4184/Rock and Paper

Rock and Paper
Date of Scene:	04 June 2016
Location:	Avatar World <AW>
Synopsis:	Toph decides to search for metalbending students by entering a bending tournament... except she is stuck with a partner she doesn't much care for.
Cast of Characters:	20, 799

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Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's an immense nation, the Earth Kingdom. Spanning the majority of the landmass of the world of the benders, it's a place with all sorts of climates. Down in the south it's nice, warm with gentle winters, while the north tends to get more chilly and stormy. The people are just as diverse, though most of them are hardy and tough as the nation they belong to.

    Even in her travels with the Avatar, a certain earthbender never visited all of the nation she grew up. Which means that while this trip has one major task for her to fulfil, she's also curious to experience more of what the Earth Kingdom has to offer. Which is why she decided to travel the northern coast and mountains while it's summer. Then she can focus on the southern areas as winter approaches.

    The city of Tonghar lies to the north east of the Earth Kingdom, and it's quite larger than some of the cities in the south. As it is, Toph couldnt help but be curious as she wandered the streets, clad in her usual bending clothes instead of the more modern clothes she's taken to wearing the last years since she unofficially moved to Malibu. Fishing and mining seems to be a big part of this town. As well as bending tournaments, she discovered as she overheard people talking. Now that is an opportunity to search for potential metalbending students.

    So as the evening approaches, she makes her way to a hill outside of town, where an old keep has been converted to the major entertainment for benders in this area. Sure, the surface is tattered and abused by nature, but underneath the ground there are series of halls and tunnels, leading down into a large arena.

    As she approaches the entry of the keep however, the guards step forward. "Hey, turn around, kid. This is hardly a place for you to be. Isn't it your bedtime soon?" he laughs, not seeming malicious. Toph however doesn't look amused as she comes to a halt, narrowing her eyes. "You have no idea who I am, do you?" Her response is perhaps a bit curt. "I am Toph Beifong, the Avatar's earthbending master, and I'm here to fight."

    The guard looks confused for a moment, then looks her over where she stands. And to Toph's credit it does seem like he believes her. How many blind earthbenders are there anyway? But somehow he seems reluctant to let her past. "Well, you can come and observe the fights tonight, but you haven't signed up, and you have no partner either..." he muses, inwardly sighing at Toph's reaction to these words. Because she does not look too happy when she's told that she, the greatest earthbender of all time, isn't allowed to fight. "What do you mean, 'no partner'?" she demands, crossing her arms. In response the guard sighs out loud. "I'm not sure what kind of tournaments you're used to girly, but up here we place more challenge in it. It takes more finesse to fight well along with a partner, and the rules are clear. No partner, no entry. But as I said, you're free to head on in and watch..." Watch. Kinda weird to say that to a blind girl, but... Toph is famous in this world in the years after the hundred year war.

    While Toph is still grumpy at this unforeseen turn of events, she does grumble and pass by the guard, heading into the keep before she makes her way down the stairs leading to the underground arena. The halls and corridors seem to be filled with fighters and people alike, torches lighting up underground. Why, there are even stands with food and drinks down here, not to mention places for people to meet the fighters, get their autographs and so on. Perhaps it would be wise to check this place out further, and see if she can meet the fighters and then test them. Though it might have been easier if she were to fight them. Maybe she can find an earthbender to partner up with later...?

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Question: How does a person track down someone who claimed to be going off somewhere in the Multiverse, alone?

    More relevant question: If one is a notoriously-sneaky son of a bitch with a malevolent reputation, near-infinite resourcefulness, and an entirely unwholesome intent, how does one just happen to come across one of the objects of one's desire purely through happenstance?

    Actually never mind that question. Some things aren't meant to be known, and the answers might not even be believed if known. Suffice to say it wasn't hard for Hisoka to learn Toph had chosen to head 'home' for a time. It wasn't hard to decide that, once there, she would seek out a big time fight. It might not even have been hard, for someone as resourceful as Hisoka, to ARRANGE a unique new brand of fighting tournament and ensure he just happened to be there whenever it seemed possible Toph would visit her home nation. Why pursue, after all, when it's easier to bait?

    Besides, Hisoka LIKES fighting. He likes encouraging interesting new fighters and interesting new fighting. He doesn't like all the dreary work involved in setting up such a thing as a professional fighting competition, but it's not too difficult to find people who are. People motivated by money, who will see to it the work gets done, who will be quick to spot an idea and steal it for themselves. No matter to Hisoka if they think they get away with it. He's the one using them, not the other way around, and that's what really counts.

    And so the sport of Pro-Bending begins. Still in its infancy, tournament rules are simple and rough. Teams of two Benders who can't both be the same element. The fights are brutal and the next best thing to no-rules, at least at first. Safety elements might be introduced eventually, but for now it's a competition which bears a striking resemblance to Earth Rumble done in pairs. With the competition taking place in the middle of the Earth Kingdom, it's easy to find Earthbenders. It's very difficult, however, for an Earthbender to find a non-Earthbender partner that hasn't already been claimed and signed up.

    Hisoka himself just happens to be here, checking out fighters. Yeah right. He has little interest in the usual brand of Earthbender, or even the other types of Benders who have showed up to participate. They're boring, predictable, weak. Stale and overripe, or even rotten. But ah, if it should so happen to pass that, as a little bird might have told him... that a certain little unripe fruit should be here? Oh, wouldn't that be delicious.

    Across a crowded room, Hisoka's head turns. He spots a certain young Earthbender. And he GRINS. Delicious.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As Toph ventures deeper into the underground fighting arena she is curious, not to mention surprised, when she overhears the talk of this not just being an earthbending tournament... but a tournament for all sorts of benders? And that there can't be the same type of benders on one team. Of course, since this is the Earth Kingdom, there appears to be an abundance of earthbenders here. Well, perhaps she can use her metalbending since it's its own subtype... and that might encourage others to join her in attempt to learn? Thing is, there's hardly any metal here, and the little metal she keeps on her person won't be that effective in a fight here. Perhaps that means she needs to go back here another time...

    But even so, she rushes to the registration desk. Perhaps there is a water or firebender she can team up with! Because getting on stage is the best way to get people's attention and spread her message about her intent to start a metalbending academy.

    Once she's at the registration desk however, her hope is slowly crushed.

    "... are you /sure/?" the teenager asks the woman behind the desk as she looks through her papers. "There's gotta be /one/ waterbender or firebender left! Arrange something, I'm sure there's /someone/ who wants to team up with me!" Toph is pretty insistent, but it doesn't seem to help as the woman shakes her head. "There are only earthbenders left, young lady. And I'm not sure what you're talking about, but metalbending is not a valid option. It's not even possible, everybody knows that!"

    Somehow Toph doesn't look happy at that, and she's just about to complain when the people behind her in line push ahead. "Move out of the way, kid!"

    "HEY!" Toph looks beyond annoyed, though she's clearly trying to calm herself down. Man, this evening can't get any worse, can it?

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Metalbending is, of course, a part of Earthbending. Just like a waterbender couldn't join up with a bloodbender. Well... theoretically it might be allowable when the rules get more firmly established and Metalbending becomes more of a thing, but then the metalbender couldn't use any earth powers or their team would be instantly disqualified.

    This close to fight time, any precious fire or waterbender has joined with the best earthbenders they can find. Any teammate is better than none, this close to the deadline. Earthbenders are desperate, but unless a miracle happens they'll be forced to find a partner for the next competition instead. And miracles just don't happen all that often, do they?

    "Hello little Lychee~" Hisoka croons happily, using the crowd and noise to get close to Toph before he speaks. "A shame, don't you think, if you can't show your strength among sooo many lesser fighters?" he asks, twisting the figurative knife deeper. "Unless you can find a fighter who isn't an Earthbender..." he adds, smirking in sheer amusement. He doesn't care, not really. He has no interest in the competition itself. It's fighters he's here to observe and perhaps manipulate.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    In this large gathering of people, it's hard to recognise certain people unless she is actively looking for them and know them well. Which is why Toph only tenses up the moment she hears the familiar voice, her eyes going wide as she turns slightly. Instantly her defenses are up, as if she's expecting an attack. Can you blame her? Sure, they didn't fight the last time they met in Urbania atop the tower where the Magician made her doubt what his motives were during HK-47's attempt to take her life about half a year ago.

    One thing is sure, she's not happy to 'see' him again, and it shows. Nor is she happy about the fact that she doesn't get to fight. No, that's not something she won't comment on as it's obvious. Instead she lets out a snort and turns to walk, as if intending to leave him behind. "There aren't any other benders I can team up with here," she responds sourly in contrast to his amusement. "So I'll have to come back another time, it seems." Maybe she can ask Katara or Aang to join her. Zuko is probably busy with tending to his duties in the Fire Nation...

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka doesn't seem particularly interested in fighting Toph, not this moment at least. "Such a shame." he says, demeanour friendly enough. If Urbania or the previous deathtrap are on his mind, they seem to be far enough back that he's not dwelling on them.

    He shrugs, and turns away from Toph. To all appearances he's completely at ease, not even warding himself from attack. Given his weird abilities this probably isn't true, but his body language seems to claim he's not threatened by Toph's presence at least. "I would like to register." Hisoka says to the registration woman, smiling in a slightly predatory fashion. She looks at him. He doesn't look like an Earthbender, certainly. Not a waterbender either. Possibly a firebender, though he dresses nothing like them. "Team name and specialization?" she asks.

    "I don't have a team yet." Hisoka claims offhandedly. "I'm an Airbender." he explains, to startled amazement. "There's only one Airbender!" is the response. While the reception woman is the one who utters it directly, the same comment is echoed on many lips. Still, Hisoka DOES have the build of an airbender if anything, and seemingly has the facial tattoos that are the thing of legend, even if they don't actually match the legend.

    "Oh, I'm a new Airbender." Hisoka claims without the slightest hint of dissonance. "I came across an ancient scroll and studied it. My childhood was filled with wonder and the legends of the Airbenders, and I'd hoped I could learn from this scroll. I studied it, I caressed it, I ate with it, I slept with it." he says. Hopefully he doesn't mean this entirely literally. Or perhaps it's better said, hopefully he's literal rather than euphamistic. "One day, the scroll began to twitch in a breeze as I studied it, except there was no breeze. Overjoyed, I continued devoted study. Now, I have fully learned its secrets. I am the world's first Paperbender. Which, of course, is a specialization of Airbending." he grins. With a flourish he presents a deck of cards, and begins to fan and flip cards spinning around him in all directions.

    The cards spin around him in dizzying patterns, following arcs that are quite obviously unnatural, before coming back to rest in his hand in a neatly-stacked pile. It COULD be airbending, to those who don't know differently. He COULD have been manipulating winds that simply aren't there. Or he could be completely full of shit. Either way it's definitely not Earthbending.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It seems like she can't get any proper fighting in tonight, so maybe she will have to settle for trying to talk with the earthbenders who haven't signed up for tonight's fight...

    As Hisoka walks up to the registration desk, Toph is already walking away. Hah, this fruit wants to register? He's not even a bender, so there's no way they will let him fight either.

    The moment Hisoka claims to be an airbender however, the blind teenager halts in her tracks, her eyes wide as saucers. No. He's not going to...!

    Indeed, there's only airbender, and everybody knows that's Avatar Aang. Toph should know this better than anybody, considering she was the one who taught him earthbending. Yet Hisoka is as skilled at bullshitting as he's been on previous occasions. Because that's got to be total bullcrap that he's serving the registration lady and the nearby benders who stare at him in total shock and awe, especially as he begins a probably eye catching display of his 'paperbending'. Of course Toph knows he's got some weird threads or something that he uses, and what he's doing is /not/ airbending. It's got to be a total lie. But why is he doing this? Is it to fight here? Is he up to something sinister?

    As a junior officer she's got a responsibility to ensure that multiversal forces doesn't threaten her world. Besides, her other task would be easier if she could enter the tournament and show her bending. So while she absolutely loathes the idea of this, she has no other choice for now, she realizes as a twitch overtakes her left eyebrow. But she swallows her pride before she turns and half runs up to the registration desk. This opportunity will only be here for a few seconds before the people around them will recover from this startling turn of events! Once there, she /slams/ her hand down onto the table, making the paper, ink and registration clerk alike jump.

    "I'm on his team!" she quickly says, determination and annoyance both on the young girl's face where she stands, forcing herself to stand still. Somehow she doubts her adoptive parents will approve of this, but... what choice does she have?

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    The effortless way in which Hisoka spins his lie, as if he doesn't care whether or not anyone believes him, actually gives a semblance of honesty to his words. Or, not honestly exactly. It just seems more like storytelling than outright lying. It's still bullshit, but it's a fine grade of bullshit you could spread around crops rather than just the muck that's uselessly found lying anywhere.

    Hisoka's smile is hard and fierce when Toph takes the bait. A sudden flood of malicious energy that lashes out, strikes, wounds, then vanishes before the wounds are deep enough to cause actual harm. No one is hurt; not the fighters, the witnesses, the registration woman, or Toph herself. Many people will be left with the impression, however, that some mysterious and unseeable force ALMOST hurt them.

    "Am I on YOUR team, little Lychee?" Hisoka croons, gaining control of himself. That IS the question he asked, more or less, the last time they'd met. "Perhaps someone else here might be a better partner for me." he casts his gaze among them, studying them for a few moments. "No, I suppose not. They are trash." he claims bluntly. Trash, in his mouth, sounds like he's swearing. Perhaps he is. "What should we call ourselves then?" he asks, switching moods once again to something resembling playfulness.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Almost as soon as the words have left her mouth, Toph can't help but feel an ill sense of foreboding as a shiver runs down her spine, and she swallows nervously where she stands. It only lasts a moment however, luckily. Though she can't help but wonder if Hisoka really was the cause behind it...

    It's annoying when he plays coy however, pretending that he didn't set this exact situation up. Because to Toph it's obvious that he did, considering his earlier words. It only makes Toph look more annoyed as the registration clerk fills out their information. The blind girl crosses her arms across her chest, clearly looking like she's /sulking/ where she stands. This is going to be a trial of patience indeed. Even if he considers the other benders here 'trash'. As for their team name?

    "I don't give a crud..." she mutters, then sighs. "Underground Meteor." Because that's what she would have called Team Lute if Lute hadn't started babbling about his team name first.

    "And what is your name, Sir?" the registration clerk asks Hisoka. She did hear Toph's name earlier, after all.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Names are a personal thing, which is perhaps why Hisoka made his own up. It's possible he just forgot his name at some point and came up with a new one at need, but more likely it was a whim that caused the name 'Hisoka' to become infamous.

    The BEST reason however, to make up a name, is to piss someone off. He doesn't care who others think of him as. Toph knows him, more or less, and his next words are for her benefit. For a given meaning of the word 'benefit' that is. "Zhang Li." he says with a smile, choosing a name not inappropriate to the world he's found himself in. A very common name, and one which could be translated as 'anyone' when used as a part of a common saying.

    It doesn't impress the reception. It doesn't impress anyone really. "Very well Li. You are entered as an Airbender." she says, looking at him dubiously. "Whether you are or not, that doesn't matter. If you use techniques beyond airbending, you will be disqualified." she notes professionally. The tournament IS aware of offworlders and of odd powers. This is explained in the sport of Pro Bending as an homage to the ancient arts and ways, while in effect it's a way to make sure that proud local celebrities aren't simply pushed aside for exotic and flashy offworlders.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Somehow Toph doubts that he gives his real name when he responds to the registration clerk, and Toph narrows her eyes as the paperwork is finished up. Once that is done however, the blind teenager reaches up to grab onto Hisoka's sleeve and intends to yank him with her away from the registration desk and to somewhere with less people around.

    And so she hisses at him under her breath, looking awfully grumpy. Even more than usual when she has to deal with this guy. "I have no idea what you're up to here, but I warn you... any funny business at all, and I'm going to call the Union here. They know where I am too, so no funny ideas!" No, she can only imagine how much Tony and Pepper would dislike the thought of him being here, and even more the fact that she's just signed up to fight on a team with this guy. "And seriously... 'paperbending'?!" she demands.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka hasn't spared Toph his 'real name' for any particular reason, or at least isn't actually trying to hide his identity from her. He's amused though, and follows her with equanamity.

    "Why, little lychee." Hisoka says with clear amusement. "You're supposed to say 'if you don't do what I want I'll kill you'." he claims. "You think I'm at all interested in your Union? I'm not. I'm interested only in what YOU will do." he says. Once again, he seems utterly sincere. "And your bitter words wound my childhood." he says in exactly the same tone. "Paperbending is an ancient art. Should I have dishonored it by calling it cardbending? How limiting." he grins.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "For one," Toph half snaps when Hisoka responds, raising a finger that she points /directly/ at his face, "You know my name. Use it." Sure, it might be a bit hypocritical from the young bender who tends to refer to nearly everybody by their nickname, but then again, she never uses nicknames like he does. Being referred to by a fruit... it feels kinda icky. "Secondly, you know I don't kill." It's disconcerting when he claims that he's interested in what she will do however, and Toph lets out a huff. "Why do you care what I do anyway?" The previous time they had met he had urged her to come after him and fight him. Is this related to this, or is this something else entirely?

    It doesn't make it better when he pretends to be upset at her questioning his 'bending' either, and Toph lets out a groan as she presses a hand to her forehead and then exhales. "You really do believe your own bullshit..." How typical teenager of her. "FINE, do your silly thing. I don't know what your goals are here and I know that you probably won't tell me, just as long as you don't interfere with mine. Now let's go."

    Determined as always, Toph heads back to the registration desk to pick up their paperwork and leads the way to the fighter's area on the floors below. According to what the registration clerk said, their fight for the night isn't for a fair while, which means that it's time to mingle. And once they enter the training area, Hisoka will get to see what most earthbenders are like.

    Big, buff and tough acting guys. He's probably seen the type before, guys who are more muscle than mind. Heck, some of them even seem outright dumb, typical reinforcement. And all of them are using a different style than the one Toph uses. Whereas the young girl who walks in front of him uses her chi, or her nen, continously, these people only use it when they are actively bending. Of course there are other sorts of people here too, even among the other earthbenders. The firebenders seem to be typically more quick, while the waterbenders seem to be more agile in general. But all of the fighters seem to be in a good mood, eager to fight and to show off their skills.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    So many fighters! So few worth fighting. Hisoka grins and greets other fighters with dismissive dignity. There's no one here he would greet with a nod of a respectful equal, save perhaps Toph herself, so his nods are the acknowledgment of a ruler noticing his subjects if he notices them at all. If they don't greet him with the respect he believes he deserves, he doesn't even seem to notice them.

    "What if I forget your name?" Hisoka grins. "I can always remember Lychee. You'll have to work hard to make sure I remember something so tasteless as .... Toph." he adds, looking as if he might as well suck on lemons as use such a name. But yes, he does remember it, and yes he's willing to use it, if it keeps his pet amused. For now, he'll be good.

    "Maybe I'll tell you my goals here." Hisoka claims after remaining quiet for a while. "Your world's way of fighting is interesting. Manipulation, even transmutation. Crude, but done with skill. Well, /mostly/ done with skill." he adds dismissively. "And some of you focus so on your power, not reaching out for more but reaching IN for better. It's so.... tasty." he smirks. "How else could I learn so much about your abilities without breaking you and studying all the little pieces?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Tasteless? Ugh. "Still not as tasteless as you, LI," she counters with a mutter. Unlike Hisoka she doesn't seem to care much for the others, but it does appear that some of the people look at Toph and whisper amongst themselves. None dare to go over and talk with her directly, however.

    Is that a look of surprise on Toph's face when Hisoka actually claims his intent to tell her his goals for being here, for claiming to be an airbender? Quite possibly, as she slows down briefly. While she's uncertain what he means by manipulation and transmutation, the blind girl listens curiously. Not turning her head quite fully at him, Toph does show that she's listening to his words as she speaks up. "So you're here to learn about my bending...?" she asks, as if not quite believing it. "Didn't you see me fighting in the WMAT last year?"

    Then again, this place is probably quite optimal for learning about bending if you already have a decent idea about how it works.

    It appears that the first fight is starting however, as some of the benders head out to the nearby sitting area that is right by the arena. A booming voice can be heard as it yells out for the audience.

    "Welcome to tonight's first round fight of this summer's Ultimate Bending League! You have all been looking forward to this for weeks now, and we're gonna deliver what we promised! Benders from all the nations, fighting for honour, glory and fabulous prizes, including bragging rights! You've seen earthbenders before, but what happens when we toss water and fire into the mix! Tonight will be an amazing experience and the beginning of something new, so scoot out to the edge of your seats and get ready!"

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka smirks down at Toph, just full of condescension. "You of all people claiming that SEEING someone fight should be enough?" he asks with obvious amusement. True he could learn plenty that way, more than most. But wouldn't it be obviously more fun to learn by FIGHTING? Hisoka reaches out to pat Toph on the head, not expecting her to actually stand still for it. If this annoys her, or if it annoys people who seem to know Toph, he clearly doesn't care.

    Hisoka is marginally interested in the fighting however. The idea of an entire world where so many people share a nen skill... it's intriguing. And while novel nen is interesting, Hisoka tends to respect people who develop their skills more than those who seek to beat their foes through novelty.

    "Waterbenders are similar to Earthbenders." Hisoka claims, possibly because he believes it, possibly because he wants simply to annoy Toph with an outrageous claim. "But Firebenders are different. Transmutation." he adds without immediate explanation.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The fact that he reaches out to pat her on the head clearly is something that the earthbending master doesn't like, as she not so subtly leans out of the way, not even bothering to block Hisoka's hand. "Only a few people get to pat my head, and you're not one of them," she comments, then begins following the crowd of fighters who are clearly going to watch the first match coming up.

    It should be clear from all the talk Toph does on the radio that she has her set ideas about what earthbending is like, especially considering her being the self-declared greatest earthbender ever. So of course Toph lets out a huff. "Yeah, they're as similar as you and me," Toph huffs in clear disagreement. "I don't know what you mean by transmutation or whatever, but water is changing. Earth is stable. Waterbenders are gentle, earthbenders are /tough/!" No, somebody doesn't like being compared to water, it appears.

    Toph finds her way to some free seats near some other benders who are watching, keeping her feet on the ground. They don't have to wait long, as two teams enter the fighting arena. One middle aged male earthbender along with a slightly aging firebender, and on the other team there's two young female benders in their early twenties, a waterbender and an earthbender. For now Toph does look slightly curious about how this is going to be done, as she herself is only used to Earth Rumble VI.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    "Spoken like an emitter." Hisoka grins. The personality type doesn't really suit Toph. She's not impatient, but her huffy assumptions make him suggest this in a goading manner. Of course since she doesn't know the traits associated with an emitter, she's not likely to be offended by more than his mocking tone. "You should be more logical, though I'll concede you're hard to push~" he teases. "Earthbending and waterbending are similar because you're both taking hold of something and controlling its movement with your own." he adds in explanation. "But firebenders are different. They control the fire the same way, but they create it with their nen as well..." he claims. "Watch. Or whatever it is you do." he instructs.

    As the match begins, Hisoka nods. "The firebender should try to deceive. Like I would." he predicts. "Not showing where he intends to strike from. "Waterbending isn't linear, but not deceptive either. The flow of their power is not so linear as yours is. In the end it's not the direction you attack from that matters, it's how well you use what you have. But to those with eyes to see, they're quite similar." he claims. Of course it's not obvious if he's telling the truth or just bullshitting in ways calculated to annoy Toph. He sounds like he means it, but he also sounds as if he might be spouting off his own theories, not caring what Toph thinks of them.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "I have no clue what you mean by that either, Fruit Loops," Toph mutters, clearly trying to brace herself for having to deal with Hisoka for tonight until their fight is over with. Somehow she doubts he will leave her alone, especially if he wants to see how she fights. When he explains why he considers earthbending and waterbending to be similar though, he... actually does make some sense. "You're oversimplifying it. And I assume that by nen you mean chi." Not that she is too bothered by terms. Sure, she knows about chi, about how Aang and Katara has spoken about it, but to her, it's always been something that's fallen naturally to her. Instead of having to be taught, she's mostly figured out how to do it herself through trial and error. But fine, she will observe the match as it begins.

    The earthbenders in this fight is nothing spectactular from what she can tell, and overall Toph doesn't look impressed. Or maybe she's just annoyed with Hisoka's babble. But her expression is one that suggests that yes, she's focused on the movements of the fighters in the arena. "Most earthbenders are direct in their fighting style, because you need to think in a particular way to move the earth." It's simple. /Earth/ is simple. Toph has no idea what it looks like for seeing people, but for her it's easy to tell what motions they are going to do considering their bodies already tell her through her bending. For a while she's quiet, then she mutters. "That guy sucks at trying to feint." The firebender does indeed try to feint the earthbender on the other team, but he seems to be successful as the waterbender needs to move in to defend her teammate. Overall it looks like the male team is doing better, and in the end, they manage to win with only a few points in their favour.

    Between the fights they do call in a badgermole to clear up the arena, and volunteer waterbenders do help clear up the water and refill the trenches for the next fight. Perhaps it's the first time that Hisoka sees the creatures, and if it's so, then he might notice how the creatures bend. As a matter of fact, Toph has more in common with their movements than the movements than the human earthbenders. The next fights transpire as normal with more teams that do well enough, with the fighters being called in from the stands. But finally, the announcer calls up their names.

    "And now we get a treat, ladies and gentlement! A highly unusual team! One unknown, the other a bender that most of all might have heard of. He's an unique airbender, she's the Avatar's earthbending master... ZHAN LI AND TOPH BEIFONG!"

    With a sigh Toph rises to her feet, then heads down to the arena as the announcer names their opponents. "Against them we have a former commander in the Fire Nation's royal army, Delun! Alongside him, a champion from the western earthbending tournaments... the Ox!" From the other side of the arena two men enter, one a massive beast of a man, over six feet tall and nearly quite as broad, muscles that are clearly not just for show. The firebender with him might not be too muscular, but he's clearly not a pushover, brimming with confidence as he looks at his two opponents.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    "You can learn things that aren't your nature." Hisoka admits. "But you don't think straightforwardly because you're an Earthbender. You're an Earthbender because it's who and what you are." he says. His eyes, focussed on the fight, glimmer with nen energy. Invisible to pretty much everyone there, particularly Toph. Yes, Bending is far more complex than he says aloud. He has too much of a defective personality to take pleasure in pedantic descriptions of exactly what he can sense. He internalizes it instead, understanding potential opponents by their energy flows, understanding the way they think not to understand them exactly, but to learn how best to manipulate them into expecting one thing while he delivers another.

    "Sometimes, experience will win a fight." Hisoka notes companionably. The two older fighters quite obviously have fought in wars, have fought against people trying to kill them. The younger pair may have fought, but their relative inexperience in deadly battle shows clearly. "Oh, and if I have to call you Toph, you should call me Hisoka." he says, again sounding not at all malicious. Playful perhaps, teasing, but not malevolent.

    He is not, however, a peaceful man at heart. This whole exercise, he's doing it because he wants to study Toph. Well, that and he wants to bring her to a closer understanding of his own ways. To fight because to fight is to live. To seek the ultimate battles, putting everything on the line, for the sake of the fight itself rather than some amorphous greater goal. She has to come to trust him to some extent. Well... no, not has to. It would be nice if she does come to trust him... but he doesn't care if she doesn't. If one plan doesn't work, another will do just fine.

    With that in mind, as they're announced, Hisoka steps up. "Well. I hope this won't be too dull." he says, bringing out a fan of cards and advancing with Toph. He walks lightly, showing off his powerful body in a bonelessly loose sway of total confidence. He doesn't have the massive muscles of the Ox, but his loose 'bender's' outfit shows off that he's no slouch either. Perhaps he's not as heavily-muscled as the typical earthbender, but he puts most of the waterbenders to shame.

    Not much given to buffoonery before a fight, Hisoka merely strides to the arena's surface, turning to face the opponents before bending at the waist to scuff a rough circle around him with his cards. It's only a few feet across, not even long enough to allow him a full pace from center to edge. He doesn't explain his scarring of the earth... doesn't see the need to explain. Instead he turns to Toph. "Do you want to beat them both or should I?" he asks mockingly, straightening and flourishing his cards. This is not likely to endear him to the opponents, and his boxing out a section of the ground is also not likely to cause them to be pleased. It smacks of arrogance... and Hisoka was well aware of that before doing it. The battle's already begun, even if no physical blows have been exchanged.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Sure, you could learn things that aren't your nature. Toph has experienced that several times, especially when she was forced to learn how to read /and/ how to swim. True, she might read a whole lot more than she does swimming, but she can understand why her supervising officer made her do it.

    It's a bit strange when Hisoka talks, and to some people it might sound a bit backwards. But Toph arches an eyebrow slightly where she sits. He does seem to understand some things, no matter how much utter bullshit he seems to share most of the time. And when he shares yet another name with her, the blind teen can't help but turn her head slightly as she listens to his voice. Hisoka? In the WMAT he had used one name, and since that was when he first appeared, that name stuck since they had no other name for him. He had given the registration clerk a different name, clearly trying to blend in with this world and make it more likely that he was an airbender... yet Toph can't help but wonder how real his name is. Either way it's easier to refer to him as Hisoka than the Magician, she supposes. Her expression will be the only response he gets for telling his name for now.

    Toph hears his comment when they are called into the arena easily enough, and she lets out a sigh. "It probably won't be too exciting," she mumbles. As it is, she's not sure if she can trust Hisoka or not. He made that clear when he joined up with HK-47 last year, though when they spoke again later she couldn't help but wonder about his words. Had he interfered with the assassination to save her life? If so, why had he joined up with HK-47 in the first place? It's a good thing she doesn't need eyes in the back of her neck to watch him during this fight.

    His question does bring up a reaction from both Toph and the opposing team. Sure, Toph is usually one to love trash talk, but perhaps she's not mentally up for it when she's teamed up with somebody whom she doesn't fully trust. Delun and The Ox both look like they are quite annoyed, even as the audience cheers. Both for the fact that one team is quite unique in having a small teenager who's quite known from teaching the Avatar himself, and then the peculiar man who claims to be an airbender. The opposing team are popular for simply looking strong.

    "I have no idea who you are, fool," the Ox begins with a snort, "but you're going down!" Since the large man seems intent on fighting Hisoka, Delun turns his attention to Toph. "You deal with him, and I'll handle the girl." Somehow he doesn't seem worried about fighting a girl who is supposed to be the Avatar's earthbending master.

    The referee hits the gong, and the match begins! The Ox kicks into the ground, sending several heavy rocks towards Hisoka! And Delun is already doing a roundhouse kick, sending fire at Toph. Luckily the blind girl is already moving, throwing up her arms to erect a wall in front of her, and once the fire hits it she's already lashing out, shooting spikes from the wall with ease towards Delun. It's going to be different fighting along with somebody else, but then again, Hisoka has proven himself to be quite adept at dodging. If she can't hit him on purpose, then she doubts she would hit him accidentally. Not that it would bother her too much besides the fact that it might get them disqualified or something.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    In his own way Hisoka is utterly trustworthy. He has no interest in small betrayals that would compromise his goals. This competition is of little interest to him, and he'd throw it aside in a heartbeat. But betray Toph in doing so...? No, that's not in the cards as it were.

    Hisoka's going to make it quite easy for Toph to avoid hitting him. He's not moving from his starting point. "Not from that attack." he grins to his foe. Several heavy rocks, please. This is trivial to him. Hisoka remains still, raising one hand before him, a fan of cards spread wide as if a shield.

    The problem with this world, Hisoka muses to himself, is that no one's explained to them that paper always beats rock. He's not as big a fan of Janken as Gon is, but he's well-experienced in all forms of martial arts. He taps the heavy rocks with his cards, sticking a card to each as he uses some of his monstrous physical power to brush them aside harmlessly.

    Well, not entirely aside, and not entirely harmlessly. The last rock he takes hold of with bungee gum. Whirling around in place, spinning like an Earthbender theoretically might, he causes the rock to orbit him before releasing it, sending it winging back at the dumb Ox. Airbending, he can claim, because he's letting air push his paper which is pushing the rock. Or some such bullshit. Airbenders are supposed to be the masters of redirecting force, right? Actually no one really knows what they can do, save for those who know the Avatar. It makes 'airbending' a good skill for Hisoka to claim. He can do anything, so long as it clearly isn't waterbending or firebending or earthbending, and no one can be sure he's anything but legitimate.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Perhaps Toph will realize just how Hisoka works later, but for now she's not interacted enough with him to know just what makes the silly nen user tick.

    The rocks are indeed heavy, and it appears the Ox thinks his attack will be enough to take Hisoka down. But he is severely mistaken as his opponent uses cards to... redirect his rocks? From the stands the audience gasps, with several people outright staring in disbelief. It's clearly not earthbending, so... it's really airbending? If Aang had been there, he would most likely be annoyed at somebody pretending to use airbending like this, but for now Toph only narrows her eyes as she can tell what Hisoka is doing. He's... crazy strong, that's for sure. Unlike the commotion that spreads through the audience, she seems to be approaching it from a slightly more informed point of view. It's not bending in any way, but they won't be able to tell. So this might work, even though it's not entirely fair to their opponents. But she doubts that Hisoka is after the glory and the prizes from here... his claim about wanting to learn about her bending does actually seem to make sense. But is there more to it? No, she chides herself, this isn't the time to think about that. Not when she has a firebender to beat.

    The Ox goes pale as the rock is thrown back at him somehow, but like a seasoned champ he easily breaks the incoming rock with his head and a loud grunt. The audience cheers in approval, even more as he erects a tall pillar that he kicks into, making it fall down towards where Hisoka is standing. "I'll teach you to take me seriously!" he roars, though he's clearly not losing his cool just yet.

    Toph's attack does force Delun back, and he grunts as the earthen spikes hit him in the torso, unable to evade all of them. But he does punch out, sending bursts of fire out at Toph in return. She is focused however, and she is easily able to dodge the incoming blasts and makes her way towards him. Unlike Hisoka, she isn't going to stand in one place when she can do what comes more naturally. If Delun wants to fight at a distance, then she will press him and take advantage of the situation. And she does so by first lashing out with one hand, sending an earthen spike towards him. And then kicking the ground to upset the earth behind him. It's a good enough distraction while she's forward, and it takes the firebender by surprise as he stumbles slightly, looking rather surprised!

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka's paying attention to Toph as well, sensing her nen taking hold of Earth even as he senses the Ox doing likewise. It's not quite sight, but it's closer to sight than any other sense. It gives him plenty of warning for the attacks, but he doesn't need it. Not until Ox tries to attack the ground under Hisoka's feet that is.

    This attack is interesting, and poses some challenge. It would be trivial for Hisoka to get out of the way, but that would mean leaving his circle. And he could probably smash through the earth pillar. His ability to headbutt stone is probably the equal of Ox's. But that... that's not airbending. The self-imposed challenges Hisoka's set have made this fight much less boring than it'd otherwise be.

    The 'paperbender' flips several cards forward and upward into the pillar, causing them to embed directly into the earth. This does little to the pillar, obviously, since the cards are so incredibly trivial compared to the great mass of earth. But never underestimate the power of paper! Hisoka grins, and puffs a mouthful of air upwards at the descending pillar.

    Naturally at the same time, he pulls bungee gum tight, catching the pillar in its descent. Cards can't slow the great mass of stone, but bungee gum is much stronger than even Hisoka's cards. The pillar teeters, slows, stops. It hangs, seemingly supported by nothing but air, a bare foot from the Magician's head. He could have stopped it earlier, but this suits him fine indeed. "Do you really think you can teach ME?" he states, lifting a mocking eyebrow, and then begins to spin like a top.

    Each rotation of Hisoka's arms brings them in contact with the earthen pillar. Each strike of arm into earth tears out a chunk, sending it skittering off to the side. As he tears into it further, his arms no longer reach. He strikes out with a spinning foot, somehow vaulting during the spin, cracking the pillar. He drops to the ground again and the pillar begins to fall once again, this time in two pieces. One falls short, the other falls past. Hisoka, in his etched circle, comes up from a crouch that looks a whole lot more twisted than your standard superhero triangle landing pose but bears that old standby some resemblance nonetheless. He straightens further, arching his back, reaching out with one arm and propping it on his other forearm before beckoning to Ox with a 'bring it' gesture and a mocking grin.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The Ox and the audience have different reactions to Hisoka's counter to the attack. For one, the audience loves it as they cheer, enthusiastic about seeing something new that they haven't seen done before. The Ox however looks quite annoyed, especially that Hisoka won't move out of the area he drew up! And he isn't about to hide that irritation either as he lets out an angry roar once the pillar is held in place by seemingly only air. And the weird spinning Hisoka does might look like some scary airbending with him he manages to tear chunks out of the pillar to break it in half. The beckoning motion is hardly needed, as the Ox is already charging at Hisoka, reaching into the ground to tear up a boulder that he intends to smash into the side of Hisoka's head!

    Toph in the meanwhile appears to be fully focused on her opponent, though she is clearly paying attention to Hisoka as well where she is driving Delun back and back, fighting more efficiently than he does. Sure, his attacks are fiercer, but the smaller girl is quicker, and her bending is more controlled. Sure, she is direct, but she throws in unexpected attacks as well, clearly able to read his movements. It doesn't take very long as Toph erects defenses against the fire, turning the defense into offensive projectiles the very next second. It's clear that Delun is out of the fight when he's knocked back into one of the trenches of water as Toph sends an earthen wall straight at him after blocking one nasty wave of fire.

    The blind girl doesn't even turn her head as she seems to wait for Hisoka to deal with his opponent. He better not take long!

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka's a showman, though he doesn't give a damn about the actual audience. He's putting on a show for Toph, and possibly a few as-yet-unknown fighters who may prove worthy of attention. The paying audience is nothing more than background noise, and he doesn't acknowledge the cheering. He is, however, committed to maintaining the illusion of airbending. If he breaks that illusion, it's a betrayal of Toph's hopes. If he betrays Toph, he intends to be sure to get something really good out of it.

    That doesn't stop him from sticking to his self-imposed rules however. Ox is, when it comes down to it, stronger than Gon was in the Heavens Arena. He's a master of his art, and likely hasn't seen the need to improve in years. Thus Hisoka's restrictions aren't as severe as when he'd fought against Gon. Besides, Earthbending has a much wider area of effect than fisticuffs. He's not about to fight this opponent with his feet firmly anchored to the ground.

    Ox's rock-enhanced charge will, at the very last second, meet with sheer nothingness. Hisoka goes straight up, spinning once vertically, and dropping down again with the heel of one boot going hard into the back of Ox's head. He tumbles again midair before landing, touching down dead-center of his imposed battle ring. Straight up, straight down, as if he were on rails. Ox will no doubt fall much faster than gravity would allow, thanks to that boot to the back of his head. Which means he'll come down before the rock does. The rock, inevitably, lands on him. THUD.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Seems Hisoka is going to imitate airbenders even more by jumping, and Toph listens intently. She felt him kick off, and well... that was a whole lot of force that went into the ground there, that's for sure. To the others it might appear that he really did go flying with airbending, but for Toph's perceptive senses it's clear it's merely physical strenght. With 'merely' being an understatement.

    As Hisoka's heels strike the Ox in the back of the head, leading to the rock landing on his back, it's clear that 'paperbending' won. Though Toph doesn't look too impressed where she stands. Sure, he kinda does things like Aang does, but... way more violent. Surely her friend would groan and disapprove of this, unlike the loud and cheering audience members.

    Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that Li and Beifong have won their first round in this tournament, and they will be moving on the second round in a few weeks! How exciting, the Avatar's earthbending master, and a whole new subset of airbending! Be sure to watch them, they're clearly a team to keep an eye on!"

    With the match over and done with, Toph doesn't even brush herself off as she stands tall, then draws a deep breath before she roars out on the top of her voice with as much authority as a girl her size can possibly draw upon. "I AM TOPH BEIFONG, THE AVATAR'S EARTHBENDING MASTER AND THE INVENTOR OF METALBENDING! I AM SEARCHING FOR STUDENTS WHO WILL STUDY METALBENDING UNDER ME!" This of course draws attention from the crowds, and Toph appears satisfied as she turns to head back to the stands, not waiting for HIsoka.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka isn't all that impressed by the fighters so far. They were strong, he supposes, but nothing that would make him enjoy himself. They don't show Toph's strength or her potential. Fortunately he got to watch her fight, got to learn a little bit more about her ways and abilities. A little bit more about what she does in a fight.

    Metalbending, hm? Well, that's interesting. He's going to have to see what exactly metalbending is, how it works. If it is the same sort of thing as applied Earthbending, or if Toph has actually branched out into a new form of Nen. It ought to be interesting either way.

    After her announcement, Hisoka also stands to attention. His voice, unlike Toph's, is normal. It carries more by force of personality than force of wind. "I am Zheng Li." he lies, smirking. "The inventor of paperbending. If anyone wishes to learn this art and is not afraid to die, they can approach me at any time."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Just as Toph is about to enter the stands, she notices that Hisoka stands there making his own little announcement. Even as he's talking, the blind girl is already turning and walking back, and he'd better do a damn good job if he wants to avoid being grabbed by Toph. Because the earthbender is seeking to physically haul him with her and out of the arena, her face red with annoyance as she walks with urgency in every step.

    "... you had your fun!" she snaps, only letting go of him as the next fighters are announced. Though then again... they have to meet up here for the next fight, don't they? Because surely this rumour will spread, and she needs to be here so any potential students will know where to find her... So she's stuck with Hisoka as a tournament partner, it appears. And that does not bode well, does it?

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    You have to have the speed of a striking eagle to grab Hisoka when he doesn't want to be grabbed. He considers ducking the obvious attempt, but only for a moment. Let Lychee work off a small part of her annoyance here... he's pressed her hard enough for one day.

    Well, perhaps not totally done annoying her. As he's dragged off, he plasters a silly smile on his face as he goes along with it. "I wouldn't call that fight fun really." he says. "But if you enjoyed it, I suppose that's something." he adds. "Aren't you glad you were able to compete?" he asks, breaking into a leering smirk. Because after all, she had to accept HIM in order to compete...

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Of course it wasn't fun, they were pushovers!" At least compared to two Elites. While Toph isn't sure just how strong Hisoka is, she knows he't not to be underestimated. And she herself is the strongest earthbender, not to mention the one with the most mastery of her skill.

    "I enjoy bending silly knick knacks for my parents more than fighting dunderheads like that," she adds. Especially if it's along with Hisoka.

    "Now let's figure out when our next fight is so I can /leave/ later!" she adds. Perhaps somebody will approach her for metalbending...