View source for 3212/Clash of Metal

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/10/15
|Location=Njorun Station - Ring of Philosophy
|Synopsis=Eve and Toph spar in the Ring, with Toph testing just what Eve can do.
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|Cast of Characters=20, 857
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Although Eve isn't wearing the same outfit she wore to ice cream, she's wearing the same sort of thing. A mid-thigh skirt, knee-high socks, a shirt far more fashionable - if simple - than protective. All in all, not what a person might expect to wear to a sparring match. She doesn't bear any weapons either, not visibly at least. Sure the Ring can provide basic weapons if it's programmed in, but shouldn't a melee specialist have something more than a basic weapon?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The little blonde makes her way to the Ring. She's been here before, so has no difficulty finding it quickly. Once there though she waits, looking for her sparring partner. Well, partly. She's also reading a book, glancing around overtop it every time she flips a page... which is something that happens rather frequently.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The teenage girl enters the Ring in a rather relaxed manner, with a satchel flung over her shoulder as she walks in. And she doesn't even turn to face Eve as she walks over to the edge to drop her satchel off, all before she stretches her limbs. "I hope you're still not full from all the ice cream," she comments, idly noticing that Eve seems to be reading. Perhaps she's the bookwormy type?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her next question seems far more serious however. "Mind if I decide the layout of the Ring today? Or do you have a specific arena in mind?" Who knows just how Eve fights? If she was raised as an assassin, then she should have been taught a style. Then again, there is that one thing Toph did notice yesterday. And well, she's kind of curious to find out.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve's very much a bookworm. She'll devour any book she can after all. She snaps the book closed when she notices Toph however, not bothering to mark her page. A book she can read any time, and it's a great way to pass an idle minute or two. It's not worth being rude to an ally though, and a potential friend and training partner.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve studies Toph briefly. Expressions are interesting to her, as is body language. You can read a book once and learn everything in it, but you can never get everything about a person from a single glance. She squats down, setting her book carefully off out of the way, then straightens. "Go ahead." she says agreeably. "If I want to be a fighter, I have to be ready to face more than just different opponents." she observes, alluding to something Toph herself said the previous evening.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There is a lot that Eve should notice about Toph as she walks over to the panel in the wall. For one, the girl carries herself with a very large amount of confidence, every step sture. It's like the young teenager walks around as if she owns the place. She's also rather relaxed, carrying no tension and seemingly looking forward to this.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you want to be a fighter, you'll be a fighter. So, been fighting for long?" she asks, all while she presses some buttons on the panel, obviously doing so by memory as she doesn't look at it. Her fingers don't hesitate nor have any problems finding the correct switch, however.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the correct buttons are pushed, the arena changes into an earthen landscape. Rocks seem to be a prominent part of it, and there are even some steel columns making a walk way and an arch.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With that Toph rolls her shoulders and heads towards the middle of the arena. "Come at me whenever you are ready."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve carries herself with her own sureness. Not like she owns the place, but because she has near-complete self-mastery. Something that's ludicrously rare among anyone her own age, though perhaps not quite so rare among elite warriors. She nods to Toph, watching the girl setting up the arena, studying and learning.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Not long." Eve replies. She's been training to kill for quite a while, but that training has been terrible for her ability to actually fight. Between killing and fighting, she prefers fighting without contest... even if she hasn't exactly experienced much of it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve assesses the arena, taking a moment to scan the area about her. The arena seems fair, the terrain not terrible for her, though neither is it any sort of advantage. She has a pretty good idea why Toph chose it. Reading reports, after all, is reading. She probably knows a fair bit more about Toph's fighting ability than Toph knows about hers. Not that it's likely to be a major advantage. Her own fighting ability is still relatively straightforward.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally Eve turns back to regard Toph. She extends her arm to one side in slow and dramatic fashion, letting liquid metal pool to the surface of her hand and flow downwards, a silver stalactite seeking the ground. The metal flows, expands, solidifies. In the end, Eve holds a thin metal pole slightly taller than she is, picking it up and holding it horizontally before her, balanced in both hands.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She waits only a moment, to see if Toph might react to the sight. The older girl had said to attack at any time, but Eve doesn't want to try to surprise her. She should be sure to mark a clean distinction between setup and fight, having no desire for victory at any cost.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't wait long though. Once she stands in a ready position, she follows the first lesson she was taught. Don't be slow. Eve charges in, staff spinning hand over hand as she charges. Likely she'll get nowhere near Toph at first, but she aims to get as close as possible before she's intercepted by earth or metalbending.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You'll learn quickly enough in the Union," the blind girl assures Eve, not reacting much to that admission. Nor does she seem to react much to Eve as she extends her arm and the metal rises from the blonde's skin. No, the earthbender stands still as she rolls her head from side to side, as if she's working over some sore muscles. There is a pensive look on her face however, and she cracks her knuckles before she stands still, arms down at her sides even as Eve readies the metal pole. "Hmmm, so it don't just stay inside you, huh?" Toph comments.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There Eve charges, and Toph doesn't seem to be in a hurry as Eve charges. Though when the girl is a few feet away however, Toph brings up her right hand, and the earth underneath Eve's feet shifts, aiming to make her stumble all while Toph quickly steps aside, her expression neutral but clearly intent as she observes how the other girl reacts.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve has no reason to guess Toph has sensed her nature, and wouldn't really care if she had. Her nanomachines are simply a part of her, both literally and figuratively. She's focussed on the attack, though there's more to it than that. Yunomi taught her that staff fighting is an exploration, a sharing. That you do it not to dominate your opponent but to understand them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She wouldn't have swung for a KO or anything like that, but she doesn't even get close enough to strike. Instead the earth shifts beneath her feet. She's caught completely off-balance of course. Toph's had plenty of practice breaking the balance of far more experienced fighters than Eve. But despite the girl's wide-eyed surprise, she's quick to break stride and push off the ground, recovering her balance almost as quickly as she lost it. She swings her weapon, letting it slide through her hand until she reaches the end, extending the sweep four feet out from her arm's length. Not impossible for Toph to evade, but it has a chance of catching her a glancing blow if she underestimated Eve's reach and her ability to recover.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Man, she's quick and light on her feet. The earthbender is still moving, though she can't help but blink in surprise when she feels Eve's reach extend, and she just barely manages to jump up as the metal pole swings underneath her. "Woah!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While she's in the air Toph extends her own arm, and in response an earthen spike shoots out towards Eve, aiming to knock her back. It's not powerful enough to really hurt her, but it's clearly not painless either if Eve gets hit.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Okay, since I didn't read the reports that closely... how do you do that?" Toph asks, clearly not minding talking while she's fighting.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve is easily struck by the spike. Hard, but not devastating. She's a lot faster than she is tough. Knocked back, she pulls her staff in closer to herself, settling it balanced once again between her hands. This will require some consideration, she figures. Training with Zephyr or Yunomi was a matter of facing weapon with weapon. Facing someone who can attack from out of nowhere at will, using the ground all around, that's another matter entirely.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I've always had the ability." Eve notes, disgruntled. Not at the question but at her failure to connect while also getting knocked around. Controlling nanomachines has been something she could do since before she could walk, same as any other part of her body she could wave around, though of course fine control of them was not nearly so easy to learn.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You should read the reports." Eve notes tartly, spinning and lunging in to try to tap Toph with her weapon. "You might miss something important if you don't." she claims.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Even as Eve gets knocked back Toph pays attention, clearly not pressing the attack further. And it should be clear that she's not toying with Eve either. Rather, it seems like she's testing and observing her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Born with it, huh? she comments, then sighs when Eve comments that she should read more reports. Ugh, not her too! The earthbender's expression shifts slightly as Toph makes a face, and she kicks her heel into the ground, causing the earth underneath her to rise ten feet up in the air right before Eve's metal pole manages to tap her. Oh yes, she's trolling just a little bit now. "I have been /busy/," Toph responds a bit sourly. "I would be reading my fingers off if I had to read /everything/! Besides, it's been the WMAT, I've had better stuff to do, I thought I told you that yesterday?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Here she leans forward a bit, calling down from her column. "Not all of us can be bookworms like you!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve's not technically sure she WAS born. But really that doesn't matter. She's not pedantic enough to contradict Toph, or eager enough to expose private issues that she'd volunteer the information unnecessarily.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She wears a faintly amused look when it seems her comment, aimed in all seriousness rather than aimed to hurt, nonetheless gets a face from Toph. "I remember." Eve says neutrally. Toph's been busy. She perhaps even understands the sentiment. But priorities are one thing and ignorance is another thing entirely!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She pauses when Toph mounts her pedestal, looking rather annoyed at the older girl leaving fighting range. "Not fair." Eve mutters, puffing hair out of her face. She takes the opportunity of the combat lull to call up to Toph. "Fingers? You read with your FINGERS?" she asks, surprised and perhaps a bit impressed. And yes, it seems Eve hasn't realized Toph's blind. Or if she has, she hasn't thought it through entirely yet.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't wait idly for the fight to resume, however. She has multiple ways she can fight this fight, even with Toph up high. The second isn't needed, not yet, so she goes with the first. Eve takes a few steps back and hefts her staff. Then she pelts forward, striking downwards, jamming the weapon into the ground while it flexes in a way entirely unlike a weapon used for combat should. Using the staff as a pole-vault she's easily able to jump high enough to attack. She somersaults in the air, bringing the pole-weapon up and around in a hugely-telegraphed somersault spike. It looks amazing, but it's predictable as hell. Once she'd committed to the vault, there's only one possible way she could've attacked after all.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This isn't about being fair or not, this is a sparring, and you said you wanted to learn. So keep up!" Toph calls down at Eve, only to blink at the question posed her way.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The earthbender blinks again. "Man, are you dense or just too busy reading your reports so you don't notice the world around you...?" she inquires.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Okay, is she...? Yup. Seems like she's going to use the metal pole to climb the column. Toph only shakes her head slightly where she stands, and even if Eve is in the air as she spins around in what might look flashy, it's indeed easy to avoid as Toph kicks down, and the entire column collapses into dust and debris that hangs in the air, obscuring the vision of those reliant on eyesight.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You are too predictable!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Toph's voice is the only thing Eve will hear at first, but then there's the sound of earth shifting.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve comes out of her somersault swinging, but her target's nowhere to be found by the strike. That's fine... Eve's actually having fun, and doesn't see a need to end the match too soon. Her pleasure's tempered by the earthbender's words though. They make the blonde girl annoyed, but they also make her cheeks heat in shame. Annoyance at being taunted is one thing, but Eve's rather sensitive about her own lack of understanding, due mostly to how much of her life she spent entirely ignorant. The reason she loves reading... well, in a very real sense, it's the reason Toph *doesn't*.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve lands gracefully, but has to bring a hand to her face as she coughs from the dust and debris. The solution is fairly obvious however. Toph would be able to sense the shifting of Eve's nanometal, the shortening of her staff, and the fanning out of a much broader form. Literally fanning out, that is. Eve forms the nanometal into a fairly huge steel fan, sweeping it about her in an attempt to clear the dust from her immediate area. Or to deal with the larger bits of aerial debris at least. It's not terribly effective, but at least the girl can breathe.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When she hears the earth shifting, Eve shifts to face it, putting the fan between herself and the sound. Whatever comes, she's prepared to block it, and to shift the fan into something far sturdier... into a shield, to deal with whatever it is that's coming.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dust and debris lifts slightly as Eve uses the huge fan, and a slight chuckle can be heard as the blonde girl reacts to the sound, and she effectively blocks several rocks that come flying. Instead they bounce off of the shield, clattering to the ground. And that's when Eve might notice that Toph is standing still in place, off to her left.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"For somebody who's blinder than I am, you do notice some things at least!" Toph teases Eve with a slight grin playing at her lips. Seriously, either this girl is dense, or she's never heard of Braille before.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, it's time to test Eve further. So Toph kicks the ground and spreads her arms, and in response the earth around her breaks free, drawn in to gather around her body into a makeshift earthen armour. And then Toph is sliding across the ground towards Eve, though she isn't about to utterly ram into her or anything.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's almost no end to the things Eve's heard of thanks to her voracious reading, but that doesn't mean she can instantly call up any fact and understand it's relevance. She might have the chance to recall that reading with the fingers is called Braille, but knowing that and realizing that she's with someone who actually USES that arcane skill are two entirely different things!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She defends herself, her small body fitting well behind that metal shield to leave little exposed. As they're only small rocks, she's easily able to blunt their momentum and isn't harmed. As Toph taunts, Eve peers over the shield at the girl. She scowls, concentrating, trying to be ready. Her eyes widen as Toph armors herself, and Eve hunches behind the shield. Staff is clearly no good, not against that dense armor. Sword... possibly, but Eve doesn't want to use a piercing weapon. Her shield shrinks somewhat, the excess mass shifting through Eve's body before pooling into her right hand. Rigid armor calls for a blunt weapon. With some tight mental effort and focus, she forces the nanomachines quickly into a moderate-sized mallet.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Toph outmasses Eve by a bit, both because she's larger and because she's got a lot of dense muscle due to her fighting and training. Though Eve's braced for the charge, she's still knocked back, skidding hard before she rallies and darts back in, shield and mallet raised. It's hard to get fists past even a small shield. Eve in return has an impact weapon, but one that probably lacks the mass to do any real damage past Toph's defense. If she sacrificed her defense she might be able to overcome Toph's protection, but that would be really risky, particularly when she's a little mentally off-balance.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Back Eve goes again, and Toph skids to a halt before she walks over, the ground shaking just slightly at the weight of the earthen armour. "Light on your feet, huh?" she comments, all before she raises her right hand back, aiming to punch right into Eve's shield. At the same time she will also use something that Eve hasn't seen yet this fight. It's metal, and it might be under Eve's control still, but that doesn't stop the metalbender from doing what she can to severely dent it. After all, Eve should be prepared for it if she has been reading reports. In her Union profile, Toph has listed herself as being the inventor of metalbending after all. Besides, what's wrong with showing off a little? It's not like she's trying to scare Eve either, nor seriously injure her. Not now when it's just testing what Eve can do and how she reacts to combat situations.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve weighs about 30 kilograms, and that's including nanomachines sufficient to form a maul or a bullet-stopping shield. Of course she's light on her feet. She even lets out a faint smile at Toph's comment, taking it as a compliment.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't respond however, instead bracing for Toph's attack. That fist punches into her shield and she takes it, flying back from the hit but remaining braced and in good form. She touches down, and then looks in dismay at her warped shield. "Hey." she says, sounding annoyed and perhaps even a bit disturbed. Scowling, she reasserts the shield's true shape, finding it about as easy to restore as Toph found it to warp. She also shifts her weapon, extending it slightly, thinning the head, turning the whole thing into a ball mace. A weapon somewhat more menacing than a mallet it would seem, due to its smaller striking surface. "Stop that." Eve insists petulantly, closing in to try to land a few mace hits on that heavy earthen armor.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Eve sounds annoyed, the blind girl in the earthen armour can't help but leer slightly. "Stop doing what?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Eve swings her mace the blind girl doesn't back down, instead she meets the swing of the mace with her armoured arm, though she does grunt as the mace hits her. Even if she's shielded she still feels the strikes. And then the armour shifts, trying to trap the mace within it! "An earthbender stands their ground," she informs Eve. "I don't know if you classify yourself as anything, but you'll have an easier time fighting when you realize just what you are and work on that." It's meant to be helpful, even if Toph does sound a bit stern as she speaks.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then without warning, Toph extends her free arm, and in response one of the metal columns nearby let out a piercing shriek of protest as a sheet of metal peels off of it and then flies through the air towards Eve!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve's eyes flash at the advice. "I'm whatever I choose to be!" she insists, still attacking, parrying, trying to take advantage of her mobility against a ground-standing earthbender. She is what she can imagine. To her, to limit herself to being just one thing would cripple her effectiveness. That's the other reason she loves to read. Her imagination knows no bounds... and anything she can imagine, she can become. It may not be the literal truth, and she might well be better off committing to a particular philosophy of combat at the very least, but Toph likely can't deny Eve's passion for choice.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She is, however, still rather limited in combat. She's strong, but not one of the superheroic elites yet. She's still got a lot to learn, not to mention she's got some growing to do yet. With more physical strength, more mass, more experience and more techniques mastered she'll be incredibly formidable... but she's young yet. The sheet of metal flies at Eve. She blocks it, somewhat, but the metal's surface area is much larger than her shield, leaving her shins unprotected. Eve grunts in pain as she's battered by the metalbending. She's not annoyed at this though, even if she's frustrated. No, it's only Toph metalbending Eve herself that has the nanogirl upset for some reason.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Somehow it seems that the older girl finds the answer amusing, smirking slightly. Though she doesn't respond at first.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead she observes how Eve deals with the large sheet of metal.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After hitting her, the metal twists as Toph pulls back, moving her arms as the sheet tears into two pieces that roll up into two metal poles that remain in the air. "You will be told what you're supposed to be, you know," she says in a serious tone. "If it hasn't happened yet, then it will happen."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With a twisting motion of her wrists Toph sends the two metal poles swinging at Eve, one high and one low.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve rolls and dives, perhaps not as successfully as she might like. She's quick, but nowhere near quick enough to avoid all damage. Even leaping and spinning, she's only able to keep the two metal poles from striking her anywhere serious. Her shins are taking a beating... though Toph might be startled to hear the clang of metal on metal instead after the first few passes. Eve shows a grim smile as she dissolves her shield, relying instead on dermal armor to absorb the hits of the metal poles.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Able to block now with arms and with shins rather than with a single shield, Eve wades forward at Toph. "I've been told what I'm supposed to be all my life!" she snaps hotly. An oni. A weapon who doesn't need feelings. It was probably the single biggest moment of her young life when she was told, finally, that she didn't have to be what she was told to be, not if she didn't want to. And yes, now Eve's advancing on Toph, mace raised. Not with killing intent, but with steely determination nonetheless.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the sound of metal on metal is heard Toph's jawline tightens just slightly, and the metalbender pulls back her arms. The two metal poles are pulled back, and Toph is just about to attack again when Eve speaks with more emotion and determination than she has done before.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Eve advances, Toph doesn't move, standing still even as she moves her hands, shifting the metal poles into sheets of metal again. "Sounds like you don't agree with what they said," she says, her own tone serious and carrying a hint of empathy in it. It's good that the younger girl knows better than to take everything at face value. For now the bender isn't moving, waiting to see how Eve will attack.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Of course I don't!" Eve claims, the rejection plain enough even for the blind girl to see. Still, even though she's angry, Eve's advance is measured, controlled. Zephyr didn't save her just so she could continue being the weapon Rudman desired. Yuna didn't teach her how to choose just so she could choose to continue the killing. She COULD, but she won't. She's better than that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve's attack is measured and precise. She's likely practiced swinging her weapons, learning how to strike shallowly while still delivering the attacks with speed and power. She can deliver heavy-hitting surface blows, or in this case slam a dense metal ball into earthen armor, while stopping the attack before it crushes bones underneath.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Man, whatever they tried to pressure her to be doesn't seem to nice. And it seems like whoever said those things to Eve had different expectations of her than Toph had from her own parents. Is this linked with assassination? Because it's rather curious with how Eve has metal in her body.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm not even going to ask what they told you, then," Toph says seriously, then grunts when Eve swings her mace and it hits her in the arms again. Though as Eve hits, those two sheets of metal don't remain still for long. Toph nods her head forward, and then the sheets of metal move, seeking to wrap themselves around Eve's arms. If it succeeds, then Eve will find herself yanked back.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve forms her metal arm defenses against Toph's metal poles, but she's caught off-guard by the metal wrapping around her instead of merely striking. She's yanked back easily, and though she struggles she totally lacks the strength to bend metal herself. She's pinned, and it looks like she's got no possible way out. Given time of course she could lever her way out, or figure out how to create nano-bolt-cutters. But in combat, there's no time for that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Struggling futilely, Eve shakes her head. "You already know the worst of it." she says. Well, perhaps not THE worst, but bad enough. Toph knows Eve was ordered to kill Yuna. That she'd been ordered to kill others earlier... well, that's implied but not something she willingly talks about. Talking about how she refused to kill Yuna is one thing. Talking about how she didn't know she could refuse the earlier orders... that's another.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Having no need to armor herself against the metal poles, Eve shifts her defensive reserve into a new attack. Metal shoots through her circulation, passing through her body, forming up within her golden hair. A pony tail lashes out, animated and extended, transformed into a razor-edged blade. She chops into the sheet metal with first one and then both pony tails, ripping hard into the metal to tear herself free.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally freed, Eve drops down in a crouch, panting hard. That took a lot of effort, a lot of focus. It's not something she's really practiced, and it certainly wasn't as elegant as it could have been. More draining though has been the talk of killing and of choice. Bad stuff, dark and nasty to dwell on... so long as she's not focussed more on the choices she did make, that is. Eve's hair quiets, and she begins advancing on Toph once again, her mace making small circles as she waves it determinedly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I guess I do..." Toph replies, her tone not entirely unkind. Though she seems curious about how Eve gets herself free from the metal, not bending any more attacks at Eve. So when the blonde girl advances on her again, still breathing hard, the earthbender holds up a hand. "I think that is enough for now, I don't expect you to defeat the greatest earthbender of all time when you're still relatively new to fighting."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All it takes is one fist to her chest, and the earthen armour crumbles around Toph, and she kicks some of the pieces away. "You're quick, but you're a bit predictable in a fight. A skilled opponent would be able to see most of your attacks coming, even if they aren't bad. There are just some strong people out there."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The blind girl is grinning through, and she places her hands on her hips. "Wanna see how I read with my fingers?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve is not displeased at the outcome of the sparring session, not really. It's frustrating that she spent most of the fight reacting and taking hits even if those hits were fairly light. More frustrating, she never landed anything of any consequence on her opponent. They're close in age it seems, but not at all in experience.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That, of course, just means Eve will have to train harder. She's got someone else besides Zephyr she needs to surpass. She learned a lot in the fight, identified a few tricks and techniques she'll need to practice. Learned a few things she'll have to think about, to decide how to more effectively counter in the future. It was a very productive, if frustrating, training session.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nodding, Eve straightens and holds out her mace. It grows a collection of cracks, then shatters like crystal. The shards of the weapon fracture further, turning into dust and shattering again until they vanish. Of course they don't actually disappear, except to the visible eye. They return to Eve's body in nanoform; a cloud of invisible metal. "All right." she says agreeably, the hint of a smile forming.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With that cleared up Toph heads towards where she put her satchel, kicking the ground so the satchel flies up into the air, and straight into Toph's waiting hand. "Seriously though, you haven't heard about Braille before? I thought people were pulling my leg when they first mentioned it on the channel..." she mutters. Then she turns her head slightly. "You /do/ know I'm blind, right?" Hey, she has to make sure. Eve seems like she's either extremely sheltered, or just... not really observant of some stuff. Which doesn't make too much sense either.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Okay, that makes Eve blush a faint pink. "Of course I've heard of braille." she mutters, at last putting things together. It's making those connections in the end that counts. As for Toph being blind... well, let's just assume Eve knows, she just didn't think it worth fussing over. She makes no comment on that either way. "I was just never taught anything like that when my grandfather had me under his control." she grumbles. "Hasn't even been two months since I've been freed..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So you just weren't thinking at the moment, huh?" Toph teases with a smirk. Though she sobers up as Eve continues talking, and she listens as she digs into the satchel, pulling out a rather fancy glove that she puts on her left hand. "Two months, huh...?" She lets out a sigh, then pulls out what looks like a small novel. "I didn't leave my home until two and a half years ago myself," she reveals. "I was told what I was supposed to be too, and I didn't care for that either. Ah, here..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She opens up the book on a specific page, and there's indeed normal writing in the book. "My adoptive father made this glove for me, it translates normal writing into Braille that I can read. Except I prefer fighting and bending, like you just saw."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I like reading!" Eve claims with a certain naive enthusiasm. Yeah, it might have been kind of obvious, you think? It's not blind enthusiasm though, so to speak. "No one can keep me from learning anything, now that I've learned to read." she explains.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she shrugs. "Fighting's okay too." she adds agreeably. "I'll become strong enough that Yuna can accept me fighting beside her without worry!" she insists.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Just do whatever is right for you," Toph shrugs, then blinks. "Wait... you just learned reading too?" She sounds a bit surprised, stopping her hand from moving over the page.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eve nods, fixing Toph with a look that implies it's now Toph that's not cluing in to something painfully obvious. Were she a more verbal type, no doubt she'd be saying 'Yeeeeeees?' in a heavily ironic tone. "When I joined the Union. It was one of the things they taught me on my first day." she says.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yep. Day. Eve has no idea that this isn't how things are normally done. That it usually takes a LOT longer than that. Oh sure, she knows infants take years to learn to read... but she's hardly an infant!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For several seconds, Toph sits still, her eyes wide and unblinking.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You... learned reading in ONE day?!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Holy crud, just how bored was she if she spent a whole day just learning how to read?!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Caught by surprise by Toph's wide-eyed amazement, Eve just blinks. "Er... yes?" she ventures carefully. "Isn't that how it's usually done? When someone doesn't learn before becoming an adult?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At that Toph arches an eyebrow. "Uh, nooo? It took me months to get comfortable with reading and writing, and I had a private teacher," Toph points out with a sigh. "Usually it takes a while to comfortable with reading and writing for most people. I never heard of anybody learning to do it in one day." Man, is Eve some kind of wunderkind or something?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh." Eve says, looking concerned, and rather embarrassed. "Well... I suppose I had good motivation." she suggests awkwardly. She knows she's different from other kids, but this just blindsided her.<br> <br>


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