Open to all! Dated before the barrier goes funny.

[dustonmyfeet]

The girl making her way through the city probably wasn't anyone's image of Toph Bei Fong, and certainly not the image of the statue standing near the police station. She was small, verging on scrawny (an effect compounded by oversized clothing), face marked with at least a couple of layers of dirt. In that clothing, her features obscured, she might even have been taken for a boy -- were it not for the heavy braid trailing down her back.

Frankly, Toph didn't mind the whole arrangement. The makeshift disguise let her explore the city pretty much as she pleased -- or at least the parts she was currently interested in seeing. No one paid much attention to a street urchin, and there were some benefits to being blind; it tended to make others look away, and by the time they thought something of a blind girl wandering around the city by herself, Toph was gone.

So far, she had a good thing going, except for the lack of idol worship.


((ooc: Pick a setting option. Feel free to pose in with whatever your character is doing in that area, and I'll pose back off of you with whatever Toph is up to. Glad to work out anything in advance -- just PM me or poke me on Plurk!))

A. Toph is in the less well-off parts of town, taking stock of the area and probably noting the triads with interest. You might even catch her at a scam. (Hey, new place, money is necessary, and she has to test the limits.)

B. Up near the bending arena. Maybe it's just a practice day; maybe there's a game going on. She's just as likely to come either time. It's enough like Earth Rumble that she'll be interested.

C. Taking a break somewhere in the city (though likely not in the upper class districts). The satomobile vibrations are still a little rough on her, and a girl's gotta eat.

D. Wildcard -- have an idea? Poke me on PM or Plurk!

Comments

A mix of A and/or C?

[refinery]

If Satoru hadn't actively been looking for Toph and the others, he probably wouldn't have even looked twice in her direction. Every instance where he had some free time, he used it to walk through the city in hopes of finding someone else he knew from his own time period. Thanks to his goal of finding people, he was always on the lookout for people who looked familiar. As it were, her thick, braided hair immediately caught his attention. She was small, shorter than he remembered her being—just like Avatar Aang—but there was was a distinct air of confidence in how she made her way through the streets. Even with a different hairstyle, she still seemed very... Tophlike.

As quickly as he could, he approached her before he lost sight of her. He was almost positive it was her, but 99% wasn't good enough. As he reached out to lightly grab her shoulder, he whispered, "Toph, is that you?" He kept his voice low, remembering how Avatar Aang had wanted his presence kept secret. Please let this girl be Toph, he hoped.

A works!

[dustonmyfeet]

It took a considerable amount of self-control for Satoru not to get a rock to the face right there. In fact, he very nearly did. It wasn't quite as though he'd sneaked up on her; seismic sense had told her he was coming, but she'd expected something else -- a pickpocket, maybe.

A hand on her shoulder, her name in this place? Not at all.

The girl whirled on her assailant, the braid a startling extra weight as it whipped around with her, pale eyes raking across his face without quite taking it in. Said eyes narrowed as her feet planted, prepared, in the dust, very close to an earthbender waiting to strike.

"Who are you?" No confirmation of the name. The voice, the footstep . . . she didn't recognize either of them, and that meant this was a stranger -- a stranger who somehow knew her name when he shouldn't.

[refinery]

Satoru immediately held up his hands as if admitting defeat. He had to admit, that was a little terrifying, the way she turned around so fiercely. He would apologize and leave her be, but those eyes of her... they had to be Toph's.

"M-My name is Satoru," he breathed out. He looked down at her, studying the girl in front of him as he tried to piece together a proper explanation. It didn't sound like she was still mad about him about the whole Boss Man Lao thing, so the only other explanation would be that she hadn't quite met him yet, similar to Avatar Aang. Though he did promise he wouldn't mention Avatar Aang's presence in the city, so he couldn't voice that comparison.

"We've met. I swear. It was recently for me, but for you... if you are who I think you are, then you must be from around the time the war ended, right?" She was a fair bit shorter, after all. "I don't have any plans to tell anyone, I just—I've been worried about you. The last time I saw you, you were holding up an entire iron mine all by yourself and when I was dragged into this time period... you weren't anywhere around. I thought you might have been hurt."

[dustonmyfeet]

He was a flood of words, almost babbling. And none of it made sense; she didn't know him, and she'd never been near an iron mine, let alone held one up . . .

But within that outpouring of words, there was an assurance. An absolute certainty. And in his heartbeat . . . although the rate had increased, it was steady, one beat after another. Whoever this boy was, he was telling the truth. He had met her. Knew her . . . at some point from now.

Toph's mouth furrowed. Her hand snaked out, grabbing his arm, hauling him forward with her, fingers tight around his wrist. She hauled him down a nearby alley and yanked him in, perching in a crouch among the garbage cans. ". . . Okay. Talk."

Explain.

B

[savedtheworld]

[Aang hadn't had much opportunity to talk with Toph at the meeting with the Hotmen, so he made it a priority today to try to find his friend and catch up with her.

One of his first guesses ended up being a lucky one - and he ended up at the bending area, poking around in search of the Beifong. Of course, hiding his identity has proven tricky due to his tattoos. Sometimes he tries to pretend to be his own granddaughter when it's easier than trying to pass himself off as an airbending prodigy the city never heard of. And he doesn't want to cover up his arrows.

Unless of course, it's a temporary silly disguise. Like right now, he's wearing pieces of broom over his hair and face to look like an old man. He walks through the bending area, holding up a bag of popcorn.]

Popcorn! Get your fresh popcorn here! The poppiest corn you'll ever pop! [And his eyes are peeled, seeking out his friend...]

What are you, Aang.

[dustonmyfeet]

[What was it with the Gaang men fascination with beards? (Never mind that Toph would probably try to get away with one if she could. There are downsides to being a girl.)]

[His footsteps pique Toph's attention immediately, and though she can't see the disguise, she can guess he's up to something. She forgoes listening to the match, wending her way down the stands with her fingers brushing the wall. A light knock of her heel to the stand sends a ripple down the line, causing a bump out to trip him if he's not careful.]

[It's one way to catch his attention.]

your coolest and most magical friend

[savedtheworld]

[It's one way that works. Some of the kernels of popcorn scatter on the floor, and it takes him just a moment to catch his balance.]

Whoa! [Then he adjusts his mustache and continues his disguise-y voice.] Sounds like we got a tremor! Haven't felt one like that around here in oh, five hundred or so years, back when I was a whippersnapper!

[It doesn't take him long to spot the source. He saunters on over towards her, with a cheeky grin, and he still keeps up his disguise voice as he leans towards her.]

Hello there, young'n! What brings you to the bending arena at this time of day?

B

[airyopalescent]

[Training over for the day, the acolytes are turned free to do as they like in the evening hours. And Opal has found her way back into Republic City itself to go visiting, both for some of the shops and for a visit with her boyfriend as well. The Arena seemed the best bet for the latter given how he was wanting to pull the Fire Ferrets back on the circuit and so she arrives, dressed in her air acolyte garb.

After a bit of a search she finds Bolin missing from the scores sparring and a quick glance tells her without a doubt that he isn't simply lingering on the sidelines. Actually no one really seems to be lingering there but for a single younger girl.

Opal looks back towards those sparring and finds herself really enjoying the matches. The most she had seen of probending was... ah, well, over the radio so that was more hearing. Seeing them in action was a totally different thing and after a bit Opal found herself drifting to the sidelines too to watch.

That's how she ends up near the scrawny girl in her oversized clothes, not saying a word for several long moments. Then in the end she leans, something of a smile in her tone of voice.]

It seems like a lot of fun, doesn't it?

[dustonmyfeet]

[Toph is definitely lingering that day, yes, camping out to catch some of the practice bouts. She sits on the floor, legs tucked up underneath her, hands in the hollow between her legs. She sits straight up, alert, though her eyes never move from some fixed point off near where the bouts are going on. There's no twitch of surprise at the sudden voice, as though she's known Opal was there all along.]

Kinda. [Her shoulders lift.] A little rule-y for me, but interesting.

[Unlike in normal conversation, her eyes have never moved towards Opal. They still aren't quite focused, staying where they are.]

Do you play?

[airyopalescent]

[A light, sheepish laugh rises up from the teenager.]

Not at the moment. Airbenders aren't part of the games just yet unfortunately.

[She muses there, almost to herself.]

I don't know about sparring practices though. I haven't really gotten to watch a lot of them.

[It somehow didn't seem right if she couldn't play the actual game itself.]

B

[braavado]

[After such a hectic week, Korra finds some comfort in the familiar--though, technically she hasn't been in the probending arena in ages. It still holds some of her fondest, earliest memories of Republic City, and that's what draws her to it today.

While she's watching some of the teams practice, she notices someone new standing nearby.]

You here with one of them?

[Korra jerks her head toward the teams, curious.]

[dustonmyfeet]

[Being on the down low isn't foreign to Toph. The ability to blend in, skim the edges . . . it's a skill she developed out of necessity a long time ago, when unwanted attention meant restriction and the dampering of identity. It nibbles at her ego a bit, sure -- she's ten times the bender of anyone out there, she's sure of it, and she's darn well itchy to show it -- but there's a comfort in it, too. It means no expectations, and there's a freedom in that she hasn't gotten to enjoy long. She'll be whoever she wants however she wants. For the time being, she'll put up with the inconvenience.]

[She's pretty much played a shadow for the last few days, so the fact that Korra notices her, addresses her, catches her slightly off guard.]

Me? Nope. Just watching.

[Or maybe what really catches her off guard is the weird familiarity about this girl -- something that's hard to pinpoint, hard to grasp as smoke. She shakes her head quickly as though to clear it.]

You?

[braavado]

Nah. Just watching, too. [Korra turns her attention back to the teams, smiling a little wistfully.]

Used to play for a team, but not anymore. I kind of miss it though.

[She has no idea why she’s telling the stranger any of this…actually, no. It probably has something to do with the stranger not recognizing her, like a few others haven’t recently. ]

C - Do for the vines

[raavashing]

[Wan would be much harder for Toph to 'hear' coming since he was walking along the very vines she was taking her much-needed break from. He didn't realize she wast there only because it was very difficult to feel the vibrations of the city through them (though still possible because, let's face it, there were a lot of vibrations). He didn't realize she was blind. He just saw what looked like a small street urchin sitting on the edge of the vines that led into the Spirit Wilds he called his home.

He made his way down the plant until he was a few feet from her and then gave a wave.]

Hey there. Do you need some help?

[dustonmyfeet]

[Just a few days in the city helps remind Toph why she hates cities. No matter how open they are, how big and rambling, there's something about them that always feels constrictive, makes her chest feel tight, as though breathing is somehow at more of a premium. All the rumbling satomobiles definitely aren't helping, either, and even though she's improved over the last few days, especially when she's tired, all the noise pouring in through both ears and seismic sense overwhelms like a dizziness she can't quite escape.]

[So the vines, while completely unexpected, are very welcome. Clambering up onto one, straddling it, the girl sighs and surrenders to welcome blindness, giving the tumble of her sensory input a much-needed rest.]

[Not for long, though, as the sudden voice punctures the solitude. There doesn't seem to be any irritation in the other's voice, though -- just curiosity. So her shoulders lift.]

Actually, just taking a break. Is this your place?

[raavashing]

[Wan gets a better look at her once he's closer and realizes that despite lifting her shoulders and shifting where her head was, she didn't actually look at him. She was definitely paying attention to him, just not... looking at him.

He frowned and knelt down, shifting his center of gravity to try and get a better look at her face and when he did, he was surprised.]

You're blind.

[A beat.]

Sorry. I wasn't expecting that. And, uh, no. I mean, I am staying here, but it's not really my place. It's the edge of the Spirit Wilds. It belongs to everyone.

A.

[abitofawildman]

That Jinora would take over her father's role as Religious Leader was never in question, but when it came to the day-to-day logistics of actually running the Island...well, that's a job that Bumi was uniquely suited for.

For all his faults and penchant for frivolity, Bumi knew how to run a tight ship and what it took to stay on budget.

Sometimes staying within budget means shopping around for provisions in places others might not think to look. Good deals abound where the muckity-mucks fear to tread.

[dustonmyfeet]

Sometimes the deals are good. And sometimes there's a reason the muckity-mucks don't come down here: Certain vendors are dishonest, more willing to cheat to make a buck, and a number of pickpockets will be all too glad to clean out whatever's left.

But this girl coming up alongside Bumi as he stands at a stall . . . she's legit, right? Doesn't even make a grab for his pockets. And look at her eyes. She's blind. Nothing dangerous here. She grins in his direction.

"Hey, mister. Want to make a bet?"

[abitofawildman]

This particular stall is one of the last stops he has before heading back to the Island, and so he's balancing more than the usual amount of goods in one arm even as he's shopping with the other.

"Depends," he says to the voice without turning to look for its source. "What kind of bet are we talking about?"

A

[prettyinhandcuffs]

Duo could pick out the scam the girl was making a mile away, but hey, who was he to interrupt? He even kept his grin down to keep from giving it away until the tittering woman in high end (he thought at least, still learning the local fashions) wandered off after making a 'donation.'

"You're pretty good at that," he said at least as he walked up, his own braid flicking behind him.

[dustonmyfeet]

The truth of the matter was that Toph had to be a little more careful here than she was at home. After all, earthbenders existed here -- and openly, at that. This wasn't the Fire Nation, where earthbending wasn't expected, giving her an advantage. Whatever she did had to be done carefully, and by virtue of being better than the people she was scamming.

Challenge accepted, as far as Toph was concerned.

She still had some advantage. She was obviously blind, just a little girl in appearance. It made people less likely to be suspicious, at least within the first minute or two. Therefore scams had to be quicker -- get in, get out, and heavy on the cute when necessary.

This particular scam had involved a more subtle form of bending -- in this case, Toph making a playful bet with the lady that, despite the fact that she was blind, she could guess what number came up on the dice when they were tossed, just by the way they "sounded." The dice were (apparently) wood; the lady expected nothing . . . and when Toph had gotten it right, she'd laughed as though a dog had performed a very fine trick, willingly handing over the money.

(A minute or two later, she would find herself tripping in a hole that she hadn't noticed whatsoever, falling flat on her face. But that would be another story entirely, and likely it had nothing to do with the blind girl she'd left behind.)

Toph paused at Duo's voice. But there was no reason to drop the charade. Yet. And his comment was neutral enough.

"Does that mean you're trying?" She held out her hand.

[prettyinhandcuffs]

Duo laughed and shook his head, pushing the hand back. "Please, I like taking chances as much as the next guy, but I'm not stupid. Besides, no money. Wish I had that kind of hearing though. Must come in handy."

B is for Bolin!

[lavamylife]

Bolin is deep in practice. After all that resting up after fighting Zaheer and his goons and with him trying to get a team back together for the next pro-bending season, he was going to need to get into shape, so he was in the gym at the arena, chucking disks into nets, practicing stances and maneuvers, and generally getting his rhythm down. He wasn't used to this kind of fighting—where there were rules and regulations rather than just a fight for survival—in quite a while, so it's bitter work.

But he's so far getting his groove back down slowly. But for now, he takes a breather by sitting down on the floor and toweling off his face.

[dustonmyfeet]

"Your speed's kind of off."

There's a girl behind him not too far away, barefoot and dirty-faced, a heavy, dark braid draped over her shoulder. Her eyes are pale, pointed vaguely in his direction, though not really resting on him at all -- as though the far wall were more interesting. Thin shoulders lift.

"Actually? It's way off. And no offense, but you just about tell people your moves before you make them, jerking them out like you're panicked."

Hope you don't mind some constructive criticism, there, Bolin.

[lavamylife]

Bolin practically jumps when he hears the voice in the gym. It wasn't any voice he'd heard before, but even more importantly was the fact that he thought he'd been alone. He was trying to keep away from the other pro-benders' times so that he could get some solid hours in; he certainly needed it because he knew he had been slipping a little.

"Hey? Who're you?" he says curiously as he peers over to a little girl at the doorway. If he had had to take a guess, just by her appearance, he'd say that she was an orphan of some sorts, and Bolin had a large place in his heart for that. He might have asked if she was here for an autograph or something, but the criticism smacked that out of him, and he sighs a bit.

"Y–yeah, I just can't get back into my usual bending rhythm after all the craziness a few weeks ago." He definitely sounds a little disappointed in it.