Neath the Starry Sky <Shai City, North Pole>

[taartoq]

A cool, crisp evening, the navy blue expanse above without a cloud in sight. Myriads of stars could be seen from one end of the sky to the other, spread across the dark evening sky above the Northern Water Tribe's grand city. The sunset occured but a mere hour's time in the past, and the lights from the ice-crafted homes within the tiered city lit up the night. Denizens were still out on the icy walkways, whether they be shopping, hard at work, attaining to important matters, or about the streets on a pleasant and peaceful nighttime stroll. Gondoliers boated down the canals, watchmen guarded key locations, and laughter emanated from homes where guests were invited to partake in the evening meal.

Inside a certain training structure stood twelve men, each involved in a waterbending session held for waterbenders of the tribe's high society. Taartoq was amongst them, training with the men with whom he had attended the classes for years. It was originally Padma's suggestion that he join, her plea occuring soon after his formal training under both Master Pakku and Master Bohai ceased. These classes incorporated a gentle, non-combative form of waterbending intended to calm the mind and unify the spirit, which did so much good for Taartoq's high-strung psyche prone to frazzled nerves. It also helped Taartoq to remain attuned with his innate element and keep his waterbending skills as sharp as they had ever been. The long-haired tribesman always had a strong aptitude for waterbending, after all.

His parka shed so as not to limit movement, Taartoq stood across from his younger brother-in-law, Yahto. All in attendance were told by the instructor to pair up, and of either of Padma's brothers who attended these classes, her youngest brother Yahto was the one he got along with the easiest. He rarely would tease Taartoq, but even on the occasion when he happened to do so, his was a more good-natured ribbing than the other three brothers, Wahkan, Shiye and Yusheng.

Raising water from a wide-brimmed and shallow bowl in between the two benders, Taartoq began to slowly pushed a large stream of water toward the pudgy waterbender across from him, who did the same thing. Pushing and pulling the water globule between them was a core essential to waterbender training, but one could never forget the basics and expect to be a "good" waterbender. Classes often ended with free-form practice, letting each do whatever moves they wanted, but tonight they were to brush up on basic forms and movements.

Before he knew it, class was over and they were all leaving. As the other men gathered their things, Taartoq dawdled and stood by a large, spherical icy blue water pot and bended some water in a small stream upward. Seperating it from the main body, he converted it to thick fog and spiraled it around his hands and wrists while some wisps of heavy water vapor escaped to curl into the air. Taartoq was partial to bending mist because of its beauty, and a favorite move of his involved freezing water vapor around the opponent. That is, if he ever felt the urge to fight.

He cycled the creeping fog up around his arms and back again, returning it to its original liquid form and floating it above his right hand. With his free hand, he removed the cork from the spout of his indigo water skin and streamed all of the water inside as the cork dangled from its thin leather cord. He had to add a bit more from the pot to fill it up to the brim, though. These sessions were basically the only time he would need to use such a water skin, since he rarely needed to fight due to his occupation. He was glad at this, though, because he truly enjoyed peace, or at least the physical kind.

After all but the instructor and Taartoq had left, the slender tribesman slid on his parka and walked outside. The night was still young, and he was in no hurry to get home. Padma would probably be making dinner, and he didn't want to disturb her if that was the case. He would probably take the long way home, just to admire the evening scenery. Slowly and nonchalantly with his arms behind his back, he walked down the walkways flanking the canals and admired the moonlight sparkling on the ripples in the canal.

[hotaru]

As it usually seemed her parents were both out on a trading mission to the earth kingdom, they weren’t expected home for weeks. Her aunt Mica, as usual, went to bed early, she was heavy with child, it wouldn’t be long now. Even childbirth would be hard on the rough earth girl, she was known for being strong even in times of trouble, much more so than the frail water girls. But a growing belly made her tame. Uncle Kaden was taking the night shift, wanting to make more money for their growing family, babies were never free.

The youngest member of the family, Hotaru, the dark haired pale skinned water girl snuck off into the night. Her cheeks were flushed moving quickly along the streets barely paying attention to the other people who occupied it. They all were going home. Her clothing was sparse. Pants a parka over top and a white undershirt thrown on quickly. Seeing as she was supposedly in bed she had to rush to re-dress. Breathing our soft puffs of warm air into the night the moon allowed her blue eyes to see. They seemed like the only thing that made her a true water girl.

Her boots fell silently on the ice paved streets and her bare hands fumbled with a mitten that should have been on her hand. They were never truly cold, touching snow without them would cause frost burn, it seemed to be the only reason she needed them, People looked at her strangely when she forgot them, wondering why her fingers didn’t freeze off. On her pale skin the flush of nervousness could be seen clearly, like she was doing something wrong, and in a way she was. It was scary but she couldn’t help it. She had to keep it hidden, it was her mothers fault, Hotaru knew that much. Her name meant much more than a passing phrase, no doubt it was given to her because already her mother knew. Still she’d have to get away from the area before she could do anything, if she was found out, she’d just die.

[taartoq]

The rippling water was steadily calming, enabling the waxing gibbous moon to take a fuller shape in its reflection. Viewing slightly from above, Taartoq could tell that no gondolas would be coming around anytime soon. Taking a detour from the quicker-walking people around him, he went down a small staircase that lead directly to the water's edge. The tiny waves of water in the canal settled completely, showing the friendly moon on its surface. The stairs were primarily for gondola passengers to board the vessel, but Taartoq was positive nobody would reprimand him for simply standing there. He was far from being a child, and he was well aware of the staircase's use. He wasn't there to cause trouble, but to gaze at the moon and stars with a childlike curiousity.

The slim and vaguely androgynous waterbender stood with his hooded eyes fixed on the heavens, the celestial orb hanging amongst the glimmering stars. Puffs of his own breath would obscure his view slightly as he stared at the sky, but these were hardly a bother for they would soon after disappear into nothing. The moon was the reason he and every other bender of the tribe had their abilities. He knew what it was like for the lunar sphere to be no more. Recalling the events of the Fire Nation's last siege was most sobering as he stood, clad with his hood hanging in back and hands wrapped in warm mittens.

[hotaru]

Hotaru sighed slowing her pace to an easy walk as she left the main walk ways, the night was cool and the air was crisp but she had no problem breathing. The night time, it always made her feel weak but at the same time, more at ease with herself, The morning and day light made her feel so very energetic, that was why she’d have to stay in the night for now. Her eyes watched the water as she walked along a bridge of ice over passing the stream that ran through the city. Her nervousness turned into excitement, knowing she was finally alone and that no one could see her anymore. A smile was brought to her lips. As soon as she was out of the city limits she would be safe to do as she planned.

Without a doubt the things she learned from watching the master benders would help her. They all seemed so strong and amazing, how she wished to be like them, moving the water like a serpent across the air only to shift and mold it’s shape anew. It was an art in the simplest meaning of the word and she couldn’t stand having to keep herself secret from the rest of the world. She was a girl and as a girl things were expected of her, she couldn’t even do that right so why would they allow her to be different. The avatar when he was here had a friend, a girl, she was almost as strong as Pakku, watching that match was possibly the most exciting moment of her life. The scariest was being hidden with the other children during the attack that came only days later. Fire was so powerful and deadly, everything it touched died….. that was just it’s nature.

Dwelling on this brought the girls spirits back down, as she chose to make the rest of her trip in silence.

[taartoq]

A breath would become like a puff of smoke rising into the air, then disappearing into nothing. Watching the stars was fascinating, but the frigid air of the arctic night was biting at Taartoq's nose and ear tips. He didn't quite want to raise his hood just yet.

He turned from the water's edge and ascended the small flight of stairs to where everyone else was walking. Secluded sections of the city were present as the night life dragged on, but the city of Shai was still very much alive in some districts. He stepped onto the main walkway, joining the sparse crowd walking along. To make his way home quickly would mean taking a gondola, but he felt like taking his time, basking in solitude. Padma probably wouldn't expect him home any time soon, for she knew her husband enjoyed being alone.

He eventually came to a more empty part of the city, not a soul to be seen except for a small breath puffing from a bridge over the canal. Curious, he decided to veer off his original path to observe what it may be. More importantly, who it was. It could have been a young child just as easily at it could be an injured man in need of assistance. Just to be sure, he would walk by to see for certain.

[hotaru]

A small pale hand slipped along the side of the bridge letting a little steam push forth from the melting ice. She pulled her hand back slowly looking at what she had done, maybe someone would think it was chipped instead… all day people went along fixing such errors in the architecture. Taking a quick glance around she didn’t see anyone, moon blindness and poor night vision making it not much of an accomplishment. Picking up her pace once more she took a run for it.

There wasn’t much left to run but her build didn’t allow her to get too far, she wasn’t exactly the strongest girl ever. She was pretty average all around. Her childish appearance and baby fat made it so she’d always have to stop and stop to catch her breath after sprinting. Sighing into the darkness the girls blue eyes looked up, the city limits in sight and the barren tundra beyond it. This was her goal. Curls of unruly dark brown hair fell around her shoulders, the oversized hand-me-down parka enfolded her frame in warm layers of constricting fur, making her escape harder still.

Closing her eyes the girl cursed herself for doing something stupid in the city; if someone had seen her there would have been trouble. Another puff of smoke came from her lips. Escaping its prison to the sky, her temperature was always higher than other peoples. She had a natural heat pumping through her body; it was only natural for her. In time she feared that hiding the secret she had would become harder.

[taartoq]

He became fully aware that it was a young child, definitly a girl judging by the length and style of the dark hair atop the young one's head. But that was all he could see before the girl ran away, leaving the bridge. Who was she? What had she done? Why was she alone at such an hour? Taartoq's curiousity was piqued even more as he decided to follow. Long, quick strides were allowed by leanly-muscled legs from years of training as a waterbender. Reaching the apex of the bridge, he saw the girl running still.

As he stalled for a second, he looked where he thought the girl was standing and noted an indentation in the ice railing. Is that all she did...? he pondered as he looked. The low light made it look like nothing more than a mere chip in the ice, and he didn't bother to feel it.

A smirk arose on his face. The little girl must have felt guilty for accidentally breaking part of the icy bridge somehow. Perhaps she was a budding waterbender who accidentally cracked the ice with her bending. Nonetheless, he decided to follow anyway. A girl could get into much trouble alone at night, and he only wanted to make sure she was safe.

[hotaru]

Finally now arriving outside of the city gates Hotaru rolled her shoulders back hefting her arms in the air to stretch. Pale porcelain skin clear of blemishes that would come with her teenage years graced her face, parted lips letting out streams of steam from her mouth floating like angels into the heavens to disappear like they never were to begin with. She had an idea of what she needed to do. If everyone else could bend, so could she, in order to keep it under control at least.

Her hands fumbled with the thick fur parka pulling it from her neck with some effort letting the cool air hit her body in a refreshing breeze. The girl wasn’t stupid enough to take it off, with the wind the water and the ice she’d get frost bite even if she wasn’t cold. It at one time was Mica’s, when she just had came from the earth kingdom Kaden had gone and bought her a new coat. It didn’t fit the earth girl any longer. Not much did with her swollen tummy. Wrapped in her own thoughts she didn’t think to check out the area before choosing to continue.

With satisfying crunches under her boots she made off into the night toward her usual location. A cave set into the side of an ice mountain, it was close and secretive from the windows of the city, a perfect place. Kids played there in the day and at night she came to do the things she did.

[taartoq]

Taartoq walked after the girl, closing in on the gaps between them because she kept stopping to catch her breath. The occasional well-lit home would cast its light on Taartoq as he passed a window, a yellowish hue cast over his fallow skin and long, near-black hair in which he took much pride. Rosy lips tightened in suspicion, soft turquoise eyes not letting the little girl escape their notice. Most of the home were not lit, probably the inhabitants were either not home, away elsewhere, or settled in early.

His moccasins and careful balance kept a steady grip on the packed ice ground as he steadily closed in on the girl. Finally he got within a distance that he could only assume was earshot, approximately two yards away. That is, unless he wanted to yell and wake up the neighborhood. Until now, he didn't even realize his unfamiliarity with this section of the city, which made him a little nervous. But he had to know why the little girl was out at such an hour.

His voice its normal tone, he spoke out to the girl as he trailed her, merely to catch her attention. "Excuse me, young lady, why are you on the streets so late?"

[hotaru]

Visibly the girl tensed and stopped in her tracks like children did when they were caught. A small voice in the back of her mind told her that if she kept still then she wouldn’t be noticed, that he wasn’t talking to her. Something. Age showed the truth, that this was no where near fact. Slowly she turned back to look at the one who sought to end her night practices.

“Um….”

Her cheeks turned red and her hands pushed themselves together bare and hidden inside the fur of her sleeves, away from his view. The boy looked rather girlish but she’d seen him before at trainings when he decided to show up, so he had to be male. Her words stuck in her throat as her mind tried to catch up and grant her with a plausible explanation that continued to elude her grasp.

“Well I… I….. Um….”

With wide eyes now standing in his direction she looked at the ground with guilt pushing down upon her, if she wasn’t being so childish she might have noticed him and been able to hide. That was no longer an option it seemed. It was hard to believe that someone her age was the avatar and in charge of keeping balance in the world, when she was just clumsy and foolish.

[taartoq]

He looked at the girl as she stuttered, moving stray strands of his own dark hair away from his eyes in the meantime. Even though it wasn't terribly late, only an hour and a half since the moon rose, it was still too late for children of her age to be flitting about.

Taartoq gave a concerned look at the girl, seeing the pale moonlight shine upon her fair skin. She was very nervous, no doubt, because she may have been caught doing something wrong by the slim waterbender. Or course, her fear could also have been ignited by a virtual stranger asking her where she was going and by extension, what she was up to. He understood her anxiety.

"I was worried when I saw you alone. Bad things could happen alone at night...", he said, conspicuously standing where he was. If he came even slightly closer, she may become even more frightened and run away.

[hotaru]

“ I saw a sealrabbit running out of the city and I guess I lost track of time…” The girl’s voice trailed off much like the supposed sealrabbit that had come through, as her white lie had depicted. She looked to the side taking a step backwards for her own comfort. The proximity was a little too much, what if she slipped or did something careless. Her blue eyes scanned the snow suddenly finding it increasingly interesting, Now that she was all the way out here she didn’t want to simply return home without anything having been done, that would be unfair.

Her mind caught on something, he seemed like he was the sort of guy who could get lost in his own ego, and so maybe changing the topic would work. It’d at least get suspicion off of herself.

“ You’re a water bender right? I saw you bend a few weeks ago and it was reeeeeeally good, not like some of the boys in the morning classes”

[taartoq]

Taartoq was taken aback in confusion for a second, furrowing his brow at the girl's strange attempt to apparently change the subject. However, the girl's obvious flattery got to him, if even for a second.

"Well, I am probably a more experienced waterbender than those boys you usually watch..." he said as he looked off into nothing, twirling a strand a wavy strand of dark hair around his finger absent-mindedly. She must have been referring to one of the evening sessions he was just part of earlier in the night, or perhaps a time when he was in his back courtyard practicing in broad daylight. Though it would be unlikely she would be anywhere near his upper-class neighborhood at that time of day.

He didn't let the praise go completely to his head, as he digressed from the light-skinned girl's diversion. Resuming a stern, yet concerned look into her eyes, he continued, "...But that's beside the point. Do you live anywhere near here? I sincerely hope for your sake that you'll head home soon."

[hotaru]

Some hope was vested in her eyes when he began to talk about his bending, it meant that she may get away without having him walk her home or do other silly things concerned adults seemed to think was fit to do. But when the topic came back she inwardly winced wishing he had as big an ego as she had assumed in the first place.

Crestfallen at the failed attempt to get out of this entire situation the girl sighed and fiddles with her bare fingers just outside of her sleeves with the pads pressed flat against one another in a simple gesture. This was becoming a bit unfair, all she wanted to do was be by herself for an hour or two, at least he didn’t seem to know anything about her. Just that she was a delinquent girl who should be at home instead of roaming about in the cold.

He was only concerned for her well being. It made her feel more so shy, as apparent by the resurfacing blush on her skin, hopefully the shadows would hide it from view of the older boy through the moonlight was bright tonight. Dark curls and bangs sought to hide her crystal blue eyes from his view as she continued to stare at the snow about her boot encased feet.

“I’m gonna go home soon….”

[taartoq]

Taartoq did nothing but stare at the girl. Her answer was quite possibly the vaguest thing he had heard all week. It really helped with nothing, but he thought it best to leave the young girl be for now. She may get in trouble if not under his supervision, though. But by putting away his urges to grab her by the hand and lead her home where she belonged, he was able to say, "I should hope so..."

He hoped his decision was wise, and silently prayed to La that the girl didn't fall into severe trouble and he be blamed. From here on, it was solely the young woman's decision that would influence her actions, and he frankly would have nothing to do with it. Though he assumed nobody knew of their encounter, probably no one would know better, he would still feel guilty if the girl was injured becase of his letting her go off into the night.

He sighed a visible breath as he remained where he had been, with his arms behind his back. "I won't be keeping you, then. Go ahead and run along home." His words were laden with defeat, knowing he was the one who allowed the girl's actions to be outside of his jurisdiction.