2055/What Remains

What Remains
Date of Scene:	19 April 2015
Location:	New York-199999
Synopsis:	Three becomes two.
Cast of Characters:	20, 204, 301
Tinyplot:	A Wish for the Future

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Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Several days have passed since that fateful incident. Whether the voicemail was received or not has not been answered, there are only a few things that are certain. The adopted daughter of the household has not been home, nor has her usually cheeky voice been heard on the broadbands used by the Elites. As a matter of fact, it's impossible to get a location nor even a voice recording from the radio. Either it's turned off, or it's seriously malfunctioning. Three days have gone by without any word from the young earthbender.

    It is just starting to get dark, the sun setting over Malibu when the patio door slides open, and the earthbender finally returns as she steps inside.

    First of all, she is dirty. Dirtier than usual, with mud and dirt covering her feet, staining her clothes and giving her dark hair a matte look. Her tunica and pants are stained, some parts soaked in caked dirt. Secondly, she looks tired. There are dark bags under her eyes, and she nearly leans over as she slides the door closed behind her. Her even move seems lethargic, hesitant and slow.

    It's not often that Toph hesitates entering what is now officially her home. A place that she didn't know she'd end up staying so much at when she first began visiting. Yet somehow she finds herself dreading what might happen now that she has stepped inside.

    Somehow she expects some familiar vibrations to ring throughout the house, to hear and feel loud music being played underneath her feet. But the house is quiet.

    Way too quiet.

    The young girl reaches out to the patio door, as if wanting to open it again, but her hand halts before it drops again, her fingers clenching as she holds her breath and blinks her eyes twice.

    Somewhere she is aware of Jarvis's voice greeting her, though she doesn't respond as she simply stands there, taking in the house that seems just so much larger and emptier now.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    Pepper was in the kitchen. She was wearing sweatpants and her hair pulled into a messy bun. She has bagsunder her eyes, her face left unadorned by even light makeup. Her reckles are plain to see, and she's dirty. The knees of her seats are scuffed with dirt, and she smells like dust and old cardboard and stale air. She looks up, a bowl of cereal in her hand, and she looks down at the fruity flavored colored rings.

    "Hey, Toph." she states, and she sets the bowl of cereal on the counter.

    Pepper was not good at being comforting. She doesn't know how to comfort someone who lost /both/ fathers.

    "Want some fruit loops?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Of course Pepper is here. While Toph is unable to see her adoptive mother's face and the lack of makeup, there are other things she picks up. Dirt there, the smell of dust. Also, it's way too obvious to 'see' the body language, to feel just how Pepper is moving. And to hear the tone of her voice as well.

    It takes several seconds before Toph even considers moving from her current position, and her response is low. "... not hungry," she mumbles with a weak shake of her head. Taking a step forward into the room the blind earthbender swallows, clearly having a mental struggle before she manages to speak up, not raising her head nor turning her head in Pepper's direction.

    "... where?" Toph begins to ask, stopping herself when she hears just how alien her voice sounds. There is a sound briefly stuck in her throat before she tries again. "- where is he?" While calm, there is something strange about the way she voices her words. Her posture, usually relaxed and confident, seems lethargic and stiff at the same time.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    "Have you eaten?" Pepper inquires, and she gets a bowl, the milk, and a box of fruit loops anyway and sets them in the counter. She eases herself down into the stool, and she takes a deep breath.

    "I brought him to Njorun Station." she replies quietly, and she considers a moment.

    Potts draws herself back upwards, and walks over to Toph, and she offers an arm to the dirt-covered girl.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    ... is that really important?

    There's no reply to that question coming, instead Toph waits for the answer to her own question, a more important question. And when Pepper answers Toph swallows, holding her breath as she remains silent. Her lips part, as if she is about to speak, but somehow she seems interrupted when Pepper rises from her seat and walks over to her. When the arm is offered though the girl takes one step back, her eyes widening just slightly as she raises her hand slightly.

    "... who was it?" she asks next, her voice tense as she is unable to keep her voice from cracking slightly. Her expression is firm as well, perhaps too firm as she blinks a few times.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    "... all right."

    It was important. Isn't that what moms are supposed to worry about?

    Potts pauses, and she drops her arm. She exhales, and she sits on the couch.

    "It was two of the Neo-Saiyans. Tony picked them up on a scanner and went to make sure they wouldn't collapse the dome, I think." she replies, and she leans back, rubbing the back of her head a moment.

    "... I tried to get to him in time. The staff said that it was over very quickly."

    Pepper's holding it together. Pepper Potts does /not/ cry. She folds her hands in her lap as she sits on the couch, covered in black cat hair.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    For now Toph remains standing, tense though unwilling to move even as Pepper moves to sit down. Though she listens carefully as Pepper explains just what happened in a very brief manner. And to get the details makes Toph draw some breath quickly, and her hands clench up into fists as she considers this. Neo-Saiyans.

    Surprise does cross her face when Pepper explains she was there too, and Toph blinks as she turns her head just slightly.

    ... over very quickly.

    It might appear that the young girl is tempted to turn around and head out the door again, lowering her head so her bangs hang down past her eyes. Yet Toph remains, her lips drawing thin and shifting slightly. Nearly half a minute passes before she speaks up, her tone strangely calm. "... I broke my radio."

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    "... mmm." Potts replies quietly. "We can get you a new one." she adds, and Potts wrestles with things for a moment.

    "Do... you have any questions? About anything?" she questions quietly, shiting her weight as she exhales.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Get a new one... it sounds so simple. It is simple.

    Toph too seems torn where she stands, and the question doesn't make things any better. It's a question that makes her mind go blank, as if chasing away all the questions whirling around in her head on her way home. Give her a few moments.

    "I... want to see him. Tomorrow," Toph states weakly. It might not be a direct question. It does look like she's about to say a few more things, but she closes her mouth. All until she is forced to draw her breath in a quick gasp, her shoulders rising slightly before she shakes her head slightly, her expression slowly starting to crack through that false composure.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    "We can go tomorrow to see him." Pepper agrees quietly. The redhead leans back, and rubs the back of her neck a moment. "But first, you're going to get a shower in. And you're going to eat something. I'm not going to have you fall over before you get there." Potts states.

    And Potts reaches up, and runs a hand ove rher hair. "Fruitloops." she states, and then just sort of leans her head back, and closes her eyes. "Stan wanted you to know that i you want him to come down to talk, he offered."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    When Pepper agrees with her request it earns a nod from the earthbender where she stands. Yet when the requirements of hygiene and nourishment is put forth, Toph remains quiet, her jawline tensing in a manner that Pepper should be familiar from the earlier days when Toph first started spending time in Malibu after her lessons were over. Yet this time there is no verbal protest coming. Then again, Toph doesn't give any sign whether she agrees with these stipulations.

    When Stan is mentioned Toph does shake her head slightly, then makes a sound as she attempts to clear her nose. Turning her head she blinks her eyes a few times, though Pepper has her eyes closed she won't be able to see at the moment.

    Toph does her best to keep her breath even, slowly turning towards the couch. A few moments seem far longer than they truly are before she steps forward. Another step. And another as she is standing next to Pepper. The next second the normally loud and confident girl sits down on the couch in an uncontrolled flop, her small arms shaking as she almost seems to struggle extending them.

    For the first time since she stepped inside, Toph is unable to keep her face from moving on its own as her eyes feel warm and sting, her lips quivering and drawing apart almost against her will as her breath catches in her throat.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    And though Toph struggles to stay strong, Pepper is there. Pepper who has lost Tony three times before, Pepper who will always be there for her. And she wraps her arms securely around the girl, covered with dust and soil, and pulls her into a hug. She takes a deep breath, and she whispers quietly to Toph.

    And Pepper gives a shuddery breath in. She would be strong. She'd continue to be the pillar.

    She would not break.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As the warm arms wrap around her Toph allows herself to lean forward, her own arms weakly wrapping themselves around Pepper's torso as she hugs into her, burying her face against her adoptive mother's shoulder as her small fingers dig into Pepper's back. In that very moment a high-pitched sound leaves Toph against her breath, her torso shaking a bit for a short moment, and a hot and heavy breath is huffed out. Toph's legs likewise move as she draws them up into the couch, adding more dirt to join with the black cat hairs there.

    "I-I'm so sorry...!"

    The words are muffled against Pepper's shirt, and the first word is broken up by a choking sound.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    Pepper squeezes tightly. Her arms wrap securely around Toph, and as the girl squeaks she leans her head forward, resting her forehead against Toph's head. Her fingers come up, and smooth over her hair, brushing her fingertips through her hair, and then keeps one arm wrapped around her.

    She doesn't lie and tell TOph it will be okay. It might not be. It might not ever be okay. IT might be a long time until it's okay.

    And she just holds onto Toph. She leans into her daughter slightly, tucking Toph's head beneath her chin, and trying to wrap the girl in comfort.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Even as Pepper does her best to soothe the girl, Toph is unable to hold back the tears nor keep herself from shaking, curling up more against her. Even as Pepper's fingers run through her messy hair, it doesn't seem to quiet down.

    "I should h... have been there," Toph forces out between breaths, clutching onto Pepper. "I saved him before, I..." Surely she could have prevented it with her metalbending. Of course he used Mark 42 if he was in a fight. If she had been there she could have done /something/.

    Instead she had been somewhere that didn't matter.

    Again Toph is unable to hold back, and she lets Pepper tuck her head in underneath her chin, her hands clinging onto Pepper's back as she is leaning into her, not really supporting her own weight now.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    "... you can't tell yourself sweetheart." Potts replies, and continues to smooth down her hair. "If I had taken him up on a suit years ago. If I had been there, if I had..." she trails off. "If I had been there sooner, I might have been able to stabilize him, to save him, but we can't change the past." she whispers. And she feels the hot sting of tears in her eyes, and just squeezes Toph tight.

    "You can't blame yourself, Toph."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Buster, who for the last several days has been meowing pathetically looking for his daddy, and sleeping on Tony's side of the bed, wanders downstairs at the sound of voices. He mews softly, pads over to the couch, and looks at the two for a moment, giving his butt a little warmup twitch or two before he jumps up lightly onto the edge of the cushions, and meows more loudly and insistently, bumping his head firmly against someone's elbow. If there's cuddling and warms happening he wants in on it too.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's all too easy to blame herself and others for this.

    The blind girl becomes aware of just how much her eyes are hurting. Her face feels funny and wet, though she doesn't move her face away as her crying stains Pepper's shirt. Again she attempts to clear her nose. Breathing is hard enough as it is.

    Right now she can't hold onto Pepper tightly enough, and she squirms a bit as she attempts to hold tighter onto her, unwilling to let go.

    To hear Pepper mirror her logic back at her, that makes Toph shake her head a bit, curling her toes up underneath her. Another dry heave, and Toph clenches her eyes shut. The loud meowing catches her by surprise, and she turns her head a bit as she feels the weight of Buster next to them on the couch. Almost reluctantly she lets go of Pepper's back with one hand, and she reaches her still shaking hand down to the feline, not saying a word.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    PEpper takes a deep breath, and she turns her head to look at Buster, brushing a hand over her head and giving a slight laugh at the insistant cat, and she leans back just enough to let the cat in on the warmth and cuddles as well. Potts keeps an arm over Toph's shoulder, and reaches to scritch at the cat's back a moment before she starts in, quite sternly, with tears choking her voice:

    "Buster, you are not allowed to blame yourself either."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Buster does not seem to blame himself; he just bulls his eay in between Pepper and Toph the moment they give him any space, squirming between the warmth of their bodies and wriggling until he's managed to turn around with his face poking outward again. He looks up at them and 'mow's again, then folds his feet underneath him and commences purring.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As Buster moves between them and manages to turn around, Toph keeps still, though she does reach a hand up to her face, desperately trying to wipe away the tears that are still running down her cheeks as well as the unsightly snot that clogs up her nose and runs down the lower part of her face. And as she hears Pepper's voice choke up as well, Toph lowers her head and rests it against Pepper's shoulder before her shoulders shake again as more sobs leave her.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    Potts curls her legs beneath her a little to support the three bodies on the couch. She leans her head back on Tophs, unafraid o a little snot (or a lot of snot and a lot of dirt), and takes a deep breath to calm herself. She was strong for the business. She would be strong for Toph. And she just holds the girl, and the cat, and her thoughts, stilling herself. She brushes her fingers over girl, the other fingers over cat, and closes her eyes.
         ... and totally forgot about her fruitloops.