cyclicality | Call For Help

After the events from November 11th, the city has been in a constant state of repair. In an effort to speed things up, a variety of construction companies have offered high wages for helping out since many have too many orders to keep up with. Earthbenders in particular are welcome, especially if they're able to metalbend, but it's hands for labor that are most needed.

Those who received the newspaper on the 5th of this month will have noticed some overlaying text that probably shouldn't be there. It said to meet outside the city council office if you want to help rebuild the city, but those who went on the 5th and the 6th know that nothing happened. Around noon today, however, a golden light shoots out of the ground. Instead of dissipating right away, it sketches out the word "hope" in the dirt. Shortly after, genuine gold appears where the light had burst forth. Every now and then, a variety of items and tools appear, lying scattered among the gold. Many of the newly appeared items can be used to help rebuild the city such as stacks of timber and stone, but many of the other items appear to have been previously owned. Heirlooms that had been previously destroyed now in perfect condition along with other lost items and the like keep appearing at random in front of the city council office in addition to all the gold.

The text on the newspaper wasn't lying, though. Someone is watching. Or something. Everything everyone does will be under close surveillance. Whether they keep the gold, leave it alone or give it away; whether they work to repair the city or sit and do nothing. Either way, the area around the council office is brimming with spiritual energy, but no spirits are coming out to play.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Okay, so there are some spirits that fly. But usually they have at least some kind of weight on the ground . . . and Toph really doubts that Aang is talking to any of the assorted citizenry diving for the gold. For her turn, the girl has scooped a piece from the ground, wading through the excited masses towards the boy-monk, testing the metal with her fingers. Fortunately she hadn't been too far from Aang in the first place.

". . . I hope you're talking to somebody." She has to be loud over the clustering, jostling bodies. "Because it sure doesn't seem like it."

Pushing a man away from crushing her: "What exactly happened, anyway? Everyone kind of went crazy."

If people don't stop pushing, she's going to start doing some pushing back.

Things are getting kind of crowded very quickly. It's a bit confusing and disorienting. But it's easy to distinguish Toph amongst the crowd, so he sets down his gold piece for the moment and tries to very gently move past some of the crowd towards her. He actually makes an apologetic motion towards the guy who was pushed. Then he calls out to Toph with a warm smile. With Katara gone now, she's definitely a sight for sore eyes.

"Toph! I- I'm trying to talk to a spirit. Because all this gold appeared all of a sudden and - and it must have been spirits!"

Hey, don't smile at the guy that tried to crush her, Aang. Whose side are you on, anyway?

That next elbow to the head is the last straw, and without a second thought, Toph jabs into the empty space. A ripple shivers through the ground as though the earth shrugs, sending yelping bodies toppling to the ground. It's fine as far as she's concerned; they'll recover soon enough and not be any worse for wear. (And better yet, she can finish off her goal without getting jabbed, jostled, or maimed.)

Grabbing for Aang's hand (and hopefully not too far off), Toph seeks to yank him out of the group where they can talk properly.

"Okay. What'd you say?"

He's trying to be on the side of everyone being getting along and getting over misunderstandings instead of - well, instead of whatever's happening around them. He does still wince as she takes the elbow to the head. He'll go along as she tugs at him, but he does spare a few quick apologies for those displaced by her earthy attack.

Once he's pulled along, his attention is on her, however, and he holds up the piece of hold in his other hand. "Well I was trying to see if this piece of gold was actually a spirit by trying to talk to it, and it looks like it's not but it's gotta to do with the spirits somehow and are you alright, Toph?"

Hopeless. He's hopeless. But for the moment Toph spares him his own fwap upside the head in favor of rubbing her own sore spot. "Yeah, fine. I've had worse."

". . . And somehow I really doubt the gold is a spirit unless spirits like being scooped up and bitten by crazy people and stuffed in pockets." She tested the gold coin again between her fingers. "I guess it's real, but nobody gives away something for nothing -- and I don't think spirits do, either. I don't trust it."

Her mercy truly knows no bounds. Aang gives her a sympathetic nod while peering towards the sore spot.

"Okay, you've got a point. It's probably not a gold spirit. But maybe we can still trust it. Did you see that message that was in the paper?"

It's true. It doesn't. And it's lucky for him with what he says next.

". . . Yeah. Definitely. I read the paper every day, back to front. Just before tea time with the pink platypus bear."

"Pink platypu-" Then he quickly turns apologetic as it sinks in. "Sorry Toph! But my point is, there was something up with the newspaper last week. It had something extra on it... something spirity. It was saying something about a job, repairing the city and rewards. This just must be.. a reward"!

So getting used to the blindness amnesia any more. (Not that she'll let anyone get away with it, either.)

Her arms fold across her chest. ". . . Yeah. Because spirits always put out a want ad. Look, you're the spirit guy. How many spirits have you heard of that act like this? That don't give out some kind of catch? If there hasn't been one yet, you can pretty much bet there will be."

A little skeptical over here.

"Even if it is a spirit, we don't know it's the same one, anyway. We're going to need something a lot more concrete."

Another scream of glee from the crowd as another host of coins appears.

". . . And probably keep people from going crazy. Or doing something really stupid."

He scratches at the back of his neck. "There's all kinds of spirits, just like how there's all kinds of people. Maybe it really does want to reward people. But maybe it... doesn't realize the problems it could make?" He tentatively proposes as he looks towards the crowd.

"But you're right. It's definitely making a lot of those people act silly. Think it's time for some Team Avatar problem resolving?"

A small grin at that, and she's suddenly standing a little straighter. "I'm game."

You know, as long as she gets to toss a few people around in the process.

"Where's Katara? Kind of surprised she's not mommying them already."

Now a silence falls, and his expression falters. "S-so you haven't heard from her either. I... I don't know where she is Toph."

An eyebrow shoots up sharply. Because what does he mean, he doesn't know? He's Aang. Isn't he supposed to be keeping an eye on these things?

"What do you mean, you don't know where she is?"

Her voice, too, comes out a little sharper than intended.

He frowns and looks down at the ground as if feeling like he deserved this outburst.

"I don't know!" It's a sad moan. "I just don't! It's... it's just like when Sokka went poof!"

Call For Help

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject