Strange Bedfellows (Daring Jo)

[Daring Jo Lockwood]

"Yes, quite." Jo nodded, "I would hardly find such furnishings as comfortable as you do."

She took a seat on the bed, finding it quite comfortable and looked back at the odd bounty hunter. She smirked at the line of questioning and took a long sip of her own drink.

"Oh, I would say it's more of a question of who I DIDN'T piss off..." she laughed, "I've stolen from just about every noble family that lives in Terre de Conte! They all have to travel at some point, after all...and I'm always around to ensure that they pay the appropriate fees. And steal some time with their ladyfriends."

She snickered and polished off her own drink.

"Ah, there was one lovely young countess," she stared off wistfully, "I stole the whole carriage just to get a few moments alone with the dear thing. Ho ho! Quite a familiar scenario, yes? Ah, but I had a much more...intimate...evening. Which is not to say that I'm not enjoying this little chat of ours. I do find it quite a fine and quiet little exchange!"

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph sat a little straighter in her chair as Jo took a seat on the bed and nearly vanished from her sight.

"Huh, my trap was better than I thought," Toph said with a laugh. She summoned up another foot rest and swung her feet on to it. The transparent slips of fabric that made up her 'skirt' settled more or less between her legs, exposing her long, lean and well defined legs almost up to her hip to Jo. "Pitty I'm not the star-eyed highborn lady you're used to. Pitty for you, I mean. Its nice of you to say otherwise, but were it me... given a choice between stimulating conversation and sex, I'll pick sex every time."

She looked over where she was reasonably sure Jo was still sitting. "I've been told I'm too blunt," she said, wrinkling her nose at the idea. "I'm not even sure what that means. You're either blunt or you're not. How can someone be too blunt?"

The brandy and loosened Toph's tongue quite a bit, and though she felt a comfrotable buzz, she was still a long ways away from being drunk. "I mean," she went on. "I could be all prim and proper if I chose..." Swing her feet of the foot stool and sat at the edge of her seat. She placed on hand over the other in her lap, her feet crossed at the ankles slightly below her chair, her back ramrod straight, and all the humor drained from her eyes.

"In truth," she said in a cultured Gaian accent that was too well performed to be anything but the result of years practice, "one sees little need in putting on such airs in the company of a fellow bandit. Surely, there is a time and a place for such attitudes, but hiding in a cavern form the good men of the City Watch while regaling one another of tales of our carnal conquests is hardly one of them."

Toph was able to hold the pose and expression for a full five seconds before collapsing into laughter.

[Daring Jo Lockwood]

Whether or not the better view was intentional was very low on Jo's list of concerns. It was enjoyable all the same. She cast a broader smirk and a chuckle at the comment. "Oh, I must agree..." she said, "Sadly, I'm without a willing participant this evening. As you said...a pity."

She lay down on her side as Toph went on, even going so far as to imitate the manners required of royalty. A rather spot on impression. And when the Blind Bandit broke character, Jo found herself laughing right alongside her.

"How right you are!" she managed to add, "But, do be bold! You are in the presence of the Daring Lady...a name and title I've earned through a bit more than my career as a bandit-extraordinaire!"

She paused for a moment and perched up on an elbow, "Hmm...but so far, I've been the only to share one of my more risque escapades. Albeit, with scant details...but, how have you fared in your own adventures?"

[Toph Bei Fong]

Relaxing from her highborn facade, Toph wrinkled her nose as Jo's presences completely vanished from her earth-sight as she lay on the bed, separated from the earth by wood and mattress and sheets. It made her feel like she was talking to an empty room, even though she could still hear the other woman. It was unnerving.

"Oh, I do well enough," she said, as she slid back in her chair. "My stories may not be as fun as yours, though. I was a solider since the age of 14, in the Gaia Kingdom/Fire Nation war. Didn't leave me with a lot of time to date." Toph smiled, and it was expression of bitterness mixed with wistfulness. "Cera always used to say when it came to sex, I was subtle as badgermole."

Toph shook the memory off. "There was this one time, after we liberated a city from Fire nation occupation. The people there were...well ecstatic isn't a strong enough word. And some of them them wanted to express their gratitude in ways that had nothing to do with offering lodgings or supplies to our unit.

"Cera and I went drinking, like we always did whenever we got a second of down time. The bar was packed with our fellow troops and the people of the city alike. The serving girls were far too busy helping themselves to the men of our unit to help with, you know, actually serving drinks. Even Cera manged to pick up one to two. This left the poor bartender running the drinks back and forth on his lonesome.

"Now most bartenders I've ever 'seen' have been overweight older men. This guy was barely older than me. Inherited the place from when the Fire Nation soldiers killed his father. He was determined to keep the place running, and the coppers and silver we had liberated from the occupying force was going a long way to do just that."

Toph chuckled. "I noticed him 'cause he was an island of tension and seriousness in a sea of abject revelry and celebration. So driven and focused... and in excellent shape. He didn't seem to get my more subtle advances, too distracted by serving his customers. I had to throw him into the back the room and bar the door behind us. He got it then."

Toph bit her lower lip, her eyes rolling upwards as she recalled. "He wasn't terribly experienced. But he made up for that with raw enthusiasm, and he took instruction well. You'd be amazed just how attentive a man can be once relived of their pants."

[Daring Jo Lockwood]

The bounty hunter certainly knew how to tell a story. Jo gave her full attention as she continued. Although she was quick to notice the change in expression as her feet left the bed. It was interesting to see the blind woman's reaction. Of course, she found it to be "cute", something she was sure would not be entirely appreciated by Toph. A thought that made her chuckle quietly to herself.

"Why, that lucky devil..." she said, sitting up to pour herself another drink, "It sounded like you and your troops had quite the evening. There is something to be said about knowing what you want and just going after it. You do think like a bandit, don't you?"

A jovial snicker carried itself to the walls of the cozy little cave and back. Jo sprang back to her feet and was soon right back at Toph's side, refilling her empty glass. She rested the bottle on the makeshift table and circled around to the back of the chair. Resting her arms on it's high back, she peered down at the brunette. As she did so, a thought struck her...

"Cera..." she repeated the mentioned name, "You've brought her up before, yes? Why...I think you also mentioned that name....hmm...oh, when was it, now?"

She paused long enough to down half a glass of the brandy. A goofy giggle followed. She wasn't completely drunk, but she sure was making an effort, "Oh, it'll come back to me, I'm sure!"

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph laughed along, heartened that Jo enjoyed the story and that she could 'see' her again. The additional brandy only served to sweeten the deal. By now, the brandy was a like an old friend, and she drank it like water, not even feeling the warmth of it anymore than in passing.

Jo settled behind her, and Toph could feel the increased relaxation in her stance and posture. Toph relaxed in kind, leaning back in her chair... only she had miss-judged the distance and wond up slumping back into it at an awkward angel. She laughed it off, proud that she had not spilled her drink and sat up straight. From her vantage above and behind her, Jo would have been in perfect position to look more or less straight down the cleveage of her skimpy top.

"We had a good time, and the young women and men of the city had a good time. War is hell like they say, Sweetie. You grab the moments of pleasure when you can. You might not live to see another."

Toph was downing the rest of her drink, when Jo brought up Cera again. An hour ago, Toph might have choked on her drink for being reminded of her slip in the carriage. Now, however, she took in stride.

"Cera was..." she began wistfully. "She was my other half. Put us side by side and there wasn't a fire bender in the world that could even touch us. Or ten. Or Fifty. She wasn't even Gaian, you know." Toph was smiling now. "She was from one of the Northen Water Tribes. Came from a long line of waterbenders... but couldn't bend at all. It skips a generation sometimes.

"Up north, only the men were allowed to be trained how to fight. The women water benders became healers. But since she couldn't bend, she was treated like a third class citizen, if you can believe. that. Ran away from that nonsense when she was just 14. was trained on Kiyoshi island for a time... the joined the Earth Kingdom army same time I did."

The smile broadened into a grin. "That girl could turn anything into a weapon. If it was already a weapon, she could make it a better one. With her skill with a blade and my bending... well in the Fire Nation they called us 'The Dancing Deaths".

She finished her drink and poured herself some more. Her smile shrank, but did not vanish completely. "Sometimes, I forget that's she'd dead. Sometimes I think she's still there watching my back. Like today. I had a flashback in the carriage... it happens sometimes... and for a second when you held me... I thought you were her."

Toph downed her new glass. "Silly, huh?"

[Daring Jo Lockwood]

The view she had managed to find was much better than when she was on her bed. Jo elected not to budge from her current spot, until Toph recounted her very good friend. She tossed back the remainder of the brandy and listened intently.

"Mmm...sounds like quite the woman..." she smirked, but soon let the expression slip. It was her last comment that actually took her by surprise. A touch of color reached across her cheeks. Although, whether it was just from the booze or not was matter that would be up for debate.

"Silly or not, I'm quite honored..." Jo said with a half grin. She moved, with her usual frantic speed and was soon on a knee by the arm of the chair. "That's a bit more trust than is typically bestowed upon me."

Reaching for the bottle, Jo took another refill for herself, "For reasons that I'm sure you can guess...my profession is not for those with decent reputations." she chuckled, a little quieter than usual, "So, with that said, I don't believe I'd qualify it as 'silly'. Now...here is a moment in which I would repay such kind words...but my method of payment may not be welcome."

She returned to her typical loud laugh, as she bolted back to her feet and gave a flourishing gesture as she polished off her glass quite nicely.

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph paused, her hands feeling around the table for the bottle of brandy, then poured herself a new glass, the tip of her finger dangling inside so she could tell wen it was full. She drank half, then filled it again.

"Tease," Toph mumbled as Jo all but danced to her feet again. "She used to say things like that to me all the time. It was like a game. She'd promise to 'turn' me, I swore I would 'fix' her. It never went anywhere, 'cause we both knew it was better the way thighs were. More men for me, more women for her. After the war, we always said we'd move in together, marry fraternal twins, raise a few kids..."

Toph's voice grew watery as she spoke, the last word choking off into a sob. Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them back furiously. "Sorry," she said, her voice little more firm. "That kinda came out of nowhere. I.. I don't want to talk about Cera anymore."

Toph finished her glass, then abandoned all pretense of restraint and seized the bottle, and took several long swings straight from the source.

[Daring Jo Lockwood]

Jo stood as still as a statue. Things had taken a turn from fun and drunken silliness to being quite serious. Which was bound to happen when one brings up dead friends. Jo looked down at the seated Toph, catching the internal battle over keeping those pesky emotions at bay.

Seeing very pretty women sad was just something that she could not allow to continue. In fact, she would say it was her duty to see that those attitudes turn right around. Jo spun on her heel and promptly took a seat...right on Toph's lap, with her legs resting over the arm of the stone chair.

"Say no more..." she said, taking the bottle from her guest's grasp for her own long draw, "Ah heheh...enough of this and I may do a little more than tease, my dear..."

She smirked broadly and held the bottle to once more offer a hearty serving of the rather expensive brandy.

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph was wiping away what tears had manged to escape, and missed Jo's flurry of movement until the woman's warm body was already in her lap. Then the bottle was out of her hands.

The whole thing was so fast, and such a change from a second ago, that it broke her down mood almost instantly. Toph smirked, grateful for the change. "You're sitting on an earthbender's lap in a cave made entirely out of earth and rock. There's no way you're gonna do anything to me I don't want done to me."

Toph frowned at her last sentence. The wording was kinda off. Was she finally getting drunk?

"Sides," she said. "You're warm. So stick around."

Toph took the bottle back and stated a fresh pull. It was starting to feel mostly empty. "Courshe,: she said , slurring just a bit. "This is warm too. I'll haveta owe you a bottle."

Toph leaned back in her chair, and sighed, the tension slipping out of her shoulders. "Know what's weird?" she asked. "I kinda do feel comfortable here, just like you promised. You're a woman of your word, Jo Lockwood. Knew I was right about about you. If 'Tabby' had been real and not just a made up to trap you, she would have been extremely fortunate and grateful to have been kidnapped by you." The smirk returned. "Probably would show it better than crashing at your place and drinking all your booze too."

[Daring Jo Lockwood]

"Oh? Well, you may be surprised but what you want done..." Jo gave a cheeky grin, as Toph did her part in polishing off the bottle. Leaning up, she wrapped an arm around the earthbender's shoulders, getting quite cozy.

"There are better ways to repay a bottle...but, I'll be delighted all the same, if it means sharing your company again." Jo chuckled and took the brandy for another swig. She finished her portion with a hiccup.

"Ah...well, here's to Tabby, then!" she drank, once more, "A sweeeet girl, who'da *hic* been another fantastic story to relay. Pity she's not real, though...*hic*I'da shown'er quite the evening!"

Having drank about as much as Toph, Jo was quite drunk, herself. As was plainly obvious by her speech. She held the bottle in front of Toph. There was not a great deal left to be had, but Jo was not about to finish it all off herself. What kind of hostess would she be, then?

[Toph Bei Fong]

Toph brought the bottle to her lips, having to tip it almost end over end to get her next mouthful. With Jo's arm over her shoulder, she snuggled closer to the warmth she offered.

"I dunno," Toph replied. "She mighta gone all attached to yous. Ya'know, the dashing hero who saved her from slavery. Doubt she'd let it go with one evenin'. Mighta been stuck with an adoring subservient servant for the long hall. 'Oh, welcome home Miss Lockwood! How did your stealing go today! I've made dinner. May I rub your feet? Oh, you've brought home another one. Will Lady Fussy Britches IV be joining us in bed tonight?' "

Toph laughed, bring the bottle to her lips again, but paused before she drank. "But maybe that woulda cramped your style, Sweetie. Anyways, you wanna kills this bottle or should I?"

[Daring Jo Lockwood]

Jo welcomed the snuggling Toph, all the while chuckling at the impression of the girl she had actually been just a short while ago. "I don't believe I've subjected you to the full array of my wily charms..." she said, "So, a little romp in the bed may or may not have been out of the question...and I certainly wouldn't object to sharing that very bed with more than one lady! Ho ho! As prolific as I've been, that is not a treat I've been able to enjoy."

She grinned, as she considered polishing off the rest of the brandy. But, once more, her hostess mentality took direction. "Oh, I couldn't...you are the guest, in my humble little home, so the honor is yours." she insisted, "I could always pull out a second bottle...should the desire to move ever inspire me. Ah, but I'm still too comfortable, right here!"

[Toph Bei Fong]

"Really? Well then you're missing out. Cera often said the more the better." Toph wrinkled her nose. "But for some reason I was never able to seduce/drag two men to bed with me. They get so fussy when they're in the room with another naked man. I had to call Cera for back up, and woe is me that was the one line she wouldn't cross for friendship." Toph laughed at the irony. "She'd cut an enemy solider to bloody ribbons if they ever even nicked my skin with their blade, but ask her to even look at a penis? She gets violently ill. Gotta love her."

Bringing Cera up didn't seem to depress Toph this time. Buoyed by the alcohol, she chose to remember only the good times.

"Speakin' o' Cera," Top added with a giggle, "she had a solution for the age ol' 'who gets the last drink problem.' Just let me get a good 'look' at you..."

With her free hand, Toph brought her fingers gently to Jo's face. Though her fingertips were as rough as one might expect from a life-time marital arts master and solider, her movements were soft and deliberate as she traced them form Jo's cheek bones, down across her cheek, and finally to her mouth.

"Ah, there you are," Toph said with a smile. Her fingers teased their way across Jo's lips, before slipping back across the other cheek just above Jo's jawline. Meanwhile, Toph brought up her other hand, the one holding the bottle to her lips, and emptied the rest of it in her mouth without swallowing.

The hand on Jo's face was now cupping her cheek, guiding Toph's aim as she leaned forward, her own cheeks only slightly distend by the brandy in her mouth. Her puckered lips found Jo's easily, and there was playful forcefulness there, a silent request that the other woman part those stubborn lips so Toph could share the last mouthful of brandy.

[Daring Jo Lockwood]

Nothing had a greater impact on one's demeanor than alcohol. And for that, Jo was extremely glad that she always had a bottle or two handy. She was quite still as the fingers moved about her face. It was easy to tell just how experienced the other was. Toph's fingers traced there way across Jo's lips, giving a clear picture to the smirk that she typically wore...albeit a bit more exaggerated, thanks to the many glasses of brandy she had been indulging in.

Certainly, she was not about to pose any objections to whatever plans were currently in the works. It seemed to be going in a direction that she would find most enjoyable. A prediction that proved to be quite accurate.

Toph was not left waiting for very long, as Jo gladly parted her lips. As much as she enjoyed her drink, Jo was certain that it had never tasted better. The arm around Toph's shoulders was joined by it's compatriot as Jo decided to hang on for a moment longer than was needed for the liquid to complete it's transfer.

"Mmm...a woman after m'own heart..." she grinned when all was said and done, "I see you can be quite the tease, yourself! Haha, I'll have to return the favor, sometime!"

Jo did not move much. She found the current situation to be quite comfortable. It seemed that would be all she would be able to get out of Toph. Of course, Jo was never one to give up so easily. If life on the roads had taught her anything, it was anything was possible.