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 Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:00 am
Esen often watched more talented earthbenders (which, as far as her talent was concerned, was any earthbender) when she was bored in the city (which, of course, was most of the time). If asked, she generally cited her reason for gawking as being curious about and amused by the "inelegant and unrefined" manner in which the benders moved as they thrust great boulders and clumps of earth out of the ground.
The truth of the matter - something Esen probably hadn't yet admitted to herself - was that she was quite jealous. Every time this realization crept into her head, Esen would grunt to herself and mosey off, and that was just what she was doing at this particular moment.
A group of boys in their late teens - probably about her own age - were hefting big rocks at each other, taking heavy-footed stances to uproot stones and toss them at their friends. Esen had been leaning against the wall while she watched them, but now she was moving down the road in an effort to find something less discouraging to do.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:07 am
A little ways up the road a young woman sat, throwing small clumps of dirt up in the air, then watching as they splattered on the ground beside her. If someone were to watch closely enough, they might notice that the dirt seemed to pause in the air just before impact, but then, it could have just been their eyes playing tricks on them as well.
She didn't seem concerned with her appearance in general, something that vexed her younger sister to no end. There was mud under her fingernails, in her hair, all over the hem of her (newly washed) robes and at the sleeves. Poor Lei would have a fit when she returned home.
Seemingly frustrated (although at what, it was hard to decide) Avani took a small rock and chucked it towards the teen boys, that were a little ways off. It didn't carry far enough, and even if it had she probably would have just gotten herself in trouble, so it was best it hadn't carried.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:25 pm
Esen noticed Avani - perhaps because her clothes were surprisingly dirty, given their apparent quality. Ordinarily, she would have simply passed by without acknowledging the other female, but the fairer skinned girl was looking quite similar to how Esen was feeling.
And so, her interest piqued, she came to a stop in front of Avani. She crossed her arms and in a cool tone asked, "What's the problem?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:13 pm
Someone spoke to her, and without looking up, she guessed the girl was close to her age. Probably some busy body daughter of some busy body market stall owner.
How Avani hated them all.
"Oh, go pound sa-" she looked up as she was speaking at a very pretty girl. This was no market daughter. Her hair was almost a chocolate color, one Avani thought so much prettier than her own black hair. Although she loved the silkiness of her own hair, this newcomer had a sort of life to it that she could only dream of. The speaker was also much darker than herself. Avani had never been envious of other girls, but this girl drove her close to it.
All she could do now was stare up, her mouth hanging open a little.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:53 pm
Esen stood quietly, waiting for Avani to finish her statement. When she didn't she shifted her weight to lean on one leg. Admittedly, she was very well acquainted with being gawked at ... but not by girls. She pushed her hand through her hair, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"Mooselion got 'yer tongue?" She asked, eventually. "Did those guys hurt you?" She hesistated, but eventually offered Avani a hand, in case she needed help standing.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:03 pm
"Er...no, I can talk just fine," Avani finally stammered out. At least she could form a sentance now.
She shook her head. "No, they didn't do anything to me." The hadn't taken any notice of her, truth be told. She always thought she was far to inconspicous to be seen. The young woman took the other girls hand and pulled herself up. "Um, thanks."
Brushing as much dirt off as she could, but failing miserably, she shrugged sheepishly. "Well....I'm Avani." She wasn't sure what else to say.
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:43 pm
"Esen." She replied, quickly adding, "Uh, and I am from around here...honest." Having become quite accustomed to offers of being 'shown around', the outgoing teen had taken to pre-notifying people that she was, in fact, a resident of Ba Sing Se.
"So," Esen began as she watched Avani brush the dirt from her dress. "What's the matter?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:13 pm
Raising an eyebrow, Avani finally looked up from her dirt caked sleeves. Did she look like she cared if Esen was from around here? It was certainly none of her business.
She shrugged, deciding it wasn't worth pursing.
"Nothing's the matter," she said sharply. She knew what she was asking. Why she had thrown the rock at the boys. Well, it was none of this newcomers buiness. Avani tried not to talk about her bending with strangers.
Actually...she didn't talk about her bending to many people...
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:35 pm
"A...huh." Esen nodded skeptically. Why prod when uninvited? It's not like she wouldn't have behave similarly if asked.
"So, I'm guessing you're from Ba Sing Se?" An obvious question, but anything to prevent an awkward silence. "My family just moved to here a few months ago, and I'm still getting used to it." She offered a polite, if awkward, grin.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:11 pm
Why would anyone want to move to Ba Sing Se? All Avani wanted to do was get away from it (and soon she would!).
"Yes," she answered, rather stifly. "I was born here, and have been her all my life." (Much to her great vexation).
She felt guarded around this girl. Although she had already proven, in words and appearence that she wasn't related to any of the market gossips, Avani still didn't trust the female sex. They were evil and manipulative creatures.
Still, somthing prompted her to ask: "What brings your family to Ba Sing Se?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:41 pm
"Well," Esen began, perhaps a bit more enthusiastically than she should have. She was ever-so-fond of recounting her frustrations to anyone who would listen. "My family is originally from the Si Wong desert. My father uhm, came into a considerable amount of valuables, I guess, and he bought his way into the upper ring." Her tone of voice clearly illustrated the disdain she had for her current situation.
"I'm not a fan of such solid ground." She said, stomping at the path with the heel of her bare foot. "I much prefer the desert. But my mother and father are happy, and I can slip away to the outer rings, at least, without them noticing."
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:28 pm
Avani's eyes ran Esen up and down. She didn't look grungey like a lot of people in the outer ring, like herself, but she certainly didn't look like the sort one would see in the inner ring. The other teen seemed so...odd.
She tilted her head sideways a little. "Why do you like the desert better? I don't think I could feel at all at home there."
Which made her consider that if Esen had been raised there, then it must be much the same for her.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:04 pm
"It, ah, yeah...a lot of people say that." Esen replied, sighing. "You just - you just have to have been raised there, I guess." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, as if this action somehow added salt to her statement.
"So, are you from the middle ring?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:51 pm
Damn her pale complextion, it gave her away no matter how she colored. Even if she did have darker skin, it probably wouldn't have been enough to cover the crimson blush that spread across her cheeks.
"No, I'm um, from the outer ring," she mumbled. And they could barely afford that. It was, admittidly, a slightly better area of the outer ring, less like slum and more like a real neighborhood.
But it was still the outer ring.
"We, that is, Papa and I, and occasionally my sister, come to the middle ring to work jobs of some sort. Earn money."
Although lately, the Earthbender had been spending more time daydreaming and watching practices then trying to earn coin. She's pay for it later on, she was sure.
The contrast between herself and Esen seemed just as large as the difference between Tsai Shen and she.
Avani sighed. She had to get out.
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:01 pm
"Oh! That... must be exciting!" Esen replied, sounding genuinely enthusiastic. Feeling the need to explain herself, she continued. "I mean, I've only been to the outer ring a few times - when my family had just moved into the city - if I went there now my parents would go absolutely mad. They think it's so dangerous..."
Her voice trailed off for a second, but it seemed as though this conversation subject had certainly taken her interest. "Could you imagine? ... Well, of course you could, you live there. I mean, there are so many people - and it can be a dangerous place, right? If I lived there. I would totally become a vigilante crime fighter." She paused. "With a costume that accentuates my rear." She indicated her bottom by patting it.
"If I were you," Esen said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "I'd look into that as a career path, instead of boring old menial labor jobs in the middle ring."
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