SPLENDOR | Application
Player Information:
Name: Li
Journal: aztec
Method(s) of Contact: AIM: shotgun lovely | email | plurk
Previous characters: grimreaping
Character Information:
Full Name: Toph Bei Fong
Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Canon point: Approximately 6 months post series
Age: 13
Species: Human
Appearance/PB: Toph is of small stature even for her age, making her look slightly stocky although it is probably more of her posture than actual build. She has long black hair which is usually bound up beneath a headpiece (still it falls over her face in long bangs) and green eyes which are perpetually clouded over, giving them a milky appearance. She usually wears Earth Kingdom coloured outfits - green, tan and brown, mostly tunics and vests with wrist bracers and ankle bands, although adopts other clothing styles as needed, such as Fire Nation style. While she prefers to go barefoot when possible, she has been known to punch out the soles of shoes and just wear the tops, giving the impression of footwear without the functionality. On her upper arm she wears a dark metallic armband. Hygiene seems to be a strange thing with Toph, and while she may appear dirty or dusty to others, she doesn’t seem to care and calls it a “healthy coating of earth” - particularly on her feet.
Appearance upon arrival: As pictured.
History: Toph's ATLA Wiki link
Personality:
In many ways, Toph is like the rocks she loves so much. Many people see her as unyielding and stubborn, and she uses this to her advantage. Despite preferring to work alone most of the time, she has a subconscious tendency to order other people around and take charge in a situation, no doubt inherent from growing up in the Bei Fong household. This inclination comes out several times over the series. Although she may have been considered fragile and delicate by her parents, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. She is sarcastic, blunt, and extremely tomboyish. Many would say she lacks any manners or social graces at all, with behaviour like picking her nose and spitting without restraint. Toph is also extremely outspoken, stating her opinions regardless of tact or circumstance, and seems to have little respect for anyone else -- despite it being a direct contrast to how she was raised. She frequently assigns nicknames, often mockingly, to people she meets. She also seems to have a questionable moral compass; although she helps Aang learn earthbending, she also likes pulling scams and cheating people (crooked people) out of their money. Finally, she has an extreme dislike of authority and takes great pleasure in disobeying orders.
Despite her physical disability, she has the utmost confidence in her bending skill. Often perceived as fearless, running eagerly into battle or putting herself against many opponents even if she'll be outnumbered, she'll even taunts her enemies and picks fights just for the opportunity to be their opponent. She fiercely maintains her independence, claiming that she “carries her own weight” and often turns down help from others, thinking it is out of pity due to her blindness. She'll go to extreme lengths to get others to acknowledge this strength that she prides herself on.
This isn't to say that Toph shuns all forms of relationship, however. Although Toph was quick to leave her home in Gaoliang and get away from the supression of her parents' household, she reluctantly admits to Katara and the others that she really misses them and worries about them. While in Ba Sing Se, she is able to be lured into a trap by her pursuers faking a letter from her mother, and she states that "she sounds like she really understands [her]". That really brings into focus what it is that Toph wants in life: to be accepted for who she is, without the need to hide certain aspects of herself. The other person she forms a significant bond with is Zuko, when the prince is trying to prove his honesty to the others. Probably because Toph identified with Zuko's feeling of isolation even when part of a group as something she also felt.
Despite her wide range of abilities, Toph has some obvious drawbacks. Although she acts likes she doesn’t care what other people think, she has some issues with self-esteem including some insecurity when it comes to her appearance around strangers. Because she doesn’t know what she looks like, or what other people look like, she has to rely on the descriptions of others, even when those are less than considerate. While her seismic sight gives her confidence when on solid ground, she is still blind and therefore cannot read, write, or view anything and if her earthbending were somehow taken away, she would be left at a severe disadvantage. She is weak against attacks that come from the air or on shifting surfaces like sand. Being airborne or underwater tends to give her motion sickness and she cannot swim. Her independence can be a double-edged sword, making her reluctant to ask for help even when she needs it.
Extra:
Character Abilities:
Earthbending/Metalbending • Toph is an earth-bender of formidable power, easily beating “masters” of the art including her own teacher. She has developed her own unique way of earthbending based on what she learned from the badgermoles in her childhood, who were also blind and were the original masters of earthbending. She is able to manipulate the earth in many ways, such as summoning rocks to use in martial arts blows or changing the terrain either offensively or defensively. She proved her skill by continually winning Earth Rumble, an underground earthbending tournament, and remained undefeated against a range of opponents. As an extension of Earthbending she has also learned how to control metal, a previously unheard of talent for any school of bending. This is done by sending the particles of earth trapped inside forged metal, and manipulating them. To date, she's the only bender with this ability.
Seismic Sight • Although she is blind, Toph can “see” quite well. She is able to sense the seismic vibrations of the earth and use them much like echolocation. Using this enhanced sense, she can sense people’s actions, even get an idea of their physical stature -- and of course, their movements across the ground. Also, she can use this seismic “vision” to see geological features like caves, tunnels, and even sounds from underground. Because of this, she often becomes aware of things like people approaching before the others. Similarly, she is usually able to tell when people are lying or under stress, able to sense their heart rate and breathing patterns, although some people (like Azula) seem to be immune to this.
Possessions: A darkly coloured, metal armband composed of meteorite ore. She is able to bend this into a number of shapes.