Overconfidence (OPEN)

[Toph Bei Fong]

If Iphie had been expecting a reply, she was in for a disappointment. Toph, whom had joined her in seating position next to her against the cave wall as she had asked her last question was completely silent. No sooner had Iphie asked her own question back, than the baroness was fast asleep where she sat.

In her sleep, her body relaxed, and she tilted to one side, her back sliding against the wall. She might have fallen to the cave floor, but instead the side of her head found Iphie right shoulder, and stayed there. Toph mumbled something at the impact, but did not wake.

((OOC: sorry, my muse deiced to up and die on me. She'll get better though))

[iphigenia]

Iphie looked at the woman leaning on her shoulder and sighed. Never wake up a sleeping mage. She thought to herself. Of course it wasn't uncomfortable, or even inconvenient, the extra wood was close enough for her to reach right where she was. Of course at the same time she was completely unsure how to react to something like this. The woman was after all still a stranger, though as time went on they seemed to be becoming friends. "Blizzards make strange bedfellows." She muttered quietly to herself and sat near immobile, doing her best to make sure the woman got the best rest she could.

[Toph Bei Fong]

The night wore one as Toph slept. There were a few times when her body seemed to tense, and her eyes were moving swiftly behind her closed lids. But they always passed, and she did not wake. She would not remember the details of her dream, only the vaguest images an sensations. She was much shorter, for one. Younger. She was in a cave like this one. The fire was smaller though. Her feet badly burned, leaving her truly blind.

She was not alone.

A wisp of hair, a slopped shoulder, a warm body.

Cera...

***

The sun was clearing the horizon when Toph finally woke with Cera's name on her lips, but the dream already retreating form conscious thought. She opened her eyes, and dragged her feet across the ground... and realized where she was.

"Oh!" she said suddenly sitting up. "Sorry. Hope I didn't spend all night snoring in your ears, Lil' Bit."

Toph eventually stood and stretched... and felt much, much better. "Hmmm I feel like I can take out a whole brigade of ogres now!" she proclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. She claimed her own pants, now finally dry, and only hesitated for a second before pulling Iphie's pair off and pulling her own pair on. Sure, the other girl had seen it all already, but habits died hard.

Now fully dressed save for her feet, Toph approached the wall in front of the cave mouth door. She set her feet in wide stance before raising her arms up, then slamming them down in the empty air. The rock wall slid seamlessly into the earth, letting the morning sunlight. The snow had stopped with a good 18 inches of accumulation on the ground.

With a smile on her face Toph turned to speak over her shoulder. "Just let me work out some kinks," she said. "And you and me are off to Venus. Should be there by brunch," With that Toph marched out into the snow, barefoot and all, until she was a few feet from the cave mouth. She again assumed a wide stance, this time thrusting her her hands upwards. An area of earth roughly five feet around her in all directions rose up out of she snow. On this raised platforms, she began to progress through her earthbending katas, working out the sore spots and knots from yesterdays activities. Around her little 'mat' of earth, pillars of stone rose and fell, rose and fell in an exact sequences that matched her progress through the various forms. Although if someone had happened by who knew nothing about bending or martial arts, they would have swore the blind woman was dancing, her movement smoothly flowing from one to the next, all to the beat of the rising and falling earth around her.

[iphigenia]

Iphie watched quietly for awhile as she cleaned up the area. She packed up most of her things, except the pants. She tossed the ruined pants on the fire and let them burn. She gathered up a bit of snow and tossed it onto the fire and it's ashes. She stepped out into the sunlight, not bothered by the large amount of snow. She watched a few minutes more as Toph continued her strange ritual. Not so strange. She thought to herself. Might as well get it over with. She set her pack against the side of the entrance and pulled out another clinking vial.

Iphie stepped away from the camp and traveled a bit further to a small area thick with brush. She slipped the bottle out of her pocket and pulled out the cork. Her hand trembled and she forced it still. After a few deep breaths she drank half of it. She shuddered and fell to her knees. After what seemed like an eternity but what was really only a few seconds, she vomited. She gasped for air and waited a few seconds for her body to calm down. Then she poured the rest of the small bottle over her head. he waited a few moments before standing up again. Even then she felt slightly unsteady.

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph's morning katas were a from of meditation. A way to become one with her chi and the earth, the source of her power and the medium it used. As such, she was at her most in sync with her bending when she was lost in the kata's forms. At one with the earth. She could 'see' all around her for at least a league in all directions. Every rock, every animal that trod upon the soil, every worm in the earth.

That included Iphigenia, unfortunately. Toph was aware of her, but not really looking for her. She saw her bring something could not sense to her lips, but she paid it no mind. But when her body began to shake and heave, Toph was so startled that she missed a step in her next form. The pillars that had been dancing about her vanished into the earth, as did her 'mat'.

She was in motion at once, crossing the distance to where Iphie had hidden herself in the bushes. As if that could hide her from me, Toph thought ruefully, though she was concerned. Healthy women did not vomit this much. Well unless they were.. but no. Now way the other woman was pregnant. With those narrow hips? A kid would snap her in two.

By the time Iphe had regained her feet, Toph was standing just behind her, arms crossed, grey-green eyes unfocused, yet somehow accusatory.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked when Iphe finally turned around. "I dunno how it works where you come from, but in Gaia Kingdom, we take the whole life debt thing very seriously. So if you're ill please let me know if I can help."

[iphigenia]

Iphie didn't jump, her life had hardened her too much for something like that to happen, but there was a slight tensing throughout her body. "Ah, I didn't realize you had finished. I'm sorry if I'm holding you up, I'm sure you want to get back to the city as fast as possible." She slipped the bottle into her pocket and began walking back toward the cave. She could feel the disapproval and swallowed.

"I'm fine, this is just something I have to do, it isn't going to kill me or something like that. You would do better worrying about your lack of shoes. You haven't fully recovered after one night, no matter how you feel."

[Toph Bei Fong]

Frowning, Toph gave Iphie a theatrical applause. "Nice evasion. I don't think an air-bender could have dodged that any better. Fine, I'll drop it." For now, she added silently.

Making their way back to the cave for the other woman's pack, Toph made a big show out of kicking the snow on the ground with her bare feet. "I don't wear shoes. They get in the way. Trust me when I say these little piggies they've been through much worse than some mountain terrain and a little snow. "And I feel fine. Maybe not a 100%, but were definitely talking high eighties, low nineties here."

When they reached her pack, Toph kept walking a few more steps past it. She twisted her body at the waist a couple of times, then stretched her legs and arms. "All set?" she asked over her shoulder. She stuck out her thumb and pointed at her own back. "Hop on," she said.

[iphigenia]

"Hop on?" She paused for a moment. "On you?" She bit her lip and glanced to the side. She stepped over to her. "Is this really such a good idea. I know I'm not that big but you're still sick. I don't want to strain you any." She set her hands on Toph's shoulders, being careful not to squeeze. "Are you just going to teleport us there or something?"

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph laughed once. It was an excited, eager sound. "Teleport? Nah, I'm no mage. But what I'm planning will work almost as good."

She felt the tentative hand on her shoulder, and blew a sigh of air out at her own bangs. Figures she'd get stuck with the only shy lesbian left in the empire. "Look, Lil' Bit, if this going to work you're going to have to climb up on my back. Once get started I wont be able to hold on to you. Hold on tight -- not move a wall of rock tight, I like my bones intact, thank you very much -- but tight enough to get a good grip on me." Another half smile crossed her face. "I know you wont hurt me, so as long as you know it too, we're all set."

Toph even went as far as to kneel slight to make it easier.

[iphigenia]

Iphie took a deep breath and climbed up carefully. She slid her arms around Toph's neck and held on. Being this close to another person who she wasn't trying to kill was a little strange, especially when it was another woman. With a slight hop, she wrapped her legs around Toph's waist. She had to be very mindful not to squeeze to hard. She took a deep breath and waited for whatever this woman would do.

[Toph Bei Fong]

With a smile Toph rose. "Even with you're pack you what 110? 115 soaking wet? Anyway, here we go."

The blind earthbeder broke into a sudden jog. It was as brief as it was unexpected. Just before she raced the circle of snow-cleared earth where he had been exercising, she jumped up.

She landed in the center of the circle... and sank into the earth like a rock in pound. And like a rock in a pond a ripple spread outward. Before the earth over her head could close though, the ripple suddenly came crashing back toward them, and they rose upon twin hills or earth and rock, each easily ten feet tall, one under each of Toph's bare feet.

Toph leaned froward... and started running.

The hills under her feet rolled with them like a wave, her every running footstep pushed high with their force, before she pushed the down again, as the one under her other leg was pushed up. Her arms pistoned high in the air and side to side in time with her legs. The rhythm of it was slow at frist but soon began pick up considerable speed.

Her eyes were locked in concentration, but there was smile on Toph's face as she kept the pace, her breathing deep but steady. The Sanguine Mountains retreated behind them at pace a race horse would be hard pressed to match. The sound of rumbling earth pushing them along even as she worked them down and up was quite loud, but not deafening.

The Earth Wave's speed seemed to reach a plateau, and Toph worked on maintaining the pace. "If the wind 's too much for you," she called over her shoulder. "Keep your heads down, 'kay?" Then she faced forward again. The terrain was already changing from rough foothills to fertile grasslands. Venus was visible on the horizon.

[iphigenia]

The warning was entirely unnecessary. Iphie wasn't paying attention to anything she said either. She had her head buried in Toph's neck, her eyes were closed tight. The bouncing and waving motions were definitely not something she enjoyed. She kept the nausea at bay but it was tricky. As time went on she felt herself getting used to it, but as soon as she'd open her eyes or raise her head the nausea struck again and she returned to Toph's neck. She desperately hoped she'd never have to travel this way again and prayed that they would be reaching their destination soon.

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph was also silent, but for different reasons.

Okay, maybe low eighties, high seventies she thought as she felt herself growing fatigued sooner than she expected. Earth Wave was draining bending form, and it was starting to take its toll. Her breathing grew more ragged and less controlled, and her speed dropped off some.

Still Venus was practically in front of them! Just a bit further...

When she felt the cramp in her right leg, she knew that was it. before her legs could lock up entirely, she began to slow down, the hills sinking deeper into the ground as she did so, until finally, with another jump, she left them behind. They sank into the earth as if they had ever been.

She hit the path feet first, stumbled, nearly fell, righted herself, and final knelt down to Iphie could get off. She was sweating profusely, and her breath was ragged.

"Close -- enough -- " she gasped.

And it was. The outskirts of Venus were perhaps and hour or two walk before them.

"Okay -- we'll miss -- brunch -- but be -- in time for -- lunch," she said with an exhausted laugh. "You -- okay back there -- Lil' Bit?"

[iphigenia]

"I'm fine, unlike you. I did warn you." She looked around to get her bearings, secretly quite glad to be on solid ground that wasn't moving, and pulled out a small map. "Ah, we're pretty close." She glanced at Toph again. "You are in no condition to walk. I think it's you're turn to be carried." It'll be much faster if I run than if we just walk. We might even make it in time for brunch after all." Iphie waited for a reaction before she took any actions like kneeling, though she wouldn't have to kneel. Toph was quite tall enough already.

[Toph Bei Fong]

Tophe frowned. Her? Carried? Oh no, no one was going to haul Toph Bei Fong around like a baby!

She statted to rise and say just that, but her right leg, finally it's limit shook and then failed under her and she collapsed on her side. Damn that poison! Must have been effective stuff to wrek her conditioning like this. She'd have to train back up, that much was clear.

As for now though...

Toph turned her head away from where she could 'see' Iphe standing. Her face felt hot. Having never seen a blush, she had no idea her embarrassment was showing. Just that when she felt embarrassed -- a rare thing but this woman seemd to be bringing it out a lot -- her face grew hot. "I might could use a little more help. Maybe. Thank you." she mumbled.