maskormenace | 1st Stomp: Is it an Earthquake? [Accidental Video/Audio/Action in Nonah and Residence #002]

Entry tags:

1st Stomp: Is it an Earthquake? [Accidental Video/Audio/Action in Nonah and Residence #002]

[The feed clicks on to show a stretch of sky over Nonah, North Carolina. There's a snatch of someone mumbling to themselves, clearly unaware of the video being recorded.. The voice quite obviously belongs to a young girl.]

- this thing work?

[There's a sniffle, then an impatient huff. Oh sure, how it works was explained to Toph when she arrived. Doesn't really mean she listened much, bit too busy staring at the ground with unseeing eyes so those pesky authority figures would see no tears. Self-taught is the way to go... even if that means messing up a lot.

The communicator is being moved around. Small, stubby fingers move over the camera, knuckles recently scraped red. There's a flash of an arm, the ground, then bare and dirty feet. The toes flex, burrow in the dirt a little. Finally the camera catches a face, more by accident than design. It's only half visible, and turned at an angle.

The girl is young, no older than 12 maybe. Looks East Asian, except not quite, with strange green and yellow clothes, black hair falling into her face, unruly. The child's face is round and sweet, but the small mouth pressed into a concentrated frown. She's still got some sand in her hair, on her clothes, hint of sunburn on her cheeks and nose, as if she didn't quite bother getting cleaned up in the short while she's been here. Clearly not a priority. Her wide eyes are noticeably milky, almost entirely white - she's blind.

Her head tilts away from the journal - she really is entirely unaware that she's managed to record herself on video, unfamiliar with the technology and unable to see the visual feedback on the device. Toph, as the girl's name is, lowers the communicator. It briefly shows Nonah's residence #002, lovely red brick and all. Everyone watching this will get a lovely, if shaky view of her walking into the building - by stomping the ground and punching a 12-year-old-girl-sized hole into the wall. Doors are for sissies. But hey, at least she stomps the ground inside, and the rattle indicates that the wall gets raised right up again. Convenient, isn't it?

Toph fumbles with the communicator, and the video feed ends. But audio is still working, so either she's getting the hang of it, or randomly pressing buttons is just getting her somewhere.]

Anyone hearing this? Still not convinced the library didn't collapse on me and this is just the spirit world's idea of a prank - lame one, the whole fame thing is kinda neat, gotta say. Finally the recognition I deserve. So who's ready to break some rules, or are all you imported folks just little do-gooders?

[Look who's bratty and brash, not at all secretly a bit scared or anything stupid like that, okay, shut up.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's not the spirit world? If it were I think we'd all be a bit better off.

Well I would be.

What did you have in my regarding rule breaking?

Better off with Koh, the Face Stealer?

[ Toph scoffs at that, though who knows, maybe the man doesn't think he has a face worth keeping. ]

Don't know all the rules yet - but nothing lame like skipping school, there's no fun in that.

Never heard of him. Better off with the rest of the Heavenly Host, but I get the feeling we're not from the same neck of the woods.

[A chuckle, rich and very amused. It almost sounds pleased.]

Then what did you have in mind? Larceny? Theft? Robbing a bank?

[Actually that doesn't sound half bad.]

[ Heanvely whatnow. Maybe the guy thinks he can fly, like Twinkletoes. Well, not everyone can have all their marbles together.

The chuckle gets a shit-eating grin on Toph's face, at least. ]

I like the direction you're thinking in.

I thought you would. What's your name, girl?

Edited 2014-08-13 03:03 (UTC)

[ The display is impressive, if not completely bizarre; luckily Harvey is familiar enough with superpowers not to be shocked by it. More than that, he can recognize her blind eyes. ]

Breaking some rules might cause problems with that fame thing, you know. Something to keep in mind.

I'm not scared of anyone.

[ A big claim, and one that's not entirely accurate. But the truth is that back home, there's little she can't get away with given that at 12 years old, she's already the best at what she does, and only growing stronger.

Here... well. She hasn't quite understood the fact that what makes her strong and capable can be taken away, too. ]

I didn't mean that. [ In case she's offended and not just defensive. ] But they're lying when they say all press is good press. There's certain prices to breaking the rules around here.

Like what? I can just smack my way out of any prison.

[ Do they put 12 year olds in prison here?

No, seriously, how bad can this place possibly get.

Oh, if she only knew. ]

Anyone tell you about the tattoos yet?

[ Not if she's seen them, just if she knows about them. ]

Some lady mentioned a whole bunch of things and stuff.

[ Yeah okay, maybe she should have listened. But it was all a bit confusing, okay, the whole 'being stolen' thing right after Appa's been stolen. ]

They keep track of us with 'em. So if you're registered you get to keep the house and money and whatever else, but if you aren't you're pretty much out on your own. They won't waste any effort in keeping you safe.

[Anita is inside the house when Toph walks in. The party don't start till the blind girl walks in, and this other girl, only a year older than Toph, just stares.]

That...was pretty cool. And thanks for repairing the wall.

[ Toph tends to keep her face angled slightly down. There's no need for her to look straight ahead, given that she 'sees' her surroundings through other means. Now she just grins. ]

Figured I'd leave the redecorating for later.

[Anita can tell she's going to like her new housemate. Or at least, she assumes Toph will be rooming in with them.]

This entire place - not just the house - needs redecorating, honestly. I'm not afraid to break any rules, either!

Good day; Miles Edgeworth.

[ He doesn't sound unfriendly - just a little stressed, perhaps. ]

I would beg you please not to go out breaking rules, Ms. Beifong.

[ Oh, he's one of those people. ]

Oh, you'd beg? Go on, this could be fun.

[ What kinds of names do these people have, anyway? ]

[ Ah. She's one of those people. ]

I have no sway over what you do, as a matter of course. But what might be lighthearted fun at home could have real consequences here, where penalties for the same transgressions often differ strongly. If you must get into mischief, at least grow more familiar with the place first.

Are you telling me you want me to cause all kinds of mischief, just not law-breaking stuff, Mr. Fussybritches?

[ There's a very slight hint of mockery in her tone, though no actual malice. She is, at heart, just a 12 year old girl looking to act out.

And maybe flatten a building or two. ]

Mr. Edgeworth, if you will. And I would sooner there be no mischief at all, truthfully - if that isn't too much to ask.

Not all of us are interested in just following the rules. [ He says, his voice a touch dark. ]

But you should have a goal in mind first.

[ The camera is currently stubbornly showing the floor, and one singly dirty toe. ]

Okay, you got my attention for now, I guess. I'm listening.

Most of us are quite dissatisfied with the rules. Of course, if you wish to stand against them, I suggest doing so wisely.

Find allies, find a goal. A reason that you are angry with them.

I would also suggest not announcing such things to the general public. They would be called "do-gooders" for a reason.

Oh, please. Are you doing the whole secret recruitment for the underground movement kinda thing.

Because if that's the case, you gotta work on your sales pitch.

Oh no, hardly not. I'm far too lazy for those sorts of things!

[ He waved a hand, dismissively. ]

I just like watching.

Nothing here has anything to do with the spirit world, but it sounds like you don't know anything about this place.

[There's a lengthy pause before he adds:] So you wouldn't know any of the rules in the first place, right?

I know they want me to go school, and work, and I'm not sure what gave anyone the idea I'd play along with that.

I don't think anybody as young as us is required to work. I can't say the same about school.

[Not that Jean minds, personally, but the fact of the matter is that he's very behind.]

Eh, I've been home-schooled once, the whole deal doesn't really do it for me. I'd rather kick some major butt.

There aren't exactly a lot of opportunities for that, unless you end up somewhere else.

You can ask for what city is the most dangerous and move there.

[Gosh, how can she even find the time to miss Mataro, what with his clones showing up every other day.]

Is it really a good idea to have your first impression on a whole new world be "rule-breaker?"

[ Toph nods, though only to herself of course. Her tone of voice sounds almost like she's giving a lecture on the basic principles of life. ]

The sooner they know what's what, the better.

Do you even know what the rules here are?

That's going to leave a good impression.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1st Stomp: Is it an Earthquake? [Accidental Video/Audio/Action in Nonah and Residence #002]

[Video.] even if she's blind

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

VOICE.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

[action]

[action]

[action]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

Video (it's the only feature he knows)

Video

Video

Video

Video

voice.

voice.

voice.

voice.

voice.

voice

voice

no subject

video