Republic City Park

Anonymous

May 23, 2012 21:37:42 GMT -6

Anhyue waited in silence as Naota surveyed their surroundings. The sun, Anhyue noticed, was slowly beginning to make its descent in the sky. Chang, Anhyue's father, had once shown the actress when she was just a tot how to tell the time of day from the position of the sun in the sky. But that knowledge had long since escaped Anhyue's mind and with no clocks around she feared the notion of arriving late to collect Liko and Taka from school. Anhyue was of course over thinking the entire situation since she had a decent two hours to kill before Liko and Taka were even let out. This anxiety packed over thinking thing was just another part of the woman that Anhyue had grown into and with one deep breath she expelled most of her nervous energy and concentrated more heavily on the task at hand: healing Naota.

The bright eyed woman watched with an interest that was unfamiliar to her as Naota's tan figure walked closer to the pond. Gradually the actress came to appreciate the bareness of his chest, but she would never let him know that. She had had flings with boys. They were nothing too heavy and definitely devoid of heartbreak. Her shyness often stopped her from acting on her impulses and it certainly caused the young woman to have nothing more than the typical crush on men, however, she couldn't quite figure out how she felt about Naota. Granted she had just met the man, but something about him seemed to relax her nerves. Perhaps they had something in common, and just maybe the actress would find out.

"You bet," she called back before throwing her bag over her shoulder. She glided toward Naota and like him plopped herself down on a cool patch of grass that was directly across from him. With a smile Anhyue dropped the bag into her lap then she focused her bright eyes on the pond. Flexing her fingers she inhaled a large breath before moving her arms above the water. Slowly she pulled her wrists back making sure to bend any and all impurities out of the water. As she pulled two small spheres of water detached themselves from the pond and came to float beneath each of her palms. Turning her hands over she combined the two spheres into one larger sphere and with her free hand she took Naota's right arm into her kind grasp.

Catching his green gaze with her own sea green, Anhyue smiled and said with an air of excitement, "Get ready for the fun part Naota."

She turned his arm gently so that his skinned elbow was completely exposed. Leaning in at the waist she came closer to the wound and bending the water with her other hand she held it above the cut. Suddenly the water turned a luminous blue that glowed more brilliantly than usual due to the sun's light. The actress lowered her hand and allowed the water to touch the surface of his irritated skin. Bit by bit the water went to work on Naota's cut and after a few minutes of healing his elbow was as good as new. Luckily it's not that deep of a cut. Having had her head tilted down over his wound while she healed, Anhyue now lifted it toward Naota's sights. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, which were filled with a light of accomplishment, the actress giggled before asking, "Ready for round two?"

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Last edit by Deleted: May 23, 2012 21:53:30 GMT -6

Anonymous

May 23, 2012 22:30:41 GMT -6

As Anhyue made her way over to him, Naota studied her again, reflecting on how strange this day had been so far. Usually he sat by Jin’s stall until the sun went down or the vendor told him to stop scaring off potential customers with his creepy ever-present smile. But today he had been sent rolling in the dirt by a beautiful young woman who was now going to heal his wounds even though, of course, she had in no way inflicted them. There was something very funny about that. Of course, the man knew that when he told his sister about this meeting later, she’d just roll her eyes and ask how soon he’d be moving on to some other girl. She’d never had much faith in his ability to hold a relationship. Maybe that was why he didn’t visit her very often. That, or her cat, which seemed to be set on killing him.

The magician shook his head, realizing that he had gotten lost in his head. He refocused just in time to see Anhyue sit down and start bending. He watched, eyes wide, as the woman drew water out of the pond for use in healing him. He’d seen Waterbending before, but never up close like this. He performed tricks for a living, but what Anhyue was doing was as close to magic as he was ever likely to see. Not for the first time, a pang of jealousy shot through him as he watched the bending. He’d never really resented the fact that he wasn’t a bender, and the magic tricks were proof that he had his own skill of some kind, but every once in a while he wished that he would wake up one day and find out that he could bend. Unfortunately, it was obvious by now that that was never going to happen, and so he tried not to think about it too often.

Luckily, Anhyue’s light touch snapped him out of his momentary funk, and he smiled right back when she spoke, signaling that she was going to start the healing. He actually gasped aloud when the water suddenly started to glow, the noise turning to a sigh of pleasure when the cool liquid touched his skin. ”That’s amazing,” he sighed, smiling lazily. The whole process lasted just a few minutes, but to him it felt like hours, and he enjoyed every second of it. As Anhyue finished, the man twisted his arm this way and that, examining the now unbroken skin. It was incredible; his elbow looked as though it had never been injured at all. Naota nodded enthusiastically when Anhyue asked if she should continue.

”Definitely. That was unbelievable. How do you do it?”

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Gia

May 23, 2012 23:16:48 GMT -6

Ichiro watched as Ren’ai made the first strike, something that fit her fiery personality. He didn’t notice their friend had moved until someone came into his line of vision. Looking up, his green eyes noticed the Air Acolyte sitting down near him. The Waterbender wondered why for a moment, but his question was quickly answered as the other man introduced himself, and explained that he wanted to watch Ren’ai and Yuri with him from there. That made sense, he supposed. After all, it wasn’t exactly safe to be around them practicing if you weren’t a bender, and he was pretty sure this man – Tadashi – was not. The bare chested man shrugged. “Sure, fine with me,” he told him. “I’m Ichiro, but I’m sure they told you that already.” A smirk crossed his face. “Nice to meet you, Tadashi.”

The blush on the other man’s face was not lost on the Waterbender. If Ichiro hadn’t been smirking as it was, he would certainly be smirking now. Why was he blushing? The fact that he still didn’t have a shirt on, or… what had he been about to say? It was obvious that Tadashi had changed his mind and decided on a different word, but he couldn’t be sure of it what it was. He decided it wasn’t important, but that blush certainly said something anyway… Was he gay? Bisexual at the very least, as he figured there was no point in blushing around him if you were straight. He wasn’t sure if meant anything or not, but there was only one way to find out. “Is that blush for my benefit or was there a slip of the tongue that I shouldn’t have noticed?”

Ichiro was not overly attracted to Tadashi, at least not on the little he’d seen of him. Not that he was a bad looking guy or anhything. That didn’t mean that they couldn’t still be friends or something along those lines… Besides, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t have some fun with him. If the Air Acolyte blushed that easily, the Waterbender knew he could have some fun with him. Looking up at him, he figured he should sit up. It was rude to keep lying down, but he was comfortable. Deciding not to be rude, he sat up, turning towards the girls so he could better see their match. With that, he leaned back on his elbows she could still be comfortable. He enjoyed seeing other people’s bending, and he enjoyed Probending – just because he wasn’t interested in being a Probender himself didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy it.

“Don’t worry about me,” Ichiro said to Tadashi. “I can handle anything you throw at me.” The brunet didn’t mind teasing him, because he had a good feeling the monk wouldn’t get upset. He tried to be a pretty good judge of people, and although he didn’t always succeeded, he usually could find what to say to get him out of almost any situation. “Besides, I’m sure that Ren’ai explained that I’m not interested in being a Probender, so that would be a simple question to shoot down.” Turning his head slightly so that he had a better view of the Air Acolyte, he raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips again. “Anything else you want to ask me now? We can get it out of the way.” He almost thought about teasing him about that “anything else” comment, and then decided why not. “After all, you said ‘anything else’. I did say I could handle anything you threw at me.”

Part of him thought that he should he get back to training, and let Tadashi watch his friends practice. The other part of him knew that he should rest just for a minute. He spent all of his time either working or training and logically, he knew that wasn’t necessarily the best thing for him. A body needed rest every now and again, and that wasn’t something he did very much of, unless he was sleeping. If he wasn’t in bed, he would spend all day either doing something. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but he also knew a little rest never hurt anyone. Besides, there was nothing wrong with meeting new people? He didn’t really have many friends; something that he also knew wasn’t good. He could sit here, talk to this guy, and meet someone new – something he didn’t seem to do much of unless he was dating someone.

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Last edit: May 23, 2012 23:29:25 GMT -6

jin

May 24, 2012 0:39:28 GMT -6

Pattering feet could be heard all over the greenery of the park. Sandals of children that were playing lightly tapped the soft earth as they ran and laughed. The disgruntled sounds of a few older gentlemen could also be heard from just across the ways. These sounds - as pleasant to some as they were to some, were absolutely horrendous to the young man speed walking with his arms tucked in, head facing south, and his hands cradled easily inside of his pockets. Not because he hated people, or noise, or the park - in fact he loved it all. He loved music, he liked people (in moderation) and he loved the open air, and scenery that the park provided; however, all of these things in one spot made Jin cringe. His heart skipped a beat as child ran in front of him with his toy in hand, and his mischievous, toothless smile covered his face. Jin gave a shaky, fake smile back just as he finally found his pace getting away from all of the people.

Now why would someone so disconnected, so distraught at the sight of people, the sounds of children playing, and the busyness of the park come out, intentionally into the devils trap and almost challenge the universe to take a jab at him. It was, in fact, a combination of things that sent this young man down this path all by his lonesome. His parents were tired of his face, to be completely honest. He had been in the house for pretty much the last half of his life, and he had become so disconnected that they needed him to find something, anything to give him reason to be out and give them space. A girlfriend, a training partner, a best friend - anything is all they wanted. Jin, even though he was a little hurt, understood and agreed - much to their surprise. He needed this more than they would probably ever understand. He needed to get used to no only the sight of people, but the interaction between people brought to the table. Why exactly did this young firebender need this? He needed a team. A team for what? Probending.

This young man, from the moment his older brother left the city, decided that that would be his dream. It was his older brothers dream, but ever since the incident between the two of them his brother lost the spark of interest and it was soon taken in by his young brother, Jin. Jin took a hand and brushed his normally messy locks of black hair back, and for a moment the hair looks to maintain some sort of old. However, it is all for naught as the locks fall back into their normal, and frustratingly so, messy position. Two vibrant, and deep amber eyes stared forward and scanning the area. Seconds were all it took before this young man started to resort to moving his hands from pocket to pocket. Entering and exiting his jacket into his pants, and then back again. Jin took the brim of his white shirt that hid beneath the brown jacket and shook it for a moment to send a few, very small gust of wind up against his body and then to his face. His head stopped, and his eyes locked in on his target.

"I can do this!" Jin said to himself, so low that it was almost inaudible. He looked around and it wasn't long before he saw a group of people bending with one another. They were obviously bending to become better, and maybe, just maybe, they shared the same ambition as him. He puffed out his chest, rose his chin, and marched toward them. Then it started all over again. Jin started thinking about everything that could go wrong with this interaction. What if they laughed at him. What if they ignored him. What if they wanted to talk to him more than he wanted to talk at the moment. What if they wanted to fight him? The thought of anything of the sort sent a series of chills down the young mans spine so swift that it nearly turned his body around completely by itself. Jin shook his head, and his hands started to fidget inside of his pocket. Nope, he couldn't do it. He couldn't possibly talk to them. He turned on the ball of his foot, sunk back into the same post before he rubbed his temple.

How could he possibly expect anyone to take him seriously if he couldn't even talk to a couple of people that were not only bending, but obviously having a good time. But there were all those possibilities that could of happened. Anything could happen and he wasn't willing to take that unnecessary risk. Risks weren't normally worth taking. They could get someone hurt, or worse, they could try and interact with him. Once again, the thought sent chills down his back. Jin took a deep breath as he rest by the closest tree. He had to think this over; he had to come up with a game plan before taking any other unnecessary risk. Weigh each option, the probability that it would go wrong versus the probability that it would work in his favor - which normally never happened. The young man took in a deep breath, crossing his legs and then, in a matter of seconds, he created a ball of fire inside the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes, calmly tossing the ball of fire back and forth between his hands. This calmed him down the most, kept him active, and helped him think. It was the best form of meditation that he had come up with. Who knows what the park may, or may not bring to him today.

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Last edit by jin: May 24, 2012 14:49:03 GMT -6

Anonymous

May 24, 2012 10:40:47 GMT -6

"A magician never reveals her secrets," she replied, obviously unaware of Naota's occupation. A thin smile spread across her tan lips as she turned her attention to Naota's left arm. In addition to repeating the process Anhyue tried, with some difficulty, to explain the mysteries of healing to someone born outside of the Water Tribes. "A waterbender's power comes from this uh...internal life energy, known as chi. We get our strength from the spirit of the moon and our life from the spirit of the ocean. When we heal we use waterbending to open chi paths in the body. This helps speed up our body's natural healing process. So that's why your cuts are disappearing." The actress pulled her arm away from his elbow and surveyed her work with pride.

"It's like a vanishing act," she teased flicking a few droplets of water onto Naota's face before tossing the silver sphere back into the pond. "Now you see it, now you don't." Grazing her wet fingers across the waxy grass Anhyue leaned back onto her hands and rested her weight on her arms. While she moved she had caught a glimpse of something rectangular sticking out of Naota's pocket. Although the actress wasn't one to give into curiosity easily, she could not ignore the want that had built up inside of her to know why Naota had been so desperate to retrieve whatever it was that was sticking out of his pocket in the marketplace. Eyebrow raised, Anhyue pointed to his pocket and asked, "What were those things that you picked up in the street earlier?"

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Last edit by Deleted: May 24, 2012 10:41:06 GMT -6

Anonymous

May 24, 2012 11:14:15 GMT -6

Anhyue’s vague response to his question made Naota laugh, even if it wasn’t exactly an answer. ”True enough,” he responded with a nod. Of course, he was sure that Anhyue was unaware of his profession, and had just said what she had to seem mysterious, but it was still funny. And if she was interested enough in magicians to pretend to be one…well, that seemed to bode well for him. This meeting—which was fast earning the label of “date” in his mind—was going rather well, considering how it started.

Naota was happy to hear that Anhyue was going to explain her technique, and he listened carefully. The explanation was very confusing, though, and didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him. Who’d ever heard of getting life from a bunch of water? And the stuff about opening chi pathways sounded a little ridiculous. But he wouldn’t say any of this to Anhyue, since it sounded as though she took the whole thing very seriously. Besides, he had never studied the science—if it could be called that—behind bending. Maybe if he did some reading what the woman was saying would make more sense. Well, one thing was for certain: however the healing worked, it was incredible, and he was very grateful for it.

The magician shook his head when the healer splashed him, then grinned when she compared what she had done to a vanishing act. It was indeed like she had made his wounds disappear. No matter how much he turned his arms to look at his elbows, he couldn’t see any signs that the skin had been broken or even damaged at all. If a young woman could do that, he wondered if there were any wounds that Waterbending masters couldn’t heal. Hopefully he’d never have to find out first-hand.

”Well, thank you for healing me,” he said. ”You definitely saved me the time I would have spent waiting for my arms to heal on their own.” The magician looked down at his vest in surprise when Anhyue pointed at it and asked about what he had picked up. Reaching into a pocket, Naota brought out the mostly-whole deck and showed it to her. ”Just a deck of cards,” he answered. ”I was holding them when you bumped into me, and I figured it would be easier to just gather them back up and be without a full deck than to buy a new one.”

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Anonymous

May 24, 2012 13:30:04 GMT -6

"Oh, and you're welcome," she added remembering her manners. Healing Naota was the right thing to do, since his getting cut and whatnot was the bender's fault after all. With inquisitive eyes she watched as he reached his tanned fingers into his vest pocket. When he lifted the items into view Anhyue could not help but exhale a small sigh of delight. Taka, her sister, had a similar deck of cards that she enjoyed tricking Anhyue with. The amount of money the actress had lost to that mischievous twelve-year-old, most of it tip money from the restaurant, was unreal and put quite a dent in Anhyue's back pocket. "My sister," she said as she reached forward and plucked a card from the deck, "has these same cards. She has me make bets all the time. I lose of course, but it's all in good fun. When Liko loses though he throws a mega tantrum."

Placing the card back into the deck the actress continued, "Liko's my brother. He's not good at card games yet, but that's just because he's young. Taka's got the brains for pulling a fast one on us though, and she does often." Taka, Anhyue noticed, would get along nicely with Naota, if they ever met. They definitely had this card thing in common, but what, Anhyue suddenly thought, was Naota doing with a deck of cards with him in the marketplace? She could tell that they were important to Naota since he had wasted his time picking them up and even if he hadn't he still mentioned buying a new pack. So, in either case this man needed the cards for something, but what?

Again Anhyue let herself over think the situation. Maybe he just enjoyed having cards on hand to play with? That wasn't a big deal. Actually, it showed something of his personality, a certain warmth and spunk. It made him all the more approachable and playful in Anhyue's eyes, and that she deemed a great quality to have. So few people like herself allowed themselves to enjoy the little things in life, like playing a quick card game, or having lunch with a friend. Keeping oneself happy was a priority that the actress often overlooked. But now in Naota's company she felt herself wanting to have a bit of fun. As long as it's not too much fun and I don't forget about my siblings.

"Do you know any games or tricks?" she asked hoping he would.

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Anonymous

May 24, 2012 14:42:46 GMT -6

The revelation that Anhyue had a sister who was skilled in card tricks amused Naota. Card tricks were relatively easy to learn, and it was always fun when he had the rare opportunity to meet someone else who had studied the craft and could compare their methods. ”I’d like to meet this sister of yours someday,” the man said with a sly grin. ”If she’s as good as you make her sound, I’m sure we’d get along. Not sure I’d wanna risk losing what little money I have though,” he remarked with a laugh. The magician had often considered doing something similar to what Anhyue described—using tricks to con people out of their money—but had never felt entirely comfortable with making money off of making people look foolish. Still, he respected those who could do that kind of thing, and knew that if done well it could be quite a lucrative career path.

He shrugged at Anhyue’s explanation of Liko’s failure at card games. ”I don’t know, he could be really good at the games. Taka could just be a lot better at tricking both of you.” From his experience, he guessed that the second option was more likely. His mentor is magic had told him that the key to all tricks was to be just a little more cunning than everyone else, and he’d found that to be true when he performed his tricks. No matter how good people were at card games, if the magician was a little better or knew subtle ways to manipulate the game, they’d win every time.

Anhyue asked if he knew any tricks, and he nodded, smiling widely. That was what he had been waiting for. He appreciated any opportunity to show off, even if there was no money to be gained. ”I know a lot,” he confirmed. ”A few years ago, I met a man who was a street magician, and he taught me everything he knew. I’ve also been trying to think up my own tricks, though that’s a bit hard to do.” His smile morphed into more of a sheepish grin as he admitted his deficiency. He recovered quickly, though, shuffling the cards in his hands. ”I’ll do a simple one, one of my favorites,” he said. Shuffling the cards for a few more seconds, he finally stopped the motion, holding the deck out flat in the palm of his left hand. Looking at Anhyue, he spoke, his voice ominous. ”Anhyue Fen,” he intoned. ”Right before your eyes, I will make a card disappear.”

Next, he reached his right hand over to the deck and lifted the top card, flipping it so that both of them could see it clearly. A five, of the Fire suit. ”Now, watch,” he said. Flipping the card back over so that it was face-down on the deck, he tilted his left hand toward the ground and slid the card onto a hard patch of earth in front of him which the grass had somehow avoided. He waved his hand slowly over the card. ”Now, the Spirits will make this card disappear!” He waved his hand over the card one final time, and when the ground was visible again, the card was nowhere to be seen. Naota grinned at Anhyue. ”How’s that? You have your vanishing act, and I have mine.”

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jin

May 24, 2012 14:48:22 GMT -6

Silence was beginning to take over the entire surrounding area. Darkness covered his senses while his eyes remained closed, his mind lost within itself and his thoughts trailing off and then quickly coming back to collide with one another. It was all the young man needed to quickly get a grasp on the situation. His eyes opened for a moment, scanning the surrounding area once more. There weren't as many people as Jin saw when he first came into the park. The children returned home, the crowds diminished, and the park soon returned to exactly how Jin liked it. Beautiful, serene, surreal that something so peaceful could exist within the busiest city in the entire world. He smiled, something that rarely happened outside of his home.

Yes, this was exactly what he needed. Silence, and serenity was a complimenting pair, and it made Jin almost as normal as the typical young adult. Jin soon shifted his position, one leg coming up with his hand soon following to find his knee. Using the solid base to lift himself from the ground he soon glanced at the fireball that danced inside of his hand. Fire was such a beautiful thing. Jin heard from behind him three people coming. Two girls and a guy. This was his chance, this was his opportunity to make friends and get a real connection with more people. Yes, he could do this! Turning his body to face the three people, he put on the best fake smile he could. They were closing in, he was going to introduce himself.

The sounds of conversation soon escaped the tree he stood at. What had happened? He was completely convinced with himself that he was ready to talk to three normal, everyday teenagers just like himself. That was until they nearly reached him. His body froze, his legs stiffened and the words that he had rehearsed soon evaporated from his memory. He couldn't do it. He couldn't talk to them and he didn't He made his escape inside of the canopy of the tree. He hid within the leaves and branches that provided a much needed escape from the judgment of the sun. Sure, it was strange for Jin to be climbing down from the tree, but he wasn't too worried about it. There weren't too many people to see his idiocy in person.

Finally as he reached the ground once more, he sunk his head down. They were right there, he had his chance and he blew it. Everything that this young man could of felt, could of experienced vanished from his sight and all because he can't even work up the simple courage to say hello. He clenched his fist, his eyes sealed tightly. Anger, sadness, fear was all he could feel at the moment. That was, until he felt the flickers of flame once more as they escaped the creases of his fingers. He opened his eyes, and once again a smile crept across his face. There was always tomorrow. Jin soon found himself walking the pathway of the park. His eyes staring out, falling amongst something new every time they stopped. The fountain, the trees, the greenery. Everything seemed to work within the confines of themselves and yet, nothing seemed out of place. The same must of applied to Jin. Nothing was here without it needing to be; the people, the grass, the breeze, and the sun. Even himself.

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Last edit by jin: May 24, 2012 14:50:21 GMT -6

Anonymous

May 25, 2012 13:01:29 GMT -6

Anhyue's excitement grew when Naota claimed to know a lot of tricks and his wide grin only helped to amplify that excitement. She listened closely to his explanation for knowing so many tricks and found herself impressed by his love for the trade. "Trying is what counts," she commented at an attempt to mend his bruised ego. She understood that he wasn't trying to be too hard on himself, still it upset her to watch someone become their own worst critic. It stifled the opportunity for self progress and made way for too many nights of self loathing. This was something the actress was all too familiar with and continuously battled against since making her decision about her future career. A career filled with nothing but uncertainty, doubt, and disappointment.

Naota's warm voice and quick recovery put a stop to Anhyue's compulsive over assessment and dismal thoughts. She shook her head to dislodge the thoughts from the walls of her mind and forcefully guided her focus to Naota's shuffling. It only lasted a few seconds before coming to a sudden halt. Raising her eyes she smirked at the sound of her name, which when spoken by Naota sounded strangely prettier than usual. "That's impossible," she said in response to his ludicrous claim. Crossing her arms beneath her chest the actress watched as Naota went through the motions of flipping and re-flipping the top card. Taka had a similar gimmick, but it never worked, surely Naota's wouldn't work as well.

Keeping her eyes on the card Anhyue witnessed as it fluttered to the bare ground like an autumn leaf in the wind. Watching Naota wave his hand over the card made the healer crack a small smile. His sleeveless arms were going to be his downfall. Where else could a magician hide a card? That was the trick wasn't it? To brush the card up your sleeve before the onlooker noticed? It had to be. Just then Naota's clear voice rang loudly in her ears and after one more wave of his hand the card was gone. Dumbfounded Anhyue quickly crawled back on her hands and feet like a crab. Jumping up and ignoring that her bag had fallen a couple of inches out of the air she raced back over to Naota and inspected the grass surrounding them. "That's impossible," she said for the second time her voice sounding less sure of itself. "The card was right there. I saw it. And you're not wearing sleeves!"

Finding nothing she sat back down on her knees and placed her hands against the side of her head in disbelief. Her reaction to the trick was borderline embarrassing, but the shock of it all had glazed over the part of her brain where rational decisions were made. Moving her hands away from her head and wrapping them back under her chest, the actress tried to form a coherent thought before speaking. But all that came out of her mouth was a rushed, "Naotawhere'sthecard?"

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Last edit by Deleted: May 26, 2012 18:40:50 GMT -6

Anonymous

May 25, 2012 15:24:24 GMT -6

”You do know that telling magicians that something is impossible only makes that much more determined to prove you wrong?” Naota cautioned. ”Nothing’s impossible if you’re quick and clever to fool the people watching you. You’ll see.”

The magician had expected some small modicum of shock from the woman—a little applause would not have gone unappreciated—but her reaction was better than he ever could have hoped for. She scampered backward as though he had unveiled some hideous creature, not just removed a playing card from her sight. As she rushed over to him and began inspecting the area in hopes of finding the vanished card, he began laughing. At first his mirth was light, but gradually it grew, building until he collapsed on his back on the grass, cackling up at the sky. His body shook with spasms of joy as Anhyue continued her fruitless investigation.

Eventually, as the woman sat back down, defeated, Naota quieted down and pushed himself back into a sitting position, the occasional chuckle still passing his lips. Anhyue’s question was rushed, but it was obvious what she was asking. The magician winked at her. ”You really think I’d have performed the trick if it relied on wearing something with sleeves? Part of a magician’s job is remembering how every trick works and when to perform each one. If I were that forgetful, I’d be horrible at my job.”

The explanation was amusing him, but he could see on Anhyue’s face that she wouldn’t be satisfied until he had produced the vanished card. It would be mean to make her wait any longer. ”Where d’you think it is?” he asked. Meaning that to be rhetorical, he immediately spoke again. ”It went home, as all lost creatures do.” To illustrate the point, he pointed to the deck, which lay forgotten on the grass in front of him. Grinning, the man lifted the top half of the deck and flipped it over. There, on the bottom of the stack, was the five of the Fire suit, glinting in the sunlight. Naota looked up at Anhyue. ”Told ya.”

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kgal

May 26, 2012 20:13:06 GMT -6

Sashu kicked off her shoes by the bank and hiked up the hem of her pants to her knees. She scratched briefly at the faint scars on the outside of her right leg, then stepped into the water. "Ahh..." she sighed happily. The cool, slow-moving stream felt excellent in the late-summer heat. A breeze touched her face, whipping her spiky hair around. She made sure to tie it up with a black headband before reaching for the large wooden post on the bank. It had a target of wood in the middle, about the proper size for a person's torso.

She set it up ten paces away, then put her fists up before her. "One, two!" she panted under her breath, sweeping her fists in broad arcs with each count, and bringing a shot of water with them. They hit their mark, but the post barely shivered. Huffing and brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, Sashu leapt to the side and swept a backhand shot to her "opponent". The rush was bigger, but no more effective.

Annoyed, she began pulling larger streams up. The first curled around before she thrust it out with an open palm. The spun in place as if avoiding a shot, and brought up an orb to punch towards the target. This time, the post recoiled visibly, bringing a smirk to the waterbender's face. "Sweet!" she cheered, and continued her assault.

After a bit, she paused to catch her breath, and looked around her. She spied a tall boy walking along with bandages about his neck and a calmed expression. She whistled and grinned. "Oi! You're a long eel if I ever saw one!" she jested, using a sailor's term for a tall woman (or man, in some peoples' cases). It had another meaning as well, and the thought made Sashu giggle. Still, he was a handsome one, and not all wiry and skinny like most. In fact, he looked like a pro-bender fresh from the arena. "You get in a bad scrap or somethin'?" she called amiably, and gestured with an open palm towards his neck.

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Last edit by jin: May 27, 2012 14:55:09 GMT -6

jin

May 27, 2012 16:30:55 GMT -6

The firebender was engrossed in his thoughts. His mind hardly traveled from topic to topic but instead stuck with one thing and continued to work through that particular thought. At the moment Jin couldn't get his mind off of people to look for people to recruit for his pro-bending team. He still needed a water, and an earthbender that were close to his skill level and were able to work with his less than sociable personality. As long as they didn't get too worked up over his fears, or corner him in a corner Jin would be fine. But where could he search for people like this and in such a short time. The probending tournament was closing in and he hasn't found anyone yet and he still hasn't worked toward getting over his crowd problem. He couldn't seem to think about anything else. Everything was happening so fast in his head and with the silence in the park it only aided in his inability to shake the thought. His head was facing skyward, the clouds moving along gracefully with the sun beating down. Jin took a deep breath in, it was absolutely breathtaking.

As the thought finally fled his mind, Jin heard something; something peculiar that he hadn't heard in a very long time. Water splashing about almost like a child in a rain storm; the sound was almost intoxicating. It was calming, and with how easily Jin was startled it was probably the best thing for the man. That was until he heard a voice escape and call out to him. Jin stopped in his tracks, froze every inch of his body except for his head only to slowly, and eerily creek from one side to the other. In the water was a woman, training, and attacking a dummy made of wood. Jin didn't quite understand, and he was still slow to move, or even respond but something compelled him to move his lips. He struggled for a moment before sighing, dropping his head and taking a few steps forward. "No. I don't really like fighting. I..." Jin stopped, was it really alright to just talk about his past like that? He shook his head and shrugged. "Forget I said anything. Although... He started, and after a moment the rest of the words flowed accordingly. "You're not training to be a probender by chance, are you?"

It all made sense when he thought about it; here she was in the water attacking an almost life sized dummy with her waterbending. This could be the break that Jin needed. He could kill two birds with one stone and if he could get her on his team then that would make this trip to the park not only relaxing, but even productive. Jin took a few steps closer, and now his feet treaded the water's edge. Now, how should I get her to join my team? Jin thought to himself. His mind was going through plan after plan. However, with his mind distracted, his hands started to subconsciously move from pocket to pocket as they did before. Just as it started, it stopped with his mind going blank. He figured if he let her answer his initial question first, then he could get an idea on how to recruit her. Wait...I should introduce myself. The thought surged through his head. "I'm sorry, how rude of me. My name's Jin. Jin Hoshigawa. It's a pleasure." He extended a hand out as the final words escaped his lips.

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Last edit by jin: May 27, 2012 16:33:20 GMT -6

kgal

May 27, 2012 17:24:34 GMT -6

The boy was almost comical the way he froze. Sashu chuckled as his head moved from side to side, almost audibly creaking as he tried to find her voice. She set a hand on her hip, letting her muscles relax. He seemed almost ashamed as he shuffled a few steps over. What was he, a kid or something? "No. I don't really like fighting. I..." he began, but quickly retracted his thought. Smirking, she raised a slim eyebrow, and flicked her head to get that pesky strand out of her eyes.

She waited patiently when the guy struggled to continue, then listened to his timid question. A grin broke out. She spread her arms wide as if caught doing something. "Guilty as charged, eel. I'm hoping to find a team soon. Was kicked off the last one for being too pretty," she jested. It wasn't a total lie of course. The guy who replaced her was a returning member, and an ugly one to boot. She made sure he knew exactly what she'd thought of that, she thought with an internal smile. Yes, she definitely spoke her mind.

Still, the tall dude took a few steps closer, until his feet touched the water's edge. He seemed nervous: he kept moving his hands around all weird. Sashu didn't comment. Each guy had his own little tics. But then he stuck out his hand and introduced himself. "My name's Jin. Jin Hoshigawa. A pleasure."

Sashu smiled and waded the couple of steps towards him, until only her feet and ankles were submerged. "Sashu Momoi, at your service," she said jauntily, taking his hand in a firm grip and waggling it. "Call me Ash and I won't call you an eel anymore. A pity, too. It fits you. Nice to meet you anyway, Jin." Jin was handsome and fit, though. He had a strong chin... But pale skin. Probably didn't get out much. She couldn't imagine why not. Maybe he was just shy, too shy to go out too often. It seemed that way, since he hunched over so much.

In any case, it wasn't her place to judge. One hand returned to her hip as the other waved vaguely when she spoke. "So you were saying about pro-bending? For somebody who doesn't like to fight, that's a pretty odd interest to have." His eyes should have directly read "firebender", but in these modern days you could never tell. She shrugged, smile returning. "You a fan? You might be seeing me in the ring one of these days." Sashu winked.

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Last edit by jin: May 27, 2012 17:29:22 GMT -6

jin

May 27, 2012 20:27:08 GMT -6

Jin's body started to relax. As much as he liked to protest, and whine about talking to people Jin couldn't deny this woman right here, she made it easy, almost inviting to have a conversation with her. Jin straightened himself out, stuck one hand in his jacket pocket and listened closely. He at least needed to look like he wasn't a total wreck, but something about this woman told him that she wouldn't care. And then she gave him a nickname, only one minute in and Jin had already been stamped. He sighed and shrugged it off, and even if it wasn't his style he could at least understand why she chose that, of all things. Even more interesting was she was already a probender, but she was kicked off her last team. "It's a deal...Ash."

As weird as it would sound, Jin was happy.He now knew for sure that she was a waterbender and she was without a team. To top it all off with a cherry she was looking for a team. Not too mention she was very attractive. If the idea that she could join a team with him wasn't already invading his mind Jin would have been redder than a cherry. Letting his hands slink out of his pockets, he was trying to keep himself as normal looking as possible. It was a battle inside of his mind to not completely lose it because he wasn't moving or talking. The only thing keeping him sane was the woman's voice, which he found soothing to hear. It was a very nice change of pace. Jin perked an eyebrow up when she mentioned his interest in the sport, especially when he didn't like violence.

To be honest Jin was always fascinated by the sport, and He didn't look at it with violence, or malice. No, instead he watched the game like the teams had chivalry, respect for one another, and true sportsmanship. Boy did he have a lot to learn. He figured that now was probably the best time to respond to her question, unless he wanted her to feel like he was ignoring her. "Well to be honest, I just view it as a sport and not a bunch of people fighting." Naive idealism always suited Jin best. He didn't like thinking that the world was violent, or evil (especially with people talking about a group called the 'Equalist') Looking back at the woman, Jin tried on a grin, only for it to completely vanish from his features. He didn't like grinning much. However, a small, yet identifiable blush etched it's way onto his face. "I am a fan, and I'm also looking for a team to form."

He spoke up before shifting his weight as he entered his stance. He shot a quick jab toward the water, a small burst of fire escaping his fist. He followed up quickly with a jump into the air with his leg coming down, a stream of fire following his foot and as the heel made contact with the ground a stream of fire divided the water before it soon collapsed in on itself. He stood, taking in a deep breath and exhaling lowering his hands as the air fled his mouth. He looked over at the woman, and for a moment he looked confident. This aura left as soon as it came and he started rubbing his arm. "Uh...yeah. I'm a firebender...." He said as he finally lowered his arms only for his hands to reenter his pockets.

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Last edit by jin: May 27, 2012 20:37:59 GMT -6

kgal

May 27, 2012 21:49:02 GMT -6

Sashu wasn't for sure, but she thought this kid Jin was actually getting more comfortable around her, not less. She'd thought most teen guys would freak at the thought of talking to a curvy woman like her. Then again, to each his own. Jin had already proved himself to be pretty shy. Maybe he was even withdrawn, a social outcast. Not that Sashu cared either way. A friend was a friend, right?

"It's a deal... Ash." She broke out into a true smile - not a smirk! "Cool," she said. She let him think on his words. He took a moment, but she didn't mind. The day was fresh and the water fresher. She could stand in the stream, toes-deep in soft mud with cool water rushing over the rest, for hours. She was a woman of the water, born on the sea and raised at the pier. A stream was a beautiful thing.

The boy gave his view, and she raised her eyebrows in amusement. Not just "a bunch of people fighting", huh? Sashu assumed he'd never noticed the rage when bitter rivals met, or when the Wolf Bats played. Even normal matches were hostile, to put it kindly. But she nodded anyway. "Okay... I can see that. A game is game, regardless of how it's played." Her Mother had said about wooing men, but it could apply in other instances, right?

Suddenly Jin flashed a grin at her, and it was gone just as quickly, replaced with something more miserable. Surprised, she let out a half-giggle, half-scoff, and watched him blush as she smiled in wonder. But he continued anyway. "I'm also looking for a team to form." She was going to respond with excitement, but then he moved into a battle stance. Alarmed, she moved out of the way.

Jin jabbed with a fist, then followed with a strong downstroke kick. The ball and arc both hit the water, causing steam to rise angrily as the water rippled and parted. Mouth agape, she looked back at him, watching him calmly - Was that confidence? - exhale. A second later, his awkwardness was back. "Uh... yeah. I'm a firebender."

Sashu burst out laughing, happy and enthusiastic and proud. "Well you could have just said so!" she giggled. "You didn't have fry the turtle-ducks. And here I was, wondering whether you could hold a torch underwater." She let herself calm down, but she couldn't stop smiling. "But really, that's great news. Maybe we can find an earthbender in this park and we'll be set!"

Without warning, she cupped her hands around her mouth and howled out, "OI!! Anybody here an earthbender who wants to join our team?" Her voice practically echoed, but she received no response but stares. Giggling, she shrugged helplessly. "Ah, well. No fish. Any ideas where to find a third guy?"

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jin

May 27, 2012 22:44:56 GMT -6

Jin noted the possibility of just saying he as a bender, and in most cases with most people he would have. However, this is not like most cases, and she is not like most people. Jin could see it in her eyes, or at least what he saw it as — Sincerity. He would never outright say it unless he wanted his face to light up like a bunch of lights on the holidays. No, instead he'd keep it to himself, and use it as a reason to try and get to know the woman in front of him. "Well, you see Ash, normally I would have just said I'm a firebender, but I wanted to im--" He caught himself, his throat locking up and quickly he scurried to finish what he was saying. With eyes gaping wide, he gave a forced, almost noticeable fake laugh. "To show you. Heh You know, so you could get an idea of where my skill level is at." He hoped and prayed that he was able to catch himself in time. He wasn't as flustered as he was just dumbfounded by how sloppy he was with his wording; normally he'd double and triple check everything he would say before even thinking about saying it. What was he thinking?!

Idiot The thought was almost instant as he sighed and let his head flop down. Jin shook his head at himself before looking back up at Ash. Just like before, Jin was beginning to ease up around her even more so. He was able to handle social situations as long as they were controlled, regulated, and within reason. One or two people and Jin would be on his way to being a normal person. Sadly, this ease was soon slapped, beaten, and taken over by anxiety. No...she wouldn't, would she? He chimed in his head and before He could interject she had already vocalized their location, and their situation. Jin's body froze. He didn't even want to turn around. People were staring and he could feel it. Like little knives being drilled into his back for even being associated with the interruption to their evening.

Jin's entire presence seemed to shrink into nothing, and his voice followed suit. "Well we could just write a giant sign, and hold it up over our heads. That will get someone's attention...right?" Someone's attention, not the entire parks. As people returned to their activities, and stopped glaring Jin in paralysis, he too returned to his calmed demeanor. Even after that little episode, and almost losing his heart from it jumping so hard, Jin did something rather rare around another person — He smiled.

She may have gotten him to be the center of attention, and she may have nearly given him a heart attack, but there was something nice about it. She didn't care. She laughed it off. "Maybe a sign won't work, but the park is big, and we still have some time. I'm sure an earthbender is out there just looking to join a team." Jin pause, collected his thoughts, and then spoke once more. "We also need a team name. I'm horrible at creative thinking though." Which wasn't completely false. Jin didn't like being the center of attention, and being creative and unique really put a giant spot light on you. He stayed away from the idea entirely.

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Last edit by jin: May 27, 2012 22:49:42 GMT -6

kgal

May 28, 2012 9:55:35 GMT -6

Jin was a funny guy. Sure she would scoff and laugh at him, but not in a mean way, no way. That's just how she was. He tried to explain himself and began to say, "I wanted to im--" but he cut himself off rapidly. Was that the beginning of impress? she wondered slyly, giving that scoff-laugh of hers. It shouldn't have been surprising, but it was, considering his withdrawn sort of attitude. He retracted his statement, but they both knew it was a lost cause. Still, she appreciated it. Him stammering, trying to "im" her, was practically a compliment. "Well thank you, Jin. Except I'm not exactly a firebending expert."

Unfortunately, he seemed to shrivel up and shrink when she called out, like the looks were literally killing him. He hunched over, practically grimacing, and his voice was equally downcast. "We could just write a giant sign and hold it up over our heads. That will get someone's attention... right?" She grinned and waded away from him towards the post. After a moment of tugging, the big thing pulled free of the mud, and she hefted the beam - target and all - on her shoulder. "Well, we have our sign," she joked before stepping up on dry land. Sashu flicked her feet a bit to get a little of the water off, then slipped on her shoes.

Then Jin smiled and Sashu couldn't help but mirror it. He really was quite handsome. Sashu wouldn't admit whether she was attracted to him or not. Maybe she didn't know, even within herself. It was hard to tell sometimes when noticing good looks equated to emotional attraction. Mother had once told her, "Fish can have beautiful scales, but rotten flesh. Not every fish is fit for eating."

She knew he was joking about the sign, and the post was getting heavy. She set it down in the grass and nodded. "Yeah. It's not like nobody in this entire city is an aspiring earthbending pro-bender." She heard a lizard crow caw-ing somewhere, probably fed some scraps by a kid. She pulled her headband off and ruffled her hair into place, slate eyes glowing. "We also need a team name. I'm horrible at creative thinking though."

An image popped into her mind, and Sashu cried out enthusiastically. "Oh! Yeah! I have a great idea! There are these rare fish I've seen," she began, "called Flying Koi. And basically they have huge fins —" She interrupted herself to spread her arms at wide angles. "And when they're frightened, they leap —" she emphasized with a huge sideways bound "out of the water, and their fin wings are so big that they just soar a bit!"

She lowered her hands but used them to speak, trying get across how awesome they were. "And they're koi, too, so they always have this amazing scale colors, bright orange and red and sometimes even green! And they just fly out of the water!" She sighed through her grin, a pant of excitement. "Whattaya think?"

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Last edit by jin: May 28, 2012 9:57:33 GMT -6

jin

May 28, 2012 11:24:51 GMT -6

And to no surprise, She had laughed at his attempt to recapture his composure and hide what he said away. Jin wanted to shrink down into nothing again, but she instead thanked him. He wasn't completely sure what she was thanking him for, whether it was his poor attempt at hiding his true intention, or if she were actually thanking him for showing her his skill level. It didn't cross his mind that she wasn't a firebender, he just wanted to show her. He nodded, and responded accordingly. His features trying on that grin once more. "Anytime...." Well, grinning wasn't so bad.

Jin let a genuine chuckle escape his lips when she picked up the post. It was not only a training dummy, but it doubled as a sign. How convenient. Jin nodded, almost going back on his last statement that they really didn't need a sign. As she set the post down, Jin couldn't but stare when she flicked her hair out of the headband, ruffling it into one set spot. Even if that were enough, her eyes caught Jin by surprise. Her hair complimented them well, and vice-versa. Jin had a weak spot for woman, that much was certain and for good reason. She was breathtaking, and Jin was sure that she knew it.

His stare was almost broken immediately with his eyes flickering from side to side when she started thinking up team names for them. He brushed his jacket down, hands in pocket, his new found attention poorly written on his face. Well, that was until she really started going into the details and once more he was entranced. She was so expressive with her body, her words, and her movements. He always thought one had to be when waterbending, but she just solidified his thoughts on the matter.

"I like that. The flying Koi." He started, placing one hand on his chin, tapping his jaw with his index finger. His other hand however entered each pocket on his left side. He stopped, and he nodded. "Okay, so we have our name, and a fire and waterbender. Finding this earthbender shouldn't be too hard." He stated, his left hand that was just familiarizing itself with his pockets came up and brushed his messy hair away from his face. Jin smiled when the hair looked like it was going stay back, only for his features to go sour when they fell back into place.

This loathing for his hair only lasted for a moment but instead he turned back to the woman. His eyes couldn't be taken off of her, that was until he caught himself before shaking his head, looking to the sky and then speaking up just after clearing his throat. "With all that settled. Why don't we get to know one another a bit better. We'll be able to work together better if we do." Ulterior motives could be read all over his face, but what motives were not as clearly visible. "I'll start...I've been firebending since I was Eleven." He said, his body finally completely straightening out with his hands casually in his pockets.

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Last edit by jin: May 28, 2012 13:30:17 GMT -6

kgal

May 28, 2012 12:13:22 GMT -6

It was sure nice to see Jin trying on smiles like normal people try on clothes. But nevermind that, because at least he was happy. A happy teammate is a good teammate! (She'd learned that well enough from experience, and she had definitely not been a happy teammate.) He even laughed, despite being less-than-enthused at her wild howling! Today was just a good day. Sashu smiled, subtly taking in the movement of his eyes.

And he even liked her idea. His next movements looked comical, almost exaggerated, but Sashu kept her tongue. "Okay, so we have our name, and a fire and waterbender." She nodded, but let him speak. Sashu wasn't the interrupting type. "Finding this earthbender shouldn't be too hard." as if to emphasize his words, he tried to ruffle his hair from his forehead. Was he copying her?

She laughed when it drooped back down and his face went sad. "That's the spirit," she chirped. For a moment he seemed to stare at her, but then quickly averted his gaze. Maybe it was more of self-awareness than him realizing she was watching him watching her. Ah, well. All this weird thinking was making her brain ache.

Still, his next words surprised him. "Well, with all that settled, why don't we get to know one another better?" Eyes wide, she blinked at him. It was hard to keep a straight face. He wasn't exactly a master of subtlety, now was he? The cover was weak - working together better? - but Sashu felt like he was doing his best. He straightened up, and his tall frame seemed even taller. It was like he grew a head higher just by standing up confidently and proud. It was pretty handsome... "I'll start... I've been firebending since I was eleven."

She grinned and reached out, clasping the inside of his elbow with her hand. Despite the numerous tiny cuts and scrapes she earned fishing and fighting, the skin was still soft. Jin's arm was really warm and she liked how smooth it felt. "Let's walk. I can get this —" she said, tapping the post with her shoe, "later."

She pulled him forward, back towards the path. It was too beautiful a day to stand around doing nothing. "I was born on the ocean. Literally. I was born on a boat, in the ocean." She laughed, wondering for the hundredth time who had the bright idea of bringing a heavy woman on the high seas. "And anyway, I started waterbending pretty early on. I don't remember exactly when, but I was just a tadpole, really."

She looked at him as they reached the path. "And when Mother introduced me to pro-bending, I started copying their moves. That would have been... Well my brother's 11th birthday was the first time we all went to a match, so that would have made me fourteen when I really got into joining a team." She flashed him a grin, happy they were passing under the shade of a massive tree.

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Last edit by jin: May 28, 2012 12:15:19 GMT -6

The Avatar RP

Previously, on Avatar...

The Moderation Team

Latest TARP News

Previously, on Avatar...

The Moderation Team

Latest TARP News

Republic City Park

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