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A year has passed since Fire Lord Zuko ascended the throne, and it seems like trouble is brewing between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom once more. The Fire Lord and the Avatar began the Harmony Restoration Movement to restore the Fire Nation Colonies to their pre-war state by bringing any Fire Nation nationals back home, but for many of the citizens — of mixed Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom … Read more ›

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Afternoon of Contemplation

Anonymous
Jul 30, 2017 22:07:41 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 22:07:41 GMT -6

The sun shone down on Mitsuko's skin as she strolled through the city, headed in no particular direction. It was an activity she had loved doing ever since she had come to Republic City. There was just something magical about seeing all the different people and all the different places, each with their own story and experiences. It was almost relaxing, to just wander and take the time to think. Her life hadn't always been so busy but with recent events, she found herself swamped with things to do more times than not. A lot had been on her mind after visiting the Temple of Koh and she couldn't help but wonder how some of those she helped were now doing. There was a tiny piece of her that realized that maybe she enjoyed these simple walks so much because there was the chance that she could run into one of them. Maybe they wouldn't share words with one another but instead their eyes would meet and they would part ways. However, even that would have been enough.

Mitsuko thought back to the words of advice a certain Air Acolyte had generously given her about guilt and she was slowly coming to realize how right the woman had been. She wished she could thank her more than she did, but she doubted that their paths would ever cross again. While it was something that saddened her, the two were almost from different worlds and between her search for her brother, the training she was doing to make it onto a Probending team, and her work, Mitsuko didn't get that much time off to reach out to friends. Even with this knowledge, she held onto the small piece of hope that maybe they'd run into one another once more and maybe even get to know each other better.

The sound of children laughing as they ran past her caused her to realize that she had paused her walking and was entirely absorbed in her thoughts. Mitsuko silently chided herself and let out a small chuckle as she watched the same kids continue to chase each other around, likely playing some type of game. They weren't the only ones enjoying themselves, there were families at picnics, old couples feeding turtle-ducks, and young adults laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes. It was nice, to see that even with all the turmoil around them, people still were capable of enjoying themselves.

With a content sigh, Mitsuko continued her simple stroll but quickly found herself frozen in her steps at the flash of gray hair and large, wide-framed glasses. Maybe holding onto the hope of meeting Ren once more wasn't so wild of a thought after all.

She approached the kind woman with a smile on her face, "Hi Ren, it's nice to see you again! How have you been?"
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Post by Ren on Aug 1, 2017 22:37:23 GMT -6

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It seemed like she was spending less and less time outside of Republic City again, and Ren wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. If she ever strayed from her path to the Temple of Koh or to Air Temple Island, every street downtown seemed to hold memories of Hangetsu: the café he took her to on their first date, Leumurland, the little side street where they took photos during the Harvest Festival... even looking up and seeing the metal zip lines the RCPD used to get from point A to B served as a painful reminder to what she lost.

Ren found herself sitting on a street bench watching some children run around while playing. She wasn't quite sure how she got there, but their smiles and laughter was like a balm on her wounded heart. There was, at least, some joy still left in the world.

A cheerful greeting broke through her reverie, and she looked up, slightly disoriented. A familiar face came into view, but it was a few moments before Ren was able to focus.

"Oh! Mitsuko! Hello!" She stood hastily and bowed in greeting, her messy braid slipping over her shoulder. "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere. I've been fine, and you?"

It wasn't totally a lie; for all intents and purposes, she was fine. She and Johar were getting to be fast friends, Air Temple Island seemed like less of a threat, and the little stray "cat" she had brought by seemed to be getting on with the other Acolytes just fine.

But she missed Hangetsu terribly. His grandfather's altar, still safely tucked away at her flat, now had the added photograph of Hangetsu and her dressed in kimonos for the Harvest Festival. She offered rice and incense to them daily, hoping that their souls were at peace. Still, it hurt to remember him, and hurt even more that the last time she had seen him was several weeks before the attack on Air Temple Island.

And regret, because she had just been too busy to make it off the Island, despite his invitations.

When she straightened it was with a smile, but there was a suspicious shimmer in her eye that may or may not have been tears.
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Anonymous
Aug 2, 2017 19:31:47 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2017 19:31:47 GMT -6

The word fine was a funny one. It could mean a number of different things but in Mitsuko's experience, the word was usually used when the person saying it was the opposite of fine. It was an easy excuse and an even easier to get out of telling whoever it was you were speaking to how you were really feeling. It usually meant something else was going on, something you didn't exactly want to talk about. Usually it was used in a multitude of different ways, but in this moment, it seemed to be noting more than a counter-intuitive statement. Mitsuko wouldn't push, if Ren wanted to talk through any emotions, she would. There had been plenty of time Mitsuko wished to push certain memories away rather than address how she felt about them.

"I've been good." Mitsuko responded and there was a lot of truth to the statement, but there was falsity in it as well.

Mitsuko had been good, she'd been great really. Everything was going well in her life, her job at the flower shop was entertaining as ever, her training was going better than she ever imagined it, but even with all of these happy moments, there were days she would wake up and she just wasn't happy. She hadn't realized what it had been at first and she pushed the depressive thoughts into the back of her mind, instead attempting to focus on the events of her life that did bring her joy. That didn't work forever though, and she quickly found herself haunted by nightmares. There was a period of time she wasn't really sleeping at all.

It was only when she took the time to sit and fiddle with the bracelet that she wore, did she realize what had been causing it. The questions crossed her mind ceaselessly and the word dead hung over head like a cloud. Was Tariq dead? Would he have really just left her behind all alone? Should she have stayed with her parents in the Northern Water Tribe? Should she tell them what happened? Did they deserve to know? Did Mitsuko truly deserve to know what happened to him? What if it were all her fault? Or what if it was his and Mitsuko hadn't stopped him before things turned south?

The more she thought about it, perhaps she should have used the same word with the ambiguous meaning: fine.

Pushing the ideas from her mind she looked down at Ren, "Would by chance want to get tea or something together? Catch up on what we've been doing after volunteering at the Temple?"
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Post by Ren on Aug 4, 2017 17:16:05 GMT -6

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Ren smiled. "Yes, that sounds lovely. There's a little tea shop near here..."

She led the way to the Lotus Café, a small family-owned shop run by a short, plump, dark-skinned woman named Hoshi. The café was known locally for a wide selection of teas, its homemade confections, and the proprietor's amazing ability to pair together perfect combinations of each.

It seemed to be a slightly busy; they were seated at a small table toward the middle of the cosy café, the nearby tables occupied by other patrons. Ren ordered the daily special, orange-infused green tea and semi-sweet chocolate cake with shaved chocolate bits on the top. After Mitsuko placed her order, Ren offered another small smile.

"It's been a bit busy these last couple of weeks, no? I've been busy with my work. Oh um, I'm a scribe at Air Temple Island, but I do other scribing work for independant parties, as well. What about you?"
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Anonymous
Aug 5, 2017 17:57:06 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2017 17:57:06 GMT -6

Mitsuko's face lit up as she followed Ren into the Lotus cafe, the place was cozy and warm and in an odd way, felt just the way a home should have. She hadn't ever stopped in before but as they were seated, Mitsuko wondered why she hadn't decided to ever act upon the idea of going in. She ordered a classic, jasmine tea. It had always been her go to whenever she took the time to relax at a cafe or a tea shop.

"That's so interesting! What's it like?" She wondered if the material itself was always interesting or if the work ever got tedious or boring. "In terms of my life, however, it's been quite busy as well. I'm really working on getting onto a pro-bending team and I've been a little swamped with work. You'd be surprised by how many people want to buy flowers in a day!" Mitsuko laughed, "I've met a few others around the town that I've kind of been spending any of my free time with as well so there is definitely never a dull moment."

Their orders were placed down on the table in front of them and Mitsuko brought hers to her lips, blowing softly. Once it was sufficiently cool she took a small sip and breathed out. It was just as wonderful as she had hoped it would be.

"I have been a bit distracted though. I've found now that I went and helped I'm curious of how everyone is doing. Do you ever wonder or am I just obsessive?" The question was posed partly in jest but partly in all seriousness.

It was something Mitsuko had wondered, she was curious if she was the only one who thought of those she helped even long after the event. Awaiting Ren's answer, Mitsuko nervously gripped her cup of tea and tried not to look like she was so serious about it all.
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Post by Ren on Aug 8, 2017 10:33:45 GMT -6

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"Well, it can be interesting," she laughed, "but it can also be really dull. Calligraphy is my specialty, so anyone in need of my services is looking for an artistic scribing rather than an informational one, usually. It's a bit of both at Air Temple Island — the transcripts we transcribe into books are both art and informational, but for my work outside of the temple it's usually some sort of... poem someone wants to display, or a speech they'd like put into scroll form to hang on their wall, things like that."

Ren took a careful sip of her tea, which was as lovely as always. She caught the proprietor's eye and gave a small smile of appreciation before refocusing on Mitsuko's chatter.

"I don't think it's obsessive," she replied slowly, thinking. "I think it's natural. So many people were hurt, and many were severely so. It stands to reason you'd be curious to see how they've been. Truth be told though, I haven't really wondered. When I work, my mind is so focussed and um."

Ren paused, wondering how much she was willing to share.

Not much it turned out.

"I've had a recent family loss," she wound up saying, which was both true, and evasive. "So my thoughts tend to stray in that direction, rather than towards the victims of the attacks." She blushed, a dull heat creeping up her neck. "It's a bit self-absorbed, I know."

She paused again, feeling immensely awkward as she took another sip of her tea and a bite of cake. "But I hear that the more minorly injured people have been able to return home, so that's good. One of the other volunteers say a lot of them get checkups at a free healer clinic in the Dragon Flats District. I guess some waterbender runs it with a few other waterbender employees, but he doesn't seem to require payment for his services if the patients don't have the ability to give one. He seems like a nice man."
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Anonymous
Aug 9, 2017 14:47:51 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2017 14:47:51 GMT -6

"Had calligraphy always been something you were good at? Or did it come from hours upon hours of practice? Personally, I've never had the greatest handwriting," Mitsuko let out an embarrassed laugh, "So I'm always impressed when I see the work of a scribe, especially one like yourself."

After another small sip, Mitsuko's smile faltered. "In terms of being self-absorbed, I don't think it is at all. I've recently lost a family member as well and I don't think there is a second that goes by that I don't think of him. Just, with all those people, I guess in a weird way, thinking of him made me think of them. I wanted to help him, but I couldn't, it was impossible for me, so I was just stuck thinking about how he was doing. I think now that I have helped people, I want to know that they are okay. So no other family has to deal with what I had to. But don't get me wrong, there's been plenty of times I got distracted thinking about him."

She used past tense when talking about him and it was another half-truth. It was an ongoing problem, trying to find him, trying to help him, it was in the present. Sometimes it was easier to talk about it as if it were the past, other times it made it worse. Today was one of the days it was easier, it meant she didn't have to go into the details of it all, it meant she could pretend that it was all over now.

"I'm glad others have helped them, especially now since people are getting better and I think it's starting to die down a bit. It seems like the common trend of these events is that everyone cares at first and then little by little, people stop caring about it. I'm glad to hear that's not quite the case yet. It's a bit comforting to know people like him are out there, that free healer clinics exist for anyone who needs it even with everything that has been happening recently."

Mitsuko wasn't quite sure what to say so she sipped her tea once more, wondering if she should move on from the subject or not.

"I hope all the tension starts to die down soon, it's caused enough trouble and pain already."
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Post by Ren on Aug 13, 2017 14:32:35 GMT -6

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Ren laughed, her husky voice only barely audible above the soft din of other diners. "Oh, it's definitely an acquired skill. I've always really liked art and brush work in particular, but you need a whole different set of skills for calligraphy."

She held up her left hand, her ink-stained fingers noticeable against the pale silver of her cake fork. With a practiced movement, she held the fork almost entirely upright, tines pointing down; she swept her sleeve up and out of the way with her right hand.

"You have to hold the brush firmly, but not so firmly that your hand shakes from the pressure. But holding it too lightly will result in incomplete lines and noticeable ink drips. At the same time, you have to make sure your sleeve, should you have one, doesn't brush into the ink when you move to the next line."

Like all writing, calligraphy was written right to left, top to bottom, so moving to the next line without holding up your sleeve would result in the cuff of the sleeve dragging through the wet ink at the end of the previous line — or lines, depending on how wide your sleeves were. Which, wearing acolyte robes, were pretty wide.

The cake was quite delicious; she took a few bites in silence as she listened to Mitsuko speak. "I think that he's a good example to follow," she agreed. "The way some of the other nonbenders talk about him, it seems that he's worked incredibly hard over the last ten years to earn their trust and respect, so much so that his waterbending is no longer a mark against him. At least, for the people who live in the area."

After a quick check of her teeth to make sure she couldn't feel anything on then — the cake was a bit sticky, after all — Ren smiled. "What about you? I'm sure that you didn't spring out of the ground fully formed and ready to heal at the Temple of Koh."
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Anonymous
Aug 13, 2017 18:17:53 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2017 18:17:53 GMT -6

Mitsuko couldn't help but chuckle at the comment and she shook her head, "No, definitely not. I might like to think that's the case but no. At the same time, it wasn't exactly a huge dilemma for me, I didn't spend a whole lot of time debating whether I should or shouldn't go. I'll admit, I spent a little time thinking about it but something in me just didn't allow me to not go."

She dropped a few sugars into her tea and stirred it slowly, "I think I've always been someone who looks at other people not by their bending abilities but by who they are as a person. Maybe because where I come from, even now, it's not always the most accepted thing for girls to be fighters. It wasn't that I didn't want to learn healing, I did, I just also wanted to learn more. I didn't think lowly of anyone who only wanted to learn healing or didn't want to learn healing at all because I didn't really think any of that really determined what kind of person they were. The same goes for non-benders, just because they can't bend, doesn't mean they are really all that different from me. We just have a single difference but for all I know, we could have everything else in common."

"I heard the news and I hate to admit it, but the one thing holding me back was that I was scared. Not many benders have ever been into the Temple and I worried they wouldn't really want my help. Not to mention, healing hasn't exactly always been my strong suit in waterbending so I was worried about that too. But when I thought about losing my brother, all the people whose lives have been lost because of this dumb feud, I didn't care that I was scared. Because, they were innocent people and I still don't understand how there are people out there who wouldn't want to help them."

Mitsuko offered a small smile, "Or maybe they want to, but they're just a little scared too. It feels like we're all in fear of something in Republic City, maybe some groups more than others, but due to that fear I feel like we should all work towards erasing it together. I know that's a bit unrealistic, but to me helping at the Temple was a bit of a no-brainer."

"Those Monks though, they are a little freaky. Not gonna lie. Was it just me who thought that? Or do they kind of unsettle you too?"
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Post by Ren on Aug 23, 2017 22:14:56 GMT -6

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Ren shook her head. "Definitely not just you," she said, her voice low. Even though it was broad daylight, she couldn't help but shudder a little. "I think that's just an unfortunate side effect of being a Monk of Koh. They seem to have this whole... one-for-all identity and it's definitely unsettling. It's my understanding from my studies that the Monks reject individualism and adopt the faceless masks in order to leave their personal selves behind. It was rumoured in the past that the Monks did this to be closer with the Face Stealer, but that was speculation from benders."

She took another bite of cake and carefully spoke around her mouthful. "It's a little unfortunate this winds up so creepy. I mean, they're pleasant enough to talk to. They never raise their voices, and at least now they're always doing kind things. It's just... their aura you know? It's just..."

Ren struggled to think of a word. A few moments passed before she settled on it.

"It's nothing. Maybe that's why they're so creepy to us, it's nothing. They have no personality. One Monk is as good as another, and if you've spoken to one you've spoken to them all — not just in a figurative sense, but their information network is unparalleled. I was listening to some of the volunteers and patients and the 'Monk Experience', so to speak, is uniform across all the Temples. Some Monks may take on designated identities, like the Nurse-Monk we have met, but it seems only in times of crisis so there can be order and clear leadership. But otherwise they're like... an empty canvas, or a ... a void."
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Anonymous
Aug 29, 2017 20:04:10 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2017 20:04:10 GMT -6

"You're right, it sometimes feels like there's no one under the mask which is such a silly thought because of course there is." Mitsuko shook her head, "I can't imagine it, though. I've always been a little curious how someone could give themselves up, all of their individuality, all of their quirks and faults and personality, everything that makes them, them."

Mitsuko lazily raised a finger and began to stir the drink once more, "I guess I could understand if they were really doing it to get closer with the Face Stealer but even that seems like such an odd spirit to choose out of all of the options."

She cocked her head slightly to the side as she thought and stopped moving her finger, "Then again, I guess if someone was never really happy with their life or who they were it would make sense to become a Monk of Koh. It's a fresh start and you have a group of people with you that you'll at least always find one thing in common. They definitely get a bad rep for their aura of nothingness, at least from benders. It's a little sad if I think about it, it seems like they really are trying to do good."

"I will say, whatever that Monk was able to do to me was terrifying. I've never experienced anything like it before, it wasn't like Chi Blocking, it was different. It was as if somewhere in the middle, I didn't know they were capable of weakening benders just by touch. But there is so much people don't know about them, all the mystery that surrounds them I don't think exactly helps with their reputation either."

"Interacting with them was an interesting experience to say the least." Mitsuko laughed softly. "However, I think a lot of things in Republic City are like that for me. I've been here three years and I still feel like I'll learn something new about this place every once in awhile. But I do really love it here, I don't think I'd want to be anywhere else."
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Last edit by Deleted: Sept 25, 2017 11:54:44 GMT -6

Post by Ren on Sept 15, 2017 12:10:21 GMT -6

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Ren chewed thoughtfully, her fork hovering over her slice of cake.

"I don't necessarily think it has to be someone who is unhappy. Perhaps they are willing to give up their individuality for the greater good." She took another sip of her tea, savouring the mix of flavours. "I mean, consider. How many well-meaning organisations have become corrupt because an individual person gathered too much power? Even if we look at the Equalists, even if we don't agree with their methods, they meant well. But their intentions become twisted and corrupted because an individual gained control."

She looked up briefly as the tea shop owner passed by their table and asked if everything was tasted good. "Oh, yes, thank you."

After the owner moved on to another table, Ren continued. "I mean, I'm sure that some people do join as an escape, but I'd like to think some join to give up their individuality for a broader, more noble goal."

With a smile, she nodded as Mitsuko declared she wouldn't want to be anywhere other than Republic City. "I understand," she replied, laughing softly. "My family and I moved here from a little town outside the City limits, and it was such a big change for me! But even though Republic City isn't paved in gold or whatever it was I believed as a child, it's still a wonderful place with so many innovations. I mean, my parents still don't have a telephone! And it's so commonplace here."

Ren poured herself more tea and looked with interest at her new friend. "I hope it's not too intrusive to ask, but are you from one of the Poles? I feel like you may have mentioned it to me, but I can't seem to recall."
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Anonymous
Sept 25, 2017 12:31:04 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2017 12:31:04 GMT -6

"I suppose that's a much nicer way to think of them. I guess I never considered the idea that they would give themselves up for something that's bigger than themselves. Thinking about it that way, it makes it seem like they really are heroes in their own right. Not to mention, the whole theme of individuals gaining too much power seems to always happen, no matter who or what side they are fighting for. You're right, Amon is the perfect example of that. He was a man who once seemed like the savior of the nonbenders only to ruin the very movement that he created because of his search for power. Maybe being one group filled only with those that are exactly the same will be the solution to that problem, it's worked so far. Then again, the Equalist movement worked for a long time too before anything went wrong. I hope that problem never arises with the Monks of Koh, I think if it did, tensions would only worsen."

Mitsuko offered a small nod to the tea shop owner as they passed by in response to their question before looking back to Ren.

"The technology is definitely a big change for me as well!" She chuckled, "But I think it's also the one thing I grew accustomed to the fastest. It's hard to imagine getting around the city without Satomobiles and communication really has become so simple."

At the mention of her home, she looked down at the tea and watched as the liquid moved in the cup. "Yes, I grew up in the Northern Water Tribe. It's odd to say, but the majority of my life has been spent there. We were a tiny bit isolated it seemed, but those in charge weren't exactly a fan of all the change that seemed to be occurring. People are very set in their ways there and even with the advancements the rest of the world is making, I think it's a hard transition for them."

She paused, unsure how much more she should divulge about the tribe. Mitsuko hadn't really ever spoken to anyone about her time there, but there were times when she wished there was someone she could tell who could understand. While she didn't think Ren would understand per se, Mitsuko though that the Air Acolyte could perhaps empathize.

"I never really fit in there and I know it bothered my parents that I wasn't exactly the epitome of the perfect child. Though the ideals have improved, girls are still very much pushed into healing over learning how to use their bending to fight. My brother always joked that I was a fighter, not a healer and though I attempted to do both, sparring was always more appealing to me." She laughed softly, "It appears that that's changed a little now, that time spent learning how to heal came much more in handy than I ever thought it could."

After another short pause, Mitsuko continued. "Still, I think it probably embarrassed my parents. We were close when I was a little girl but the older I got, the farther we grew apart. By the time I was leaving for Republic City with my brother, they hardly spoke to me unless it was to instruct me to do something or to reprimand me. I've hardly been here that long, especially in comparison to how long I lived at the Northern Water Tribe, but Republic City still feels more like a home to me than that place ever did."

Tucking strands of hair behind her ear, she smiled, "I have some wonderful memories that I cherish from my childhood there and I'm sure I'll go and visit at some point, but I think I just fit in better here. But what about you? You said you lived in a small town outside of the City limits, what was that like?"
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Post by Ren on Sept 27, 2017 12:58:15 GMT -6

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Ren tilted her head in sympathy. It was well known among the Air Acolytes about that Northern tribe's more gendered views on waterbending; Sifu Katara had given many retellings of her fight with Sifu Pakku when she was a child. It was something that had fascinated Ren about the old master's prowess — at the age of 14, with just her own personal training, she went toe-to-toe with a master bender and gave him a run for his money. Ren had never had the privilege of seeing Katara waterbend, but she had spent a lot of time wondering just how that power had grown and been cultivated over the seventy years since that battle.

"The ability to heal is an amazing thing," she agreed softly, her husky voice tinged with excitement. "I know, vaguely, some medicinal herbs and first aid measures; but the ability to take away an injury, as if it never existed in the first place... " She paused, blushing. "Please don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising your choice to learn to fight. Perhaps it's just the old Air Nomad ways but I wonder how different the world might be if there were more healers — of any type, not just waterbenders — than fighters."

She polished off the last bit of her cake with some regret, but refrained from ordering another slice. Instead, she poured herself some more tea, noting absently that the pot had just enough for another cup after hers.

"I can sympathise with the City feeling like home," she said, fidgeting slightly in her seat. Being transgender was not something particularly odd or groundbreaking, but for Ren it was such a personal journey she always felt hesitant in sharing. After a small internal struggle, she decided against elaborating further about her gender identity. Instead, she focused on village life.

"Obviously I don't live in the heart of the City, but there's a certain... sense of vastness you don't really get in a village. Or at least, my village. It was small enough that everyone knew your business, sometimes even before you did!" She laughed. "I frequently played with the neighbourhood children, but if it wasn't the wanton destruction of local property, it was all really enamoured-with-the-city sort of games — we pretended to be probenders, even if we couldn't bend, or pretended we were some rich person from a city where the streets and walls were made of gold, coming down from on high to mingle with the commoners."

"Mostly though it was very... calm, almost stagnant. Some families had been there for generations, since before the United Republic, even before the Fire Nation Colonies. Not many people seemed particularly inclined for bigger and better things, and eventually I started feeling stifled. My father requested a transfer to the city, and ... well, here I am. My parents went back to the village after Amon's takeover, though, it was a little too intense for them here."

After a few quiet moments of sipping her tea, Ren leaned forward and dropped her voice. "May I ask you a personal question?" she said shyly. "You don't have to answer of course, but it's just... I've... I've always wondered. What's... what's it like to bend? I mean...I-I-I-..." Ren bit her lip in dismay as her nervous stutter surfaced. And she had been doing so well! She swallowed and tried to take her time with her words. "I... have always wondered... what it felt like. I've r-read books about how most benders don't — don't have their abilities mani-- manifest until they're about seven or eight years old. Do you feel a ch... a change? Or...?"

Ren trailed off, her brownish-grey eyes looking even wider magnified by her thick lenses. She hoped Mitsuko understood what she was trying to ask.
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Anonymous
Sept 27, 2017 17:05:08 GMT -6

Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2017 17:05:08 GMT -6

"No, I know what you mean." Mitsuko spoke in response to her statement about healing. "I, too, am a little bit curious to see what the world would be like if there was much more love in it than hate. However, there's a piece of me that knows to have love there must be hate. To heal, there must be fighting. Then again, perhaps that is just the Waterbender in me coming out. After all, Tui and La, the moon and ocean spirits, circle each other in a constant dance of pushing and pulling. They are counterparts yet are still able to coexist. But, I guess people tend to struggle much more with coexisting than the spirits ever do."

As she finished speaking, she reflected Ren's movements and poured herself another cup of tea. She laughed softly as Ren told the story of her village, she did it so vividly that Mitsuko could imagine a young Ren, running around with other children from the village. The scene was a heartwarming one and funnily enough, gave her a slight feeling of nostalgia despite never experiencing it herself. She nodded in understanding about her parent's leave, the memories of the events under Amon still scared her. More so because of the fact that just because Amon was gone, didn't mean that all the tension he had caused disappeared with him. In fact, it only grew after his disappearance.

"Hm, what is it like to bend?" Mitsuko repeated the question. She answered the question slowly, forming her response as she went. It was a difficult question to answer after all. "I suppose it can be frustrating at times as it becomes yet another way you can be compared to others with. It can become a competition about who is a better bender and it can cause pain and embarrassment when maybe you aren't the better bender. It can be exhausting, both physically and mentally, most of the moves aren't as easy as they appear, at least not at first. It can be scary because there comes a point where you fear you could hurt another on accident. It's extremely hard and I think that's a fact that us benders like to keep to ourselves because we want it to appear as though it is effortless."

The corners of her lips turned upwards, "However, despite all of that, it's rewarding. Whenever you learn something new or perfect a difficult move, all of the frustration just washes away and is replaced by this feeling of accomplishment. It's something that allows us to protect those we love and you can connect with others through it. It's immensely fun and when things get serious, you have something that you know you can use to save others or protect yourself.

She paused to take a sip of the tea while it was still warm. "But, I think the answer you're really looking for is something you might already have yourself, despite not being able to bend. For me, as a Waterbender, I have a deep connection with the moon. Every single night I feel a boost, a new strength I didn't previously have. But bending, at it's core, is rooted in a connection to the spirits. While the Avatar may be the bridge, bending originated not with humans but with spirits and so most of us have a spiritual side to an extent. There's a large focus on chi and balancing that chi, on becoming centered with oneself. I believe as an Air Acolyte you likely have this slight focus on balance as well. There are variations in every bending style but in an odd way, I suppose you could say it's as if we have a connection with our element. I can feel the water even before I begin bending it, I can feel the way it moves and shifts and changes. I guess the best thing I can compare it to is that it's almost as if a heartbeat that you feel along with your own."

Mitsuko paused once more to ponder the second half of the question, "I don't think it's really a change that you feel. By no means do you wake up one day and feel like a new person. If anything it's just as if you've gained another sense but it feels like you've had it ever since you were born, you just didn't realize it yet. You begin to notice things you never did before, like the stillness of the waves during the day or that push and pull at night under the moonlight. When you begin to advance you start to notice more things, like now for example, I can sense the water that's in the air or the way that all of the tea in this tea shop tends to swirl in the same circular pattern. It's something so tiny, something so seemingly insignificant that even we don't acknowledge or think about it in any way. It's just there, just something that's a part of us, as if our bending is not any different from an arm or a leg. I suppose bending is a bit like learning to walk, you may stumble and fall or even hurt yourself, but you preserver anyways because it is a part of you and you can't imagine living your life without it."

"I've often wondered myself what I would be like without it, or how my life would have carried out had I not been a bender but for some reason, I come up blank. I can't possibly even think about what it's like to not experience all of the things I do now. Not having my bending would feel like losing my sight or my hearing, I'm sure it's something I'd have to adjust to it. But it would take a long time to do so."

Mitsuko looked at Ren, "So, and only if you're comfortable answering it, I guess my question to you is what is it like to not be able to bend, especially today? I've always been curious myself on understanding what the other half is like, because like I said, I haven't quite been able to ever even imagine it."
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