1116/Superior Beach Sparring

Superior Beach Sparring
Date of Scene:	10 December 2014
Location:	New York-199999
Synopsis:	There's sparring and Italian clubs to be enjoyed when Peter Parker drops by Malibu. In style.
Cast of Characters:	20, 301, 609

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Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Early morning in Malibu, and the sun is already rising and lighting up the area, including the cape where the Stark manor lies by the beach. Even now in the weeks before Christmas, it's warm and comfortable here, and as she said she would be, the blind earthbender is out on the beach. Clad in a white tank top and in tan cargo pants, Toph is working on her morning routine and has begun rearranging the beach to her liking.

    Strange pillars made of solid rock already seem to dominate the area, and another one rises from the sand as Toph kicks into the sand. Her expression is one of complete focus, and she lashes out with her right hand, a wave of sand knocking into one of the pillars, causing the middle part of the pillar shoot out and hit another. It's noisy, and perhaps a good thing that Toph doesn't bend much inside the house. Because it would be tough to get much sleep with all this bending going on.

    If only she was as enthusiastic with her other lessons...

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
A couple grains of sand tumble from one of Toph's pillars, the pile of stand created from another one just moments ago flattening out slightly as a low vibration is send through the ground like a small tremor is happening somewhere off the coast.

*CHUD*

There it is again, more grains tumbling down.

*CHUD-CHUD-CHUD* It seems to be getting stronger with each passing second, there's a certain tempo to it like someone or something walking along the seabed.

No doubt with her abilities Toph can feel the individual impacts. However, her lack of sight may mean that she can't feel the shoreline rolling out slightly and then starting to roll back in as a massive, multistory machine rises like a Leviathan out of the sea.

The huge, vaguely spider-shaped mecha is colored a deep crimson and is studded with what are probably weapon ports and spotlights as it looms out of the ocean with water pouring off its hull in miniature rivers. As tall as a three or four story building the Arachnaught stands on eight huge, multi-segmented mechanical legs which it walks on, rapidly making its way towards the beach and seeming to just be pushing through the crashing waves as if they weren't even there.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Giant mecha spider storming the beach? Yeah, THAT won't trigger any perimeter alarms. Just kidding, it totally does. Half a dozen Iron Legion suits launch with individual *whump* sounds from the garage tunnel to form a half circle between the spider and the cliffside, Hammerhead landing with its feet in the surf on the far right, the others hovering, weapons systems armed and glowing as Jarvis's voice emits authoritatively from Heartbreaker in the center, "You will identify yourself and your purpose immediately, or be classified as a hostile invader."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    What is that vibration?

    When she notices it, the blind girl halts, listening intently. As the vibrations carry from the direction of the ocean it's a bit difficult for Toph to know just where it is exactly, not to mention what it is. Add in the fact that she's standing on /sand/, and Toph frowns.

    No, when she tossed the invitation out his way, she didn't expect Spider-Man to arrive from the sea! Because most people come by the road from Malibu.

    So it might not be a surprise that the blind girl assumes a defensive stance, keeping her feet steady as she senses the vibrations as they draw closer. It better not be somebody wanting to make trouble! Even if Tony might not be awake this early, she's ready to defend the place if necessary!

    When the machine breaks through the surface she blinks, and she snorts. If somebody brings metal here, then they better be ready for the metal to be bent out of shape! "Identify yourself!" the earthbender demands as loudly as she can, not standing down. Not even at the large mechanical thing...

    But then there's the suits and Jarvis' voice calling out, and Toph narrows her eyes. "I got this, Jarvis! Don't scratch Goldie's suits, now!"

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Jarvis replies calmly, from Thumper hovering nearby, "This is the purpose of the suits, Miss Beifong. I am merely acting as programmed by Mr. Stark himself."

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
The huge mechanical Arachnaught stops, literally poised with one of its massive legs still raised in the air about to step onto the beach when first the Iron Legion suits, then Toph herself challenge it to stand and deliver.

Within the massive machine's cockpit, Spider-Man tilts his head just slightly. . o O (Honestly, invite someone, they arrive in an obvious spider-themed machine and you challenge them. Still, I suppose it's a free peek at this version of Stark's capabilities.) He muses to himself, eyes shifting from one Iron Legion unit to the next before finally dropping to Toph.

"You can't have honestly invited me to Malibu and not have expected me arrive in style, could you?" Spider-Man's voice rings over the loudspeakers.

"And as much as I'd love nothing more than to test Mr. Stark's technology against my own, this is lovely beach front property and I'd hate to ruin it."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Yeah yeah, I'm just saying that I can handle a big metal hulk if necessary!" Toph states. Man, it's not even time for her lessons and already she has to deal with Jarvis... "Let Goldie get his beauty sleep, he needs it."

    When the voice speaks up though, Toph's expression changes... and she begins laughing, dropping out of the defensive stance. "Spidey?" Oh yes, she's amused! "Stand down, Jarvis! I invited him over because I was bored." And well, this certainly wasn't boring. As a matter of fact...

    Moving one foot back, the blind girl kicks the sand, causing a pillar to shoot out underneath her and launch her through the air until she lands in a crouch on top of the large machine. "Man, that's one hell of a machine you built here... you should probably have chosen something smaller, though!" she comments. Who knows, maybe Tony's ego will be bruised. "And don't worry about the beach, I mess it up all the time! Just don't mess with the house, or Goldie won't let you hear the end of it."

    Now, is he going to step out or what?

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
The Legion's weapons systems appear to power down from full readiness, but the suits themselves remain in place, still in cautionary posture. "Voice print identified," Jarvis remarks crisply. "I apologize, Miss Beifong, but I am required by priority protocol to inform Mr. Stark of any such interaction."

A pause.

Then, Stark must have been rolled out of bed and taken a grumpy look out the window and checked his radio logs or something and given the all-clear, because the suits begin to retreat, one by one on bright bursts of repulsor energy back to the house. Just before Heartbreaker takes up the rear, Jarvis asides to Toph from its speakers, "Mr. Stark requests that the next time you invite your 'little friends' over you caution them against arriving in a tank."

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"First impressions can mean everything, Ms. Beifong." Spider-Man replies to her suggestion of the size of his mechanical toy.

A hatch in lower abdomen of the Arachnaught opens, a long ramp extending from it until it touches the beach. A moment or two later Spider-Man appears at the top of the ramp and starts to casually walk down it, glancing around the area and taking it all in.

"Very nice, very nice." There's a pause, "Though, the house is more organic than I'd expect from Mr. Stark."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Great, blame /her/! Toph stands on top of the battle tank and huffs, crossing her arms across her chest. "Hey, this is the first time somebody arrived in a tank! How should I have known?!" she protests before she throws her arms up in exasperation. "Here I try to get to know the new Unionites and all..."

    But she looks curious as she feels the ramp extend, and she leaps off of the machine and lands on the beach again. "Well, what did you expect then?" she inquires curiously, inspecting the new ally. "And first impressions doesn't mean diddely doo daa at times, if you ask me. Looks can be deceiving, and you seeing people are usually easily tricked that way." Perhaps he will notice that she doesn't look directly at him, and her eyes are rather pale and unfocused where she stands.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"Please, tanks are extremely limited in their capability when compared to my Arachnaughts." Spider-Man boasts, adjusting one of his web-shooters casually.

As Toph points out how people are easily tricked by apperances, he looks up at her through the lenses of his mask with no small amount of curiosity. "That's certainly true, however, showing what you have is a large part of business tactics. I'm sure you'll come to understand it the more you hang around Mr. Stark."

Spider-Man continues down the ramp and steps off onto the beach, looking up at the building on the cliff. "As for what I was expecting, something a bit more angular. Or at least maybe something shaped to Stark's ego. At least a swimming pool in the shape of his face somewhere."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Herst that comment Toph shrugs. "Or sometimes it's more fun when people underestimate you only for you to whoop their ass," she replies with a grin crossing her lips. But there's one thing she can't help but wonder about. "Sure sounds like you know Goldie from before... or another version of him? There used to be another version of me around in the multiverse."

    The comment about a new pool makes her blink. "Don't give him any ideas now. Then again, Pepper might veto it. She's usually good at keeping him in check." She reaches out and raps her knuckles against the ramp with a pensive look on her face. "So you made this yourself, then?" It's certainly not bad from what her bending can tell her.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"Another version. One I'm sure this Stark is very glad he /isn't/." Spider-Man flatly replies, looking up towards the general direction of Tony's house once again.

At the question about the Arachnaught, Spider-Man looks back to Toph, nodding his head once. "I did. Everything I use I've built myself." He lifts his shoulders up, "You can't really rely on something completely if you haven't constructed it with your own hands, can you?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "That bad, huh...?" Toph asks and arches an eyebrow. Sure, Tony might be an asshole, but he's changed for the better, he's not making weapons of mass destruction. Instead he's a good guy now. A tired, good guy who will hopefully get some more sleep.

    One thing is easy to figure out, though. Spider-Man is cynical and has a ego to rival Tony's. "At least you have nobody to blame but yourself if it doesn't work," she says with a smile, anticipating just what he will reply to that comment. Let him.

    "Seriously though, you might want to bring something smaller the next time you drop on by."

    Then she turns more towards him. "SO! Wanna spar or something?" the young teenage girl asks. Might a well get a proper workout this morning, right?

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"Indeed, that bad." Spider-Man echoes Toph's statement with a nod.

Pointing out on him blaming himself should things not work causes him to quickly reply, "That would imply I make mistakes, which I don't." He makes a slightly dismissive motion with his hand. "Not that it stops others from doing so when trying to use my own equipment." The lenses of his mask widen slowly as Toph suggests he spar with her, "Spar...?" He shakes his head slowly, "Child, I wouldn't wish to hurt you, even accidentally." He looks around the beach, "Maybe you can just show me some of your 'bending' abilities?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    There it is! Toph snickers slightly, amused. "Yeah yeah, that's what you all say," she states and waves her hand. At least she doesn't continue down that line as she has no desire to mess with his ego.

    Not until he refers to her in such a manner. Toph's eyes narrow just slightly, and she rests her hands on her hips, standing at her full impressive heigh of five feet. "I think you didn't hear my introduction on the channels, Spidey. I'm Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender of all time! I invented metalbending, and grown men quiver at the sound of my name! If there's somebody who should fear being hurt, it's my opponents. Then again..." She can't help but smirk. "If I hurt people, it's intentionally, not accidentally."

    Seriously, he really is all about appearances, isn't he? "I love fighting, and I'm not a hot house flower. I fought professionally when I was ten! Trust me, I can handle myself. If Goldie wasn't snoring into his pillow, he would say the same thing."

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"Child, I..." There's a long silence from Spider-Man, as if he's trying to figure out how to best reply. "It isn't as simple as... not a question of..." No, no, none of those do. Think, Otto! Think! Certainly he's seen that some of the children here can handle themselves. Yet, at the same time his own personal feelings and experiences drive him to an almost unwanted parental concern. For a couple seconds it actually looks like he's about to start pacing, possibly along with some long-winded lecture.

Eventually, though. He merely sighs, shoulders slumping slightly.

"Very well." He mutters, looking up at Toph.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    A heavy sigh leaves Toph, and she points a dirty finger directly at Spider-Man's face. "I told you my name, now use it!" she demands, making it clear that it's not a request.

    And there he goes accepting her offer to spar, and she grins triumphantly, looking honestly /happy/. "Great! I dunno how you fight, but hey... if we're allies, we need to learn so we can kick some Fed ass, right?" she asks, then shifts into a wide legged stance, raising her arms in front of her, palms facing inward. A martial arts stance if anything, and she looks like she's ready. "We can grab some food later, I had breakfast early. Maybe Goldie will be awake then."

    No, the young girl does not look afraid of getting hurt where she stands, waiting. Obviously she wants him to strike first.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
Spider-Man seems to echo Toph's sigh, "Very well, Miss Beifong."

As Toph steps back into her fighting stance he watches her carefully, taking into account the way she places her arms, how far apart her feet are, the bending in her knees. It's not exactly a stance that he's seen before, however, it's similar enough to ones that he has seen for him to get a basic idea of the movements she might perform. At least, that's what he hopes.

As she continues to stand there like that, Spider-Man waits a few more moments, ensuring to himself that she's completely ready before he begins. Once he's fully assured, he moves.

Actually, he leaps.

One swift and strong bend of his knees and he's launched himself some twenty feet in the air, flicking his wrists out and firing a series of tight web-shots that impact like bullets all around Toph. Oddly, he doesn't seem to be aiming to hit her with them. Perhaps he's merely testing a theory on how her senses work based on his experiences with similar earth-controlling beings like the Sandman?

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Another sigh, and Toph adapts a deadpan look. "Is it really that hard for people to call me Toph?" Maybe she should change her family name just to mess with people.

    When Spider-Man leaps her eyes widen just slightly. Rather than waiting, she steps to the side and throws her left hand up in his direction. A dull rock pillar shoots upwards aiming towards where her sparring partner ought to be according to the force he used to jump and the direction he was jumping in.

    When the small bullets strike the sand all around her, she is caught by surprise. What is that? Better be careful!

    Since this isn't the Ring, she won't pull off any moves that are too crazy. Besides, she has spent enough time in medical the previous weekend. So she sweeps her foot along the sand, and an earthen wall rises up and above Toph, clearly meant to be used as a shield.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
The massive pillar that rises up in front of him seems to confirm his suspicions about Toph's abilities, rather than moving to avoid it, he attempts to use it to his advantage. He fires off a single web-line, using the pillar as an anchor and kicking his legs out to give himself more momentum. He swings himself around the pillar and releases the web-line at the last moment, twisting his body about in a mid-air somersault to carry him over the edge of Toph's quickly erected earthen wall.

Then he fires off two more web-lines, hitting the ground on either side of Toph and tugging on them using his arms to send himself hurtling down towards her feet first, hopefully aiming to knock her off her feet with a powerful double-kick to her chest. If his suspicions about her powers are true, the less he's in contact with the ground the harder it will be for her to deal with him.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    What is that weird weight pulling on the pillar? And it's moving so strangely too...

    There's confusion on Toph's face as she listens, and she whips her head to the side as she feels something hitting on either side of her. Where did he go?!

    But indeed, opponents who don't touch the ground are much harder to deal with. The blind girl lets out a surprised cry when Spider-Man's feet connect with her back, sending her facefirst into the wall she raised for defense, stumbling and cursing out loudly. But she isn't slow to react either, throwing up her arm to send a burst of sand whirling up around her sneaky opponent!

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
Spider-Man's about to kick off into the air once again when that sand whips up around him, "Nnngh!" The lenses and the rest of his mask protect him from being completely blinded by the grit but it definitely cuts down on how far he can see. Not to mention the sheer force of the blast forces him back slightly as the sand he's standing on skids beneath his feet. Unfortunately, being able to cling to things isn't all that helpful when the very surface you're standing on is made of particulate matter.

. o O (Blast...can barely see anything. HUD mode is no help. Have to use Shang Chi's training, rely entirely on Spider-Sense.) He steps back a few more feet, closing his eyes and exhaling, crouching slightly and letting his the training and his spider-sense take over. Feeling, feeling, searching, even the slightest buzz in the back of his head.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Pulling back from the wall, Toph feels the sand in the air, and also where there are none. But at least now he's on the ground where she can 'see' him. And Toph doesn't hesitate, throwing up her hands as several earthen pillars shoot out from all around Spider-Man, aiming at his torso. If they manage to strike him, they should not hurt. Much.

    She herself is attentive, on her guard as she doesn't want to get caught by surprise again. Once is more than enough!

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
The pillars start to erupt from the ground all around him, aiming at his torso. Spider-Man feels the buzzing in his head go off mere moments before they explode from the ground and he pivots his body in a spinning motion, avoiding the first two easily while a third grazes beneath his arm, cutting his costume slightly. A fourth does manage to connect with his torso and drives him back slightly. "Nn!" No, it doesn't hurt much, but it still manages to push him backwards, forcing him to regain his footing.

There's a *chak* from Spider-Man's back in the next moment, four crimson, mechanical spider-arms unfolding with incredible speed from his back and scything with blade-like efficiency through the earthen pillars. At the same moment he launches himself forwards, moving in a very fast, seemingly erratic, spider-like motion using all eight of his limbs, both natural and mechanical with each one keeping contact with the sand for only the briefest of moments. He closes on Toph with frightening speed and once he's in close he strikes.

Spider-Man's hands dart out with his fingers extended like striking fangs, aiming at the girl's neck and shoulders, aiming for pressure points, using his knowledge of the self-named 'Way of the Spider' to attempt to strike her in certain nerve clusters to see if he can shut down the chakras, chi flow or whatever else might be controlling her bending ability, albeit temporarily.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Man, he's nimble, isn't he? Toph frowns when Spider-Man manages to avoid the first strikes, though it seems that he can't avoid them forever as they eventually strike him and knock him back. There we go! At the sound of the mechanical spider-arms unfolding however Toph focuses, getting a small idea. Even as he moves closer he might not realize just how finely honed her other senses are, especially her ability to sense earthen materials, including metal.

    As he draws close, it might seem like he is given the opportunity to strike out at the back of her neck, but moments before he gets close enough to strike her, the blind girl kicks her heel into the sand, which opens up underneath Spider-Man into a deep hole.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"...!" The ground is suddenly gone from beneath him and he finds himself dropping downwards into an instantly-made pit. . o O (Confound it!) He berates himself for his slip. No time to dwell on it, though. He tucks his legs in and twists his body, flicking his wrists and aiming his web-shooters at the walls of the pit.

*thwip-thwip-thwip* as he's swallowed by the darkness of the deep pit he webs himself up a makeshift web-net which also serves as a handy trampoline when his falling momentum is taken into account.

Hitting the springy web at a crouch he launches himself back up into the air and out of the pit, firing off another web-line as he emerges from it, aimed at Toph.

*thwip* Should it connect, he'll tug hard on it in passing and try to pull the Earthbending girl into her own pit trap!

Not that he expects that to hold her, 'bending' it closed should it least give him a few moments of breathing room to consider his next move.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    There it is, something touching the sand just barely, but clearly something that must be his doing. It's consistent, and she can also hear a faint sound when it happens. Strangely enough he doesn't seem to hit the bottom of the pit, and Toph frowns as she feels some weird weight against the wall of the pit. Then there's the sound again, and Toph yelps when /something/ connects with her, and it pulls her forward with a surprised yelp leaving the startled girl!

    Thinking quickly, Toph twists her feet, and the sand wraps itself around her feet, becoming solid rock as she nearly falls over, but as an earthbender she is steady. She grits her teeth and leans forward, then throws her arms up, more sand shooting up, but this around her and wrapping itself around her and becoming rock, with only her mouth not covered. And then she raises one foot, kicking into the sand and launching a series of spikes towards the area of the pit. Where did that guy go?

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
Toph's abilities are nothing if not impressive, even the self-proclaimed Superior Spider-Man is forced to admit that. Not only can she freely manipulate the sand in its natural form, she can also convert its structure into rock and back at will, it would seem. He does have to wonder, however, how much of that ability is mental and how much of it is based on her frequent kata-like motions? Perhaps he should find out.

First, however, he needs to keep her distracted.

A simple mental command switches the cartridges in his web-shooters, loading up another version of his webbing which he begins to rapidly fire as before, utilizing small, quick, bullet-like shots to pepper the area around Toph. Unlike the previous shots, however, the vibrations from these don't seem to stop. This is a different kind of webbing. Ice-Webbing. A mix of cryogenic fluid which starts to creep through the sand, binding it and no doubt sending more 'false' vibrations to Toph.

Almost immediately thereafter he switches back to standard webbing and begins to fire shot after shot as he drops, aiming to rapidly web-up Toph's rock-encased arms.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    More things hit the sand, and Toph turns just slightly. Then she seems to hesitate, her stance turning more defensive as she isn't quite sure just what it is. But then again, he's still got that metal connected to his torso... and Toph kicks the ground, raising an earthen pillar in front of her that she punches into, sending a sizable rock in Spider-Man's direction!

    That's when she feels that same strange feeling from before tugging on her arms and making her yell out in surprise as she feels her arms becoming harder to move.

    This would be bad if she only used her arms for bending.

    Toph throws her armored head back, and a rock spike shoots up directly under the sneaky spider.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
The rock comes sailing at him, forcing him to rethink his strategy almost immediately. Too large for him to knock out of the way, too big from him to completely dodge!

However, perhaps he can use it.

Quickly running through his options as the rock closes in on him, Spider-Man swiftly webs-up what looks for all the world like a makeshift parachute. Which is exactly what it is. *FWOMPH* As the sea breeze catches the parachute it pulls him upwards, forcing him just past the rock.

As the rock passes under him he kicks out his legs, touching the rock with his feet and sticking to it. The momentum of the rock hauls him through the air, the parachute acting like a drag-chute and keeping the rock attached to his feet from hauling him into the ground.

Then that spike comes shooting towards him.

The lenses of Spidey's eyes go wide, "...EGAD!" Well, on the bright side he's solved the mystery of Toph needing her arms. On the bad side, well, he just got a hole punctured in his parachute and barely avoided becoming spider-shishkabob.

He starts to drop, the parachute nothing but loose web-threads now. The rock no longer serving any useful purpose, he returns it to sender, kicking out with his legs and sending it hurtling right back at Toph!

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Man, this guy is quick and agile, and like her it seems he is used to fighting people with a variety of skills. Which is good if they ever need to fight together in the field, she supposes. But right now Toph is slightly annoyed.

    The outer layer of her armor drizzles off as Toph lets it turn back to sand in an attempt to get rid of the threads there. With her arms free once again, she hears him call out and clearly avoid the spike. And when he kicks the rock back at her, the young girl steps forward, brings her arm back before she punches out with perfect precision, shattering the rock upon impact, dust and rubble flying everywhere.

    Her mouth is drawn in a serious line, and she steps forward and raises her arms, a huge wave of sand rising behind her...!

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
Spidey lands in a crouch some feet away from Toph as she lets her armor crumble around her, freeing her from his web-bindings. Then she starts to kick huge amounts of sand into the air behind her. Judging by that look on her face, she's starting to get annoyed at him.

Not that he can blame her, after all, he is Spider-Man. Annoyance seems to be part and parcel with the identity. He of all people knows that from both sides of the coin now.

The real question is, of course, what's she going to do with all that sand? For now, he simply waits and watches, tensing his muscles, feeling his spider-sense working like a constant low buzz in the back of his skull. He preps himself to move, brain working as rapidly as the rest of him to take in the situation so he can best adapt.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    What does she intend to do with all this sand? Toph lets the sand hang in the wave as she keeps her hands still, and she takes a breath. "Still worried about hurting me?" she asks, then offers a mischievous grin before she lets all the sand fall down behind her before she shakes off her armor, letting it break off in chunks.

    Sure, she could have sent a large sand wave at him, but hey, that would have been a bit too dangerous. And she has no reason to want to do that to an ally. "Not many people who are as light on their feet as you are," she adds and bends out some sand off of her pockets and shakes one leg. "But it was fun! Hungry?"

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
As all the sand falls back onto the beach along with her armor cracking off and crumbling into the pile once again, Spider-Man straightens up out of his combat crouch. "...only minorly." He admits. To be fair, he didn't go all-out on Toph, though, he has no doubt it was the same with her.

As to her comment about being light on his feet, he lifts his shoulders up in a slight shrug, crackling his neck a bit as he rolls it around. "It comes with the package. Proportionate agility and strength of a spider." He explains, pausing as he considers her comment about it being 'Fun' and question about food.

. o O (Fun...? Yes, I suppose it was. Fun...) He seems to mull over that thought for a few long moments, "I could eat, yes. Did you have something in mind?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    You don't go all out against allies. At least most of the time. "You should try sparring in the Ring sometime at Njorun station, then you don't have to worry about hurting people," she comments, then kicks into the ground... and all the spikes there turn back to sand, returning the beach to its pristine state.

    As for food, she nods. "We can make some sandwiches or something, there's food in the house. Leave your ride here, I'm sure Jarvis will keep an eye on it." Then the girl begins the walk up to the house. "So... how different is your world since you know another version of Goldie?" she inquires.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
Certainly, Otto's more than aware that you don't. However, his concern with hurting her is still in the back of his mind if he ever did. That's just in his nature.

"Mmm? The Ring? I assume there are technological or magical safeguards in place?"

"Sandwiches, yes. I do make a mean italian club if I do say so myself." Spider-Man replies just before Toph brings up his own world and especially Tony Stark. He raises a hand to his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully. "Hmmm."

He starts to walk towards the path leading up towards the house, following Toph. "Without knowing the exact situation in /this/ world, I can't say for sure." He explains, "However, the Tony Stark I know did...terrible things...in order to achieve his own vision of how beings with powers such as us should be dealt with. It lead to a Civil War, of sorts and many, many heinous acts on both sides."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Yeah, you can fight and fight, and the Ring will heal you up. It's technological I think, I never bothered with it," she shrugs. "It's useful for learning how the other Unionites fight, and makes it easier to come up with strategies and how to fight well together."

    If he makes a comment like that, then he should be prepared for the response. "Then Italian clubs it is then!" Toph decides as they walk. After the spar she seems to be in a good mood, even if she does have some bruises. It's not like she can't handle being injured, after all.

    However, when Spider-Man talks about how the Tony Stark from his world is, she can't help but halt, turning slightly towards him with a surprised look on her face. "What?!" Another version of Tony... did that? It's the opposite of how he's been treating people in the Union, not to mention her. Yes, the blind girl looks honestly surprised. Then she frowns. "Goldie is nothing like that," she states firmly. "He's into peace nowadays. And family, he's going to get married. The Union would not stand for something horrible like that."

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"I see, interesting. It sounds like it'd be worth utilizing, and studying." Spider-Man muses to himself thoughtfully. Though, he does allow himself a slight smirk as Toph picks up on his suggestion for Italian clubs. He continues to walk along behind her, taking in the flora and fauna of the beach on the way up until she stops at the mention of what the Tony from his universe did.

There's a pause, then he sighs.

A moment later and he reaches up to remove his mask, revealing a clean-shaven, handsome young man with short brown hair and hazel eyes. Of course, he realizes Toph probably can't 'see' him in that sense, but, for a situation like this and a topic of such weight it feels wrong to stay masked.

"...Child..." He pauses, then shakes his head, "...Toph..." He corrects himself, frowning slightly, "You...must understand that the actions of someone in my world have no bearing on the person you know as Tony Stark."

Difficult, very difficult. He's not used to dealing with situations like this, much less children.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    She can tell that he is removing a mask of some sort, but it doesn't really matter considering she's blind. But at least he seems to realize that it's best to call her by her given name. If only stop being reminded about it all the time.

    "Of course I know that!" Toph snorts, resuming the walk up to the house. "I know what he's like." It is disturbing to think that another version of a person she cares much for and thinks highly of would be doing something like that. So she laughs slightly in attempt to defuse the tension she feels. "It's just like how another version of me was a police officer! Really, can you imagine me as a cop?"

    The house is pristine, with one hell of a drive way. It's clearly not a cheap place to live, having been designed and built by the most talented heads and skilled pairs of hands. Toph walks up to the front door and waves to where she knows the camera is. "Spidey and I are going to have lunch, I'll take my classes after he's left," she informs Jarvis. The voice that came from the suits earlier can be heard again. "Very well, Miss Beifong. That only leaves you five pages behind on your lessons and gives you less time for movies after your guqin practice time. Which needs to be extended since you cut it down by ten minutes yesterday," Jarvis replies with no small degree of amusement in his prim and proper tone.

    "My fingers were /sore/," Toph mutters as she stalks inside, waving for Spider-Man to follow her inside the splendid manor.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"Not at the moment, no." Peter's forced to admit, though, in truth he couldn't see himself as Spider-Man some time ago. How things change. Another thing he has to admit is that the house /is/ nice. Though, he'd expect as much considering who it belongs to. Other dimension or not, there have to be /some/ constants, don't there?

"Five pages? Behind on what, might I ask?" He asks. After all, he can't help but be curious, perhaps he can even educate the girl? Who knows what kind of strange ideas she's getting from Stark, anyway.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    There's a soft 'meow' and the sound of a bell coming from the direction of the large and open living room, and a sleek, black cat hurries over towards the blind girl, rubbing against her legs as it peers curiously up at the guest.

    Toph sighs heavily at the question before she leans down to scritch the cat behind one ear. "Just my reading lessons. Goldie demanded that I learn Braille when I became his junior officer last year. Jarvis teaches me, and well..." She lowers her voice in a quiet whisper as she leans slightly towards Spider-Man. "... some of the reading material is so boring!" Then she points off to the left once they pass a couple of stairs. "Then there's all the other lessons. I miss having more time to work on my bending, really."

    "Considering you are the greatest earthbender of all time as you so eloquently put it," Jarvis intones, "one would assume you hardly need more time to perfect those skills."

    "Did I mention he thinks he's a comedian?" Toph mutters to the man behind her.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"I am only as my creator made me," Jarvis intones serenely.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
Peter looks down at the cat for a moment, then up at Toph. "Braille? That would be useful, considering your situation." He leans in as she whispers to him in a conspiratorial fashion how boring some of the reading is. "Unfortunately, boredom is just as much a part of life as the fun of your bending."

As he continues to follow her into the house, he glances over in the direction she points, nodding slowly. "I'm sure there's time enough. Just one thing at a time." He chuckles faintly at the 'comedian' quip. "Hilariously so, obviously."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Okay then, Goldie thinks he's a comedian too." He /does/ make those silly dad jokes, after all.

    The cat lets out another meow and walks up to Peter next, sniffing at him curiously. And then follows along with the two since they are heading to the kitchen where all the treats are.

    "Braille is kinda useful, but I miss doing video reports. And Jarvis insists that I read all the written reports instead of using a computer reader for them. It's like extra homework!" No, she's not too fond of reading.

    The kitchen is by no means small, and it comes equipped with various modern appliances. Toph heads over to the large fridge and opens it, reaching for the shelves where she knows she can find various items used to make sandwiches. "Okay, so what do you need to make Italian clubs? And you should make one for Goldie too, considering he's paying for the food." Then he can wake up to lunch later.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"MOW!" says Buster, indicating that cat treats are necessary to making whatever human food the humans are making.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
Once they're inside the house, Peter leans over to gently scritch at the cat just a little, right behind the ears. He lifts his eyes up to Toph after a heartbeat. "Well, from where I'm standing I hope you find something gripping enough to change your opinion about reading." After all, reading was the only thing that kept him sane and alive for most of his young life.

As he stands up again, Peter further considers Toph's question about what he needs, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully as he rubs at his chin. "Let's see..."

"Italian bread, of course, lightly toasted, followed with some dressing, italian, of course. A bit of extra virgin olive oil, parmesan and provolone cheeses."

As he starts to walk towards the refigerator he continues to tick off necessary ingredients like one of those obsessed chefs from TV. "Mayo, Mustard, Genoa Salami, Mortadella, Romaine Lettuce, Fresh Plum Tomatoes, Bacon, thin-sliced and of course green olives stuffed with pimentos as garnish."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Haven't found anything that has made me want to stay up at night reading yet," Toph shrugs, grabbing some random cheese she knows is there. Buster earns a soft 'shhh' noise for now, she'll get you your treats later. Just let her and the guest make some human food first.

    Italian bread? Does bread come with different nationalities now? Toph nods though, making a mental note to check the bread in the drawer and get the extra virgin olive oil.

    "Lessie, the cheese is here..." She isn't sure what kind of cheeses they have, but she thinks one of them is parmesan at least for when they make pasta. And...

    The moment Peter begins rattling off all the following ingredients, she blinks, halting once she has grabbed mayo and mustard along with the cheese. What what and what now?

    Then she slowly turns around and gestures to the fridge with her head. "If we have any of that, then you have a better chance of finding it than I do. I'll prepare the bacon." With that she heads over to the counter and sets the items down, all before she returns to the fridge to get some bacon. "Do you cook much?" she asks. Because it sure sounds like he knows his stuff a bit more than Tony does. Even if he makes awesome BLTs.

    With a fair amount of bacon she heads over to the microwave, arranging the bacon on a platter.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"I'm sure there's /something/ out there, this is a multiverse, after all." Peter reminds Toph as he moves over to the refrigerator and begins to look through it carefully.

"Let's see. No, no, no, definitely not." As he starts to sift through all the items in the rather spacious refrigerator he continues to talk, "When I can." He replies, "My... Aunt taught me most of it." He adds, pulling something out of the crisper and giving it a rather sour look before putting it back. It's anyone's guess what it might've been.

"I find there's a great deal of pleasure in creating things using one's own mind and hands. Be that a program, a machine, or the simple joy of a home-cooked meal." He smiles inwardly, almost dreamily, "Of course, even my own abilities pale in comparison to Anna Maria's."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Your aunt, huh? Is she a good cook?" Toph inquires as she lets Peter search through the fridge for anything he deems worthy of being part of his planned culinary masterpiece.

    "I like food, but I don't really have what's necessary to be good at it. I prefer fighting anyway, and nobody can earthbend like I do. You saw that yourself, of course," Toph continues as she puts the bacon into the microwave and turns it on.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"Very good, in addition to being a wonderful, sweet and very kind woman." Peter replies, starting to find some things that will, at least roughly match what he's looking for. He begins to pile them up on the counter one at a time.

"Yes, I saw your Earthbending. It's a very unique mixture of martial arts and elemental manipulation. I shudder to think what some of the villains I've fought would be capable of if they learned even a fraction of it."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The blind girl moves up next to Peter where he stands, then opens a drawer and pulls out the loaves of bread that they have. "Bending is common in my world, though there haven't been benders in my family for a few generations. And heh, people can only wish they were half as good as I am!"

    Her expression does turn serious for a moment however. "There are some earth manipulators among the Feds, and well... they are no pushovers." The loaves of bread are put down next to him, and Toph then moves to brew some coffee. Tony will want that when he gets out of bed for sure. "So... you kinda take the spider theme seriously, huh?"

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"No, the earth manipulators I've fought weren't, either." Peter replies as he walks over to the counter and starts to prepare the sandwiches. He gives Toph a sideglance when she points out the spider-theme, "I was bitten by a radioactive spider. That doesn't exactly scream for basing your theme on anything else, does it?"

To his credit, he seems to be just as agile with chopping vegetables and preparing bread as he is with just about everything else. Seems all that agility isn't just for combat.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "At least you can trust us in the Union. We're the good guys," Toph nods. "And we got your back if they are making trouble for anybody. Though it will be quiet when the truce arrives. A break might be good for a bit." She shrugs slightly and leans on the counter as he works.

    So he was bitten by a radioactive spider? She arches an eyebrow. "How does that work? I have been bitten by ants, but it's not like I have ant powers. That would be kinda awesome, they are really strong..." At least it's easy to keep on talking, even as he works on chopping up stuff.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"I wouldn't want to bore you with the raw mathmatics of it, but, consider it a one in a billion chance that the radiation combined with the spider's venom happened to have just the right amount of mutagenic properties to change my DNA." Peter says while continuing to prepare the sandwiches, making a couple extra just in case and sliding each off to one side as they're done.

"The recombinant DNA granted me all the proportional powers of a spider, in addition to granting me a kind of 'spider-sense' that allows me to sense danger before it happens." He slides another sandwich to the side. "Which is how I was able to avoid some of your attacks when I didn't otherwise know they were coming."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Well, you could have just told me it changed your DNA and I would have been satisfied with that," Toph snorts as she leans up to open the overhead cupboards and pull out two mugs. "So huh... spider sense? So you kinda predict danger? That seems useful! Not that it seems like the spiders I have encountered seem to know when it happens..." There's a shrug, and she turns towards him. "Do you want some coffee? Goldie is hooked on that mud water."

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"I'm fine for the moment, thank you." Peter replies as he finishes the last sandwich, "I could have, but it wouldn't have been the whole story."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    So he's not hooked on that stuff like Tony is. Got it. Toph nods and heads off to the fridge and pulls out a carton of orange juice, then gets two classes from the same cupboard and pours two glasses of the delicious drink, not spilling a single drop.

    "So how are you liking the Union so far? I haven't gotten to do target battles in a while, spent the last weekend mostly in medical..." Toph huffs a bit at the thought.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"It's...unique." Peter admits after a few moments, lapsing into thought. "I'm not used to working alongside so many other people. Especially not people who actually seem to be...concerned...about my well-being."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    With drink in hand Toph reaches out grab one of the sandwiches and sniffs curious at it. "Well, we gotta work together if we're gonna save the multiverse from those who wish to mess with people, right? It's easier to work together if we don't act like dunderheads."

    Well, the only way she will know whether this thing is edible or not is to taste it. So the girl takes a small bite of the Italian club. Just to check what it tastes like.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"I suppose so." Peter replies as he picks up his own sandwich and takes a bite, chewing slowly and carefully and swallowing. Not /quite/ as good as if he'd had the perfect ingredients, but decent enough considering what he had to make do with. He glances towards Toph out of the corner of his eyes, gauging her reaction.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It certainly looks like Toph approves of the Italian club as she takes another large bite before she has even swallowed the first one. And like before on the radio, she speaks with her mouth full. "Sho... not vehry talkahtive ah yah?" she manages to comment. Peter doesn't take much about himself, nor talk much without being prompted.

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"Mmm, I suppose I'm still adjusting to things." Peter replies in regards to his not speaking much, taking another bite from his sandwich. Unlike his host, he chews and swallows before speaking again. "The amount of information that I need to make sense of in this Multiverse is, exceedingly vast, even for someone of my impressive intellect."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Ah, those silly brainiacs who think they are so clever. The earthbender swallows the food in her mouth before she continues. "Hey, it's a lot to take in for anybody, really," Toph shrugs and tries to reassure Peter that no, he's not the only one who has a lot to deal with when first joining the multiverse and getting used to it all. "The multiverse is a large place with lots of stuff to take in and understand. It is very fun though, and I wouldn't have my friends nor my new... family," she muses, her tone slightly softer, "if it wasn't for the Union. You'll get used to it."

    Luckily for Peter Toph waits until after she has posed her next question before she takes another bite of her sandwich. "So are you staying at Njorun, or...?"

Peter Parker (609) has posed:
"Heh, it doesn't seem like I have a choice in the matter. I either get used to it, or I don't." Peter responds just before another bite, swallowing at the question of Njorun, "Njorun? No, I...have my own place. A couple, in fact. In another version of New York within my own universe. My guess is that isn't not so different from the New York in this universe."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    No, they really don't have a choice in the matter most of the time, do they? Toph nods as she chews her food, then turns and opens up one of the drawers, pulling out a small bag with kitty treats. This of course gets Buster's attention, and the cat walks around Toph's legs, meowing even louder, only to purr when Toph crouches down and offers some pieces to him.

    "Does it have the Stark tower there? Only been to New York a few times myself, it's so freaking large and noisy. Kinda prefer it here, at least there's mostly earth under my feet!" she snorts and stands up again to pick up the sandwich again.