Scene #3
Ashen Mist is displeased. He's spend the last several weeks dealing with mountains of paperwork, trying to requisition equipment to help restrain and take down the Baku... only for it to be defeated the day before his request was finally approved. On top of that, he came across the Scarlet Tempest the other day and had to let her WALK AWAY due to the Hub's security systems, and of course there's the fact that he was bested in single combat by a willow tree on his last Hunt.
Really, 'displeased' is an understatement. He's decided to take a long --a /very/ long-- walk to cool his jets, which is why he finds himself hiking spending a few days hiking through the East to cool his jets, just beyond the lands where the Immaculate Philosophy is recognized. The monk is halfway between towns at the moment, with only the open plains before him and the occasional stand of trees. It is a perfect place to meditate, to pray to the Dragons for guidance, and to just be left alone by the world.
It had taken a while, but Toph finally had managed to escape the walls of the noble Earth Kingdom for the freedom of the Multiverse. So many Gates, it was difficult to track her down, Creation's Gate had been one chosen at random. Being unable to see signs and things of that nature, she didn't have any idea -where- exactly she was, since she'd yet to ask around. Most of her time had been spent finding a place she could hole up for a short while.
To this end, Ashen may soon come across something new - a small tent set up in a spot far enough away as to not be a bother to locals. Only that isn't a cloth tent, but a tent made up entirely of earth; a pair of slabs are tilted up from the ground, and it has a back and front 'door' to keep the wind out. It made a nice little home - quiet, cozy, and best of all, Toph's contact with the ground ensured that she would be able to sense anyone coming - provided they were approaching from the ground anyway.
Like right now. There's a slight rumble, and the door slides downward into the ground. The occupant is officially awake - fortunately she got a full night's sleep or Ashen would be dealing with Cranky!Toph.
It's not hard for Ashen to draw the logical conclusion when he sees a /big friggin' earth tent/ set up in the middle of nowhere like this: here there be Earth Aspects.
"Good morning!" the monk calls when he sees a short figure figure exit the dwelling. It's only when he gets closer that he sees the person little more than a child. "Oh, are you traveling with someone?" he questions, glancing at the tent. He's underestimating the Earth Bender-- after all, she's just a child, and that's one hell of a shelter!
If Toph were able to make her own observations of appearance, she could have probably guessed Ashen's elemental alignment from his signature red clothes and black coat. Sadly, all she has to go on are his footsteps: firm and purposeful, as if the man owns the earth he walks on. You just can't break some habits.
Because Toph 'sees' in different ways - mostly through a technique similar to echolocation, a lot of people tend to think she can see fine. Or forget that she can't. At least until they get a good look at her eyes - it's a little difficult to /not/ notice that she's blind then.
"Good morning," Toph calls back as she dusts herself off with one short motion - dirt falling off of her clothing neatly into a pile around her. She can't tell Ashen's elemental alignment, but since most Fire benders of HER world make themselves known by blowing things up and being jerks, she isn't too worried. Besides, she can take care of herself.
Plus, there's nothing wrong with confidence. Toph has it in spades, though she never would act like she -owned- the earth she walked on. "No, I'm not," Toph answers, almost guardedly - juuust in case Ashen was someone hired by her folks to drag her back to the Earth Kingdom. Her left foot slides backward slightly, and she makes a quick motion of her hand - there's another rumble from this motion, as the earth tent sinks back into the ground. She's tidy!
The Immaculate's next question, who set up the tent, is preempted when Toph drops it back into the earth. "...an Earth Aspect? And so young?" Ashen says with a hint of surprise in his voice. A girl like this would be a boon to the Immaculate Monks-- no, to the Dynasty, she's still young enough that she could be properly educated.
"How long ago did you get your powers?" the man in red asks as he crouches to get closer to Toph's level.. trying to look past her unreasonably long bangs to look the girl in the eyes. He doesn't want to use the word "Exalt" in case this is some backwoods Outcaste who doesn't know proper terminology. You get those sometimes once you get into the Thousand Kingdoms.
Not someone hired by the Family then. Good. She's puzzled by the term 'Earth Aspect', but she supposed perhaps that was their term for Earth Benders in this world, in which case, that was good enough for her. "I guess since a few years ago, when I was about eight." Toph muses, scratching her chin with a finger. "Why?"
There's no reaction when Ashen kneels to get a better look - but neither does she look him in the eyes. She can't, which he could clearly see from the clouded green-grey of her eyes. "Are you from around here?"
Eight!? Dear Dragons, how pure is this girl's blood? Dynasts are considered most blessed if they Exalt by the time they're /ten/!
...but the way she doesn't meet his eyes and the glimpses of clouded pupils he can catch when Toph's hair moves out of the way let Ashen know that where the girl is blessed in one regard, the Dragons have chosen to leave her wanting in another. Still, she seems to have adapted well, judging from that tent she made and razed.
"Just wondering," Ashen Mist answers. "You must be very powerful, to have such skills moving the earth." At her next question, he chuckles. "No, I'm from the Blessed Isle. It's the center of the world; the place where the power of Earth is at its strongest, and the Scarlet Dynasty reigns." He regards the girl thoughtfully for a moment as he considers his next words. "You know, there would be a place for a girl as powerfully Aspected as you are within the Dynasty."
Complimenting Toph and praising her abilities is -always- a good step. The young earthbender grins broadly, stance shifting with hands on hips. "I sure am! No one's better than I am," in her own world at least. There may be some Earth Aspects in Creation that's better - GASP. SHe'll never buy that though. She'd just train herself to get stronger.
"Blessed Isle huh? Might be an interesting place to check out if what you say is true," that would actually be pretty damn awesome. It'd be interesting to feel the connection to the Earth somewhere where it's so powerful. She tilts her head a little, puzzled and skeptical both for the terminology regarding herself, "Huh? What kind of a place do you mean?" He probably would reverse his opinion if he knew she wasn't what he thought she was!
Ashen's not likely to know unless Toph tells him, he can't read the flow of Essence to see that she's not Exalted. Of course, he recognizes the possibility that this young girl could simply be the God-blooded child of an earth spirit, but that's a risk he's willing to take.
"The Dynasty is governed by the Exalted of the five elements," the monk explains patiently. "Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Wood. I'm sure they would welcome a girl with as much potential as you into their ranks with open arms." Especially House Mnemon, with its purity-of-blood fetish. Ashen makes a mental note to guide the girl away from THAT route.
Currently Toph doesn't know he thinks she's an Exalt - frankly the difference isn't really huge save for the bloodlines - she'd think anyway. "So they're nobles?" Toph asks, frowning with distaste - though she's never heard of a *Wood* element. It's not one that her people can manipulate - there were aspects of water, earth, fire and air. But then again, there were -offshoots- of certain elements..
Huh. If Water benders can manipulate blood, and Earth benders can manipulate metal, Toph kind of wonders what bender manipulated wood. If any at all. "Well I appreciate the offer," Toph waves a hand in a dismissive manner, "But I think I'll pass on that. I've already done the 'noble family' thing, and it really doesn't fit my tastes." She grins widely, "Besides, I like being on my own."
"Is that so?" Ashen says, hiding his disappointment at the rejection and his resentment at the dismissive gesture. "You were a noble, huh? I don't think any kingdom could compare to the Scarlet Dynasty, but if you're sure that's what you want." He shrugs. "There are other options, of course. Iternerant monks of the Immaculate Order have a great deal of freedom-- that's what I am, actually. We can travel the world over." Giving thought to Toph's apparent cockiness and tomboyish attitudes, he adds, "Immaculate monks are also the strongest martial artists in Creation. Actually, our most poweful grandmaster, Ragara Myrrun, is an Earth Aspect."
"Yeah," Toph answers, "That's why I'm here. They were too overprotective, and thought I needed to be protected - so I ran away." Pause, and she POINTS. "And I'm -not- going back, so don't even think about dragging me back for a reward or something." Not that Ashen is thinking about that, right? Right?
While she can't -see- the disappointment or resentment, she could probably guess at it. Most people tended to have that sort of reaction when their generous offers were rejected. "Oh really?" He's piqued her curiosity! "Strongest martial artists huh?" And a grandmaster earthbender? "Sounds like someone I'd like to meet." Yeah, that'll end well. "I don't know about joining your Order, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out, I guess. I can't let my skills go to waste, lounging around like this." And not being in the middle of the War with the Fire Nation, if she weren't so keen on fighting and training, it might have been a problem. "So what do you monks do anyway? The only ones I've heard of spend all their time in temples meditating, and that's fine and all, but I like a bit more action than that."
"Well, some of them spend a lot of time meditating," Ashen admits. "And there's a bit of meditation involved at the beginning for everyone. Of course, Immaculate meditation involves performing martial arts. You can't attune yourself with the elements just by sitting on your butt thinking about it, after all." As they say in the vernacular, anyway, the Fire Aspect would never talk about his fellow monks that way in front of anyone who really mattered.
"Of course, you'd be more interested in the itinerant monks. They travel around Creation performing rites for any communities that need them, as well as dealing with any upstart gods that get too big for their britches. Sometimes words aren't enough, you know?" Not that Ashen would know, he never gets to be on god kicking duty. There's always an Anathema or a kung-fu willow getting uppity instead. :(
Pfft. Kung fu willows. "Well, I'm already pretty in tune with the Earth as it is," Toph replies. "So long as I'm standing on the ground anyway. I'm not so hot in the air, and I can't swim to save my life-" seeing in both situations she can't *see*. "Rites?" Toph is about to look disgusted at the idea, "I don't know.. I mean the idea of beating up some people who are overconfident and need to have some sense smacked into them," which is her definition for these 'Gods', being that there were people who *thought* they were Gods, and who aspired to be Gods, but weren't *actual* Gods.. "I have to admit I like the idea of the punching." She adds with a wide grin, punching her fist into her palm for emphasis. Still, making a decision like that would take quite a bit of thought. She didn't rush into things like that. "Heck, I'd enjoy the thought of beating some stuck up God-like prisses even without being in that .. that --" Pause. "What'd you call it? Immaculate Monks?" Itinerate, Toph. Itinerate.
"Yes, that's correct," Ashen says. Because it technically /is/. They are monks of the Immaculate Order, who are itinerant. Something DOES strike the man as odd about what Toph just said, but he can't quite place what it is. It's not the bit about not knowing how to swim, or being useless in the air, that's a given for Earth Aspects. Hrm...
"That's quite a fiery spirit you've got there," the man says with a laugh instead, not letting whatever the minor detail is bog him down. "Be careful with that, you don't want to rush into something you're not prepared for." And then, like the adult-speaking-down-to-a-child that he is, the monk reaches out a hand to ruffle Toph's hair. The only indication that the hand is coming for her is the ruffle of his clothing, since he doesn't need to step forward to do it.
"Well I have spent a lot of my time fighting - I was champion in a tournament for two years for my element you know." She doesn't move away or even turn towards the hand coming down to ruffle her hair - Fate did the *saaaame* thing and it grated. It seemed rather condenscending - just because she was a kid and concentrated *AWESOME*.
Her hand comes to bat his hand aside lightly, "And I can handle myself, no matter who comes up against me. Don't think less of me just because I'm a kid," she points out with a grumpy tone. Hmph. "I've taken down plenty of guys two and three times my size, and I'll still take down plenty more." Fiery spirit - but she's still a level headed earth bender. She won't rush into a situation; of course her connection to the earth usually gives her advance warning and a heads up of the area around her, making ambushes on the girl difficult.
Unless they come from the air, of course, thanks to her glaring weakness. Pun not intended. "Didn't you say you only Exalted a few years ago?" Ashen asks, pulling his hand back as it's slapped away. Powerfully aspected, indeed. "Wait a minute... a tournament /for your element/? Do you mean there's a whole group of Earth Aspects like you out there somewhere?" Well, not quite like her, probably. The fact that she was winning tournaments when she was in the single digits is proof of that. It would explain the 'sick of being nobility' comment if she was from some lost tribe of Dragon-Blooded, though...
"Hey, what's your name?" the monk asks the Earth Bender. Well aware of how rude it is to do such a thing without first introducing himself, he adds, "I'm Ashen Mist."
"Huh?" Exalted? Wut? But before she can ask what the heck he meant by that, there's another question! And as it concerns the tournament, that's far more interesting, so the girl nods, then hesitates. "Well not *EXACTLY* like me." She points at her eyes, "I mean, none of *them* are blind." She says this without any trace of resentment - because of her 'handicap' she was actually better than a number of the earthbenders in her home.
"Oh!" The girl scratches her foot against her calf, "Sorry about that, I kinda forgot. My name's Toph." She withholds her last name since she obviously doesn't want people to trace her down. ... ... then again, 'blind earth bender named Toph' is distinctive enough. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too," Ashen says. A village of Earth Aspects... how very interesting. "Do you think you could tell me where you came from? I'd be interested in meeting all of those other Earth Aspects," Ashen says. He doesn't ask to be guided there since he was already told that she ran away. Actually, seeing how suspicious she seems about that, he should probably reiterate. "Promise I won't tell them that I met you out here."
Hm.. Toph's not too keen on telling him where she came from - he may not be planning on dragging her back home, but he might still let slip. "Gaoling," she answers finally. She won't tell him that a bunch of the Earth Benders were trained at her father's school - no SIR. "But it's pretty far away." Like - a totally different world far away. A different Gate of Creation? "A lot of the Gates look the same," says the blind girl, "So I don't know remember which one it is." She'd 'recognize' it if she 'saw' it though! But she's not leading him back there, so he's on his own.
A different... "Oh," Ashen says. "Oooooh. I see, I think there's been a misunderstanding here." He leans back on his haunches as he gives the girl another stare. For all that she appears to be strongly aspected, she doesn't LOOK strongly aspected. Regular ol' skin, plain black hair... not a hint of brown or gray in her complexion at all. And now that he thinks about it, she acted weird when he mentioned 'gods'.
"You're not from Creation, huh? I guess you must not be Dragon-Blooded after all, then." But she's SOMETHING, alright, especially with that level of earth control. "What're you doing all the way out here? There's not a lot to see in this neck of the woods."
"No, I'm from the Earth Kingdom." Toph replies, puzzled. "Well I said I ran away from home. I just picked a Gate at random, and it turned out to be this one -- Creation you say? Weird name," no offense! But it kinda is. "But there's plenty to see -- not that I *See* the way you do." she adds hastily. "Still, the odds of anyone finding me to drag me back to Gao-ling when I'm in a completely different world are pretty low. So I put up a tent here, got some good old fashioned sleep and I was going to have a look around myself when I felt you coming."
Eh, that's most people's reaction when they hear this world is called 'Creation'. Ashen is used to it. "You might want to find a different Gate to sitesee in, then," he warns. "You've landed in a place pretty close to the Thousand Kingdoms-- a bunch of barbaric societies that are always at each others' throats. Plus, with the Anathema running around all over the place... no offence, but I doubt you could take out an Anathema if you ran into one, definitely not single-handedly. Creation's a really dangerous world these days."
Despite Ashen's warning, Toph is completely unconcerned. Perhaps foolishly, but she's always been overconfident! As she starts to turn, her arm jerks upwards again, pointing right at Ashen's nose. "Look, I told you I can handle myself! WHere I'm from I've had to deal with the same kind of backstabbing creeps that you've probably got here," save Creation has *GODS* apparently. "I may not know what an Anathema is, but I'm not some weak little wuss - I'm *TOPH*." There's that arrogance, "No offense, Ashen pal, but no matter how dangerous your world is, I'm not scared, so you're wasting your breath." OF course most of this is just from the implication that she was weak and can't handle herself against a..a...well whatever.
Ashen stands up. "Fine, suit yourself. I can't help it if you won't listen to reason." That friendly tone is still in his voice, but he seems a little less concerned now that he knows Toph is an outsider. "I'm not sure what these 'backstabbing creeps' you've got back in your plane are, but if you think they're on the same level as demon-spawned, shape-shifting cannibals who rend Exalted limb from limb and then gorge themselves on their blood... well, you'd be on par with the Scarlet Empress herself, and would earn my greatest respect."
Lunars are serious business.
The monk raises his hand in a farewell wave and begins to walk off. "Don't say I didn't warn you, though."