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Post by lyra on Feb 15, 2007 18:48:12 GMT -5
Lyra couldn't help but smile as the brother and sister talked among each other. Ayumi was a very cute little girl and Jin wasn't terrible-looking either. Brushing a strand of brown hair out of her emerald eyes she laughed as the little girl said how her brother was lazy. Then as Jin spoke to her, her eyes locked on his and she realized that their eye color was quite similar. When she was born, it was strange for her to have such green eyes which stood out so in her brown-eyed family. Lyra now suspected that the color reflected her bending abilities. So now as she looked into Jin's she wondered if he was a bender as well. However, before she had a chance to ask he spoke and her spirits were lifted.
As he invited her to dance with them she nodded happily and began to sway her hips as Jin began to strum along on his instrument. When he told her that he would share their profit she shook her head and replied, "There's no need. Whatever we make goes to you and Ayumi. Besides, I'm not dancing to gain money for myself - just to have fun." She said enthusiastically and began to dance with a bit more 'umph'. Closing her eyes she focused on the music and let her body move with it. Opening her eyes a few moments later they landed on a boy a little younger than herself who seemed to be watching them. Smiling reassuringly she leapt forward, toward the boy and began prancing around him in a circle. "Welcome to the Lantern Festival!" She chanted happily - looking like a complete fool to anyone standing around them. However, Lyra didn't care, no, she didn't care in the least.
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Post by laughingjin on Feb 15, 2007 20:04:26 GMT -5
Jin threw his head back and let out another dominate laugh, his eyes becoming fixated on Lyra as she began to dance. He let them roam freely as a few passer bys began to gather. The ever working tendons in his fingers were visible as he began to work out an up-beat tune, cheerful and full of Jin's own laughing spirit. Inwardly he thanked Lyra for allowing Jin and Ayumi to keep the earnings, he wasn't a greedy person but his family did need it. With hard times getting nothing but harder, this was a welcome beacon of joy.
He continued to play, walking around to the closer patrons to tempt them into staying. With a flash of a dazzling grin and some personal playing, most people were won over. Ayumi padded around in her green slippers, offering the already almost filled cup to the now forming crowd, stopping at the boy Lyra had all but shouted to moments before. As a familiar tune began to work itself out of the improvisation so did the lyrics that came with it. Jin was never really much of a singer, but he couldn't help himself, and even if his voice was terrible, he could always form it into a comedy act.
"Don't fall in love with a traveling girl. She'll leave you with a broken haaaaar-art," he sang out, laughter thick in his voice. The golden freckles in his eyes shimmered and dazzled with his own happiness. "Follow her around from town to town. You'd likely fall apaaaar-art." He swayed to his own song, his light brown hair swaying to and fro. A large crowd had begun to form but that wasn't why his joy had begun to flow through him like a rushing river. He was having fun. Something he thrived off of. The Laughing Lemur had returned, full forced and ready to go.
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Post by boragan on Feb 16, 2007 2:27:53 GMT -5
The festival was going perfectly. There have been no reported crimes, everyone was having a good time, and their has been no trouble cause. Well, until just recently.
Bora marched over to the barracks that were holding the prisoner. After a quick salute to the guards posted at the door, Bora hurried inside. He quickly went to the interrogation room and found two guards questioning the prisoner. The prisoner was barely in clothing as his clothing looked to be torn to shreds. A blackened eye to his left was a mark from the struggle between himself and the guards.
"I got it from here," Bora spoke. The guards acknowledged his command and stepped away. Bora Gan looked down at the prisoner. "So, how are you?" Bora mocked. "I won't tell you a thing," the prisoner spat, "What you can do to me will be nothing in compared to what HE will do." "Oh, we shall see about that," Bora threatened, "For you see, I hit a lot harder than the guards do." After speaking, Bora balled his fist and rammed it into the prisoner's stomach. A few globs of spit flew from his lips upon impact. Bora jabbed a few more times before the prisoner lost his breath. "I'm enjoying this. Perhaps if you talk, I'll stop and be bored. What do you say? Will you talk?" Bora glared into the prisoner's eyes, hoping for the right answer.
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Post by lyra on Feb 16, 2007 16:18:07 GMT -5
Lyra, deciding to leave the boy, turned on her heal and pranced back to Jin and Ayumi. A few moments passed of she dancing, Jin playing, and Ayumi collecting before Jin's voice rang out as he began to sing. Stopping her dance, Lyra whipped around and looked at him, a smile covering her face - a look of total surprise. Nodding Lyra took back up her dance and hummed along to the tune of Jin's song, her hummed addition was a nice touch to the song they were performing.
As a few more people placed their spare coins in the cup, Lyra's eyes wandered the area; the play was still going on, but what they were performing Lyra had no idea. It was then that her eyes landed on someone leaving the fesitval. The man was standing beside a pillar staring at the three teenagers perform. He was tall with broad shoulders and a large, twisting mustache on his upper lip. He held a facial expression similar to that Lyra holds when she is concentrating. Immediately curiosity got the best of her and her dance slowed as she tried to figure out who he was and why he was there. When she realized she had stopped dancing she immediately regained her footsteps and put a smile on her face and she cotinued to dance, her mind still lingering on the strange man.
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Post by nattoku on Feb 16, 2007 16:22:57 GMT -5
At first, Nattoku had been trying to think of a way to go over and introduce himself to the group of youth that seemed to be around his age. But, they beat him to the punch. The boy had started to play his instrument, and the older girl had started to dance. In fact, she had come over to him, and danced around him. She had also welcomed him to the festival.
Nattoku could feel his face begin to heat up and turn red, not used to being in the center of attention. "Um, thank you,"he said, stammering a bit. He still felt a bit nervous about meeting new people. But she had already headed back over to the boy that was singing. The younger girl had come over and was holding out her cup that was getting full of coins at him. She wanted some money. The boy got a copper coin out of his pocket and put it in the cup, and looked over at the boy singing and playing the instrument.
He really wasn't that good a singer, but he played the instrument well and him singing was quite entertaining. And the fact that he seemed to be having a joyous time doing it made it all the more better. Nattoku couldn't help but grin and start laughing. This was great. He liked listening to the boy sing and play and to watch the older girl dance.
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Post by laughingjin on Feb 16, 2007 17:25:02 GMT -5
A single painted eyebrow raised high on Jin's head like before as Lyra spun to look at him. He chuckled, the wide grin never once leaving his features. His nimble fingers continued to entwine themselves amongst the chords to create a lyrical splendor, along with Lyra's humming and the festivals natural sound they created a show fit for the Earth King. As the crowd began to grow, so did Jin's confidence. "Here for a moment, and gone in a flash. Following her arrrr-art."
His watchful eyes hadn't left Ayumi's trail for a second, until Lyra's humming had stopped. Slowly he tore his eyes away from his sister to notice that his new friend had all but stopped dancing. He followed hew gaze intently, keeping care not to stop his fast pace song. The large man that had attracted them to this spot was standing beside a... very much disheveled one. Quickly Jin shook his head, trying to rid himself of the image and thoughts that had began to travel into his head, his light brown hair whipping him in the face as he did so.
Smiling softly he turned back to face the crowd, wanting to finish the song despite the nagging itch in the back of his mind. "Up and down, through thick and thin. Right back to the staaaaa-art." He finished up the song and a few patrons clapped. Jin nodded his head slightly and muttered words of gratitude to various people in both acknowledgment and thanks for them having stayed.
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Post by lyra on Feb 16, 2007 17:42:57 GMT -5
Lyra continued her dance and humming, her eyes filled with tears from her liveliness. When Jin stopped his playing with his final note, Lyra curtsied once more and smiled to the applauds the team gained from the crowd that had made its way over to them. Turning around so her smile was shown to Jin she looked down into the cup that Ayumi still had plastered her her hand. Their profit was good, and Lyra couldn't help but smile more.
"That was amazing!" Lyra yelled, jumping up to wrap her arms around her partner's neck in a friendly hug. After a second, Lyra realized what she was doing and let go and backed away, cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "Erm, sorry." She said, trying to figure out what to say, "I'm kind of a huggy person." She laughed slightly, trying to cover her embarrassment.
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Post by laughingjin on Feb 16, 2007 18:48:51 GMT -5
A laugh caught in Jin's throat as Lyra wrapped her arms around his neck. As she released and began to apologize a warm blush crept upon his thin cheeks, matching the one he had caught on her own cheeks; he was grateful for the white paint over his face that was hiding it. He blinked once before a wide grin spread across his face, chuckling softly at the term 'huggy person'. Jin shifted his head slightly to move the bangs away from his eyes before he shrugged, his expression moving into mock impassiveness, "Hey, who's complaining? I know I'm not." A cross between a sly smirk and a teasing grin fled onto Jin's lips, replacing his foe impassiveness with something much more charming.
Ayumi's bright voice chimed in. "The cup's almost full, Ji'. I'm going to bring it back to mother, okay?" He looked down, eying her skeptically. Carefully, Jin weighed the gravity of everything around him. The thought of the shady disheveled man crossed Jin's mind for a moment before he spoke. "Sorry, Ay," he shook his head slightly, "but with the festival going on, and with that much money in your hands, you don't know what you're going to run into."
The smallest of frowns creased Ayumi's lips and thought she looked like she wanted to argue, she knew much better than to dispute her older brother. He did, for the most part, knew what was for the best. With a hearty sigh she looked to the ground. "Okay."
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Post by lyra on Feb 17, 2007 12:24:03 GMT -5
Lyra smiled as she watched Jin's reaction to her hug. She was glad to see that he wasn't the sort of person who took offense to her frienliness. When he said that he wasn't complaining she laughed, her mind off of the strange man for the time being. As the crowd began to continue on their way, Lyra listened to what the brother and sister were saying. In her mind she wished that she had a big brother to protect her, that is, if she needed protecting. Lyra liked to think that she could take care of herself - most of the time that is.
"Why don't we escort her?" Lyra suggested, giving Ayumi and smile before turning her attention back to Jin. "I mean, it isn't that far is it? And if someone happens to come along-" Lyra paused, lifted her left leg a few inches off of the ground, and slammed it back down. A small boulder about the size of a ball rose and then fell back into it's place on the ground. "We can take 'em." She smirked, wondering how Jin would react to her telling him of her abilities.
Before Jin had time to respond, Lyra looked over at the strange man who had disappeared. Squinting her eyes in concentration she looked around for him, but there was still no sign of him. Who was he? What was he doing there? Her instinct told her not to trust the man, after all, this festival was full of happiness and fun, and he seemed to be angry and mean.
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Post by nattoku on Feb 17, 2007 12:34:47 GMT -5
After a few moments more of playing the instrument and singing, and the girl dancing, the boy had stopped. The younger girl had gone around the audience to get some more coins, and it seemed she had done well in this, earning a good amount of money. Nattoku clapped along with many other people after the boy and girl had finished, quite enjoying the show that had just gone on there.
Nattoku decided now would be a good time to try and make friends with these youth. They seemed nice, and maybe they would like him. There was always that clawing thought in the back of his mind that they would not like him, that they would find him annoying and tell him to leave. But, he decided that if he didn't try, he would never find out.
The young teenager walked in their direction, trying to think of what to say, and stopped a couple feet away from them. "Um hi there,"he said, speaking up. "Um, y'all did a really good job with your act, and it was really cool." He wanted to curse himself for sounding so stupid. Nattoku really hated the way he talked. He had an accent that his mother compared to the Foggy Swamp ruffians, a Southern drawl common to his home village because it was in the Southern Earth Kingdom.
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Post by laughingjin on Feb 17, 2007 13:18:59 GMT -5
Jin's lips parted slightly in surprise as he watched Lyra's display of earthbending talent. Carefully he raised both his eyebrows studying the rarely seen, at least to him, phenomenon, a small smile creasing his lips. Before he had time to speak his praise, Ayumi piped in, "Wow! You're an earthbender?! Neat!" She turned to plead up at Jin once more with a movement so fast her braid was still swaying when she stopped, "Ji', we have to go to mother now, no one will bother us with an earthbender with us!"
Just as Jin was about to answer someone was speaking to them just a few feet away. He turned, eying the thin boy, he looked younger than he was, but than again so did Lyra, and age never really played any part in Jin's judgment over people anyway. With a quick evaluation of his clothing and the way he spoke Jin silently evaluating him, and came to the conclusion that he wasn't a threat. "Thanks," Jin replied with a grin, "I'm glad you liked it."
To his side Ayumi had slid her mask up to rest where her brow met her hairline. Her thin freckled face was fully visible, with the exception of the hand over her mouth to try and silence the soft giggles coming from her. With a roll of his eyes Jin dismissed her, offering his thin hand to the boy for a hand shake, "I'm Jin. Welcome to the Lantern Festival."
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Post by nattoku on Feb 17, 2007 13:28:31 GMT -5
For a second, Nattoku just stood there, not knowing how to react. But, after a few moments, the feeling passed, and the boy shook the older boy's hand. "Nice to meet you Jin,"he said. "My name is Nattoku. Or Nat for short." He didn't really feel the need to evaluate the boy or his friends. They all seemed very nice to him, and he decided he could trust them.
"And thank you for welcoming me,"Nattoku continued. "This is the coolest place I've been in a long while, and seen some of the most interesting stuff I've seen in a long while." The boy had forgotten his issue that he had had just moments ago with his accent. No one should care how he talked, even if it did sound weird. Besides, everyone had an accent that was different.
He turned to the girls. "Nice to meet y'all too,"he said. "Can I know your names?"
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Post by lyra on Feb 17, 2007 13:59:17 GMT -5
Lyra laughed as she heard what Ayumi said but her response was returned in a serious tone, "Not everyone fears an Earthbender. Especially a fourteen year old girl." She then smiled weakly to reassure the girl that she would be there to protect her if something did happen. Lyra was then about to suggest that they get moving, but was stopped when a new boy joined their group - the boy she had danced around earlier.
"I'm Lyra, Lyra Fa Lee." She said in response to his introduction. "Sorry if I embarrassed you when I was dancing," She said, referring to her litle display earlier. "And thank you for your compliments. It really means a lot to us when we hear our new fans say such things."
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Post by laughingjin on Feb 17, 2007 15:13:56 GMT -5
"I'm Ayumi!" The young girl jumped forward the moment Lyra finished speaking, her face alight with the glow of the lanterns. The cup full of money jingled in her grasp in her grasp as she quickly slapped her free hand over her mouth, to silence the incoming giggle attack.
Jin quirked an eyebrow at the whole situation, something he seemed to be doing quite often that night. He allowed himself a soft spoken chuckle at her reaction as he shook his head. The inviting smile stood steadfast to his painted face as he began to speak, "Nice meeting you, Nat." He paused, shifting the weight of his pipa, lute, to his right arm, cradling it in his grasp. "We were just about to head over to the Tea Shop," Jin nodded his head over his shoulder to indicate the direction in which they were headed, the brown mop on his head bobbing slightly. "Care to join us?" It only seemed right to invite him. He seemed nice enough, and, Jin's inward smirk turned into an outward one, Ayumi seemed to like him.
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Post by lyra on Feb 17, 2007 15:28:45 GMT -5
Lyra waited quietly as the three decided to leave, Jin inviting Nattoku to join them. "The tea shop? I must've gone there a few times with my father, how come I've never seen you there?" Lyra asked. She had been a little girl, but she figured that Jin and his family had owned the shop, or at least worked there for a long time.
Lyra then turned on her heel and made her way in the direction that Jin had nodded, looking back to see the others follow her. "So Nat, where are you from? And what brings you to Kei Lan?" She asked, trying to get more information on the boy.
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