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Post by hotaru on Mar 30, 2008 10:29:23 GMT -5
Hotaru sat on the lip of the fountain nearest to the training grounds. She watched the way each of the benders moved and tried to memorize their movements as best she could. Later she would try them out for herself, after her aunt and uncle had gone to bed and the baby had settled down for the night. It was a lot easier to do it a few years ago but now their hinted bodied under the parka's caught her attention as they moved. Her cheeks flushed lightly and she felt a small guilty pleasure in watching them. Shaking her head she tried to get rid of the fuzzy feeing in her head, she knew most of the boys in this bending class, one of them she even almost sorta kissed.
That thought didn't help much as her pale skin heated with embarrassment. She threw her hands over her eyes trying to block out the embarrassment. A sudden rush of thoughts hit her. What if he saw her sitting over here, would he get the wrong idea and think she like him? That would be too embarrassing! She wouldn't be able to handle that, but didn't she like him, maybe she did. Her heart quivered with the beginnings of adult understanding of relationships and love, currently her only fascination were the boys themselves, perhaps holding hands and being near one another.
It register to her when the class was dismissed, Kiirun spotted her, she wasn't hard to notice, and he walked over to her with slight surprise on his face, he was very outgoing, not much was reserved about him. Like most young boys he was filled to the brim with energy. " Hey Hotaru"
The blue eyes of the girl opened wide stopping her in her tracks. She fidgeted in surprise winding up launching herself back into the fountain, the cold water ht her pretty hard but she recovered, sitting up and coughing out the icy water. Kirrun blinked and was quick to help her out, he soon began bending water out of the shivering girls clothes. Hotaru flushed, now she felt silly and immature, very much so. " H-h-h-hey...."
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Post by haukea on Apr 3, 2008 16:39:41 GMT -5
Haukea had been through the market all morning. Normally she would be cooped up inside the archives, but today was her day off. And her mother had wasted no time in talking the newly betrothed girl out to start looking at fabrics for her wedding dress. Noelani had stopped at every vendor who had so much as a scrap of cloth for sale, comparing their make and color, holding them up to her daughter's face to see if the cool shades so common among the water tribe matched her skin and hair. Haukea, who had trouble staying focused on any one task for more than an hour or so, had lost interest hours ago, and was ready to go back home and curl up with a book. Finally, Noelani decreed that they should go home for a bite.
"Should I go get Pika from the training grounds? He should be done for now..." she asked.
"Oh yes. Besides, I need to see if his dress clothes still fit him. He's bulked up a bit since the last time he wore them after all..."
Haukea's mother said many other things on the topic, but she'd lost interest after 'Oh yes'...so the rest just seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Soon though, Noelani was shooing the girl off, telling her to get her brother and hurry back. After picking fabrics, they would need to go through jewelry and accessories for her to wear on her wedding day.
So...she arrived a while later at the training grounds. Her caroline blue eyes scanned the area. Often he helped out with the younger children with their lessons, so Pika should've been there. A pout formed on her lips when she didn't spy him immediately. The pointed hood of her sapphire shaded parka was drawn back, as there wasn't any breeze blowing about this day, so the four braids in which her sepia locks were plaited into were hanging free and loose. Her expression brightened as she spied a couple of children near a fountain. Maybe they would know where her brother was?
"Excuse me," the teen said as she approached Kirun and Hotaru. "I'm looking for Pika. Is he-OHMIGOSH!"
She hadn't noticed right away, but the girl was soaked and shivering, the boy trying to bend the water from her sopping clothes. Haukea stood there, jaw dropped a moment...before suddenly springing into action. She began to help Kirrun draw the water away form the clothes...and honestly? Her bending was right on par with Kirrun's...a rather embarrassing fact given the age difference between them.
"Are you alright?" the scrawny teen asked.
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Post by hotaru on Apr 3, 2008 20:17:14 GMT -5
Hotaru tore her eyes away from the ground to stare up at the teen innocently, with a clueless expression plain as day on her face. She was tugging at them hems of her soaked parka before more embarrassment set in, her cheeks returning to the rosey red color. She could do little more than stand there as the two of them pulled the moisture from her clothing, it was odd at first but soon her shivering stopped and she could feel her body begin to warm up in the multiple layers. It felt like she was gonna die, the boy she currently liked must thing she was a klutz now, well she was but it was besides the point.
Pretty girls should be graceful and kind and cute. Hotaru was a little pudgy, her skin was a creamy milk color, much paler than her parents and her friends, her hair was usually a mess, cut at all different lengths on her mothers insistence. Still she found herself fidgeting, her heart was fluttering like a humming fly's wings. What if he hated her now, as usual she wanted to run away and hide from the boy she liked, she always did that, it was just impossible to confront them, they were on a whole 'nother level, far from her low existence.
Kirun spoke up though, with a bit of a laugh and a grin at the girl, Hotaru flushed and looked away quickly, she didn't notice Kirun hop up to her until she felt his lips brush her cheek. Her eyes widened and her head spun around to look at the boy. " Your so clumsy" He made a face and then stuck his tounge out at her running off, casting a wave to both of the girls as he hurried home. Hotaru was speechless, she didn't even get to say thank you to him. Her mittened hand went to her cheek where she got her first real kiss. It was.. odd, and warm, her skin tingled a little bit. She'd almost forgotten the teen who'd assisted in drying her off.
" Oh um-...... thank you....." Hotaru cast her an unsure glance, her mind obviously still on the boy who made a quick get away.
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Post by haukea on Apr 5, 2008 10:12:36 GMT -5
Haukea was relieved once the girl's shivering stopped. Still...what if the girl had received a bad chill from the water though? Once the wetness was removed from Hotaru's clothes, her mittoned hands rose to remove the cerulean shawl about her shoulders. Before she could give it to Hotaru though, the young boy brushed a very brief kiss across the young girl's cheek...and ran off. Haukea smiled as the little girl blushed. Wasn't that cute?
...and then she realized that with the boy running off, she'd have a harder time finding Pika...
"Oh wai-," it was too late though, as he was out of sight.
Haukea let out a whine, her lips pouting.
"I was hoping he could tell me where Pika was off to," she muttered softly.
" Oh um-...... thank you....."
The voice reminded her that she wasn't standing there alone. She knelt down a little bit, to be more on an even level with Hotaru. The pout that had been on her lips was gone, replaced by a very bright smile. She removed her shawl and draped it on Hotaru. Sure...the girl was dry, but she might've still been cold.
"You are very welcome," she replied cheerfully. "My name's Haukea. What's yours?"
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Post by hotaru on Apr 5, 2008 21:15:25 GMT -5
Hotaru blinked up at the girl, she then looked down at the ground shyly, strangers frightened her somewhat, through she might have seen her around before, she mentioned Pika. Didn't he participate in the classes, she seemed to remember playing with a Pika after the lessons got out before.
The toe of her boot thunked a few times on the icy ground, the shawl over her shoulders felt awkward but warm, she didn't want it though, she felt bad about taking other peoples things. Her blue eyes fluttered between the ground and the girl once or twice before settling on the ground, she still wanted to run, being kissed in public like that was embarrassing, even worse did it mean he liked her, she wouldn't be able to take that. And yet she was happy
" Hotaru...." Her voice was a little bit above a whisper, a childish mutter, she didn't want to say to much, for fear the girl might tell her parents or something, she didn't know how they'd react to her kissing boys. Her father would laugh, mention something about not having a hard time finding her a husband. Her mother would pry like most mothers would, it would be horrible, now she didn't want to see that boy ever again. Not with the kinds of troubles the whole thing would brin. " It's nice to meet you..." She finally choked out with her eyes hestantly glued to the floor.
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Post by haukea on Apr 7, 2008 9:53:20 GMT -5
"Hotaru. it's nice to meet you."
Haukea seemed oblivious to Hotaru's nervousness for the moment, simply replying cheerfully, "Nice to meet you too!"
Such a cute little girl, she was thinking to herself. Her skin was pale, paler than that of most Water Tribe members. As she watched the girl's mannerisms...the way she shuffled her feet, the way she didn't maintain eye contact, the low voice...it finally dawned on her that little Hotaru was exactly feeling comfortable at the moment. Her mind drifted to the little boy that had been there earlier. She'd not seen what was going on with the two before, other than the fact that Hotaru had been soaked and shivering and the boy was pulling water from her clothes. Maybe the fall into the fountain had interrupted somethign? Haukea's head tilted curiously as she thought about it...and all thoughts about her errand to find her brother seemed to disappear.
"Was that your boyfriend?" Haukea asked.
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Post by hotaru on Apr 7, 2008 15:45:08 GMT -5
Hotaru flushed bright red hiding her face in her hands, attempting to shake her head furiously, where would she get such an idea!? Her poor little heart couldn't take anymore of this, her eyes began to well up with tears with a small token sob escaping her lips as she trembled. It didn't seem very adult to cry in public though, what would her uncle say? He might have laughed at her but now she wasn't sure he'd pay any attention, having a baby changed him so much. She was jealous of the small infant and the woman who invaded her little life, they messed everything up, she no longer had her uncles complete attention like she used to, they would play all day. The fact of the matter was that currently that was irrelevant, neither here nor there.
The pale girl took a gulp of air wiping away the small tears trying to perk up though the streams of salty water continuously threatened to fall. " Boys are stupid!" She shouted and began sobbing, why were they so mean, how could he kiss her and run off like that? It was just too mean. She hoped he wouldn't tell all his friends, she'd get picked on, she didn't want cooties.
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Post by haukea on Apr 7, 2008 16:08:36 GMT -5
Haukea winced as the little girl started bawling. Oh no. Oh no oh no, this hadn't been what she'd intended to happen! She had just been curious, afterall. A look of distress began to grow on her face, her lips pursing in a frown as her brow drew up. With the proclamation of, "Boys are stupid!" Haukea realized just how much she had flubbed with her question.
"Oh...oh don't cry! I didn't mean to make you cry," she exclaimed, a sympathetic tears starting to well up in her caroline blue eyes.
She reached into her pocket for something for Hotaru to dry her tears...and all she found was one of the many many fabric swatches her mother had given her to look at. A heavy alice blue shaded material was held out to the young girl. Haukea tilted her head just slightly, causing one of her sepia shaded braids to tumble down her shoulder.
"Here, take it and dry your tears. I'm so so sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," Haukea pleaded.
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Post by Nanuk on Apr 7, 2008 19:47:30 GMT -5
Hebirei sat down on the ground, breathing heavily during his five minute break that Pika had granted. Waterbending could be hard work, and Pika really was training him hard. Maybe he was just giving him a hard time because he would be marrying his sister, or maybe this was how he treated everyone, he didn't know, but he hated it all the same. He looked around, they had picked a very secluded spot of the training grounds, he was grateful for that, at least. It was enough that he had to learn a style of bending that he hated, but he was learning it at the level of a child.
He winced at the stinging in his arm from when his water-whip had backfired on him. He would have healed it, but he was savoring the three minutes that he had left, and he was so tired that he could hardly move. Hebirei looked up at the sun, though, and saw that the lesson must be over soon, and sighed a sigh of relief. It seemed just as he was getting comfortable, Pika approached him again, and Hebi figured that his break was over. He struggled to his feet and said, "I know, I know, lets just get on with this."
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Post by hotaru on Apr 8, 2008 15:19:53 GMT -5
She rubbed her wettened eyes with her mittens and sobbed out a few more streams the liquid cool on her heated cheeks, her nose was a bit runny but a few sniffles made it dissapear. Still she was too worried and nervous, for a child acceptance is something that want more than anything, if the boy was making fun of her behind her back, she'd get teased mercilessly. It was upsetting to say the least. Her eyes were kept down when she did decide to open then but it didn't change the facts she felt as low as a sea slug.
Hotaru rejected the cloth silently by taking no move to retrieve it, she didn't want to make it messy, she didn't want to make waves even though she was pretty sure she made a big enough one. Her heels thudded onto he floor as she fidgeted shifting her weight here and there recklessly. She was nervous, there was no reason to act lady like. Once more her mittened hands swept tears away from her mildly puffy eyes, cried into complacency and irritation. " I don't like him... " She managed to whimper out. " He's stupid...."
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Post by haukea on Apr 8, 2008 17:07:56 GMT -5
Haukea let out a sigh as the little girl refused the cloth she'd extended out, and reluctantly she put it back in her pocket. How in the world was she going to get Hotaru to stop crying? Seeing anybody this upset was distressing in and of itself. She sighed again, and closed her eyes. She remember that not too long ago, she had felt pretty negatively about boys too. They were mean and had cooties and loved nothing more than to pull on her braids. But, she'd grown out of that.
When she opened her caroline blue eyes and fixed them on Hotaru, a smile spread on her face. Boys certainly weren't the cootie ridden creatures she thought that they used to be. They were...well, rather cute. Too bad being in the vicinity of a cute boy her age turned her into a babbling idiot.
"Boys aren't all that stupid. I know plenty of them that are rather nice. There's my brothers. There's that cute boy who came back with the other warriors from the Earth Kingdom. His name is...Ai? No...um...Aden...I think," Haukea mused, her face drawing into a little bit of a scowl as she tried to remember Aden's name. It brightened back into a smile though, as she went on, "And then there's Pika, my youngest brother. Oh wait...I mentioned my brothers already, didn't I? Anyway...Pika's as nice as they come, and not at all stupid..."
Over at the training fields, Pika frowned down at Hebirei as he moved to stand. Caroline blue eyes, the same shade as his younger sister's, narrowed slightly as the boy smarted off as he stood up. Normally he was not so tough with the younger ones he helped teach. Then again, this wasn't a 10 year old he was teaching. Hebirei should've learned the water whip a long time ago. Instead, he'd dallied with the healing arts. While Pika respected those arts, as they were delicate and much needed skills...Hebirei would not be able to protect his sister with healing.
He took up a relaxed stance, leaning forward with his knee bent, as he drew a glob of water out of the nearby fountain. The water seemed to reflect his agitated state as Pika brought it to him. There was nothing he could do to stop the coming marriage. But he could damn well make sure that her sister's new husband could defend his family.
With that thought in mind, he barked out, "Take up the stance again. You're failing to shift your weight through the stances. I will demonstrate the water whip to you one more time. Get it right."
Pika pulled the glob of water back, as his weight shifted subtly from his front leg, to his back. His upper body turned as his knee bent slightly, his face turning with the motion. His back leg came up as he once again turned to face behind him. His arms moved forward in a fluid motion. As his foot came back down, the glob of water lengthened, becoming a thin stream that snapped forward with a distinctive snapping sound. With the demonstration over with, he guided the water back to the fountain. He straightened, and turned to look at Hebirei.
"Begin."
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Post by Nanuk on Apr 9, 2008 8:01:26 GMT -5
Hebirei was really starting to get irritated, something which didn’t happen often, for he was a more gentle person. After the demonstration and Pika’s explanation, Hebirei merely said, “As you wish, ‘Master’ Pika.” With a slight grin, Hebirei took up his stance again, and started to siphon a small amount of water from the fountain. Holding it out in front of him, he felt the way it flowed with and against him, which was important to the healing arts. He waited until time was perfect for any forward maneuver with the water, then he started. First, his leg lifted, as the water lengthened, then, just as he put his foot down, the water should have made a snapping noise, and it did, but it hadn’t gone where he wanted it to. He turned in horror to look at Pika, and it was just as he thought, he had caught him in the arm with his failed water-whip.
“Oh, Tui! I am sorry, Master Pika. Let me try one more time.” This time, there was no sarcasm in his voice when he said ‘Master’. He drew the water out again, and this time, stood farther away from his first victim. He used his analytical mind to figure out what he had done wrong, progressing through the steps in his head. He had lifted his leg correctly, and the water had lengthened correctly, but just when he had dropped his foot… that must have been where the mistake was made. This time, once the water was lengthened, he was sure to be very careful in setting his foot back down. This resulted in a successful water-whip, even if it was a weak one that hardly made any noise.
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Post by hotaru on Apr 10, 2008 15:02:18 GMT -5
Hotaru nodded hearing Aden's voice, she'd seen him around before, she rubbed the tears all out of her eyes and continued keeping her head cast down, her face, flushed a light red hue from embarrassment and the tears. She shrug ed the cloak off of her shoulders and pulled it into her arms, hesitantly she looked it over, honestly it was rather nice, she admired the cloth and texture through mittened hands and foggy blue eyes. A few moments passed as she assembled her thoughts and emotions.
She held the cloak out attempting to return it back to it's owner. Her saphiric gaze met the older girls, her messy childish bangs obscuring a bit of the view all the same the pre-teen seemed meek. " Sorry....." Hotaru whispered quietly, given the circumstances she was innately shy, that was just how she tended to be. " about crying.."
Sending a careful glance to the training field Hotaru saw some boys remaining on the grounds. She pouted a little, all her friends had gone, not that she'd have too much of a hard time attempting to find them. There were usual hang outs and the like. But it would be rude to just run off now. She let her heated cheeks cool as she watched the mini training session. " You're looking for your brother?"
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Post by haukea on Apr 10, 2008 18:46:48 GMT -5
Haukea was immensely relieved as Hotaru began to calm down. She was so much cuter without all the tears. When Hotaru handed her shawl back, she quickly swept it back on to her shoulders.
"Sorry...about crying.."
Haukea brought a mitton up as she supressed a giggle.
"It's alright. My brothers used to tease me all the time for being a cry baby."
The teen looked up, a contemplative look crossing her features.
"In fact...they still do. I guess I haven't quite outgrown that it seems."
Most likely the young girl would've jabbered on about it, but Hotaru, whether she'd meant to or not, reminded Haukea why she was there again. She needed to hurry up and find her brother.
"Yeah, I'm looking for my older brother Pika. He's...um..."
Haukea rose to her feet and raised a hand above her hand, a gesture to indicate his height.
"He's that tall...and he's got a wolftail that has three braids pulled back into it. He usually helps Master Pakku with instructing the beginners class, but I don't see him anywhere."
Pika narrowed his eyes at the sarcastic 'master' thrown before his name. The little snit was already getting on his nerves, and the jibe certainly didn't endear Hebirei to him. When the water whip backfired, Pika wished he could've been surprised. Unfortunately, he'd already narrowly avoided getting whipped a few times already. So, he stood there scowling, rubbing his forearm where the whip had struck.
“Oh, Tui! I am sorry, Master Pika. Let me try one more time."
He said nothing at first. He was no master, at least not yet. He helped instruct the beginners courses and that was it. So throwing that title, though this time it wasn't in sarcasm, did not sit well. It wasn't a title he'd earned, and calling him thus was disrespectful to those who did hold it. The scowl was still on his face as Hebirei FINALLY completed a successful water whip. His ire came out as he spoke.
"Good. Now give me 20 more and we'll call it a day. And enough with the 'master' bit. I'm not a master, and it's disrespectful to refer to me as one. It's Pika."
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Post by Nanuk on Apr 11, 2008 14:01:28 GMT -5
Hebirei couldn’t help but be ecstatic at the fact that he had completed the water whip. All of his bitterness and anger drained away in a second, and in a second, it all came back. He had finally accomplished it, and all he got from Pika was “Now give me 20 more” He bitterly replied, “Fine, Piiiika” He put plenty of emphasis on the Pika. He then took the stance again and shifted his weight while extending the water. SNAP Wow… Pika really was a crappy older brother-in-law. SNAP It almost reminded him of Nu-Doru. SNAP SNAP SNAP SNAP SNAP
The thought of his older brother was making him angry and reckless, so on his eighth water-whip, by this time, he wasn’t paying attention at all, and it backfired right in his face. Also, he was putting all of his strength behind it, so when it backfired, it hurt like hell. “Owwww!” Was all he managed to say. This time, he had to heal his wound, so he drew the water out and covered his fingertips. He slowly pressed his fingertips to the spot on his forehead until it was soothed. He couldn’t help but giggle when he thought of saying ‘I’d like to see you do 20 of those.’ The wound now treated, he returned to his snapping. Thirteen SNAPs later, he sat down, completely out of energy.
"Are we finally done?"
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