Recent posts by A Long Display Name Here

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 13, 2012 0:33:29 GMT -6

Mei pulled her into a hug and Ling just kind of stayed there, looking up at her sister, startled. Mei was taking the blame onto herself? That.. that was so like her, so selfless, but it was (a) not what she wanted, and (b) completely unbelievable. Hyuk-jae seemed to think so too, and he dismissed her with a cold laugh. The young man's golden eyes were as hard as amber as he spared her the briefest of glances, and Ling felt downright guilty. She had only been doing her job, but at what cost? Hyuk-jae was clearly embarrassed, and hurt, and there was nothing to do and it was almost all her fault.

I don't see why we can't all just sit down and discuss every facet of my personal life until your curiosity is satisfied.

Ah, sarcasm. Now that she could deal with. "Oh, goody, you mean you'll tell us? Well, gosh golly gee." Her tone was dry as a desert.

Fortunately, Hyuk-jae was already halfway down the street, dragging Lee along, by the time Ling spoke. Probably a good thing, she reflected, shrugging at her sister and following the two men. That probably was uncalled for. Hyuk-jae had every right to be angry; she knew that. Why could she never be NICE when stuff like this happened? Not.. that anything like this had ever happened, but still. Bad stuff. The image of her smiling mother floated into her mind and Ling pushed her away. Not now, Ma-ma. Please. Not now.

She jammed her hands in her coat pockets. What was with Hyuk-jae's family? How could he be dead to them? How would they not want to take care of them, give him the better life he deserved? It wasn't HIS fault he had a condition! Who would want something that gave them those.. those memory-loss fits?

They arrived at a sort of old-fashioned restaurant, and Ling was grateful for the presence of food. She could just stuff her mouth with that, instead of her foot. They were seated in a booth, Ling and Mei on one side and Lee and Hyuk-jae on the other, and the younger man turned his angry gaze to her once more.

Go ahead. Ask me. Whatever you want to know, ask me."

Ling opened her mouth, only to snap it shut again as Hyuk-jae began to address Lee. Masterfully, the older man cut him off. She fixed her eyes onto the table; this seemed as much a lovers' quarrel as it did an awkward circumstance. Lee apologised, and the waitress brought water and took orders. Glad for an interruption, Ling ordered something fairly cheap - a rice bowl, with some grilled vegetables and meat. The rest of the orders were taken, and the waitress left again, leaving a heavy silence at the table. She took a sip of water.

I didn't know that they'd replaced me. I knew they didn't love me, but...

Hyuk-jae trailed off, and Ling stared at him. "Replaced you?" she echoed, her voice cracking in the upward inflection. "They di-—" Ling stopped. No, the young man was right. They had replaced him - that little girl, that looked so much like Hyuk-jae, had been the "right" child, like Hyuk-jae couldn't be.

Ling slammed her water glass on the table, then sheepishly looked to Hyuk-jae. "Sorry." She was just stepping in it everywhere, wasn't she? The young woman remembered their first lunch together, when she had slammed her hand on the table. "You don't like loud noises, right?" She put her hands in her lap, resisting the urge to sit on them. Maybe Mei could just freeze her mouth shut so she wouldn't keep acting stupid

It was silent for a few seconds, but then Ling couldn't take it any more. "I don't GET it, Hyuk-jae," the freckled woman said bluntly, her pale eyes meeting his. "How could they do this to you? You're their son. Family is — should be — everything." The younger Yao sister was just about gobsmacked at his parents' reaction. How could they DO this?

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Can I Keep Him? [tag: Zombi, Airi]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 13, 2012 0:04:41 GMT -6

Bolin grinned widely at Airi, petting Pabu as the ferret climbed up his body and perched on his shoulder. "I'm glad you had fun." Airi offered him a bite to eat — and that she'd pay. "Sure!"

But then he felt a little guilty. He ate so much (he was a growing boy, after all) and it wouldn't be fair for Airi to pay for EVERYTHING. He'd have to make sure he didn't eat like an elephant koi. He put in a few of his spending yuans into the bass case, like Airi. "Thanks guys." Plucky winked at them.

"Thank YOU for the publicity."

He nodded his head and Bolin saw that the dancing crowd had increased. The bass case was still fairly empty at the moment, but passerby were starting to take note, tugging shirts and whispering and pointing. The earthbender grinned. "Any time!" He liked it when he could help other people, especially when all he had to do was be himself.

Pick a place. I don't really eat out a lot; you probably know a good place, don't you? Oh! What's your favourite type of food? I'm a big fan of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom stuff, but I guess that's just my heritage talking.

"Oh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~h~" Bolin exhaled the word, his face animated once again. "Then if you like that stuff you've never been to Narook's, right?" The excitement in his voice was quite apparent; the thought of eating at Narook's.. those delectable seaweed noodles, just the perfect level of cooked, not to tough but not too mushy, but still a little chewey.... Oh, was he drooling again? Pabu tapped his chin in reprimand, and the (handsome) young man wiped it away. "Sorry about that. Let's go to Narook's, I'm pretty sure you'll love it!"

Going to Narook's from Central Station Square was pretty easy. It was pretty much a straight shot to Downtown Republic City, and Narook's was just a few turns away. It was a ten minute walk, tops, and Bolin chatted animatedly the whole way — mainly about Korra. He didn't know how the conversation got to her, but next thing he knew he was spilling his guts to Airi about what a wonderful girl the Avatar was.

Maybe it was because Airi was such a good-natured person, but Bolin felt comfortable with her right away. "So I'm thinking, you know, about maybe asking Korra on a date. She's so awesome, and powerful, and she's pretty to boot. Do you think I should?"" He hoped she'd say yes. He'd still have to ask Mako what he thought, but maybe getting a girl's opinion about asking girls on dates would be a Very Smart Thing.

Right after she answered, they arrived at their destination. Bolin managed to get them a cosy little table for two, ordering two house specials. "The great thing about Narook's," he told Airi, "is that you get so much food, and it's so filling, and it's so CHEAP." While they waited for their food, Bolin steepled his fingers together.

"I've been rambling all day," he said, somewhat apologetically. "Tell me something about yourself! Your mom seems nice."

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when bread comes your way (bolin/mako)

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 12, 2012 21:07:26 GMT -6

Lie after lie poured out of this man's mouth, and it was all Ling could do to not make some sarcastic, venomous remark. With great difficulty, she held her peace as Seo-joon and his wife scowled at them. Her mind worked quickly, trying to make sense of this impossible situation, glancing at the family, then at Lee and Mei, then back at the family. Then it hit her. They disowned him. Ling felt herself go a little slack-jawed at the realisation. They disowned him?! It was as if Hyuk-jae never existed, she realised, her body fighting between throwing up in disgust and anger or kicking Seo-joon in the shins. He didn't know it, but he was lucky his wife carried their daughter in her arms, or she would have used some very choice words to tell him exactly what she thought of him, his wife, and the whole situation.

She could not comprehend it. Not one bit. Family was everything to the Yao sisters; Ling thought of her father, who risked the wrath of an entire village by loving her mother; her mother, who turned her back on her family in order to find happiness; of her sister, who deprived herself of even the smallest of indulgences to make sure the whole family had everything they needed before she even thought of herself. The freckled woman balled her hands into fists, her jaw squaring.

Mei asked one more time if they were sure they didn't have a son. The wife echoed her husband's words, and Ling had enough. Lee apparently did too, saying they should go. Fine by her. She glared at Seo-joon one more time, her grey-blue eyes flashing with anger, before spinning around --and coming face-to-face with Hyuk-jae.

"Er."

She turned back to the door, ready to make a fuss, but Seo-joon denied his existence one more time. Ling didn't miss the flicker of recognition behind his gaze, but before she could even speak he had shut the door firmly in their face.

Lee took him into his arms, and Ling realised that this hadn't been just an idle curiosity for the older man; this was to do right by Hyuk-jae, to make him happy. Lee cared about him. How ... how sweet, actually.

I-an-ah...

I-an? That had to be Lee's first name. Ling stored it away for future use, flinching visibly when Hyuk-jae looked at her.

What were you hoping to find?

Lee was silent, and Ling felt extremely wrong-footed. "Well," she said, saying the first thought that came into her mind. "That went well."

Good job, Ling. Be a complete jerk.

She cleared her throat. "I'm... I'm sorry." She didn't want to push the blame to Lee, not entirely. They were the ones that had done the research and dug into his past. Ling had known, had known in her gut, that Hyuk-jae hadn't wanted this, but she forged ahead eager to make a name for her and Mei, for their company. Sorry was the least she could say for dragging his personal life out in the open. She should've visited here without them first. Tested the waters. Something.

Ling looked at Mei, instinctively moving toward her big sister as she always did when she needed a friend. "I am so sorry," she repeated. "I didn't mean-— I wasn't trying-— I...."

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Can I Keep Him? [tag: Zombi, Airi]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 12, 2012 4:03:11 GMT -6

Her eyes lit up again. Maybe she hadn't messed up too badly. "Is it? Thank goodness." She repeated the ritual of meting out dried leaves and pouring water, and explained as the dried leaves blossomed to life, "This second tea is also a green tea, but a small hint of cinnamon has been added and the leaves are aged more. 'Baby' teas are teas made out of leaves that have been picked shortly after sprouting. The longer the leaves are left on the stalk, the more aged something is considered. The flavour becomes stronger, and the taste a lot heavier." Hoshi gestured at the chocolate cake. "You might want to take just a small bite of that, to reset your palette, so you don't taste the first tea." She let the tea sit for about a minute while she repeated task for her side of the table. "You have never been to a probending match?" she queried, trying to fill in the gaps between tasting. "Neither have I. I want to, but I don't know anyone who would want to go."

With an expert hand she removed the strainer from the cup, moving it quickly back to the silver tray and setting it on a small wooden board, not spilling a drop in the transfer. "There should be a slight spice to the tea, because of the cinnamon," she said picking up her own cup and indicating for Sohee to do the same. "I've found it works quite well with chocolate. Make sure you breathe in the aroma first; scent is a big part of taste, after all." The earthbender took a deep breath herself, smiling a little as the citrus-y scent wafted up. There was something so comforting about cinnamon, something that reminded her of autumn, her favourite season; reminded her of cakes, and pies, and family; of gatherings and festivals. She smiled a little at Sohee, the corners of her mouth upturned in thoughts of private nostalgia.

"How old are you, Sohee?" She didn't look very old, and Hoshi guessed they were four years apart, at least. The tea was still hot, and it would be foolish to finish it quickly. The earthbender sipped it, her green eyes studying the girl across from her with interest. "You said you were homeschooled?" Hoshi was a little impressed. She had been schooled by her mother just a bit, but nothing too long-lasting. She learned to read, to write, and do arithmetic. Nothing particularly complicated — she wouldn't be designing Satomobiles soon, for instance, but she knew just enough to be able to run the store and enjoy a good novel. Sometimes, she wished she were one of those really intellectually-inclined people, such as the Air Acolyte scribes and librarians, or even the fabled scholars of Ba Sing Se university in times of old; it always seemed like something that would allow her to talk with anyone about anything, and maybe make more friends. Not that she felt particularly lonely; Jin Ho was more than enough for her, even if he wasn't a huge fan of probending. Still, it wouldn't hurt to expand her circle just a little bit. Even umma had complained, once it became clear that Jin Ho was not going to propose, that Hoshi needed more female friends. She didn't know about that, but another friend — male or female — would be nice to fill the hours now that Jin Ho was almost always occupied somehow.

She took a nibble of a piece of chocolate cake herself. It was incredibly decadent, and it was all she could do to stop herself from rolling her eyes into her head. It had been so long since she had treated herself to something as rich as chocolate cake.

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Last-Minute Friendship [tag: Sohee]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 12, 2012 2:49:29 GMT -6

Tea momentarily forgotten, Hoshi leaned across the table, clutching the paper to her chest. "TAHNO," she said, much too loudly. "I mean, Tahno. Of the Wolf Bats." She held up the flyer and pointed to the lanky, pale, black-haired young man with his arm raised in victory. "He's their waterbender, and he's absolutely fabulous. The Wolf Bats are the reigning champions, and Tahno has lead them to each victory." Excited to have finally found someone who shared an interest in probending — how was that for serendipity? Hadn't she just been wishing for someone to go to a match with? — Hoshi stood and grabbed her purse from a nearby table.

"A couple of weeks ago, I even managed to snag his autograph!" She carefully pulled out one of her most treasured possessions, turning it to show Sohee. "See this?" she asked, pointing at the bold black letters on the bottom right of a profile photo of Tahno inlaid in a clearly well-loved newspaper article. "I was at Narook's Noodlery and he was there, and I got his autograph!" Hoshi beamed, remembering the day. "I know it doesn't mean anything, but look — it says With love to my biggest fan." The older woman laughed, both in pleasure and at her own silliness. "He probably signs this for every love-struck fan he has, but at least I can pretend it's to me."

With a start, she realised that she had left the tea steeping for a little too long. "Oh!" Quickly, she laid the article on the table with her purse and returned to her tea setup, pulling a face as she removed the strainer from Sohee's first cup. Not exactly a good start to try and impress a new customer. "I'm so sorry. I left this for too long. It will probably be stronger than it's supposed to be." What a rookie mistake! Hoshi was appalled at her carelessness. She hadn't made a flub like that in years, why now, of all times?

"Go ahead and taste it," she said unhappily. "If it's terrible I can just throw it out and start again."

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Last-Minute Friendship [tag: Sohee]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 12, 2012 0:45:25 GMT -6

Hoshi held up her hands. "Relax, Sohee." She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. "I don't live too far away — just a couple of blocks — and my mother lives upstairs so if it gets too late I can just sleep here, I don't mind. Please, just take your time." She stepped out of her shoes. "Since you are the last customer, though, I hope you don't mind me being a bit more informal. It's been a heck of a day."

I think I would like to try the orange blossom tea... and maybe a chocolate cake to go with that?

A girl after her own heart. Fruit teas were Hoshi's favourite too, and chocolate was always a good go-to. She exercised the utmost self restraint when it came to the sugary treat, however, because she figured she might not have enough self control to stop after just one. The short, green-eyed woman clapped her hands, quite pleased. "An excellent choice!" she confirmed, smiling wider. "The orange blossom tea is quite light, and does well with the heavier chocolate cake."

Moving to behind the counter, Hoshi filled up a teapot with water from the tap and set it on the stove. She grabbed one of their metal trays as well, and began arranging her various cups and tools carefully on the surface. It wasn't normally a habit to give private tea ceremonies, but it was after close and Sohee had admitted to not knowing much about tea. Hoshi was very much of the opinion that tea was the greatest beverage in the world save water for its versatility both in taste and what foods could accompany them.

As she worked, selecting various tins of differing types of orange blossom tea, Hoshi addressed her young customer. "It's a little late out," she said. Not really the sizzling night life hour (not to mention this was the wrong part of the City for that), but it was after sundown. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the greyish-black night sky was rapidly taking over the fading orange-pink hues. Not really the time to visit a tea shop, as most people took their tea either in the mid morning, mid afternoon, or before bed (the last usually being in the privacy of her own home). After a small pause, trying to find her chashaku, she finished her sentence. "Just getting home from —" she glanced at Sohee, quickly appraising her age, "--work?"

The water boiled, and Hoshi worked quickly, switching from the stove-pot to the serving pot. The steam stung her eyes --would she ever get used to that? Probably not-- and she turned her head briefly to clear her vision. Dipping a silver spoon into each tin, the woman meted out a helping of tea leaves into individual ceramic cups; she selected eight drinking cups --four a piece-- not wanting each tea to be marred by the other.

Bringing the tray back to Sohee, Hoshi set everything down carefully, talking as she worked. "Tea ceremonies are a dying art." It was a rehearsed speech, but every word she spoke carried as much fervour now as it did the first time she learned the words. "Once, tea was a way for people to connect through a common love; it was an art form, a time-honoured tradition that took years to master. Now, the art is lost as things make way for convenience and speed. But, I think everyone can benefit from taking the time to enjoy a freshly, properly brewed cup of tea."

She sat across from the girl, arranging the eight cups in equal rows in front of the two of them, placing an open-faced, bowl-shaped tea strainer from edge to edge of the first cup on Sohee's right; she then mirrored the action to her row of cups. She spooned in a small amount of dried tea leaves.

"The Lotus Café stocks four different kinds of orange blossom teas. This first is a light tea, baby green tea leaves infused with the blossoms. It's very delicate, so it should be a clean taste and very refreshing." She poured the hot water over the tea leaves carefully so as not to accidentally splash out some of the leaves into the cup.

"Leave it sit for about thirty seconds so you can get the full flavour, and-—-" Hoshi broke off, the corner of a paper catching her eye. Something had been partially covered by her tray, but that two inches of image was unmistakable. Gently tugging the paper free, she found herself face-to-face with an image of Tahno in a victory pose. PROBENDING SEMI-FINALS the paper proclaimed boldly. WHITE FALL WOLFBATS VS. REPUBLIC CITY ARMADILLO WOLVES. NEXT WEEK AT THE PROBENDING ARENA.

She stared at the paper for a few moments, blinking. Next week? The semi-finals were next week? She knew she had been busy with the shop, but she didn't think she had missed that many broadcasts! If the semi-finals were already here, then that meant this could be her very last chance to see the Wolf Bats play this season. She hadn't been to a single game!

"You like probending?" she demanded eagerly, looking back at her customer.

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Last-Minute Friendship [tag: Sohee]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 22:35:56 GMT -6

OOC: Just going to take the lead here to give Airi something to work with.

——

Before the words were even out of her mouth, Hyuk-jae turned on his heel and practically sprinted away. Guess he knows where we are. Ling bit her lip. Part of her felt bad for going against what she knew had to be his wishes for anyone not to know about his family. She just couldn't comprehend why. He had his condition, so wouldn't his family want to care for him, make sure he didn't have to turn tricks and sell papers a decade older than the other newsies because he couldn't keep a better-paying job?

Lee rapped on the door stepped back, leaving Ling at the foremost of the group. Trying to stand up a little straighter and exude an air of professionalism, like this was business as usual for her, Ling gave a small smile to the slender man who opened the door. "Good evening," she said, trying to be courteous as well as direct. Not her usual style. Quite difficult. "I am looking for a Mr. Lee? Lee Seo-joon." Even before he replied, her sharp eyes took in the uniform; they definitely had the right home.

His eyes were wary, she noted, as he regarded them. "I am Seo-joon," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "And you are?"

Ling opened her coat and showed her brass Private Investigator badge, pinned on the lining. "I am Yao Ling. This is my sister and partner, Yao Mei-zhen, and our associate, Lee." The freckled woman realised suddenly that she didn't know of Lee was their companion's first name or last. Not that it mattered particularly much.

Seo-joon leaned in, examining the badge and the engraved numbers below. Seemingly satisfied that all was in order, he straightened and repeated his question. "Can I help you?"

He seemed guarded, and so she was on the alert for anything unusual. "Well, sir, we were recently contacted by a client who requested we locate you and reunite you with your son, who should be arriving shortly." Hopefully. Where had he gone?

His reaction was something Ling did not expect. There was a brief flicker of recognition in his eyes before turning blank. "Son?" he echoed blandly. "I don't have a son."

....What?

She faltered, second-guessing her detective work. Had she found the wrong Lee Seo-joon? The chances of finding a "Lee" with an identical first and last names were, she had thought, quite slim. Ling glanced back at Mei. Had they made a mistake?

From inside the house, a woman's voice called out. "Who is it?"

Without taking his eyes off of her, Seo-joon called back. "It's nothing. They have the wrong house."

A woman came to the door, holding a small, giggling girl-child. Ling's eyes narrowed slightly. It was impossible that they had the wrong house. Seo-joon could have been an older Hyuk-jae, and the girl-child was quite clearly his sister. Or at the very least, half-sister. Ling forged ahead, her grey-blue eyes cold and her voice hard as steel.

"No, I don't think so," she asserted, taking a small step closer to the family, studying their reactions. "You have a son. Hyuk-jae. He looks exactly like you."

Seo-joon's eyes became decidedly unfriendly. "I do not have a son," he repeated.

Ling lifted an eyebrow in silent but apparent disbelief. "Yes, you do." she insisted.

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Can I Keep Him? [tag: Zombi, Airi]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 21:19:05 GMT -6

All right, we can do it that way. :]

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Celebrate Good Times!

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 19:49:01 GMT -6

"Good evening," Hoshi said politely, her smile wide. She gestured to the empty shop. "We serve hot teas and cakes. Not too filling, but definitely comforting. Feel free to pick a seat." Her tone was wry. "I hope you can find one." She glanced at the clock - closing time. Not one to turn away a paying customer, Hoshi addressed the girl. "I'm going to lock the door so no other customers came in." She arranged her face into what she hoped was something pleasant. "We did just close, but you managed to squeak in."

Heading over to the door, she flipped over the sign from "open" to "closed" and turned the lock. "Nice to meet you," Hoshi relaxed a little, now that there were for-sure no more customers coming. "My name is Jeon Hoshi, and I own --or, will own-- this shop." She picked up a menu, and slid it on the table to the brown-haired young lady. "We specialise in tea blends for any occasion; our specials for today are a lychee black tea paired with light, buttery cake, as well as a black milk tea with chocolate cake. However, you are free to order from our wide selection of blends."

She gestured to the shelves lining the wall behind the counter, filled with metal tin upon metal tin, filled to the brim with dried teal leaves.

"Do you know much about tea?" she queried. Now that the door was locked, Hoshi felt more inclined to take her time. "If you have an ailment - maybe an upset stomach, or if you're nervous, or something, I have teas for that. If you're just into the taste, I have fruit teas, flower teas, or plain teas. Heavier teas, like black, or lighter teas like green. Stronger teas, made with older leaves, or less harsh teas made with baby leaves. I've got a pastry or something for everything, all fresh made here today. What'cha tasting?"

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Last-Minute Friendship [tag: Sohee]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 19:29:16 GMT -6

This really wasn't her type of thing, late nights at a bar. Rohana pressed her lips together as the din of patrons assaulted her ears. There could have been better places for meetings, really. She smoothed her light blue, below-the-knee-length pleated skirt, noting with a certain distaste that the patrons were mostly a decade or more younger. This really wasn't boding well. Checking her cream-coloured blouse in the reflection of a tinted window, Rohana quickly tied back her waist-long brown hair to keep it from looking messy. She preferred a clean, crisp, well put together look. Some said it made her look severe, but that didn't matter to her.

She didn't understand how this meeting was supposed to be conducted; just something she heard from a higher ranking Equalist, to meet here at this particular time. Was there a code word, to better identify her fellows? If there were, she hadn't the faintest idea. Scanning the room, she noticed a large, circular table at the back, cleared as if expecting a larger headcount. That must be them. There were only two people there, so she was apparently early. Good. Punctuality was very important.

As far as why this meeting was called, the older woman could only presume it was in light of the bloody "Taskforce" created by a certain Councilman. She had heard all about it the next day at work, the reporters that were there noting how Tarrlok expertly manipulated the situation to force a once-reluctant Avatar to participate. Despite herself, she felt sorry for the young girl. Her interviews with the press thus far had been naive, honest, and Tarrlok was a greasy politician with the best of them. Avatar Korra was outmatched and outwitted as Tarrlok deftly allowed the scandal-hungry press pressure Korra into a favourable condition.

She had held her tongue around the office, noting wryly that most of the on-site reporters were fully aware what Tarrlok was doing, and still pushed the girl. Despicable. While she had sometimes wished, in her earlier years with the paper, that she had a more credible position, it was times like this she was glad to be an agony aunt. No stressful deadlines, no vying with other competing papers to get the best scoop, no harassing little girls who, no matter what their faults, were just little girls trying to figure out a crazy city.

Most people paid her no mind as she crossed the room to the back table; her appearance, chin held high, combined with her age brooked no questions or suspicion. There was a girl at the bar, hunched over and consulting her drink like it held all the answers; a fellow Equalist? Perhaps. She was young, and looked a little out of place. As she passed, she tapped the girl's elbow, and met her eyes for the briefest of moments before turning her attention to the table. She didn't stop, instead just made her way to the back and sat on her chair, crossing her legs at the ankles and nodding solemnly to the other two already there.

"So lovely to see you again," she murmured to the man with the briefcase, a small smile on her face, despite not knowing him or the girl with him. Best not to arouse any suspicion in these turbulent times. He extremely well put together and the apparent head of the meeting; the other girl, older than the first by the bar, with a dishevelled appearance made Rohana purse her lips into a thin line of disapproval.

"How lovely to meet you," she addressed her. "I'm Ro." She deliberately shortened her name. Not many people knew it, since she answered letters with an alias, but it was never a bad thing to err on the side of caution. The older woman — The oldest one, again, she thought to herself — extended a tan, muscular arm and offered her hand to shake in greeting. "So lovely of you to make it."

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Nothing Personal... [Equalists]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 18:46:11 GMT -6

OOC: Sorry for the short. I'm not really sure where we should go after this? PM me if you have any ideas.

———-

Bolin twirled and dipped and jived with Airi, following the tempo his busking buddies created. "Don't worry about it!" he told her, raising his voice just a bit to be heard over the music. "I don't dance a whole lot either, but when you hear something like this you just gotta get up and dance!" He laughed in enjoyment as he twirled her around, noting with pleasure that other people in the square had begun to follow their lead. He could tell that Airi was a little uncomfortable, but hopefully if the attention wasn't all on her, she'd be more at ease.

It was a good song, one that he had heard them play before. It always was a stunning thing that these guys weren't playing in clubs or anything, but from their stories jazz was a competitive arena, like probending. Every musician and their mother from here to Ba Sing Se was trying to 'make it big' in Republic City as a jazz musician, and only the best of the best were even considered.

"Showboating?" he asked blankly, then remembered. "Oh, yeah!" He twirled her again, and reeled her back in. "Showing off, doing this fancy stuff." He pointed to Pabu, who was wiggling his body to the beat of the base while standing on his hands. "Back when Mako and I were ... well, before we were probending, we picked up odd jobs here and there." Bolin conveniently left out for who. "Pabu and I met a few years back, and we've been a duo ever since. Sometimes we come here to show off his tricks and earn a little spending cash." As if in response, the fire ferret struck a pose, standing on one hand only. He gave the animal a sly thumbs-up.

The song changed, and it was a different tune. A little less jaunty, but still upbeat. Other people were still dancing, so Bolin paused. "D'you wanna take a break?" He wasn't sure if the presence of other dancers lessened her discomfort. "Sorry I kinda pushed that on you," he added. "Mako says I do that a lot. I'm sorry."

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when bread comes your way (bolin/mako)

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 18:17:34 GMT -6

What a day. It was days like today that made Hoshi glad the shop closed an hour after sun down. Their normally busy times extended by about an hour a piece, compounded by the fact that the people who stopped in for the tea-tasting ceremonies had to wait until they were less busy, creating a back up in service that just permeated the whole workday. Things didn't die down until about twenty minutes prior, and Hoshi was -for once- relieved at the sight of an empty shop.

There were ten minutes left til closing, but her mother had gotten on her case about shutting the store up before the exact time posted on their sign. It was silly, she thought, but there was really no arguing with umma.

The short woman sighed, pulled out a chair from one of the table, and propped her feet on a chair opposite. Her feet were aching from running around all day. Umma had helped during the busier parts, but for the majority she had been on her own. She rubbed her left heel to soothe the dull pain. Maybe I'll hire someone if this keeps up. But who? She didn't really know any one other than Mizu and Jin Ho, and most of her regular customers were geriatric. It had to be someone she could trust, and someone who would quickly learn the ropes.

It wasn't that difficult to take orders during rush hours. It was just as simple as offering the menu of the day's tea blends, boiling water, then giving the appropriate amount of cups and strainers to the people at the table. All of the shop's teas were dried loose-leaf and brewed to order, unlike many shops that would just brew on giant vat of tea until they ran out — or worse, the shops that used those awful "bags" with some generic tea leaf inside. She had taken one of them apart before, out of curiosity, and was appalled — when she poured hot water over the leaves, they didn't blossom, they just tinted the water brown. She had tossed out the rest of the box of tea bags. Waste of money, perhaps, but there was no way she'd let those things defile her kitchen any longer. She prided herself, like her father did, on the custom blends the shop offered, and every blend of tea was served with dried leaves that seemed to come to life once re-immersed in water.

The hardest part about working at The Lotus Café was learning the tea ceremony. Hoshi had been brought up on it, but for a newcomer it might be difficult; if she hired someone, it needed to be an intelligent person who would understand not only the difference between the tools needed for the ceremony, but how to use them, as well as the customs needed to be observed by the tea master. It was a lot to take in, and someone would either need to love tea as much as she did, or love to pay attention to detailed, complicated tasks.

Pulling a magazine out of her purse, Hoshi flipped through the pages, re-reading for the umpteenth time an interview with Tahno. The Wolf Bats waterbender was Hoshi's major celebrity crush. It was such a pity that Jin Ho didn't like going to the Probending Arena. She'd love to catch a match, but she had no one to go with and there was no way she'd be going alone. Part of the fun in something like probending was the ability to share it with someone, and she had no one like that.

Glancing at the clock, Hoshi shrugged off the remaining five minutes. Surely no one would care, right?

She stood from her seat, her bare feet making pattering sounds as she crossed the wooden floor to lock the entrance. But-— wait. No. Was that someone coming up to the door? Hoshi sighed, then jammed her flats back on her feet, pushing in the chairs and hiding her purse and magazine and plastering a smile on her face.

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Last-Minute Friendship [tag: Sohee]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 13:36:00 GMT -6

**09.11.2012**
Coding Issue

You may notice that the left-side mini profile has reverted back to default; this is because there is currently a hosting issue beyond our control for the Mini-Profile customisation code. I will try to keep everyone updated as best as possible.

I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Should be fixed.

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September Updates!

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 13:31:25 GMT -6

I really like the suggestion - what if we combine some of the freeforms? EG, we can have the "through the carnival" thread, and list some locations in the opening post. Then, people just tag the location they're in, and others can reply accordingly.

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Celebrate Good Times!

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 11, 2012 0:26:02 GMT -6

@ Airi - Ugh, I know your feels. :C I hope they give you some relief soon. If not, load up on chocolate. >.> I swear it helps.

——-

Played Monopoly with le Josh tonight! So much fun. <3

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A Long Display Name Here

Sept 10, 2012 18:20:47 GMT -6

OOC: Don't worry about it. xD Here's some more time progression stuff to help with dates, and I put in some of the feelings that Ai Lin wanted Mei to have after Shi'ren died. Hope this helps your portrayal!

—-

The next few weeks were a blur. Money was a little tighter than Ling would've liked it, so she put in extra hours at the docks to make a few extra yuans. She worked late nights, as always; everyone hated graveyard shifts, so there was always someone looking to skiv off. Some would even pay her to take their shift. Yuans were yuans, and Ling never minded dock work. The people there were kindred spirits, and though the work could be gruelling, it was never unpleasant.

With her nights occupied, Ling spent days working on Lee's request. Mei hit the books, predictably, and the younger Yao was grateful. She had never been much for sifting through paperwork, which almost always required sitting in some stuffy, dusty room poring over a mountain of files searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Not exactly a good time. With Mei doing the boring stuff, Ling hit the street, interviewing people that might know something. She poked around the Power Plant, pretending to be investigating working conditions at the facility. How were things? she asked the workers. Were the working conditions good? Did the facility take care of workers and their families, such as being understanding if someone had an ill child?

Her questions were leading, and served their purpose. Someone had heard of a healer the Plant recommended to its employees, and that a handful of people had visited him before. Ling tried to figure out which of them had families, but didn't get very far interviewing workers. The ones she talked to were either called back to work, or didn't know anyone well enough to know if they had families. So, Ling put her ... other skills to use, accidentally finding herself near a locked door marked "Personnel" and accidentally finding her way in, and mysteriously finding that the previously locked file cabinet had suddenly unlocked itself. Quick as a wink, she found a folder marked "Services"; opening it, she saw the names of a few contract employees — a few of them with the surname "Lee", and a handful of healers to boot.

She slyly copied the information, taking care to put everything back exactly as she found it — including being locked. She had just stepped out of the room and re-locked the door when someone — a supervisor by the looks of it — started over and demanded to know what she was doing. With a blank, but pleasant look on her face, she apologised and said she couldn't read and thought this was the bathroom and was waiting for whomever was inside — the door was locked after all — to come out.

The lie was thin, considering she had spent the last few days taking notes from the people she had interviewed, but thankfully she hadn't met this supervisor before. He directed her to the bathroom, and she scurried away and home, eager to share the news with Mei.

After a few more days of digging — all of the Lees she had found were not related to Hyuk-jae, and all of the healers had never heard of a condition like his — Mei was able to find the name of a healer who diagnosed his condition and helped with some therapy. If it could be called that. When the girls went to question the healer, he mentioned recommending that Hyuk-jae be made unable to have children. He left it vague, but Ling was disgusted. She had heard of a lot of amazing things, but short of being cursed by the Spirits she had never heard of any way to take away someone's ability to have children.

She glanced at her sister, starting to understand why Hyuk-jae distrusted healers so much.

But, no matter the distaste she felt for the healer, he managed to give them a first name. Eagerly, the girls had sped home to share the news with their mother — only to find that she had died. Ling thought the conditions were suspicious, but no one else seemed to think so. So, she put it out of her mind for the time being; one job at a time, no matter how much it hurt.

Mei did not take it well, to say the least. Ling was lost as Mei seemed to crumble, and no amount of her patented awkward joking made her beloved older sister smile. For her part, Ling spent a fair amount of time drunk off her arse, picking fights with bigger men at the Golden Fan to let out some stress, all the while smiling and joking. When she wasn't at the Fan, she stuck by Mei like a purple pentapus. Not because she was worried about Mei, exactly... just the people around her. There was a dark, shadowed look to her older sister that hadn't been there before, and the freckled girl was worried that the waterbending might snap.

After taking a few days off to grieve in their own unique ways, the girls left a message for Lee at the Eye; Ling decided not to call Hyuk-jae, and left it to Lee to figure out how he was going to get the younger man to meet up with them.

She armed herself before they left home, sparing only the briefest glances at their mother's room. The girls kept it shut up tight. Ling doubted that Mei would go back in there in the near future. Sure as hell she was avoiding it.

After a cab ride, the girls met Lee and Hyuk-jae at the corner of Fifth and Banyan, the latter being a small street closer to a less-populated part of the City. With only the briefest of pleasantries, Ling lead the way to their destination. Upon reaching a modest-looking home, Ling turned around to face her companions, hands jammed in her coat pockets.

"So..." she began, a little awkwardly, not sure how much --if anything — Lee had told Hyuk-jae. "Here's our end of the bargain. Shall we do this?"

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Can I Keep Him? [tag: Zombi, Airi]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 10, 2012 17:43:13 GMT -6

Karena - surely you should be getting some overtime?

——

Busy day on TARP. But a lazy day at home. >.>

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A Long Display Name Here

Sept 10, 2012 16:43:04 GMT -6

Hangetsu lead her up the stairs, then suddenly seemed to become uneasy. Had she pushed too much? She started to say that it was okay, that they could go back, but then he opened the door and invited her in. The apartment was small, but she had never lived on her own, never had her own place. Small as it was, it was wonderful. It was definitely cosy, though Ren thought it was a little barren. It seemed like something that would be a stereotypical bachelor flat, but a fair bit neater. She found herself thinking of changes she might make to the place, then stopped. Now that was getting much to far ahead. After all, she was an Air Acolyte. She'd never heard of Acolytes making a commute to the Island for daily duties. If this went anywhere at all, Hangetsu would have to come to the Island.

She bit her lip. A possible road block. He had all this great stuff here, living above Lemurland and in the City itself; there was no way he'd move to a monastic, vegetarian temple, even if it was only about a ten or fifteen minute boat ride to the mainland. Not to mention she didn't even know how Hangetsu would feel about living together. No, no. It was much to soon to even think about it! She pushed the thoughts away. No. Better to concentrate on building the relationship rather than solely having a whirlwind romance.

Hangetsu excused himself to make coffee, directing her to his two bookshelves. She nodded, and gravitated toward the non-fiction case. She was curious to see what kind of studies were interested in; if she could talk about anything to anyone, it was reading. She remembered Hangetsu talking about the different jings, and she wondered if he had any books on the subject. Bending was always a source of amazing information and technique; it was such a curiosity why some people could bend and others could not.

Before she was able to study the titles, however, Hangetsu called out from the kitchen, directing her to the fiction shelf. "Your sister is an author?" she asked, just a slight hint of amazement in her husky voice. She eagerly turned to the mentioned shelf, scanning the spines for the aforementioned "Fleshbender" series. Finding the first novel, she pulled it out from its spot and read the synopsis on the back.

Her eyes widened a little, realising just what kind of book it was. "Oh...!" She paused, then re-read the description. "Han--Hangetsu? You're in it?" She looked up in the direction of the kitchen. She would have never figured him for such a thing, but everyone had their little secrets. As far as secrets went, this wasn't that bad. And the book itself seemed interesting. Ren wondered how it would be, to read a book like this where the protagonist was — or at least shared the same name as — her..... er, what was he? Boyfriend? Lover? Struggling internally, she finally decided on something a bit more neutral: her person.

Flipping through the pages with a certain level of reverence common in the most dedicated of bibliophiles, Ren skimmed the pages of Hangetsu's sister's novel. From their brief encounter earlier that day, she wasn't really that surprised to discover that she was an author of this type. Determinedly skipping over some of the more risqué passages, Ren spoke up again, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

"Have you ever heard of Omoi Tenoh?" she asked curiously. "She writes things like this too. I was in a bookstore about a week ago and found one of her novels, The Fire Lord's Spear? I... I bought it." Her tone was a little embarrassed. "It's... It's pretty good!" she said defensively, pre-empting any strange looks or questions. "I mean, I mean, did you know it's also somewhat based in history? Not the uh... um... racy... bits, the other stuff. At least, that's what the store clerk told me." Ren wondered briefly if the clerk was okay. He had left the store rather abruptly after striking up a conversation with her. She never did find out if they had a book on genders, either.

"It was a good book."

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Love is in the Air Acolyte [tag: Kami]

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 10, 2012 14:12:19 GMT -6

Raven-Hawks, Raven-Hawks... Raven-Eagles, maybe? Bolin thought back, trying to remember. "Raven-Eagles, d'you mean?" How strange she didn't know her own team's name. "That was a couple of weeks ago, wasn't it?" He seemed to remember it, at least somewhat. It was a relatively impressive match, despite a first round flub on their Firebender's part. That must have been why Airi was brought in as an alternate. The Dragon-Hawks (maybe that is why she got confused? but still, weird...) had wound up winning, but the Raven-Eagles had made a valiant effort. "You guys did pretty well, if I remember right. Could have probably used more teamwork, instead of trying to go toe-to-toe with individual team members. Cover each others' weaknesses and all that."

They (finally) arrived at the bakery. Glassy-eyed, Bolin allowed himself to be lead inside, taking in all the smells of baking bread. Next thing he knew, Pabu was scolding him angrily for drooling. The earthbender wiped his mouth and chin as Airi walked away calling for her mum. He sat at a little one-person table, waiting.

A lady — Airi's mom, apparently — came out of the kitchen, all smiles and... Oh GOOD GOSH WAS THAT A FRESHLY BAKED LOAF? It was placed in front of him, with a knife with serrated edges, and a small bowl of butter. Eagerly, he grabbed the knife and sliced the loaf, relishing the crunch and sound of metal-on-crust. It sliced smoothly, scattering little crumbs everywhere. Blind to just about everything else, Bolin spread a generous pat of butter on his first slice, waiting just a few moments for the warmth of the bread to melt the butter before taking a huge bite. His eyes rolled back in his head as he chewed, slowly, savouring the warm, fluffy, buttery goodness.

Pabu climbed up on the table, helping his little grabby paws to a small ball of bread right from the centre of the loaf, nibbling at it rapidly. By the time Airi came back from freshening up, Bolin and Pabu had almost finished the entire loaf of bread.

Alright, is there anywhere you would like to hang out at?

He looked up, a little startled. "Oh! Hey, sorry, I spaced out." He took another slice. "This is really good bread," he said appreciatively, trying to finish the loaf so they could get going. A shame, to eat such goodness so quickly.

"Let's see..." the earthbender thought a moment, trying to think of an interesting place to go. There was always Central Park, but most people had been there a dozen and a half times. Not to mention there wasn't really anything to DO there except feed the turtleducks and that was a repetitive task at best. "Do you like music?" he asked. "You know, Jazz, that band stuff? There's this street corner over by Central Station where musicians hang out."

Finishing the last bit of bread, much to both his and Pabu's dismay, Bolin stood up and took the dishes to Airi's mother. He bowed. "That was delicious, thank you!"

Lead the way.

With a hearty wave goodbye at Airi's mom, Bolin headed out the door, pausing to gain his bearings. The neighbourhood was unfamiliar. "Uh..."

Smiling brightly, he pointed. "Maybe it's this way?"

***

After a few wrong turns and about a ten minute walk, Bolin finally lead Airi to Central Station and the corner he talked about. There were only a couple of musicians there so early in the morning, but Bolin greeted them warmly and by name. Or, at least, nicknames.

"Hey Lungs! How's it goin', Plucky? He-heyyy, Slider! How's business?"

The three men shrugged, and smiled.

"Slow. How ya been, Bo? Who's this pretty lady?"

The one with the trumpet held out his hand for Airi to shake. "I'm Lungs," he said pleasantly. "This here with the upright bass is Plucky, and the guy with the trombone over there is Slider."

Lungs suddenly looked at him mock-suspiciously. "This your gal?" His tone was part teasing, part curious. Bolin waved his hands rapidly, dismissing the claim. He only had eyes for one girl.

"Oh, nonononono, she's just a friend, actually, we just met this morning over at the Arena." He quickly changed the subject. "Have you guys written any new songs? Could you play something for us?"

Plucky shrugged in a why not sort of way, and began plucking at his instrument, the deep bass notes filling the air. Slider tapped his foot for a couple of seconds, getting the beat, before joining in. Lungs was the last, giving the two probenders a wink before taking a deep breath and demonstrating how he earned his nickname.

Fast, upbeat music filled the air and Bolin held out his hand to Airi. "Wanna dance? I promise not to step on your feet!"

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when bread comes your way (bolin/mako)

A Long Display Name Here

Sept 9, 2012 19:05:58 GMT -6

too tired to post today -_- i am so glad this is ryari's last day in cypress, i hate getting up at butt o'clock (and not the good kind) in the morning to take him to work.

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The Avatar RP

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