It does have more dramatic impact if she leaves right after, he's right about that. Point made and funds acquired, Toph doesn't really need to stick around. She dusts off her hands as a matter of showmanship, gathers up all her chips in a bag brought expressly for that purpose, and calls over her shoulder as she trots out after Vincent.
"Next time you see me, I'm gonna own this place!"
It's easy to track him -- he feels a little odd to her earthbending senses, nothing as markedly different as Vash or Spock, but noticeable -- and she catches up with him outside.
"What'd you think of the show? Pretty good, right?" Toph clearly doesn't need the encouragement, and her tone is more amused than anything.
i knew what i was getting into the moment i tagged her
It's interesting to him that she doesn't struggle to follow, needing no method of lead despite lacking sight. Clearly she has other senses guiding her, but he's curious with how she manages it. Vincent glances over his shoulder, gazing down at the girl, becoming more curious.
"You are quite ambitious." He thinks with amusement that either this girl and Yuffie would get along well, or they would be fierce rivals.
Being blind gives her several advantages, one of which being that she doesn't judge based on appearances. Where most people might be put off by Vincent's general everything, Toph isn't even aware there's an everything going on. She just trots fast enough to be level with him walking down the street and then slows to keep pace.
"Ehhh, they were small fry." Toph flips a hand in the air carelessly to show she means it and isn't actually looking for praise for tossing one chump over her shoulder. It's no facing down Azula.
By now she's gotten used to explaining herself, so her response comes pretty smoothly.
"It's called earthbending. It's pretty common where I'm from -- I just happen to be the best earthbender in the world." So don't go thinking she's not amazing, in other words.
young martial artists with issues pertaining to parental figures... u know...
There's a stark difference between arrogance and confidence; based on just what little he has seen, it seems like it's the second one to Vincent. This girl knows what she's about, and he can respect that. So, really, he isn't opposed to her company.
"So they were," he agrees, a hint amused.
Earthbending. Seems like a pretty on the nose term, easy to understand. When she remarks she's the best, Vincent hums in acknowledgment. "If nothing else, I could perceive the skill in your movements even if I was unaware of your abilities." So he can at least know that she is very skilled, even if he doesn't really have a grasp of all that she's capable of yet.
"Have you been here long?"
there's no parents here and therefore no issues. fact
Indeed, Toph's unflappable confidence makes her a steady presence beneath all the bluster. Status as an absolute badass acknowledged, she can move on easily. Recognizing her skill is a fast way to get in her good graces, too, which makes her forthcoming.
"A few months," she answers, stretching her arms up overhead and then folding them behind her head as they walk. Asking that right off the bat is a little revealing in itself, so she goes on, "You just get here? You always go to the shadiest place you can find when you show up somewhere?"
She's needling him good-naturedly. It's how Toph expresses overtures of friendship.
Not that Toph can see it, but Vincent's face barely reacts anyway. If anything, there's a faint frown, a subtle expression, but he continues to walk smoothly even if he has no real destination in mind. He didn't have much of a concept of how long people have been stuck here, but... well, that's a bit longer than he expected. Perhaps time is irrelevant while they're here? Albeit admittedly he doesn't have good insight on how any of that alternate timeline/reality/etc works.
Welp. A problem to solve eventually. Maybe.
"The darkest underbelly often gives insight on the nature of where you are."
Toph snorts at the unexpected philosophizing. But sure, fine, she can go along with it; the point behind it isn't wrong, anyway. The shady places always have the best intel on what's really going on.
"Okayyyy, so what'd you learn there? Enlighten me."
She can answer whatever questions she can, but she's also curious what this guy's first impression was.
ok but what if you get found family'd what then toph
She stops when he does and shrugs lightly. "Yeah, there's always scummy types around. I don't feel bad fleecing them when they're the ones who think they can fleece me."
Toph can't argue with that one, but that's not actually what she was getting at. It would be the obvious answer to explain that she's planning to buy out the whole business, largely to save herself from having to get a job, but Toph is much more interested in learning about her new companion than talking herself up further.
"Not what I meant, though. If you just got here you're figuring out what you think of this place, right? Not just Aldrip but the whole thing?"
Well, he can't fault the logic, honestly. Get 'em girl.
There's a hum at her response and he considers how to respond. Slowly, he turns and looks back in the direction of the casino.
"Correct." Another pause, because he's real bad at conversation like dude failing grades here. He makes Cloud look like a social butterfly. It's embarrassing. "I assessed a few things. Physically, there are a few ways to break into the casino, and various acceptable escape routes. Fairly easy to infiltrate but I imagine security is not their top priority at the moment. As for my insight on Aldrip and the situation..."
This guy cannot stop pausing. Ellipses are just his dialogue. Help.
"I'm still attempting to determine the purpose of their crime and punishment system and who it benefits. From overhearing various citizens, it appears those not native to this city are the ones affected primarily. Perhaps as outsiders, that is why the natives also find us as a threat." It also doesn't help that Vincent skulks around like a knockoff Nosferatu. "I am not opposed to people being held accountable for their actions. However, it is arbitrary at best. Deceptive at worst."
Fortunately for Vincent, Toph is a lot more patient than she looks. Especially when she can tell someone's actually thinking about their words and isn't just making her wait for dramatic effect. There's no appearance of wanting him to hurry up as she listens.
Social graces are way overrated in her book.
Toph accepts the comments about the casino itself with a slight smirk, making a mental note to consider hiring him on to help fix the place up after she buys it out. She's already imagining herself as head of security. If she's going to be investor and co-owner, why not give herself the best job? In any case, since he's taking the question seriously, she'll do him the favor of giving him her serious, considered answer.
"I can't tell how serious they are about it, honestly. At first I thought it was gonna be this whole legal political thing where there's somebody deciding what's a crime and what's not, but I don't think that's it. It's not like there's rules posted anywhere. And I haven't seen them punish anybody for something that isn't, like, obviously bad. Hard to argue with them sentencing someone who was threatening to kill a bunch of innocent bystanders."
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expiationlogs2024-04-14 10:44 pm
I would apologize for her but honestly it will just continue.......
"Next time you see me, I'm gonna own this place!"
It's easy to track him -- he feels a little odd to her earthbending senses, nothing as markedly different as Vash or Spock, but noticeable -- and she catches up with him outside.
"What'd you think of the show? Pretty good, right?" Toph clearly doesn't need the encouragement, and her tone is more amused than anything.
i knew what i was getting into the moment i tagged her
"You are quite ambitious." He thinks with amusement that either this girl and Yuffie would get along well, or they would be fierce rivals.
"Your skill with stone. How do you manage it?"
ur right there is certainly some Yuffie energy
"Ehhh, they were small fry." Toph flips a hand in the air carelessly to show she means it and isn't actually looking for praise for tossing one chump over her shoulder. It's no facing down Azula.
By now she's gotten used to explaining herself, so her response comes pretty smoothly.
"It's called earthbending. It's pretty common where I'm from -- I just happen to be the best earthbender in the world." So don't go thinking she's not amazing, in other words.
young martial artists with issues pertaining to parental figures... u know...
"So they were," he agrees, a hint amused.
Earthbending. Seems like a pretty on the nose term, easy to understand. When she remarks she's the best, Vincent hums in acknowledgment. "If nothing else, I could perceive the skill in your movements even if I was unaware of your abilities." So he can at least know that she is very skilled, even if he doesn't really have a grasp of all that she's capable of yet.
"Have you been here long?"
there's no parents here and therefore no issues. fact
"A few months," she answers, stretching her arms up overhead and then folding them behind her head as they walk. Asking that right off the bat is a little revealing in itself, so she goes on, "You just get here? You always go to the shadiest place you can find when you show up somewhere?"
She's needling him good-naturedly. It's how Toph expresses overtures of friendship.
that's definitely how it works
Not that Toph can see it, but Vincent's face barely reacts anyway. If anything, there's a faint frown, a subtle expression, but he continues to walk smoothly even if he has no real destination in mind. He didn't have much of a concept of how long people have been stuck here, but... well, that's a bit longer than he expected. Perhaps time is irrelevant while they're here? Albeit admittedly he doesn't have good insight on how any of that alternate timeline/reality/etc works.
Welp. A problem to solve eventually. Maybe.
"The darkest underbelly often gives insight on the nature of where you are."
the logic is unassailable
"Okayyyy, so what'd you learn there? Enlighten me."
She can answer whatever questions she can, but she's also curious what this guy's first impression was.
ok but what if you get found family'd what then toph
It's here Vincent stops for a moment to gaze down Toph.
"It isn't surprising. People aren't in the business of a casino to be fair and legitimate in most cases. And I think you know that as well."
they're not her real dad !!
Toph can't argue with that one, but that's not actually what she was getting at. It would be the obvious answer to explain that she's planning to buy out the whole business, largely to save herself from having to get a job, but Toph is much more interested in learning about her new companion than talking herself up further.
"Not what I meant, though. If you just got here you're figuring out what you think of this place, right? Not just Aldrip but the whole thing?"
like she would listen to her real dad anyway
There's a hum at her response and he considers how to respond. Slowly, he turns and looks back in the direction of the casino.
"Correct." Another pause, because he's real bad at conversation like dude failing grades here. He makes Cloud look like a social butterfly. It's embarrassing. "I assessed a few things. Physically, there are a few ways to break into the casino, and various acceptable escape routes. Fairly easy to infiltrate but I imagine security is not their top priority at the moment. As for my insight on Aldrip and the situation..."
This guy cannot stop pausing. Ellipses are just his dialogue. Help.
"I'm still attempting to determine the purpose of their crime and punishment system and who it benefits. From overhearing various citizens, it appears those not native to this city are the ones affected primarily. Perhaps as outsiders, that is why the natives also find us as a threat." It also doesn't help that Vincent skulks around like a knockoff Nosferatu. "I am not opposed to people being held accountable for their actions. However, it is arbitrary at best. Deceptive at worst."
so why should she listen to a FAKE dad !!!
Social graces are way overrated in her book.
Toph accepts the comments about the casino itself with a slight smirk, making a mental note to consider hiring him on to help fix the place up after she buys it out. She's already imagining herself as head of security. If she's going to be investor and co-owner, why not give herself the best job? In any case, since he's taking the question seriously, she'll do him the favor of giving him her serious, considered answer.
"I can't tell how serious they are about it, honestly. At first I thought it was gonna be this whole legal political thing where there's somebody deciding what's a crime and what's not, but I don't think that's it. It's not like there's rules posted anywhere. And I haven't seen them punish anybody for something that isn't, like, obviously bad. Hard to argue with them sentencing someone who was threatening to kill a bunch of innocent bystanders."