Toph Bei Fong (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dustonmyfeet) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
tushanshu2013-07-05 05:39 pm
dustonmyfeet) wrote in tushanshu2013-07-05 05:39 pm
002 - Video
[The feed flickers on to Toph in a swivel chair, idly twisting back and forth as she talks. Restlessness is plain in her features. Her tone is wry.]
Okay, so. Since I seem to keep getting questions about it, if you couldn't tell, I'm blind. [She illustrates this by waving a hand in front of her face.] Yep, that means I can't see anything. Complete darkness. All of that. Ooooooh.
[She leans back, looking especially wry.] So if we can get past the incredible magic blind girl thing now, I've got a question.
Normally I have a way I can "see" through my feet, but with the turtle on the fritz, that's not working, and I'm not just going to sit around and pick my toes whenever Mr. Flippers decides he's got a head cold.
I need someone -- or a couple people, I don't care -- who know how to fight blind. I'm a fast learner, and I know how to move, so teaching me isn't going to be a problem.
Only complication? You have to come here. I'm at Korra's in the Metal sector. She's currently out saving the world or something, and I'm not getting run over trying to reach you. She's got the space here, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Okay, so. Since I seem to keep getting questions about it, if you couldn't tell, I'm blind. [She illustrates this by waving a hand in front of her face.] Yep, that means I can't see anything. Complete darkness. All of that. Ooooooh.
[She leans back, looking especially wry.] So if we can get past the incredible magic blind girl thing now, I've got a question.
Normally I have a way I can "see" through my feet, but with the turtle on the fritz, that's not working, and I'm not just going to sit around and pick my toes whenever Mr. Flippers decides he's got a head cold.
I need someone -- or a couple people, I don't care -- who know how to fight blind. I'm a fast learner, and I know how to move, so teaching me isn't going to be a problem.
Only complication? You have to come here. I'm at Korra's in the Metal sector. She's currently out saving the world or something, and I'm not getting run over trying to reach you. She's got the space here, so it shouldn't be a problem.
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Good to see you could spare the time, [he shoots back amicably, nudging the mat she had thrown down to correct its alignment. When they've worked through the floor coverage and the last one in line is oriented correctly, the young ninja lets her finish unrolling while he quietly and automatically heads toward the far end of the layout to adjust wayward angles.
At Leo Sr.'s statement the younger ninja glances up; he's not exactly surprised, or at least no more so than he could surprise himself, because his paranoia is nearly as bad. Nearly being the key word; although Leo still uses audio only with unsecured network posts and makes careful judgment calls on who he shows himself to, the precaution of notifying Toph ahead of time that they weren't human wasn't a step he'd have taken. But young Leo has had long arguments wherein Raphael insisted that nobody here cared what they looked like, and his own experience cautiously testing the waters in revealing his own appearance has only given ammunition to his brother's stance.
Also, the single human other than April who was friends with his family back home was a blind Japanese chef who figured out what they were on his own. Mr. Murakami's automatic and generous acceptance put young Leo on a confidence-inducing track record with blind folks. Between the situation in Keeliai with foreigners of many species plus the kedan (Toph would have had no reason to assume that they would be human in the first place, right?), and the fact that his double seems to be concerned that a sightless person would care about their appearance, his expression twists into amused incredulity: Did you just ask a blind girl if she cared what we look like?
Dude, if Toph laughs at you, he'll join in and you'll deserve it.
On the other hand, she may not have realized she's no longer in a humans-only world; Leo doesn't know how much her powers had allowed her to "see," and maybe no one had mentioned the dragons or the shape-shifters. It's just this side of possible that she has no idea how different things are here. Even as a short burst of amusement ripples through the harmony of Leo's pseudo-psychic resonance like a bright peal of water, a wiser portion of him holds its breath until the other shoe drops.
Years of programming, indeed.]
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[No laughter. Or balking, for that matter. After a moment she nods, feeling with her toes to make sure that her work is complete.]
Makes sense. Your feet don't sound the same on the floor. But you didn't freak Korra out, you offered to come teach me, and you didn't try to break into the house, so if you're worried about what I think . . . [Her shoulders lift.] Doesn't really bug me.
[She frowns slightly, hesitating, then continues,] Probably some stuff you should know about me, too. I've looked like this all my life. People see me, they think I'm fragile. Weak. Especially because I'm blind. They want to protect me -- including my parents. I learned earthbending and learned to see by it . . . and I'm good. Really good. It's let me be more than what everyone wanted me to be.
[A breath, her eyes shutting briefly.] So this whole lose your powers at random thing? Being little and blind and "helpless" again? I just . . . [She looks about to say more, then cuts herself off, pressing her lips together hard before continuing.] I'm sorry, is what I want to say. I don't mean to snap at you, and I'm really glad you guys are here. I even snap at Korra right now when I don't mean to.
So . . . you know. Sorry in advance. It's not you.
[They've given her something that obviously means a lot to them. She's given something back. It's better, she feels, to start out on even ground.]
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[Nevertheless, he stands firm in the seriousness of his demeanor until he hears Toph's reaction. He's fully expecting her to wave it off with the nonchalance he was unable to summon; it's a bit of a surprise, then, when her response ends up being entirely in kind. And it doesn't stop with her putting to rest any lingering concerns about their non-human ancestry, either.]
[He listens to her speak, and almost immediately he recalls his first assessment of her appearance. He'd thought she was small and fragile-looking - he still does, to an extent - and it was only his initial impression of her character that kept him from underestimating her. That, and the fact that she was a bender. Perhaps the latter more so than he'd care to admit.]
[Leonardo tries to imagine being in her (hypothetical) shoes. The picture she painted was brief, but succinct - being coddled and protected, judged helpless because of her physical disadvantages. It would drive him crazy. He doesn't know Toph all that well, having only met her earlier in the day, but he knows that he'd probably do anything to prove he was self-sufficient if he were in her situation. If there's one thing he's learned in life, it's that people are as quick to judge as they are immovable once they've taken their stance.]
[He also knows this much: the blindness is not a factor. Not in the way that has allowed others to dismiss her. Here, it's going to be an advantage; a whetstone to her other senses until she can see ten times more than the sighted, bending or not. If she's truly the warrior that she claims to be (and that he just may be willing to believe she is), chances are that most of the work is already done.]
[Most importantly... now they've each shared things of significance to them, and the exchange isn't something Leonardo views lightly. It takes him less than a second to decide: for as long as Toph seeks his help, he'll be willing to help her. Sure, maybe committing to someone he's known for barely a day is probably a bad idea under most circumstances, but hey. Call him sentimental.]
[Leonardo looks at his counterpart once more, this time quietly seeking affirmation of the conviction her words have led him to. Either way, it doesn't take him all too long to respond to Toph herself with a slight, wry smile.]
Don't worry about it. Besides... by the time we're finished here, the only "helpless" ones will be anyone who decides to get on your bad side. Earthbending or no earthbending.
[Kinda lame, sorry. This is why we don't do levity.]
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But it's frivolous and therefore fleeting; when Toph responds with careful, serious consideration and a revelation of her own, Leo listens with respectful attentiveness to the picture Korra's friend illustrates with her words.
Smothered. Treated as incapable. Never challenged, or encouraged to push her limits. That she came out of such an upbringing with power, confidence and fearlessness is a mark of character indeed. Leo had been willing to extend requested help to an unknown based on Korra's evident trust in the earth-bender, and it's nice to see his faith in her judgment rewarded.
Instinct draws him to meet his double's gaze, and he nods minutely in both appraisal and confirmation. As is increasingly the case, no words are needed; they had been thinking the same thing. If Toph ever needs them, he knows they both will be there.]
There's no reason you can't protect yourself – or even other people, [Leo adds.] We can't teach you to be an expert overnight. But we can make sure any scumbags who think you're an easy target when the power's out are in for a nasty surprise.
[Did that sound cool? He thinks he sounds cool. Halfway cool at the very least.]
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Okay. Show me how to kick some butt.
[Yes. This has been a good bonding moment.]
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[It also smoothly indicates their next course of action: getting down to business. Everyone's on the same page, so now it's time to do what they came here to do. Leonardo gives a quick once-over to the mats spread across the floor, and then with a brief, courteous bow, steps onto them. His footsteps are feather-light on the material as he circles around the mats, testing the weight and give.]
Actually, I was kind of hoping you could show me. [Leonardo is careful with his words; he doesn't want to offend her again, but paramount to anything else is that they see her in action, see what she already knows. It would be far more prudent to build off of what she's already skilled at than trying to feed her a bunch of new tricks, after all. Before he continues, Leonardo pauses in his movement across the mats, giving an almost imperceptible nod of satisfaction. His head tilts thoughtfully in Toph's direction.] You said you learned with strikes and stances, right? Show me how an earthbender moves.
augh sorry to make you guys wait a few days for a shott!tag heh >_>;
Time to find out what this earthbender knows about how to move – and if she needs to unlearn anything.]
You're fine. ;P Welcome back!
[Meanwhile, though, Leonardo doesn't need to worry -- Toph actually smiles again at his request. It's action; she can show off something she's good at rather than talk about what she isn't or is currently lacking.]
Okay, then. [And she crosses a bit more towards the center of the mats, giving herself space.]
[She begins in a low, guarded stance, knees bent, her features taking on an absolute focus. It's as though in that moment she could see and hear everything, react to anything.]
[For a long moment she holds it, breathing in and out. And then she moves. The movements of her hands and feet are sharp, defined, each movement in its place and no movement wasted. Earthbending consists of the strong, grounded stances and actions similar to the Hung Ga kung fu style. It does not flow like the other styles of bending; instead, it demands, wresting obedience from its element. Toph is plainly strong and fast; her delicate appearance is indeed an illusion. In her bending, she is all that one would not expect from a tiny girl -- tough, unyielding, and absolutely competent.]
[Both Leos may easily be able to see earthbending's relation to martial arts -- though unlike martial arts, it rarely contains movements that indicate direct contact. Although bending requires learned movements and stances, it is psychokinetic. Primarily the only contact they will see -- a suddenly exposed palm as though to stop a rock aimed for the chest, for example -- are defensive.]
[Toph snorts, coming to an end.] . . . It doesn't have the same kind of effect without the rock actually doing anything. I'm betting it probably looks like some kind of weird dance. But if I'd actually been doing it inside, this place would either be pretty torn up or completely wrecked -- and the street with it.
welcome back, bb <33
[Her motions are strong. Within moments, he can see the clear influences of Hung Ga in her movements - the strong footing, purposeful motions, and pure strength behind every movement, commanding the world around her. He imagines this must be quite a sight when the power's working properly; even without the rocks flying around, the raw power in every motion she makes is wholly impressive.]
[He can see, too, where it differs from the martial arts of his world. There are palm thrusts that seem to indicate strikes, but the follow-ups are more often defensive than offensive; points of aggressive contact seem far and few in-between. She's also tightly grounded, rarely shifting position on the mat, which further drives home the unyielding nature of her style.]
[All in all, he believes her when she says that the place would be totaled. She may be small, but the power in her movements just now was no laughing matter. And it's definitely something they can work with.]
Seems like it's heavily based on the Hung Ga style... with some influences of Chu Gar. [He looks towards the younger ninja in the room, tilting his head in an invitation for his input. Leonardo may be the sensei here, but he's more than happy to hear what his double might have to say.] What do you think?
haha <3 I need to stop apologizing.
What does he think? Well, big Leo's style evaluation is spot-on, so there's not much more to contribute on that front. Instead he offers his foremost impression:]
I think all we really need to do is show her how to find the guy and where to hit him. Replace that palm strike with a fist and they definitely won't be coming back for more.
[It will be a little more complicated than that, naturally; with her build, she will need more fluid movements to contend with an opponent's greater weight and strength. Toph is incredibly strong, competent and fast, but the fact is most people looking for an easy victim will have a significant height and weight advantage. Taking that directly head-on is a losing proposition – luckily, the two ninjas in the room are experts in force redirection; it's a cornerstone of both ninjutsu technique and philosophy.
But she has more than enough strength and control to hit somebody where it hurts hard enough to floor them for a significant amount of combat time, at the very least.]
Her footwork is strong too. It wouldn't be hard to turn those into sweeps. [Toph's firm grounding and low center of balance are definite strengths, which means she can exploit any opponent's comparative weakness in those areas.]
It doesn't look weird, by the way. More like a strength-building kata.