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Toph and River
Toph and River meet. Toph is a little confused, River is amused, but everybody's on board when it's time to do some kung-fu!
River wandered over to the gym, dressed in a long tunic and leggings. She wasn't in any particular mind to train, or she probably would not be wearing boots, but she was curious as to who she might find in there. She wanted to meet as many of the students as possible, as quickly as possible, and the fact that she was taking most of her classes online was not helping.
It was getting warmer. Toph just had to remember that, soon enough she could spend entire days outside if she wanted to. Now that it was getting closer, it was harder and harder not to just run out right then and there, but frostbite didn't actually seem like all that much fine.
So maybe she was taking just a little more frustration than usual out on the punching bags, but sue her. At least she wasn't hitting anyone else. Toph had been in there for a while, mostly just pounding at the bag, when she felt someone heading in. And considering it wasn't anyone she recognized, it actually made her stop for a moment. "Hello?"
"Hello," River greeted the other girl, and came forward, even steps on the mats. She watched her curiously, without any hint of self-consciousness. "I'm River. I'm new."
"Oh, hey. I'm Toph," she said and ducked her head in short kind of nod. Then, after a moment, actually stepped away from the bag to face in the other girl's direction. Hey, she could be polite sometimes.
It was so odd, what River was getting off of the other girl's mind. "Don't let me stop you," she added when Toph turned away from the bag. "You feel like you need it, and it's impressive to watch."
"I needed a break anyway," Toph said with a shrug, then paused. "What do you mean 'I feel like it'?"
"Walls closing in, and you want out in the dirt," River answered, with a shrug. The way she said dirt wasn't at all derogatory.
Toph considered that for a moment. "You're a...whatsit. Telepath?"
"A little more than that," River confirmed. "I feel it, too."
"And that's different?"
"What is commonly accepted in science fiction as telepathy doesn't involve feeling other people's feelings," River answered, sounding as if she were reciting a textbook. "That's empathy."
"So...that's what you have?" It sounded weird to Toph, but frankly since she'd come to the school she'd heard stranger.
River laughed at the phrasing. "You make it sound like a disease. I'm both an empath and a telepath, according to commonly accepted definitions."
"Congratulations?" She tried. It couldn't have been any more obvious that Toph had no idea what they were talking about.
"Thank you," River answered, lips twitching. "It's amazing, how you see. Do you mind if I touch you?" She wanted to get a better look.
"Uh. Okay, sure," Toph said almost curiously. "Does that make a difference?"
"It's easier for me," River explained, stepping the rest of the way closer. "I get more." Her fingertips touched Toph's forearm lightly, before her hand curled loosely around her arm. "It's so interesting. But it's better when it's earth?"
"Well earth is my power, so yeah," Toph said with a brief bob of her head, but most of her attention was on River in turn. "Everything's a lot clearer that way."
"It's fascinating," River said with a smile and a bit of a faraway look on her face. "When did you manifest?"
Toph frowned slightly, but the expression was more thoughtful than annoyed. "Dunno," she finally concluded. "I was pretty little."
That was rare, from what Simon had told River, but it was good for Toph - like it would have been good for any of them, she was ready to bet. Too many of them manifested long after neural pathways were already formed, making things a lot more difficult to handle. "And the -" she paused for a split second, wanting to make sure to get the right one, "Chu Gar Kung Fu?"
It was a little weird to have someone know stuff about you without you telling them, but Toph just took it in stride with a shrug. "Oh, that I started when I was about six."
"Would you teach me some of it?" River asked curiously. She had never done any martial arts, but they were just another kind of dance - even when not literally, like capoeira.
"Sure, if you want," Toph said with a wide grin. "I'm a mean teacher, though."
"And I'm a brat," River finished, absolutely unfazed, and very deadpan. "What do you think, perfect match or train wreck?"
Toph's grin somehow spread even farther. "I guess we'll see. When do you want to start?"
"Now?" River offered, her lips stretching into a smile of her own. She was ready to take off her boots the second she sensed assent coming from Toph.
"Deal," Toph said instantly, bouncing on her heels.
River grinned at the enthusiasm, and reluctantly slid her hand off of Toph's forearm.
River wandered over to the gym, dressed in a long tunic and leggings. She wasn't in any particular mind to train, or she probably would not be wearing boots, but she was curious as to who she might find in there. She wanted to meet as many of the students as possible, as quickly as possible, and the fact that she was taking most of her classes online was not helping.
It was getting warmer. Toph just had to remember that, soon enough she could spend entire days outside if she wanted to. Now that it was getting closer, it was harder and harder not to just run out right then and there, but frostbite didn't actually seem like all that much fine.
So maybe she was taking just a little more frustration than usual out on the punching bags, but sue her. At least she wasn't hitting anyone else. Toph had been in there for a while, mostly just pounding at the bag, when she felt someone heading in. And considering it wasn't anyone she recognized, it actually made her stop for a moment. "Hello?"
"Hello," River greeted the other girl, and came forward, even steps on the mats. She watched her curiously, without any hint of self-consciousness. "I'm River. I'm new."
"Oh, hey. I'm Toph," she said and ducked her head in short kind of nod. Then, after a moment, actually stepped away from the bag to face in the other girl's direction. Hey, she could be polite sometimes.
It was so odd, what River was getting off of the other girl's mind. "Don't let me stop you," she added when Toph turned away from the bag. "You feel like you need it, and it's impressive to watch."
"I needed a break anyway," Toph said with a shrug, then paused. "What do you mean 'I feel like it'?"
"Walls closing in, and you want out in the dirt," River answered, with a shrug. The way she said dirt wasn't at all derogatory.
Toph considered that for a moment. "You're a...whatsit. Telepath?"
"A little more than that," River confirmed. "I feel it, too."
"And that's different?"
"What is commonly accepted in science fiction as telepathy doesn't involve feeling other people's feelings," River answered, sounding as if she were reciting a textbook. "That's empathy."
"So...that's what you have?" It sounded weird to Toph, but frankly since she'd come to the school she'd heard stranger.
River laughed at the phrasing. "You make it sound like a disease. I'm both an empath and a telepath, according to commonly accepted definitions."
"Congratulations?" She tried. It couldn't have been any more obvious that Toph had no idea what they were talking about.
"Thank you," River answered, lips twitching. "It's amazing, how you see. Do you mind if I touch you?" She wanted to get a better look.
"Uh. Okay, sure," Toph said almost curiously. "Does that make a difference?"
"It's easier for me," River explained, stepping the rest of the way closer. "I get more." Her fingertips touched Toph's forearm lightly, before her hand curled loosely around her arm. "It's so interesting. But it's better when it's earth?"
"Well earth is my power, so yeah," Toph said with a brief bob of her head, but most of her attention was on River in turn. "Everything's a lot clearer that way."
"It's fascinating," River said with a smile and a bit of a faraway look on her face. "When did you manifest?"
Toph frowned slightly, but the expression was more thoughtful than annoyed. "Dunno," she finally concluded. "I was pretty little."
That was rare, from what Simon had told River, but it was good for Toph - like it would have been good for any of them, she was ready to bet. Too many of them manifested long after neural pathways were already formed, making things a lot more difficult to handle. "And the -" she paused for a split second, wanting to make sure to get the right one, "Chu Gar Kung Fu?"
It was a little weird to have someone know stuff about you without you telling them, but Toph just took it in stride with a shrug. "Oh, that I started when I was about six."
"Would you teach me some of it?" River asked curiously. She had never done any martial arts, but they were just another kind of dance - even when not literally, like capoeira.
"Sure, if you want," Toph said with a wide grin. "I'm a mean teacher, though."
"And I'm a brat," River finished, absolutely unfazed, and very deadpan. "What do you think, perfect match or train wreck?"
Toph's grin somehow spread even farther. "I guess we'll see. When do you want to start?"
"Now?" River offered, her lips stretching into a smile of her own. She was ready to take off her boots the second she sensed assent coming from Toph.
"Deal," Toph said instantly, bouncing on her heels.
River grinned at the enthusiasm, and reluctantly slid her hand off of Toph's forearm.