Hello, Everyone! I've been away for a while, but I'm still working on a lot of chapters that I'm backed up on...be patient with me please. I'm trying to get into college haha.
A friend asked that I write a fic about little trans girl Opal Beifong, so of course I just had to. I'm really in love with the idea of Opal being trans and I plan on writing more stories with not only transgender characters, but nonbinary ones as well.
This is just a small oneshot and my friend urged me to publish it on here, though I was hesitant initially. (I'm slightly concerned about how people might react...I'm hoping I don't get any transphobic comments. That would be upsetting.)
But overall, I had a lot of fun with this one and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as my friend and I did.
Best wishes! Tell me how you've been!
(and as always, requests are always welcome and encouraged!)
Suyin rhythmically tapped the fingers of her right hand against the metal tabletop, "what do you think, Mom?"
Toph sat back and picked at her teeth, "what do I think about what?"
"You know," she rubbed the goosebumps on her right arm, "about Mica."
"You mean Opal," her mother corrected, "did she not say her name is Opal?"
Suyin looked down uncomfortably, "they did...but I don't know, Mom."
Toph rolled her head back against the headrest and tried to keep herself from groaning.
"I just wonder what's brought all of this on, I just don't understand. Did I do something wrong?"
"Su, shut up. Stop making it about you, you're blowing this way out of proportion. Her name is Opal, not Mica. Get over yourself, I'm tired of discussing this with you. It's been a week."
"How long have you known?"
"Me? Ever since she could talk. And you know what I said? I said okay, then I asked if she wanted to play outside. She said yes, and we played outside."
Suyin cracked a smile, "so what should I do?"
"I don't know, Su. Figure it out, she's your kid."
"What would you have done?"
Toph rose from her seat and squatted down, cracking the muscles in her legs, "I would have let my daughter be who she authentically is."
Suyin rested her body against the white doorframe of Opal's bedroom. She knocked twice on the green wall, "knock knock."
Opal remained asleep, covered in layers of warm comforters and badgermole plushies.
Su tiptoed into the room and knelt down before Opal's bed. She tapped on her daughter's cheek, "knock knock."
Opal rolled over and faced her mother's direction. She let out a small whimper and stretched her left arm up and over her head, then went back to her quiet sleep.
Suyin smiled, "Opal, wake up. I have a surprise for you."
There was no reply from her tiny six-year-old.
"Don't make the Tickle Monster come and get you, now…"
No response.
"Well, I warned you." she quickly hopped onto her daughter's bed and mauled her with tickles and kisses, "wake up, Opal! Wake up, wake up!"
"Ah!" Opal rolled onto her left side and drew her knees into her chest, laughing hysterically. "Mama, stop! I'm up!"
Su stopped and flipped her bang out of her eyes, "you up?"
"I'm up." Opal rubbed at her eyelids and scooted back against her headboard.
"Opal, I have a surprise for you today."
She smiled, "you said my name."
"I sure did say your name. It's such a beautiful name and I love it so much."
"I love it so much too, Mama."
Su leaned forward on her palms and squinted her eyes shut, pursing her lips, "I love you so much."
Opal pecked her mother's lips and smiled, which made her mother smile in turn.
"We're going shopping today."
The twinkle in Opal's eyes faded away as she picked at her left thumb nail, "I don't want to."
Su tilted her head, "why not?"
"I don't want more bad clothes."
Her mother shook her head, "oh no, love. No more bad clothes. You can get pretty clothes. All pretty colors that will make you look beautiful."
Opal kicked out her right leg and pointed her toes, "I want pretty slippers" she smiled down at her self-painted nails.
"You can have all the pretty slippers you want."
Su pressed her two fists into her lips and smiled wide, "I'm so happy."
"I know what'll make you even happier..."
She sat on the backs of her calves and bounced up and down, "what?"
"Grandma Toph is coming too."
Opal gasped and jumped down from her bed, running around her room in circles, "no way, no way, no way, no way!"
"Yes way, yes way, yes way, yes way!"
She hopped up and down, "Oooooh I can't wait to see her!"
"She can't wait to see you!"
Opal relaxed and walked into her closet, "I'm happy that you like me again."
Su slid down from her daughter's bed, "huh?"
"You're not mad at me anymore." she sat down in the closet and sorted through her shoes, all of which were variants of brown, black, and grey, which she wasn't pleased about.
"Hon, I was never mad at you," she approached her daughter, "why would I be mad at you?"
"Because I'm not a boy."
"Opal," she squatted down behind her, "I wasn't mad at you...I was just really confused, and I thought I did something wrong. No- I did do something wrong. It was my fault that I lead you to believe that you upset me. I love and accept you forever. I'm sorry."
"I'm not confusing, Mama."
"I know, baby. I'm sorry. Grandma helped me understand."
"Did she say nice things about me?"
Su smiled, "all she says is nice things about you."
"That's why she's my favorite. She's easy."
"Easy?"
"She doesn't ask too many questions and I love her a lot."
"She loves you a lot, too."
"I know she does."
Su pulled down a white tank top and Zaofu-green shorts from Opal's hangers, "is this okay just for today? I promise you'll never have to wear anything like this ever again."
Opal nodded, "it's fine for today."
"One, two, three, jump!" Toph squeezed her granddaughter's left hand and sent them up into the air, over a large rock.
"Woah!" Opal landed on her feet. How'd we jump so high? Did you bend us?"
"What? Nooo...of course not," she lied, "that was all you. All you and those strong Beifong leg muscles."
Opal laughed, "you Earthbent us. Do it again!"
"Alright, alright. Hold on."
Opal tightened her grip on her grandmother's hand.
"One, two th-" before she finished counting she sent Opal and herself springing into the air once more, "wee!"
"Eeeeh!" Opal squealed before landing on the ground.
"Mom!" Suyin called out from behind them, "be careful!"
Toph dismissed Su and walked ahead with Opal, "did you have fun?"
"You scared me!"
"But did you have fun."
Opal smiled and maintained her pace with Toph, placing her right hand on her hip and panting, "I did have fun."
"Good. Let's wait up for Mama." Toph stopped walking.
Su jogged over, "Mom, be more careful."
"I did the same thing with you and you turned out fine- actually," she paused, "I take that back. I'll be more careful." she patted on Opal's head.
"Hey!" her daughter was offended.
"I'm kidding, lighten up. How did I wind up with two girls who have poles up their as-"
"Mom!"
"Sorry."
"I'm glad you're coming, Grandma."
"Mhm, I'm glad I'm coming too. I needed something to do, anyway."
"Mom, you always hated shopping with Lin and I." Su walked beside Opal.
"That was you and Lin. Opal is special."
"Aw!" Opal hugged her grandmother's waist and Su rolled her eyes with a smile.
Toph sat down on the black leather couch and held Suyin's purse in her lap. She rested her arms on the top of the backrest and tapped her right heel against the white marble floor.
Opal walked over to her grandmother and sat down next to her, "hi."
"How's it going?"
"I found a lot of stuff that I like."
"Why'd you stop looking?"
Opal shrugged and scratched her head, "I'm kind of tired."
Toph laughed, "yeah, me too. Shopping sucks."
"Yeah. Mama is picking out stuff now."
"What did you pick?"
"Dresses and jewelry."
"Ah." Toph yawned, "it's nap time."
Opal nodded.
Toph leaned over and laid on her side, instantly falling asleep on the couch with her feet on Opal's lap.
She smiled and tickled the bottom of her grandmother's feet.
"Opal, there's too much caked on dirt for me to feel that."
"Yuck." Opal shook out her hands and grimaced, turning to see what her mother was picking out for her.
Su looked over at Opal and smiled, her arms full of clothes. "Want to try some more stuff on?"
Opal looked down at her grandmother sleeping comfortably with her legs crossed over her thighs. She giggled and shook her head at her mother, "Grandma's sleeping" she whispered.
Su nodded went back to picking out clothes.
"I think your Mama's having fun" Toph yawned and smacked her lips.
Opal swung her legs back and forth and touched her grandmother's gold ankle rings, "I think so too." Opal paused and stared ahead for a minute, then looked back down at Toph. "Grandma, can I tell you a secret?"
Toph scratched her closed eyelids, "mhm."
"I picked my name after you showed me your pretty opal stones."
"You know, that's funny."
"Why?"
"I found them when Suyin was pregnant with you."
Opal's jaw dropped, "no way."
Toph nodded once, "I'm serious. I went to a hot spring in Gaoling that I'd visited a few times as a kid and found them."
"Why'd you pick them?"
"Hm. I'm not sure. I just did. I'm glad I did." she stroked Opal's cheek, "I never knew I'd have a real Rock Baby. I've always wanted one, you know."
Opal laughed, "that's funny, Grandma."
"Yeah. It is, huh?" she chuckled and lowered her hand down onto her stomach, "the way things work is funny."
"Mhm."
She yawned, "everything always seems to work out, I've found."
Opal touched her grandmother's hand, "thank you for loving me, Grandma."
Toph held her hand and intertwined her fingers within Opal's, "thank you for being you."
Opal looked down at her best friend, "I love you".
"I love you too, sweet Rock Baby."