005 - Video

[dustonmyfeet]

[Toph is in her usual favorite spot -- her twisty chair by her console. If you look carefully, you can probably get a glimpse of her feet glowing green. She looks thoughtful.]

So right now the turtles are about the size of young badgermoles.

Thing is, badgermoles have whole mountain ranges to live in. If these guys are anything like the Turtle we're on, we're going to need something bigger than mountain ranges.

I mean, eventually they'll probably swim. But until then, they're definitely not always going to fit in the house. Let alone on a city street. So where are they going to go?

[She frowns a bit more, leaning her chin into her hand. What comes next will be far more serious.]

The Emperor brought us here, and she was going to send us home later. Now that she's kind of . . . gone . . . what's that mean for getting home?

[As though attempting to add a lighter note into it:] Not that it hasn't been great and all, but someday I have to get back and help save the world. That kind of thing.

Comments

[whitelotustile]

Perhaps you can suggest the turtles start to forage on their own? I confess, I don't know much about turtle husbandry.

[dustonmyfeet]

Who does?

I mean . . . they're turtles.

[Oh, hey, wait, she has a turtle sifu, doesn't she? There's a sudden dawning realization on Toph's face.]

Might know someone to ask.

Mostly I'm talking about physical space, though.

[whitelotustile]

Perhaps we could direct them outside of the city?

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[superieure]

[Not that Toph can see her, but Monet's prim and proper sitting at her console, an expression of mild disinterest on her face.]

Someone could always build a zoo outside the city.

[Excuse her. She's a telepath and the baby turtles aren't exactly being subtle about all the waves of happiness they sent her way.]

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[dustonmyfeet]

Yeah, that's going to be a no.

[Someone obviously spit in Monet's bean curd, and for the moment, Toph isn't interested in finding out who.]

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[superieure]

It's a perfectly reasonable solution. They're too large for city, why not set them up outside it?

[strategisch]

So you have one of these new... baby-Astis? Or do you know someone that does?

[He pauses for a moment, trying to remember something.]

I think people have left, since her death. I know people are still coming.

[dustonmyfeet]

[Immediate brightening on Toph's part. Someone kind of really likes her turtle, okay?]

Yeah, her name is Yin. She's pretty cool, even if she does keep trying to eat the drapes.

Not that I really care about the drapes, but Isky gets all worked up about it.

[A small frown at the second part.]

Anybody know why that even happens? The disappearing thing, I mean. It's not like she'd want to send us home, even if she were still around. She made that pretty clear. We don't go until the M-guy goes.

[strategisch]

I suppose a baby would try to eat everything-- it must be difficult to keep her in check.

Is there anything different about her? Aside from being a giant turtle. I've heard that Asti has magical powers.

[He shakes his head.]

It might be some kind of accident. My friend, Eren, he left, only to return a month later with no memory of his time here. It was quite a hassle, and makes no sense from a logical standpoint. How would such a thing benefit the Emperor?

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[modernized]

I suppose they'll need to go out of the city? That seems to be the only solution until they get big enough to swim on their own. Maybe make their own turtle colonies, or something?

[He isn't really sure on all the details. His turtle baby seems to be fairing well so far, even if he's already had to deal with it trying to get into his suite once.]

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[dustonmyfeet]

Yeah, I guess. But then there's the whole weight thing. I mean, Asti carries mountains and a city and all that, but turtles getting about as big as he is? There's got to be limits.

Plus the whole protection thing. If they go outside the city, we're not even there. Feels kind of like setting out bait for the M-guy and going, "Hey, free lunch!"

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[modernized]

Well, we don't know how long it'll take for them to get as big as Asti. Asti has lived for, well, longer than anyone on the turtle overall I take it? And turtles are known for slow growth in general.

[But the second point she makes is a good one.]

Hm. As for that, I guess it'll be up to the parents to make sure nothing bad happens.

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[demon_brat]

The Emperor made an announcement some time ago that she put a safeguard that would return us home. So to speak. Us, and the kedan as well, since they do not originally come from this world.

As to the turtles...

[ There's hesitation is his voice. ]

We will need to find a way to keep them safe. In our suites or elsewhere, they will be under attack.

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[dustonmyfeet]

[This is something she likes about you, Damian. You're thinking ahead too.]

Yeah. That exactly. I mean, they're not going to fit in our suites forever, but at least we're there.

And thanks -- didn't remember the Emperor guarantee thing. . . . But didn't she kind of say the kedan world got destroyed?

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[demon_brat]

[ He certainly tries. ]

I had asked the Emperor if the eggs - and, I would assume, hatchlings - could find shelter at the Palace, with its additional protection. However, even though she consented, that is no longer an option. We might need to find a new way to protect them.

[ The last is less desperate and more. Determined. And resigned, because, with their only information source on Malicant dead, they can't know what will work. Or - almost only. Also, resigned because the effort will probably involve many of the people on the turtle with one kind of power or another, and Damian is not entirely fond - or trusting - of most of them. ]

[ As to the question, he shrugs, then realizes that was probably futile. ]

I have to assume she had something in mind.

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[duelkatana]

Don't we all.

[In response to that very last bit, of course. His tone is faintly amused, but colored by traces of concern; the little turtles are awful cute and certainly a change of pace, but he's wondered all of the same things Toph is speaking of now.]

I haven't heard much about these "failsafes" the Emperor put into place, but I guess we'll find out sooner or later if they're the real deal.

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[dustonmyfeet]

[Aw, turtle-sifu. Still camera-shy? Not that it makes that much difference to Toph, but.]

I just got reminded there's a guarantee. Except considering this place, excuse me if I'm a little skeptical.

If they're not the real deal, whoever's in charge and I are going to have a problem.

[Video]

[spideyfanone]

Um, so I might be kinda helping work on a thing to bounce people between universes. I've done it before.

[Just a teenage boy's voice with a Brooklyn accent. It takes him a moment to remember to introduce himself. Meeting all these people at once drains his already not very useful store of social awareness.]

Oh, uh, hi, I'm Kurt.

[Video]

[dustonmyfeet]

[The offer of a name sparks a grin.]

Toph.

. . . Wait, you're what?

[Okay, Kurt, you've got her attention.]

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[alphatar]

[That green stuff has Korra’s attention and she sounds slightly distracted.]

I’ve been taking mine to the ocean when I go fishing, they can swim with a little help from some waterbending. [Never mind that hers went for a dive and Korra had to chase after it. Underwater chase isn’t something she knew would be on her bucket list, but it was kind of fun.]

Maybe we can get the Atlanteans together and we can let them in water? [She doubts Tarrlok would help, and she’s not even thinking of putting a turtle in Noatak’s care. Even if he did take care of one.]

…Eshai said that we might be able to go back home even if she- died. [Not her favorite subject, but she remembers seeing Eshai after the barrier expansion and how exhausted she looked, to help everyone.]

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[dustonmyfeet]

[Toph hesitates briefly before replying, but it's not in her voice or face when she talks.]

Count me out, but if Isky and Bruce think it's good, it's fine by me.

[These are the advantages of co-parenting. Yes.]

. . . Yeah, someone reminded me about the second part. But the "might" isn't exactly encouraging.

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[washitaway]

Not all of us want to go back.

[Booker just feels the need to toss that out there.]

People here go back all the time, whether they want to or not. But what if we want to stay? [That's what he's worried about.]

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[dustonmyfeet]

[Okay, that catches her off guard a bit. She's just never considered it.]

You want to stay somewhere where you're weird and everyone looks at you funny and where you didn't ask to be in the first place?

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[iguanasolution]

[Frank types on the little device Leo made to read out loud for him. Toph will hear a very mechanical voice speaking.]

We were told we'd be able to eventually go home, but I'm not sure what's supposed to trigger it. Maybe once the bad guy goes away or something. [He understands why people have kept on coming after Eshai was murdered even less, but that isn't what she asked.]

As for the turtles... I am not a caretaker for any of them, but I honestly worry more about everything they eat than the space they take. They will eventually grow up, yes, but they are already eating everything they come across and our resources aren't unlimited.

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[dustonmyfeet]

[All hail Leo, because between Frank's muteness and Toph's blindness, they'd never communicate at all.]

[. . . But the voice is kind of weird, and it takes her off guard. Toph does not come from a technological world.]

. . . Are you okay? You sound like you're talking into a can after a friend of mine froze your butt for a couple hours.

[Sensitive. This is Toph.]

Yeah, she said she was going to keep us until the bad guy was defeated, but if she isn't around, how do we know that's going to happen?

Good point on the resources, too, especially if you were around when the food was cut.