Being a badass and having a disability at the same time means Toph has to navigate her pride a little more adeptly than most people have reason to. There's no such thing as disability accommodations in the Earth Kingdom, so she's extremely sensitive to insisting that she doesn't need any -- but ultimately, she is blind, and there are some things she just can't do.
So she'll accept some things from friends that she wouldn't accept from others unless she really has to in dire straits; but her time with the Gaang has also drastically broadened her sense of who can be a friend or potential friend. Nothing like having a solid support system to make you feel comfortable taking risks with others. They might not be physically here, but the experience of having them at all has fundamentally changed her. She's not so threatened by having others support her anymore, because after the number of times she's saved them and they've saved her, she knows it's mutual.
Toph appreciates the warning as much as she appreciates the help, and quickly covers her ears to shield them from the explosion. It's much lower volume but it's also much closer, and since her ears are so sensitive she doesn't want to take any chances. A moment later she removes her hands and eagerly sticks her bare feet out toward the building fire, wiggling her toes. Her feet are covered in callouses and dirt and visibly low in circulation in a few places.
"Ahhhh, that's the stuff."
Toph leans back on her elbows, keeping her palms down and flat so they can make full contact with the ground while her feet are propped up.
"Thanks. Is that what you were doing out here? Heroing? I'm just keeping busy." Not like she's a bona fide card-carrying world-saving sidekick or anything, obviously. She's just bored.
tl;dr away any time!!
So she'll accept some things from friends that she wouldn't accept from others unless she really has to in dire straits; but her time with the Gaang has also drastically broadened her sense of who can be a friend or potential friend. Nothing like having a solid support system to make you feel comfortable taking risks with others. They might not be physically here, but the experience of having them at all has fundamentally changed her. She's not so threatened by having others support her anymore, because after the number of times she's saved them and they've saved her, she knows it's mutual.
Toph appreciates the warning as much as she appreciates the help, and quickly covers her ears to shield them from the explosion. It's much lower volume but it's also much closer, and since her ears are so sensitive she doesn't want to take any chances. A moment later she removes her hands and eagerly sticks her bare feet out toward the building fire, wiggling her toes. Her feet are covered in callouses and dirt and visibly low in circulation in a few places.
"Ahhhh, that's the stuff."
Toph leans back on her elbows, keeping her palms down and flat so they can make full contact with the ground while her feet are propped up.
"Thanks. Is that what you were doing out here? Heroing? I'm just keeping busy." Not like she's a bona fide card-carrying world-saving sidekick or anything, obviously. She's just bored.