It's been happening to me, too. And it was either that or you were having a heart attack, and--
[ For some reason it feels too much to talk about her new abilities to a total stranger. But Toph could swear she can hear heartbeats of those around her if they're close enough, and especially if they're excited or anxious. Or, presumably, having a heart attack. ]
--and you seem fine, [ she finishes lamely. Her own nerves are shooting through the roof, antsy and impatient to get answers or at least clues that might eventually lead to answers. ]
Come on, let's get out of here. I want to ask you some things. [ Where they won't have an audience. ]
[A heart attack wouldn't be an unreasonable assumption where he's concerned. He almost wishes it was just his heart fucking up. Just thinking about that vision makes him feel like his heart's in a vise, enough so that he isn't even sure if it's just anxiety or if he's actually having a cardiac event.
A large part of him wants to just shrug her off. Everything in him says to just leave this subject alone. But he's still frazzled, and increasingly embarrassed as the irate employee continues picking up toppled merchandise around his feet, so all he manages is an absent nod as he mumbles an apology to the employee and picks his way out of the mess to head for the door.]
[ Since he's coming willingly, Toph doesn't feel the need to drag him along physically, and she strides out ahead of him. It's not quite her normal confident march; Toph is still learning that kind of confidence in herself and her ability to detect what's around her, and there's some hesitation and faltering to her steps that keeps frustrating her.
She knows she should be better than this.
Once they're out on the street, Toph swings around to face him without delay, already peppering him with questions. ]
Was that the first time it happened to you? It started happening to me last week.
[He's barely paying her any attention as they head out, quick to fall back in deep in his own head. Following honestly might be more about just escaping the awkward scene in the shop than truly indulging her. After all, whatever this girl thinks is going on here, there's no way he can really entertain the idea. He can't attribute greater meaning to that vision without casting his brother in a bafflingly awful light, and that's unthinkable.
Settling into that certainly does something to settle his unease as well, so he clings to it. He flinches back as the girl whirls back at him as soon as they're outside, but he forces himself to shake his head.]
I-I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing really happened, it was just...just some kind of weird dream.
[It has to be. That's the only explanation that eases a bit of the tightness in his throat. Just...some kind of magic or something giving people strange waking dreams. Hell, maybe it's related to those fairies that've been causing trouble lately.]
[ This pisses her off immediately. Toph is trying to figure out what's going on, needs to have validation that what she's remembering and what she can do isn't going to be taken away from her again. ]
You're really going to try to just sweep it under the rug like it didn't happen? [ she asks in disbelief. ] We're all just getting crazy hallucinations in the middle of the day, oh well, moving on?
[Her insistence grates at him in the exact opposite direction. He doesn't know what that vision was, but something in him is screaming to leave it be. He doesn't need to know. Pursuing this will only make things worse.
His jaw sets firmly and he straightens up.]
It didn't happen. That wasn't real.
[He at least sounds a little more sure of himself in that. It's harder when it's himself he's warring with, but if it's someone else suggesting Lelouch would ever actually do something like that – however indirectly they might be suggesting it – then he can ignore any hint of doubt to just push back against an external threat.]
I don't even know you. Do you get like this every time you have a weird daydream or whatever?
It's not a weird daydream! [ she insists, voice rising. ] I'll show you!
[ It doesn't help her earthbending to get emotional, but it doesn't exactly hurt it, either, as long as she can concentrate. The anger at being disbelieved sharpens her focus; Toph stomps a bare dirty foot onto the ground like she's a child having a tantrum, except a ripple echoes through the cobblestones under and around her like a miniature shockwave within the rock itself. ]
I have more where that came from if that's not enough.
The sight of the shifting cobblestones tugs at the same part of his mind that was so unsettled by the vision. It's like it highlights everything that feels wrong just by virtue of being so real, and he hates it instinctively. Rolo clenches his eyes shut and claps his hands over his ears, like he might be able to dismiss all of it if he just can't see or hear any more of her impossibilities.]
I don't care what you can do! It's got nothing to do with me!
[ Toph is dumbfounded, then angry. She isn't the type to keep pushing someone who's clearly in distress, or at least she isn't normally. Right now, everything feels desperate and surreal, like she has something to prove.
And Toph is merciless when she has something to prove. ]
It has everything to do with you! It just happened to you!
No, it didn't! Just because I imagined it doesn't mean it actually happened!
[That doesn't really track with the weird...earth tremor thing she did, if that really is in fact somehow linked to these visions. But he doesn't want to think about that. Rolo grits his teeth, opening his eyes just to glare at her. For such a meek-looking guy, it turns out he can look pretty murderous when he wants to.]
Why do you want it to be real so badly? It was terrible!
[ In a calmer mood, Toph would take that admission as an indication that she should be a little more empathetic. What she's remembering is all great and wonderful for her, but it makes sense that it wouldn't necessarily be that way for everyone else.
But right now, feeling on the precipice of gaining real independence and self-esteem for the first time in her life, she won't tolerate anything that threatens it. ]
Because in case you haven't noticed, I'm blind, and there's no way I'm going back to being a dumb helpless little girl.
[ This does also mean she is completely immune to Rolo's expressions, murderous or otherwise, which is probably fortunate at this precise moment. ]
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expiationlogs2024-03-09 08:37 am
no subject
[ For some reason it feels too much to talk about her new abilities to a total stranger. But Toph could swear she can hear heartbeats of those around her if they're close enough, and especially if they're excited or anxious. Or, presumably, having a heart attack. ]
--and you seem fine, [ she finishes lamely. Her own nerves are shooting through the roof, antsy and impatient to get answers or at least clues that might eventually lead to answers. ]
Come on, let's get out of here. I want to ask you some things. [ Where they won't have an audience. ]
no subject
A large part of him wants to just shrug her off. Everything in him says to just leave this subject alone. But he's still frazzled, and increasingly embarrassed as the irate employee continues picking up toppled merchandise around his feet, so all he manages is an absent nod as he mumbles an apology to the employee and picks his way out of the mess to head for the door.]
no subject
She knows she should be better than this.
Once they're out on the street, Toph swings around to face him without delay, already peppering him with questions. ]
Was that the first time it happened to you? It started happening to me last week.
no subject
Settling into that certainly does something to settle his unease as well, so he clings to it. He flinches back as the girl whirls back at him as soon as they're outside, but he forces himself to shake his head.]
I-I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing really happened, it was just...just some kind of weird dream.
[It has to be. That's the only explanation that eases a bit of the tightness in his throat. Just...some kind of magic or something giving people strange waking dreams. Hell, maybe it's related to those fairies that've been causing trouble lately.]
no subject
You're really going to try to just sweep it under the rug like it didn't happen? [ she asks in disbelief. ] We're all just getting crazy hallucinations in the middle of the day, oh well, moving on?
no subject
His jaw sets firmly and he straightens up.]
It didn't happen. That wasn't real.
[He at least sounds a little more sure of himself in that. It's harder when it's himself he's warring with, but if it's someone else suggesting Lelouch would ever actually do something like that – however indirectly they might be suggesting it – then he can ignore any hint of doubt to just push back against an external threat.]
I don't even know you. Do you get like this every time you have a weird daydream or whatever?
no subject
[ It doesn't help her earthbending to get emotional, but it doesn't exactly hurt it, either, as long as she can concentrate. The anger at being disbelieved sharpens her focus; Toph stomps a bare dirty foot onto the ground like she's a child having a tantrum, except a ripple echoes through the cobblestones under and around her like a miniature shockwave within the rock itself. ]
I have more where that came from if that's not enough.
no subject
The sight of the shifting cobblestones tugs at the same part of his mind that was so unsettled by the vision. It's like it highlights everything that feels wrong just by virtue of being so real, and he hates it instinctively. Rolo clenches his eyes shut and claps his hands over his ears, like he might be able to dismiss all of it if he just can't see or hear any more of her impossibilities.]
I don't care what you can do! It's got nothing to do with me!
no subject
[ Toph is dumbfounded, then angry. She isn't the type to keep pushing someone who's clearly in distress, or at least she isn't normally. Right now, everything feels desperate and surreal, like she has something to prove.
And Toph is merciless when she has something to prove. ]
It has everything to do with you! It just happened to you!
no subject
[That doesn't really track with the weird...earth tremor thing she did, if that really is in fact somehow linked to these visions. But he doesn't want to think about that. Rolo grits his teeth, opening his eyes just to glare at her. For such a meek-looking guy, it turns out he can look pretty murderous when he wants to.]
Why do you want it to be real so badly? It was terrible!
no subject
But right now, feeling on the precipice of gaining real independence and self-esteem for the first time in her life, she won't tolerate anything that threatens it. ]
Because in case you haven't noticed, I'm blind, and there's no way I'm going back to being a dumb helpless little girl.
[ This does also mean she is completely immune to Rolo's expressions, murderous or otherwise, which is probably fortunate at this precise moment. ]