Benjiro walked around the edge of Sakura Park, looking into the park and surveying the area. He was very unsure about this, the call of joining a Pro Bending team was great, but he knew, especially in these times, that a trap could be just as likely. Equalist, or Bender looking to get into the Tournament like him. They could become famous, true, but Benjiro wasn't looking for that.

He wanted the freedom to bend without having to worry about seriously hurting someone, to bend without fear. Taking a look at the bronze pocket watch he had, he saw the time tick past 10:30pm and he took a deep breath. Well, now would be the time to go away if he really thought this was a trap, but Benjiro didn't want to past this opportunity up. Who knows who else would come to the possible meeting, and take the possible Earth Bender spot.

Taking a deep breath, Benjiro walked into the park, carefully eyeing things around him, moving past a few trees that he thought someone might drop from. Oh... such a nerve-wracking time to be walking through a park. It didn't take long for him to see a figure, sitting on a fountain in the park, and he slowed down a little bit, positive that whoever it was, that they were the one who had written up the posters.

He gathered himself, ran a hand through his hair, and started forward once more, his feet against the path, feeling the cool stone beneath him, claiming him down somewhat. The cold night air helped him relax a little bit more, and by the time he had come closer, he gave a little wave to the woman at the fountain, before pulling out the poster he had pulled from a shop window.

"Excuse me... but... you wouldn't happen to be the one looking for Benders for the Pro Bending Matches... would you?" Benjiro asked tenatively, sure that his green and tan clothes showed that he was an earth bender, plus being bare footed could be a sure sign too right?

The Marketplace was the worst location in the universe. At least, it was for him. He’d come to this conclusion about a week after he’d arrived in the city, when he’d managed to spend almost all his money on stuff he had yet to use, all on the justification that he had the money and nothing else to do with it. Of course, then the issue of buying important things like food and clothing had come up, and he’d realized that it might be a good avoid to avoid the Marketplace for the sake of his wallet. But here he was again, watching as his latest paycheck disappeared, to be replaced by whatever caught his eye. This was not good.

Takeo was a blue blur, his tiny attention span driving him from stall to stall, no one in particular holding his attention for more than a few seconds. He had already spent most of his money, so at this point the shopping was more for something to do than anything else. If he could find something to focus on for more than a minute, he might be able to do something productive. Unfortunately, the ever-present abundance of energy in the Waterbender’s body made that unlikely to happen.

Then, something different caught his eye. At the end of the street stood a tall wooden board covered in posters, and one in particular bade him stop and look. It was kind of funny-looking, but that just made him more interested. There were people drawn on it, benders of three of the four elements. And it was advertising glory. Takeo was confused until he realized: Probending! That’s what it was for! Well now he was really curious. The man studied the picture of the Waterbender on the flier. That could be him. Sure, it didn’t look very much like him, but still, it could be. He’d been wondering recently how he might get into Probending, and had been practicing his Waterbending every night to try to adapt to the style used in the matches. Here was a chance to get into it. And hey, fame was good too. Takeo nodded, his mind made up. Now all he had to do was remember to show up at 10:30 at the fountain…



10:40 PM

Takeo came running into the park, upset that he was late to the meeting. The words in an untidy scrawl on his arm had been meant to remind him when he should be at the park, but within an hour of writing them upon his skin he’d forgotten about them, and had only remembered when someone had asked about them as he was eating dinner. Now he was late, and had no idea what he would find when he reached the fountain. What if the team had already formed, and he was rejected on sight? Or if the whole thing was a lie and no one was there? That would be horrible!

Luckily for Takeo, when he reached the fountain he saw two people standing by it, a woman and a man. Two people, that was good. Probending teams needed three people. But maybe the third person had just gone somewhere for a little bit. No, that didn’t make sense. He had to still have a chance. He had to.

Jogging up to the other two, the Waterbender smiled and waved. He started speaking as soon as he reached them. ”Hi! I’m Takeo! I saw a poster about forming a Probending team and it said to meet here, so I’m here. I’m a Waterbender,” he indicated the water skin that hung from his hip. ”So, uh, unless one of you two is a Waterbender too, I could fill that spot. I’m not too sure how good I’d be at Probending, since I’ve never done it before, but I’d definitely be willing to get better at it!” The deluge of words temporarily at an end, Takeo continued to grin at his maybe-future-teammates. Hopefully they wouldn’t think he was too weird.

Thump, thump, thump.

Each time her red ankle boots fell to meet the stone fountain, Yuriko counted the seconds that passed by. Each second that passed, the hallow thud sank her heart lower and lower. Each time her heart sank, the more she wished she was at home sleeping. Unfortunately, Yuriko adored sleeping when sad. It meant more time away from her problems and more time to dream of something far greater. To her, it was as if someone was telling her a story for a change instead of her enthralling the crowds.

Tipping her head back to ponder the wonders of dreams, a small scrapping noise caught her attention to her right. Yuriko snapped her head in the direction of the noise in time to see a bunny rat scurry into the bushes. The little creature didn’t know it, but it caused the small girl a big sigh of resignation. This was a stupid idea and she was stupid for think it would work.

The girl was in the process of putting her hands down to help push her up when another scrapping noise drifted to her ears. Immediately, Yuriko turned her auriferous eyes to it.

Lo!

A man clad in green had started to make his way to her. Sitting up to peer at him, Yuriko began to grin like a young child who had found a lost toy. She watched this new person run a hand through his curly, brown hair and approach almost timidly. As he got within speaking distance, he gave a small wave and pulled out a piece of paper.

For one dreadful moment, she thought it was a trap. Her eyes had drawn wide and her smile faltered for a single moment. The firebender thought that the piece of paper was a warrant and she had actually been snatched up by the police force. But her heart slowed when she recognized the three benders she had drawn gazing back at her. Pulling the smile back onto her face, she returned the wave happily and launched herself off the stone. Someone had finally come! Brushing herself off, she met the Earthbender the last few steps. Hesitantly, he asked if she was the one who had been looking for benders.

The picturesque face exploded in delight as she threw up her hands. “Of course I am, my Earthbending friend!” she introduced herself excitedly, “The name is Yuriko Oki! Resident firebender and waitress at your service!”

But before she could really say anything else, a noise to her left drew attention. Bursting from the tree line came a man who was now clad in blue. Her waterbender maybe? It was hard to tell in the pale moonlight. The man who jogged up to them had wild brown hair that stuck up in every direction. The sight of the panicked man pulled a giggle from the girl’s lips as he waved to them. Returning the wave enthusiastically, she listened as he immediately began introducing himself once he approached.

Holding a hand over her mouth, the girl continued to giggle merrily. She liked him. He was someone that didn’t make her feel nervous. In fact, she liked both of them. Though the other hadn’t had much time to express himself, she figured him to be a pleasant man. How did she become to lucky to draw two men who were neither rude nor scary.

Brushing another strand of black hair out of her eyes, she peered up at the professed waterbender. “Well Takeo, I actually happen to be a firebender,” admitted the girl while placing a hand to her chest to indicate herself, “And my name is Yuriko Oki, the waitress who wants to start a probending team.”

Turning to both of them, she took a small breath in, “And I am so happy that you both showed up.”

Benjiro watched the reaction of the other before feeling the need to stop and take a step back due to the fact that she seemed quite pleased with his arrival, though it was a little frightening. "Um... Hiya Yuriko Oki." He said, regaining his composure enough to look at her for a moment, but something or someone else had just arrived, and he turned to face the source of the sound. Lets just say he was still jumpy at the thought of an Equalist trap.

Nope, just a very nervous but excited Water Bender who wanted to join up with a Pro Bending team as well. Benjiro looked between the other two and counted themselves lucky to have exactly what they needed to create a team. Well, aside from a name... and possibly the funds. Oh such worries were to come later, right now he just wanted to get to know the other team members he could possibly be bending with.

Yuriko Oni and Takeo. Fire and Water. And he was Earth. Maybe it was just fate that brought the three of them together. In this park. At such a late hour. Looking over at Yuriko, getting out of thinking in sentence fragments, Benjiro listened to what she had to say, telling the Water Bender what she bent.

With a deep breath, Benjiro believed it was his time to introduce himself. "My name is Benjiro Riku, Earth Bender and Candy Store worker... I would like to join a Pro Bending team..." He said, though with a little less energy then the other two.

Well, neither of them looked annoying at his chattering, which was a good sign. Takeo looked the two over as the girl spoke. She looked really nice—she had waved back to him—but he couldn’t tell much about the guy. The colors of his clothes suggested that he was an Earthbender, though, which would mean they had two of the three elements needed to form a team. If the girl was a Firebender, they’d be set!

The Waterbender rubbed his arm as the girl introduced herself, trying without success to get rid of the written reminder now that he had successfully reached his destination. He did manage to pay attention, though, and heard that she was a Firebender. At that he grinned again. That was that, then. Unless the other guy wasn’t actually an Earthbender…but then why would he be dressed like one? Takeo’s gaze traveled to the guy’s feet and saw that he wasn’t wearing any shoes. Yeah, he had to be an Earthbender. Aside from the many homeless people who wandered the city, they were the only ones who didn’t wear shoes. That meant they had a full team!

Before the man could convey his excitement in his usual far-too-verbose fashion, the other man introduced himself and confirmed that he was, in fact, an Earthbender. Takeo was over the moon about how simple it was. He’d just gotten there, and already there were enough people to form a complete team. He was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. ”This is great! the Waterbender exclaimed. ”We have a whole team! We should start thinking of a name! I was thinking Bumblewasps, but that’s stupid. No one likes Bumblewasps, they’re annoying. I don’t know, I’m not very good at coming up with names for stuff. Maybe you guys should do that…” Somewhere in the middle of his speech, Takeo’s mind had wandered, and he lapsed into silence, thinking about what was happening. He was going to be in a Probending team and compete in tournaments and maybe win! This was, without a doubt, the best day ever.

We have a full team. . .

Yuriko’s mind at first shirked at trying to process that thought. It couldn’t, or more wouldn’t, believe that this outrageous plan had actually worked. If she could go back in time, sit down next to herself while she daydreamed on the floor, and tell her it would work. . . . Well, Yuriko would have passed out from the shock. Somewhere in the back of her mind was this devouring whisper that told her that this was all for naught. Why would the simple girl that worked at the restaurant down the street have people come from all over the city to watch her? Let alone, why would others join her in this silly adventure?

Alas, here they were; earth, fire, and water all standing next to each other. None scowled nor glared, but rather looked happily and excitedly at one another. The smile that blossomed across her face threatened to engulf her rosy cheeks. If it wasn’t for the pale moon light that gushed around them, they would have been able to see how flushed the young girl was. And, for the few moments her mind started to fist wrap its fingers around this new thought, a fire long forgotten flared up in those honey dew eyes.

We have a full team!

The thought was become now a driving force that was starting to engulf her mind with electricity. It became super charged when the water bender proclaimed they needed a name. Oh, that was very true. They couldn’t go into the ring as: Those One Unknown Benders. Ah yes. Yuriko could see it now. The three of them walking into the arena, crowds cheering and blowing kisses –at least to the men-, and the announcer declare ‘And here comes the newest sensation in the bending world: The Unheard-of Trio!’

Chortling under her breath, Yuriko watched as the elated Takeo fade into silence. His sharp, striking water tribe features stood out the soft light as he pondered on. Suddenly, realizing she was starring, Yuriko quickly looked away to the grass that rocked slowly in the wind. She hated when she starred at people, but it was another bad habit of hers she had yet to break. Hopefully she wouldn’t stare anymore and avoid creep out either of the benders.

As Yuriko also began to think aloud, she started fiddling with the red and black goggles that dangled around her neck, “How about the Spider Snakes? Those are pretty mean creatures that would defiantly instill some fear in our opponents. However, not very crowd friendly. . .”

Turning her amber gaze to the brown set of eyes, she inquired, “What do you think Benjiro? What should we pick as our team mascot?

As they all thought about their mascot, the thought finally nestled itself into her reality. It was true.

We have a full team.

Benjiro was quite pleased by the turn of events, no longer even thinking about Equalists or traps, but now focused on his new teammates with a smile. When the process of names being discussed now, he thought about current team names and tried to think of an animal that was unique and different from the rest. Bumblewasps was an ok name, but it wasn't what Benjiro was really thinking about. The Water Bender, Takeo, soon went quiet though, for one reason or another.

Though the fact that right now things were going how they were, he couldn't help but smile and rub his chin happily. Just a team name and then registering officially would make them a team, tried and true. Things could change for him so much, however he wished that if they do become famous that people wouldn't really bother him all that much. He didn't want people to treat him differently, just treat him the same as always. Rubbing his head a bit, he began to think a little more about names.

It hit him then. An idea for a team name, straight from history from 70 years ago due to a trick that the Avatar had played in Ba Sing Se during the Fire Lord's rule. It was something so out of left field that it brought a bigger smile to his face. He took a few steps and sat down on the fountain, thinking about how he was to suggest the idea to the group, except that the situation came to him.

Blinking when the woman, Yuriko, turned toward him and asked his suggestion, Benjiro rubbed his head a bit before he smiled. "Umm... how about the... Purple Pentapuses?" He suggested, looking at the other two, examining them and waiting for their responses, hoping that it would be a positive reaction. If they turned it down, he probably would just go with whatever they agreed upon.

Takeo was trying his best to keep his mind on possible names for their new team, but that was proving to be difficult. It was to stay focused for long on a normal day; now, when he’d just joined a Probending team, there was no chance of it. The Waterbender looked his two teammates over, wondering what they would be like in the arena. He wondered if he was the oldest member of the team. If he were, that would be weird. How old were most Probenders? He had no idea, but guessed that most were around his age or younger. The older they got, the slower they’d move, the harder it would be for them to keep up. What did that mean for him then? Was his career doomed to last only a few short years?

Yuriko’s gaze caught his, and Takeo wiggled his eyebrows at his new teammate with a smile. He liked her a lot already, which was good since they’d be seeing quite a bit of each other in the future. He liked both of his teammates, and couldn’t wait to see what the three of them were like as a real team. But that would have to wait. They had to register first, and for that they needed a name.

Yuriko suggested Spider Snakes, but then immediately brought up the fact that it wouldn’t be very good with the crowds. Takeo shook his head in agreement. Spider Snakes were creepy, and he didn’t want their team name to be creepy. It should be something people would remember and like, something more fun, like…like…

Purple Pentapuses! ”Yes!” he exclaimed. ”That’s perfect! I wanted a pet pentapus as a kid, but my parents wouldn’t let me have one. Don’t know why. They’re adorable, even if they can be kinda annoying if they get stuck on you. But maybe that’s what we want in a team name…It’s gonna be hard to get our opponents to be afraid of us though…Still, I like it! I vote for Purple Pentapuses!"

Purple Pentapuses, eh?

Well that was certainly an animal she would have never thought of. She was getting ready to suggest Polar Bear Dog after the avatars loyal companion when the outrageous idea hit her ears. Raising an impeccably arched eyebrow in Benjiros direction, Yuriko tried to picture a purple pentapuses being terrifying. The only thing she could really imagine was a giant Purple Pentapuses destroying Republic City with a warble. As the imagine wiggled into her thoughts, Takeo exclaimed that it was perfect to then tell of his childhood disappointment.

Switching her inquisitive look to Takeo’s direction, Yuriko stared a moment to comprehend this animal’s spot as their mascot. But then, it came to her. Eyebrows not raised in delight, Yuriko pointed to the sky while she decreed, “I’ve got it.”

Folding her arms and narrowing her eyes in intense concentration, she continued, “Purple pentapuses may not look fearsome, but they are known for never letting go! I don’t know about you guys, but I am determined to do my best and to become the best I can be. I am not going let go of my dreams!”

Letting go of the serious face for a more open expression of exhilaration, Yuriko finished, “I have to agree with this mascot!” Oh how she just want to hug everyone! She was known for her hugging, but Yuriko deemed that it probably was appropriate to do so right now. Despite her reservations on hugging, dancing was certainly not out of the question.

With a small clip of laughter, Yuriko jumped once and started to do a little boogie. It was her little form of a victory dance. Making a full rotation, she finished with throwing her hands up one last time for the night.

Placing her hands on her hips, Yuriko grinned to herself, “Well, now that our team name has been decided, we need to register and have our first team practice!”

***

Grey clouds covered the sky as Yuriko leaned by the wall gate of the Probending Arena. They looked like a bunch of grey sheep just making their way idly across the blue grass of the sky. Apparently there was a particularly sweet patch of blue grass right above her for there was not a patch of azure to be spied amongst the fluff. With golden wheat color eyes glaring up at them, Yuriko thought the sheep would be more inclined to scurry along. Alas, they continued the slothful trot across the sky.

Sighing in resignation, Yuriko turned her attention to the bustling crowd that mingled in front of her again. They jabbered to one another and occasional a trill of laughter would break through the clamor. Despite how mundane they all looked, Yuriko could help but watch all the small quirks that people unknowingly exhibited.

She was starting to regret her need to be 5 minutes early, at the least, to where ever she was heading. It made waiting a hassle and she was stuck with fireants in her pants. Speaking of her pants and other clothing, she was still brushing all the wrinkles out of the cloth. The young girl had gone home and passed out after the meeting without even changing her clothes. It made for a stiff more since her clothing is more fitted than loose. And that just made waking up to get here all that much of a struggle.

Now rubbing the wrinkle in her forehead, the girl notice a figure come through the line of people. Standing up straight at the sight of the person, Yuriko ran a hand through her hair. Finally someone arrived! Though they were on time, Yuriko felt like it was an eternity of a wait. Smiling her customary grin, she raised her hand and waved it back and forth.

((Sorry for the bad post, slight writers block.))

OOC: Messing up the posting order, sorry. I was too excited not to post

The Next Day

A lovely grey color hung overhead as Takeo made his way to the Probending Arena to meet his teammates, as had been arranged the previous night. They were meeting to register as an official team. That meant they’d be to do all the official stuff, like get uniforms and, soon enough, compete in tournaments with other teams! The Waterbender was so excited he had slept the night before. Every time he’d fallen asleep he’d woken up quickly, his mind buzzing with visions of what the future might be like. Luckily for him, he was so full of energy all the time that functioning on little sleep was not a problem.

As he strolled, the man gazed up at the sky, wondering if it might rain later. He hoped it would. As a Waterbender, getting wet in the rain was not a problem for him, and he loved the look of the city as it was pelted with water. Even with the sounds of thousands of droplets hitting the pavement, the city always managed to be quieter when it was raining, probably because everyone hurried to wherever they were going to avoid being soaked. There were also fewer people around in general, which helped greatly reduce the noise level. Plus, rainy days made it easy to spot fellow Waterbenders, which always made him happy. It was great to see other people who shared his ability, and days like this were great for that.

He was in danger of being late to the meeting, but Takeo couldn’t help but slowly make his way through the crowd in front of the Arena. He liked being in crowds, surrounded by people, by life. Every once in a while, when he was really bored, he’d pick a particular person or group that looked interesting and follow them around to see what they were like when no one was watching, where they went and what they did. He wasn’t very sneaky though, and so often got noticed and told to go away, but to him that was all part of the fun. What was life without a little weird adventure? Boring, that’s what.

Eventually, the man reached his destination, and emerged from crowd to see a grinning Yuriko waving frantically in his direction. Smiling at his teammate, Takeo waved back and quickened his pace to reach her. When he did, he stopped and his smile widened. ”Hi Yuriko!” he exclaimed in greeting. ”Are you excited? I’m super excited! In just a little bit we’ll be a real team! That’s amazing!”

The Next Morning

Benjiro was panicking. Really panicking.

He was running a little late, after talking with his boss about getting the day off in order to take some time with his new team, but the problem was that his boss was running later herself. After waiting about 10 minutes, she finally arrived, late because she had to help out someone in her building for a little bit. After giving her the reason why he was going to be unable to work, he pretty much ran most of the way to the Arena.

7 full blocks, full speed, dodging people and satomobles. By the time he reached the Arena, he was sweating bit and a little out of breath, glad that his military training kept him fit. Panting as he slowed to a quick walk as he pushed his way through the crowd, Benjiro finally noticed the gloomy sky and smiled a bit, hoping it'd rain soon and cool him off.

He saw the other two members of his team and made his way over to them, waving at them with a slight smile before bowing his head a bit. "Sorry I am late. I had to ask my boss for a day off and she was late." He said, before wiping his head a bit.

Scratching the back of her head, Yuriko gave a nervous laugh, “Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself. I just hope I’m good enough to hold up the firebending part of the team. It would be quite the drag if I failed you all after I called you all together.”

Now fiddling with her goggles, the girl cleared her throat to keep from choking on her small bit of anxiety, “It’s amazing how not matter the lengths you dream of something, it somehow doesn’t get easier to finally do it.”

Now with her eyebrows cinched together, creasing her usually soft face, Yuriko fixated on the rain clouds above. Those darn sheep were going to make her part of the team particularly hard if they decided to drop the water from their wool. Alas, it would only mean would have to rely on Takeo to help her out. Though, she wouldn’t mind it so much. For some reason, taller people tended to make her feel safer. Whether it be because her father was tall or they just felt like a giant shield, she couldn’t decide. As it were, he was probably thrilled for it to rain. It would mean unlimited amounts of his element to bend to his will.

Yuriko was about to state as such when Benjiro came racing up to them. Seeing him flying up the hill to the stadium, the firebender could help appreciate the eathbender’s speed. That would definitely be a bonus in the ring. But why was he running in the first place?

Screwing up her face in confusion rather than apprehension now, Yuriko pulled her silver watch out of her pocket and clicked it open. Oh. It was ten minutes after their agreed meeting time. Shrugging and putting the watch away, Yuriko gave a friendly wave to Benjiro as he came trotting up to them.

“You fret too much, my friend!” Yuriko reassured him after he explained his tardiness, “It’s not as if we’d be mad or you would be kicked off the team. You could have taken your time.”

Taking the liberty of patting the worn out man on his shoulder, Yuriko smiled at them both, “But now that you’re here we can finally make the Purple Pentapuses a legitimate team!”

Clapping her hands together, Yuriko turned quite purposefully towards the registration kiosk that also doubled as the ticket stand. Marching up to it with her teammates in tow was one of the most invigorating feelings she had felt in a long time. Even if the last time was a lot more. . . disheartening, Yuriko could only imagine what it would be like to step out into the stadium with them. Knowing she had their back and they had hers was actually comforting.

Taking one last steadying breath, Yuriko placed, or more slammed out of trepidation, her hands on the counter. Startled by the loud and very sudden noise, a tall and lanky man stood up abruptly from his desk. Being way too tall for the kiosk, the man hit his head on the roof with a dull thud and cursed loudly. The scene made Yuriko blush madly and soon the fire in her cheeks engulfed her entire face.

Breathing almost audibly, the girl managed to reduce the crimson to just her cheeks by the time the man managed to rub his head and turn around. When he first locked eyes on her, he was glaring. The intense look made Yuriko squeak a bit and cower back a step. But upon seeing the small and cute doll –esque girl recoil from his look, he immediately softened his look. Had it not be for the fact that Yuriko was overly polite; she would have almost taken offense to his need to coddle her just because she was diminutive.

He turned his frown into a gracious smile as he clasped his hands together and ducked to see her through the window. “May I help you, hun?” asked the man sweetly enough to make Yuriko almost cringe, “Were you lost or want to purchase season tickets for your family here?”

Forcing a smile to combat this strange situation, Yuriko cleared her throat again and corrected him nicely, “Actually I was hoping to register my teammates and myself for the last entry spot.”

Shocked by this turn of events, the man’s face immediately flat lined in disbelief. Now actually restraining herself from growling in frustration from her size, she waited as the man processed this. Once he recovered, he peered below the window to then pull out a sheet to place before her. “Okay then. Just put your team’s name here, the team captain’s name here, the other two player’s names here, and then list their respective elements here. Then at the very bottom each of you have to sign the waver saying we are not responsible for injury and that you agree to the tournament rules and regulations. ”

As Yuriko jotted the information down, the man continued his rant while eying the three curiously, “When she is finished and you all sign, please go through the gate to the left of the kiosk and prepare to show us your abilities. If you can best the preliminary team, you may continue to the actually competition.”

While she continued to write, Yuriko nodded her head to show she was listening. When she finished signing her name, she stepped back to allow her fellow teammates to sign their names. Well, if they were to back out, now would be the time. Heavens! She felt like she would form an ulcer by the day’s end!

((Alright Tenshio! Takes us through that gate to glory! Lol))

((EDIT: Okay, so for this opposing team, we will take control of the other teams prospective element (ex: I would control the fire bender of the other team). This way we are guaranteed to win without having to make anyone loose. Of course we'll make it so they put up a fight and the npc we control would attack more than one person. When it comes to 'us' attacking each other, it would be like any other battle were the person can decide whether or not to be hit by the attack. Unlike inexperience/immature rp-ers, I can trust that you two will be fair in the way that you will be able to block, but you'll be humble enough to get hit))

OOC: Bleh, this post is less than fantastic. Sorry about that.

Waving away Yuriko’s concerns, Takeo grinned at his teammate. ”You’ll be fine!” he reassured her. You can shoot fire from your hands! Just by definition that means you can kick major butt! You’ve got nothing to worry about.” Confidence boost successfully delivered, the Waterbender turned his gaze back to the crowd, searching for the third member of their team. He was excited to get things underway, and displayed his impatience by bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long, as Benjiro soon came dashing up to them. Takeo waved back to the other man, nodding at the explanation of why the Earthbender was late. It didn’t matter to him, as long as they were finally all there ready to register. He was going to say as much, but Yuriko beat him to it, expressing the same sentiments better than he ever could. All he could do was nod again in agreement. When the Firebender turned to lead the march to their registration as a team, it was all he could do to stop himself from dashing ahead of her, though he didn’t know exactly where they were going. As it was, he stayed by her side, not wanting to miss any of what was in store.

Yuriko led the way to a small kiosk staffed by a large, imposing man. When, at the loud sound of the girls’ hands hitting the kiosk, the man glared at them, making the Firebender step back, Takeo glared right back, feeling protective of his teammate. Fortunately, the man got over his bad mood quickly, and after a bit of confusion—did they really look related?—gave Yuriko the registration form and explained what was to be done with it. Takeo watched, breathless with excitement, as the Firebender wrote down their team’s information and signed the paper, then stepped forward as soon as she stepped away. His eyes danced over the paper, not really reading anything as they waltzed on down to the bottom. With a grin, the Waterbender signed his name under Yuriko’s in his untidy scrawl. Lingering a moment to take in what he’d done, he passed the form on to Benjiro so he could sign.

Soon enough, all three members had signed the form. This is it! We’re an official team! Takeo felt like cheering, but stopped himself with the realization that they weren’t done yet. The man who ran the kiosk had said that they’d have to show their abilities—as in Probend. Right now. Against other people, who were probably pretty good. Crap.

Now he was worried. He’d never done Probending before. Sure, he’d been trying to practice the movements of the Waterbenders he’d seen in the very few matches he’d managed to attend, but he didn’t think he was that good. And now he had to go up against another team, and if he failed their dream would be crushed. That was way too much pressure.

But there was nothing else to do. They either did the best they could and beat the other team here and now, or they left as they’d entered—as three individuals, not a team. They might as well get going. So, swallowing hard and giving his teammates a nod, the Waterbender led the way to the door to the left of the kiosk and to their destiny.

Takeo opened the door…and was greeted by a small, open room, a lobby of sorts. Standing behind a desk was a short, squat man, who looked up at their entrance but said nothing. Clearing his throat, Takeo greeted the man. ”Um, hello,” he began, his usually chipper tone subdued by the nerves that churned in his stomach. ”We just signed up to be an official team, and were told that we had to face a preliminary team so…” he trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

The man nodded, obviously used to this sort of thing. “Right. I’ll go let the preliminary team know and find you guys some uniforms. Wait here.” With that, he left them, exiting through a door opposite the one from which they’d entered. Takeo watched the door close behind him, then turned to his teammates. ”Okay, guys, we can do this…right?”

Feeling a little better about him accidentally being a little late, Benjiro gave them each a smile before jumping physically at the touch to his shoulder, though not too much that it would attract any real attention. He was glad that they weren't mad at him, and with the group together they were able to finally take the first step into becoming a new team.

First up, actually having someone recognizing them as an official team by signing up. And Yuriko was taking the initiative to do just that, leading the way over to a both and causing him to jump a bit when she slammed her hands down, though he wasn't sure why she did that. It might have just been an over-reaction to the current situation though, so he didn't really question it.

The exchange between the every changing booth man and the fire bender was a strange one, and Benjiro just stood there, listening to everything that was going on. When the paper was passed to him to sign, Benjiro made sure to be extra careful when signing, just so there was no mistake who he was at a later time. It was really happening now, they had officially signed up together.

The Purple Pentapuses were now a team!

Benjiro felt very excited by these turn of events, and followed in after them with a smile. A man spoke to them about talking with a preliminary team, and then finding them some uniforms for the test. He took a deep breath and looked between the two of them, and nodded his head confidently.

"We can do this. I know we haven't really trained together yet, but we were confident enough to come together to try, so I know we can do this." Benjiro said, before taking off his vest and folding it up and holding it over his arm. "Right now, the only thing standing in our way is the fact that we are nervous. Just don't worry, I have confidence in us."


OOC: Sorry about the wait and maybe lack of progression like the two of you made ^^y;;;

((Sorry guys, I was doing some character development. If you want, just skip the first five paragraphs. Not to mention, I apologize for this HUGE post. I don’t know why I’m in the rambling mood tonight. Lastly, if you want me to change anything, just let me know.))

Confidence was exactly was she was lacking right now. Not in her teammates! Oh no. Yuriko could tell by Benjiro’s agility and Takeo’s spirit that they would be good fighters. Not to mention they were quick thinkers and fast on their feet. But her? She was a twenty year-old girl who just waited tables by day and practice bending at night. What would the girl with no formal training do for anyone? Heck, her mother was a scrapper herself and only taught Yuriko until she was fourteen. Biting her lip and fiddling with her goggles again, Yuriko kept looking around the room for the said confidence she couldn’t find.

Alas, Benjiro’s small speech was uplifting. Shifting her eyes over to him now, Yuriko couldn’t help but flash him a smile. As hesitant as it was, she poured as much appreciation into as she could. But as she looked at him, she realized painfully that she had put her name as team captain on that piece of paper. What kind of captain was she if she was as flimsy as a soggy tissue? Biting the loose skin on her lip again, the young girl turned away and suddenly became very fascinated with the plant in the corner.

As she looked at the ridges in the leaves, she reflected on her weak spine. What had she thought about all those nights after she had come home from telling stories at the fountain? Courage. It always thrilled her to see the expressions on people’s faces as she stood up on the ledge of that fountain and exclaimed with great zealous how these people always did what needed to be done. That was what Yuriko yearned for. She wanted people to direct those looks of awe and wonder to her! She wanted to know that she had what it took to earn the people’s admiration. However, lying in her bed safe and sound, Yuriko somehow believed that it would be easy. That for some reason, that courage to push on where other’s failed would be easy. Reaching out and rubbing her finger against the smooth green leaves, Yuriko sighed. She guessed what was easy was thinking about courage. Digging down into your innermost being and wrenching it out from the jaws of cowardice was the actual hard part.

Thinking back on those heroes and heroines of times past and times not known, she wondered how they did it. Many times she spoke of love, honor, and duty. But now? What rope did she have to hold onto as she propelled herself down into her weakness? What about those people she remembered? What about the crowd’s faces? How the feeling engulfed her just thinking about all those people looking to her just for tell of those deeds! The exhilaration she felt looking at their faces brought her an
urge to fly to the sky and take on the world

She decided that was what she would focus on. She would focus on that blaze that ignited her blood and quickened her heart. The adrenaline thinking about it send a lightning bolt right through her mind that lit up her motivation in the darkness that was her unease.

Turning around abruptly, Yuriko broadened her smile and slammed her fist down into her open hand. Taking a few steps forward to rejoin the group, Yuriko gave a look of fierce determination, “Benjiro’s right. If we had the courage enough to come together, we have enough to continue onward. The first couple of steps are always the hardest. Momentum drives impossible tasks, but gaining it is what makes it an unstoppable force.”

As she started rubbing her prominent chin in thought, Yuriko actually began to pace. This was where her tactical skill was starting to kick in. “All we need is a plan. With a plan you have a base from which to make a stand,” started Yuriko as she wandered from one wall to the other with her head down, “If we think about this logically we can win this easily.”

Stopping in front of them again, Yuriko first pointed to Benjiro, “My Earthbending friend, you have the greatest element for defense. After all, they don’t call earthbenders stubborn for nothing! Look at the legendary Toph who was the greatest earthbender of all time who also happened to be blind. Nothing can get through an earthbender’s rock shield. So would you mind watching our backs? Will you be the one we can count on? Will you be there to catch us before we fall into the water?”

Then Yuriko transferred her gaze to Takeo, “As for you, Takeo, I need your ability to sabotage. Freezing people is an ability I envy! I wish I could pause people mid-step! Not to mention, waterbenders have a huge advantage with water surrounding you. You can push us up from falling off into the main body of water. So can I count on you to draw people away and to trip them up as much as possible? Can I count on you to be the other support?”

Taking a hurried breath in, she place a hand on her chest, “And I? I’ll help be a pain. I’ll send out fireballs like it’s going out of fashion. I’ll draw attention to myself when need be and throw myself in their way. I’ll also be a driving force to coral them like sheep into ice spears and earthen disk. I’ll send out tongues of fire to drive them into a tight formation to make them easy to take out in one sitting.”

Folding her arms, she finished with, “Once we have them worn out and huddling together in the very back, let us focus our energy into taking them out with one huge blow! So save your energy for that last push.”

Now that she was finished, Yuriko paused to look over the situation that just past. Wow she sounded bossy. Hurriedly, she added, “But that’s just my idea. . . I bet you guys have better ideas or strategies. Any suggestions or questions?”

((Alright, what I’m going to do here is add a small time jump so that Yuriko can respond to whatever you two say, but we can move on to the battle and we’re not stuck in this small space of time before the match.))

* * *

After the man came out with the pads and face protection, he began to explain the rules and regulations as he started to pass them out. Once he was finished, he gestured to the door, “Alright, once the door opens, step out on the ledge and it should extend to the center. Good luck!”

Exiting the room again, Yuriko looked nervously to each of her teammates as she slowly started putting on the uniform she was given. Even though it have been washed is still stank of old sweat and blood. Wrinkling her nose to the smell, she smiled to each of her teammates, “Let’s kick some ass!”

Once she stepped up to the door, it slid open to reveal the vast space beyond it. The stadium seemed to rise up in front of her and the cool air that hit her face was unnerving. Beyond the great body of water stood the arena she dreamed about. For just a simple mass of land, it sure held a lot of dreams. . . and soon sorrow for the loosing team. Swallowing hard, Yuriko clasped her hands in front of her so the other two wouldn’t see her hands shaking. If anything, Yuriko was afraid of heights. This set up was her worst nightmare and all she wanted to do was run from the platform that lay before her. But once she looked to the empty stands, she remembered to think of the cheering. She thought of all the people cheering her on when her back was literally at the ropes. Slowly, she took in a calming breath and put one foot forward.

When her foot hit solid matter and not air, Yuriko let out the breath she had accidentally held in. As she heard her teammates do the same, she heard cogs go to work to propel them into the center. If she hadn’t been a fighter, she would have been taken of balance by the sudden movement of the platform. Without realizing it, she began to think about being forced to jump off a plank on a pirate ship. And instead of sharks, she would meet fellow benders.

Speaking of which, Yuriko picked her head up to look at the other extending plank. Three proud figures stood together with their hands on their hips. At the head stood a stout man that played with a small flame in his hand. Ah, so that was the fire bender of their team. Where she would be agile, he would be powerful. Processing this while gnawing on her lips, Yuriko was tempted grab someone’s hands. When she was younger Yuriko had always ran to her Papa’s hand when something scared her. Now? No Papa or Ma to run to. Only her wits were there to hold on to.

After what felt like a painstaking amount of time, they reached the center. Stepping onto the arena, she heard the referee to her right call to them, “Everyone to the center and into position!”

Now shaking almost uncontrollably, Yuriko began to force herself forward and to keep a fierce mask on her face. The man in front of her, the fellow firebender, reflected back to her what she hoped she looked like. After all, he did look fearsome!

Making a small spark dance along his fingers like a coin, he cooed to her once she got within hearing range, “I promise not to burn your pretty face too much.”

Yuriko didn’t restrain herself this time when she felt the urge to growl. Baring her teeth and leaning forward, fists balled, Yuriko hissed “I’ll be sure not to make you cry too much once I kick your lousy arse!”

Like a voice from a different dimension, the referee called out one last time, “At the sound of gong, may the match begin!”

That was when timed slowed. It seemed that time held its breath in anticipation as much as the girl did. Each breath before that gong sounded took years to draw in and eons to release. Even blinks seemed to be a long endeavor. But once that gong’s bellow hit her eardrums, it was if time jumped in fright and sped the world up within an instant.

The man laughed as he launched a fireball recklessly at her. Surprised, Yuriko jumped automatically to right. It had been an old habit from working in a packed restaurant for so long. People would drop or accidentally throw things and if you were quick enough, you could have a hot plate of noodles down your front. Resisting the urge to squeak, yuriko finished her evasion with a barrel roll ((do a barrel roll!)). Standing up in one fluid movement, Yuriko whipped out a long tail of fire that unfurled itself around the man’s leg. Yelping at the pain that bit into his flesh, the man did an impressive spinning jump out of its grasp. Now fixating his nasty glare onto her, he sent out a flurry of fire her way. Overwhelmed, Yuriko dove now to the left. But it was to no avail as the flurry was too fast and inconsistent for her to dodge. Hit after hit pelted her; once in the arm, twice in the torso, and once more on her left leg.

Giving a small cry, Yuriko scrambled to her feet and watched as he began to conjure another fireball to send her way. But this was where her advantage came in handy. As quick as lightening, Yuriko snatched up ball of fire and threw it is way. Dropping his ball of fire, he quickly conjured a shield of flames to protect him. Of course, Yuriko had other plans. The ball exploded two feet away from the shield and split into small sparks that arched behind him. Not expecting this and not being quick enough to react, the man felt his attack two fold. Falling off balance, the man began to lean forward.

But she wasn’t done yet. Smiling triumphantly, Yuriko suspended a fire disk in front of her and round house kicked it straight into the man’s belly. With an Oomf!, the man flew back into the second zone with a hard thud. Standing up and holding his stomach, the man curse loudly. But he was no longer looking at Yuriko, he was now focused on the water bender beside her. Smiling maliciously, he invoked a bow and arrow of fire and sent one careening in his direction and another in her own.

((Now Tenshio you can either decide to be hit or to defend again the attack. Feel free to fight against your element as much as you want, but be sure to send the occasional attack to someone else. It does make it fun. Just remember to not auto-hit and to be fair. Also, since there will be a posting order in the actual competition, let’s practice blocking and redirecting –if possible- other’s attacks. And sorry if I sound bossy in the post in the OOC, I’ve been babysitting all day and I apologize. And once again, sorry for the long post!!!))

OOC: Hope this makes sense. If not, let me know.

Confidence. He had that, right? Not really, to be honest. Takeo might come off as constantly upbeat and cheerful, but when it came to his own abilities he was less than sure. He wasn’t terrible at Waterbending—he knew a few combat forms and could heal small wounds—but he’d never participated in Probending before. What if his movements were all wrong and he messed everything up for the team? They might not be facing a fantastic team—it would be unfair for a preliminary team to be highly skilled—but comparatively they didn’t seem like they had much of a chance. Maybe Benjiro was right, though. Maybe he was just letting his nerves get to him; If he just calmed down, he’d be fine.

Yuriko suggested that they formulate a plan, and the Waterbender nodded his agreement. Plans were good; they made sure that he knew what to do and when to do it. Of course, being as impulsive as he was, Takeo wasn’t all that good at sticking to plans once in the thick of things, but this was important. Surely he could focus to help his team succeed. So he listened closely when Yuriko explained what she wanted him to do. As she elaborated, his smile grew. Yuriko wanted him to trip people up, frustrate them, leave them open to more aggressive attacks.

In short, she wanted him to be a nuisance.

Just like that the confidence he’d been lacking showed itself, and he nodded. ”Sure, I can do that!” he confirmed. ”It sounds like fun.” It occurred to him to mention that he wasn’t allowed to use ice in the arena, but he left that alone. Water would be just as good, and easier to control. Liquid applied in just the right place could mess things up pretty badly for the opposing team.

The team captain asked if they had any suggestions, and Takeo shook his head. He was used to being told what to do; giving him orders was the only way his parents and other authority figures had found to keep him focused on whatever task needed completing. He was content to do what Yuriko said if it meant that they’d win the match and become an official Probending team. All that remained was to put her plan into action.

*****

All too soon the man who’d greeted them came back with uniforms for them and an explanation of the rules and what to expect when they left the lobby. Takeo pulled the uniform, frowning as he found it to be a little tight. It was no big deal, though; once he got moving any discomfort would be forgotten. An answering smile met Yuriko’s encouragement, and then they were through the door and off to meet their destiny.

He’d been to the arena before, but those times it had been filled with people all screaming and shouting over the developments of a match. Now, the stands sat empty and silent, which saddened him. This might be their first Probending match, but it sure didn’t feel like one. Still, waiting for them across the arena stood the preliminary team, and there were two referees towering above them on either side. That certainly made the match feel real enough.

The Waterbender swallowed hard as he moved with Yuriko and Benjiro to step onto the thin platform that would take them to the center platform on which they were to do battle. He jumped slightly as the bridge started forward, not expecting the sudden movement. To cover his embarrassment, he trained his gaze on the other team, sizing them up. His eyes were immediately met by a pair whose color was a darker shade of his own; they belonged to the enemy Waterbender, a short woman who looked about his age. The woman grinned at him, her arms folded casually across her chest, and he smiled weakly back. She was better than he was, and they both knew it. He’d just have to show her that experience didn’t guarantee a win. He could do it. He had to. His team depended on him.

The call of the referee herded the teams to the center, and Takeo found himself just a few feet away from his match, with Yuriko to his right and Benjiro beyond her. This was it. In just a few short minutes they’d either be a real team, or just a group of failures.

Yuriko and the opposing Firebender exchanged insults, but Takeo and his opposite were silent. The woman’s smirk said more than any words could, and he was already afraid of her and what she might do to him. But no, he could do this. It might not be what he was used to, but this was still Waterbending. He’d been doing that for years. Once he got going, everything would work out. He just needed to keep believing that.

“At the sound of gong, may the match begin!”

And so it began. Wasting no time, Takeo threw out his hands and brought up two streams of water from the grating behind him, bringing the two together at his side to form a sphere of liquid. He spun the sphere for a second before sending it flying at the enemy Waterbender’s chest. The woman leapt lazily out of the way and responded with a downward strike that sent a crescent of water flying at him. The attack was fast but shallow, easily blocked with a raised arm. The man responded by bringing his right arm up from under him in an underhand motion, sending a stream of water at his opponent in an uppercut, which the woman again dodged. She was quick.

The enemy Waterbender smiled at him again, then kicked forward, sending a disk of water straight at his feet. Takeo jumped to avoid the attack, but then suddenly found himself hurtling backward, struck in the chest by an unseen arrow of fire. The Waterbender struck the ground and rolled, a harsh buzzing noise letting him know that he had landed back in zone two. That was not acceptable. Scowling, the man got to his feet, turning his gaze on the enemy Firebender. He was pleased to see the man a zone beyond his teammates; Yuriko had done some damage.

Glaring at the man who’d pushed him back a zone, Takeo brought up a stream of liquid and, with an overhand strike, sent it flying at the Firebender, who produced a fireball to block the attack. Realizing that that one was better left to Yuriko, he turned his eyes back on his opposite, ready to continue their bout.

But the woman was no longer interested in him. Instead, she had turned her attention to Benjiro. She summoned water to her arm, then thrust forward, sending a fast jet of water at the Earthbender. This was quickly followed by another of the disks, aimed at Benjiro’s feet. Angered by the switch in target, Takeo decided to get the woman’s attention again, and succeeded by slamming her in the chest with a jet of water, making her stumble backward and look toward him again. Though he was a zone back, Takeo smiled. He wasn’t out of this yet.