Anonymous
Nov 29, 2016 19:07:36 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2016 19:07:36 GMT -6
Bo had never thought that stepping out to buy cat food could be an arduous task, but here he was, sloshing through rain on his way to the fourth store that day. He remained empty-handed because his cat Maomi, in a fit of intense stupidity, had decided that it was a good idea to get her paws on a bottle of milk he'd left out. And of course, it was just his luck that he'd befriended the one cat in Republic City that was lactose-intolerant. It would have been hilarious if Moami's indulgence hadn't resulted in him cleaning up after her for hours and several trips to a nearby vet. Now the little idiot was on a special diet of bland (and expensive) food which she hated, and it was up to him to restock when stores ran low. And of course, he had to pick today of all days to go shopping, when a storm was battering the city with heavy rain and wind. On the outside, he was soaking and miserable, but inside he was seething.
Bo cursed as he stepped in a puddle and his foot sank in nearly up his ankle, allowing frigid water to creep in through his defenses and attack him directly. Shivers ran through him, making his whole body tremble. Cupping his hands together, he brought them up to his face and blew into them. As the breath left his mouth, a small curl of flame came with it, offering some scant relief from the relentless chill. It faded all too quickly, though, leaving him feeling even colder than before, if that was possible. Bo pulled his coat tighter around himself and trudged on.
He hadn't really been paying attention to his surroundings, so focused on getting the food and getting home before he froze to death, but as he rounded a corner he realized where he was. He had wound up in the district of the city in which Akane and Akira, his Probending teammates, lived. In fact, their apartment was just a few streets away from where he stood now. Bo looked around, moved some wet hair from in front of his eyes, and thought. He had been meaning to ask Akira about a sparring session they'd had the other day, but hadn't yet found a reason to come out here. And it wasn't important enough to arrange a team meeting about or anything like that. But now he was close by, with time on his hands. And their apartment would be dry, and warm. That settled it; cat food could wait. Bo turned, and, with renewed vigor in his step, set off toward his new destination.
It did not take him long to reach Akane and Akira's apartment. As he approached the front door, he thanked the Spirits for the overhang attached to the door that offered shelter from the rain. Reluctantly removing a hand from where it had been sitting in the warmth of his armpit, he knocked on the door several times before quickly returning the limb to its previous residence. Hopefully one of his teammates answered soon. He wasn't sure how much longer he could last out here.
Anonymous
Dec 6, 2016 16:37:54 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2016 16:37:54 GMT -6
Akane was just lounging on the sofa. She had her robe around her, with some comfortable clothes underneath. She had the place to herself tonight. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Akira. After all, they trained together. He was her Captain and her friend. They had lived together for quite a while now. She did like him, but there were times that she just enjoyed being by herself. She had the radio on, and a book her hand. She was quite content just to stay there. Part of her had thought about going over to Ren’ai and Yuri’s and seeing if her girlfriend was home to do something spur of the moment, but she could have sworn that the Earthbender had said that she worked tonight. Not wanting to make the walk for nothing, and pretty sure that she was right, to begin with, she was happy where she was. There was nothing wrong with having a night to yourself.
Besides, she had needed to work late today so by the time she had gotten off work, grabbed something to eat, and gotten home she’d been exhausted. Akane had eaten her food, gotten changed and then curled up on the couch. That’s where she had stayed, content to be alone for the night until Akira came home. She was off tomorrow, so she had some time to stay lazy. A rare day when she didn’t have to work. Besides, if the weather was as bad as it was now, she was glad to stay inside unless Akira wanted to train. If he did, well, he was the Captain so what could she do, right? She had joined knowing that, too, and she knew that he only wanted their group to do well.
Akane jumped when she heard a knock on the door out of nowhere. What the… who is that? [/i]she thought to herself. Akira had a key so that couldn’t be him. She set her book down and pulled her robe tightly around her as she walked over to the door. Opening it, her eyes widened in shock as she saw a dripping wet Bo standing outside her door in the rain. “What the…? Come in,” she said, stepping aside to let him inside before closing the door behind him. “What are you doing outside in the rain?” She headed to the bathroom to grab him a towel, throwing it to him. “What brings you out here?” She went to sit back down on the sofa.[/color]
Anonymous
Dec 6, 2016 17:37:43 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2016 17:37:43 GMT -6
Bo waited and shivered. He tried breathing fire into his hands again, but that was difficult to do with his teeth chattering as they were. And Firebending was always more difficult when he was cold anyway.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long. Bo sighed with relief as the door opened, bringing with it a rush of light and blessed warmth. He stared back at Akane through a curtain of wet hair. "Hey."
He gratefully accepted her invitation and followed her into the apartment. As he stood there, though, he became acutely aware of the water that was now dripping off of his and pooling on the floor. He grimaced. He'd have to clean that up before he left. It would be a poor way to repay her hospitality, leaving her with a puddle she certainly hadn't asked for.
He spoke to her back as she moved toward the bathroom. "I was out looking for cat food. My stupid cat ate something she shouldn't, and now she's on a special diet." He practically growled those last words, just the thought making him angry all over again. He loved his cat, but wouldn't have minded if she'd turned out to be just a bit less of a hassle.
Just then, a towel hit him full in the face. He'd been so focused on his irritation that he'd missed Akane's throw completely. Reaching up, he grabbed the towel and pulled it up to rub vigorously at his hair. Akane's second question came as he was wringing his hair out, trying his best not to let the small waterfall that resulted get on the floor. Once his hair was as dry as it was going to get, he set the towel down and took off his coat. He held it up with one hand, and, as he held out the other hand, a small flame bloomed in his palm. He held the flame a couple inches from the coat, and soon steam rose from the garment in lazy trails as it dried out.
"I actually stopped by to talk to Akira," he told Akane, his eyes on the coat so he wouldn't accidentally burn it. "Wanted to ask him about our sparring session the other day. He here?"
Anonymous
Dec 9, 2016 18:20:44 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2016 18:20:44 GMT -6
Akane looked back at him. “You went out shopping for cat food in the rain?” she asked. “Or you went out to buy cat food, and it started pouring?” She gave a chuckle as she noticed that the towel had hit him in the face. That hadn’t been her intention, but it had been rather amusing to see it hit him square in the face. Considering the fact that they were training seriously for the next Probending season, she found it a lot more amusing than it actually was. After all, he’d been talking so he hadn’t been paying as much attention to what she was doing. It was still funny, though.
She watched as she began to dry himself off and then his coat. Then, Bo said that he was here to see Akira, and asked if he was here. The Waterbender shrugged her shoulders. “Nope, sorry, he’s not here. He’s still at work. Don’t know when he’ll be home. He said he was working late today.” She paused for a second before continuing. “Guess you’re stuck with me. You should hang out for a while anyway, because the weather is horrible.” It didn’t sound like it was letting up anytime soon either. “You can’t go back out in this weather. Your cat can wait.”
Akane looked at him again. “You know I’m a Waterbender, so I can help you with that if you like,” she said. It seemed rather weird for her to be sitting here, when she could simply bend the water out of his clothes for him. On second thought, she could have done that with his hair, too. The idea simply hadn’t occurred to her. “Unless you’d rather do it the hard way, which is fine with me, too.” She rested her head on her arms as she waited for his response.
Anonymous
Dec 9, 2016 19:08:18 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2016 19:08:18 GMT -6
"The second one," Bo replied to Akane's question. "I went to the pet store right by my place, but they didn't have the right food. So I tried another, and a third, and by then, it was raining." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Can't go home empty-handed, though." Well, that wasn't exactly true. He had enough cat food left at home to keep Maomi fed for a couple more days. But he would have had to go get more eventually, and with a day off from his job at the factory, he'd figured today was the day to do so. It seemed that the universe had different plans for him.
His streak of bad luck continued as Akane told him that Akira was late, and that she had no idea when he'd be back. "Great," he sighed. "Well, at least I'm not out there anymore." He glowered at the apartment's front door, the memory of the misery that lay just beyond still fresh in his mind. "Just have to hope that Maomi doesn't wreck my place while I'm not there. She gets bored easily."
His coat was about halfway dry, the material gently steaming under careful application of flame. Akane's suggestion brought the operation to a grinding halt. Bo turned to Akane, mouth half open. "To be honest, I totally forgot that was an option," he said, shaking his head. His ability to be dense astounded him sometimes. How had he managed to forget that someone he'd known and practiced with for two years now had the perfect skillset for drying out soaked clothing? He was an idiot sometimes. Shaking his head, Bo looked down at his sodden outfit, then back up at Akane. "Yeah, would you mind…?"
Anonymous
Dec 12, 2016 17:19:39 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2016 17:19:39 GMT -6
Akane just sat there, and watched him, listening as he told her that it hadn’t been raining when he left to go get cat food. “That sucks,” she told him, because honestly she didn’t know what to say. “Well, if you really need the cat food, you can try going out again.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I wouldn’t recommend it, though.” Honestly, she thought that would be really bad idea. The cat could wait. She wouldn’t go out in weather. It wasn’t as if she wanted to be continually bending water out of her face, not to mention how soaking wet she would be from going out in that rain for any length of time. Yeah, it was much better to just stay inside. Eventually, he’d have to go home. Hopefully the rain would have stopped by the time he needed to leave.
Akane didn’t know what to say, but he didn’t seem too happy about Akira not being here. “Yeah, sorry about that,” she said. “You can just stay here until the rain quits. Hopefully this doesn’t go on all night, though.” He couldn’t stay here long, but she knew that neither one of them minded him hanging out for a while. She wasn’t about to let him trudge off when it was pouring outside. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s a cat. She can deal with you being gone, just like when you’re at work or training with me and Akira.” She shrugged her shoulders again. Not that she didn’t understand at least some level him being worried about his cat. Pets were like family after all.
Akane let out a loud laugh when he gaped at her when she mentioned she was a Waterbender. “Yes, Waterbenders can bend water,” she said, “and that includes out of clothing or… anything really.” The Waterbender smiled at him. “Of course I don’t mind.” Dragging off from her place on the couch, she made sure that her robe was wrapped tightly around her before walking over to Bo. Starting with his coat, she bent the water out of it and sent it to the sink. Next, she turned to him directly and bent the water that was still dripping on Akira’s floor. Last up was the floor itself. Then, she looked up at him a smile on her face. “Better?”
Anonymous
Dec 16, 2016 23:15:25 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2016 23:15:25 GMT -6
Bo shook his head. “No, I’m not going out again while the weather’s this bad,” he agreed. “Once is bad enough.” Honestly, he didn’t mind rain. He liked it, actually, in most circumstances. Often, when it rained, he would sit on the windowsill and spend some quality time with Maomi. She was not the most affectionate cat—she preferred to keep to herself for the most part—but for some reason rain made her more amenable to spending time with him. But on this particular day, he’d chosen to abandon the comfort of home for a cat who probably wouldn’t even appreciate his effort. He was a fool sometimes.
Akane was right about Maomi surviving without him, of course. “I know she’ll be okay,” he said. “I just don’t trust her to leave all my stuff in one piece. She has claws, and likes to use them.” He smiled. “Think that’s why we get along—we’re both hard to get along with sometimes.”
Bo pouted slightly when Akane laughed at him. “Not like you’ve never forgotten anything,” he grumbled. “Not like all of us can just pull moisture out of stuff whenever we want.” He was frowning, but he wasn’t actually that put out. After all, Akane was doing him a favor. If she took her payment in the form of some gentle ribbing, he would have to allow that.
Bo squirmed a bit as water flowed first out of his coat, then out of the rest of his clothing. And just like that, he was dry again, as though he’d never been out in the rain at all. It was seriously impressive. He answered her smile with one of his own. “Better. Thanks.” Setting down the towel she’d given him, he moved over to the sofa and plopped down onto it. “So…” he began. He was not sure how to continue. He’d never been good at starting conversations. “What’s up with you?”
Anonymous
Dec 20, 2016 15:06:05 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 15:06:05 GMT -6
Akane was glad that he was not going to be stubborn, and was going to stick around. The weather was too bad outside for him to be walking around in. Hopefully, the weather stopped at some point because she was sure that he wanted to go home at some point. Besides, he seemed concerned that his cat wouldn’t destroy everything in the house while he was gone. She highly doubted that, but anything was possible, especially when it came to cats. They were unpredictable. “You’re not that bad,” she said, and “and I’d bet your cat isn’t as bad as you say, either.” Then again, with cats you never really knew.
Akane just gave a light laugh when Bo tried to pout. She didn’t buy it for a second. Honestly, she didn’t entirely blame him for not realizing that he could just ask her to bend the water out of his clothes for him. While she was a Waterbender, he was not. Thus, it made sense that it wasn’t the first thought that came to his mind. Besides, it wasn’t as if this happened every day. She turned back around on the couch, looking over at Bo after he had come to sit down with her.
Akane shrugged at his comment. “Not bad, I suppose,” she said. “Although, I did get some interesting advice from one of the writers at the newspaper.” She knew better than to mention who Charumati really was out loud. She knew, but she was an editor’s secretary, and thus was privy to more information than others might be. “We ended up having lunch together, and we talked a bit. I mentioned to her that I was thinking about getting into writing. I mean, we can’t be Probenders forever. There has to be a life afterward, and I’m just trying to be prepared, you know?”
Akane thought about the conversation that they’d had a few days. She’d been meaning to talk to Akira about it, but every time they were together it seemed to slip her mind. “Anyway, I mentioned something about reviewing Probending matches, and she actually gave me some good advice,” she said, continuing. “She told me that I should be an analyst and that being a Probender myself it would give me good insight. She even volunteered to speak to the editor for me.” It was exciting, and she knew if she put it off too long, the offer would expire. She’d been lucky Charumati had volunteered to do that.
Akane shrugged her shoulders again. “I don’t know, I mean… I’ve been meaning to talk to Akira and get his opinion,” she told him. “It’s a good opportunity, but I’m not sure about starting that while still doing the Probending thing, you know?” It was a tough decision because Probending was her life right now, but it wasn’t going to be forever. There was nothing wrong with working on your backup plan in the meantime, right. “Anyway, so what’s up with you?”
Anonymous
Dec 20, 2016 16:19:48 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 16:19:48 GMT -6
“You’re not that bad.”
Bo blinked slowly, blindsided by the sudden sort-of-compliment. "Um, thanks," he mumbled, averting his gaze. He never knew what to do with compliments when he received them. Expressing emotion was so much easier to do in actions than in words. Dancing or Probending, those were how he let his feelings be known. If he was angry, he could release that with a fireball hurled at a target. If he was sad, he could dance until all he felt was exhaustion. Words were not his strong suit.
Luckily, Akane was eager to answer his question, and as she spoke he settled back into the sofa, enjoying the warmth and comfort of it. To be honest, he didn't know all that much about Akane's day job, mostly because he never asked her about it. He knew she worked at the newspaper—that was obvious—but what she actually did on a day-to-day basis was a mystery. She brought up a point he hadn't thought about before. She was right—Probending was not a lifelong career. Sooner or later they'd have to retire. What would he do then? He certainly didn't want to work in a factory for the rest of his life. Dancing was the obvious choice of secondary career pursuit, but he had no idea how to make headway in that particular area. Akane, at least, had her position at the paper and the connections that brought her—connections that seemed to be paying off. He'd have to give the matter some more thought.
Bo answered Akane's shrug with one of his own. "Might as well try it out if you've got the chance," he said. Even if it doesn't work out, least you'll have tried it." When Akane asked how he was, he sighed. "Nothing much," he began. "But…you heard about Liang Wulong, I'm guessing. That's had me on edge for the past few days. I just…I hate that there are people going around kidnapping people in the middle of the night. Not like I knew Liang personally, but he seemed like a nice guy. And he's not even a Probender anymore! If even he's not safe, what does that mean for us?" His hands clenched into fists, his teeth gritted. "Only cowards would take someone from their home in the middle of the night. If they ever come for me…" He raised a hand, and a small flame blossomed in his palm. "I won't make it easy for them."
Anonymous
Dec 22, 2016 14:01:02 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 14:01:02 GMT -6
Bo was mostly silent as Akane spoke, but that didn’t bother her. She had talked quite a bit. Well, she enjoyed talking for the most part. After she finished speaking, she was actually quite interested in what he had to say. She hadn’t really seen Yuri since she had spoken to Charumati about this, and she hadn’t brought it up in the few times she’d seen Akira. Something else had always been the topic of conversation. He was her friend. In fact, her Captain was the closest thing that she had to a best friend. The Waterbender did truly value his opinion and would be interesting in seeing what he had to say about it. Probending was her focus for now, but she couldn’t ignore the future forever. She had to start thinking about it because if she didn’t she’d end up a secretary for the rest of her life.
“Yeah, you’re right,” she said. “I just don’t want to distract too much from Probending, so I’m not sure about doing that along with competing and training. She ran a hand through her hair. “On the other hand, she offered to do me a favor, a huge one. She doesn’t know me. She didn’t have to volunteer to do that for me, but she did. If I wait, the offer will expire. I don’t know if I need it, but it would help having a word of recommendation from her.” If she was going to do that, though, she would need to get some kind of a sample piece to show that she could write and that she was good enough for them to take a chance on her and allowing her to do this.
Bo continued speaking, mentioning the missing Probender that had been in the news lately. She could see how worked up he was about it. Not that she blamed him. It was scary for those of them who were in the spotlight. Well, they weren’t – not yet, but what about the other, more high profile teams? Her mind went straight to Yuri. They had made it to the quarter finals last year and were at higher risk. She took a deep breath and put a smile on her face. She leaned forward and put a comforting hand on Bo’s arm. The Waterbender could feel the heat on her face from the fire in his palm. She understood how he felt, but one of them had to be calm here. Right now, that was going to be her it would seem.”
“It’s scary,” Akane said honestly. “We’re not doing anything wrong, after all. All we can do is take care of ourselves and watch our backs. Like you said if anything happens just give them a fight that they’ll regret.” She took her hand off Bo’s arm, and then leaned back into her previous position on her side of the couch. She curled her feet underneath her as she spoke, tightening her robe around her again. “There’s nothing we can do about it but just continue with our lives. I mean, not all benders are anti-nonbender, just like not all non-benders are anti-bender. It’s just some people are making the others look bad. It’s not that I blame them for being frustrated, it’s just… this isn’t the right way.”
Anonymous
Dec 22, 2016 16:04:12 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 16:04:12 GMT -6
Bo had spent his entire life thus far in Republic City, and though he wasn't especially in love with the place, it had always been his home. He'd never once thought of leaving. When living with his parents had become too difficult, he'd gotten an apartment a few districts away from theirs, but even then it hadn't occurred to him to make his home elsewhere. Life in the city had not always been easy, but he'd never been this worried before, this angry. People—fellow Probenders—were disappearing, and there was nothing he could do but hope that he and the people he cared about weren't targeted next. This was a problem he couldn't work out of his system by dancing or practicing with his team.
He had not expected Akane to touch him, and he flinched at the sudden contact. He didn't draw away, though. He could appreciate her attempt to comfort him, even though he wasn't sure how much it helped. Still, he closed his hand to quench the flame, and offered her a small smile of his own. What she said made sense. As much as she wished she had offered a simple solution to this very complex problem, he knew that that wasn't going to happen.
"You're right. I know you're right." He sighed, absentmindedly tugging on his ponytail. "I just wish people didn't have to kidnap others to make their voices heard. There has to be a better way to make change than this." What that way was, he didn't know. As someone who was used to expressing his frustrations often and without thought to the damage he might inflict, he wasn't a great problem-solver. But when many of the city's people were living in fear, paranoid about every shadow they saw, something had to be done. And he was sure the police were doing their best, but how did you fight whispers?
Bo sighed, his shoulders slumping as tension slowly drained from his body. He settled back into the sofa. "We should talk about something else," he suggested. He glanced over at Akane. "How're things with Yuri?"
Anonymous
Dec 27, 2016 19:12:25 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2016 19:12:25 GMT -6
Akane thought that she had felt Bo flinch a little when she had touched him, but she chalked that up to him being shocked that she had done that. He had quenched his flame, though, before giving her a smile. All she could do was hope that he had been comforted in some way by what he said, but she knew that nothing could make this better. The nonbenders were pissed, and rightfully so, but whoever was doing this was out of line. These Probenders that were disappearing were lovers, friends, siblings, children of other people who missed them now and would never get to seem the again. That was not okay, no matter what else was going on. Surely, there was another way to solve this issue?
“I agree,” Akane told him, nodding her head from her side of the couch. “I don’t blame them for being annoyed. I mean, so much of life here revolves around bending. For those that don’t have it, it can be hard I would imagine.” She shrugged her shoulders because she really had no reference. She didn’t remember her sister acting like she thought she was less than her because Akane was a bender and she wasn’t, but then again, they weren’t close. “I don’t know how to solve the problem, but this isn’t the way to do it.” The truly scary thing was that they didn’t know what was going on. All they had were rumors and whispers, and you couldn’t do anything about that.
Bo suggested a change of subject and the Waterbender saw nothing wrong with that. He asked how Yuri was, and despite herself, she couldn’t help but smile. “Mmm, things with Yuri are great,” she said. Everytime she thought about the tall Earthbender; she couldn’t help but smile. “I really love her, you know? I mean, I know we’ve only been dating for about six months or so, but… I think that she might the one. I think this might be it.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t have anything to base it on, cause this is about as long as any of my previous relationships have gone, like Akira, and none of them have ever worked out before. I think this might be different, with Yuri.”
Anonymous
Dec 28, 2016 0:58:35 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2016 0:58:35 GMT -6
It was nice, sitting here talking to Akane like this. Usually when they saw each other it was for Probending training or matches. Quieter moments like this were rare. They usually came after intense physical exertion, when they were too tired to talk. This encounter had been the result, but he wouldn't mind making a habit of it. Bo didn't have many people he could just sit and talk to. Maomi was his only confidant, and she wasn't the best listener. She'd sit still at first, for maybe a few sentences, but then would get bored and leave without so much as a parting wave of her tail. In that regard, spending time with Akane was much more enjoyable.
As Akane spoke about Yuri, it was clear to see how much love she had for the other woman. Her whole face lit up just at the mention of Yuri's name. He was happy for her, he really was, but that happiness was mixed with just a tinge of sadness. No, not sadness—jealousy. He'd spent the past few years so busy trying to figure himself out that he hadn't spared any time to connect deeply with anyone else. He'd never really been interested in dating as a concept, and had always imagined that if he was meant to be in a relationship with someone, it would happen when it was the right time. And if anyone had ever asked him, he'd have said that he was fine with being single. But now, hearing Akane express her love for Yuri, unacknowledged loneliness reared its ugly head.
Luckily, Bo had spent much time training himself to hide his emotions when necessary. So, as Akane finished speaking, he affixed a smile to his face. "That's great," he said. "I'm happy for you two." Not wanting to dwell too long on that particular point, he spoke again. "And what about the Dragon Hawks? They found a new Waterbender a few months ago, yeah? How's she been working out for them?"
Anonymous
Dec 30, 2016 19:36:23 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2016 19:36:23 GMT -6
Akane realized quite suddenly that this was the first time that she had never had a real, non-Probending conversation with Bo. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. They had been on the same Probending team for a while. Yet, all they did was basically train and… well, that was it. The rest of their conversations were brief. The Waterbender immediately felt a bit guilty that they had not made more of an effort prior to now – and that was only because Akira was working late and not here. Should they have before now? She wasn’t sure; it just wasn’t something that had happened, since their lives revolved around work and training; casual things didn’t happen all the time.
Akira was different. She had known him for years longer than Bo, and they had gotten to know each other quite well when they were in between Firebenders. That didn’t mean that they shouldn’t have done this sooner. Oh, well, it didn’t matter. They were doing it now, and that’s what mattered. Besides, she was enjoying this conversation with Bo from the time being.
Akane smiled back at Bo. She was happy, and she attributed that to not only success with her team but personal success as well. “Thanks,” she said. “Are you seeing anyone?” She hadn’t remembered him mentioning, so she figured it was worth an ask. Bo quickly changed the subject, though, asking about the Dragon Hawks. “As far as I know, things are going just fine,” she said. “ At least that’s what Yuri says. They were quite put out when their last one just quit and disappeared, but at least Kiat seems to be working out. It’ll be interesting having a match against them.” Especially since she was dating one of them.
Anonymous
Dec 31, 2016 3:17:32 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2016 3:17:32 GMT -6
It was clear from the way Akane smiled that she was happy at this point in time. Not just content, as he was, but truly happy. It was nice to see, and served as a reminder that he really should be checking in on his teammates outside of practice more often. He wasn't sure when the last time was he'd had a casual conversation like this with Akira. Come to think of it, had he ever? He didn't think he had. Sure, casual conversations had never really been an area of expertise for him, but there was no good reason not to get to know his teammates better. He'd have to see if Akira wanted to hang out sometime.
He had been hoping that Akane wouldn't ask about his romantic life—or lack thereof—and thus had changed the subject. Even so, she got the question in. Luckily, he could put off for a bit as he listened to her answer his question about the Dragon Hawks. He nodded at what she told him. "Yeah, we'll have to see how that goes. It's gotta be weird, right, competing against the person you're dating?" He did not envy the two of them. Difficult though it was to admit, he did have quite a temper when provoked. If he were in Akane's position, going up against someone he loved in a serious competition…well, he wasn't sure his hypothetical romantic relationship would survive that, especially if he lost. His voice lost a bit of its pep as he remembered her question. "And no I'm not seeing anyone."
Anonymous
Jan 3, 2017 19:12:21 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2017 19:12:21 GMT -6
Akane shrugged her shoulders as Bo said that it would be weird to compete against the person you’re dating. “What happens in the arena has nothing to do with what happens out of it,” she said. Yes, it would be different for them. “We’ll just learn to deal.” She was going to say that it wouldn’t be a bit unusual. It would be something that they would never have to deal with. Neither of them had ever dated a Probender on a different team before, so they had no previous experience in how to deal with something like this. However, neither of them were high tempered persons, or people who held grudges. They were less likely to take a loss out on each other.
Akane had to admit, though, that seeing Yuri across from her in the Probending Arena would be a bit odd. They were going to have to learn to separate their Probending life from their romance. She was sure they could, but they were going to have to take it one step at a time. “I’m sure we’ll manage,” she added. “It’ll just be a learning process, that’s all. I don’t plan on giving up on this, on what I have with her, though.” It meant too much to do that, and she knew that Yuri felt the same way.
Akane took a deep breath before smiling at Bo. “Speaking of the new season,” she said, “are you nervous? You’ve never competed in the tournament before, right? The season is coming up very soon.”
Anonymous
Jan 3, 2017 21:37:45 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2017 21:37:45 GMT -6
Akane was quite level-headed, it seemed. Bo was sure he'd never be able to handle competing against someone he was dating, but Akane seemed entirely unconcerned. He hadn't spent much time with Yuri, but from what he'd seen she seemed like she'd be able to handle it too. That was impressive. The two of them were made for each other. And as Akane said, if complications did arise, they'd just have to work through them as a couple. They'd be fine.
Then, Akane asked if he was nervous about competing. Bo frowned at that, not immediately sure how exactly to answer. "I don't know," he said finally. "I don't think 'nervous' is the right word for it. But I don't think 'excited' is the one either. If I had to pick a word…" He was quite for a moment. Then, his face brightened. "I think I'd say I'm anxious. After two years training together, I'm ready to see how that time pays off for us. I mean, I trust you and Akira to do everything you can to win, and I'll do my best too." He matched Akane's smile. "I think we'll do well."
Anonymous
Jan 6, 2017 15:57:03 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2017 15:57:03 GMT -6
Akane was a bit confused by Bo’s frown at first, but she quickly pushed that confusion out of her mind once he started speaking. She listened as he tried to explain how it was that he was feeling, before he paused and his face brightened up. Apparently, he was anxious. Her smile brightened. “I know how you feel,” she said. “I felt the same way before my first match. Of course, that didn’t turn out as well as we would have hoped.” She gave a sigh before waving off those thoughts. “It doesn’t matter, that was a long time ago. And we are different team now, with a new member. I know you won’t let us down, and so does Akira.”
Bo was a much better match for them anyway, and they gelled much better as a team. She was excited. “I’m excited,” she told him. “I want a redo. I don’t like the way things were left before. I want another chance, and now I know that we have one.” Suddenly, she had too much energy and stood up, pacing around behind the couch. “I just… I’m so excited. I can’t wait for us to be there. The adrenaline, the energy is in infectious.” Akane wished that she could explain it right, what it was like. There were no words to describe how she felt. This was why she was a Probender. This was her life.
Anonymous
Jan 7, 2017 16:31:52 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2017 16:31:52 GMT -6
Akane's confidence in him was like a breath of fresh air. He'd never had serious cause to doubt his abilities as a Probender, but he had had a rough time of it when he'd first started practicing with Akane and Akira. Of course, that had smoothed out over time, and now they worked together well. Still, though, it was nice to hear that Akane believed in him. "Thanks," he told her. "That means a lot."
Akane didn't have to tell him she was excited—it was plain to see on her face. Bo was alarmed when Akane suddenly stood up, but calmed down again once it was clear that she was just working out her nervous energy. Her description of the feel of the competition sent a thrill through him. They'd practiced in scrimmages against other teams, but this would be his first time actually competing in a tournament setting. The whole city would be watching, with many more listening on their radios. There was a lot of pressure on them to perform well.
"Seems like you don't even need to be in the arena to feel its energy," Bo teased, laughing. "Can't wait to see you at your best when we're actually there in the middle of it." He watched Akane pace, bemused. He'd never seen her this worked up before, and just over the simple thought of what was to come. He knew she loved Probending, but not to this extent. "You really should try out that analyst thing that writer told you about. Given how much you love the sport, I bet you'd be really good at it."
