etraya | un: jMan93

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un: jMan93 | video

[ The video starts with a boy in a baseball cap, wearing a bright grin and lifting a hand in greeting. An I-come-in-peace kind of greeting. He's in his bedroom, sitting on his unmade bed and while his room isn't messy per se (he hasn't been here long enough to accumulate a mess), there are a few shirts haphazardly draped over the back of his headboard. ]

S'up, Etraya? The name's Junpei Iori! I'm pretty new here. Still getting the lay of the land and all, but uh...

[ He rubs the back of his neck, glancing past the camera for a moment. ]

My birthday's on the 16th. Which I guess is operation day? So I'm thinking of celebrating early. Anyone wanna maybe...hang?

[ God. That feels so pathetic. Like coming on here and pretty much announcing he's a friendless loser. Junpei quickly pivots: ]

Or I guess you could just give some recommendations of good places to check out and party it up? What place has the best food or where can a guy get a good cake...that kinda thing? Yeah, sure. I can probably go find somewhere on my own, but the best reviews are usually word of mouth!

[ Junpei shifts, palms planted on his knees as he leans forward. ]

Sooo, lay it on me, folks. Where would you spend your sweet seventeen in this place?

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[ This is such a long answer. Toph gets bored through lengthy explanations, but one specific point sticks out from this one to her. ]

Hang on, I feel like I've heard that before. You said Persona, right? The big floaty spirit guys? Representations of what you don't accept about yourself?

[ The problem with being legitimately the best earthbender in history and subsequently a renowned teacher is that Toph is no slouch at the theoretical aspects when she cares enough to pay attention. In this case, she'd cared about the people in question, so she had. ]

[ Junpei is taken by surprise when Toph asks about the personas. This far the concept has been so foreign to everyone he's tried to explain this to. ]

Uh...yeah. Totally. How'd you know?

There were a few of you at the last place I was.

[ She sounds equally as casual about it as she had earlier regarding her powers. Actually, there were quite a few, and some of them seemed to know each other and some didn't, but Toph didn't get pulled into the details.

Except for the part where Akechi is an asshole. That part she was super clear on. ]

Me'n Mitsuru ran a business together.

[ It's probably a good thing this is voice because Junpei can't contain his shock. First of all, it kinda breaks his brain because as far as he knew, Mitsuru hadn't ventured off to any other worlds. But second, it's so surprising to hear a familiar name from someone he had yet to regale tales all about his team to. ]

You knew Kirijo-san?

[ And then comes the dread because Junpei's pretty sure Mitsuru wouldn't have talked about him, but she probably would have mentioned Minato at some point. A familiar burn of envy comes up. Minato might not be here but ugh. He's still managing to ruin Junpei's chance to be leader!! ]

How long ago was this?

I don't know, a year or something? Time seems like a pointless concept when I keep jumping around worlds and dimensions or whatever.

[ Toph does remember Mitsuru's last name; they'd bonded a few times over being heiresses to prestigious families with high expectations on them. There were some serious differences in that experience, of course, and they'd both reacted in hugely different ways, but there was a reason Shinjiro initially thought they should meet.

It's a little uncomfortable talking about it in the sense that it keeps reminding her of how much she's lost, and how small the chance is that she'll get any of it back. ]

So you're their team leader?

[ There's just a trace of skepticism now; it's tough to imagine Mitsuru taking orders from this guy. Not that Toph thinks teams need leaders in the first place -- Junpei was the one who said that. She and Mitsuru had always run the business well together on the sheer basis of being ruthlessly pragmatic overachievers. They hadn't disagreed on much. ]

[ Geesh. Toph definitely seems to have kept a level head about her with getting ping ponged across all these different worlds. And that's even before winding up in Etraya. Hell, maybe it's the reason she wound up in Etraya.

The question, though. It feels like a gut punch. It had been so easy to take on the mantle as 'leader' when no one else knew his team. But now, it's a lot harder to carry through with a lie that ultimately doesn't matter...but made him feel worth something compared to all these people who could do amazing things. ]

She didn't mention me?

[ It's not a surprise. He expected she wouldn't. Toph isn't immediately calling him on his bullshit the way she likely would if Mitsuru spent any length talking about Junpei. And yet, he's still kind of hurt by it all the same. Like he failed to make any kind of lasting impact on the team. What a birthday bummer! ]

[ That stops her short for a second to think, surprised it matters to him or that he'd be so sensitive about it. ]

Uhhhh. It was a while ago, so I don't remember? It was kind of a crazy place. A lot of stuff wasn't even real. We didn't talk about where we were from too much.

[ As far as Toph's concerned, living in a computer simulation is about the same as being in the spirit world, and in that sense she had stopped expecting consistency or reality to follow the normal laws of existence. ]

Yeah. I guess the shit we did back home doesn't really matter when we're stuck in places like this.

[ And Junpei can be a little less bummed when he thinks about it like that. ]

It's not like I was there anyway. But since I'm here, I'll just have to do my best to be a leading man in a different way!

[ The pep is back in his voice once again. ]

Especially 'cause this place probably runs more on alliances and solo work for the missions, right? At least that's what it seemed like in that weird Auriel place.

[ Oh good, he doesn't keep going with getting personally invested in what his friends may or may not have said about him to Toph a year ago in an alternate dimension computer simulation. Toph is so not the right audience for that. ]

It's more structured than where I was before, that's for sure.

[ It all seemed very haphazard most of the time in Aldrip -- Toph really had no idea whether they were doing anything that meant anything most of the time. Whether or not Echo's story is really true here, at least they have clear objectives. ]

I haven't run into anybody really being a dick, either, [ Toph goes on. ] Everybody pretty much seems to work together. Not everyone's friendly, but no one's made any big problems that I know of.

[ Also unlike Aldrip, where it felt like the town hall got blown up every few months. ]

Sounds to me like Echo might know what they're doing when it comes to picking people, then. At least when it comes to not bringing in any real maniacs.

[ Credit where credit is due! ]

But it makes me wonder what would happen if some real asshole did slip in and start like destroying the place. Would it be up to us to police it? Or would Aurora step in with the bots?

[ Maybe they need some cops? ]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves and go handing out compliments to our esteemed unseen jailer.

[ Toph is no fan of authority figures to start with, and this one has so far not impressed her. Giving Echo credit here is making some assumptions of intelligence and wisdom that she isn't ready to make. She also has zero interest in starting or participating in a police force. ]

I'm not gonna wait on Aurora or anybody else to do something -- if somebody starts causing trouble, I'll take care of 'em myself. Just cause you're mad is no reason to go around tearing things up or hurting people.

Yeah, I agree there.

[ There's something in his voice in his voice that's shifted at those words about anger being no reason to tear things up or hurt someone. The golden retriever energy has toned down to something a little more serious. But Junpei's quick to shove that to the side with a quick laugh. ]

Honestly, I doubt we'd need much of anyone else. You'd be the perfect line of defense. People can talk a lot of shit, but 90% of us can't really stand up against gravity. Maybe people who can fly or if you get those super badasses who can leap straight up into the air and launch their attacks from there -- but I'm sure you got some tricks up your sleeve to handle those too, yeah? Being the champion and all!

[ That flickering moment of seriousness really reminds her of Sokka. It gives her a homesick pang that she pushes past, and it helps that Junpei goes on to talking her up, which is something Toph sort of appreciates but also finds sort of annoying.

She can do all her aggrandizing herself, thanks. ]

I practice a lot for flying enemies, [ she agrees, actually turning a bit serious herself for a moment. ] And as strong as I am, I'm not unbeatable. There's people here with incredible, crazy powers. I can't afford to get too cocky.

That's why you have a team, right? Bringing backup is smart.

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un: jMan93 | video

lmk if you'd prefer she didn't have CRAU memories of this -- she knew Shinji & Mitsuru

It's totally fine!! Although Junpei doesn't really know Shinji yet at this point 💀

it's ok Toph did not pay attention to any senpai interpersonal dynamics lol

Lmao probably a wise call on her behalf

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