( action | arrival )

[seismos]

closed to zuko--

"...Sparky?" It comes out like a question, but Toph would know Zuko's heat signature and those solid, confident steps anywhere.

Of course, she hadn't taken too kindly to waking up in a strange city, plopped in a puddle on a metal cradle. All of those welcome goodies were left behind -- didn't really feel like anything important and she couldn't read it anyway.

Toph points in Zuko's direction before grinning and course-correcting him. "Hey! What's going on, here? Where is this place?"

And then: whack, she jabs right up at his shoulder. Because hopefully all of her questions could be answered now, and a preemptive thanks is in order.

open to all--

Running into Zuko meant having to trudge back and pick up all that junk that Toph had left in the Bay. Well, mostly junk -- the flimsy money was kinda nice to have.

She parts from Zuko eventually, to get a feel for the expanse of the city she can see spreading beneath her feet. As much as she appreciates the guidance a friend can provide, Toph wants to know if she can get up to a little trouble on her own. And she's not interested in learning how to use that video phone thing just yet, anyway.

For all intents and purposes, she looks like a lost barefoot runaway. Toph wanders around the city with ease that belies her complete lack of vision. Green and tan robes that are made for smooth movement (and could really use a thorough washing) adorn her stout form, leaving her to make confident steps to avoid collision.

Or, sometimes, to cause one. When she does bump into a stranger, it's a meek apology that squeaks out in a high voice, clutching at one of her feet. "Ohh, ouch! I'm sorry, I was trying to find 11th Avenue so I can find a friend of mine. Gee, are you OK?"

It's a good way to gauge how generally gullible a place is.

Comments

[frost_bitten]

[Elsa will just keep her suspicions to herself for now.]

Oh, I'm sorry about that. They look okay to me.

[seismos]

[ she wiggles them, and then winces. might as well double down on the game. ]

Are you sure? They hurt real bad...

[frost_bitten]

[Okay, yeah... Now it's starting to lose the little affect it had before.]

I assure you, they're fine.

[seismos]

[ it was worth a try anyway. but there is something a little different about her failed target. something still about her. the opposite of how zuko's got a nearly undetectable vibration to him. might be interesting to just lay her cards out and see what kind of reaction she gets... ]

You don't scam too easy, huh? Must not be a local.

[frost_bitten]

[And so her suspicions were correct. It did not fair well to stir accusations, especially with no evidence to back it up nor would Elsa do something of the sort; She was a Queen and had to have a better head on her shoulders than that.]

No, I do not. I just arrived here about a week or so myself.

[seismos]

It's my first day.

[and while she is pretty much a dirty rugrat running around trying to steal from people, she's also a lost kid without the friends who'd given her an escape from her sheltered aristocrat life.]

And I'm not impressed so far, I can tell you that much.

[frost_bitten]

You and me both. Despite the attempt to con me, I would like to help you out if it's possible.

[Because even if she saw through your charade, she is still trying to get more social and help out more.]

[seismos]

[ toph shrugs out of apology -- though she doesn't seem to bear all that much guilt. ]

The whole thing's the scam. [ she points toward 11th street with a grin, and then moves her finger as she talks: ] 11th is that way. And my friends lives there.

[frost_bitten]

Ah, I should have known.

Well, you seem more than capable, but may I ask you maybe a personal question? How do you know where to go?

[seismos]

Oh, I'm an Earthbender.

[ you can't con an honest man, right? so it's really no threat to let elsa in on toph's 'secret.' ]

I'm blind, but I can still see. Probably better than you, too.

[frost_bitten]

Earthbender?

[And then she paused for a moment. She's heard something like that before... From Zuko...]

Do you know somebody named Zuko? How do you see like that?