Tom-Tom

Background
Only an infant at the time of the Avatar's return, Mai's brother Tom-Tom has since grown to be a serious and dutiful young man. From an early age, he dreamed of serving his country as an officer in the navy; now, after years of hard work and diligent study, he has achieved his goal, becoming one of the youngest ship's captains in Fire Nation history. For his first mission, he was assigned the task of tracking down and retrieving his niece, Fire Princess Irah, along with her friends.

Personality
Tom-Tom is a sterling example of his profession, maintaining impeccable military discipline at all times. Though he prefers to operate by the book, and often seems rather stuffy as a result, he is not afraid to throw protocol to the winds when the situation truly warrants it. When the chips are down, his detached, cerebral demeanor vanishes, revealing the unshakable courage and willpower at his core.

Although he was born into a privileged family (which became even moreso after their daughter married Fire Lord Zuko), Tom-Tom takes great pride in the fact that his achievements are his own; he has steadfastly refused to take advantage of his family connections - or his Firebending, which he has concealed from even his family - earning his rank solely on the basis of personal merit. It bothers him that most of his peers assume otherwise, but this only motivates him to strive harder in order to prove them wrong.

Relationships


Toph intrigues and exasperates Tom-Tom. The famous Earthbender is nominally in command of the mission to return the errant children, and certainly has no trouble bossing him around, but she lacks both military rank and any understanding of the importance of proper discipline. Tom-Tom suspects that she may also be purposefully allowing the kids to escape from them, in order to prolong the chase. In spite of himself, he is rather taken by Toph's brash, devil-may-care personality, and friendship has begun to grow between them. Naturally, Yi Lin believes that they are having a torrid affair.

Mai is Tom-Tom's much older sister. The two don't see eye-to-eye over much anything and Tom-Tom often takes snipes at her over how she had married into her position of power without earning it, the opposite of his own achievements. Still, when it comes down to it he is reluctant to say that he actively detests his sister, so it's suggested there is more to this sibling animosity than either cares to admit.

Irah is Tom-Tom's niece. Although he's been sent to capture her Tom-Tom has never been anything but supportive of Irah and her myriad of hobbies, including those that her father most certainly does not approve of, such as her dancing. Although he does not coddle Irah like her parents, he still finds himself acceding to her demands on occassion, ever ready to be there when she needs him, as reluctant as he might appear while doing it.

Fun Facts



 * Tom-Tom wishes he could grow a manly beard, but all he's been able to manage is a peach-fuzz mustache that wouldn't look out of place on a 15-year-old.
 * Ever since he was an infant, Tom-Tom has loved animals. The presence of a particularly cute or playful animal is enough to break down the Fire Nation captain's discipline and turn him into a melting puddle of d'awww.

Stories

 * The Letter, by the Dai Li. Toph learns some new things about Tom-Tom when he is ordered to return home.
 * Hayoda vs. Tom-Tom, by Anonymous /co/mrade. Tom-Tom discovers the weakness in Hayoda's style.
 * A Friendly Game, by The Dai Li. Toph and Tom-Tom face off in a game a strategy during some downtime.
 * Rough Time Together, by Anonymous /co/mrade. Toph and Tom-Tom continue on their mission to find the kids as they happen upon an old acquaintance.

Snippets
Main listing at Toph and Tom-Tom Snippets.

Comics

 * [[Media:BeSerious.jpg|Be Serious]]
 * [[Media:Haha tophs blind.jpg|Ha Ha, Toph's Blind]]

Gallery
See Category:Tom-Tom for a complete listing.