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 Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:18 am
"Yeah, I'd probably be pretty bad at it too. Unless I get better at my bending. Bet there aren't too many earthbenders in a Fire Nation circus. But until then, I'll draw the pictures and YOU can come up with some snappy lines for them."
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:19 am
Tingzhe felt enormously pleased with himself. Only a headliner for one year, and he already had an entourage! This was gonna be great.
"That's fine. Our circus has one child star, and that's gonna be me."
He brushed his hair back, in a cool maneuver that he had to have practiced at least two dozen times before this. Neither Qiao nor Shen-Ru needed to know that he couldn't read half the characters on the posters they used anyway. He wasn't stupid, he was just... there was better stuff to learn. That was all. And sometimes they got kinda jumbly in his head.
"I don't live in my parents' tent, so you guys can stay in mine 'till you get your own."
It would be nice, not to be alone. Alone in the dark- he didn't like that any more, and it make him feel like a stupid little kid. But with real live friends around... maybe it would get better.
Tingzhe walked over to Qiao, getting all up in her personal space.
"Me'n Shen-Ru, we're two of the kids that got taken, to call out the Avatar," he said, in a more serious tone. "Master Gesh an' Master Sasha- we saw 'em die. They died for us. That gonna be a problem? 'Cos you can get out now."
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:29 am
A shudder went through Shen-Ru when Tingzhe mentioned the deaths of the two masters, and he quickly looked down at the ground, biting his bottom lip. "Tingzhe, relax," he mumbled, reaching out to lightly catch the sleeve of the other's coat. "Just... thing's will be fine. If she wants to come along, let her come along, and if she decides to leave later, she can."
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:32 am
Was that how they knew each other? Made sense in a twisted sort of way. Because in any other circumstance she couldn't see those two ever meeting.
Qiao never kept up with current events so other than the Avatar, she had no clue who the others he mentioned were. But she wasn't going to let all that affect her making fun of Tingzhe every chance she got.
"It'll be a BIG problem if you don't get out of my face." She pushed him back with little force.
"Again, the poet is right. I'll leave if I want but that's highly unlikely. You're stuck with me, princess."
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:42 am
"Whatever you say, commoner."
Tingzhe was talking to Qiao but looking at Shen-Ru. He nodded, once, surprised that the hadn on his arm reallydid help bring his hackles down.
It was hard to explain what remembering the dark times made him feel. Angry and scared and claustrophobic. Like he couldn't see or breathe or think straight.
"If yer set, then let's go. You sure you don't wanna take that mirror? I could, uh, carry it for you if you like."
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:47 am
Shen-Ru blinked in confusion, before smiling crookedly at Tingzhe, giving him an amused look. "I have another mirror we can bring, if you want it so badly. It's smaller and easier to carry." He moved over to his desk and drew out a hand-held mirror, showing it to Tingzhe - it provided a well-sized view of the viewer's face. "How's that? Or do you really want the big mirror?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:50 am
"Ooooo, that really burned. Just for that, I'm drawing you in pink with curly hair and make-up! Wanna help me braid his hair, Shen? We gotta make sure the princess doesn't get hair in his face!"
She pulled the strings from her ponytails, letting her hair flow down. She held out the strings to Tingzhe.
"Here. You can use these to tie your hair back, pretty princess." She liked bothering him. It was fun.
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:51 am
"Hey, hey - the mirror's not fer me," Tingzhe lied. "Just figured you might wanna feel at home. I'm that kinda giving, awesome guy. When people wanna interview you fer bein' friends with me, you can say that, an' it'll be true."
He clapped Shen-Ru on the shoulder.
"One day, I'm gonna be so famous, no one will even remember all those people died around me."
And then maybe, finally, he could put it all to rest. Show himself worthy of their sacrifice.
"I'll carry both. Don't forget to write down how generous I was in yer diaries, okay?"
He accepted the ribbon for Qiao, and looked it over carefully before handing it back.
"Sorry, Qiao. Test audiences say I look cuter when I got hair fallin' in my face. You could try it yerself, though. Might make you look more like a real girl."
The trouble with trying to make fun of Tingzhe by calling him pretty was that he did think he was pretty, and took most mentions of his looks quite seriously.
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:04 am
Well it looks like she wasn't going to grow out of that nervous twitch afterall. Mocking this guy was a challenge, indeed.
Real girl? Ouch. Qiao really hoped he was joking or she'd have to break his foot. She smiled and tried to look as unoffended as possible.
"I guess you would know, afterall, you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen! PLEASE! Give me more advice as I am soooo ugly!" Though she really didn't want advice. She was plenty pretty. Really.
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:12 am
"Children."
Shen-Ru's voice was raised higher than normal, and he gave the two of them disapproving looks. "We really should be going, and this petty attempt to irk each other is stalling us. I have servants who prowl these halls at hours of the night, and at any time one could hear us. So. Shall we go then?"
He gestured to the still-open window, arching an eyebrow again and frowning in disapproval.
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:19 am
"Sorry, Shen. You're right." She pouted, stuffing the ribbons into her pockets. "We really should be going, though. I want to get my junk."
She stood up and looked out the window. It wasn't too far of a jump. She just couldn't climb up.
"I can make it. HUP!"
She jumped out of the window and landed in the same bush she hid in earlier.
"Man, do I love this bush!" She gave it a quick pat before scrambling out of it.
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:20 am
Tingzhe had to laugh at Shen-Ru's frowny face, but he quickly stifled the noise into a snicker. The guy was right.
"If yer not gonna leave a note or nothing, I'm all set."
With that, he flipped into a hand-stand on the window-sill, then dropped down into the garden, blatantly showing off.
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:24 am
Shen-Ru was quick to write a note, having forgotten it, but it was short and sweet, a simple goodbye. Then he went to the window as well, setting his bag out in the garden, before easing himself out as well, reaching up to close the windows behind him.
"All right. Let's go," he murmured, smiling crookedly at the other two and picking up his back, hoisting it over his shoulder. "It should be... relatively easy to get out of here. Few people go into the garden... brilliant, huh?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:47 am
"Excellent! Now let's off to the cart so I can get my stuff, then we can leave for real. This is gonna rock so hard."
Qiao led the two through the same square her and Tingzhe left though until she found the cart.
"Wait here, ok? I'll be right back."
She ran over and jumped inside to find her grandfather still asleep. She began shaking him a bit till he woke up enough for him to hear her.
"Gramps, I'm going off with my friends to join a circus. Can I have some money?"
The old man sat up a little, blinking sleepily. His granddaughter's request didn't seem to bother him at all but maybe he was just really sleepy.
"Sure, it's in the green box. You need a map or anything?"
Qiao shuffled over to the box and pulled out a decent handful of money, putting it into her pocket. She then began to dig through her few possesions and stuffing them into the only bag she could find.
"I've got one, but I think everyone knows where they're going. I'll take a few anyway, ok?"
Her grandfather nodded. "Fine by me. It's one of those Fire nation circuses right? Maybe I'll stop by one day."
The girl stood up, hoisting the pack onto her back and smiling. "Maybe. See ya later, grandpa. Get some sleep, kay?"
"WILL DO!" With that, he fell back down onto his pillow and began snoring.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. He sure was old, she thought. After grabbing a few maps, Qiao jumped back out of the cart and ran back to the others.
"Okay, NOW we can go."
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:59 am
Tingzhe wasn't really sure what had possessed him to invite Qiao on this trip. He barely knew her. She was loud and kinda rude, and she didn't GET things the way Shen-Ru did. But-
He was sorta new to this whole friendship thing, and he didn't want to be wierd about it or nothing. If the cute, charming, and always captivating White Star of the Yongjia Circus was going to do something, then he was gonna do it right. If SHE wanted to paint and read boring nerd stuff, it meant that HE wouldn't have to just to keep Shen-Ru entertained.
And with her around, it was easier not to talk about what had happened.
"Then let's go." Tingzhe sniggered to himself. "I never get to throw off the ol' man. It'll be EPIC."
With that, he pivoted on his heel, and began to lead the other children through the grimy, slimy, derelict district that stood between them and the circus at the outskirts of town. No one wanted the circus near THEM, with the lights and the noise and the animal smells, so Tingzhe was used to getting parked near really crazy places.
"My parents are there too, but don' worry. They might as well not be."
He gracefully dodged a shambling homeless man.
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