Anonymous
Nov 23, 2013 10:32:36 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2013 10:32:36 GMT -6
OOC: This is taking place a month after Amon's disappearance.
*Atop Harmony Tower*
The scenery had changed. Just a few months ago, this place was crowded with couples who enjoyed admiring the city lights and landscape while cuddling. Now, the few people that came here were the ones that saw in it a way to escape from the trauma caused by the Equalist Revolution - both sides of it. And for that reason, Kim did not like this place anymore. Not only had it become a sad place to draw inspiration from, since it was one of the few buildings that had not taken very extensive damage during the attack, but to the young artist it was also a bit of a reminder of her misled ideas.
Back when she intended to vandalize the city in the name of art, Harmony Tower was one of the key places of her plan. It only served to remind her that the one area where they'd managed to make a very meaningful action - a message on top of some buildings using lit sculptures made by Jing and her, transported thanks to Fukui - had been blown up the next day by the Equalists without being seen by anybody. Add to that the fact that she hadn't seen either Kesshou or Jing since then, which was rather worrisome, and there you had a complete failure.
She stared into the distance, her eyes going from one place in repair to another. So many things had taken place, and she wondered if this city would come out stronger from the experience, seeing as repairs were ongoing, or if this would actually remain a wound that never fully healed. Or worse, it could actually open the door to a dangerous virus: fear. Whetever Amon had really been, his movement had managed to escalate to the point that peace had, for a short while, been erased from people's minds. From everyone's minds - even she couldn't hold back an urge to go to the Arena, tear down their banners and sink all those Equalists into the bay. But it had been settled, and it seemed like the city was moving on.
Kim slapped herself. What was she thinking, it wasn't her place to worry about general well-being. Her own workshop had been spared, she was doing fine... that was better than most people. And definitely not something she should take lightly, now that she considered it her home. In fact, it was pretty visible from the roof of the Tower. Luckily the block in which is was located was rather remote, so all the repairs were taking place in neighboring streets. Just the distant sight of the tiny flat roof that belonged to her workshop was enough to put a smile to her face. But still, she'd kill for some company, right now.
Anonymous
Dec 4, 2013 18:36:33 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2013 18:36:33 GMT -6
Fukui found that the best way to stay out of this Equalist War was to stay unknown. It was a well-working and effective method, and thus, she managed to keep her bending while others were much less fortunate.
And yet, was this what she really wanted? To be remembered as a nameless nobody shoe names were only in the records just to prove that she existed? What would her grandmother have said?
It was sometime around when her mind was revolving around this thought that she had an epiphany. Perhaps living fast and dying young would be better for her anyways, especially given that she didn't really have any real plans in her future. A glance in one of her mirrors showed what she needed to see. Surely it was just her eyes playing tricks on her, or her mind producing things that she felt that she wanted or needed to hear, but her reflection morphed slightly, and Fukui found herself looking at Tenoko in the mirror.
"you're not me, Fukui. You do not need to be me. Be yourself. Do what feels right..."
it was simple advice, but the whole "being yourself" thing had been one of grangran Tenoko's famous sayings.
So that was what she did. She evaded capture during most of the heat of the war, sometimes (almost) getting into trouble, and occasionally having to work her way out of whatever problem she had been shunted into. Even then, her stories were not nearly as wild as Tenoko's. Perhaps something needed to be done about that.
For whatever reason, fate decided that it wanted Fukui to take a trip to Harmony Tower... perhaps to the top. as Fukui made her way to said locale, it began making more sense, really. She was curious, and suddenly wanted to see the extent of the damage from this war. Aye, the reparation efforts had been underway for a little while now, but there was still plenty more to be done.
She climbed the tower and soon reached the observation deck, where she looked over the damaged city. Even with this wreckage in place, the lights of the city blazed ever brighter, as if to symbolize to the waterbender that the city was far from dead. This was but a flesh-wound, and Republic City would return and rebound. She walked to different parts of the deck to see the city from various angles. some parts had been less damaged than others, and other places were repaired quicker, and so forth. However, it was not the city that took Fukui's eye this time. Instead, it was a face that she was certain she recognized.
"Kim?" she tilted her head with slightly widened eyes, curiously.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Dec 7, 2013 20:57:21 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2013 20:57:21 GMT -6
...This may have been a bad idea, and Kim was starting to realize it. Looking at Republic city from this angle was a little depressing, and if she had to be honest she'd say that the best way to convince oneself that everything would be okay was to remain at home in denial, where everything was fine. Her workshop was still standing, and she should have just stayed inside... Then again, she hadn't drawn anything since hearing the first news about riots in the city, so it was probably just as depressing over there. Was there any way out of these dark thoughts ?
Friendship. Or rather, the sound of her friend calling out her name somewhere. At first, Kim thought the voice was coming from her imagination, as she was slowly drifting into her thoughts and about to close her eyes. But glancing at her side made her notice Fukui's presence almost right next to her.
"Oh !!... Hello !" She said with a slightly higher pitch in her voice than she intended. Clearing her throat a little, she internally started wondering if fate might have hijacked her thoughts. "Fancy meeting you here. I was getting lonely." She said with a smile. They'd probably had the same idea, or something similar, of checking on the city from above. The worry that wouldn't leave her since before was now starting to fade. There were still too many interference for her to suddenly feel a rush of inspiration, though.
"So. How have you been ? I've been better, personally. I thought maybe coming here would help get a grip on reality and all but... It seems to make me want to escape." The young artist said while leaning against the railing. The wind started blowing gently at this point. It was worth mentioning here because, since she hadn't painted her face today, the wind against her face felt different from the usual. It felt colder. "Escape the city itself, even." She muttered to herself while lowering her head, hoping Fukui hadn't heard.
Anonymous
Dec 12, 2013 20:33:29 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2013 20:33:29 GMT -6
Fukui's thoughts were not nearly so deep at first. Instead, she simply gazed blankly over the city in front of her, musing about its various aspects without actually saying anything. her musings were simple in nature: things like "oh, look at that damage", or "that business was lucky that fire missed his shop by only a few feet" and other such things. It was only after seeing Kim that her attention had wandered.
"Fancy meeting you indeed." Fukui agreed, "I was ready to believe that I'd never see you again." She had been about to ask how her friend had been, but Kim popped the question to Fukui first.
"I have been a bit lonely, but mostly just staying out of the ever-watchful eye of those Equalists, y'know? Last thing I would want would be to lose my bending."
"Escape?" Fukui had not heard her mutter, "escape what? the city? a place away from all this fighting and carnage?"
She was no mind-reader, but escaping the city didn't seem like a terrible idea to her either, mostly because there was nothing for her here, really.
she closed her eyes, letting the wind brush against her heavy hair as she waited for Kim's response.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Dec 18, 2013 4:42:35 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2013 4:42:35 GMT -6
"Yes !! I mean-" She blurted out suddenly without thinking. She bit her lips, trying to decide whether to let it out or to keep it quiet. It was confusing how Fukui had guessed her intentions, despite how weird they seemed even to Kim herself. And that wasn't the only source of confusion in the young artist's mind, which made things a bit difficult to see objectively. It was a little annoying, to say the least. A sigh escaped her sealed lips before she allowed herself to speak. "I'm just tired of this non-bender fear. I know some that enjoy my art very much, and I would hate to find out that they were harboring resentment towards me in any way." She said, feeling a little mad. "My work is the most neutral thing there is, I could not believe that anyone would- no, I can't accept it. Faking admiration just to get to me is-"
Her fists clenched a llittle, but she turned around before she could show that her emotions were about to burst out. It would have been a little embarrassing. This whole situation had gotten to her head, and she was feeling ashamed for it. Mad, too. Mad at herself because she let it reach her so deeply, mad at Amon for being a fraud and instigating this revolution, mad at everyone else for letting themselves get caught up in it... Kim crossed her arms and pouted, facing away from the Waterbender. "I'd like to get away from all of that. Curse me if I'm going to start questioning the passion of others."
Anonymous
Dec 30, 2013 23:54:46 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2013 23:54:46 GMT -6
[OOC--I am back! ^^]
Fukui listened with a certain silence and yet respectful interest that would remind someone of her grandmother, if anyone from her era was still alive to see it. The resemblance was also rather uncanny even now.
"My mother always told me that fear only rules those weak enough to accept it. propaganda is a powerful tool..." she noted, "I'm sure she got that from her mother, since Tenoko surely faced the full force of Fire Nation propaganda back in the day. I'm sure the other nations harbored fear and resentment towards people of that nationality for years. This city almost seems like a miracle itself."
She decided to halt herself, for she felt like she was rambling.
"but... if you'd like to get away with it... maybe you should? well... maybe we should. I wouldn't want to say that you should leave the city... not without a friend at least."
Frankly, there was something to be gained for Fukui from this. She had always longed for some of the adventures and risks that her grandmother used to take. Even her mother had some "blood on her hands", so to speak (or so she always called it. even to this day Fukui was unsure how literal she meant it), , but Fukui's life just seemed too... dull. too mundane. Was she condemned to live and die as a forgotten member of the Nagishima family line? No... she wished to be remembered in the same ways as her mother and even moreso, the way her grandmother was remembered.
Although it did seem more meaningful to have someone with her. Fukui knew that this journey, should it happen, would not center around herself, and she would not have it that way even if given the choice.
"So... did you want to...?" she asked, "you know... just... run away?" she shrugged, wishing she had worded it better. But, it had been said, and she could not un-say it now.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jan 1, 2014 12:26:20 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2014 12:26:20 GMT -6
Kim couldn't help but chuckle in agreement with Fukui's statement about Tenoko., thinking her own grandmother would probably have the same kind of advice for her - which was making her even angrier at herself, since she was unable to follow it. "Nothing beats motherly lessons. It was certainly a time in which people's greatest weakness was fear. But the kind of strength our grandmothers showed is beyond my reach. At least in this here city." She replied. If only her master or her mother were here with her, she might be able to settle down. Afterall, her mother had had to deal with the young woman's whimsical moods since birth, and her master had been the one to refine her into this open minded artist, and to teach her to capture the world. He could knock some sense into her if he were here.
Her breath made a pause when Fukui pronounced the words "maybe we should". It had more or less been on her wishlist from the moment they met, to go on an adventure with her like their grandmothers had. So indeed, maybe they should just leave the city and travel to old or new places, find a change that would distract them from the mess left behind in Republic City... But it only sat well with her because it was worded in such a colorful and appealing way, when the truth of what she sought would be more accurately described as 'running away'. Another word for it that popped up in her mind was 'cowardice'. Not something she was accustomed to, not a part of her teachings. The most hurtful thing was to admit that it was what she needed.
A little unsure, she ran a hand through her hair, as if this confusion was a bug on her head that needed to go. Running away... was there really any excuse to justify going through with it ? "I know it sounds selfish..." Kim began saying, trying to circumvent the obvious "yes" in response to Fukui's question "And honestly, if I knew for sure that staying here would allow me to see this simply as 'something that will pass', because I would have certainty that things would get better, I wouldn't even consider leaving the city. But really, I'm not as mature as I think I am. Not that mature, anyway." Then she turned around, put her hands behind her back, and tried to smile without showing the showing that her next words were going to bring her.
"So yes. I just want to run away. That's not something any of those who know me would approve, because I could certainly take part in the effort to make things right again. Art can move mountains, and I am one of its arms within the city. But right now, I feel too weak." Her smile had faded as she was speaking "And I think I might let my conviction get crushed... If I could feel like I did something meaningful, then I could stand here, in this city, and keep going."
OOC: And Happy New Year !!
Anonymous
Jan 9, 2014 20:51:06 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2014 20:51:06 GMT -6
[OOC-happy new year to you too! sorry I didn't see this sooner!]
"my mother used to always say that fear only rules those willing to accept it." Fukui nodded in response. "I don't know how she thought that way, or how she was so fearless, but I suppose that if she had conquered her fears, then more power to her, and I could do the same..."
she hoped she could, anyways, for the idea was rather appealing in the long run.
Tenoko was a great teacher, and this was something Fukui heartily acknowledged. she had refined Fukui's mother well, and in turn, helped refine Fukui more in her youth. She missed that woman quite deeply.
"well... my mother always used to say that you could not waste your time and energy trying to please everyone, otherwise you would just end up a mess and there would still be those who were displeased. I do not think she was condoning pure selfishness here, but doing yourself a little favor every now and again is not going to hurt. Doing yourself a big favor every now and again like this wouldn't hurt either I don't think."
This was more than "a little favor", after all, but Fukui was not going to back down. She felt like she could move as easily as Tenoko did back during The War.
"Let's do it then." she smiled at her friend. "time is not going to stop moving for us, so we should prepare and then be off. Republic City is not going to die in our absence, but there's a whole world out there for us to go and see."
That was how Fukui viewed it anyways. There was nothing holding her down here, and so she felt no attachment to the city. Thus, she could (and would) up and leave right then and there if she wanted to.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Jan 13, 2014 10:44:53 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2014 10:44:53 GMT -6
Starting to get on the defensive, Kim wondered whether Fukui was about to accept her offer, or was trying to give her some sort of lecture that would change her mind. If it was the latter, then she was not doing a good job of it because the young artist still wanted to leave... But at the same time, the Waterbender had raised some points that were giving her mind a few thoughts to process more thoroughly before she could actually go through with her wish. If she went now, she wasn't so sure it would be with a clear conscience. And while at first she thought the voyage itself would make it easy to get over, now... not so much anymore.
"You know... I'm not sure I can really do myself a favor unless I know that it's not gonna hurt." She muttered, feeling a little uneasy - again - at the thought of dropping everything. She likely didn't have much to worry about concerning her life, but it wasn't like stopping in the middle of cooking just because she didn't feel like having meat. "What I want does not sit well with the way I was raised." Kim began saying "My mother has a vision of the world that she has passed on to me. I feel like I would be betraying that if I don't... find a loophole. It would be unsightly." She felt a sort of crawl on her skin as she said that last word. A vivid memory of her childhood, and her mother punishing her sisters and her for their brash and rude behavior, suddenly unfolded in her mind. They were all sitting in their room, with rocks on their laps, eyes closed. The rocks represented the burden of their own faults, and they were supposed to realize how unnecessary their actions were. They were meant to figure what was wrong with their behavior and perfect it. If they didn't the rock would feel heavier.
Of course, since she was an Earthbender, she would always try to lift the rock off her lap and run away, but there was always something in her way. Whether it was her older sisters keeping her in the room, or simply the rock actually becoming heavier - she had later discovered that her mother was the one to do that, although at that time she was already mature enough to stop running. In the end, it was all a big lesson masquerading as child discipline. "Beauty." She muttered again, escaping from that memory. "That's what I seek everywhere. I'm a perfectionist and I require harmony." She turned around, her eyes wide open as if she had just realized something absolutely important. At this point she was just speaking to herself. "If I leave, my life will seem ugly... But if I don't, it's my conviction that will be crushed... Then again, it's only part of my life, I still have a long way to go... And I also don't want to reflect on this day and think badly of the me now. I'm not a child anymore, afterall." Kim rambled.
Her hands slowly went up to her head. Once again it was driving her mad. This was nothing more than a toss of paint on the beautiful canvas of a piece of art, and the worst part was that the young artist could see the paint as it was flying towards the painting that was her life, just about to ruin it for curious eyes. It was also the first time she was feeling that way, as she'd never had this kind of second-thinking for any of her choices. It was hard to objectively find a resolve once more... What had this city done to her ?
Anonymous
Jan 25, 2014 20:20:04 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2014 20:20:04 GMT -6
[OOC--umm... derp me. *smacks self*]
Fukui was certainly not trying to convince her friend to change her mind about leaving. The waterbender wanted out, and was probably going to leave regardless of if she was accompanied or not.
"My grandmother was never really one to follow her parents. They suggested that she stay in the Southern Water Tribe years ago... she left anyways, and then it got invaded not long afterwards... that was the last she saw of them, and look where it got her."
Tenoko's story had always been something of a mystery, and maybe this was just an elaboration of the truth instead of the actual reality, but at the same time, maybe that was to prove a point or teach a lesson. Tenoko had always had a story or two to tell. Some of them were clearly embellished, while others rang truly. She had been known in the tribe for her words and her deeds though, and most of her "false" stories had been done for comedic effect.
"I suppose that I am more engrained in free and individual thinking." she confessed, "there are traditions in my family, but my mother was different from my grandmother, and both of them hope that I will be different from them. I do want to follow in her footsteps and have adventures like she did, but by that, I only wish to have adventures of my own rather than go to the places she did and experience what she experienced. I've concluded that parents and children are often very different people. While they can be similar, their hopes and dreams and ambitions for the world around them tend to differ greatly. I cannot live my mother's dream. I cannot live my grandmother's dream. There is nothing for me here to live my dream... and that is why I must go."
She glanced around the city again from her viewpoint, and then back at Kim. "my invitation still stands, however... you are welcome to come with me... but I have made up my mind, and my path is clear." she smiled. she could tell that her friend was conflicted about it, but to each their own, perhaps. She had resolved her conflicts, and so was ready to know what was going to happen.
~Fukui~
Anonymous
Feb 1, 2014 19:13:43 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2014 19:13:43 GMT -6
The feelings that were running around inside Kim's heart seemed to try and settle down when Fukui started speaking in response, although the young artist didn't really find it helpful to hear more about Tenoko's free will. Granted, she was admirative of it, as Hinh must have been back in her time, otherwise she wouldn't have held her in such high regard - according to what Kim's mother said. But... for crying out loud, there was still something at her core that was painfully stinging at her every attempt to make a decision. Had it anything to do with her passion, she was certain the answer would have come very easily, about as naturally as breathing in. But looking for guidance had never really been her thing. Second-guessing either. It was really just too bad she'd thought about her upbringing at all... Why in the world did she think about her mother ?
Oh, right... She was lost, and Chan Kinh had always been the one to pave the way for her, or at least set her in the right direction. Well for once, her "indirect" involvement had made things worse than they should have been and Kim would have been better off acting impulsively, even if potentially making a mistake. She let out a long sigh, trying to compose everything and to find a certain rank for these things. But the truth of the matter was, it was annoying to give priorities to what she wanted, or needed. What she could tell was that her harmony was broken - probably that thing at her core - and for some reason she didn't know how to fix it. Yet, she had no idea what to make of it- well no, she did have an idea which was running away and travel the world.
"Snap..." She just muttered "I think you're right." The young artist lowered her hands, trying to hold up her head as if she had just received a hard slap to the side of it. "In my own way, I've been trying to live my mother and grandmother's dreams at the same time. Or rather, I've been trying to live mine, but in the way they lived theirs... How wrong of me. I guess the fact that I'm now here, second-guessing myself, is a sign that my lifestyle was too weak, and that this would have been a short-lived dream." She stated, every word she was saying stinging like a needle. Still, with every word she said, Kim was purging her heart of the unsettling feelings that had taken hold. She felt herself finding peace again, slowly but progressively.
"If all the stories I know have taught me anything, it's that it takes a while to find one's true path. Some do it earlier than others..." She paused, thinking about her sisters for a second "...And some require a journey with a friend and some liquor." Her chest tightened at that last word. It had kind of come out without her thinking about it, she was only having this tiny question of whether she'd ever tasted some before. "I'll... still go with you even if there isn't any, of course. I won't even bring much stuff, only the strict minimum and some of my tools. Afterall, I'd rather bring things home, than bring my home with me on this voyage."
