01 Rock

[sinkslikearock]

[At first, Toph just freezes where she is. Everything has drastically changed. She not only feels this, but she can hear it, too. There are more people around, the earth isn't the same as the Temple her friends were staying at.

A market place, maybe? But how did she get here? Toph frowns, not at all amused by this turn of events. Sheesh, they finally get somewhere with the whole Firebending training thing, and now this happens?

Never a dull moment for a member of Team Avatar.

Toph feels off, though. The girl frowns, and tries to Earthbend something. It doesn't work, and it's not only frustrating, but worrisome. Great, now how is she going to fight? She still has her Seismic Sense, so not all of her bending is gone, but….

She needs information, that much is a given. Toph just hopes that she's in somewhat friendly territory.]

Hey! [To make sure they know she's talking to them, she reaches out to tap their arm or shoulder, but the latter may be harder to do since she's pretty short for a 12-year-old.] Yeah, you, the person I just tapped. Do you mind telling me where I am and how the heck I got here?

Oh, yeah, and before I completely forget, why isn't my Earthbending working? Seriously, what kind of place doesn't allow bending?

[Such a sweet little girl, isn't she?]

Comments

[mercuryangel]

Not at all. Welcome to Mac Anu. As for how you got here...

[Her face falls visibly... wait.]

...no one really knows. It happened to me, too, though.

I've never heard of earthbending though. If it's something you could do before, it might be weaker, but it'll come back eventually.

[Nothing in her words, posture, or tone suggests that she's lying.]

[stubbornskeptic]

Oh! Well, I just arrived here as well! I'm still getting used to it. From what I gather this place is called The World and it's, well, not much like all of our homes. To be honest, I haven't even heard of Earthbending before, so I imagine it's been eliminated like my strife sylladexes...

Sorry! Just musing aloud here. I've been wandering about this place trying to get my bearings for a little while now. Not to mention keeping an eye out for my dad, though it seems he isn't going to show up just because I want him to. Anyway! I'm Jane Crocker. What's your name, hoo hoo?

[sinkslikearock]

...Great, and I've never even heard of a Mac Anu before.

[Hnnn this sucks.]

How do you not know about Earthbending? I can basically manipulate the earth, and that's also how I can see.

[sinkslikearock]

[Holy crap can she talk. It's like she's talking to a female Aang.]

Okay, Earthbending is basically the ability to manipulate the element of earth. I can also use it as a way for me to see.

What, your dad absent-minded or something? [She wouldn't be surprised.] It's Toph Beifong. So, what's this World thing and how can I leave?

[mercuryangel]

[So, like Isaac's Psynergy... but using the earth to see? That's a new one. Reveal was of course a Jupiter technique.]

I just haven't heard it called that before. I know someone that can do that, but it's been months since I've seen him.

[stubbornskeptic]

A way to-- oh!

[Jane hadn't even noticed she was blind. Oops.]

And, no, it's just. He was in my house when it must've been destroyed or transported or something and since I ended up here instead, so maybe he came with me? Oh, this probably doesn't make any sense to you.

Basically, we're in a video game. That's the long and short of it, I'm afraid.

[sinkslikearock]

If I could use it, I'd show you how an Earthbender does it.

[Toph shrugs.]

Well, anyway, how am I supposed to defend myself if this place took away my bending?

[sinkslikearock]

I doubt it. Otherwise, the rest of my friends would've come along for the ride, too.

And what the heck is a video game?

[mercuryangel]

There's a good way to find out, actually.

[She takes out her Relic, which to Toph will feel like a thin brick of some kind. This is gonna get awkward.]

You might have one of these somewhere, too.

[stubbornskeptic]

You've...never heard of a video game?

[sinkslikearock]

Kind of thought that was obvious since I asked.

[stubbornskeptic]

Yes. Sorry. I guess I'm just really into video games so the concept is...difficult for me to condense into an easily digestible package. Essentially they are simulations where you pretend to be something you're not for the purpose of entertainment. Although in some instances it seems the line between game and reality gets, well, blurred. This is definitely one of those cases.

[viiru2alert]

[No worries Toph, the person you've tapped on is a pretty short thirteen-year-old, so it's not that odd. ...And he's only been here for a few hours, to boot.]

Thith city ith called Mac Anu. That'h all I know. [He shrugs, unaware that Toph can't exactly see him; he has bright red and blue eyes himself, so the glassy look in hers is nothing special. Though maybe the shifting of weight on the ground will tip her off.] Dunno what Earthbending ith, but if it'h not working I gueth that'h jutht part of the magic. [He wiggles his fingers.] My powerth thitted out too, though.

[greatcleavage]

[Thus tapped, Roy turns, and it takes him a moment to process that he needs to look down.]

[Which he does, and as soon as he sees who he's dealing with, his eyes immediately jump down to her feet... which aren't hairy. Good. Not an exceptionally tall halfling. Okay, in a cosmic sense, bad in that a girl even younger than the rest of the mid-teens group has showed up here, but good for his sanity.]

You're in a city called Mac Anu... and as for how you got here, that's a good question. The only thing I can tell you for certain is that when you come here, you get a new class and start over at first level.

[isolates]

[hi sweet little girl, meet an equally sweet little boy.]

You're in the World and no one knows exactly why any of us are here but you can't leave. I have no idea what Earthbending is though so I can't help you with that.

[meteorblade]

[hiroto certainly thinks she's endearing, yes.]

The where and how is a little complicated. Most of us don't know the answers, actually. We just sort of... materialize here.

I'm not sure what you mean by Earthbending, though. Is it a sport?

[brightfuture]

[ Compared to some of his other encounters, it's nothing, and Hope doesn't even appear too surprised at the sudden intrusion. He's gone through that many times by now. ]

It's called Mac Anu - the town, I mean. Don't expect to get any more answers, though, because nobody knows anything about this place... expect the fact you can't leave on your own.

If it's anything like magic, then it happens to everyone. People say they tone down our abilities to even us out, but I... dunno. You can still use them, but they're not as effective.

[failedrescue]

[Wow, she's like Manaril's age, isn't she? Her personality reminds him of someone for some reason...]

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that term. What is earthbending?

[solveforn]

[N does turn around, and he is fairly tall just to exaggerate the difference in height. He leans down, but he's a bit too close, as is a bad habit of his.]

"Earth bending"? I haven't heard the term.

[But it does raise some general ideas!]

[timeliness]

This is a place called Mac Anu. I don't think anyone knows quite how we got here, though.

Earthbending? I don't know what that is.

[eightofseven]

[Tapped? Ohhhhhh no no no no no. You had no idea he was even there.

Anyone else could have seen him. It could have been a spectacle if he was more open about it, but he floated. You plowed into him entirely on accident.

Oddly, he doesn't seem to mind. He seems almost happy about it, even.]

You are in Mac Anu, and presumably you have been taken here against your will from your own world.

As for your power, this is the first I've heard of one having stopped working entirely, and of earthbending. If this place truly does not allow it, which may or may not be the case, then this would be the kind of place that does not.