02 - open

[tophbeifong]

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.

Comments

[last_lombax]

"Hot...air...balloons? You all make me sad. Technology is really a great thing." He sighed and kicked a pebble off of his chair.

"Which sucks because we don't have any here to help us get off this planet."

[tophbeifong]

Toph was quiet. She sat up and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees.

"Do you think there's even a way back to our homes? Technology or not?"

[last_lombax]

"Well for most of us, yeah. I think so. We got here somehow so there has to be a way to go back. You are talking to a Lombax here. My ancestors created a hat that could open portals between dimensions. If we put our minds to it we can easily get out of here."

[tophbeifong]

Well, now Toph had heard it all.

Hats that could open portals. Living on floating chunks of metal. Being close to the sun and not melting. Being transported to an energy sucking castle out of no where. Monsters made out of shadows. Talking lemurs.

Yep. Nothing could surprise her anymore.

"If you say so," she shrugged, unable to form enough of a fluent thought to argue.

[last_lombax]

"Yeah this is all a little weird for me too. This place is kind of messed up. I checked almost every inch of that sarcophagus room and found nothing that could have brought us here. Something had to of done it though..." Ratchet leaned back into his chair and tapped his chin.

[tophbeifong]

"I was blaming Avatar magic but I'm the only one here that's ever heard of that... so that's out."

She sighed loudly, sounding annoyed and frustrated with the whole situation. Who wasn't, though?

[last_lombax]

"Well maybe it was some kind of magic...but I don't know. How could magic pull all of us here like this and we not see anything? There's something really screwy happening here. And I'm going to find out what it is."

[tophbeifong]

"I'm just bored enough to help if you need a hand or two," she offered. She didn't know what he had in mind or how she could be of assistance at all, but it was better than sitting around all day, doing nothing but melding with the bench and becoming little more than a bump on a log.

[last_lombax]

Ratchet smiled at that and gave a nod. "You got it. We'll work together to get out of this. And everyone else out too. Just need to get passed those damn shadow monsters. Wish I had my weapons but I wonder...if you could use your Bending you might be able to take them out with rocks."

[tophbeifong]

"Why rocks?" she was grinning to herself. Another chance to show off, coming right up!

"If you have any iron or something lying around, I can make you some out of something better than rock."

[last_lombax]

"Wait...you can bend metal too? Oh ho! I think we just got a better weapon. If I can shape it, could you make a giant boomerang of metal fly through the air?"

[tophbeifong]

She thought about it before nodding, a smirk on her face.

"More than likely, no doubt."

[last_lombax]

"Then those shadows aren't going to know what hit them."

[tophbeifong]

"You'll just have to aim me," she told him. "I'm told the shadows are just that- shadows. I can't hear them or feel them from what I gather. I wouldn't know, though. I've never encountered one."

[last_lombax]

"I can do that." He smiled and then stopped for a moment. He looked into Toph's eyes and finally realized something. She was blind. Okay...he was so dense.

"Yeah, I can do that easy."

[tophbeifong]

"Then we're good, aren't we?"

She smirked to him before relaxing again.

"Just let me know when. It's not like I don't have the time whenever you want."

[last_lombax]

"You got it. I need to make a wish at the fountain first. Maybe I can get some Raritanium and you can see if you can bend that. That stuffs even harder than iron."

[tophbeifong]

She blinked, turning her head just a fraction towards him.

"... there's a fountain? A wishing fountain?"

How did THAT work?

She sighed.

"Okay. I stand corrected. NOW there is nothing I haven't heard of."

[last_lombax]

Ratchet blinked at the sudden question and slowly nodded...before realizing she couldn't see.

"Yeah, no one told you? You step into it, make a wish and what you want eventually appears."

[tophbeifong]

"I've only been here a few days. I know precisely three people. ... four, including you. I haven't really had a chance to hear about anything."

But wishings...?

"Has anyone ever thought about wishing to go home?"

[last_lombax]

"From what I hear, it's limited to objects. Can't wish for anything else."

[tophbeifong]

"Well, there goes that idea," she snorted again.

"What else is around this place?"

[last_lombax]

"Let's see. There's a small pond Duo and I found and hallways. Haven't found much more than that. I haven't really been the exploring type, you know?"

[tophbeifong]

"No, I get it. With those monsters around, I'm reluctant to do much exploring, myself."

Then, she repeated to herself what he'd said.

"... wait, you know Duo?"

It hadn't crossed her mind how small the livable area was in this place, and thus how likely it was that everyone did or would eventually know everyone.

[last_lombax]

"Yeah I do. He was one of the first people I met actually. Pretty cool guy. How did you meet him?"