@jin, i can't load it atm since ryari is sleeping, but if that's the indoctrination theory? if so i already subscribe to it.

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if you're into shoujo manga with good food and comedy that likes to tear out your heart and stomp on it, read "Kitchen Princess". I bought the first two manga tonight at B&N then just had to read the rest online. It was unpredictable which is impressive for a shoujo. Loved it, cried so much.

@seojin - the f!Tabris origin is by far my favourite, with Cousland (human noble) and Aeducan (dwarf noble) tying at second place. DA2 is super fun as well; for me, it has the most replay value since it is a bit of a shorter, more closed game than DAO. I am on my 9th Hawke, I do believe. :3

AND I love OUaT! It's also on Hulu, and I'd def. recommend it there over Nextflix. >_> Idk for sure if you need hulu+ though. I'm not done with season one yet, but hopefully soon.


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Gonna hang out with Ryari and relax with my new manga. <3

@seojin - where are you in DA? What origin did you start with? I love the ME series as well, and to be honest I wasn't too mad about the ending (though I definitely understand why people are, don't blame them one bit); it wasn't great, but I'm just waiting to see where they go with it, because I think they're lying that ME3 is the last game.

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In other news, had a good night with Ryari and Sohee - got our hairs did, gussied up, went out for dinner, bra shopping for me, gelato, then bookstore. Yay. <3

They better not, but tbh I wouldn't be surprised if they did. -_- And I love DA2 and Origins equally, but in different ways and for different reasons (if that makes sense). I hear they are combining all the awesome of DAO and DA2 together for DA3. Let's hope it lives up to that.

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Got fitted for a bra today. Um, I have been buying my bras to small apparently.

Yep, exactly! Though to me, while I'm annoyed at attention seekers, that in itself doesn't make them less of a gamer, ya know? There's no correlation between how often you pose "sexy" and how many people you can snipe in multiplayer.



I KNOW RIGHT!? As long as the rumoured MP doesn't go by way of pre-extended cut ME3, at least. *grumbles*

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Got paid. Get ready to go out for celebratory lunch.
Ryari has the bank card and is at work.
Damn.

Yeah, this has happened once before, when the other profiles mod reviewed a profile I made that had some kanji in it from her phone. ^_^;' Not sure what's going on there, but I can't really fix it ;x

You're welcome! Since this is done, then, I am going to lock the thread. If something else comes to mind, feel free to create a new thread or send me a PM. :] Hope to see your character soon!

@ sashu - it can't be repeated on TARP, I'm afraid. ;x just suffice it to say I was incredibly vulgar and sarcastic, and wound up actually being relatively mocking. *shrug* EH. Jie regretten rien.

(for clarification: someone made a post on tumblr that basically said that unless you were able to get super high scores playing Halo, and if you have female anatomy, then you are just an attention-whoring slut and aren't an ACTUAL girl or a real gamer. I, and my tumblr buddies, had a field day. :] )

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Man, I had the opportunity to go to bed early tonight. What did I do instead? Take four hours for a single RP post and participate in tumblr shenanigans.

Hm, I don't think those characters are supported by your mobile device ;x

But yeah, I would just use basic terms as you've described, just to keep it vague enough for everyone to understand. :] And don't worry about it! It's clear that you've read the FAQ and the rules, so I don't mind answering questions. :]

OOC: some slight godmoding, hope it's OK.

==============

Ling moved toward the sleeping Hyuk-jae at Mei's instruction, noting that her sister had picked up on the young man's discomfort at her abilities. She accepted the cloth wordlessly, hovering around Hyuk-jae like an awkward balloon. Mei was keeping a watch for Lee, but Ling was growing impatient. Where was he? Why didn't he come right away? Had she misjudged him? Without noticing, the freckled woman wrung the cloth anxiously, waiting for some sign of Hyuk-jae regaining consciousness.

A few tense minutes passed before he stirred, and Ling gave a strained smile as he recognised her. "Hey, stranger," she said lightly, trying to keep him calm. He looked incredibly disoriented for a few minutes, taking in his surroundings. His gaze fell on his bag, and she watched as realisation dawned. His face went from confused, to aware, to upset in the time it took her to cross the space between them and sit next to him.

He looked at her then, seeming to struggle to say something. She shook her head. "Rest," she urged. "I think you had one of your fits again." She left out the part about meeting someone outside; he knew what had happened, but she thought it best not to bring it up. Ling didn't know what to do. Hyuk-jae was just kind of sitting there, silent; should she comfort him? She glanced uncertainly at her sister, who was still waiting by the door and keeping an eye out for Lee. Where was he, anyway? She called him ages ago, it shouldn't take this long to get to the Clinic from the Eye.

So, she just sat there, next to him, hoping that her presence was enough comfort. She wanted to apologise for what happened the last time they had seen each other, but she wondered if that was exactly appropriate given the situation. Suddenly, Hyuk-jae began crying. Alarmed, Ling turned to him, offering the cloth Mei had given her before. His cries turned into hysterics, and Ling wondered for the umpteenth time where Lee was and what could be taking so damn long.

"Sh-shhh," Ling cooed, like Ma-ma had done so long ago when they were children and were crying. It didn't work, and soon Ling stood, felt very frazzled and frantic. Thankfully, Lee strolled into the Clinic, his grey suit impeccable as he swept past her and into the cot with Hyuk-jae, cradling him in his arms wordlessly.

When the sobs had died down to hiccups and whimpers, the freckled woman cleared her throat. "Thank you for coming," she said, her voice garishly pleasant. Would she ever learn how to be serious, or even sound serious? Ling hoped Lee would overlook it. "I didn't know who else to call..." She trailed off, eyeing the bag and recklessly plunged in. Get it over quickly, all the pain all at once.

"I believe, er, that Hyuk-jae needs to find a new living accommodation." The young woman tried to keep her voice even. She assumed that the red bag was all the young man's worldly possessions; why else would he be troubled at the sight of it? Ling paused, trying to think.

"Are you going to let him move in with you?" She tried to refrain from speaking of Hyuk-jae like a stray.

Feeling incredibly clever for making multiple people laugh with my vulgarly sarcastic reply to a slut-shaming elite gamer dudebro.

The only stipulation we have regarding Air Acolytes is that they must be non-benders. The airbending family and Korra aside, the only people we've seen bending on Temple grounds are the Order of the White Lotus guards accompanying Korra.

I think that Avatar writing is strictly Chinese, but I'm not sure seeing as I do not read Chinese - they very specifically (according to my AtLA artbook) had a specialist calligrapher on-hand to double-check the calligraphy and character-writing on the show. I would refrain from calling it 'Hanzi', because that is very specifically Chinese, which doesn't exist in the world. There's no need to make a distinction anyway, because universally everyone speaks one language in the Korra/Avatar universe.

We tend to be a little bit more lenient when referring to something like 'hanbok' or 'katana', but naming a specific type of writing for an incredibly specific language I think might be merging RL with Avatar-verse a little too much. :]

Oh, I guess I forgot to update that thread! Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Yes, I think it would be best to have someone at a crossroads; like I said, I don't think it's impossible, just very contradictory and unlikely. Until we know more about the Acolytes, I think it would be safer to err on the side of caution.

Another reason that I think we should stay away from it is that it would interfere with canon plot, at least logically. If someone on either side defected (so to speak) then their new affiliation would, logically speaking, have an insider's knowledge about the former affiliation. Since we don't see the Acolytes knowing anything about the Equalists secret ways, or the Equalists knowing anything about the hidden passages on the Temple grounds, then I think it's safe to say there are no defectors from either side.

You're welcome! I'm glad to help. Feel free to reply again or send me a PM if you have further questions.

Equalist characters have been available since the reopening! If you could kindly direct me to where it gave you the impression that they might not be allowed, that would be great! I'll clarify whatever section it was so it's more accurate. Depending on your character's age and back story, you can have varying levels of Equalists. All we ask is that it should be kept in mind that there are more "supporters" than actual Equalists (ie: people trained in Chi-Blocking, allowed use of the electricity rods) in relation to the overall population of Republic CIty.

As to the second part of your question, I find it incredibly contradictory for someone to be a "former" Equalist turned Air Acolyte or vice versa. I suppose it's not impossible, but I disagree that someone born into the Acolyte way of life would even contemplate becoming an Equalist, because the Air Nomad teachings are about unity, patience, and celebration of differences.

For clarity purposes, I think it would be better for someone at a crossroads in their life to perhaps contemplate becoming one or the other — at their heart, the "message" of the Equalists and Acolytes/nomads are the same: balance and harmony in the universe; their methods are just different.

I hope this helps you out!

GANGNAM STYLE, PSY.
If ya don't know it, you are missing out!

*imaginary horse riding*

[OOC: Sorry about NPCing Mei, Airi. I hope this and the slight godmoding of what happened post-meeting is OK with everyone. If I need to make changes, please let me know!]

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Mei didn't touch her food, and Ling wasn't surprised at all when her sister excused herself with a haunted, pained look and an apology. She nodded at the words, keeping her face pleasant and her voice low. "Go on home," the freckled woman agreed. "I'll take care of things here, and you take care of yourself." She caught Mei's arm as she turned to go. "You promise me you'll take care of yourself," she insisted, then let the older woman leave.

It had been a mistake, Ling realised, to bring Mei on this trip. Not that she missed Ma-ma any less than her sister, but Ling had always been able to keep going no matter what happened. It was the same when Father died; Ling had just kept going, a smile on her face and a joke on her lips. It couldn't be a healthy way to deal with this sort of thing, but it seemed to work to her advantage. Mei, on the other hand, was sensitive. No. Not sensitive. Normal. It wasn't that long ago that Father died, not really. Three years ago seemed simultaneously an eternity and no time at all. Ling didn't think that Mei had fully gotten over the sudden death, and to have Ma-ma go so soon after? It had to be seriously messing with the older girl's psyche.

Hyuk-jae stared daggers at her through his meal, and quite frankly she didn't blame him; she quelled the urge to snark. After all, it was his personal life that had just been invaded, to disastrous results. The end of their excursion couldn't come soon enough. Hyuk-jae excused himself to go to the bathroom, and Lee waited just until he was out of eyesight and earshot to lean over and slip her a piece of paper and murmur a few words for her ears only.

"At the Fan," she echoed in confirmation, pocketing the note right before Hyuk-jae returned. Lee bade her farewell, and she gave a half-arsed wave as the two men left the restaurant. She waited until they had gone before heading down the street in the opposite direction, toward her flat. She cursed, kicking an innocent, stray rock in her frustration. She turned two streets too soon, deliberately making her way to the Golden Fan to make good her alibi and to blow off some steam.

Four fist-fights and a minor stabbing later, Ling found her way home, reeking of cheap ale. Her cheek was swollen and bruised, and her right arm sported a shallow but messy knife-cut. Despite this, she was grinning from ear-to-ear, feeling much better after the night out. Mei was asleep, so it wasn't until the next morning that Ling opened the paper. The waterbender was tutting in disapproval as she patched up her younger sister, who unfolded Lee's note gingerly, rattling off two names and an address.

Oh, good. It wasn't far, and Ling committed the information to memory before soaking the paper in alcohol and lighting it on fire until it was an unrecognisable pile of cinder. The girls checked out the location before heading over to the police.

The clerk seemed surprised, but fetched the officer in charge of the investigation anyway. Ling laid out the newspaper clipping and expertly wove the story of how she and her sister-partner found the spice shipment. There was no mention of the paperboy or his scoundrel friend. The officer was dubious, but seeing as it had been weeks since the news first printed and they had no other leads, he had no choice but to take Ling's word. The gesture proved fruitful, and the girls were relieved to have made back their startup money and then some, paying Katsumi her wages and outfitting their office just like they had planned. They even had enough money left over to pay rent on both the office and the flat for a few months, and to buy a new record for Mei and a whetstone for Ling.

Two weeks passed without word or sighting of Hyuk-jae, and Ling threw herself into other detective work. They were minor, unimportant cases, like trailing a man someone believed was being unfaithful to his wife. Mei sometimes accompanied her, but more often than not she was at the restaurant or the clinic since the cases --while paying-- were dull. Ling did some personal work as well, studying the circumstances of Ma-ma's death. There was still something off about it, but she wasn't quite sure what. It was during this time that Amon came on the radio, threatening all people with bending abilities in Republic City. Alarmed, Ling took to checking up on her sister repeatedly during the day. She may have been unable to process grief like a normal person, but if she lost Mei... she couldn't guarantee anyone's safety.

It was on one such checking in that Ling finally saw Hyuk-jae again. She had just walked up to the door, Mei's lunch in hand, when some fellow bumped into her, avoiding her gaze and disappearing into the street. Checking her pockets to make sure she hadn't just been robbed (she hadn't), Ling realised a satomobile was parked outside the clinic. Somewhat amused at the stranger's skilled evasion, she ducked her head to speak into the open window.

"He's gone, pal," she told the disgruntled driver, who muttered something about ungrateful brats before speeding away in a cloud of dust. With a small laugh, Ling stepped into the Clinic.

"Mei, I have your lu---oof!" Ling broke off as she stumbled over a red bag lying in the middle of the ground. Next to it was an unconscious figure, and Mei was just leaning down to examine him. What the hell? Then Ling's sharp eyes spotted an all-too-familiar red bracelet.

She swore. Loudly.

"Is he okay?" she demanded, dropping down on one knee, relieved to see that he was, in fact, breathing. "Help him, Mei!" Her confident demand belied her worry. "I'm going to call someone."

Thankfully Iluak had a phone, though considering how covered in dust it was she wasn't entirely sure he knew he had it. Suddenly, she realised she hadn't the faintest idea who to call. She thought briefly about asking the operator to connect her to Lee Seo-joon's residence on Banyan, but thought better of it. They didn't want him when he was well and on his feet; there was no way they'd take him now.

So she did the only other thing she could think of: she had the operator connect her to the Wooden Eye.

"I need to speak to Lee," she ordered, still having enough presence of mind to not use his first name. "Which Lee? The one who'd beat you black and blue if he knew you were delaying this information with your stupid questions. Tell him Yao Ling is calling for him."

Apparently, that was specific enough to get the right Lee. Ling thanked Lady Luck for her favour that he was in, and when his voice crackled to life on the other end, she was direct. "Ling here. Hyuk-jae's in bad. Come to Iluak's Clinic." She rattled off directions and hung up, hoping that Hyuk-jae would wake up before Lee arrived.

She paced the room anxiously, letting Mei work her wonders.

Really wish I accomplished more today in terms of the carnival, but it's kind of hard to do when not only do I have RP threads to reply to but my internet is also being a derp.

At least I managed to catch up on my posting, anyway, before that nighttime blah feeling settled in. I don't even have dragon age to keep me occupied until tomorrow. Bah.

Also hopefully the wire my uncle sent will show up in my bank soon.

OOC: Nope, don't mind at all! :] A little short, sorry about that. My internet has been a butt all night.

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Unsurprisingly --because wasn't that just always the way?— the moment he remembered to go home Mako showed up looking for him. He predictably ignored Airi's presence, making a beeline for him and scolding him for staying out so late. Bolin jutted out his lower lip. It wasn't like he had forgotten what had happened to him! He still saw Amon's face in his nightmares, that slow turn and glance, that expressionless mask. But cowering in fear never did anyone any good.

Airi stepped in for him, giving him a thumbs up as she remembered Mako's name. He grinned despite the situation, returning the gesture. The firebender took the blame, introducing herself in a rambled summary of the day's events. Bolin waved it off with an apologetic smile. "Don't mind him," he told her, standing and putting a strong arm around his brother's shoulders. "This is just how he is." The earthbender poked his index finger into Mako's cheek a couple of times. "Sometimes I don't think he remembers how to smile," he told Airi in a mock-confidential whisper.

Loosing his brother from his grip, Bolin dusted of his pants. "Oh, don't be so mad, Mako," he said good-naturedly, though not bothering to hide his disappointment at the day of fun coming to a close. Pabu climbed up his body, seeming to scold his older brother in a high-pitched chatter. "I know, Pabu," he agreed with the ferret, "You'd think dating Asami would have loosened him up, but no~o~o~o~o~o." Bolin drew out the 'o' sound in a sing-song voice. How come Mako could have a social life but he couldn't? He had even stayed out of trouble today: nothing broken, nothing spilled, not even a cross word spoken.

Reaching out a hand to help Airi up, the young earthbender tried to loosen the tension further. Mako was just concerned, he knew, but that reserved attitude often gave people the wrong impression.

"Airi's family owns a bakery," he told his brother. "They've got really good bread! Her mom is really nice."