( 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

[banishment]

But at the point in time Zuko hails from, she wants him to believe that she is. Really, really wants him to believe with all those aggressive (sometimes passive, but not always) shows of dominance she puts on whenever they're in the same room. He saw a much more vulnerable side to her down in those caves in Ba Sing Se, and knows for a fact that she isn't (always?) uptight, but he also doesn't really know her.

He frowns, although she can't see it. Were she anyone else, he would've reached out and made an attempt at comforting her as he delivered this news, but with Toph, he just lets his hands hang at his side in a show of respect for the tough front she puts up. He won't be the one to shatter it.

"I'm afraid not, Champ."

[seismos]

Toph's relationships are all born in conflict and questioning. She doesn't do respect easy, and friendship doesn't mean white lies and blind support. So while Toph can't say she knows Zuko any better than Katara, she can tell now that he's showing her a kindness she never asked for.

"I can handle it." Petulance in the voice of a child, but Toph has never cared about sounding bratty. Even while protesting that she's just a child, she puts it front and center because she wants people to face it. Get over it. OK she's a blind little girl with a high voice, but she demands better treatment.

Even if she's scared. Even if she doesn't want any of it to be true. "So we're trapped. Just us."

[banishment]

"Of course you can." And when he says it, he means it. Zuko's not in the business of placating people, especially those he knows want the truth from him and not the watered down version.

They've been through worse. Once upon a time, Zuko was part of the worse category that made things rough for Toph and the others. Being afraid of something didn't necessarily go hand-in-hand with being unable to deal with it. He had personal experience with that.

"You, me, Azula, and Ty Lee, but I guess they don't really count, so yeah. Just us."