Kazumi - Yes, it's just fine. I'm just replying to let you know that I have seen it and read it. I want another opinion, so when I call Katara later on tonight, I will talk to her about this before giving a judgment. I'll PM you letting you know when this post has been edited, so please don't respond.

Katara Note: Please keep in mind that we said NO OOC[/u]. Again, this is another form of exemptions; if you are not sure about something, please PM myself or Karena with your question(s) rather than sticking an OOC comment here (as Karena specifically said in the opening post *NOT* to put in OOC).

To reiterate - this is another form of exemption. You may write about anything that catches your fancy, as long as you include the form, the sample itself is 500 characters or over, and there is no godmoding.

Thanks.

Kazumi - Your post is good, nothing exceptional, but average. I do think that from now on you should put a little more character depth in your posts, but this will do. Remember, if you get sent back from the RPG boards, you have to do the Training, either Battle or Romance. ACCEPTED

Kenji - I specifically said in the top post no godmoding, and you did that, so DENIED. Do one round of the Romance Training and try either this or the Prompt Exemptions again or do the Romance Training.

Display Name: Ishihime
Age: 15
Gender: Male

A cold zephyr blew through the cold, flat savanna that Haname stood it. This light wind disheveled his sandy-colored hair, tossing it to and fro. Emerald eyes peered across the plain and what did they see? Nothing. Not a soul resided in this part of the land. Haname, found this to be very odd.

The air itself had a frosty touch-- in which felt slightly welcoming, when it mixed with the rays of ample sunlight. Haname smiled his famous little grin, and leaned lightly against the lone tree that stood in the middle of this grassy field. He felt the grass tickle his skin as it brushed on the cloth that seperated Haname from the soft earth.

Green was an abundant color here, found in the grass, the leaves, his eyes. Haname always loved his eyes. He found them fascinatingly beautiful. He found himself fascinatingly beautiful. This may seem like pure vanity, but he loved to look in the mirror. Who could deny that Haname was beautiful?

Showing interest in the wildlife about him, he counted the cricket's tune. One, two, three, four...By the time he was finished, he made it to one hundred and seventy three. He laughed a little at his own little game, and decided to take a look at the tree he was leaning on. The rough, brown bark that covered it was hidden with moss. This softened the tree's exterior. Haname placed his hand on the greenery, and felt through it. To him, it felt like silk. Smooth, soft...natural.

Suddenly, Haname's eyebrows pressed slightly downward, giving him a confused or worried expression. His lips pressed together and his eyes scruntched a little bit. His left index finger was placed lightly on his small, effeminate chin. What could be going through his mind?

Why am I lonely? Were the words that were echoing through his head, and ringing in his ears. Haname always wondered how come no matter how nice he was...he was always alone. He never had any friends. Acquaintances yes, but never a friend. Never someone to speak to, never someone to share his ideals with. Was this how it was suppose to be?

It was obvious what the answer was. No. It wasn't the way he wanted it to be. Just, to him, lonliness was so unnatural. Until now, he was never alone. First, he was with his mother and father. Then, only his mother. When he left to the circus, he had the crowd and the other actors/actresses to keep him company. Following that, he had Komma. He cared for him too...infact, you could say that Komma was Haname's 'father' as he teached him morals.

Could it be, that this was his first time ever alone?

Haname shook his head lightly, dissolving the ever conscience thought that scratched at the lining of his skull. He stood up quickly, and brushed the dirt that collected on his butt and hands whilst he sat there busy with his thoughts. Starting at a small walk, he soon found himself sprinting through the plain.

Maybe this is why no one lives here... Haname thought, referring to how this plain seemed to make you think. A little bit too much if you asked.

Ishihime - Watch out for your tenses, and make sure you're using the same tense throughout the entire post. Usually past is what is used when writing. Also, watch for repeating words. Try doing something different, and make sure to run though a grammar check like Microsoft Word or soemthing first. Other than, it's good. ACCEPTED

Kidate - for now, I'm going to Deny this for a few reasons; (1) your profile is still not up to standards, and (2) your name is still not in the proper format. If you don't know what I'm referring to, you need to re-read the rules and FAQ. Once these two problems have been cleared up, Karena and I will discuss your application.

Display Name: Nahari
Age: 13
Gender: Male
Post:

The sky was black. Well, no, not black, but a very dark blue. The emptiness of space never really held a true color. So perhaps it was black. The sheer absence of light was a staggering concept for any human to grasp. The sea rocked quietly, its waves never once peaking the height of about three feet, barely noticeable against the large black shape that glided so seamlessly through the water’s embrace. The black hull stretch upwards magnificently, the metal work blending piece after piece into the floating transport. Anchor was down for the night, so the coil of chain that normally took up a corner of the deck was stretched down into the merciless waves below. The air itself was cool and crisp, a small puff of visible air spreading out and fading away in front of a figure’s face.

The boy, for it was in fact a child, sat huddled in the corner that belonged to eh anchor chain. His arms were cocked at the elbows and wrapped around his legs for extra warmth. But still he shivered slightly, but not from cold. It was the pure adrenalin that pumped through his veins, nervous energy fizzing forward in a maddened frenzy. Far behind the ship, shrinking by the moment was the last familiar thing to Nahari. The Fire Nation was not only his home, but it held every memory he cherished, and was home to every one he loved.

Or is the home to the ones I used to love. The fire bender thought bitterly. His uncle, Rikuru had turned him over to the fire lord’s courts, and his bending master, Kiek, had not shown up at his lessons since Nahari was sentenced. He had been given a day to pack, but what would he have taken? All that the boy owned himself was a set of light daggers, the clothes on his back and in his small bag that sat forlorn at his feet, and the silver chain that hung around his neck.

It was a last remembrance of his mother, Miena. A single loop of cheep silver varnished chain that held nothing but its own sturdy links. It was the one thing Nahari had never tried to sell or barter. It was a precious, no, the precious object to him. The boy fiddled even now with chain as he let the water engulf his gaze and feed the growing hate in his heart. It was this war’s fault his mother had died. Maybe not directly, but because they were enemies with the water tribes, healers would not help the fire nation, let alone a sick and poor woman with a fatherless thief for a son living off her brother. Nahari clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly, small tips of fire flaring out into the darkened deck and extinguishing as they hit the water with a hiss of smoke.

Nahari was scared. Not that he would ever admit it, but he had been trained for military action for two years and had barely learned the sword’s basic movements, could never remember rank orderings, and almost failed every test he had taken. The child didn’t even want to fight, but this was his punishment for attacking an important fire nation official that had been rude about Miena.

And I wouldn’t take a single second of that back. Nahari thought savagely, savoring and cultivating the shock and horror that had crossed his victim’s face as the dagger went towards him. The only thing that left Nahari sad about his action is that the man was not physically harmed. But it also disheartened the boy. He remembered coming on to the ship, setting his stuff with the others heading to the war. They were all so much older than him, and they looked tough. Frightened to stay in the room during their ‘Go’ game, Nahari had retired to spending his time above the anchor, wishing with all his heart that he were back on land. He was wishing that he were home.

But no matter how many times he shut his eyes and prayed, he always opened them up to the expanse of water and barely visible sliver that was land. Nahari moved a hand up to brush his blond curls back and started at the feel og wet on his cheeks. Was he crying? Was he weeping like a bleater whom had just lost his first fight? He was pathetic. Nahari stood up angrily, stomping away from his perch and leaning on the rail of the war barge. His body was relaxed and his face featureless except for the expression of thinking. But his knuckled were white and his body shook ever so slightly as his tight grip on the railing twisted anxiously. He just wanted to go home.

Nahari - Wow, that was very good, especially for a 13-year-old! I like the character depth in it, and you could almost feeling your character's feelings from your words. Good job! ACCEPTED

Display Name: Jiro the Blade
Age: 20
Gender: Male

Zhi stretched as the first rays of sunlight appeared from behind the mountains in the distance, though providing little in the way of visibility due to the fog from the previous night. Still, it was slowly dissipating; giving the field the twins had set up camp in an eerie vibe to it. It almost looked like the aftermath of a large-scale Fire Nation raid, and the fog bank drifting along so lazily made a convincing smokescreen. Which would have been preferred, given that heat usually accompanied actual smoke; all the fog offered was a chill.

A glance over to his right showed that Li was just beginning to wake up, and Zhi made a mental note that it would be Li tasked with the last watch the next time they set up camp. Had either of the twins sported Fire Nation uniforms, they would not have been so bold but to set up camp in such open terrain; however, for their mission it was best that they pose as ordinary travelers rather than trained military personnel. It was a shame most travelers in the Earth Kingdom had such a habit for setting up a campsite on such terrain... both of the twins were increadibly uncomfortable with the vulnerability that came with the lack of any sort of tree cover or rock outcroppings.

Zhi was pulled out of such musings by the sound of Li trying furiously to light a fire with the spark rocks they carried, though obviously having little success. He heard the striking sound a few more times before he finally looked back toward his brother to see if he needed help; only to find that Li was taking down their tent, not trying to start a cooking fire. Considering the flat terrain couldn't possibly be prone to rockslides, that meant only one thing...

The first boulder crashed to earth right atop the fire pit in an explosion of ash and dirt; throwing pieces of the charred firewood into the air along with small pebbles and other debris. The rest followed shortly after, smashing down with enough force to shake the ground beneath the twins (not to mention destroy most of their camping equipment, including the tent that Li had just abandoned). The fog kept the attacks from being as accurate as they could have been, and whoever was attacking them was no doubt simply trying to flatten the entire camp and hope that Li and Zhi were crushed in the process...

Jiro - Not bad. The writing is good, no doubt about that, but the actual character depth in the post was a bit... shallow. I would suggest working on that, and getting more in depth with your character's thoughts and feelings. Other than that, good job. ACCEPTED

Display Name: Yasuo
Age: 14
Gender: Male
Post:

Yasuo's crystal blue eyes scanned the surrounding market of Ba Sing Se as he walked the town searching for fellow water benders; on his way to water bend. Recently he had heard there were water benders in town, but he didn't know if that was a fact or just a rumor. The morning breeze felt cold on his face but it also felt inviting enough for him to dance around like an idiot just out of pure ecstasy; though he knew people would stare so he just didn't even attempt it. As he came to the middle of the market the surrounding area became more crowded with people. There were people bargaining for food, solicitors, and the city guards. Of course, the guards had to watch if people broke out into random fights with people; sometimes even scouring the area for random people to get in trouble. This place actually held many people of wizardry. The chef around here displays his wizardry whenever he prepared Yasuo something to eat. It was such a vigorous performance that it instantly became his favorite restaurant.

Finally, Yasuo made it out of the crowd just after a few minutes. He made such a smug expression on his face that he actually made it through there without being asked question about his clothes. It was as if he was fitting in like it was home. Though, home, meaning Northern Water Tribe, would never be seen again. He needed to travel the world for self happiness.

The gates to Ba Sing Se were just around the corner, and once outside he would be able to practice his water bending in a non-secluded area. The morning breeze once blew again. This time, the air felt just a tad warmer but somewhat had a cold side to it. It touched his rosy cheeks, feeling much like an older womans hand brushing against him. Though, it felt familiar. He abruptly stopped and stood near the gates. Mother..are you.. He couldn't think that like. Positive thoughts kept him going. If he thought negative he would go into a depression state for quite a while. No, she has to be okay. She just has to be. He smiled. He knew she was alright.

Stepping in front of the Ba Sing Se guards, he flashed a paper that said what he was going to do. Really, if they were going to defy him the ability to go out of this place just for some fun, then he was just going to leave. To his surprise, this being the first time going out in a week, they let him out. The gates of the inner wall opened in front of him. The Earth benders a few yards above him looked down at him, as if confused why he would be leaving all the times he did. He, of course, had his reasons. Those reasons were to be kept secret.

Finally outside the city, Yasuo removed his jacket and searched for a nearby water source. Once there, he would do the simple push and pull technique then move to harder techniques. There was one spot he enjoyed quite a bit, but it was hard to find. It was actually covered by many grasses and lily pads, often decorated with some algae. His crystal eyes scanned. For just a few minutes he stood there. The wind seemingly enveloping around him as if he were the center of attention. Yasuo's eyes targeted the water source and quickly ran over to it. From here on, his day would be easy!

Yasuo - Good job! I would have prefered a little more about what your character was actually thinking, but you made up for that. Katara and I both you did good, so... Good job! ACCEPTED

Display Name: Yuan
Age: 18
Gender: Male

What am I going to do? the young water bender asked him self as he lied on his bed, the room was dark, and the moon was high the sky, but it‘s light still shined bright through his widow. God it was getting late, nonetheless Yuan couldn‘t bring himself to fall sleep. Black eyes looked up at the dark ceiling, as he turned over once again, a concerned look on his face. He didn’t know what to do. It was only a couple of hours back when he thought himself to be nothing, but an non-bender but now… the young boy lifted up his small, shaking hand still in disbelieve at what had happened at school, he was a water bender.

Unable to lie down Yuan sat up on his bed still looking at his shaving hand before turning to the window as he tried to think about his situation. Luckily, no one from the school witnessed his bending, however that wasn’t what really concerned him. What concerned him was how his father was going to react. His father had already seemed disappointed enough at him for the fact that he was a non-bender, however Yuan knew that there were plenty of great soldiers in the fire nation that were non-benders so there was still hope for him. But now… there was no hope. Even if he were to become a great fighter there were no water benders in the Fire Nation army, at least none that he knew of.

Yuan knew of the fact that his mother was a water bender, but what were the chances of him becoming one? Should I tell him? he asked himself as his eyes narrowed in worry. He had felt that he had disgraced his father enough by not being some great fire bender like he was, but he could have dealt with that. But being a water bender?! No, he couldn’t bare to tell his father such a thing. He was going to have to hid it. Hopefully he would be able to resist the urge to bend. Yuan had always wondered what it would be like to bend, and now that he had the chance to learn there was no way he could practice without being caught.

A smirk appeared on his face, but then again what was life if you didn’t live on the edge a bit? The once worried child, now seemed excited and happy at the idea of his bending as he tried to look on the bright side of things, for it wasn’t in his character to be gloomy. I would be a good soldier in the Navy, he thought to himself trying to bring himself up from his horrible realization. His mind thinking of the things that his water bending could bring him, and his Nation. People outside of the Fire Nation would never trust a fire bender no matter if they were loyal or disloyal, but a water bender? Now that was a different story, he could have made a great spy when he was older.

Finally able to relax, somewhat, the young water bender lied back down, his eyes still staring at the full grown moon. The young bender remembering things he was once told as to how water benders were strongest while the full moon was out. Must have been destiny that he found this out on this day, but despite everything, Yuan knew better than to tell anyone about this. Therefore he was going to have to keep it a secret until the time is right. A small snort escaped his mouth as he closed his eyes to try and sleep, Like that’s going to happen any time soon, he scoffed.

Display Name: Mikazuke
Age: 17
Gender: Female

Mikazuke stood leaning against the railing of the docked ship. Her shoulders back she was bracing the weight of her torso on her arm leaning over. Her fingers wrapped tightly around the iron railing, arms lock straight at the full length, bare feet about a foot apart. Her head tilted down to watch the water below, she smiled as a group of turtle-ducks swam into view. Her short blonde hair messy, wet, and smelling like flowers from her recent washing, it was currently whipping back into her face as the wind blew. It stung has the little, but pointed strains hit her face. She ran her hands threw it tussling it back and away from her face. Her baggy over shirt hanging open over the tight black quarter sleeve she always worn under it. The over-shirt being the usual deep red with white trimming and the classic mandarin style collar, the shirt look slightly worn from almost constant wear, It was her favorite shirt after all. She had the baggy shirt’s sleeves rolled up onto her shoulder today to avoid the annoyance of the large sleeves failing against her arm in the wind. Her pants weren’t her normal, but were a pair she often slept in. They were baggy coming down over her feet, black, and look more worn than her over-shirt. She waited for the ducks to pass the on by before she lifted herself back into stand position and walked off onto the dock. She quickly looked down as her bare feet went from iron floor to wood. The texture so different, her eyes starring down and a small smile across her lips She wasn’t amazed at the feeling no she had felt a million wooden floors beneath bare feet, but the difference going from metal to wood was quit….nice.

Mikazuke felt that surge of curiosity hit as she left the ship by only a step. The sudden leap in her heart to explore the harbor town they were docked at. She put on foot in front on the other, saying over in her mind the guards won’t notice me gone for a few moments. She walked slowly taking in the people that went by. She smiled at them, but she knew they smiles they gave back weren’t real. She had just stepped off a fire nation ship; they knew were her loyalty belonged. It stung her somewhere inside that all these people somewhere in there hearts felt disrespect, disgust, anger for her beloved nation “and me.” She mumbled under her breath tilting her head down. Her hairs failing over her face blocking it from view. She felt like a child who had no friend, Jiro was like a family member. A friend yes, but nothing like that of someone who remains outside your family circle.

She turned on her heels chin up, but her visible eye swelling with tear. She wouldn’t cry no, but her eyes would still water. She would hold back. She would return to the ship and wait for the next day to set sail. She was tired of iron ships, wood and earth felt some much more comfortable to her feet. She sighed as her the bottoms of her feet touch the cold metal of the ship she called home. She took her place back at the railing, and sat back to the harbor town. She played with the ends of her shirt. “It is a lonely word isn’t it….” She muttered to herself head bent down staring at her hand as the fingered the slightly raged ends of her over shirt.

Display Name: Princess Ursa
Age: 17
Gender: Female

The wind blew roughly, causing the long black hair of the thirty-three year old woman to whip around her chest a bit. Every once in a while, hair would hit her in the face or the eye, causing a stinging sensation. The figure stood watching, hands clasped before her stomache, from a good distance as the market bustled with shoppers. She had just finished bargaining with a foods salesman over a cooked ham, and sharing it with some of the children that played out in the streets. Her stomache was full, and the company of little ones raised her spirits a little.

Every once in a while, a passerby would spot her and stare as they continued on. Usually, it was a young child or an elderly person, never anyone in between. Others were too busy with whatever fights they were starting, problems on their minds, or friends they were with. She no longer cared that others saw her, she was only worried about if someone of the capitol had seen her or not. But, in small cities like Shu Jing Village, there wasn't much of a chance of that ever happening.

Ursa was tall and elegant, which was almost the only thing she had going for her other than her personality. Her Fire Bending skills were pretty good, but she was too soft-hearted and the will to fight was weak. She would only fight if threatened, and only kill if need be. Yet, on a day like this, fighting was the last thing she thought about. Standing next to a book and scroll shop, the golden-brown eyes were set on watching a young woman who was chasing a chicken, obviously having a terrible time. It was amusing, the girl doubled over, running, feathers flying everywhere, and dirt kicked up all around. By the time the woman finally caught the bird, Ursa was almost in tears from laughing, and she wasn't the only one. She hoped the girl didn't feel embarrassed at the few people who laughed at her antics.

Staring downwards at the ground, she began to think of her next destination. I need out of this nation. I want to see the world... But, will I be safe? She would have to board a ship and sail to another land, the only thing she feared was that she would be unwelcome. Ursa knew that she would, and wouldn't hesitate to defend herself if need be, but the last time she was in another land she had guards with her.

Looking back up, breathing a sigh, she decided that she may not go at all. The war was still going strong, even the other tribes had started to become cruel and hateful. It would be best not to make an appearance or a scene anywhere like that, anyway. Reaching downwards, hands finally showing to reveal delicate and soft skin, she grabbed up her small bag and turned to go, heading Lord-only-knows where.

Display Name: Kita Amaya
Age: 15
Gender: Female

The Golden sun finally began to sail its way behind the mountains, leaving a breathtaking trail of pinks and yellows in its wake. I enjoyed the suns brightness, but even more so I enjoyed the coolness of night, everything is more peaceful, more mysterious. Leaning low over the marble balcony I rested my hands on my head to watch the beautiful scene.

“What are you doing out here Kita? You should be inside, having a good time”

Lee, I had only just met him four days ago. He was the one who took me here, caged me in this stone prison. No it’s not his fault, he just doesn’t realize that I don’t like the rich life.
Turning I looked him in the face, it was a handsome face no doubt. He was strong and smart, what else could a woman want? A while back he had seen me in the city, just stopping to buy food. As soon as he knew I had seen him he came straight up to me to introduce himself. After that he had hung around with me, it had actually been a wonderful night. I just melted when he read me a poem he had written for me. Eventually he asked me to his house and I accepted, I hadn’t left the place since.

“I guess I just don’t like parties Lee” I could hear the exasperation straining my voice

“What’s the matter, what did I do wrong?” His face looked so downcast I couldn’t help but smile, maybe I had found the one for me.

“Of course I do…” He began to move closer as I said this, I could feel my cheeks, and the rest of my body, begin to warm up. I had to be blushing terribly.

“You know I love you right? I’ll get you anything you need to make you happy.” I saw him begin to close his eyes, leaning forward, I began to as well.

Then something stopped me, it was as if my Heart, Mind and soul all shouted No! at once. Reluctantly I turned away; I wasn’t ready to kiss him just yet.

“Is something wrong?” He sounded concerned but was there something else in his voice, something harder to detect… disbelief?

“No… I… I just want to be alone for a while that’s all.” I felt almost sorry for saying those words, was I letting him down?

“Alright, I’ll be inside if you need me” I watched as he walked behind the cloth curtain that covered the balcony door. I felt awful inside, I might have just let the man of my dreams slip through my fingers. But things slipping through my fingers seemed to be the story of my life; I could sense horrible feelings begin to surface at the thought of this, they where like some wretched sea monster coming to swallow me up, I had to do something.

As I pulled away the curtain to go and apologize all of my feelings melted into two single emotions, Anger and Hate. There in front of me was Lee, saying my poem to another girl.

“Lee, could you come out to the balcony? I want to talk to you alone for a little bit.”

“Sure I’ll be right there.”

I didn’t wait to see what he would do next. I only walked slowly onto the balcony. A few seconds later he strolled out.

“What diAUGH!” he screamed as the jet of water threw him to the wall, freezing him unconscious to the spot. I just ran off, my eyes filling with tears.

Yuan - Good job! You did good in this. You have definetely improved. ACCEPTED

Mikazuke - Good job, but a lot of "she"'s and "her"'s. Try mixing it up with using pharses like "the brown-haired girl" or "the young girl" or "the Waterbender", or whatever applies to your character. Also, watch out for grammar errors. For instance, you were describing something and said, "the Fire Nation "and me," but And should have been capitalized. Other than that, good job. ACCEPTED

Ursa - Good job. The only problem Katara and I saw was the "Lord-only-knows where" bit towards the end of your post, because there is no God in Avatar. Christianity isn't around, and things instead revolve around the Elemental Spirits, or so we've seen. Other than that, good job. ACCEPTED

All Three of you - Remember, if you slack in the RPG boards and get sent back, you cannot do either of the Exemptions again.

Kita - There are a lot of mistakes grammar wise here. Watch for punctuation, mainly, and capitalization. Also, this post came off as really choppy to us. Try to smooth things out a bit. Reading other people's posts helps in this. Also, there's hardly any depth in this post at all. You need to dig deeper into your character so the people reading it have an idea of what she's feeling and thinking, because I don't after reading this. I don't at all. Besides all that, the first post says specifically not to godmod, and you did. Do one round of the Battle Training and try again, or do the Romance Training. DENIED

Display Name: Dayaa
Age: 21
Gender: Female

It had been days since her last human interaction, but she truly didn't care. The fading sunlight played over her features, highlighting the pale scar that struck through her golden skin. Again, she truly didn't care. It was luxuriously peaceful in this place, where the forest thinned out to become scrubland that eventually turned to marshland. Birds and insects were her only company; this Dayaa did care for. She was running low on her stored food; if she didn't find something to eat soon she'd be starving by the end of the week.

"D'matter," she grunted to herself, limping into the shadow of a huge tree and curling up in its roots. Her tongue felt sticky and thick in her mouth, and she wondered if she had actually become lost- she should have found a river by now. Dayaa tried to sleep, but only a few minutes passed before a nervous restlessness came over her, and she was up and moving again.

"Shortcut, he said," she grumbled, startling a huge jewel-toned dragonfly. Well, that's what she gets for actually paying someone to tell her the short way to get to the next village. Dayaa trumped along, her gaze slightly unfocused as long as she stayed on dry, flat, uncluttered ground. Her foot stepped into earth that was suddenly squishy and unpleasantly moist, and she snapped to life, a little horrified and very disgusted. Looking down, however, she saw that she'd stepped in simple mud- the ground before her was practically saturated, and ahead she could see the shine of the day's dying light, reflected on a stream.

Overjoyed, Dayaa forgot her previous complaints, hobbling enthusiastically towards the water with a renewed vigor.