Future!Toph Part Two: Electric Boogaloo

[metalbends]

We interrupt your regularly scheduled intro train to bring you more plotting! So you may recall, about a week ago I posted this about Toph's upcoming mallynap effect and who wanted to be involved. Well, I've gone ahead and drawn up a handy dandy CR List for the occasion so it's a bit easier to keep track of things!

So if you're not on there and you would like to be, just go ahead and comment here! It is not too late to work something out. Also, if you want something added to your character's relationship with Toph, just say so! This is open to everyone, so even if you're brand spanking new, don't hesitate to jump on!

Toph's return should be up in the next few days here, so I'd like to get the Planning of the Things wrapped up in this post here. I'd especially love to here from the Avatar cast (IS THERE GONNA BE BABIES OR NOT, MASA AND AKAI) as Toph would definitely have AU future memories of them.

Okay, that's all! Thanks to everyone who is participating. I'm uber excited for this to go down, and you all are making it simply wonderful and amazing.

Comments

[magiconcehad]

Gaaaaah meant to comment to the last one.

Well, if Ion is Toph's current boyfriend, then chances are she definitely knows Noelle at least in passing, given that Noelle and Ion are both Auldrantifolk And Noelle will probably be migrating the whole "professional relationship" to "actual friendship" over the years. It might be an interesting dynamic between the two, given that she's a pilot and loves flying and... well we all know how well Toph LOVES being in the air.

I wouldn't mind if she knows Lindsay too, at least in passing, but something much deeper than that isn't necessary. |D She does live with Yeager, though in six years... she might have gotten over her personal problems with being alone enough to try living on her own. It'd be a thing that just happened recently in Future!Toph's time, though, or be going to happen soon. :|a

[metalbends]

Beautiful. I'd imagine they'll have all sorts of lovely conversations about flying, and Toph will try to convince her that travelling by earth is WAAAAAY better and how do you feel about spelunking, Noelle. :|a

If she lives with Yeager, than yeah, she probably would know Lindsay that way, even if she does eventually move. She'd probably know her well enough to recognize her just by that alone! Though yeah, she could just be a passing acquaintance.

/ this is charles (duh)

[deusexhormones]

Okay so I discussed it with Shira and I have thus figured out what to do with Masaomi here. Well, mostly - I don't like to dictate CR so I'm just going to explain his development path and you/we can decide how Toph and him are in the ~future~.

Okay so the premise of this is that Masaomi and Katara spend a long time... with Masaomi trying to prove himself to her in other words. Being friends, him self-improving, him strongly liking her. A long time, possibly years? Idek. Anyway, the point is after a long time of that they slowly start to fall "in like" with each other and then eventually Masaomi gets Katara to give him a shot with them still falling deeper in "like" - a slowly developing relationship in other words which still would have been ongoing as of Toph's time. They probably only recently got to saying love? (well, "recently" - this is years)? Something? I always feel so godmoddy with these things...

Anyway, in the course of this there will be some other key events:

-Sometime during the time Masaomi is 18 or 19 [he's 17 now] he will have stopped dying his hair. So it would remain the natural dark brown color.

-He will have been working to get stronger all this time. While he is not shounen and therefore can never be a super, by this timeline point he would probably be a Badass Normal. While still using a fairly brawly style focused on blunt and/or improvised weapons, he would not have a solid mastery of defense, and actually have a style to his "chaotic" fighting still, making it deliberately slippery instead of just strong but untrained, like it is now.

-He will have stopped trying to go on dates with other girls. Slowly, he would start to be less and less ridiculous in his flirting. While it would not be a perfect or seemless transition, he would eventually tone down the perverted jokes, then tone down the harassment, then eventually just tone everything down. By the time he's in his 20s, he would just be sort of a playful flirt, not a ridiculous semi-menace like he can be now. And even then, everyone who isn't a New Feather would start to be very aware that's just How He Is and it would stop seeming like he's insincerely leading people on (maybe)

-While that is true, the playful side remains! Teasing people, being annoying by times, lame jokes, the works. Just tempered some with age and development into being a more serious and stable person. less desperate, more genuine.

-...Negatively, I bet he took up bad poetry at some point. purple prose shit. I would love for this to have become public and/or end up in Toph's hands at some point

-Only somewhat taller (maxing out at about 5'9) but eventually he would stop wearing the hoodie all the time to make the muscles he always had more apparent and the ones he gains even more so. ...this also reveals his florescent pink wings when he isn't wearing things over them.

-I think he might have died once during that time... I didn't think of the circumstances for that though in the midst of the rest of this...

-Possibly signed up for manliness lessons down the line as a sign of good faith??

[metalbends]

This all sounds magical. I really love the idea of Masaomi signing up for manliness efforts in an effort to appease Toph--and it'd probably work, even if she didn't indicate so at first. She just has to give him a hard time, you know? But eventually eventually--like you say, after a few years of him and Katara falling for each other--Toph could come to accept him as a good guy for her. The good-natured teasing will never stop, but she at least will be more welcoming towards him. Especially as his flirtatious nature becomes more subtle.

And I love the idea of her getting her hands on his poetry, heehee, though she'd need a co-conspirator to even read it out loud for her. Maybe Sokka or something. :|a

[markofthebrave]

I have just had the most horrible and terrifying and beautiful thought: So Masaomi t urns Badass Normal, right? And then tones down the flirting with other girls. And then eventually dates Katara. And then my brain was like - oh, I wonder what that would look like - and spawned conjecture of him flirting and then pulling back like: "Oh, I would, but I'm already dating the most wonderful woman in the world" and then I realized that in this AU, in my mind, he grows up to become MAES HUGHES.

firing up my own alt-future!Pao-Lin account

[lightningbride]

/hoards all the Topharassment ever

Does Pao-Lin get an awesome nickname too? BROSIS NEEDS A NICKNAME.

aaaaaw yis B)

[metalbends]

That is a beautiful word you have just coined. I may have to borrow it. A lot. As the Topharassment only will inevitably increase.

AND YES SHE DOES. I will rack my Nyquil-addled brain for one, but in the meantime if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them! /o/

[distressedude]

JUST WANNA SAY-- this is awesome and I am so excited for this you don't even know.

And also, Ion probably still calls her Master Toph sometimes out of habit. Unless they're having a lovey-dovey moment or being all serious or something. Then he calls her Tophy because she's so sweet~ ok no

[metalbends]

ME TOO, MAN, ME TOO. ;A; It's truly going to be glorious. As is the fallout afterwards.

And if you ever call her Tophy, Ion, you can expect a punch in the arm and no, it will not be one of her affectionate ones. B| She won't object to Master Toph, though!

[markofthewise]

Sokka and Suki are married, for a few years now. They stopped holding off on it and finally went through with it. No kids yet, though. They want kids (especially Sokka), but they don't want to ever risk leaving any kids they have without parents. Not if Luceti hasn't changed much in those last six years. But they moved out of the Avatar Hour after their marriage, so they've been living in their own place for awhile.

Sokka is still the head of the smithy, but he doesn't spend as much time there. He has his own workshop at home and he spends a lot of his time there inventing and tinkering with things. Thanks to his studying with Ed, he's actually a pretty good alchemist. He still prefers to make things by hand, though, rather than make stuff with transmutations. Beyond all of that, he spends his early morning training still, only now he's got his own set of students he's passing on Okita Souji's teachings to. He's pretty selective though, only taking on students that show creativity and versatility, the same kind of skills that Piandao saw in him.

Of course, Toph? She's his bud, still. They hang out, they talk, they eat, they spit, all that good stuff. Maybe he even convinced her to start line fishing. It's not necessarily a skill set that requires sight. Alternatively, they play some really intense games of pai sho and chess.

Other than that... Sokka is like a young version of his old man. He's a pretty built dude. He's about roughly the same height (about say 5'11). After his share of drafts he's earned his share of scars, though most aren't noticeable. He lost a few fingers three years ago, but they've been replaced by automail fingers (much like The Machinist). Also Hawky is still around and still isn't that fond of Suki. Go figure.

[metalbends]

Jellin'. All shall be duly noted. I really like the idea of him teaching her how to line fish, and yes, once a brosis, always a brosis. Thanks, man!

[de_bel_survivor]

I guess I should add that since Kouki's a demon king, he's most likely, well, age more slowly. SO BY THE TIME THEY DATED AND NOT DATED, THERE'S NO OBVIOUS AGE DIFFERENCE (physically)? But since they dated, Toph would probably know about him and his world situation (hi i became a demon king to fight god for humanity).

I feel like I should add something about Roy, but I'm blanking right now.

[metalbends]

HAHA EPIC. Apparently Toph likes this in men, since Ion ages pretty slowly, too. That'll throw her for a loop.

Also just let me know if you feel like adding anything about Roy! We can just with the training/sparring buddies for now if you don't want to add anything.

[falenandawn]

Hm... If Toph was learning how to use the Tri-Nunchaku from Roy, she'd probably eventually run into Freyjadour, who is the only other user of that particular brand of weapon in the village and can canonically own Roy in a one on own duel using said weapons. (And probably will still be able to in the future because he trains diligently. What say you Doji?)

If you want, we could say they sparred every once in awhile?

[metalbends]

Sounds good to me! Toph would want to practice against others who use the same weapon to get a feel for how different people use it, so that's be totally cool.

[fyulong]

Late to the party, but Masa and I had to talk first, so. Ayup.

As he already said up above, Suki and Sokka have been married for a few years, and by now Suki is really pining for a kid of her own, even if they've agreed not to have any until they go home. So she's got a more wistful side to her that she'll only show to her close friends.

She's definitely still doing the Kyoshi Warrior gig, with her focus still being to teach the young ladies of Luceti self-defense, and by Toph's time she's even more of an accomplished soldier than ever. If Toph is/was willing, she'd also have continued to teach Toph how to fight hand-to-hand without access to her bending sight, so there's that.

As a housewife she is kind of awful |D so I'd bet that she spent a lot of time over at the regular Avatar house with Katara to try and earn herself some housemaking/mothering skills. She's gotten better at cooking, though! Which is definitely a step in the right direction.

[metalbends]

Sweet! I was thinking that Toph would want to continue training with her without her bending, so it's good to know Suki would have continued on with it as well. And aww, poor Suki. ;A; NO BABBIES YET.

[markofthebrave]

All right. TO BE ADDED TO as I think of things:

-On the relationship front, it likely would have been a good long time and well into when Masaomi started becoming seriously badass before Katara decides to give in and give him a shot. Consistency is really important to her, and since Masaomi's shown that he's... not always the most stable, it'll take some time for her to learn to not just enjoy being around him, but like and admire him.

-She probably would have dated some other people before that. Who that is we can leave up to our imagination... or I'll talk to some of her CR and see.

-Katara kept going to school until she was seventeen, but after that, she decided to devote more of her time to medicine and combat studies, although sometimes she'll still show up for special events or if she hears that there's an interesting lesson. She most frequently touches base with the World Sharing class.

-By Toph's time, she'll have learned Hyt and probably, finally, be on speaking basis with Eferin and whatever the lightning spirit's name is that I can't remember

-She finally started playing shougi with Shikamaru around 18 as well. She loses. A lot. But that doesn't stop her now that she's started.

-The Malnosso kidnap her when she's 19 and she's gone for a month. She doesn't talk about what happened there for a long time, and when she comes back, she doesn't bend. It's not that she can't, it's just that she refuses to for months. At this time, she continues her training with the bo and moves on to the spear, and finally gets those hand-to-hand lessons that she's been thinking about getting all this time. But she won't bend, she refuses to... until SOMETHING HAPPENS which we can work out, if you want.

But she still won't say what happened.

When she does start bending, even after months of nonuse, her bending is more powerful and precise than before - more precise and more ruthless. She doesn't appear to take the same joy in it that she always has, and this probably doesn't change for a long time. (If you like, I'll be happy to work out some of Toph's interaction in this plot with you, 'cause it could end up being pretty formative for them)

-WITH THE PERMISSION of the muns of the boys who have dated Toph, I would like to state that as soon as Katara sees Toph is getting serious with someone, she corners them for a conversation. It's a short conversation. And involves the fact that she's learned how to freeze blood inside someone's body, to allow them to draw their own conclusions. >>

-In reference to Masaomi, when Katara finally gets serious with him and Toph wants to know why him of all people, she'll probably smile and say something like: He's a good person and he cares about me. Besides... I want to be with someone who can make me laugh.

-So at 22 now, Katara's still in the Avatar House with Toph - which they stay in even though it's probably just the two of them because of the stone floors. They may occasionally take in strays - I'd imagine that they would. And people come and go. She is a full fledged surgical doctor as well as expert in all forms of martial arts that she studies.

-...if she and Masaomi have been dating at least two years, I'd imagine Katara would start thinking about taking things to The Next Level. She won't marry in Luceti. She refuses. But she might be thinking of moving in together. She may have even recently brought up that topic with Toph... because she's not going to leave her brosis in the lurch.

-In her spare time, she's taken to actually investigating things in the library - stuff like legend and lore.

-I'd also imagine that she either asked permission to help Haruhi with the SOS Counseling Brigade or started an informal support network herself... just so that people would know they always had someone to come to. Probably finally joined the Welcome Center on and off too.

-She still hasn't given up on going home.

[metalbends]

Hurrah! All of this is looking awesome. *A* I'm very intrigued by Katara's mallynap that changes the way she uses her bending, and I'd love to work out how Toph interacts with her after that and how it'd affect their relationship. Since Toph is so big on bending, the change in behavior would definitely be something she'd notice and try to pry and explanation out of her about it. Yep, Toph will eternally be nosy. But it's because SHE CARES at least? But yes. There's that.

Toph also might feel strange living with Katara and Masaomi, so she might consider alternative options--but ultimately, she'd want to stay in the Avatar house, and she isn't going to tell them not to live there, or something. THREE'S COMPANY. But really, Toph doesn't mind being the third wheel. As long as they're not super lovey-dovey around her!

Also I'm imagine double dates with Toph, Ion, Katara, and Masaomi and crying because the mental image is beautiful.

[saltprince]

I feel the need to note that I like this moving in talk idea so if you want to run that I totally would love for that to be a thing.

Also. As Masaomi said in earlier threads "he's not that good," which would carry on into the future. While he would never be outwardly hostile or anything even as an older and wiser person he would still be lightly passive aggressive towards Katara's other dates and/or with other people (who aren't her) about Katara's other dates. If anyone else wants to capitalize on that.

[distressedude]

Wow she'd give that talk to Ion too? I mean look at him, a breeze could probably knock him out...



...and I may have to draw a picture of that double dating thing.

[deathsdoctor]

I AM SO LATE IN REPLYING TO THIS DDDDDDDDDDD8

But anyway, Law is, as I've told you, Toph's grandfather in the Luceti Valley AU (via Sokka), and Katara and Sokka's father via the same experiment. While he and Sokka have pretty well avoided each other since then, Katara and him are very close and he's protective of her, and it's very reasonable that Toph's already come across him about. It's reasonable to think this closeness has continued and Toph's gotten a chance to know him better through Katara (she's learning medicine through him right atm). He also knows Masaomi well, though their relationship runs on slightly different lines right now (more one of being a mentor/idol figure).

So on things relating to Masaomi/Katara and what their respective muns have said, Law would have been in the background going :| and unsure for a while and watching. No chasing off or anything, but still echoes of Luceti Valley again and the fact that those two had broken up. Would he say anything? Maybe... but there's a good chance he wouldn't have. No threats made... well none quite so obvious as what Sokka would try. I think it would be implicitly understood by Masaomi (correct me if I'm wrong, Zero!) that if he screwed up by Katara, Law would not be pleased.

The skeevy perverts who are only in it to get in Katara's bindings however? Law still considers them fair game for a little scaring off. >> Maybe even he and Toph tag teamed them or something.

By Toph's time, he has a full beard going! It's an Asuma beard (no mustache for him) and he's got some more scaring, most notably around the throat. Is he in a relationship? He probably is, though it's private. He possibly has a kid (though not by whoever he's with) through one of the Valentine's experiments with someone no longer in Luceti and not present here at this time either.

If he does have that kid? You are a viable option for babysitting, Toph. Practice. For when you and Ion have your own badass brood.

[metalbends]

Hahaha beautiful. I love the idea of Toph and Law tag-teaming people who try to hit on Katara. They'd probably be quite effective. :|a

And the idea of Toph babysitting--priceless. She wants kids eventually, of course, but hgasdf actually taking care of one? It would be quite the event. Changing diapers is a lot harder when you're blind! Haha.

[deadlydebutante]

Commented on the other post! I'm so glad to see Toph's getting active again! She's totes my favorite of the Gaang

[blessingone]

I’m really sorry this took so long! It’s partially because I had trouble thinking of what might happen to Fenimore in the future, but it’s mostly just my own slow nature. Anyway, the following is tentative, mind, so any suggestions are welcome. I am going to word it as though it is going to happen, even if this is just “in this version of the future.” I have no idea what will actually happen, but verb tenses get confusing when I try to continually say that. (Also, would you believe that this was me struggling with all my might to be succinct? orz)

So, as a point of reference, Fenimore is 17 (technically going on 18 in February, but she tends to stubbornly stick to her summer birthday even if it is no longer accurate) and thus would be 23 going on 24 at the end of the six years. The other important age reference is that Fenimore is the main person responsible for Sophie, an NPC toddler born in Luceti left behind by a former housemate. Sophie is 3 years old now and will be 9 by the end of it. Whether or not Toph has actually met Sophie in this future, she might be aware since Fenimore kind of has to rearrange her schedule around Sophie and thus this would probably get mentioned someday.

When she is 18, Fenimore is drafted and barely ekes out a win against a Third Party soldier when she is cornered into having to fight. Despite having spent about a year training in the Kyoshi style, this is the first time she realizes that she actually can learn to beat a soldier. She starts taking her training more seriously, as a skill she can learn and less of exercise that satisfies the people who think she needs to learn self-defence. On the downside, this makes her enjoy it less.

Still, over the next couple of years, she becomes a competent fighter. Possibly she could spar with Toph for the blind martial arts, but I imagine Toph will progress too quickly for her to keep up when she can “see,” since Toph has a bit of a headstart with bending forms mimicking martial arts and she actually enjoys putting in the time for training. Versus earthbending is right out, since Fenimore would be just as squishy as the unnamed nonbender soldiers in Avatar – I like to think Fenimore would be a quick study, but nothing unusual.

A break in her learning comes when Fenimore is 20 when she has a nervous breakdown and locks herself in an empty apartment on as empty of a floor as she can find. Eventually, she would probably get coaxed out by various CR and taught what a therapist is, but it might take several days. She can sneak out at night to raid the grocery store for food and other stores for things she can distract herself with (possibly she will end up having made a few dozen bad hats) if she gets too hungry. Then it would probably take a number of weeks before she pulls herself together enough to be semi-reliably functional again when it comes to things like looking after Sophie and probably about a year before she stops having major backslides. But her attempts to big sister Toph, especially in meddling with her love life, will pick back up by the latter part of this period, though, even if it will be more inconsistent. She likes acting like a big sister.

I imagine Toph would likely be aware of this occurring, if only because I imagine that the initial nervous breakdown would probably be semi-public (either actually in public or due to an accidental video turning on when she throws her journal at the wall) and some of her backsliding would have noticeable signs, like the time when she cuts off both her twintails in a moment of anger. At the least, I’m guessing she would probably find out that something bad happened in Fenimore’s past that she didn’t handle properly. But how much she knows about the cause would probably depend on how involved she got during the nervous breakdown year, as her defences against talking about her problems would be down during this time. I’ll put more detail at the end of this for if you would be interested in Toph learning more, but for the sake of making this less tl;dr than it already it, that will be a footnote.

By 23, she is largely back to normal, even if there are still some leftover problems. She’s somewhat more open to new ideas and a little more open about herself, even if she is still a bit tsundere and remains \reluctant to talk about her own issues. Over the intervening time, she has made some effort to find a career path, hopping from job to job in the community every now and then. At this point in the timeline, she’s volunteering at the medical centre, washing blankets, bringing food for doctors and patients, and maybe pitching in now and then in some kind of light nursing-esque role. Her hair will have grown back to nearly its old length, though she won’t wear it in twintails anymore. She has also spent her whole time in Luceti single, outside of events. She’s mostly gotten over the frustration of having one week experiment romances most Februarys snatched away just as she starts to get into it, but she still gets a little touchy if people bring it up when she meddles in others’ love lives.

Anyway, as said, this is all very much tentative and can be changed entirely, especially since this would involve learning of things offscreen that could be learned ICly, like what was mentioned for Ion. (Though, granted, Fenimore will probably never say otherwise.) But when I look at how Fenimore represses her issues, does her level best to never talk about them, and has no idea what a therapist is, nervous breakdown seemed like the most obvious prediction for her future.

Footnoted issues leading up to said potential nervous breakdown: In her canon, Fenimore’s village of Ferines (an amphibious humanoid species that she belongs to) was attacked and the survivors taken to be experimented on by humans. She was the only one to survive out of her village, excluding some who were away from the village at the time of the attack who didn’t get captured, such as her sister. Out of the ones who were experimented on, which includes all of the friends she made to that point, she’s the only one who survived.

In the game, she generally only talks about this when she is angrily blaming one of the main characters for this, but after she comes to like that character, she never brings it up again and acts as though it never happened. I take this to mean that she represses and avoids dealing with her feelings about this, which is why she’s only talked about it to two people and only when she can’t hide it, and also why she’s only told Sokka that she’s learned that she is about to die back home. She sometimes tries to release some of this through getting angry or complaining about petty things, but she’s been doing less of that over her time in Luceti as she has matured without doing anything about dealing with the bigger issues mentioned.

Meanwhile: becoming a competent fighter has made her feel even worse about the attack on her village, as she had done nothing to try to defend it (not to mention the ones in her village who did try failed while about half the people of Luceti would have managed to make a much bigger indent, if not defeated the army on their own); spending time in Luceti have picked away at her attempts to ignore her time as an experimental subject back in her world, especially since she has now experienced the mallynapping conditions that are similar to her own world’s experience (except the experiments are much more complicated); and watching people come and go makes it harder to ignore that she is going to die within minutes of returning home. That’s combined with lesser stressors, such as being the person mainly responsible for raising a young child (Sophie), not having any idea what she wants to do with her life now that she is removed from the highly traditional, somewhat patriarchal society in which she was raised, and understanding that she doesn’t really have any outstanding skills by Luceti’s standards or even her own society’s standards. Avoiding dealing with or even talking about these issues eventually, in this version of the future, leads to nervous breakdown.

[rockspurt]

ROGER ROGER. I would actually like Toph to be aware of Fenimore's situation if you'd like to work out just how much she'd know about it. Toph gets quite a bit more personal herself as she gets older, so knowing Fenimore is going through something rough would bring her out and trying to help her out (though not as much as she would in later years since she'd only be about 16 at that point). Still, I would like to say she knew a bit about what was going on and tried to talk to her and help her.

[ever_deceptive]

Hey there, since I am having ridiculous amounts of fun with Yeager completely bsing to Toph and pretending her memories are real, I was thinking that it'd be hilarious if she could bring up some embarrassing things about him. Like, maybe he dated some chick for a while and the relationship ended badly (provided we can find someone in the village that isn't in their early twenties or below, lol)? Maybe he got drunk in public during one of the holiday events and was dancing on tables and the like? I don't know; whatever might be funny to shock him with. XD I'd like to see him struggling not to rageface at the Malnosso for putting that stuff in her head. XD

[rockspurt]

Ooh, haha, sounds great! I'll stick some fun things like those in there then. :|b Great idea. The Malnosso just love secondhand embarrassment, don't they?