Scene #4365: Striking Ore

Owner	Pose
Toph Beifong	Over the last weeks it should be no secret that Toph has been wandering the Earth Kingdom, being far less available for Union missions. Likewise they should be aware of the fact that so far the young earthbending master has come up empty with her search, with no students yet whom would be potential metalbenders. Part of her is glad she's done with the northern coast of her massive home country, though she's still a bit vary about the place she's headed for next; the city of Yu Dao. Situated on the western coast, it's a place that's still trying to settle after the 100 year war, partially because this area is where the war was first fought, but also because over time this area has become home to Fire Nation colonies as part of the Fire Lords' plans to take over the Earth Kingdom itself. It's still Earth Kingdom, but there are also firebenders about, which has sown some resentment to the non-immigrants. Even if many of these firebenders were born and raised here. Reports of extremist groups operating in these parts is not unheard of, people who wish for this area to return to what it once was and for the firebenders to go back home to the Fire Nation where some people feel they belong. Maybe that's why Toph asked for people to join her here. Or perhaps it's because she was complaining about how a certain murderous magician had popped up during her trips to the northern coast. Either way she's only happy to bring these people with her. Even if they do look like a weird group... First of all it's her, a blind teenager leading them all. Behind her follows two chocobos, the biggest and nastiest of them carrying a rider; Tony Stark himself. The smaller chocobo, still quite sizeable has been appointed to pack mule, carrying bags for those who want to. Because Toph prefers to walk on her own feet today, it seems. The younger girl, Eve, did receive a suggestion before they set off to bring food. And that Tony would have to taste it first before Toph would take a bite of it. Oh well, if they do receive food poisoning at least they have the priestly Faruja with them to preferably heal them. And such a situation might be a curious occurence to the last person in their little group, or rather... Gem. Peridot wasn't somebody Toph cared for much at first due to... certain misunderstandings during their first encounter, but so far on the trip here she's been friendly with the Gem, even punching her in the shoulder upon the group first meeting up. With them heading into the city past the guards stationed at the gate, it's become clear that they do attract some attention, with the inhabitants quite obviously staring, even if they are caught doing so. Most of the people are clad in red or greens, some in a mix of both colours. The buildings likewise speak of prosperity, everything seems to be in order and maintained. The shops and workplaces are bustling with activity, and people wander the streets going about their daily lives. Toph herself doesn't seem bothered by the fact that the group is being stared at. No, gaining some attention might work for this as long as they go about it right. "I've thought about how to do this," she informs the other out loud and begins leading Nugget with her down the streets. "It's better to go where the most people are, and it might be faster to split up into groups or something... And then we can meet up again by the market place where I can do the whole spiel about metalbending, needing students blah blah blah." Sadly it's become a speech she's too used to giving now, she decides... "I have brought along materials to see if they can make the ore and metals react. I mean, in a huge city like this there /has/ to be somebody, right?" While she could go to Ba Sing Se, it's not exactly appealing considering what happened the last time she was there. What a mess!
Tony Stark	Tony Stark sings softly, "I wanna be where the people are..." as he reins Cuddles aside to avoid passing too near to a cabbage cart. Gysahl greens they are not, but he doesn't trust her not to start trouble in any way possible. Still, he didn't want to come out entirely unprepared, and she looks enough like an ostrich horse to be less off-putting to people than him flying in in full armor. It's also nice not having to walk. "Yeah, let's split up," he agrees. "The killer can pick us off faster that way." But no seriously, "You want us to go herald the great metalbender's arrival? Stop it," he adds, this to the chocobo as she fluffs up her feathers posturing at someone's actual ostrich horse. He knees her sharply to bring her attention back to him. "I can hit up the tavern," he offers. "Loading up Cuddles with beer should be attention getting enough, and it'll make her less bitchy."
Peridot	Peridot had always been somewhat choosy about her friends. The little gem often struggled to find trust in anyone- often assuming the worst, or suspecting hidden motives. But today she was attempting to loosen up, to mingle among the humans. Sure, she had once been very involved in attempting to exterminate non-gem kind; but today was about giving back. A small attempt to undo some of the damage she had done while she was an active confederate. She had her tablet, a salvaged I-pear 2. It was the closest thing she had to reliable tech since the destruction of her limb enhancers. She was typing carefully, preparing a document. At the suggestion of splitting up into groups, Peridot's brows raised as she looked towards her traveling partners. She had largely avoided talking to any of them for most the trip, preferring to bury herself in work. "I uh..." She holds the tablet to her chest, suddenly looking like the nerdy kid waiting to be picked for a dodgeball match. At Tony's suggestion they were being stalked by a killer, Peridot's shoulders raise. She didn't know this was going to be such a dangerous mission! Best to prepare a strategy to keep herself safe. "I will go with whomever wields the most power to provide tactical back up. No killer will be able to escape my keen eye." She announces.
Faruja	Faruja rides along side the others, confident as ever in the saddle. He rather likes chocobos. Why is he here? To help Toph find students? To keep away murderers? To look down on the pack of heathens no doubt that resides in the city? All of the above. It's Faruja, after all. And he needs a break after the assault on Shirley. "HMPH! Let this murderous /HERETIC/ come! He shall be put down like the Godless knave that he is. As for our mission here..." The Inquisitor might be underestimating certain murderous magicians. "I /do/ find that one should be rather open about one's intentions. Allow me, Ladies, Ser Stark." The rat clears his throat. "LORD'S BLESSINGS YE HEATHENS! /Do/ see to Toph, the GREATEST METALBENDER one shall find upon this land! Come, come! For if you seek the most HOLY of bending arts, that the most powerful of iron shall TWIST and WRITHE at thy command, only by HER hand shall ye learn!" Calls Faruja. Hopefully no one wanted to be subtle here.
Eve	Though they'd had a bit of a public row the previous evening, Eve holds no grudge against Toph. She's easily annoyed, and can be driven to snark when she's upset, but she also forgives quickly. Toph's an Important Person (tm) to her, and several things made sure she'd be here. Toph's offhand comment that she might be able to use Eve's odd metal-manipulation talents made Eve feel potentially useful. The suggestion she bring food though, that seemed like a peace offering of sorts. The young blonde's not about to pass up an opportunity to both prove herself useful and prove herself a good cook! Of course she didn't outright SAY she was coming to prove herself. Eve was magnanamous in claiming that she'd be willing to help Toph in her cause. That's all. But of course she's bringing food. Roasted and seasoned chicken drumsticks, a chickpea salad, a set of beef-roll sandwiches, and a couple of gallons of soda, water, and juices. All of which are well sealed, none of which are dairy. The odds of a disastrous food poisoning are quite minimal. Of course it also means that when she first arrives, she's hauling a set of canvas sacks with food for several people, with an overall weight being a not-insignificant fraction of her own. It probably looks ridiculous, and she happily sheds some of the weight onto the chocobo instead of lugging it all. The food isn't heavy, but those drinks sure are. Eve's not concerned about walking. She actually enjoys walking, somewhat, especially considering she's spent most of her life confined to a single mansion. It was a nice place, but even Tony Stark's Malibu estate would feel a bit confining if you'd never experienced the option of going anywhere else. At Toph's suggestion, Eve doesn't reply. She watches each in turn, judging their words but apparently having no suggestions of her own. She does wince though, when Faruja speaks. "Are you sure you should greet them as heathens?" the little girl asks in a tone of voice that practically adds 'you idiot' to the question.
Toph Beifong	It doesn't seem that Tony manages to steer Cuddles far enough away from the cabbage cart however, as a man practically shrieks out "My cabbages!" as the red chocobo manages to grab a cabbage, gobbling it down with great hunger. Tony's comment earns a snort from Toph as she rolls her eyes in a typical teenager fashion. "You've been playing too many horror games, Goldie," she observes. Nor does she fail to notice that Peridot is tensing up at his comment. "He's being silly, there aren't any killers around." Though his idea to go to the tavern sounds like a good idea, so she nods. "You guys just head out and ask around for earthbenders, or young people who might be interested. Throw my name around," since she is basically a hero in this world after her teaching Avatar Aang how to earthbend and then discovering the secret to metalbending. The former is bound to be more widely known than the latter, though. It appears that Faruja is only too happy to get to business though, and Toph stands still, not looking entirely shocked at his words nor the way he yells them in a clear and loud voice that catches the attention of many people in the streets. While Eve looks shocked, the metalbender shrugs. "He's always like this, and most of us are heathens to him anyway. Doesn't mean he hates us or anything, Spoopy." So... splitting up. "We're all strong, Peridot, so go with whomever you like. Goldie's a superhero, Twitchy can summon meteors and alter time, Egg Slayer can use her entire body as a weapon because it's got metal in it." Tony, Faruja and Eve are motioned to in order, just so Peridot will understand who she's talking about. It might be good for Peridot if she gets to know the others too and not just cling to her. Because she's certainly able to make new friends, if she wasn't interested she wouldn't be coming along, right?
Tony Stark	Tony grimaces as his mount violates the cabbage cart regardless of his precautions; but he came prepared for this case as well. "Sorry," he calls out to the cabbage vendor, and tosses in his direction an Earth Kingdom coin worth about ten cabbages. "Keep the change," he tells the flustered man, and nudges Cuddles further on up the street, away from temptation. "You wanna ride with me, Greenie?" he asks Peridot. He wasn't terribly inclined toward her at first himself, but he did promise Toph he'd try to give her a chance to show she's not just a purse snatching troublemaker. Cuddles is very, very tall though. And she glares down at the little Gem with a derisive, "Wark."
Peridot	Peridot rubs her chin as she looks between her options. Those were all reasonable abilities. And she is somewhat relieved the situation is not as critical as she initially thought. She actually knew something about 'Goldie'. She had, after all, been hiding in the sewers of Malibu for months before she was found by Rose. She was no stranger to Iron Man. "Technology is power." She says in response to Tony. "So, yes I will go with you." Peridot says before moving over towards Stark. "I believe we have spoken on the radio before." She starts, clasping her arms behind herself, and looking up at him. "At the time, I may have declared that I intended to kidnap a family of humans for study. You will be thrilled to know that I did not act on that curiosity." She seemed rather matter-of-fact about the incident. "In fact, As the leader of the crystal gems, It has fallen on me to see to the protection and preservation of humanity, much like the job you perform." She eyes the chocobo creature warily. "Is that... thing safe?"
Faruja	Faruja slowly turns to Eve, and gives the most warm smile he can offer. Oh yes, he notes that unvoiced question. "I speak naught but the Lord's own truth, Lady Eve." Pack. Of. Heathens, all of them! Faruja also nods several times towards Toph as she explains. The rat hardly hides his opinions, positive or negative. And on the whole, he thinks highly of the Earthbender and company. Peridot /does/ get a cross of his chest, though. "Inquisitor Faruja Senra of the Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados! Charmed, my Lady. I look forward to seeing your capabilities." Whether he's referring to combat, or just oral ways, who knows! Then, the Burmecian and his mount rounds a corner with a wave. "I shall let ye lot know if I find anyone suspicious or willing to undertake your tutelage, Toph." And thus, off her turns. Seems 'split up' is an order he's taking. The next poor sap he finds gets a cane pointed at! "YOU THERE! My Lady! Tell me of the nearest Earthbender, for my dearest of friends and most esteemed of rock-splitters seeks a most specific sort of pupil! ANY WHO POSSESS THE REQUISITE ABILITY SHALL BE REWARDED BY THE HOLY INQUISITION!" Faruja makes no effort to /not/ appear like a raving madrat to thes people. Peridot's words /are/ caught as he walks off. "/DO/ be sure to only kidnap Heretics my Lady!" He encourages. "We like to call that 'Lawful Acquisition' where I come from."
Tony Stark	"Thrilled," Tony agrees, bemused. He glances over his shoulder in the direction of Faruja's floated-back words, and snorts. "Let's maybe put a hold on the kidnapping of anyone idea for now," he suggests. He starts to lean down to offer Peridot a hand up, but when she inquires of Cuddles' safeness, he pauses. "No," he almost laughs. "No, she's not safe. But that does mean if you're riding on her no one's gonna mess with you. C'mon," he invites, and does offer his hand down to her. He'll swing her up onto the saddle in front of him if she acquiesces. And then he turns Cuddles' head in the direction of the town center -- what better direction to find a tavern, and with a nudge of his heels takes her strutting haughtily through the local traffic.
Eve	Well, Eve can't deny the people here are heathens. By definition, it's perfectly true. She just doesn't think it wise to begin by saying so. And as Faruja goes off ranting, she gazes after the ratling in consternation. "Well, perhaps I should go after him. Make sure no one tries to harm him for ... well, being him." she says in a flat tone full of judgment. Not that she hates Faruja. HE's in good company, so she's inclined to accept him even if he's an idiot. But she can't really see his approach bearing fruit, and so whatever sections of the town he covers, someone else will have to re-cover anyways. "Besides, Toph's not allowed to eat my cooking before Tony does, so I probably should keep the food away from her." she notes loftily. Though whether the chocobo would accept her lead or not is another question entirely. If forced to leave it she'll give a stern look to Toph. "No cheating." she mutters under her breath before going off after Faruja. Her own speech is much less boisterous than Faruja's. Mostly she's there to make sure he doesn't come to grief. She's harmless looking, and a pretty child besides. People would probably open up to her somewhat. "The most esteemed rock-splitter is Toph Beifong. She's looking for students." Eve explains, much more quietly than Faruja's bellow. But it's a short statement, and she can say it to several groups while the Burmecian gathers folks' attention.
Peridot	She seems hesitant at first, but as Tony explains the situation she rubs her chin. "How very logical!" She agrees before letting him help her up. The little green gem is fairly light as she is plucked up, making a squeak at she is settled down into the saddle. "YES. OKAY. I AM UP HERE NOW." She announces, if only to embolden herself. She peers over from her new vantage point. "Wow..."
Toph Beifong	There's a faint smile there when Tony offers Peridot to come with him to the tavern, and she nods. "You two can always discuss technology or something on the way?" They should have that in common at least. And she doesn't seem worried about leaving Peridot with Tony in the slightest, the skittish Gem might learn that Cuddles ought to be feared, however. "You do that, Twitchy. You might as well head on towards the market where your voice will carry or something. Egg Slayer, you keep your chemical experiments safe," she offers with a tease, handing over Nugget's reins before she begins heading down a nearby street to go in a different part of the city than the others. Evidently enough Nugget is a different sort than Cuddles, a bit curious and rowdy, but she doesn't seem angry at least, a bit ditzy as she follows Eve with a 'wark'. It's quite easy enough to find a tavern in this place, as you just need to follow the sounds. There's a building that has minstrels playing inside, the sound of a guqin inside that should sound familiar to Tony at least. There's lots of ostrich horses tied up to the poles outside. There's the scent of food inside, and people laughing is easily heard. Not to mention the scent of alcohol. Upon entering it's clear that most of the patrons here are big, buff guys, though there are some travellers, workers and families here, all enjoying food and drinks. As they wander, Faruja and Eve will find themselves self nearing an area that is quite clearly a central for trade. The marketplace might very well be twice as busy as the other streets, a sea of people that are inspecting the various goods and items that can be found in this place. There are open booths, though some of the finer places are in tents and under roofs that have been raised here and there. There's a myriad of scents in the air as well as music from string instruments, flutes and drums. Quite a lively place over all. And as he calls out for earthbenders, several people stare at him strangely. "You're in the Earth Kingdom, Sir...?" one woman comments. "There are practically earthbenders anywhere." Another man speaks up too, arching an eyebrow. "You don't look like you're around here..." So obviously this guy isn't an earthbender, right? Though when Eve clarifies just who it is who's looking for students, some people look at each other in amazement. "Wait... you mean the Avatar's earthbending master?" An old man peers curiously down at Eve. "... you're not saying that's /you/, are you?"
Faruja	Away they go! Faruja turns to the woman who answers him. There's an embarrassed cough.He looks back to Eve. Then to the old man who eventually pipes up! "Hardly! Lady Eve's talents lay elsewhere. Would someone so skilled simply walk the markets this way, rather than allow her illustrious compatriots to do so for her!?" Yeah, Toph's the kind to do exactly that. But the rat won't turn away the rather loud selling of her importance. As for Eve? He pretends like he didn't hear all of that. Ahem. "Right! Toph Beifong. Twister of earthen soil! Shaper of metals far beyond mere mundane earthbenders! Only those seeking TRUE POWER and SKILL shall be worthy of learning her ways!" He offers to the market at large. Those weird looks burn, but the rat is well used to such things. "ARE THERE NONE AMONGST YE WILLING TO TRULY LEARN!?"
Eve	For all of Eve's snark and annoyance at the foibles of others, she's actually quite tolerant and patient with animals. She can put up with behaviors from a dumb beast far more easily than that of a human or near-human. No that's not why she chose to accompany Faruja. Still, she leads Nugget onwards with a gentle firmness that should keep the chocobo reasonably content. And of course when the beast gets rowdy... well, Eve's stronger than she looks and can maintain control, even if the chocobo does end up hauling her around bodily due to a simple difference in mass. She doesn't have quite the same luck reining Faruja in, of course. Though with luck she won't actually need to. For now, he's actually doing quite well. Relatively speaking. "I'm no earthbender." Eve protests mildly. "And Toph hasn't chosen to study my own particular techniques. I wouldn't even begin to imagine whether she could master them or not." she adds loftily. "We're just companions, that's all." Eve's not about to claim Faruja's level of 'dearest of friends'. Companions is sufficient in her eyes.
Tony Stark	Tony follows the sounds of the strings. Where there's music there'll be people hanging around, and where there are people hanging around, there'll be alcohol. And sure enough... bingo. He directs Cuddles up to one of the hitching posts, keeping some distance between her and the ostrich horses so as not to start a stampede. And he swings down from her back, giving her a little pat on the flank as he secures her reins to the rail. "Be right back," he notes to Peridot, evidently meaning to leave her there perched high atop his warbird's back. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that. "Hey," he calls out in general to anyone who cares to listen. Which shouldn't be too difficult since he did just ride up on a giant red ostrich horse missing the horse part. "You know the girl who taught earthbending to the Avatar? She's gonna be giving a demonstration in the marketplace in a little bit. Looking for apprentices. Anyone here think they're hard enough?" He waves at one of the tavern employees from the doorway, jerks a thumb back toward his mount, and says something about a bucket. A big bucket, if his hand gestures are any indication.
Peridot	Peridot is initially uncomfortable at having being left alone with a creature that could very easily devour her. She had encountered a fair number of gem-eating beast in her travels. However she is then distracted by Tony giving his speech about Toph's school. Peridot couldn't help but feel it lacked a certain... oomph. Too straight to the point! She stands up on the back of the bird and raises her arms. "YES." She adds to Tony's announcement. "Come witness the symphony of raw power and horrible fury that is an earthbender unchained!" She makes broad sweeping gestures. "Power that can be yours for a mere pittance of admiration, so you too may one day bend the very mountains to your will! Leave your foes decimated! Your- your..." Peridot snapped her fingers as she paused. What did humans like? Eating? They liked eating right? "Your abdomen sacks will never again be empty and void as edible organic matter will flow as you gain control of your destiny and resources!"
Toph Beifong	Cue more strange looks and stares from the people around them. With the rat priest having such a loud and booming voice despite his small stature, he does draw quite a lot of attention. Some people draw closer, looking honestly curious about this whole deal. Of course a lot of comments rise from the small crowd. "Wait, you're saying that Toph Beifong is here?" "Metalbending? But that's impossible!" Some snorts of agreement join that comment. "I heard it's true! I have a cousin who lives in Ba Sing Se! The Dai Li themselves were no match for her!" "Isn't she busy in the multiverse though...?" "I won't believe it until I see it!" Some of them even look curiously down at Eve when she talks about her own techniques. "So what are you... a bender or something else?" an older boy asks of her. Amidst all the discussion with the people around the booths they are at, Faruja and Eve might or might not notice a small commotion going on nearby. A slight scream, and one woman falling over, with one person next to her looking torn between staying with her and chasing after a group of men that is rushing through the crowd. "Somebody, help!" Most of the crowd is distracted by Faruja however, though some people do find themselves pushed away as the men disappear into the crowd. The sound of muffled yelling might be easier to follow though. There's a song going inside the tavern as Tonyenters, quite a cheery one about girls, sake and sakura flowers in the spring. Many people sing around while one man plays a tsungi horn that echoes off the walls, being quite loud. Most of the people don't seem to mind however, as they are probably quite used to it. As is it's not too easy for Tony to be heard by everybody, but the people closest to the door do seem to hear him. Some of them arch an eyebrow as if questioning his statement, one or two returns to their drink and turns away. And many are roaring in laughter as Peridot speaks up. One or two of the big guys chuckle and edge each other with their elbows. "Oh right, us learning earthbending... that would be rich!" Some other people clad in red at the table snort. "Heh, next you're going to claim that Firelord Zuko himself is going to show off some dancing at the front gates!" One of them slams the table so hard, in fits of laughter that he upsets the table next to him, causing a large young man to let out a yelp as his noodle soup is knocked to the ground. "Aaah, no!" The barkeep looks a bit confused at first when Tony requests a large bucket, but oh well, if he has money then why not? Soon enough a young lady is given the task of carrying a large bucket outside, struggling a bit with the weight and not spilling the liquid as she carries it ouside... and utterly freezes upon seeing Cuddles there. As well as Peridot.
Eve	"Metalbending isn't impossible." Eve states testily. Between people who aren't herself saying derogatory things towards Toph's abilities and Eve herself becoming something of a focus for attention, her annoyance level is beginning to rise. "Go see it for yourself if you doubt her. Genuine metalbending. But it's earthbenders she's here to see. People she could teach, should any of you have the talent." she insists. Eve doesn't quite ignore the question about her own nature, about whether she's a bender. She shakes her head, blonde hairtails flopping about. "What I do isn't bending." she claims. She'd elaborate, but she hears that faint scream. Raising her head she looks in that direction, catching sight of the men briefly before losing them in the crowd. She needs more height! She needs to deal with the chocobo she's been given! She needs.... Eve pauses, then rolls her eyes before vaulting athletically onto the chocobo's back. Riding one can't be THAT hard right? Trying not to think about possible nicknames she's going to earn from this, Eve tries boldly to apply all her vast theoretical knowledge in the attempt to encourage a chocobo to chase down a bunch of bad guys.
Faruja	Faruja cannot be tamed, Eve. Well, unless you're a certain lizard-lady! As Eve downplays, Faruja only amps things up! "'Impossible'!? I have seen such with my own eyes! Rending metal asunder, wrapping it about herself like the most PIOUS AND HOLY OF KNIGHTS! Truly, the Lord gifted her with true genius! And through her shall this wisdom flo..." Before he can embarrass himself any further, there's a scream! The rat is a proper lawman, despite all of his arrogance and volume. In this case, it actually might just help. "Lady Eve, shall we?" He offers to his equally tiny companion, then expertly snaps the reigns of his chocobo. "Pardon, pardon! Out the way, kindly, INQUISITION coming through!" Such pious words might mean absolutely nothing to hese people, but 'massive charging bird' tends to create openings. He's already chasing after the fleeing men! "HALT, KNAVES! You are in violation of the law, give thyself up, and mayhaps I shall speak a kind word to the local gaoler!" He's already casting a Slow spell the men's way!
Tony Stark	Tony Stark is not used to being underestimated, and he finds it a fairly novel experience. Smirking, he shrugs at the big burly rabble and remarks, "Well, if you don't think you're up to it... I mean I'm sure no one would hold it against you, not wanting to pit your bending against the greatest Earthbender in the world. 'Scuse me." He follows the young lady with the bucket of beer outside, and offers to give her a hand, balancing the unwieldy weight of the thing between them. "I know what you're thinking, right?" he says to her when she stops, deliberately loud enough so that the people inside can hear him too. "That is the biggest meanest looking ostrich horse I've ever seen. And it's missing the horse part. It's all right, she's actually from another part of the multiverse. And she /loves/ beer. Bet she'll drain this bucket before those lightweights inside drain their mugs." He doesn't really have anything to say on behalf of Peridot, though. He's... kind of staring at her too.
Peridot	Peridot blinks. She no idea what Zuko was, or even what a firelord could be. But she didn't care much for being laughed at, that was for certain. She stands tall on the back of the chocobo. "The Zuko might be!" she says clenching her fist. "Clearly the only logical thing to do is come see for yourself and verify with the truth of my words." "Unless you fear bearing witness to so much power! If you are afraid I can't blame you, for your vision spheres may melt out of your very heads!" She wasn't entirely sure that was possible, but it sounded cool. "Maybe you have the potential! Hidden strength lurking within the depths of your meaty flesh shell, waiting to burst forth in a goo-splosion of power! You may be surprised at what you are capable of!"
Toph Beifong	The gathered people seem to have more questions to ask of Eve and Faruja, but the two run off, causing the people to wonder what's going on. Though they do seem to gather their wits, running to tend to the fallen lady to ensure her safety. So they're not entire about asking silly questions. The moment Eve leaps onto Nugget though, the chocobo lets out a confused 'wark', turning her head, feathers bristling slightly... and then she lets out a loud squeal before she begins... running in circles around, not entirely about to run straight. No, because this is a fun game to her, evident as she flaps her wings a bit. Faruja has a bit better luck as he runs, and people steer away from him with shocked looks on their faces. And while he doesn't get all of the men with his Slow spell, one man does begin to tumble, his robes whirling about him as he slowly falls towards the ground with a look of utter shock on his face. At the tavern Tony continues to earn scornful laughs, and one man shakes his head. "Oh, we're men about it. Real men who firebend! Earthbending is for brats, isn't that right, guys?" The men at the table agree, though some other people do look a bit curious. Even the young man who peers up from the remains of his noodle soup. The young tavern worker seems relieved when Tony comes to help her, even blushing a bit when he steps close. "Oh... I haven't seen an ostrich... bird before," she stammers, then glances nervously inside at the sour looks Tony is getting for his comment. "HEY! Who are you calling a lightweight?" one of them voices up. "And what's with that strange green girl? You should control your little pet there. Spouting nonsense when we're trying to have a nice time! Hey, Ho Tun!" The biggest man turns to the youth behind him, the one lamenting his lost meal. "Get us some more drinks, and we'll see what these people are made of!"
Tony Stark	Tony continues to speak soft words of reassurance to the barmaid helping him as they approach Cuddles, and at his direction set down the bucket in front of her. Impatiently, the chocobo plunges her head down and into it, right up to her nostrils as she guzzles and makes grumbling yarking noises in her chest. Keeping half an eye on the big bird, Tony turns back to the locals. "Look, I understand if you don't want your... vision spheres to melt out of your heads," he repeats Peridot's warning, trying to keep a straight face. His smile is more natural as he continues, "Firebending's all right, sure. How about metalbending? Can any of you guys do that?"
Peridot	Peridot swallows nervously before turning her attention to Tony, a small bead of sweat on her forehead. She speaks softly. "This isn't going exactly like I planned it in my head. By my calculations and projections we should have gathered a group of thirty new allies by now. Am I missing a crucial variable here or..." "Pet!?" She purses her lips. Even the holiest and kindest of gems often placed gemkind above humanity, seeing them as the pets who must be protected. Not the other way around. "I am a gem, you clod!" "You know what!" She tilts her nose up. "I am starting to suspect you guys are not cool enough to be in our cool club of cool people." She folds her arms, suddenly opting herself into the administrative role of screening out un-cool students. "You may not be the correct temperature at all!"
Tony Stark	Tony really was doing his best to teasingly cajole any potential interest out of the taverngoers. And he has an excellent poker face. But even he has to close his eyes and give over to quiet shudders of silent laughter at Peridot's confusion. He recovers himself after a moment. "No, we're doing fine," he assures her. "We just have to get them interested. It'll be Toph's job to hook them. How about you?" he asks the barmaid, since she's right there and seems nice enough. "You do any bending?"
Faruja	Faruja briefly looks back. Nugget is...well, a chocobo. Sigh. "No, no, no! Reigns to the /right/ Lady Eve! That...might straighten her out. NUGGET! Come, come!" He'll helpfully toss down some gysahl greens behind him to get that hunk of idiot bird going! As for the fleeing men? As his slow spell catches some and he rides past, he's sure to whack one or two of the culprits on the back of the head to make sure they're down and out. Back to the crowd? "Alert the local authorities! THIEVES!" He yells encouragingly, before urging his own mount faster. He's already casting. There's a sudden burst of ice as the area grows colder, and upon an icey throne rises the esper Shiva. The blue-skinned woman snaps her fingers, and tries to encircle the fleeing men in chilly shackles! Or at least slick up the ground to make them tumble! Faruja turns to Eve, and nods! Can the girl get them!?
Eve	"No, Nugget!" Eve insists. "THAT way! There. No THERE!" she insists in frustration. Riding seemed so easy in the books she's read. Just use the reins. Reins. Right. Eve tries using them. She actually has a pretty good idea how to do so, even if she's got no actual practice. She also has no practice staying in the saddle, but fortunately her balance and bodily-control are amazingly good. She no more has to think about how to stay on than she thinks about how to do acrobatic flips and spins. Or, for that matter, about how to extrude weapons from her flesh. Unfortunately while she manages to handle reins and saddle with some semblance of expertise, Eve has little luck actually directing the chocoditz with them. Frustrated, Eve has only one trick left to try. Reaching out with one arm, she extends feathers from that arm in front of the chocobo's circular path. So, as it spins around, there's a sudden fast-approaching wall of feathers looming in that direction before its eyes. She couldn't simply fly, though it's something she's actually practiced with 'wings' made of nanometal. Well okay, she COULD simply fly. She's done it before. But if she flies after the men, she'd be abandoning Nugget and her food. Knowing her luck her food would be stolen or ruined and Toph would never get to see how good she can cook. Hopefully Nugget gets the idea that no, it's a bad idea to run straight into a wall of feathers. Then again Chocobos have wings. Maybe the ditz will think she's got a running mate now. Either way, should Eve manage to get some measure of control over the beast she'll direct it after Faruja. Or, of course, Nugget could be attracted by the gysahl greens. Either way, given that he's breaking through the crowd, she shouldn't be tooo far behind him right?
Toph Beifong	"Everybody knows metalbending is impossible," one of the firebenders state. "And the only firebenders do to metal is to melt it." It appears they are about to return to their drinks when the one they called Ho Tun brings them several cups. Though then Peridot speaks up, and one of them looks up at her. "A... gem?" They peer curiously at the small figure. "Is she some spirit possessing a statue or something...?" "She does speak in a weird way...!" Now they do look a bit vary, but also curious as one of them rises up. "Hey, come on over here!" The barmaid in the meanwhile blushes when Tony inquires her about any bending abilities. "N-no, Sir... none of the people in my family are benders," she begins, toeing the ground shyly. Nugget proves to be a real tough nut to crack, as the bird doesn't respond properly to the reins. Maybe it's because of her personality, or it might be because Toph doesn't want to ride her often due to her blindness. As a result the bird is less than reliable in a pinch, which is shown here. Though food is always a good motivator. The feathers only seem to confuse the bird more, causing it to come to a halt for a moment, even as the food and drinks rattle in the bags, hitting the rougher bags that Toph packed along with various metals. It appears that some sauce is leaking through in places... As the grysahl greens are tossed the red bird immediately lets out a loud 'wark' and turns, following Faruja excitedly! Now she has a purpose, which makes it easier to control the bird. Because she's a big glutton. While some things go according to plans, not all do. That much is clear as Shiva appears, bringing frost with her that she unleashes upon the fleeing men. As the icicles pursue them, one of them turns, kicking out in a roundhouse kick that sends a wave of flame towards the ice! The others uses their arms to send bursts of fire down towards the ground, launching themselves up in the air and onto some nearby roof tops as they rush along!
Peridot	"Hm.." Peridot shimmies down off the chocobo as it's head is dipped down into the bucket of beer. "Very well, but you will do well to treat the defender of this planet with some respect." She declares. "I am Peridot. Leader of the crystal gems. Here on a mission to locate and catalog metal benders." She goes on in a more collected tone. "As It was explained to me, metal bending is a second tier ability that can be achieved if you have the prerequisite skill of earthbending." Peridot climbs up onto the table. Her voice is loud and shrill. "We are hereby screening for earthbenders, if you posses this ability raise your hand and prepare to be documented." She raises her tablet, preparing to start tapping it. "You will then be subsequently tested in experimental trials to further verify our hypothesis."
Tony Stark	"It's true," Tony maintains confidently, backing up Peridot's claims. "Toph Beifong can metalbend. I've seen it. You can see it, too, if you want to come over to the market district with me. I'm headed that way once my bird finishes her beer." As if aware she's been mentioned, Cuddles lifts her head out of the bucket, beak dripping, and belches. She snaps her beak at her flank, grooming an itch, and then returns to her drink. To the barmaid, he smiles encouragingly, "Well hey, you know, I don't think Toph's parents bend either. It's hard to tell who's gonna have the talent. You wanna come see the demonstration, in any case? I bet I can convince your boss to give you the afternoon off."
Toph Beifong	Leader... "You mean there are more spirits like you?!" one of the people in the back of the tavern exclaims, not without some fear in his voice. Others are muttering about defenders, bad fortune and some people... even look scared? It seems that Tony and Peridot both earn more attention now as Peridot climbs onto the table and raises her voice. Ho Tun looks towards Tony, worry on his face. "W-why did you unleash doom on us by bringing this spirit here?" he asks with no small amount of woe. Though some of the people do draw closer... heck, even some people on the streets have heard the shrillness of her voice, peeking past Tony as he tries to convince the barmaid to come with them. When he suggests that she should follow though, she breaks down into a fit of nervous giggles, reaching her hands up in front of her mouth, cheeks red. "U-umm, me? I dunno... maybe you could stay here and drink some instead...?" she suggests, quite obviously trying to flirt. The firebenders themselves look a bit annoyed when Peridot decides to stand on /their/ table. "We told you, we're firebenders! We're not gonna do anything close to earthbending, so leave us alone!" One of them does lean a bit closer though. "You could give us that gem on your forehead though."
Faruja	There's a whole lot of steam around as fireballs meet ice, melting away Shiva's strikes! Faruja squints. Shiva looks incredibly offended, and looks about to utterly unleash. Actually killing these men would probably look bad on the Union's part, and so the mage dismisses the haughty esper. He'll have to buy flowers later. Faruja doesn't miss Eve though. All those feathers...it's like a tiny angel. A sarcastic, tiny angel. The rat coughs, makes a mental note, and then leaps off his bird. Time to get serious. Both Eve, Nugget, and himself get a group Haste-ing, and then the Burmecian is teleporting to the rooftops. "Come now, a touch quicker Lady Eve!" He chides, even as he rounds on the fleeing firebenders. This time, he'll throw Gravity spells at the group, trying to rather brutally smash them down onto the rooftops they're on. Not enough to kill, but definitely enough to leave one heck of a bruise. "Cease thy meager struggles, knaves!"
Tony Stark	Tony winks at the barmaid in return, but he smiles ruefully, holds up his left hand and taps the multicolored band on his finger to indicate sorry, he's not available. But in a nice way. As if he'd totally stay and have drinks with her if he were free to. His exercise in totally-not-flirtation falls by the wayside though, when he notices the atmosphere turning a bit chilly with regard to Peridot. "Hey, hey, take it easy, fellas," he moderates, walking back toward their table to rescue the little green Gem as it seems she's going to need. "She's not a spirit. She's just from another part of the multiverse." He holds out his hand, "C'mon, Dot, maybe we should leave these guys to their drinks." Raising his voice, though, he adds to the room at large, "Anyone here who IS interested in seeing some damn impressive Earth and Metalbending, though, feel free to follow us to the market square. Barkeep," he notes, reaching into a pocket with the hand not outstretched to Peridot to retrieve another few coins and display them before slapping them down on the table, "Next round for these fellas is on me."
Peridot	At the notion of handing her gem over, a tricky proposition because it was the only part of her that wasn't an illusion of light and mass. She places her hand over her forehead and squints angrily at the firebender. "I cannot, actually. It's stuck there." Listening and taking note of Tony's language, even if she didn't fully understand all the terminology and it's connotations, she was a quick study. "Damn impressive metalbending." She repeats in a loud voice, acting as the resident hype gem, before hopping off the table and moving to put Tony between her and the troublesome humans.
Eve	FINALLY the stupid chocoditz is going in the right direction! The problem, of course, being that Nugget's only going to approach Faruja. Not chase after the bad guys. Seems Eve can only rely on one thing here. Well, Faruja and one thing more. Herself. Her feather-based riding ability proving ineffective, Eve mutters something that it's probably best if no one overhears. Then again, it probably doesn't strictly match the definition of profanity. Probably it'd just be embarrassing to Eve if someone overheard her cursing in such a polite manner. So yeah, best if no one overhears. "Look after Nugget." Eve calls, not quite shouting, to Faruja as the chocobo gets close enough to beak down some Greens. She's been doing some work in the meantime, once Nugget started going in the right direction. The feathers migrated, subtly, remaining extended along her arm but sliding back to anchor at her shoulderblades, freeing her hands for fighting. She stands up on the saddle, stretching out silvery wings. This ... is likely to be not the sort of thing seen often in either the Fire Kingdom or the Earth Kingdom. No, angel-winged girls aren't very common here at all. With a cry of effort, Eve leaps into the air and flies after the bad guy firebenders. They're not likely to be too much of a threat to her. She's been practicing flying, and she's fast as hell and agile too. While she can't sustain the powerful transformation for long, she won't need to. It'll take seconds for her to reach them, ignoring the crowd, and strafing the firebenders. "You can't melt what you can't hit!" she insists, using her wings as bludgeons as she darts in and out among the troublemakers. No, she's not going to kill them. No, this doesn't count as unnecessary mauling either.
Toph Beifong	At first it appears that the red chocobo will focus on the grysahl greens, content to gobble them down with great energy and hunter. At least until Faruja casts the boon of speed upon the large bird. With the haste in place Nugget lets out an excited sound, clearly seeing this as a fun game as she rushes along! Fortunately for Eve, she's running right alongside the building that the men they are chasing after are running on top of. And with the haste in place, Nugget has soon overtaken them, not about to stop running in her glee at getting to properly stretch her legs instead of being stuck in a pen most of the time! It also helps that she runs straight, allowing Eve to rise up in the saddle. With the speed it also makes it easier for Eve to literally rise into the air, her wings spread aloft and drawing a startled gasp of wonder from the people around them. Cries of 'spirit' can be heard easily enough, though in this situation it sounds mostly positive. With only a few people sounding like they are crying out in fear. As the gravity spell closes in some of the men aren't quick enough to get away, letting out pained yelps as they find themselves smashed against the rooftops. The others however are easily handled as Eve comes in from above, casting shadows over the firebenders. True, they might have fire, but Eve's agility and boosted speed makes it far easier for her to avoid being burned. All it takes is one strike, and the final two men fall to the roof. Along with a kicking and wriggling black piece of cloth that one of them was carrying, all while it lets out muffled screams.
Toph Beifong	There is a clear look of disappointment settling on the young barmaid's face when Tony points to the ring. "Oh." With that she turns, obviously not intent on following him when the handsome older man isn't available. It doesn't appear that everybody believes Tony's claim that Peridot isn't a spirit, at least not judging by their looks. A few of them scoot closer to peer up at Peridot with great curiousity and reverance. "... I've never seen living gems before!" "Are /you/ an earthbender since you're a gem?" "Did somebody bend you?" Well, Peridot has their full attention now at least, though perhaps not in the way she had hoped to get it. "Can you teach us to bend?" One person looks outright hopeful. "Perhaps he /is/ telling the truth! Maybe this spirit is a sign!" In the meanwhile Ho Tun stands to the side, swallowing nervously before he steps forward. It appears that the firebenders aren't exactly happy about this, and the loudest of them outright glares at Tony in a silent challenge. And it might look like he would be out for trouble... at least until Tony slaps the coins down on the table. One of them glances up at Peridot's forehead again, but decides to leave it be. In the meanwhile the eager people are still flocking around Peridot, as well as looking to Tony, ready to follow them to the market! All in all it seems to be about fifteen people, some of them from the tavern but many from the streets outside who heard the commotion and decided to check it out.
Faruja	Faruja pauses, watching as the Most Sarcastic Angel takes to the skies on wings of metal. Those cries come out, and the Burmecian smiles. Ahem! "Thus is the power of the Lord! Ajora's very own takes to the skies to root out EVIL!" Comes the rat loudly to the audience down below. Never one to miss a pious moment, this rat. And then the men go down, and Faruja puts some time into calming Nugget. With more greens! The birdie gets a ruffle on the head. Good girl! Then, it's over to the fallen men. Like a proper Inquisitor, they're getting clapped in irons. The wiggling cloth gets picked up, and the thing within freed! "Now what /ever/ do we have here?"
Peridot	Peridot blinks at the all the attention she was suddenly getting. The tiny gem is wide-eyed for a moment as she considers all the information that was being put in front of her. "Uh- no I wasn't bent. I'm.. not a spirit, but you could say I have a lot of spirit. Metal bending spirit!" Well, she did intend on helping Toph with her school. And though she couldn't metalbend herself, surely the tenants of it would be simple enough. Something she could learn from Toph and then relay to these humans. Tilting her head up, she tucks her thumb into her vest. "And I -can- teach you how to metal bend. Surely it can't be that hard provided there is enough documentation to go over. Yes. come with us!" Peridot turns, marching out the front door proudly. She looks to Tony after looking at the fifteen individuals following them. "Not bad huh? True we only got about half the number I projected, but they look like a lively mold-able bunch!"
Tony Stark	"Yeah, this seems like a pretty good crew," Tony murmurs to Peridot, even as he gestures cheerfully for those interested to follow him and heads back outside. Where'd his little helper go? Oh well, guess she was only interested in him for his looks. The trials of being Tony Stark. He returns to Cuddles as she's banging the now-empty bucket around with her beak, trying to lick up every last drop from within, and laces his fingers together to give Peridot a boost up to the saddle. "You wanna learn how to bend?" he asks the fifteen or so who followed him out. "Come and see if you've got what it takes!" He takes the reins and swings himself up onto Cuddles' back in a fairly practiced motion, wheeling her around to head toward the rendezvous. Full of booze, she is more complacent and willing to cooperate. But not drunk. The chocobo's head continues to twitch sharply this way and that, noting every sound and movement that might indicate a threat as she paces down the street.
Eve	It's a good thing Eve's got a strong moral compass and sense of duty, because Faruja's words would otherwise shock her so much that she'd crash straight into the ground while staring at the little Burmecian in dismay. Instead she just groans a little inside. She knows what 'Ajora's very own' must be. The voracious reader that she is, she's read some of Faruja's past after-action reports. Ajora is not unknown to her, as being quite similar to the Judeo-Christian god that so many seem to follow, including many natives of her own world. The same god, in fact, whose symbolism she's currently wearing in the form of angelic wings. She's no literal angel; she's just declaring sides with the symbolism she displays. But having an actual zealot actually think she's some sort of divine force of retribution? Looks like Eve's going to go from being a heathen to an outright heretic soon. She lands, looking at the wriggling black cloth bag. Has someone kidnapped a puppy or something? The bastards. Her wings fold back, moving naturally and easily out of the way, but she doesn't dismiss them entirely. Not while the firebenders might still try to fight free. In a pinch, they double as a particularly effective shield. While the ratling deals with the freed kidnapee, Eve returns to Nugget. Only now does she see the leakage in the food bags. The dark stain of soda having exploded free of the plastic bottles... that's bad. But the spilled sauce stains mean some of the food containers burst open as well... which means soda and picnic food have probably gotten together and created an all-new and entirely unexpected taste sensation. Well darn. Darn this all to heck and shoot.
Toph Beifong	For now Nugget is pleased, happy to stop running if she gets more grysahl greens again. Now she's merely running around in place, flapping her wings up and down as if she were able to fly. Right now it's not easy for Eve to get close the bags as Nugget is still trying to calm down from all the excitement and fun she's having. This of course seems to make matters worse for the food that Eve struggled so hard to make. Knocked senseless by the beatings inflicted upon them by gravity and metal alike, the firebenders aren't hard to restrain. Okay, getting them down from the roof might be a bit harder, at least without inflicting further bruises on them. Faruja's inspection of the wriggling cloth does wield results, as a small figure can be seen peeking out with big, brown eyes of confusion. It's a girl! A young one, even younger than Eve and clad in fine clothes of white and light green, adorned with yellow clouds upon the wrapped tunica. But she seems unhurt enough as she quickly yanks the cloth that was stuffed into her mouth away, and she /kicks/ out at Faruja! "What do you think you're doing, grabbing me like that you evil spirit?!" she demands, her young voice filled with anger. "I gotta get back to the market right now! So take me there!" Why, she's demanding for a little girl.
Faruja	Normally, Faruja would be continuing to use this moment to extol the virtues of Ajora, and generally being a religious zealot blowhard. But one thing gets in the way. WHAM! That foot hits Faruja right in the jaw, sending the Inquisitor right to the ground. The young Lady is let go. He twitches. He /scowls/! "WHAT IN THE NAME OF AJORA'S BOXER SHORTS ARE YE DOING YOUNG LADY!?" Up the rat jolts, and he waggles his cane before her. "Show some bloody respect for your elders, and especially for the elders that just /RESCUED YOUR ARSE/ from kidnappers!" Grrrrr. She's still a kid, jerk kid or not. He wasn't exactly the finest of citizens when he was young either. He picks her up by the scruff, hauls her onto the chocobo, and then they're making off towards the markets. And most importantly, Toph. Why? The rat has a gut feeling. "Lady Angel! Annoyingly Disrespectful Child! We go to Toph! I have a good feeling about this one." A squint to the kid. "...Are you by chance an Earthbender?"
Toph Beifong	It's a peculiar sight of Tony and Peridot riding a somewhat less grumpy chocobo full of beer, followed by fifteen people of varying ages, most of them chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Though there is one person following at the very back who doesn't look excited. Rather, he looks sort of... afraid? As the two arrive at the market place they might realise that something happened there as guards are searching the place, with two of them tending to two women who seem to talking over each other. And it also appars that Toph is there with a small group of people, eyes narrowed as she listens. Yet she raises her head when she 'sees' the chocobo and its riders approach, and she turns towards them and the group of people following them. "Huh... you got a whole bunch, huh?" she asks and cants her head. "And I smell that Cuddles got her beer." Unlike the guards and people though, the earthbending master appears to be calm. "They talk about a kidnapping of some sort, and that this loud rodent and angelic girl rushing after them. So I told them to just stay put while Twitchy and Egg Slayer handles this." Surely they can handle a few firebenders between them and their powers. And well, it appears that nothing bad happened with Peridot and Tony either. The people following them certainly seem to be excited about this. So Toph decides to begin while they wait, stepping to the side of the market. "OK DUNDERHEADS! LISTEN UP! I'm Toph Beifong, and as my friends told you I'm here to look for metalbending students!" Better buckle up for a long spiel while she waits for Eve to return with Nugget, since she has her metal samples there.
Tony Stark	Tony moves Cuddles off to one side of the square, giving the floor, as it were, to Toph. He remains mounted, so that he has the height advantage to keep an eye on everything. "A kidnapping?" he starts to ask, but as she's already launched into her spiel he figures it can wait to be explained later. His eyes sweep over the gathered crowd, and squint slightly when he spots the fearful looking guy in the back. Maybe one person from the bar who still thinks Peridot is an evil spirit? He shrugs, making note of it but not concerned. He knows Toph's abilities and is sure she'll have them all enthralled soon enough anyway.
Eve	Eve stares at Faruja. Boxer shorts? What kind of holy zealot... okay, never mind. She's not about to try to understand the religious. Even at the best of times it seems like a futile idea, and these aren't the best of times. "I'm not an angel." Eve notes. Her silver wings twitch self-consciously. She pauses, and the wings dwindle into nothingness, absorbed through her shirt and her skin. Yeah, that's one of the really cool things. There's absolutely no room in her outfit for the wings to have come out, but they went right through the outfit without damage. It's not a miracle, honest. That done, the little not-really-an-angel reaches out to regain Nugget and assess the food damage. Sighing, Eve shakes her head. Toph is going to have a field day with this... but they did save a little girl at least! She half-turns, looking out at the people who called her a spirit, and all that. "Still looking for earthbenders." she deadpans. "Follow." she adds, clearly not in the mood to be eloquent.
Peridot	Peridot grins and folds her arms. Proud of her own role in gathering potential students, and seemingly enjoyed the attention and reverence of her mistaken identity as a metal-bending spirit. She seemed largely unaware of the straggler who seemed afraid. Instead she largely turned her attention on making sure Toph noticed how many people she brought, standing to the side of them and making broad arm gestures, indicating which section of the crowd was 'hers'. with an expression that seemed to read 'nice, right?'
Toph Beifong	Yell and swear he can, but the young girl doesn't seem phased in the very least, already turning around to head off in the direction of the market. "I can't believe my time was wasted like this! I was going to buy those cute shoes, and now they might be gone!" she snaps in irritation. Her mood does not improve when she's lifted by the back of her clothes, and she lets out a shriek, wriggling as she tries to get loose. "LET ME OFF THIS OSTRICH HORSE AT ONCE! I will tell my father and he will be ever so cross! I'm no earthbender, my shoes would get dirty if I played in the mud like that!" Of course she's not strong enough to get off Faruja's chocobo unless he lets her, so he better prepare for lots of whining and screaming in his ear about shoes during their ride back to the market. A few people who have drawn close to check out the commotion look confused by Eve's order, though they do follow. All while the guards have caught up to them and detain the unconscious firebenders. At the market Toph is already well underway explaining metalbending to the people listening intently. Sure, some of the people are curious and demand to see examples of this new form of bending, which Toph has no problems displaying what she can do with a few coins, making them twirl about in the air in a graceful manner. And somewhat less silly than how Aang did his spinning marble trick. While she isn't that optimistic in finding a student this time either, she does seem happy for the help. And somewhat amused when Peridot gestures to the people she gathered. Okay, the expression is lost on her, but Peridot does make some pretty obvious movements. The nervous young man though seems to edge further away from Peridot, sweating droplets. Toph however halts in her demonstration when Eve and Faruja arrive though, along with their grumpy guest who seems to have settled down somewhat. But not completely. The metalbender gestures for Eve to ride Nugget closer. "Get my bag off so I can show these guys and then test them!" she urges Eve, reaching out a hand.
Faruja	Eve speaks, and Faruja immediately tries to talk over her. Not an ang... "THE LADY ANGEL WISHES YE ALL GOOD HEALTH AND LIFE!" Totally a spirit. Faruja is going to drill that into these people's heads if it kills him. Or them, for that matter. HOwever, as they all choco-trot towards Toph and her growing crowd, the young lady gets all but tossed towards the ground. Gently. Faruja's nice. There's an utter look of contempt towards the young woman. She sounds like a snooty noble's daughter. And not the kind that Faruja likes, such as Toph. "CEASE! Your /incessent mewling/ grates upon the ears! Clearly, then, ye are a noble's child. Show a touch of bloody restraint and class." Huff. Mutter. "I am far too sober for Inquisitorial Babysitting." Is that really a thing!?
Tony Stark	Tony notes the sweating young man edging around the fringes of the crowd, and his brow furrows slightly. It's probably nothing, but... that guy looks REALLY nervous. Like, might be hiding something nervous. Quietly -- or at least as subtly as a giant red bird can be maneuvered, he backs up Cuddles and paces her around the perimeter of the crowd on an intercept course.
Eve	Eve's not riding chocoditz back, nope. She's leading the silly beast, one hand holding the reins, the other riding on the birdthing's neck companionably. Or threatening to throttle it perhaps. But no, Eve doesn't bear any anger towards a chocobo. True it was inconvenient and frustrating, but it's just a beast. Eve's incapable of any actual hate in such matters. Hopefully that lack of hate gets through to Nugget, and the birdbrain behaves on the walk back to Toph and the others. At Toph's peremptory order Eve eyenarrows. She's been through some serious sugar today already (not to mention the sugar spilled all through her food bags), and orders aren't going to make things better. Still she complies, freeing Tophs bag wordlessly and handing it over. It's damp.
Toph Beifong	Is that a look of disgust when Toph picks up her bag? Quite possibly. "How did you get it so wet and sticky...?" she demands, making a slight face. Eww. Luckily she doesn't seem too distraught over it, and she sets it down. Just as Toph is opening her box of various metal and ore samples, Faruja flings the young girl to the ground, and she lets out an indignant yelling sound. "You should learn better than to manhandle me!" The two women from before rush over to the girl, looking utterly relieved that the girl is fine and unhurt. "Oh, Penga! We were so worried!" They don't hug the girl, but take her by the hands. "Come on, we have to get you home! There might be more of them about..." Obviously this doesn't sit well with Penga, whose eyes go wide. "But the shoes! I was going to buy them! YOU PROMISED!" Talk about a tantrum! The girl digs her heels into the ground, and she struggles against the two servants as they try to drag her with them. At that very moment Toph's eyes widen as she halts in handing out ores to the people gathered there. It's a dawning look of realisation, and she hands the box over to Peridot. "Continue handing out these, will you?" she asks, then turns to march on over to the girl and the servants. There is a look of determination on her face, and she speaks up with more authority than she usually does. "You! The loud one!" Immediately the girl and the servants look over at Toph with utter confusion, not entirely sure what's going on. All they can see is Toph walking over to them, a big grin on her face. "Congrats on being the first student of the Beifong Metalbending Academy!" In the meanwhile Ho Tun seems to be eyeing Tony with nervousness, carefully edging away from him as he steers Cuddles closer. Of course this leads him directly to Peridot, bumping into her as he doesn't pay attention to where he is going.
Eve	Eve looks from Toph to the bag, then to Toph again, then to the little noble girl. Her eyes narrow in suspicion... not AT anyone in particular, just in suspicion that someone, somewhere, is probably laughing at her. A lot. "Soda exploded while we were saving your first student." Eve mutters in explanation. Toph will find out sooner or later, might as well get it over with. "Long story. Don't ask." she then adds, sounding disgusted.
Peridot	Peridot looks down at the ore for a moment before giving Toph the gem salute. "Of course!" She proclaims and takes the ore and dutifully begins passing it out. Until she is unceremoniously bumped into by Ho Tun, the little gem answers by shoving back with her elbow. "Hey! Watch where you're going! Big important spirit gem walking here!" She shouts, seemingly fully adopting the moniker for her own personal gain.
Tony Stark	Tony reins Cuddles in, coming to a stop a short distance from the flighty young man, as he turns his head to regard Toph's new choice of student with puzzlement. He didn't see her bend any metal. I mean, he's sure Toph knows what she's doing, but... does she really know what she's doing here? At Peridot's outburst, he clucks at Cuddles and jogs her the remaining few strides over. "Everything all right over here?"
Toph Beifong	It appears that Penga is a bit stunned by Toph's words, though at least she's calmed down now that the servants aren't threatening to drag her off from the market anymore. Which gives Toph time to respond to Eve's comment about the fate of the food she made. "You made food with /soda/...?" she asks, arching an eyebrow. Perhaps it's only Tony who gets the fact that Toph is half joking, half teasing the younger girl. No, she's in too much of a good mood right now to be upset about soiled bags and disturbed food. The potential students are all eager to recieve a piece of ore from Peridot, all except Ho Tun. Why, when Peridot shouts at him he lets out a gasp and staggers back, falling on his butt as he raises his arms over his head. "AAAH, I'M DOOOOOOOMED!" he wails, quivering like a leaf. Again Toph halts, not looking quite so shocked this time, but she points in Peridot's direction. "Hey, bring that guy over here, Cloderella!" And right now Toph's practically beaming, looking awfully pleased with herself and the effort of her friends. "Man, you found me /two/!" she exclaims to Tony, throwing up her arms. "Who'd have thought a lily liver like him would have what it takes to be a metalbender, huh?" For now the other people are sort of forgotten by Toph, and they look a bit confused at that, though some of the earthbenders do try their best at bending the ore samples they've been given. Without much luck, evidently. No, Toph seems more focused on the two unlikely people... the young girl Penga and the big coward Ho Tun.
Peridot	"You heard her, human!" Peridot says and moves around the larger being. She begins pushing on his back and shoulders trying to get back to a standing position. "Let's go! You've been chosen to have your inner power burst free from your meat flesh, just as I promised!"
Tony Stark	The quizzical look returns to Tony's face, and he just asks straight out. "How can you tell?" He's about to scoff at Ho Tun's dramatics and make some quip about the cowardly lion, but when Peridot goes all gung-ho (Gung Ho Tun) on him he decides to have mercy. He dismounts and, Cuddles trailing behind him on a long rein, walks over to offer him a hand up. "No one's gonna hurt you," he promises. Well, Toph might, but not in any permanent kind of way.
Eve	Eve is normally a calm, gentle girl. Well okay maybe not gentle. Not all that calm either, when things get her worked up... which is often. "Of course I didn't cook with it! It was for drinking!" she explodes before spinning around and storming off to see what's left of the food. At this point, she probably realizes Toph was teasing. But she's frustrated, and the food's at least a little ruined. The chicken's fine enough. The sandwich rolls would be soggy. The salad... recoverable. And fortunately her dessert treat is perfectly fine. THAT, at least, people will enjoy. She's not sure about anything else. The soda's even... well, not all of it exploded. The noncarbonated drinks are still fine. One drink, the seal of its lid broken due to overpressure, still has plenty of liquid within. She reaches into the bag and draws out the soda, closing her hand over the lid. Brandishing the plastic soda bottle before her, Eve scowls. Shaking the bottle, causing the liquid within to foam without release, she explains. "We were chasing firebender kidnappers. Your ... chocobo decided to run in circles and jump around and just SHAKE everything and mash it around instead of going where it should've!" Eve glowers. Then she points the bottle at Toph. "And then THIS happened!" she says, releasing the nanometal seal she'd applied to the bottle's lid. Hope Toph's good at dodging, because this is a display of sodabending unlike anything dreamed of by waterbenders.
Toph Beifong	When he's pushed at it seems that Ho Tun is quick to get to his feet, letting out a startled cry that draws into a whine, and yes, he's still shaking. "Don't hurt me!" he pleads, letting Peridot push him along. "My meaty flesh is good as it is, honest! N-not for eating though! Please don't eat me, spirit!" This amuses Toph some, and she grins. "You two are from this day on my first two metalbending students!" the blind teen announces with great pride, resting her hands on her hips where she stands tall. "Penga, was it? What's your name, lily liver?" This question makes Ho Tun swallow before he nervously speaks up, edging further up so he might get a little away from Peridot. "H-Ho Tun, miss Beifong..." He does look down at her, a bit curious as the fear seems to gradually be replaced with confusion. All in all it's a quite funny sight, the big cowardly youth standing in front of the small girl that seems to have an ego big enough to match Tony's. And speaking of which, as Tony poses his question Toph reaches up to the neck of her tunica, pulling on something. "When they both got emotional at different times, I could feel the metal in this react," she explains as she pulls out a small silver heart on a neat chain. All before she quickly tucks it back in again, nodding at the other people. "Thank you all for showing up, feel free to come back later to the Beifong Metalbending Academy when it's properly set up. Hand in the ore pieces again." With that she points to the two students. "You two are going to eat with us, and we're going to set up a plan for how we're doing this. Because you two are going to see a hell lot more of me as I make you into proper metalbenders!" Penga blinks at that, not looking bothered. "Huh... so you think that---" She doesn't get to finish, because that's when Eve decides to get back at Toph. It's a bit hard to be sneaky around the girl who doesn't use her eyes to see however, and Toph kicks the ground to raise an earthen wall to block the incoming spray of soda. But part of it happens to spray both Penga and Ho Tun, who lets out shocked yells, one whining about shoes and the other about sugary doom. But Toph? She's still smiling, looking rather pleased with this all. Today's been the best day she's had in a long while.