Charumati frowned, not in displeasure but in thought. It was the same answer as he gave her originally, but it didn't explain the why. Why leave his home to come to such a busy and unforgiving place? But before she could clarify, he asked her the same question.

It was a good question, and one that Charumati hadn't really thought much about. Her great-grandparents settled in the Earth Kingdom after fleeing from Fire Lord Sozin, like many other Galgori. The area they settled in eventually became the Fire Nation Colonies, and eventually became Republic City, capital of the United Republic of Nations. She was here because... well, just because.

"A good question," she said finally, her eyes looking past Nirav, lost in thought. Why had she stayed? With her skills, she could have done a multitude of things. Instead, she wrote for the local paper, her small words lost in a sea of bender-positive propaganda. She fought, faceless, anonymous, against the bender tyranny, and for what? To have Amon be not a paragon of nonbender ideals, but yet another bender building his empire on the backs of the down trodden.

The older woman draped her arm over the back of the sofa and tapped her nose. Unbidden, the nameless faces of the nonbenders she had helped over the years came to her minds eye, full of smiles; the little girl she had protected from bending-capable bullies, the old man who stopped getting threats from the local gangs once her chi-blocker squad took out their leaders, the sick woman who grew finally received much needed healing when she encouraged her column readers to donate to her family.

"For change," she answered at long last. "To help those who cannot help themselves." Keen brown eyes studied Nirav, searching, analysing. "Many here suffer, you have seen." The cat meowed to punctuate her point, and she patted the cushion next to her, scratching the fabric with her nails to entice the cat to jump up. It did, and she smiled faintly as she scritched its head.

"Benders — those of fire, earth, water — they hold power. Today, this cat was hunted for sport." She caught herself, slowing her words before they became too fast. "Many times, in this place, people are also hunted for sport." She looked at Nirav, her gaze steady. "Sometimes hunted with fighting, for sport. Other times, punished for no money. Others..." Charu paused, and blinked. "Others die," she finished bluntly.

"In this place, rules in favour of benders.Those who have no fire, no earth, no water... so many of us, yet no one is protect us. Sometimes, there are good benders, who help. But so few."

Charumati hoped he understood.    

Nirav's head tilted to the side as his companion launched into words to supply answers to his question. It was a thing she had passion for, it seemed; the words came quick from her lips. But she thankfully caught this and soon slowed down for his benefit. Even then, his language skills were strained... yet he was certain he had grasped the meaning of her words.

His long fingers raised to his face and scratched the damaged ear, itching at the missing chunks there as he contemplated his next reply. Charumati cared for her people in the city it seemed, very much so. She explained how the benders had power over those who did not bend the elements... yet this was not new. There were always those born with an advantage: height, strength, instinct. Bending ability was just another. And in these new places, there were those born into families with large homes and many treasures. More advantages for simply being born at the right time and the right place to the right people.

Before, when he had first left his home in the mountain, he would have suggested that if they were unable to live in this place then they should just leave and find another place. But he knew now that many people, for some reason, placed value on location. He had once witnessed a man stand and fight to stay in a place that was so badly damaged it was all but falling down. It was an alien idea for him, to stay in one place (especially if it was unwise to do so), but he knew that such a suggestion as 'leave' would be poorly received here.

There were many things here that he did not understand. Many things he had no care to understand. He would try to explain his thoughts.

"If not benders... err... someone else. Others with strength, in big... house. That is path... no, err... that is the way, here in the below, I think. Who lives in the big house favours their own." Nirav sighed as he marshaled his limited speaking skills. "Up, where I live before. Rule of life: strong live on, weak... they die. All are hunted. All are prey. All suffer under this rule. Only rule. It breaks you... or makes you more."

He paused, gesturing to the feline that purred beneath her hand.

"This beast, it weak. I save because... err, because man should know more, no, better. Few here... respect the rule. Life not to be made to suffer. Life is to suffer," the hunter continued, punctuating the last statements with a finger to his palm. His dark eyes looked for Charumati's own, some small frustration flickering within them as he struggled with his tongue.

"I am... not know if all the words are, err, right." Nirav finished, holding up his palms towards his host in an apologetic shrug. His glance fell to the book she had shown him, the colourful one that promised language. "Maybe when I hold more words, I try one more?"

Charumati nodded gravely. "Yes," she agreed. "If not benders, someone else. But — " She held up a finger. " — just because someone else later, does not mean we cannot help now. For those who do not know how to help themselves."

She smiled and held her tongue when Nirav asked to continue later, when he had a better grasp of the language, bowing her head in acceptance of his request. "So be it," she said. It was a complicated discussion even for those with mastery of the local tongue, never mind for someone with a limited vocabulary.

A small little chime punctuated the end of their conversation; an hour had passed since they had started talking. Just one more before bed. Truth be told, she was keyed up and itching to fight. It was too late to start anything, but she made a note to begin her day with a workout — perhaps teach Nirav some useful self-defense skills that didn't involve a knife.

The knife. She blinked, looking at her friend with thought. "Your weapon," she said slowly. "The knife. In this place, this city, do not use against man." Indicating with her fingers the walls of her home, she continued. "Here, in my home, it is permitted. Outside, to use against man will bring much trouble."

Grabbing the newspaper, she rifled through its pages until she found what she was looking for. She held it out for Nirav to see, pointing at the photograph depicting several members of the RCPD.

"Police." She said the word slowly, forcefully. "Benders. Of metal. They keep the law in this place." The older woman looked up, the disdain obvious on her face. "Fighting not allowed. Earlier, I stop you. If you hurt them, they tell the police. Police take you." She set the paper down and grasped her wrists. "Restrain you." She pantomimed throwing something. "Put you in a metal box. For days. Weeks. Maybe months. If you kill," she added. "For forever."

The young hunter felt a slight surge of relief as his host seemed to come to the same conclusion as himself and bowed her head in acceptance. Truth to be told, his throat was getting that scratchy, aching sensation he associated with over-speaking. He spent most of his time alone or with beasts; human interaction for such prolonged periods of time were a trial in of themselves. A note of music pinged into existence and Nirav looked around in bafflement for a moment before his host began talking again.

As Charumati spoke up once more, indicating his kukri and explaining to him not to use it, Nirav nodded slowly. Yes, the ones that fell from the sky. He noted the face of his companion as she spoke. Much contempt, anger. These people behind their walls of stone and metal seemed fond of chains.

"So it is. I use, one. Three men attack, err, small... woman who help me when I first, umm, dock. So I use on them, but not send them to Long Sleep. Small woman stop me, take me away. But they find anyway. They say to me, 'no use'. I say 'it is tool'. Small woman... say yes, say 'that how it went down, they would have killed us, it is self-defense', so they did not take it away, just put me in room for few moons. But they did not like my, err, my..." Nirav struggled to find the right word, indicating back to the room his host had offered him. He stretched one arm out and mimed the act of pulling back a bowstring.

"I say: 'it tool too'. They get... umm, anger. Say, put me in room longer if I do not leave it back... err, behind. So I not wear it inside walls. Did not come back for many moons after that." Nirav let his arms fall to his sides again. "But they can not hold for ever. Just 'til I, err, leave the flesh. But do not want to be... holded? No, umm, held. Prefer open sky. No walls."

His hand played absentmindedly with the pommel of the knife. "It just tool. No more weapon than, err, artists stone cutter or wood axe..." Nirav's eyebrow sprang up conspiratorially. "Or fire. Hands make them weapons. Just tool in mine. Only ever tool."

OOC: Since there's going to be a time shift this weekend, I'm going to go ahead and skip to morning so we can get a few things out of the way. PM me so we can discuss post-time shift stuff!

Charumati snorted in derision, not at Nirav but at the behaviour of the RCPD. "Of course," she said, her voice even but her nostrils flaring in obvious indignation. It was the most her carefully composed face had given away in years. There was no need to hide her thoughts with Nirav, her instinct told her.

"You were lucky," she told Nirav. "Many times they speak false, to capture anyway, even if no wrong done."

Yes, it would be vital to teach Nirav some acceptable self defence, the kind that wouldn't wind up with him in jail; the kind where you could say, He started it, officer! and the RCPD would be hard pressed to find a judge that would honour the arrest. Usually, at any rate.

She debated whether or not to teach him how to block chi... it would be useful, but too easy to identify the user without the cover of an Equalist mask.

Leaning back, Charumati rubbed her temples. It had been the most eventful day she'd had in a year. In some ways, the activity of battle was preferable to the constant socialisation she had experienced today.

Eventually, she bade Nirav goodnight. She hoped the mountain man would be able to find some comfort in her home, as unused as she could only assume he was to the luxuries of modern living.

—-

The following morning, Charu woke up at her usual time. Without so much as a groan, she slipped out of bed and into her fuzzy pink slippers. Her rabbit patterned pyjamas whispered softly as she shuffled down the hall, still a little groggy.

By the time Nirav appeared, the older woman was fully dressed and a balanced breakfast for two had been laid out on the table. The meal was much more conservative than it had been the night before: a slice of toast, already buttered; a half a grapefruit with some salt sprinkled on top to mitigate the bitterness; a small bowl of rice; and two raw eggs to crack atop the hot rice (an old staple no longer in vogue: the heat off the rice would wind up cooking the egg once the two ingredients were mixed). To drink, a glass of water and the option to partake in some plain green tea.

Charu, dressed in the loose pants and double-buttoned loose top common in martial arts, sat at the table, legs crossed as she read the paper, her breakfast untouched. It was apparent she had just finished cooking, as steam still rose lazily above each dish. Her face was grave as she scanned the articles, but changed immediately upon realising Nirav had walked in.

"Good morning," she said, her soft voice cheery. "Did you sleep well?"

Charumati appeared tired. Hands to temple, eyes lined. A long day, perhaps. Perhaps it was the strain of trying to communicate with him? He knew that his own mental stamina was taxed to the limit. The language barrier was a hard one to climb. If her lessons were true, maybe that may not be the case for much longer.

Weariness overcame her and she bid him goodnight. Uncomfortable with still wandering around the home of his host without her, Nirav retreated to the room she had offered. Door closed, the hunter spared the bed a glance before unrolling his sleeping mat on the floor. He removed his kukri from his belt, laying it next to him in easy reach along with the rolled up fabric hiding his bow.

Just as he closed his eyes, there came a weak scratching noise from the door, along with a muffled meowing. It persisted for a minute until finally the young hunter pulled himself up and let the little beast in. It slid in, looked about for a moment before leaping onto the bed and curling up to sleep. Shrugging, Nirav went back to the floor and slumbered.

—

Eyes snapped open.

Disorientation blurred his mind for a moment. This was not the wilds. No trees, no sounds of beasts or birds. Just the low purr of the little feline grooming itself on the bed. It was surreal, waking up to the stifling walls of so-called civilisation, instead of the forest with free air.

He rose onto his feet, grabbing his kukri and snapping it back onto its place on his belt. He quietly rolled up his mat and attached it to his bag, then silently padded out into the hallway. The scent of food snaked into his nostrils and his stomach made it known it wanted to partake. He stood still momentarily as he saw his host reading, unsure if he should disturb her, but she took notice of his presence and spoke.

"I, err... Sleep. Not waking under... trees, is strange," Nirav replied, his deep voice tangling with the alien tongue once again. Not a thing for the brain to do after just waking, the hunter thought.

He remained stood there awkwardly for a moment, then took a seat opposite Charumati. He looked down at the meal before him. The smell was tempting and he wasted no time tucking in. He looked up at his host, mouth full of food.

"You are, um, well?" Nirav's words were muffled at first, swallowing the food before he spoke but picking at some trapped in his teeth.