castleinthemist | 02

Entry tags:

02 - open

Toph knew she found the courtyard through various senses. She could smell the fresh air, hear the birds, and feel the warm sunlight and cool breeze. The hard stone from the castle faded into softer walkway stone as she moved out into the yard. When her feet touched the grass, she smiled to herself. No longer was the resonance of vibration from the earth surging out and back at her with all its strength. Instead, it met resistance and the grass muffled her senses as it tickled her feet, creating a sort of static for her until it gave way under her soles to let foot meet soil and allow the reverberations communicate to her nearly half a second later than solid ground.

It was a strange sensation, but she welcomed it. It calmed her, and she continued to smile while she moved to what she thought was a nice spot.

She breathed calmly and evenly as she took her stance. One move, another, and then a third, and a perfectly shaped chaise rose up from the ground. She felt proud of herself as she moved to it and lay down, body lying comfortably against the contour of the grass-covered reclining seat.

Once decidedly comfortable, Toph pulled a flask from her belt and took a drink from it. Nice, cool water. She'd stolen the idea from another castle inhabitant and had made one out of a chunk of metal ripped from her bed frame. He used his for naughty juice; she used hers for water.

Toph felt a little guilty. Most of the castle was trying to figure out how to get out of there. She, though, wasn't putting so much effort into it. Sure, she wanted to leave, but what could she do? She'd promised a new friend that she wouldn't go far without eyes to help her spot the monsters she couldn't detect. While she wanted to do her part of the exploring and searching for a way home, she didn't want to be useless in a fight against a flying shadow with claws.

There were very few times that Toph would admit her blindness to be a hindrance. A skirmish against the monsters that moved without contact or sound was one of those very few times.

"I'll just wait for a friend," she told no one before closing her eyes and laying her head back against her arm.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Duo was glad his double took the higher ground in this case and he nodded approvingly. No more fighting with those two, he'd make sure of it.

"We are going to go hunt for supplies. You can bend metal like you did before, right? So we go find some metal like those iron fences and see if you can make us some supplies and weapons. Sound like a good use of your skill, Toph?" It took a bit to remind himself not to call her kiddo, but he would eventually.

For once he was actually willing to admit that yes, he did start it, but he was just as willing to relent and admit he was in the wrong.

He at least wanted to try to get along with her, for his double's sake.

He let the two of them talk, standing by quietly but listening to the plan. Weapons and supplies. Damn good idea.

"That sounds nice and dandy," She agreed. "Where is the metal, though?"

Unless he meant the beds and bars on the windows. That wasn't a bad idea to her, but some of their castle mates might not appreciate it.

He'd already mentioned one source, being the iron fences he'd seen. He snorted in amusement and started walking, making a noticeable pause at the entrance back into the castle. He was horrified of those shadows, why go back out there?

He took a deep breath and marched forward. "I don't know where the metal is, let's just go look for some and hope we get lucky."

Duo watched his double carefully from where he stood, catching the hesitation and frowning at it. He didn't blame him for still being afraid after what happened. The thought of the shadows even gave him chills still.

He didn't say anything, at least right then, and just followed quietly after him and Toph until he fell in step next to his double.

"Hey... we got your back, man. Whatever happens," he said quietly.

"Yeah, don't worry about anything," Toph told him. She was all smiles and confidence as she moved past him to walk in front of him.

"You're safe with me."

She paused to sock him in the forearm before walking only a few steps ahead.

He snorted humorlessly and continued walking along side of them through the common room. He needed to suck it up and go on. It was in his nature to jump into the action, not cower from it. Sure, he ran when he had to and he didn't go looking for fights, but he was a warrior. A soldier.

"I know." He said, stretching arms back behind his head to stretch them. "I really am acting like a cowardly fool, aren't I?"

He continued on, chuckling mirthlessly at Toph's comment. "Let's hope so."

C'mon. Get your game back, Maxwell.

"I don't blame you, yehknow..." Duo said, staying where he was in stride next to his double even as Toph went on ahead of them. He kept an eye on the smaller girl, though. She could handle herself, obviously, but that didn't make him worry any less about the very thing the other was fretting over.

"Those things give me the fuckin' creeps... and I only had to swing at 'em... can't even begin to imagine what you're goin' through..."

Toph, well ahead by then, stopped and turned towards them. She wanted to make fun of them, REALLY wanted to call them panises or pussy cats, but she couldn't do it. She could feel their tension, their careful breathing, their apprehension. These boys were truly scared.

Her look of sympathy and empathy was apparent for a second or two, even at a distance, but almost as soon as she was aware of it she stomped it down and gave them a one-armed shrug, the other hand on her hip.

"It can't be that bad. I'm sure you're making a big deal out of nothing."

This time, she stayed at their side, arms behind her head, once they caught up to her. She was doing her best to try and liven them up.

"Could be right, Toph. Could be right." Was his maligned response to Toph's assertion and he let out an exasperated sigh. He just had to get himself out and face it, but why was he scared? He considered it, back to being pulled back in. It was like facing death, something he's already done before and barely just recovered from it.

"It's dark stuff, Toph. Sticks with yah. But I'm not gonna let them do that a second time." His uncertain expression faded to one of irritation and he shook his head. "To hell with it. It's not gonna happen, man. No way. Let's go." He walked forward at a bit of a faster pace, patting Toph on the back as he passed her.

After a few yards he looked back to his double. "Hey. Bro. What do you think we should make anyway? Weapon wise? You fought em, after all."

Bro? That was... different, unexpected even. But... not completely unwelcome. Hell, they were brothers in a very strange, cosmic sense. It worked, and he wasn't going to call the other out on it, especially if it made him feel better about the situation as a whole.

"Uh... well... all I did was grab a thing of wood that was leaning against one of the walls. It wasn't very heavy... bet if those damn things hadn't fallen they woulda been back up after one hit. ... soo..." he drawled, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "Something heavier than that would probably be more effective, in that case."

The Earthbender pouted, slumping just a little.

"Well, whatever you have in mind, I need to know what it is. With everything that's different between your world and mine, I can only imagine the weaponry is different, too.

"Hot air balloons are barely a new, ground breaking development for us. You and your 'technology' and 'floating around the earth' and 'far away suns' lead me to believe what you have in mind and what I have in mind as far as weaponry are not the same thing."

"Doesn't need to be too heavy that you can't lift it." Duo said under his breath, walking onwards until they hit the hallway that he'd explored with Ratchet before.

"Here's some metal along these windows right here." Why not grab it? Ain't like anybody is using it. He looked at it, pausing. So what to make?

"Sword? Staff? It's gotta be light enough not to make your self get tired too soon and heavy enough to swing hard to kick some ass, right?" He still mulls it over, thinking back to the little bender.

"How about a riot club?"

Duo stared at Toph in slight confusion. He really didn't know anything about her, except that she was young, blind, and could move rocks just by moving her body. Her comment didn't make much sense, but he figured whatever his double had told her had given her some insight in to their world and from the sounds of it, they were severely advanced in comparison.

"Uh..." he shook his head, dismissing the thoughts to focus on the task at hand. "Riot club? Like what police officers use?"

"I can do a club," she told them as she moved over to the window. She reached up and knocked on the bars with one knuckle before lightly touching it with her finger tips. Yep, she could bend that.

She wrapped her hands around bars and with a deep inhale through her nose, ripped the bars off the window and into the hall.

"Yes!" She hissed to herself, grinning as she began molding and shifting the metal, working hand over hand with her Bending to make an acceptable arsenal for them. The metal moved with her will like putty.

"I don't know how accurate these are. I never took the time to examine weapons back home because I never thought I'd need reference. This isn't a whole lot of metal to work with, anyway."

Regardless, she easily crafted a Water tribe influenced club and had just enough left over to make a kama, something she'd noticed was used frequently both as a agriculture tool as well as a weapon.

When she was done, she stepped back from the wrought iron weapons and cracked her knuckles.

"There. How's that?"

"Yeah. Police or military." Duo nodded at his double, though noting his confusion at what Toph had said where he just shrugged it off. Guess he shoulda explained that stuff better the other night. Turning his attention to the pipsqueak. To his sober mind the action against the metal was a shock, but he quickly remembered that she'd done the same thing with him not too long before with that metal piece around her arm, and then this was exactly what he'd planned on her doing.

It's just seeing her in action? Whoa. He watched the metal twist and turn before she finalized the two pieces. He reached over and picked up the kama.

"Well well... Toph. Anyone ever said you have a knack for the ironic?"

"Holy hell..." Duo breathed after watching her work, more than shocked and amazed that she'd been able to pull that off so well. What else could he say? It was like watching a damn miracle in the making, that was for sure.

"... is that some crack about the metal?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest. The implications went straight over her head, yet again. This just confirmed her thoughts that Duo and Sokka would get along swimmingly.

"I think I broke your friend."

"Oh." He pauses. "Irony? No!" He snorted a laugh out of the amusement of the lame pun.

"I didn't even consider that. I just mean that me and this guy here... This is our weapon of choice." He said, handling it over and pressing his thumb against the blade.

"It might just work." He pauses and looks to his double, offering him the weapon. He could have it.

"What I tell you?"

Duo shook his head sharply, snapping himself out of whatever shock had settled on him. He smirked faintly at the weapon, finally taking note of what it was rather than how it had been made, lifting in to his hand to test the weight of it. Smaller than what he would have gone for himself had he the ability to make it, but right then he really couldn't complain about it.

"Damn... this is impressive. Really, really impressive."

She grinned, arms behind her head and back straight as she at least tried not to boast.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet!"

She turned away from them and moved farther into the hall.

"Feels like there's more down this way. If I get enough of it, I can make bigger, sharper, stronger, and better. You said you had a lot of friends here, right? Maybe they would like something."

At that point, she was just fishing for a reason to metalbend.

Duo scooped up the club. It was heavy, but it was nothing he couldn't handle by himself. What spare design features there were in it, it left a sturdy handle and a weighted end. Worked for him. Would give him a better swing.

He whispered towards his double. "Maybe we can get her to make us a new gundam while she's at it." Just a joke, and a stupid one. But with her enthusiasm they could make anything.

He leaned the club on his shoulder and made to follow.

The joke earned a quiet snort and a shake of his head. He wasn't sure what any kind of mobile suit would have done to help them in their current situation, but it didn't make the joke any less amusing.

He fell in step next to his double again, following Toph deeper in to the castle.

"I think a lot of people would be grateful for weapons and tools, not just us."

"I can try to make whatever you want," she responded. Good hearing coupled with the echo of the stone hall made it hard to hide things from her.

"But I'm thinking some armor would be useful. And something to cook with, maybe some fishing hooks, a couple arrow heads, maybe."

She paused and motioned for them to hang back as she took her position between three windows on her left and three windows on her right. That much space between her and the target, plus that many targets, would take a lot of effort, but she was just in the mood to exert it. She took her stance, wide, rooted to the ground, strong and solid enough to stand firm through it all.

After a few short movements of her hands and arms, it appeared that she was pulling on something invisible. She struggled with it for just a moment, but then the metal bars began to creak and groan, screaming and whining against their own inertia and refusal to move.

She put more force into it, gradually as not to snap herself or the bars, until finally, like a loosened tooth, they pulled completely free of the stone and clattered to the ground around her.

She was grinning.

"Didn't even break a sweat!" She was just showing off at that point.

Armor? Augh, thinking about all of this in a medieval perspective was tough. He didn't know where to start. Maybe talk to those guys from that era to find out what they could use? He was by no means a history buff.

He stepped back when she took a stance, knowing it was probably best not to be in the way when she was doing her thing, but the creaking and strain of the metal and the rock was the most concerning. He stepped further back, watching the wall for any cracks.

"Careful." He shot out, his eyes darting from Toph and back to the wall. There was no way to tell how stable the ground was.

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject