“Wow—you’re actually making me use my hands this time!” Toph boasted from across the training grounds, the amusement thick in her voice as you two sparred.

“Well, what can I say? I’m a fast learner.” you retorted, throwing a boulder her way that she quickly dodged.

Eventually, your sparing match came to an end after Toph had managed to bend metal around your ankles, successfully immobilizing you. Though it did take a bit more effort today.

“Gosh,” you groaned as you stretched your muscles that were now beginning to ache whilst Toph cracked her knuckles.

“Still the greatest Earth bender.” she announced triumphantly before slapping your back, causing you to yelp. “But, you are getting better. But the score’s still 2-6!”

“I’ll make that 3-6 tomorrow.” you promised with a chuckle, giving her shoulder a slight nudge.

You weren’t as bad as the tenderfoots she taught. Which is maybe why she made you her co-teacher, you know, to have someone to leave her students with whenever she got bored or had other matters to attend to, and sometimes you were there to be easy on the benders and comfort them whenever Toph got too blunt with her words. Good cop bad cop sort of thing, but Toph didn’t really mind being bad cop.