouch for someone. Toph frowned a little. She wasn’t so certain that Azula was taking this seriously enough. She would be soon.

“Okay. When was the last time you saw your girlfriend?” Behind her one of her officers shifted impatiently. Toph ignored him. Let them be antsy, it wasn’t as though they had enough evidence to haul Azula out of here today. Not yet. And she was cooperating to an extent.

In all honesty Toph hoped that she was wrong about Azula’s involvement in the case. If only to spare Zuko the humiliation and anger. He had enough on his plate. 

She supposed this counted as checking in on Azula for him.

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

“Well, since you asked so nice and all.” Toph leaned forward on the desk, the reports of the dead girl still circling fresh in her mind. Her charred remains. The rather damning evidence that seemed only to be mounting with each passing moment that the coroner had with the corpse.

“Where were you last night between ten pm and eleven pm,” she asked. As long as Azula could provide proof that she was somewhere accountable (some banquet maybe? The press were always crawling all over those and there were plenty of witnesses at parties), Toph wouldn’t have to bother too much more with what was already a media frenzy.

How they’d caught wind of the details before she had she’d yet to figure out, but when Toph found the culprit they were going to be rather permanently sorry.

How fun. Beifong suspected her of something. Nothing unlawful had occurred under her direction last night. Perhaps it had been one of her competitors that had attacked the other.

Convenient really. If they were determined to cut eachother to pieces fewer of her own resources would need to go towards that.

“Sleeping.” Or trying to sleep more so. Sleep did not come easily; it only did when she took a tonic but those forced her into a deeper slumber than she wanted. If someone entered her home the oil baroness would prefer to wake at the sound of it.

She folded her hands upon her desk, looking nearly bored if one ignored the subtle smirk. “Which of them got hit? Pipeline, was it? I do hope so, they have been a nuisance lately…”

“Uh huh...” she breezed passed the question about which company got hit. Corporate espionage was high on Azula’s list of crimes that the Chief of Police could not quite pin on her -- yet -- but this was a different animal all together. 

And besides. Toph wasn’t particularly invested in seeing Azula fail so long as she didn’t bring any undue burden to Toph’s plate. Murder was certainly an undue burden, especially when early signs were already pointing to the press wanting to paste it to the former princess’ swinging corpse.

Toph could feel the smugness coming off of Azula in waves. Really she ought to be more grateful for Toph’s role in her getting to where she was now. 

“Anyone who can corroborate that you were at home?” Toph prodded at the vibrations made by Azula’s body. She’d become better at reading the other prodigy over the years. The subtlest hints of this or that, but for the most part she remained an impenetrable wall...Frustratingly so. 

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

waitandlisten:

To Toph, the head office of Azula’s oil works always smelled like the mob. She was never certain which one; it was probably a handful. Regardless, she’d yet to find any evidence of said affiliations, other than circumstantial. It didn’t make her like the scent of it any more.

The Police Chief walked purposefully down the narrow corridore toward Azula’s office, a disgruntled employee following closely behind her yammering on about something or other – meetings, busy time of the day, she’d lost interest and tuned her out a few minutes ago. The uniformed officers at Toph’s back did just the same, flanking her as she bulldozed her way into the former Princess’ office.

Toph came to a stop, hands on her hips, an unbothered smirk on her face as she stopped just short of the desk that the vibrations of the floor told her was mere millimetres from the front of her legs.

She’d never been afraid of anyone, and the small woman wasn’t going to start being afraid now. 

“Oh well, I hate to break it to you Sparky the Second, but this is my city.” Toph dug about in her ear for the ball of wax that was causing her some annoyance, tone nonchalant. “I don’t really need an appointment.”

Toph flicked whatever sediment had attached itself to the end of her finger away into the room someplace, bringing her arms next to settle under her breast, an eyebrow arched in the general direction of the deposed princess of the Fire Nation who sat before her, undoubtedly unimpressed, from her tone. She was about to get more so, no doubt. 

“Actually I have some pressing questions for you. This is an official visit.”

The former princess’s nose crinkled in disgust. Beifong had been nobility, had she not? Dirt nobility, but still, Toph’s manners were nearly worse than her hound’s and it was only an animal.

She’d be certain to summon the maids as soon as the other woman left.

“How lovely. Well I certainly wouldn’t want to drag this visit out any longer than absolutely necessary. Ask away.”

Her eyes fixed upon Beifong after slicing over the officers accompanying her. Official business indeed. This would be a bit excessive for anything else.

Hm.

“Well, since you asked so nice and all.” Toph leaned forward on the desk, the reports of the dead girl still circling fresh in her mind. Her charred remains. The rather damning evidence that seemed only to be mounting with each passing moment that the coroner had with the corpse.

“Where were you last night between ten pm and eleven pm,” she asked. As long as Azula could provide proof that she was somewhere accountable (some banquet maybe? The press were always crawling all over those and there were plenty of witnesses at parties), Toph wouldn’t have to bother too much more with what was already a media frenzy.

How they’d caught wind of the details before she had she’d yet to figure out, but when Toph found the culprit they were going to be rather permanently sorry.

[waitandlisten]

fashaodemengxiang:

@waitandlisten

As the door to her office opened to reveal the Chief of the Republic City Police Azula’s fingers rose preemptively to her left temple. Whatever this was regarding it held potential to reduce the rest of her work day to ashes.

“Chief Beifong,” She drolled, voice dripping with sarcasm as her hand lowered back to the polished surface of her desk, “How good of you to drop in without an appointment.”

Zuzu had asked her to check in on her, most likely. She hadn’t been returning his messages for over three months and he was worried. Honestly it was ridiculous. She was thirty. She had a business that kept her quite occupied and unlike Uncle she didn’t care to drop everything just to make sure he felt like he had a ‘normal’ family.

The idea that they could ever be the exact family that he wanted was silly even now after father’s passing.

To Toph, the head office of Azula’s oil works always smelled like the mob. She was never certain which one; it was probably a handful. Regardless, she’d yet to find any evidence of said affiliations, other than circumstantial. It didn’t make her like the scent of it any more.

The Police Chief walked purposefully down the narrow corridore toward Azula’s office, a disgruntled employee following closely behind her yammering on about something or other -- meetings, busy time of the day, she’d lost interest and tuned her out a few minutes ago. The uniformed officers at Toph’s back did just the same, flanking her as she bulldozed her way into the former Princess’ office.

Toph came to a stop, hands on her hips, an unbothered smirk on her face as she stopped just short of the desk that the vibrations of the floor told her was mere millimetres from the front of her legs.

She’d never been afraid of anyone, and the small woman wasn’t going to start being afraid now. 

“Oh well, I hate to break it to you Sparky the Second, but this is my city.” Toph dug about in her ear for the ball of wax that was causing her some annoyance, tone nonchalant. “I don’t really need an appointment.”

Toph flicked whatever sediment had attached itself to the end of her finger away into the room someplace, bringing her arms next to settle under her breast, an eyebrow arched in the general direction of the deposed princess of the Fire Nation who sat before her, undoubtedly unimpressed, from her tone. She was about to get more so, no doubt. 

“Actually I have some pressing questions for you. This is an official visit.”