tushanshu_logs

Entry tags:

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Characters: Korra, Toph
Date: June 24th
Location: EA-3A, Toph's suite.
Situation: No bending means no sight.
Warnings/Rating: N/A, will update if needed.

Who knew such a short exchange of words could mean so much. After talking to Toph Korra had left her suite in a rush almost forgetting to close the door on her way out. Korra had taken the loss of her bending quite hard, after all it is what she had been training with for most of her life. Never had it occurred to her how that could affect Toph though.

Getting through the Metal Sector was made easy by buying a ride to the Earth Sector. Once there she went full sprint, casually shoving aside any kedan that got in her way. In any other instance she'd apologize, but there wasn't any time for her to stop. Right now, it was a waste of breath that she needed to keep herself running at top speed.

Once she got there, she skidded to a halt and knocked on the door loudly. She remembered this time to do so.

"Toph, it's me!"

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"Yeah?" The word was still soft, but soothed a bit. The idea of an entire floor open for venting frustrations was highly appealing at the moment.

Korra was also being pretty patient . . . and, childish or not, those words were something she needed to believe. If there was any residual doubt about going with the Avatar, it vanished. Toph drew a quiet breath and nodded, reaching out for her.

"Yeah." Korra answered softly with a smile. The motion caught her eye and Korra put her hand in Toph's.

"You've never had a floating fruit slush before, have you?" She asked with a smirk as she stood up and lightly stepped backed, giving Toph room to stand. "Because I think I'm the first person to make it. Best stuff in the world after a hard workout."

Guided by Korra's hand, Toph allowed herself to slide from the couch and back to the floor. She half-anticipated the familiar resonance that usually accompanied the movement -- and shut out the sensation that it didn't happen.

Feeling Korra's actions through the shifting in position of her own arm, having her hand held to guide . . . this was something she remembered, back before she was six, when her own family, servants and staff were the guide to the world. For a moment, just as she had been when she arrived, she was displaced in time and space.

"Sounds good." She waited for Korra to make the first move. "What's in it?"

A gentle grip that was backed by tamed strength is what Korra offered as a physical guide to Toph. Letting the first few steps they took be a little slow at first to set their pace, Korra led Toph to the door of her suite.

"Nothing but sweet floating fruit. A friend of mine had preserved it when it was available. After that I just froze it and mashed it up." Opening the door also let in the sounds of Keeliai.

"I've gotten a brain freeze a couple of times." That last part was said somewhat abashedly. It was hard to stop having the snow cone-esque treat.

Toph listened with half an ear -- not because she wasn't genuinely interested, but her mind still spun. The sounds of the world outside as the door opened were more of a relief than she'd expected -- a sign that not every sense had abandoned her. Mentally, she tested herself, sorting out the individual voices of the kedan, the rumble of a cart, trying to place everything in space. It took effort . . . but it was a mental exercise she forced herself to manage. Reaching back, she pulled the door shut behind them both.

"It's fine," she proffered to Korra. "I can go faster.

She was keeping closer than an arm's length, though, her grip tightening on her friend's fingers.

"It's not like sea prunes, is it?" This was a return to the earlier thread of conversation.

Because if it was like sea prunes, Korra could enjoy that one on her own.

Before Korra could reach to close the door, Toph had beat her to it. Something that actually comforted her. There was more to Toph than just her bending, but Korra wasn’t quite sure how to put that in words just yet.

“All right.” Korra’ grip tightened as Toph’s did, a reassurance that the Avatar was strong enough to be relied on as much or as little as possible. Happy to have her friend next to her, Korra upped theirs to a normal walk pace.

“Haha, no, no. It’s not like sea prunes at all!” She couldn’t keep in her laugh. It was amusing to her how just about everyone in Keeliai hated sea prunes, but knowing that Toph did felt normal. Someone from the Earth Kingdom not having that preference was something that didn’t bother Korra in the least. It was a fond reminder of home, even if it was from a different time.

“Actually it’s one of the sweetest fruits I’ve had. Almost feels like I’m eating dessert.” Going through the Earth Sector was simple since Korra had visited Toph’s suite enough to learn her way around. “There’s not nearly as many cars here as there is in the Metal.” She commented over how easy it was to cross the streets, the water fountain they passed was audible thanks to the lack of loud engines.

Weaving through people was easy, but Korra kept her hand firmly on Toph’s in case one of the kedan wasn’t paying attention.

"If it's not like sea prunes, then I'll give it a try." Toph kept herself busy with her sound mapping exercise, keeping close to Korra. Apparently it was working out reasonably; she shifted in space to avoid a kedan child darting to avoid a companion with a laugh and completely not looking where he was going.

It wasn't much -- not enough to trust navigating a street by herself -- but it was something.

Cars would be a completely other matter. At another time, Toph might have liked the noisy things -- even been fascinated. Right now, they were a danger.

"Metal's different than the others," she noted, twisting her neck to catch the sound of a construction crew still at work repairing one of the homes damaged during the spectre invasion.

Keeping close to Toph was Korra’s top priority when they worked their way through the end of the crowded market circle of the Earth Sector. “This place was in shambles after that satellite crashed.” A note of distaste in her mouth since this was where she had first encountered Amon in person.

“Yeah, I’ve been to all of the sectors finally and Metal has a lot of ‘new’ things. I guess.” She wasn’t sure if that was they way to describe it. As if on cue they had crossed over into the Metal Sector which had less people on the sidewalk, which meant it would be easier for Toph, but also had more cars/motorcycles driving around, which meant Korra was on double time for watching where they go.

“Um… I think I know an easier way to get through here, but I’m not sure if you’d like the idea.” No more tip toeing around for Korra, she now knew that was more of an insult to Toph than a consideration. “When was the last time you had a piggy back ride?”

At that, Toph's face immediately swung in Korra's direction as though to say, Are you kidding me?

She definitely did appreciate the forthrightness instead of the tiptoeing, but that didn't mean she would always be in on what Korra offered, either. Today had already been damaging to her ego; having to ride piggyback so she didn't get run over was potentially humiliating.

She knew full well Korra was trying to help and hadn't meant it that way, but she was still getting the Really? expression.

Right now, Korra was really glad Toph couldn't see tha half smirk on her face. Not everyone in the Metal Sector respected the rules of the road, rules far beyond Korra since vehicles were the bane of her existence. Aside from Amon. Last thing she wanted was to have to sprint across the street and lose her grip on Toph's hand.

"Who's lived in this sector longer?" She asked, trying to inject a grin into her voice, which wasn't that hard. "The kedan here are pretty harsh with their driving and accidents do happen. Let's just say the cars they have here can move a lot faster than anything you've come across." Except for Aang when he used airbending to increase his speed to phenomenal levels, but that's kind of an exception.

"It's not that I don't trust you. I don't trust them." Korra said as she bent over to look at Toph face to face, her grip never loosening. "I almost got hit on my first day here and we have these back home during my time." Having spent her first night searching high and low through the Metal Sector for Naga, there had been a few close calls in the streets.

This face right here? That's a pure Bei Fong sulk. Even though she sensed Korra's face close to hers (sea prune breath), Toph twisted her face stubbornly to one side. If she'd had sight, there would have been a seared hole in the sidewalk.

Muttered finally, "Haven't been carried since I was six."

Well, okay, not strictly true. But being saved from drowning or being scooped up because your feet are burned and Sparky Sparky Boom Man is after you is necessity and doesn't count.

But yes, six . . . After she'd discovered earthbending, she'd always wanted to be down, out of someone's arms, letting her new awareness unfold beneath her. She'd always carried her own weight and been proud of it.

". . . This doesn't leave this road," she informed Korra after another long (and sulking) pause. In other words, Korra, you take this one to the grave and tell all your reincarnations to keep their mouths shut.

Usually Korra could pout with the best of them, but Toph took it that to another level. Now she could see where Lin got her stubbornness from.

"Not a word." Korra agreed, keeping as much of a straight face as she could. Korra crouched backwards and placed Toph's hand on her shoulder. "No one should be able to see you if you keep your head down." It wasn't much consolation, but it's what Korra had to offer.

"Most of the kedan here are too busy looking at their little hand devices anyway. Some of them even bump into street lamps." Why they would choose to walk and do that at the same time made no sense to Korra.

The Bei Fong scowl/pout was something to be renowned and feared in all circles -- and yes, would be yet another thing that Toph would pass to Lin.

With another mutter that was unintelligible, Toph navigated her way onto Korra's back, lightly looping her arms over the other girl's shoulders and placing her feet to either side of Korra's back in preparation for being picked up.

Great earthbenders did not ride piggyback.

"Not so much the kedan I care about." Toph was much closer to Korra's ear now. "But . . . that's pretty stupid." Meaning the kedan walking into street lamps.

Thankfully, Toph wasn't known as a great earthbender on Tu Vishan. Yet.

"Wait until your hear what happens when they do that while driving cars." Korra said semi-seriously. That was a pretty scary sight.

Once Korra felt Toph arms on her shoulders she reached down to put her hands underneath both her thighs. Standing back up, she found it a lot easier to cross the street and continue their trek through the Metal Sector.

"So who was it? When you were six I mean." Korra asked, her eyes looking to the side to where Toph was leaning towards.

It was only a matter of time. Toph would make sure of it.

Meanwhile, Toph exhaled near Korra's ear as she was scooped up and carried forward.

"My parents." There was an undercurrent of something in those words that might be hard to place. Wistfulness? Anger? Guilt? "Sometimes a guard or a servant, especially if I wandered too far on the grounds. They really hated me doing that." A faint snort. "Not like much was getting beyond those walls to attack me."

Her ears pricked towards a screech of tires in the distance, followed by a blast of horn.

Feeling her hair being moved by her breath told Korra this probably wasn't Toph's ideal subject.

"My father was the last person to give me one, and I was about the same age too." She wasn't going to count the time when Mako had her on his back while she was practically unconscious. The sound grabbed Korra's attention as well, and it was in the direction they were heading.

Picking up her pace to a power walk to see what it was, Korra refreshed her hold on Toph's legs when she saw a kedan struggling to their feet. Judging from their cursing, they almost got sideswiped.

"Typical Metal." Korra said as they continued on now that she was sure no one was badly injured. Her suite was just a block away now. "That's the kind of thing I was talking about."

"Mm," was Toph's response to Korra's story -- but that note sounded more wistful than anything else. When Korra let the subject go, Toph let it go too.

"What happened?" She twisted her head after the sound of the two cursing kedan as her transport jogged past. "All I hear are a lot of words I'm probably not supposed to know."

Though rest assured, Toph had a full collection of them.

Korra turned her head to talk to Toph as she neared her suite. "Oh, someone almost got hit by a car. Didn't see who was at fault though." They had a strong choice in swear words as it were. Opening the door, her suite greeted them with a cool temperature change. "Air conditioning has to be the greatest thing in this city."

Closing the door with her foot, Korra then crouched back down and loosened her hold on Toph's legs so she could get down comfortably. "Make yourself at home. Bedroom's to the right. You can sleep in there, and I can- sleep on the couch." Korra's tone was probably a dead giveaway that she hadn't thought of any of this until just now.

"Stairs are next to the bedroom and lead up to the training floor. It's all open except for the sliding doors; that's the meditation room. The very unused meditation room. Console's set up exactly like yours, so no problems there."

This was just a quick rundown, Korra was of course going to give her a better tour than that. "I've still got a lot of the poofy stuff that came with the suite."

Yeah, that was a lot of information at once. Having landed back on the floor, Toph once again looked smaller than usual in the new space. Twisting her neck in response to Korra's words, she took in how sound bounced off the area around them (fairly open right here, no wall or furniture reflecting Korra's voice) and the scent that was cool air and definitively, somehow, Korra herself.

She didn't try to move for the moment, though.

"Couch is fine," she replied with a shrug, trying to be more nonchalant about the whole thing than she felt. "I'm not even used to a bed -- and I'm supposed to be a guest, right? Not kick you out of what's yours."

Head tilt towards the meditation room, accompanied with a very small smirk. "Not into meditation?"

Sound logic by her standards.

Korra looked up the ceiling where the meditation room would be upstairs. That smile turned into a light pout. "Not exactly my kind of thing. I've done it once, and it wasn't under the circumstances I would've liked."

Though it did help her, so she was willing to give it another shot, but she'd prefer if that was on the head of Tu Vishan. Where she felt she'd be most safe since meditation is how she ended up in Keeliai.

"Anything in the fridge and freezer is up for grabs. Fish jerky is in lower cupboards." and then she added just to be clear. "None of them were seasoned with sea prunes."

"Someday you're going to have to tell me about some of these 'circumstances,'" Toph noted. "I know I said I didn't really want to know about my future, but you're kind of making me wonder about yours." The small smirk returned. "But meditation's not really my thing either."

And the smirk turned into a snort at the rest. "And got it. Fish jerky I can probably handle."

Getting up to the freezer, though . . . well. If it was anything like her own, she might need a chair.

Hesitation. "Can we . . . move around? Hopefully it'll help me figure out where things are."

"Not the most fun stories, those 'circumstances'. But sure, I think I'll have plenty of time to tell you all that stuff now." It was nice to hear that she wasn't the only one who found calming yourself wasn't as easy as everyone claims. Giving Toph a smile, Korra let her know by including that in her voice. "Thanks. That officially makes it the nap room then!" Laying down on the cushions after a workout didn't sound too bad.

"Sure, we can do that." Korra reached down to find Toph's hand and began leading her about the suite. Console first since it was the closest and then work around to the rest, letting Toph stay within arm's reach of either the walls or any furniture they came across.

Toph's fingertips trailed along the walls and furniture as they moved -- furtively, a slight extension down near her side as though it wouldn't be quite as obvious down there. It was some attempt to get a sense of space, some attempt to tap into the six year old she had been, long before she could sort out her seismic sense.

Admittedly, it wasn't completely helping. She'd been "sighted" for far too long, come to take some things as much for granted as any seeing person. It would take several more walkthroughs through the apartment to gain a true sense of the space, potentially when Korra was asleep and unable to see her groping. Time to count the number of steps from there to here and here to there.

Toph's brow furrowed faintly, some of the frustration returning. But it was frustration that she kept to herself.

"What's it like for you?" she asked quietly as the tour of the lower floor finished up. "Without your bending?"

That frustration went largely unnoticed by Korra as she happily pointed out everything, and when they got to the stairs she paused. What it felt like wasn't an easy thing to put into words.

At least not fully put into words. Korra had simply told others it was like missing a part of yourself. For them though, that was enough. For another bender like Toph, Korra knew that wasn't a sufficient description.

"Losing everything that a lot of people were counting on? It's pretty hard to deal with. I mean no one here really cares about Aang's legacy." Honestly, it didn't mean anything on Tu Vishan. "But when you have that kind of thing being expected from you for thirteen years and then it's suddenly gone. That's hard to deal with."

Korra sighed and inadvertently squeezed Toph's hand. "And the bending part itself is... it just makes me feel like my life up until now is useless." Years and years focused on bending and nothing else now left Korra in the middle of nowhere without any direction to go.

Toph took this in quietly, eyes pointed toward the ground, but with the arch to her neck that told that she was listening, absorbing. Their twined hands hung between them in space.

"Yeah," she said at last in that same lowered tone. "I guess I get that . . . or part of it. But you're still the Avatar. Bending or not -- and that's more than the bending and the whole spiritual bridge thing. You're like Aang . . . You've got a way of . . . I don't know. Smoothing out people. That's not something they're going to be able to take away. Something you can use."

A faint, wry smile. "Even if the bending is yeah, like they chopped off a limb. And you're still wondering what you could ever be good for without it."

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