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 Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:20 pm
She had never realized how little time to herself she had, but the teen Earthbender had finally done it.
After the encounter with Petch, the healer, Lei was still a little weak, but seemed to be improving daily, her cough having subsided and Avani only hoped it would last. Their father had gone "away", presumably on one of his money making gambles. He was always gone for a span of several days, so any indiscretions she made in his absence couldn't be made know to him immediately by the town busy bodies.
The dark haired youth dangled her feet in the water and laid back on the grass of the river and sighed happily. Her younger sister had opted to stay at the house and "tidy up" which was her way of saying, stare out the window at the fancy people and the handsome boys, while rubbing a dirty rag over the windowsill repeatedly, which left Avani with some well needed peace and quiet.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 pm
Speaking of handsome boys, Tsai Shen was getting stronger, darker, more skilled, and more grown-up each day. His hair was even longer now, and the teenager had honed his bending ability enough to manipulate the stone dice he carried with him everywhere.
At the moment he was having them spin above his hand, a dashing grin on his face as he walked along the riverbank. He was back "home", if only for a short while. Perhaps a month or two, at most.
Soon he spotted her and as his shadow fell over her face, Tsai Shen tilted his head to look down at Avani, one of his dark brows raised. "Hey, there." Yep, that smooth, warm voice was Tsai Shen's alright.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:55 pm
Opening one eye cautiously, she smiled warmly up at the young man towering over her.
"Why don't you make yourself useful and block out the sun with your shadow?" she asked, with a playful tone to her voice.
It had been ever so long since she had last seen her childhood friend, and as much as she wanted to jump up and greet him properly, the river was cool and the ground was soft.
And she was lazy.
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:02 pm
"And to think, you once called me lazy!" Tsai Shen's chuckle was friendly and he sat, in all his finery, on the grass, unconcerned about stains. His good and bad eyes trained on her figure, he ran a hand through his long hair.
"How've you been, Avani?" The earthbender knew they'd both kept themselves extremely busy. He with training and she with life. She was still very pretty though. "What about your bending?" Was she still training with Sen Wei? He was no longer angry about it, simply curious about the strange teacher. His Aunt had told him a few interesting tales that most had never heard. "Where is Lei?" Avani's sister was really cute, too.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 5:34 pm
"Hah, you are lazy. Everyone knows that. All they have to do is look at you and they think 'pff, that guy is so lazy'. Just like that," she responded, laughter in her voice. "You keep ignoring your hair, and it's going to be longer than mine, you know. I don't think I could be around a man whose hair is better than mine." She stuck out her tongue at him.
"I've been well," she replied after a moment, but then shook her head. "I don't know if she was ever going to teach me or not. It seems like so long ago that she agreed, but I'm still no closer to advancing in it than before. I've been wondering if I should try traveling elsewhere, I heard there's a teacher in Omashu..."
Changing the subject, she screwed her face into a terrible pout. " 'Where's Lei?' I see how it is, the rich boy is already bored with me," she giggled then continued. "She's at home, cleaning she says, but really she just stares out the window at all the boys that pass by."
Lifting her foot out of the water and shaking off the drops that clung to her toes, she rolled over onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, resting her chin in the palm of her hands. She had rolled towards Tsai Shen, not away, so her elbow was only a few inches from his knee. "Are you going away again?" she asked suddenly.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:23 pm
"Mmmn. Perhaps they do." Eying the strands of hair falling onto his eyes he shrugged with an easy, relaxed smile, shaking his head. "Well, then. When it's longer than yours, I'll have to stop coming around."
Tsai Shen was becoming a man, but it seemed as if Avani was still just a girl. He was unsure of what to think about the fact that she continued to tease him about being wealthy, although he wasn't spoiled, and was perfectly willing to share. Glancing down at her-she was quite close-he looked thoughtful.
"Yes, I am. I have much more training to do."
He would find Sen Wei, find that school of hers, and return to Fire Nation to learn more from his Aunt, and visit his cousin, who would be returning home within the month.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:21 pm
She shook her head. "I don't know what I'd do without you, so I'll just have to put up with you having prettier hair than me." Avani sighed dramatically. "It'll be such a burden, though."
"Take me with you!" she said, quite rashly. The young bender hadn't thought anything through at all, what she would tell her father (or if she even would), where Lei would go, what she would do once she got to...wherever she ended up. She just wanted to get out. She felt so trapped here.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:31 pm
"... You don't mean that."
Tsai Shen's dark gaze was level-headed, serious, and his smile was soothing. Letting one of his hands move from its resting place on his knee to touch her hair, he shook his head. "I would, if you did."
Another long pause, and he slid his hand down to squeeze her shoulder affectionately, then shifted, to lay on his back on the grassy bank. "What of Lei and your father? I am going to my Aunt's home to train hard. I don't know if that's what you are looking for, Avani."
He was probably her best friend. That's what this was about, wasn't it? She just wanted to escape her home. Nothing more.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:44 pm
She blushed pink as he touched her hair.
Avani paushed, thinking now. "Well...you remember how once you said we should come try to work at your house, and I could practice and train with you? She's much better now, she could go on her own. And maybe she could live on the grounds too..."
Did they do that?
"And as for Papa..." Well...her mother and brother had left, hadn't they?
"I know you train hard there," she touched one of the scars on his arms cautiously. "And I don't really mean go all the way with you. I want to just..."
She didn't know exactly what she wanted to do, but she couldn't stay here, she'd never learn how to bend this way.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:50 pm
The scar tissue was sensitive, but he allowed the touch, surprised at her suggestions. He'd expected her to drop it, like most of her whims and ideas. Like earthbending. She'd taken Sen Wei from him, but then never gone to class. Still... Tsai Shen's gaze was brooding, thoughtful, and he spoke softly.
"If Lei still would like a job, she could become a servant, perhaps a cook's assistant, and live on the compound." If both sisters wanted it, he would speak to his parents before leaving once more.
"If you want to come, Avani, you may." He was quiet, watching her face.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:07 pm
Trying to make light of the situation, she smiled and said "Well, as long as there are some pretty boys on the compound, I'm sure she'll be fine..."
She looked away from her friend. "Papa's been a bit...overbearing lately." The dark haired youth didn't expand upon it, but she frowned, as if trying to forget.
"Tsai Shen," she said, completely serious, which may have been the only time she'd ever been so. "I don't -want- to go. I have to. I may still be silly and ...well, whatever to everyone, but I know I'm growing up. I need to learn more then just little tricks. I can't be proud of lifting the smallest bit of dirt anymore. I'm just getting too old to learn...."
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