shatterverse | (no subject)

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Outside the farmhouse, there's a very localised seismic incident.

Toph spent the night in a rock tent, mostly because the main building is already packed full of people. This morning, for a lack of anything else to do, she's decided to do something about it.

So this tiny little blind girl is standing in an empty field, within sight of both fort and house. At first she just stands paces quietly, getting a feel for the earth, then her hands lift, and a huge square of turf rises about three feet up, on a large slab of bed rock, taking her with it.

From there the Earthbender continues, waving her arms and occasionally feet in firm, strong motions, but with no obvious results to anyone who can't see or feel beneath the surface of the ground as she can, or who hasn't lookedclose enough to see the strained expression on her face. Not until the raised slab heaves up again after half an hour's work.

Toph is building somewhere for people to sleep.

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Tom looks, wait for it, surprised.

"Handy trick, that," he comments, still not wild about the idea of being able to be found instantly.

"Yeah," Toph says, stretching he arms out casually.

"It's pretty cool."

"An' it's called bendin'," Tom repeats. A bit teasingly: "Not demonic, I hope?"

Beat.

"What's that mean?"

Tom looks confused at the idea of a world without demons. "Creatures that come from Hell."

Toph clearly doesn't know what Hell is.

"Where's that?"

Tom gives an amused and amazed chuckled. "Where the souls of bad types go when they're dead."

"Never heard of it," Toph says stubbornly. "Certainly never been there."

"You wouldn' unless you're dead, would you? But demons can come outta Hell an' walk the earth, they say."

"Like spirits?" Toph asks.

"Um, I guess?" Tom tries again. "You mean spirits like dead-folk's ghosts, righ'?"

"No," Toph says. "If I meant ghosts I'd say ghosts. I mean like the moon spirit and the ocean spirit and all the other whoosy mystical stuff the Avatar communes with."

Tom looks amused. The moon have a spirit? He's finally found a world madder than this one.

"Avatar?"

"Twinkletoes," Toph says with a 'duh' voice. "Master of all four elements, great bridge between our world and the spirits. Mystic blah blah."

Tom full-out laughs at that. "Nice to see such a religious young lass in this godless world," he teases.

"Hey," Toph objects, pointing directly at him. "I'm close personal friends with the Avatar, bucko. That's plenty religious."

"Are you, now?" Said in a way that implies he doesn't entirely believe her.

"If he was here you could ask him yourself," she objects. "I'm his Earthbending instructor. The Avatar's earthbending instructor."

Toph demands respect, yo.

"He's so special an' he needs instruction in earthbending?" Tom asks with a raised eyebrow.

Ur mystic beings r lame!

"You think it's easy to master all four elements without instruction?"

"Mastered shiftin' without any," Tom boasts.

And lies, as well.

"I can tell you're lying," Toph points out.

Tom's expression becomes one of dislike.

"Have a good time buildin' yer house," Tom says coldly before making for the house.

"Bye!" Toph calls after him, waving cheerfully.

Tom neither waves nor says 'bye!' back.

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