thebastion | [Day 210] open action | everything changed when the fire nation attacked

Who: Toph & you
Open: Open
When: 210
Where: By the onsen, near the bridge to the Skyway
What: Toph makes her way from the Skyway and to the Bastion.
Format: Prefer action, but I'll match.
Warnings: TBD

[Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

That's the first thought to cross Toph's mind when she wakes up to find the world different. Wrong. She can feel earth beneath her feet, but it doesn't feel anchored. She can feel where it ends, which shouldn't be possible. Yeah, she's the greatest earthbender in the history of ever, but even she can't feel all the way to the inside of the world.

Everything around her feels barren and broken, like the earth had when she'd gone to see where Ozai had fought Aang. Maybe His Royal Loserness broke out of prison and rallied the Fire Nation malcontents against Zuko. There had been a lot of people not happy with her promise of peace & harmony.

She wishes for a moment that she'd gone to the palace after running away from home again — or better yet, she wishes she'd never gone home in the first place. If something's happened to Zuko, then Aang and Katara are probably in trouble too. Not to mention Iroh. If Sokka remained in the South Pole, he's probably fine, but what if —

No time for what if's. Standing around with your head up your butt is what diplomats and advisors do. Nobody ever saved the world by standing around and thinking about it. She should know; she helped save the world. If she wants to help her friends, then first she's got to find them.

She makes her way carefully across increasingly unfamiliar terrain... terrain which doesn't behave like earth should, and that's probably the most frightening thing of all. She's always been able to rely on earth. Reliability is the essence of dirt. She finally comes to a bridge and, when she crosses, she feels civilization.]

People are a good start.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I can take care of my own accommodations, thanks. [She's an earthbender. She can make her own place to sleep. Besides which, she's gotten used to camping.]

Right. I'm sure you can.

[She's not disappointed, that is not what you're hearing. She also... for some reason assumes Toph means finding her own apartment. She hasn't really witnessed the earth tents.]

So where is your place? [Might as well pitch her tent in the yard.]

Oh, well...

[She walks a short distance farther until they're standing in front of a small house. Of course Toph can't see the red-tiled roof, but it might still feel more familiar in construction than most of the other buildings.]

This is my house.

Nice place. Little smaller than your previous digs, but I approve.

[Good yard space, too. Nodding with satisfaction, Toph bends herself a cozy little earth tent, perfect for one. (Bending count: two.)]

I guess you mean the palace.

[Zuko hadn't had time to settle back into it, but she guesses Toph remembers her as living there for three years now.]

...you're going to stay in my yard?

Why not? It's close by; I've got my own room; you've got the space. And! [Toph climbs inside the tent.] If you get really annoying, I can slam the door in your face and you can't open it!

[To demonstrate, she bends the tent closed. (Bending count: Three.)]

You.. could just tell me if I'm being annoying.

[Does she get annoying? She thought she was just frustrating sometimes.

Unfortunately Zuko hasn't been keeping track of Toph's bending well enough to provide any warning. Actually she's wondering if maybe her earthbending isn't limited after all.]

It's just not the same.

[Her point being made, Toph bends the door back open. Or, er, tries. Tries again. Frowns. Tries once more. Nothing. It's not that the rocks aren't listening -- earth is a stubborn element -- it's more like they can't hear her at all.

Stay calm. There's a rational explanation for this.]

Hey. Zuko. Have, uh, you ever heard of an earthbender equivalent to the solar eclipse?

Something to stop you from earthbending?

[It's only after she voices the question that Zuko realizes what's going on.]

This place limits a lot of people's abilities somehow.

...

Are you stuck?

What do you mean, limits on people's abilities?! How is that even possible?!

I'm not sure, but considering the state of this world... is it that surprising?

YES. IT IS. [How could something cut off her connection to the earth? And so specifically, leaving her sight but not her other bending. It doesn't make any sense!]

[Yeah, she's definitely stuck.]

You'll get it back tomorrow.

[Oh. Good. Toph does relax some hearing that. She doesn't mind being stuck here for a night (much).]

So what is this, some kind of newbie hazing ritual?

I didn't know you'd get yourself stuck.

I mean the power loss, genius.

Unfortunately, no. You'll have to deal with it all the time.

You're kidding me. [Seriously. Please. Everybody knows Zuko has the world's worst sense of humor. This has to be some kind of lame-o attempt at a joke.]

I wish I were.

I can only firebend for about fifteen minutes a day.

[She's...not kidding. Toph feels the bottom drop from her stomach. She leans her head against the earth wall for stability.]

This is a nightmare.

[Zuko won't disagree that the bending limit is bad, like there's a part of herself she just can't access most of the time, but she wouldn't go so far as to describe it as a nightmare.

She's about to say as much when a thought occurs to her.]

You... Can you still- "see"?

No, somebody must've turned out the lights. Of course I can still "see". Do you think I would've made it this long without realizing it otherwise?

[It's still a nightmare. Zuko has lots of things other than her firebending. She's got her skill with swords, her stupid honor. Toph has her earthbending. It's not just what allows her to see — it's what allowed her to survive the oppressive atmosphere of her home. It gave her an escape, first as the Blind Bandit, and then as the Avatar's earthbending master. It's been her only protection for the year she spent traveling the world. The idea that some unseen force could make her as helpless as her parents always assumed she was is chilling.]

How should I know? It's obviously affecting you differently.

[Although, it's not like Zuko has lost the awareness that comes with her firebending, of the energy inside of her and of heat sources like the sun. It's just not much of a sixth sense compared to what Toph does.

She lets out a sigh.]

If you didn't make that wall too thick, I could probably blast you out of there.

And blast me in the process? No thank you.

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daughterofursa - 2014-08-31 01:06 (UTC) - Expand