#taang oneshot

[ya-so-im-here]

As Thick As Thieves

Writer: Me, I have it published under my wattpad account TheNinjaOfCake22

Fandom:Avatar the Last Airbender

Ship: Toph x Aang (Taang)

Word Count: 3026

https://www.wattpad.com/1117953730-avatar-one-shots-taang-as-thick-as-thieves

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He wasn't doing this right. Granted Aang didn't really know what he was doing but he certainly wasn't doing it right. He had never had a date before, heck he'd never liked a girl before. Toph was amazing, she was strong, confident, and a girl who knew what she wanted it was all those things and so much more that led to Aang falling for her. However, Aang didn't know what Toph wanted.

  It all started when he asked her out, she caught onto his intentions instantly given she could sense his heartbeat quicken the closer he was to asking her on a date.

  "Yes. I'll go on a date with you Twinkle Toes" she said this with a smirk as well a full blush on her cheeks. Aang's smile could have lit up a room when he realized that Toph felt the same way about him, to which he decided he was going to take her on an amazing and memorable date... but that's when the issues arrived; as he soon realized he didn't know what people did on dates, let alone a good one.

  He tried asking Katara for help and as much as she did try to give good suggestions, every single one just didn't seem to match Toph. So he tried asking Sokka, while his suggestions seemed more along the lines of things Toph would like, they weren't very date material.

  It was all much harder then he expected it to be as soon a couple days passed by since Toph agreed to go on a date with him, he was starting to get anxious. Was he taking to long to actually set up the date? would Toph loose interest? maybe she would change her mind and say never-mind. Those were all things he definitely didn't want but he still didn't know what to do.

  "Hey! Twinkle Toes" called the blind earthbender grabbing Aang's attention while he mildly panicked on a rock away from the rest of the camp. He looked up at her, meeting her face  within a close proximity. "I thought we were going on a date. What happened to that?" she asked mildly perturbed but Aang could sense how she was also a bit nervous as well.

   "I am! I mean yea we're still gonna go on a date" he blerted out nervous she would think he wasn't sincere.

  "Well it's been almost five days and we haven't done or talked about doing anything. Did you forget?" her voice was mildly softer at the end.

   "I haven't forgotten I promise. I've been thinking of it everyday actually, but I-" he paused feeling embarrassed at his inability to plan a date and didn't really want to admit it, but he didn't see anything around it. "I don't know how to plan a date. I don't know what to do and I tried asking people for suggestions or ideas but none of them seemed good enough for you and so I've just been trying to plan an amazing date for you, but I can't think of anything amazing" blathered Aang quickly and consistently that if he wasn't an airbender he may have ran out of breath.  

    "Aang." stated Toph firmly gathering the avatar's attention "You asked everyone but me." Aang looked at her perplexed, he was allowed to do that? "What? you thought of asking everyone for ideas but the person you're actually taking on the date?" teased Toph with a small smile creeping upon his lips.

   "I just thought- thought you weren't supposed to do that..." he mumbled out softly

  "Say's who? Besides it doesn't matter what people say what we're supposed to do, as long as we have fun then that's all that really matters right?" her face had a soft tint of pink on her cheeks as she spoke which made Aang's heart calm as he smiled back whether she knew or not.

   "Yeah. You're right. As long as I'm with you then I think almost anything would be fun."

  "Okay then, what were some of your ideas?" asked Toph with genuine curiosity. Aang opened his mouth to start listing his ideas when he stopped with his mouth still gaping open. "What? I thought you had ideas"?

   "I do. But um.... they all kinda cost, and we don't have any money. I haven't really thought of anything that doesn't need money" explained Aang with an even further rush of embarrassment.

   "Really? Money is your concern?" Toph began to laugh as she tightly grabbed Aang's hand and began to drag him behind her.

   "Wait where are we going?!' he asked concerned as well as greatly intrigued.

   "We're gonna make some money."

                ---------------------------------------------------------------   

   The duo were dressed up as commoners, blending in with their surroundings as they scoured the local town for fishy business, and mild gambling ongoings. To which they found in a back ally behind an old Tea Shop. A woman who was  hosting a game of Sic Bo, with a moderately sized circle of people gathered around. The mischievous smile upon Toph's face said it all.

   This was the game the two would win at.

  "COME GATHER AROUND! TRY YOUR LUCK AT A GAME OF SIC BO!!! WINNER TAKES HOME TWENTY SILVER PIECES!!!" Announced the woman with much enthusiasm as she waved her arms about gathering people's attentions.

  "Ma'am, I only have two silver pieces, can I still play?" Toph asked sweetly mimicking the impression of a young naive little girl, her specialty. Aang watched her eye Toph curiously.

   "How do you intend to play hun, it requires you to be able to see?" she asked bluntly.

  "That's why I have my boyfriend with me, he can see for me" Toph gave a wide smile as she purposely gestured to the opposite side that Aang was on. Aang's face lit up brighter and hotter then a fire at Toph's words resulting in his rambling of words.

  "Yes ma'am. We wanted to see what it was like to play and I can help her do all the seeing" The woman looked down on them with mild curiosity on why two twelve year olds would want to gamble, especially ones that looked so gullible. But who was she to turn away free money.

   "Alright you can play. But only one of you can call numbers, not both." she stated firmly.

  "Yes Ma'am. I'll call the numbers, he'll read them for me" informed Toph as she gently outreached her hand with the two silver pieces, waiting for the woman who upheld the role as the Groom-Porter (aka host) to take.

   "I wish you two the best of luck" she added as she took the silver pieces and placed it in the center of the small circular wooden board on the ground with all the other gamblings of the other players.

  "Okay everyone! I am Samara and I will be your Groom-Porter. All bets have been placed in the middle so now take your box and dice and lets begin!" she announced loudly as the crowd gathered around within the circle.

   Aang sat closely to Toph, eager and nervous at the same time. Toph gently scooted over a tiny bit until her shoulder was touching his, she then whispered softly "We got this Twinkle Toes." With a soft and genuine smile before she placed the dice in her box and held it shut.

  "Alright my castors (players) call your mains. What do you think will be your lucky number today my friends?" Aang turned to Toph as she over-dramatized her thinking for the sake of the audience as the other castors called out their mains.

   "SEVEN!" shouted Toph with a childlike giddyness in her voice.

  "Then let's begin!" everyone began to shake their boxes as the dice danced around inside as one by one each castor placed their box down

  Everyone sat waiting to lift their boxes, as Samara leaned over to Aang and Toph "Okay you start, what's your roll?" she asked as Toph lifted her box revealing the two dice before her. Aang leaned over her dice revealing a five.

  "Five" stated Aang though he was confused. Certainly Toph knew that they needed a seven to win that's why she claimed seven. Samara leaned over the two double checking their dice as was part of her role as Groom-Porter.

  "Alright, you didn't loose, so don't worry yet. However, now for the next round if you role a seven you will loose, too win you have to get a five." She explained to them as Toph pretended to search for the dice and then place them back in the box. Once again she shook the dice and placed the box face down. Aang sat their nervously, surely Toph knew what she was doing, they didn't have any pieces left so they couldn't reenter. With anxious eyes Aang watched as Toph lifted the box revealing a 2 & 3, they had made a five.

  "Nice luck kids" Samara added before turning to the next gambler for their turn. Aang turned to Toph with a large smile plastered on his face.

   "And you doubted me" teased Toph sticking her tongue out and scrunching her nose in a teasing fashion. Aang laughed lightly as the castors went after each other.

   "I won't do it again" he teased lightly

   "Good" said Toph lightly punching his arm playfully.

  "Okay, only three castors remain! pick your main and lets head into round two!" Called out Samara. All that was remaining was Toph n Aang, a large burly man, and a two sisters.

  "Eight!" called out Toph as she began to shake the dice within the box, flipping it over face down just as all the others were doing as well with their own chosen mains. Samara turned to them as she did before informing them that they could flip over the box, Aang leaned over as he did previously as Toph revealed the dice... it was a perfect eight.

  "Wow, you guys sure got Agni on your side tonight, congrats you won the round." said Samara in awe, as she watched the two kids smile brightly in true excitement before turning to the other two castors.

  "That was great! said Aang beaming over at the girl he liked, she was smiling as well, showing just how much fun she was having too.

  Toph turned her head towards Aang facing him the best she could with a smile "See, anything can be a date if you want" she whispered gently, trying her best not to appear to romantic but the light blush on her cheeks was always her dead giveaway.

   "You're right. And this might be the best date I could ever ask for" added Aang also in a hushed whisper.

  "Here we are folks! the last two castors remaining!" She looked over at Aang n Toph then over at the burly man, as the two sisters lost their round. "Claim your mains!" she announced proudly. All the previously outed Castors as well as the audience gamblers gathered their attention closer to the game.

  "Six" claimed Toph as her opponent claimed "nine". Just as before Toph was up first, she placed the dice in her box and shook it gently feeling the dice move around inside before placing them onto the ground, waiting to turn it over.

  "You're up" announced Samara as Toph lifted up the box and Aang leaned forward revealing the dice of the unlucky five from the first round.

  "OH, back to old five. Don't worry you still got one more chance to win, maybe Agni will aid you in your win as he did in the first round" announced Samara loudly for all of the crowed to hear, "Now turning to Yuuto, will he get the lucky nine?" Yuuto shook his dice and revealed a eight. "OH and we were so close! that means folks, who's gonna win with their chances? Now folks here comes the best part! who wants to make a bet for either of our wondrous contestants?" declared Samara. Gesturing broadly to both.

  "We have Yuuto with his chance of eight vs...." She paused for a moment turning to the two of em with the realize she never asked their names.

   "Toph and Kuzan" replied Toph straightforwardly

  "Yuuto with his chance of eight vs Toph and Kuzan with their chance of five!" the crowd murmured amongst themselves weighing the risks of either side, it seemed Yuuto was the most promising with his possessing higher chances to get an Eight compared to Toph's and Aang's much smaller percentage. It was becoming clear who the audience was going to place their bets on.

   Luckily Toph had a plan.

  "I've already won with a chance five... Who wants to bet I can do it a second time! and for the win!" It wasn't sound logic, but it was thrilling. The excitement from the idea that a young girl would win was one thing, but if she won with a five, which is the lowest chance of winning after already doing it once, well things got a whole lot more interesting.

  "Okay folks, all bets have been made and the winnings have doubled, instead of twenty silver pieces the winner gets forty! Now for this round both of you shake your dice and reveal at the same time when I announce it, understand?" announced the Groom-Porter overflowing with enthusiasm.

    "Hey, you're supposed to wish me good luck" whispered Toph as she gently leaned in a bit closer, Aang looked over at her as he was about to wish her luck when he stopped himself. He leaned towards her instead and kissed her cheek quickly but sweetly, "Good luck" he whispered back sweetly into her ear. Both of their faces flamed in bright red blushes. "Thanks" Toph whispered softly as she turned her ahead away trying to hide the obvious blush on her face then turned back to the game.

  Both castors shook up their dice and placed them to the earth, awaiting to lift their boxes eagerly. Subtly and oh so gently Toph flicked her pinky of her left hand.

  "AND REVEAL!" instantly both Toph and Yuuto lifted their boxes. It was settled, Yuuto got a six and Aang proudly announced a five. The crowed erupted with shock and awe when Samara announced the winners "WE HAVE OUR WINNERS! TOPH AND KUZAN WITH A MIRACULOUS CHANCE FIVE!!!"

  "We did it!" announced Aang grabbing Toph and pulling her into a giant hug which she reciprocated with just as much enthusiasm. The crowd went about exchanging their gamblings as Samara gathered the gambling winnings from the center, placed it within a leather pouch and handed it over the two winners.

  "Congratulations you two.   I don't know how you've managed to have so much luck but you definitely had Agni on your side today. Here's your winnings." The crowd was in awe, so was Yuuto who had hoped he'd take home the winnings. Even with it being a game of chance no one had expected the two kids to win the game.

  "ALRIGHT FOLKS! Who wants to test their luck? Let's begin another set of Sic Bo! CAN ANYONE SURPASS THE DOUBLE WINNINGS OF FIVES?" Announced Samara as a new ring of gamblers took their place, and Toph and Aang made their way out of the gambling ring.

  The two of em made their way through the town now with their winnings in hand, laughing together about their miraculous win of 'chance'.

  "So, tell me Twinkle Toes, now that we've got the money what's your date plane?" asked Toph, her face illuminated with bright smile. Aang returned the smile towards his date with pure excitement and joy.

  "I think we should use it for our next date" said Aang before he realized he had just assumed their would be another date and began to panic "I mean if you want to have another date? or if this didn't actually count as one then we can use it for our first official date, I guess this could have been seen as just a hangout or a means to get money so we can have a dat-" Aang was interrupted by Toph placing her hand to his mouth.

  "I would love to use the money for our next date" she said calmly, using the location of her hand on his mouth Toph leaned forward and gently kissed Aang, on the side of his mouth, only missing partially.

  Aang's heartbeat faster then he ever thought it could, he felt ecstatic as his face lit up bright. Toph felt his heartbeat and excitement through the earth as she herself felt her heartbeat quicken. Both their faces a rush of red.

   "So does that mean it was a good date?" Aang asked quietly, still really close to Toph.

  "Yes it was a really good date" she replied and Aang reached in for another kiss, this time aligning up their lips without missing each other. This was definitely going to be the beginning of a great relationship and many more exciting dates.

[blehblarghblah]

Magic Between the Moon & Sky: Rayllum Oneshot Series - A 5 Year Anniversary

Today marks the five year anniversary of MBTMS’ release. (Technically it’s tomorrow for Ao3, but FFN I posted there first). A oneshot collection that is yet to be finished, I know, but one that I treasure deeply. I may have fallen out of my love for TDP in certain elements, but the writing and what I started with in regards to Rayllum was something else.

I don’t mean to be all, “I was there when it was written” but I joined this fandom in its season one days, when it was REAL small here on Tumblr. Which meant smaller ship circles too. I’m glad to have witnessed the fandom blossom and grow, and by that extension, Rayllum itself too.

I know many of my readers probably assume I won’t be returning to MBTMS, but you’re kinda wrong. I swear I’m not one of those 100 oneshot fics that stop halfway (no fault to them of course, sometimes passion runs out)! I legitimately have more than a dozen oneshots planned out. But, I’m also biding my time. I’ve learned with fic writing, that writing what I love is just as crucial as being passionate about it. I'm not currently into TDP but I still enjoy the oneshot concepts i thought up for my fics, so I'll probably only work from those.

I mean, I can probably just grind out the last oneshots and meet the 100 quota, but they wouldn’t be good. Or maybe, they would be to some of you, but they wouldn’t be something I could be proud of. Least of all, I wouldn’t have fun writing it. So yeah, I do believe I know my limits and the extent of my creativity.

But the main reason at the end of the day, as to why I won’t drop this fic, is because it has quite literally spawned some of my best writing. “Loyalty & Light”, “The Most Undoing Thing”, my Taang oneshots, “Legends of Avatar: The Untold Story”, they’ve all had great prose that I’m proud of. Some not so much, but that’s growth.

“Magic Between the Moon & Sky” houses many different styles and concepts I could never explore with most of my fandoms. I’ve written a modern college AU grounded in the slowest of burns, I’ve written childhood AUs diving into the naivety and hilariousness of a kid's mind, and I’ve written an emotionally powerful (as readers have said) Soulmate AU even though I don’t like Soulmate AUs. And I have many more mind, but I’ve also managed to explore the canon and interpret my own ideas from before we learned anything of the lore.

Some were at the requests of fans, others were because I wanted to try and get my feet wet. Much like Callum and Rayla themselves, this fic was a great avenue for me to explore my abilities as a writer and try new things. And in the end, I’m proud of that. And I cannot wait to see what I do next.

Thank you all, for an amazing five years of patience and love. Again, no idea when I'll return to this fic but I'll get around to it.

Until next post,

- Bleh

[krastbannert]

Tagged by @noexoozes

20 Questions for Fic Writers

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 69 (nice) on my main account, with 5 on another account. And then there's a few here and there I've deleted over the years.

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 188,387 words.

3. What fandoms do you write for? Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Tron: Legacy, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Dragon Prince, Mass Effect, Destiny, and Horizon (as in Horizon: Zero Dawn and Forbidden West). At one point I had a Halo fic but that's been deleted. And then I've got a few original works.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

to that loyal heart (you're forever sixteen) - Zuko and the 41st Division, and what it means to those who will never forget what Zuko did.

Twin Flames - Azula-centric, post redemption, where she meets her niece, Izumi, for the first time, and finds that they have something in common.

those stories written in your skin - Zuko and his various tattoos, and the story of a journey around the world.

Lonely - Fire Hazard Siblings-centric, a small, quiet moment on Ember Island where both, for the first time, feel safe.

Wash These Stones - sequel to to that loyal heart (you're forever sixteen), about Chit Sang, the 41st Division, the loss of a child, and the healing that comes years later.

5. Do you respond to comments? I try to respond to all of them, but I kinda...lost track and stopped around 8 or 9 months ago. I recently responded to a lot of them, finally.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? The multishipping discord kinda hated for Hey, Pretty Boy, my modern AU Yuekka oneshot told from Yue's perspective. They thought that was really angsty. And the Taangst Week pieces I did were, to the other Taang fans, pretty scaring (still waiting for Taangst Week II: Electric Boogaloo). But I think the angstiest fic I've ever written is either The Abyss or Escaping the Shells - both have no happiness, no comfort, no catharsis. They're just about what's left when the battle is over, and the hollow shells of people that the fighting leaves behind.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably Across That Glimmering Sea, the story I wrote for the Fire Nation Recovery Zine - about the world letting out its breath after the war, and learning to live again - or maybe Go For Broke, the true story of a real-life hero. If planned endings are counted, probably either Brave Soldier Girl or not with a whimper (but a roar like thunder).

8. Do you get hate on fics? Ehhhh depends on your definition of hate. I haven't gotten any of the classic hate comments that a lot of my friends have gotten, but Brave Soldier Girl has gotten some pretty heated negative comments on the last two chapters.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I have, but I've written so little that I don't really think I have a type, per say. I have written any in a while.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I have not written a crossover. Thought about it, years ago, but haven't.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not to my knowledge.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I've been a beta reader, but that's it.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh honestly, I have no idea. I love a lot of ships for a lot of reasons, so it's really hard to pick.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? At this point? All of them. Realistically, tamehegane (my swordsmith!Azula AU) and hold you like a hand grenade (Azula & Ursa, companion to Brave Soldier Girl).

16. What are your writing strengths? Recurring motifs to represent characters and the story, and digging into the thoughts and feelings of characters so they feel real.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? The act of writing. Not kidding. I suck at actually sitting down and writing. Also, general confidence in my writing (hard to feel like you're actually a good writer when almost no one reads the majority of what you've written in the last two years). Those are probably linked together in a way I don't really feel like examining too closely.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I've tried it; something about it doesn't feel right, probably because I only speak English fluently.

19. First fandom you wrote for? The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Oh, man. Neither are finished, but probably Brave Soldier Girl or not with a whimper (but a roar like thunder). So much I have planned for both, so much research for both, so much work and emotion that I'm trying to put into each one. It's hard to say which one is realistically my favorite.

Tagging @authorjoydragon @thiscryptidischronicallyyours @mycomfortblanket @nyamadermont and whoever else wants to consider themselves tagged!

[ljf613]

Hello! As I'm not done with LOK yet, my ask only concerns ATLA. I'm curious about your favorite rarepairs from Aang's era. Do you have an absolute favorite, or some that catch your attention?

ATLA rarepairs, huh? Glad you asked!

Toko is my absolute favorite (I'm actually working on another oneshot for them right now).

Also, I do love me some Aang rarepairs-- IMHO, Aang is clearly the most shippable character in the show. My favorites are Yuaang, Maiaang, Azulaang, and Sukaang. (I've never been able to get into Ty Laang or Taang.)

Some of my other favorite ATLA rarepairs include JetLee, YueLa, Songru, Sokkla, and Smellershot. I'm also vaguely intrigued by numerous others, and am generally willing to try new ships.

[saang]

maybe some mutual pining???

mutual pining coming right up,,,

and apparently i can’t write anything under 1500 words when it comes to taang

word count: 1800

read it on ao3

They walked through the town, silently laughing to not to disturb the citizens. Aang could hardly breathe. Times with Toph were always his favourite. Even though the earthbender could be frustrating, more often than not they got along like a house fire.

Toph suppressed chuckles under her breath. She wasn’t focused on the world around her, so she let Aang guide her. Putting her absolute trust in him. Aang had long forgotten how their laughing fit had started, but whenever either of them said anything, a chorus of laughs would make it start again.

They set out to explore the town near their campsite. Sokka and Suki went out to find food. Katara and Zuko didn’t need help setting up for dinner which left Toph and Aang to their own devices. Just like old times. Aang covered his arrows so he wouldn’t be mauled by fans. Now, he was almost regretting it. He could feel the sweat starting to form, accumulating around the brim of his hat.

The summer heat, combined with the blood boiling within his veins caused by Toph’s hands curled around his forearm. It was almost becoming too much. Almost. He’d go through anything if it meant he could be close to Toph. Even when she was infuriating, she was the light of his life. The love of his life.

Unbeknownst to him, Toph felt the exact same. It had been a learning curve. She had never felt something so strong in her entire life. When she’d been twelve, and she hadn’t been in love with her best friend of seven years, everything had been so much easier.

When her heart started beating faster around him, her breathing faltering, she had refused to accept it. She was too stubborn to admit to herself that she had fallen for Aang. He had long gotten over what he dubbed his ‘babysitter crush’ on Katara, but she still doubted he’d ever think of her like that. She was reluctant to get her heartbroken if that was the case. Neither Suki nor Katara faulted her for that when they eventually found out.

They found out at a Fire Nation celebration. Aang had whisked Toph away, dancing wildly, no fear of being judged. When Toph returned to her seat and Aang returned to the dance floor. The head she had once held up high with the shining grin fell. It was a mix of relief and yearning.

“Toph? Are you okay?” Katara had asked, her hand resting lightly around her glass. Her clothes were very reminiscent of what she wore when they were fugitives, hiding in plain sight all around the Fire Nation.

“Yeah, just a little tired, that’s all,” Toph had replied, putting on her cheery façade once again. Suki snickered and Katara scoffed, shaking her head slightly to brush the hair out of her face.

“I’ve seen you tired Toph. This isn’t it,” at Katara’s words, Toph let out a defeated whine. Toph shifted in her seat so she was fully facing both Suki and Katara.

“You have to promise not to tell anyone,” the two girls had hummed in agreement. “I think I might be kind of really in love with Aang.”

Sokka and Zuko, however, had found out almost immediately after Aang did. He and Zuko were firebending, talking with Sokka about how Zuko was reforming the Fire Nation. Halfway through a move Aang stopped, his eyes went wide. His mouth agape.

“Hey, Aang? Buddy? What’s wrong?” Sokka had asked while walking up to the two now that they weren’t shooting fire from their fingertips.

“I’m in love with Toph,” Aang had said simply. After he’d said it, a grin started to emerge. “Oh my God, I’m in love with Toph!”

“Okay, I’ll handle the obituary if you handle the food,” Zuko had bargained turning to Sokka.

“Deal. Katara can handle the guests, and Suki can get Toph out of jail for killing Aang,” Sokka had agreed, affirming their arrangements with a handshake.

“Well, it’s not like I can do anything about it anyways. I don’t think she’d ever think about me that way. I’ll just live in secret for the rest of my life.”

Aang and Toph had made their way back to the campsite. They had calmed down, but Toph’s hands still wrapped themselves around Aang’s arm. When Katara saw it, she immediately looked at Zuko, who looked at Sokka, who looked at Suki. Suki glanced at the couple, then to Katara.

“Katara? Can you come here for a second?” Suki’s eyes were boring into her soul. Katara quickly nodded and walked over to her.

“What’s up?” Suki yanked the water bender down to the log she was sitting on. Making Katara let out a small yelp.

“We need to get those two together. I’m tired of the constant pining,” Suki whispered, careful not to let anybody hear.

“Yeah, but how? It’s not like we can just force them to date,” Katara whispered back.

“Maybe Sokka will know?”

“It seems suspicious if all of us were crowded around without Aang or Toph.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Sokka said beside them, scaring Katara enough she almost fell off the log.

“Oh my God,” it was barely a whisper, her hand was on her chest, her eyes closed tightly. She smacked Sokka's arm after she had somewhat recovered. “You scared me half to death!”

“What are you guys talking about?” Zuko strolled up. The cloth he was holding, now draped over his shoulder.

“Oh nothing,” Katara assured. She leaned in closer to Zuko, whispering in his ear. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Okay. Anyways, I came over here to tell you dinner is ready,” as the words came out of Zuko’s mouth, Sokka dashed towards the food. Suki rolled her eyes but followed her husband to the table, where Aang and Toph sat. Zuko held a hand out for Katara, helping her off the log.

“Always the gentleman,” Katara teased. Zuko laughed a little, smiling as they joined everybody else. Whenever Aang looked at Toph a small blush would dust his cheeks. He was glad Toph couldn’t see it and he was glad no one else spoke up about it.

The night progressed without much of a hitch. Aang went to sleep the earliest followed by Toph. It was the perfect opportunity to discuss Katara and Suki’s wonderful plans.

“We need to get Toph and Aang together,” Suki said once it was just the four of them.

“Well, yeah,” Sokka replied. “But it’s not like either of them are going to admit that to each other.”

“Maybe we need to just tell them outright,” Zuko offered up the solution.

“What do you mean? When they wake up just say ‘oh yeah, you guys are in love with each other, here’s breakfast!’” Suki mocked.

“The looks on their faces would be so good if we did that though,” Katara laughed. “Honestly, I vote we do that just for the shock value.”

“It would be good,” Sokka agreed. “Toph would probably hate us, but it would be good.”

“It’s a price I’m willing to pay,” Suki kept her composure for a few seconds before laughing.

“Alright, who’s going to say it?” Sokka asked. “I vote Katara.”

“What? Why me?”

“I don’t know, I feel like you would have the best chances of coming out of it alive.”

“That’s a valid point,” Zuko said. “You can go toe to toe with Toph, I’ve seen you do it.”

“Okay so,” Suki started. “Katara will tell them, we will hide in a tree so Toph can’t see us. Aang and Toph will get together or just stop being that tension around wherever they go, at least. There we go, problem solved!”

The four stayed up for a little while longer, the conversation drifting off the topic of the two young, but oblivious, lovebirds. Eventually, they went to bed, Katara was woken up by the smell of the fire pit.

She got up out of her tent to see Zuko stoking the flames. “You’re up early,” she noticed.

“I rise with the sun. It’s a firebender thing,” he explained. “You ready to end a few years of mutual pining?”

“Yes, I am. I don't deserve to be subjected to their hopelessness any longer. I am much too good for that.”

Zuko rolled his eyes goodheartedly at Katara. He glanced over at Aang’s tent. He saw movement inside of it. “Looks like Aang is up, now we just wait for Toph.”

Aang came out of his tent, taking a seat by the fire. Suki and Sokka got up next. They all, sans Aang, shared an anxious look, knowing what would go down today.

Toph, eventually, woke up. Katara looked between the two youngest members of their group. Then to Sokka, Suki and Zuko. They silently urged her to follow through with the haphazard plan they had brewed up the previous night.

“So, the weather is nice today isn’t it?” Katara asked. She received a nod from Aang and a murmur from a Toph. “Almost as nice as it would be if you two admitted your love for each other.”

She tried to sound nonchalant about it, and the high pitched sounds coming from her brother's direction did not help. The choking sounds coming from Aang also didn’t help.

“Our what?” Toph asked, incredulously. Aang was still coughing, trying to recover from almost drowning himself.

“You two are in love. It’s quite obvious when you look at it objectively,” Katara said, maintaining her ambivalent exterior. She was screaming on the inside, but only she knew that.

“We’re what?” Aang asked, finally able to breathe.

“In love,” Katara was trying so hard to keep calm. Aang turned towards Toph, both of their cheeks so red.

“We are?” Aang asked in response, although it was more aimed at Toph than Katara. Toph could feel how fast Aang’s heart was beating, it could only be rivalled by her own.

“If you are, then there could be a possibility that I am as well,” Toph answered. Her cheeks, if it were even possible, turned a more pigmented shade of red.

“And if I said I was?”

“I would say I am too.”

“Finally!” Sokka yelled in triumph. “It has been literal years! We are finally free!”

“Here, here!” Suki screamed. “Here is to Katara, for getting them to admit it!”

“You’ve been in love with me for years?” Toph asked.

“Yes,” Aang answered. “I am in love with you, Toph Beifong. I have been for three years.”

“Well in that case, how about we ditch these folks and go on a little adventure?” Toph suggested, her cheeks were still red, but she had a confident smirk on her face.

“Lead the way,” Aang said, taking Toph’s hand in his own and smiling.

[onetether]

taangths of the day

So I have a feeling I’m going to be posting thoughts throughout the day a lot, so don’t mind me.

Whenever Toph and Aang are teasing each other Toph says whatever makes your glider fly which is the equivalent of whatever floats your boat but airbender edition 

To this Aang always replies with Airbending cause that’s what actually allows Aang to fly

[theotherace]

Pebbles

(( @gavinskye​ said “Aang asking Toph for help on how to navigate high society?” when I asked for requests, and I’m a little bit incompetent, so this is an etiquette lesson, but it’s directed towards their oldest kid, not towards Aang. Hope this is alright, too. It’s very short, because these were never supposed to be long. I’m tagging these ‘shitty little oneshots’, and there’s a reason for that. 

Additional notes: Yeye is the Chinese word for the paternal grandfather, as far as I found out. Bumi’s still calling Toph’s dad so, because the word for the maternal grandfather is Lao Ye, which ... well, his name is already Lao. Also, there’s a drawing of the kid and his pebbles at the end. ))

------

Aang sighed.

To his right, Bumi grinned his broadest grin, smug like only a Bei Fong could be, and snatched up one of the pebbles lying before Toph to place atop the small tower he'd already build next to his knee.

The rocks hadn't fallen over even once in the last twenty minutes, seemingly melting into each other perfectly as soon as Bumi added one to the stack, and Aang doubted his son was conscious of what he was doing, but it delighted him to watch the boy bend so intuitively.

He was a master in the making, there could be no doubt about that in anybody's mind.

But, now was not the time to be proud.

Now was the time to protest.

"Why can I not drink the water?", he asked, his voice very nearly a whine, and Bumi giggled; the corners of Aang's mouth twitched upward.

"Because", Toph said, very gently, in the same way one might talk to a stubborn toddler, "that is not what it is for. A bowl of water – no matter how refreshing the lemons in it make it – is there to wash your–"

"You didn't say anything about a bowl!", he interrupted in mock-indignation.

She pulled a strand of raven hair from Norbu's pudgy, fumbling fingers, an almost invisible smile dancing over her lips as well, then laughed: "You've always been such a sore loser."

Aang made a face at her.

"I know you're pouting", she sing-songed.

Bumi continued giggling, and it was one of the purest sounds in the world.

"Next question!", he said enthusiastically, and Aang tried to remember if he'd ever been so happy about receiving etiquette lessons – he didn't think so, as Toph had been a much less patient teacher back then, and table manners hadn't been something either of them had found any joy in.

"Alright", she cleared her throat importantly, "when is it acceptable to start eating?"

Aang opened his mouth, but Bumi was quicker: "When Yeye says so!", his voice clear and happy and excited to answer his mother's question.

"And when your grandfather isn't present?"

"When ... somebody important says so ... ? Like, Uncle Zuko?"

"That's right."

"Yes!"

Bumi grabbed another stone.

"You're so bad at this, Daddy", he laughed.

"I know", Aang sighed, and clutched at his heart dramatically. "When will I ever learn?"

"Never", said Toph in a dead-pan voice, and she was grinning just as broadly as their little boy. "Been trying to teach you for twenty years now, and still there's no hope for you to pass as anything but as busboy."

She shook her head.

"Tragic."

"Truly", he chuckled.

[jasmine-tea-latte]

Steambaby Week Fanfics

So I've been swamped with work and writing my Zutara / Bridgerton / Pride and Prejudice fic, so I haven't had time to create any new content for @steambabyweek.

But I have rounded up all my existing steambaby stories for your reading enjoyment! FYI, mild spoilers will be referenced, so I'm placing them below the cut both for that and because this post got very, very long...

Technically, I've written about the steambabies in 3 different universes. So I've split them up for clarity's sake, with the most expansive AU at the end.

Color Code: Firebender, Waterbender, Nonbender

SOUVENIRS UNIVERSE

Souvenirs We Brought Back From Ember Island – Zuko and Katara share an intimate evening together the last night at the Ember Island beach house before heading out to confront Ozai and their destinies the next morning, only to discover several weeks later that they brought back a surprise souvenir from that encounter…

Rated M for suggestive content and referenced adult situations, though Chapters 10 and 11 where the steambbs make an appearance are SFW.

Steambabies in this series:

Crown Princess Izumi

Prince Tulok

Princess Kya (not born yet when the story ends, though will end up being a nonbender)

ZK BIG BANG 2021

A Present Fit For A Fire Lady – Fire Lord Zuko struggles to come up with the perfect present for his wife to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Unbeknownst to him, he’s already given them both the best present of all.

As this fic ends with Katara revealing to Zuko that they’re expecting their first child, there aren’t any details about the actual steambaby. However, as this was part of the Big Bang event last year, there are lovely artwork pieces included, not to mention two incredible original songs written just for this story!

THE PHOENIX AND THE DRAGON SERIES

Phoenix and Dragon – Set during the series that I wrote for Zutara Week 2020, back when the pandemic first started and forced us all indoors and I had waaaay too much time to kill. This chapter introduces the first four steambabies and features the announcement that they’re expecting triplets as well.

(Yes, I went overboard when I gave them seven babies in this series – I blame being a new fanfic writer at the time and getting carried away – but like the Bridgerton family, they had a ton of babies because they wanted to, though after #7 they decided they were DONE.)

little rays of starlight– The Fire Lord and his wife take their infant daughter out on a trip to see the Southern Lights during the crown princess' first visit to the Southern Water Tribe. Features protective Dadko fussing over keeping little Izumi warm against the South Pole winter and just overall tooth-rotting fluffiness. Guest appearances by Sukka, who are expecting their first baby in this fic, and Taang, who aren’t engaged yet but will be soon.

The Fire Lord and the Sunstone – takes place when Crown Princess Izumi is just shy of 2 years old. The royal family inherits Druk after the Fire Lord and the Avatar are summoned back to visit Ran and Shaw. A cute fluffy oneshot that has baby Druk becoming fast friends with the eldest steambaby.

A Fire Burning in Her Bones (WIP)– Crown Princess Izumi has always dreamed of someday bending fire or water like her parents, following in their footsteps and making them proud. But when Izumi discovers that she’s a nonbender, she must learn to carve her own path, while learning more about her parents’ history and her nation’s role in the Hundred Year War in the process. I've gotten sidetracked by other fics since the last update, but I will finish this story one day. Hopefully.

Fun Fact: There's a 13.5 year age difference between the eldest and youngest of their kids.

Steambabies from this series, plus some fun facts / trivia about them if / when I ever get around to writing more fics in this AU:

Crown Princess Izumi

Twins - Prince Hanzo and Princess Kya

Prince Shunsui

Triplets - Prince Lu Ten, Princess Ayuko, and Prince Mihiro

Izumi – eldest child and daughter, born 3 years after Sozin’s Comet

Gold eyes, black hair

Name Meaning: fountain, water

Skilled with broadswords, learns from her father and later Master Piandao

Crown princess; introvert; birthday falls in the same week as the anniversary of the War's End, which coincides with her parents’ wedding anniversary as well

Most like Zuko in terms of dry sarcasm; constantly feels need to prove herself especially compared to her prodigious younger sibling Hanzo (essentially a gender-flipped Zuko and Azula sibling rivalry but on much, much friendlier terms)

Favorite subject is history; favorite treat is SWT seaweed cookies

Hanzo – eldest son and the elder twin, born approximately 5 ½ years after Sozin’s Comet

Gold eyes, black hair

Name Meaning: to hide, half

Named as a shout-out to the real-life legendary Japanese samurai Hattori Hanzo/Demon Hanzo. The "Demon Hanzo" nickname also gave me Blue Spirit vibes as well, ngl

Occasionally uses blades with a focus on broadswords

Ambivert; Is the spitting image of his father in his pre-banishment days. Later in the story (not written yet), his older sister Izumi will see a portrait of young Zuko pre-scarring and mistake them for each other at first

Has his mother’s personality - kind and nurturing but will cut you if you mistreat someone

Kya – younger twin

Blue eyes, brown hair

Named for Katara and Sokka’s mother

Outgoing; enjoys fashion and finding bargains during shopping trips with Great-Uncle Iroh

Inherits Uncle Sokka’s (terrible) sense of humor

Enjoys studying art from all over the world

Decent at healing but prefers sparring

Eventually settles down in SWT with her wife and their pet polar bear dog

In later years helps teach waterbending to Avatar Korra

Shunsui – born 11 years after Sozin’s Comet

Gold eyes, brown hair

Name Meaning: spring, water

Becomes a respected healer and opens up several healing clinics

Enjoys the simpler things in life like his Great-Uncle Iroh and develops an affinity for botany as a hobby

Laidback personality; enjoys traveling especially in the Earth Kingdom

Is the only steambaby besides Izumi not to be either a twin or triplet

Like his older sister Kya, helps teach waterbending to Avatar Korra

Lu Ten – eldest triplet, born approximately 16 ½ years after Sozin’s Comet

Blue eyes, black hair

Named for Iroh’s son, Zuko and Azula’s late cousin

Extrovert who takes up pro-bending when he's older

Bi pretty boy who naturally charms the ladies and the men, but has a hidden sweet, shy side

Loves traveling the world along with honorary Uncle Aang, Aunt Toph, and all their brood

Secretly gifted at the tsungi horn but will never admit it

Ayuko – middle triplet and youngest daughter

Blue eyes, black hair

Name Meaning: love, affection, rainbow

I came up with her name because of the rainbow sunshower scene in the story right before ZK announce that they're expecting her and her brothers

Is a naturally gifted bender like her Aunt Azula and the only firebender of her siblings capable of creating blue flames

Introvert who enjoys writing and reading; often seen curled up with a book in the library

A theatre nerd just like her father; is also a talented dancer but too shy to show off her skills most of the time

Mihiro – youngest triplet and youngest son

Gold eyes, black hair

Name Meaning: crown, benevolence, sea

Skilled with broadswords

Trained in swordfighting by his eldest sister Izumi and looks up to her; also learns from Zuko, Sokka, and Master Piandao

Inspired to learn broadswords after watching his eldest sister Izumi fighting with them one day when he’s 3-4

Finds out about Blue Spirit myths during a visit to the Earth Kingdom when he's a child and not-so-secretly admires all the legends and tall tales of the infamous vigilante, much to his parents’ amusement

Enjoys cooking

And there you have it! What can I say, I have a soft spot for Zutara and all their bbs 💜

[authorjoydragon]

I’m in my Taang feels again so here’s an updated list of my Taang fics (which are also cross posted on FF under the same username joydragon)

Love is Blind: Aang just maybe falls for another best friend and he just hopes this doesn't end up the same as last time. Taang, Zutara, and Sukka.

Fantasy Land: (T/M for mentions of sex) Aang somehow switches places with himself... 20 years in the future. Silly Taang Drabble

Requited Love: Maybe his love isn’t so unrequited after all. And maybe her parents don’t hate the idea. Taang

Taang Week 2020: (T/M for mentions of sex) A collection of prompts for Taang Wow Joy what a good title. What a gripping summary. Amazing.

On the Precipice: They’re just best friends. Or maybe they’re teetering on the edge of being something more.

Slip Up: Aang has a hard time keeping his feelings to himself. Part one of series Time After Time.

Pet Names: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. In which Aang finds a new nick name (read: pet name) for Toph. Part two of series Time After Time.

Recomputing: (T/M for mentions of sex) Aang.exe has stopped working. Part three of series Time After Time.

A Leap of Faith: Toph doesn't trust the air, but she does trust Aang. Part four of series Time After Time.

Happily Ever After?: (M for smut) Toph is a lady of high society, and her hand in marriage is much coveted by many men. In fact, someone very powerful takes interest in the blind girl. Someone her father immediately marries her off to. The Avatar. (Ongoing)

To Be His: (E for smut) Toph is a tease. She gets what’s coming to her. Nsfw oneshot soft dom!aang

Taangst Week 2021: (T) Submissions for Taangst Week 2021. Prompts: Unrequited Love, Loss, Star-Crossed Lovers, Arranged Marriage, and Death. Trigger warnings tagged.

You Belong With Me: (G) Prompts for Taang Fluff Week 2021. First Date, Kiss, Love Languages, Comfort, Family, Modern AU

Wow I have a lot more Taang fics than I thought. I just love them! Check them out if you haven’t yet! All aboard the Taang train 😌💛

[thetpot]

2021 year-end fic in review

thanks for the tag, @avatraang!

How many stories did you complete?

i finished 10 whole stories this year, holy bananas! granted, one of them was a collection of 100 word drabbles that i just gave up on halfway through, but the rest are ACTUAL STORIES 😳

What is your total word count for the year?

76,459 words on ao3 as of right now. but i have a 10,000 word chapter going up in the next week or two so it'll be closer to 86,000 before year's end.

What fandoms did you write in this year?

atla, all day, every day babeeey.

Did you write more, less, or roughly about what you expected?

omg, way more. a year ago, i just posted paper flowers for the hell of it. i couldn't have imagined how rewarding the process of writing it would be, and how many wonderful people i'd find in this fandom because of it.

What’s your own favorite story of this year?

oh man, it's honestly so hard to choose. i'm so immensely proud of every fic in my pocketful of stones series, but i think my favorite is still history etched out. like i go back and read it sometimes, and am like, damn, i can't believe i wrote this.

What is your most under appreciated story of the year?

stats-wise, it's sorrow—and wonder which is not surprising, but SPIRITUALLY, it's mountains of tenderness. imo, it's the second best fic in my oneshot series, but it didn't really land as heavy with readers. that's mostly because, for my zukaang readers, there's not really any zukaang in it since it's decidely a maiko fic. and for maiko readers, there's like 3 fics worth of zukaang content to read to capture the actual context for that fic. so i'm not salty about it, it makes sense overall.

What’s your most appreciated story of 2021?

dude, i went and checked my stats and i am still laughing about pocketful of stones having more kudos than after the flame, a pause. isn't it literally an inversion of ao3 logic for oneshots to have more kudos than multichapters?! but yes, people really liked pocketful of stones this year, and i loved it too! it was a very experimental fic for me at the time i wrote it, and it was mostly just a trust exercise with myself. but continuing the series has really forced me to extend myself as a writer and it's been an absolute joy.

Biggest fanfic related disappointment of 2021?

how few zukaang fics there are in this fandom! i should have stopped being surprised about this ages ago, but i've said it before and i'll say it again, the fact that zukaang isn't the most popular mlm ship in this fandom is eternally perplexing to me.

Biggest fanfic related surprise of 2021?

honestly, the fact that my oneshot series has occupied me since may 2021. i only ever wrote pocketful of stones as a oneshot, but the idea of exploring its consequences would not leave me alone. and five fics later, it's coming to an end this month woo hoo!

Something you are looking forward to working on in 2022?

writing a taang fic for @all-inmoderation, my beloved 🥺

tagging: @god-of-dust, @shifuaang, @the-cloud-whisperer

[gemgirl28]

Hi! Here's a few questions for the ask game :)

1- What’s the last wip you opened?

12- Favourite wip?

25- Oneshots or multi-chapter?

31- Are you doing this instead of actually working on your wip?

40- What should you be writing right now that you’re excited about? (👀)

Hello dear! Thanks for the asks!

I did answer 12 here and since all the others are fighting me right now, it will remain my favorite lol.

1. What’s the last wip you opened?

A Dramione fic that is currently saved as "Graveyards" but I am referring to as the ridiculous fic (derogatory). It's ridiculous because 1. the idea is just... wild and 2. everytime I sit down to work on it, it gets more wild and 3. It is over 10k and still has so much left to go.

25. Oneshots or multi-chapter?

Oneshots babbbyyyy. I get the idea for a specific scene, I write it, I am done.

31. Are you doing this instead of actually working on your wip?

Technically no, as I wasn't planning on writing this week because I've got a finance exam this week. I'm doing this instead of studying for that 😂

40. What should you be writing right now that you're excited about?

I should be working on the ridiculous fic, as it's for an event that the prompts are due March 30. But what I'm excited to work on after that is a tie between another addition to my Zutara Happily Ever After series featuring the steamfams morning routines and a modern AU Taang fic based on the song Just the Girl.

Send me a WIP ask!

[ya-so-im-here]

Oneshots List

All written by yours truly and all can be found on my Wattpad Account TheNinjaOfCake22

So it’s been awhile so I decided to finally getting around to posting my oneshots that I have collecting up so I posted...

SHERLOCK

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661454161740759040/nightmares

NIGHTMARES John has a nightmare and as Sherlock tries to comfort him something goes wrong

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661453930232938496/were-out-of-milk

WE’RE OUT OF MILK After the duo run out of milk, John decides he’s done doing all the shopping, now both refuse to get the milk

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER/ THE LEGENDS OF KORRA

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661453676160991232/is-it-too-late-to-apologize

IS IT TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE? Modern day, mother-daughter. Kuvra tries to apologize to Suyin after everything she did

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661453318215909376/a-little-competition

A LITTLE COMPETITION Aang x Toph (Taang). Aang wishes to be done training but Toph thinks he’s not done yet, soon it becomes a game of who’s the better earthbender

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661453014870130688/the-only-nonbender

THE ONLY NONBENDER Uncle Sokka comforts Bumi on being the only nonbender amongst a family full of benders (I just really wanted some uncle sokka content)

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661452710467502080/blind-sokka-x-toph

BLIND Sokka x Toph (Tokka) While the Gaang return to Katara’s and Sokka’s home, Toph finds it hard to see while standing on ice, but Sokka is there for her (just some fluff)

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661455180658769920/mister-and-mister-li

MISTER AND MISTER LI Sokka x Zuko (Zukka) While on the Boiling Rock the duo find themselves confronted and when asked their names they both give the same name...Li which leads to awkward hand-holding and a confession (fluff)

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661455095036346368/the-duel

THE DUEL Sokka x Zuko (Zukka) after finding out both weer trained by master Piandao, the two engage in a duel to see who is the better “swordbender” (fluff)

https://at.tumblr.com/ya-so-im-here/im-not-insane/kzuzfz5od3pr

I’M NOT INSANE Concept: Azula wasn’t born while Ursa is still a caring mother to Zuko but after his banishment, her time alone with Ozai causes her to become more like Azula at the end of the series until she goes insane like Azula.

https://at.tumblr.com/ya-so-im-here/as-thick-as-thieves/vl7sm4mcvs6a

AS THICK AS THIEVES Toph x Aang (Taang) After Aang finally has the courage to ask out Toph he runs into the issue that he as no money to take her out on an amazing date. Toph’s solution... Enter into a gambling set to earn some money

THE HOBBIT

https://www.tumblr.com/ya-so-im-here/748309781932015616/moonlight-company?source=share

MOONLIGHT COMPANY Bilbo x Thorin.(Bagginshield) Bilbo struggles to sleep at night and decides to take a walk around to enjoy the beauty of Middle Earth when he comes across Thorin doing the same.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

https://at.tumblr.com/ya-so-im-here/did-i-make-you-blush/s7j2s8uqkroe

DID I MAKE YOU BLUSH? Larry Daley x Ahkmenrah.(Tablet Guardians) Larry and Ahkmenrah have been dating for a bit and yet Larry still struggles with Ahk’s public displays of affections. (Just a fluffy piece that was requested)

https://ya-so-im-here.tumblr.com/post/661452351511592960/deathday-larry-x-ahkmenrahe

DEATHDAY Larry Daley x Ahkmenrah.(Tablet Guardians) Larry finds Ahk reliving his death all those years ago when he was killed by his brother. Headcanon that everyone at the museum relives their death once a year on their deathday.

[blehblarghblah]

sorry if this sounds rude (not a great start i know) but I was wondering why do you still use/post on FFN? Not to sound mean but isn't most of your following on Ao3 anyways?

nah you're fine, Anon!

Actually, you'd be surprised how big my following is on FFN! Though to be honest, it depends on what you determine to be a "following". On FFN, I have people who have favourite/followed me as an Author in the upper 300s. On Ao3? Just over 50 people have subscribed to me as an author. But at the end of the day? Stats don’t mean much to me.

(that's honestly an important thing to consider if you get into fanfic writing!)

Yeah, I enjoy when a story gets traction and a lot of engagement, but I don't really mind if my stories don't get a lot of people on them. Heck, some of my oneshots from last year like my Taang and Raya and the Last Dragon didn't get much traction compared to my Rayllum oneshot collection series--and even combined they wouldn't be close to it. But they're some of my most favourite things I've written!

Essentially, what I'm getting at is that my "following" is diverse across three places, here on FFN, Tumblr, and Ao3. And I joined each of those sites in that order respectively! Do I think Ao3's the better fanfic site? Oh Hell yeah! But do I like FFN cover art feature and enjoy it's PM system (even though it's so wonky)? Yeah, I do! Do I like Ao3's comment system way more, totally! And yeah, not every fandom is available on FFN, but on Ao3 you can make one yourself quite easily!

Yeah I know on Ao3 I can just, upload the cover art with the first chapter but I don't really jive with that. But eh, maybe I should? I dunno ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

What it really boils down to Anon, for my ongoing series especially, I've learned that while I have a big following here on Tumblr, it's quite divisive between Ao3 and FFN. Don't worry followers who're FFN only, I'm not forcing you to switch though tbh Ao3 is worth trying out

Until next ask,

- Bleh

[kaeyas-wifehusband]

Bloom: A Taang oneshot.

Summary: Aang and Toph have always had a special connection. He knew there was something different about her from the moment they met years ago at the underground arena. As time passes, platonic feelings begin to morph into something more. (Quick note: There is a hint of the Kummi/Taang in here if you squint lol. Hope y’all enjoy!)

To say Toph’s parents weren’t fond of Aang would be an understatement.

And a huge one, at that.

To them, he would always be the bad boy (the first time they referred to him as that, Toph nearly choked on her breakfast from laughing) who manipulated their sweet, frail daughter into running away with him and his trouble-making friends. Never mind the fact that she proved she wasn’t the defenseless child they claimed her to be. Never mind that she willingly went along. Never mind that she didn’t do it just for Aang, but also because it was the only chance she had to be free. 

Spirits knew how long it took her to convince them that, no, he wasn’t a negative influence (if anything, it was her); yes, she can take care of herself. They never entirely warmed up to him. However, they did allow him to visit. That was good enough for Toph. Besides, it was probably the best she’d get out of them. Sure, she had to bribe threaten reassure the family guards that they didn’t need to follow her and Aang around when hanging out. That was simple to accomplish, luckily. 

And so, years passed. 

They formed memories with one another. The rest of the Gaang were involved, of course, with some of them. Toph noticed something, though. Aang would still seek her out personally in those times. During group meals or bonfires, where she went to sit down, he’d follow. Whenever they all laughed, his head would tilt in her direction. His fingers would sometimes graze, linger, upon hers when they walked together. All of it became more intentional to her as time went on. It became more common. 

He wasn’t good at being subtle. She knew this. It didn’t bother her. Because, maybe, she was beginning to feel the same way.

---------------------------------------

At first, when Aang spent time at the Bei Fong residence, he was tense. Her parents clearly did not like him and were probably only allowing his presence because a certain daughter of theirs bribed threatened reassured them until they gave in. Creating discomfort was something he loathed. For Toph, however, it was worth it. Plus, she was quick to deal with the overprotective watchmen that would trail them wherever they went, even if it was just in her backyard. That most definitely made things easier. 

Numberless, unforgettable moments were made between them. 

The ones that he held close to were the ones that were small. They were personal. He thought of how she’d clutch his arm, not the railing, when crossing the wooden bridge near her home. He thought of how her witty remarks started to feel more flirtatious. He thought of how she’d consistently ask for stories of his childhood among the Air Nomads; how, when he complied (and he always did), she’d find some excuse to lean against him. (“I’m tired.” “I can hear you better this way.” “Shut up about it.”)

And it was all fine.

Beyond fine, actually. 

It wasn’t until he started craving those instances more and more that he realized he liked her. Finding reasons to visit became all too easy. (“There’s a new restaurant in town.” “I could brush up on my earthbending.” “There’s a spot that I just have to show you.”)

The answer was never less than an “Okay” and usually a “Sounds great. Let’s go.”

Definitely, the greatest giveaway that none of this was one-sided was what happened one summer night. 

--------------------------------

They were in the Bei Fong garden, strolling among the rose bushes. They talked of nothing, everything, and all that was in between. Stars glistened amongst the cloudless velvet sky and the moon was full, luminous. While she couldn’t see any of it, he hoped that she could feel it’s intoxicating serenity. The calmness it radiated made the atmosphere feel otherworldly. Eventually, they found a marble bench to rest on. The smallness of it meant their bodies were practically pressed against one another. It wasn’t awkward. 

As they engaged in small talk, Aang plucked a few flowers and started weaving them together. Toph didn’t initially pick up on this, but the constant moving of his arm against hers, as well as the sound of shuffling, spiked her curiosity. She gently pressed her fingers against his.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh! Making a flower crown,” he stopped twiddling and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I guess I should have asked if it was okay.”

She shrugged and removed her hand. “I was just curious. Doesn’t matter to me. They’ll grow back anyway.”

He grinned and went back to work. Minutes went by, silence reigned. Not the slightest hint of discomfort was sensed. 

“Ta da!” He held the handmade accessory in the air with pride. “Finished! And in record time, too.” 

Toph smirked and traced her fingertips against it. The woven intricacy of it felt high quality. He’s done this multiple times before and it showed. 

“Nice job, Twinkle Toes. Maybe you should quit the Avatar stuff and start a business.” she teased. 

“Believe me,” he said as he studied the freshly made creation. “If I could bring myself to do that, I would.” A sigh left him. “But I know what I’m needed for.”

She hummed in acknowledgement. “All this hero duty starting to get to you?”

“Starting to? It always has been,” He flicked a few stray strands of grass and stem off his lap. “I never wanted any of this. Being the grand savior of the universe sounds fun until you realize how much you lose because of it.” 

“Well,” she started, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Find a way to cope.” It was a lousy attempt at comfort. To anyone else, it may have been offensive. Not to him though.

He chuckled softly. “I already did.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” he mumbled while placing the flower crown on her head. “It’s you,” There was no regret for his words, which mildly surprised him. All of it was true. “I just...I don’t know.  Spending time with you allows me to temporarily forget that I’m the Avatar. You make me feel like an equal,” He pulled an uneven, wilting petal. “You never saw me for less or more than I am.

Because of you, I’ve been allowed to grow, without necessarily growing up. Does that make sense?”

A snicker escaped her. “No. But then again, you rarely do.” 

She lifted both her hands to his face, her fingers gently trailing his features. 

This has happened before. In fact, it’s happened multiple times. These sort of moments wouldn’t last long and would usually end with her squishing his cheeks or booping his nose, a “You’re a dork” following.  It wouldn’t be such a big deal except that she never did this with anyone else. He wasn’t dumb, though she’d would probably say otherwise. She didn’t need to do this to “see” him.  Her feet and ears handled that well enough. Being careful, intentional yet tender, he placed his forehead against hers.

“What are you doing?” he said in a whisper so quiet that it’d only be audible to her. He smiled when she blushed. 

“Nothing. Why? What’s it to ya, Twinkle Toes?”

“I mean, I don’t mind. Just curious because you’ve done this before soooo...” There was a playful, teasing tone in his voice. 

Mildly annoyed, she freed a hand to lift one of his against the right side of her face. “There. Now we’re even.” 

His breath hitched and she noticed his heartrate spike. She hardly tried to stop her mouth from forming a smirk. “Aw, does that bother you?”

He swallowed, calming a bit, but not entirely. “No. N-not really.” he mumbled.  It was the truth. She didn’t need to focus on his heart’s pace to know that. 

Aang exhaled and closed his eyes. Everything became still. Aside from the crickets chirping, and the occasional stray dog barking from far off, all was peaceful. This was how he often felt with her. It was always like this when they were together. In a way that he could not yet explain, he felt a comfort with Toph that he never felt with anyone else, not even with Katara. A note of courage suddenly filled within him and swelled. He had to ask now before it disappeared. 

“Can I kiss you?”  

If Sokka was there, he’d surely facepalm. Most people don’t like being asked to be kissed. They just want it to happen, at least according to him. Toph wasn’t like most people, though. On a level that was beyond what he could fully understand, they were connected.  Perhaps all lovers felt that way. Although, even when their bond was solely platonic, he still thought that she was like no other. (“Not like her.”)

He prayed silently. He wished not that she wouldn’t say no, but that if she did, nothing would change between them. Another pang of quietness passed. He felt the confidence in him start to deflate. 

Then, suddenly, a swipe across his lower lip and a “Yes” evaporated any worries or doubts. He didn’t hesitate pressing his mouth against hers. 

Aang knew what first kisses were supposed to be like. Poets and singers described them as a powerful, electrifying force. (“Kissing him feels like fireworks.” Katara once said regarding Zuko). Yet none of that could accurately evoke what he experienced in that moment. In her affection, he noticed a sliver of familiarity that he could not quite comprehend. There was warmth, a sensation of relief. It felt grounding. It felt like home.  

When they parted, it was sobering; like waking from a long slumber to crisp morning air. 

“Oh, by the way,” Toph then gave his shoulder a swift punch. 

“Ow! Hey!”

“That’s for being a total sap.” 

[foxy-knowledgeseeker]

happy ffwf!! what's your favorite fic (or one of your favorites) that you "collaborated" with someone on? how did that person influence the story (maybe you both wrote it, maybe you bounced ideas off them, maybe they were just a great cheerleader who helped get you through the rough parts)? feel free to promo the fic, too! (- thinkingisadangerouspastime)

Happy ffwf! I am sorry this is a week late, but that last Friday was SO BUSY. Anyway, this question is so timely because it just so happens I am working on a collab fic right now!

Not much of this fic is written yet, let alone posted, but @rllyaangrlly and I are working on a Cyberpunk AU fic, and I am very excited about it! The au is originally Brit's idea. They already had the basic worldbuilding, themes, character designs, and pairings all worked out. She even has already drawn art of scenes she wanted in the au. I volunteered to write a oneshot about the art forever ago, and it morphed into us collaborating on a whole multi-chapter fic! We have spent hours on the phone planning it. Together we fleshed out the plot, settings, character arcs, powers for the Gaang and how to integrate more minor characters, and now I just have actually sit down and type it out! I will be in charge of most of the writing, while Brit directs plot events, dialogue, and creates concept art for me to reference.

The fic is drawing inspiration not just from Avatar canon but also other sci-fi and dystopian fiction for a story about the Gaang taking down meddling capitalist Ozai and his company that experiments on bending mutants to exploit their power for his own gain.

It's also going to be my first time writing science fiction/action and Taang/Zutara pairings, so it should be an adventure!

[azulaang-chakras]

happy ffwf! do you ever have too many ideas and can't decide what to work on? if yes, tell us about some of them! :)

Tpot, you have no idea. I've got an AU with two wips, a conclusion wip after one of them, and a maiko oneshot within it. Outside of that, I've got my Aang rarepair entry, a sukaang oneshot, a taang oneshot, CR stuff I haven't touched since last year, an azutara project, a SW AU, azulaang snippets, a oneshot about Sozin, and something with Professor Zang and Wan Shi Tong.

Waves and Travels are going on at the same time, and given their size they often compete for my time. Earlier this month I posted a fic that was supposed to be a tumblr snippet that grew into a 16000 word oneshot, which delayed work on both of those main projects.

My eyes are the size of an elephant but my stomach isn't.