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Airbenders are pretty thoroughly repopulated now, but they're still minorities anywhere but the handful of enclaves that have retaken the open temples or integrated into the populations that have woven into them. Beila doesn't live in one of those enclaves. She lives in Republic City. Benders are a minority, airbenders more so. She's the only one in her class. It could still be a coincidence that she's supposed to do her history project on Avatar Aang, her some-number-of-greats grandfather, and not casual stereotyping. Whatever. Her partner's not a bender at all unless he's very quiet about it, he's just a random cute boy who sits to her left. Dao, that's his name.
"Hey," she says. "When's good for you to meet up and work on this thing?"
roc_on
thinklikethis
"I'm not sure," he says, smiling shyly. "Um, the weekend probably, unless you have - I don't know - plans?"
roc_on
"Bending lessons are all on weekdays, everything else can move," Beila says, shaking her head. "Day after tomorrow, after lunch? My house or yours? Or I guess we could use the library."
thinklikethis
"Library!" he says. "Definitely the library. Unless there's some really good reason not to use it that I don't know about. Squirrelbats nesting in the walls?"
roc_on
"Far as I know the library's uninfested. They're just strict about quiet and I'm not quite automatic enough with anything as complicated as soundbending to let us talk above a whisper anyway."
thinklikethis
"Oh," he says. "Yeah, there's that. I don't know, I don't think it'll be a big problem, do you?"
roc_on
"Not if you don't mind whispering. But I think I actually have enough books to do the whole project at home. My mom teaches at an airbending dojo, we live about a block away from it, and they do history lessons there once a week, most particularly about Aang."
roc_on
"Okay! It's not that near here, I usually fly - have you got a shuttle pass or do you want me to pick you up or do you really like walking or what?"
thinklikethis
"I do have a shuttle pass," he says, "although if the other option is riding a roc I'm a little tempted to suddenly and mysteriously lose it."
roc_on
Beila snorts. "Goodness gracious, how could you be so careless. Where do I fetch you from?"
thinklikethis
"Then!" he says. "Yes. Then. After lunch. The day after tomorrow. At that time."
roc_on
Beila giggles. He's cute. "Well, I'm off," she says, and she gets up with the gentle breeze that she always has accompanying her. She's tried to walk without doing any airbending at all and it doesn't go well.
Outside the school building, Liqing isn't there yet, so Beila emits a piercing whistle, and a minute later, there's her roc, landing on the courtyard and scaring the little kids. Silly kids don't even know that rocs eat fish. Beila mounts up and directs the bird home.
She's in Dragon Flats, scanning building numbers, at the appointed time. When she finds Dao's, she lands Liqing, then slides from her back and goes up to knock on the correct door.
Outside the school building, Liqing isn't there yet, so Beila emits a piercing whistle, and a minute later, there's her roc, landing on the courtyard and scaring the little kids. Silly kids don't even know that rocs eat fish. Beila mounts up and directs the bird home.
She's in Dragon Flats, scanning building numbers, at the appointed time. When she finds Dao's, she lands Liqing, then slides from her back and goes up to knock on the correct door.
thinklikethis
The correct door has Dao sitting outside of it.
He hops to his feet and waves.
"Hi!"
He hops to his feet and waves.
"Hi!"
roc_on
"All right - now, getting on her's a little tricky without any airbending, will you freak out if I just waft you up?" Beila asks, demonstrating this wafting.
roc_on
"Good. All your waft-detection is working correctly. Hang on!"
She must mean to her, because there's not a whole lot else up here.
She must mean to her, because there's not a whole lot else up here.
roc_on
"Just sorta hug me 'round the waist. You'd pull her feathers out if you held on to those. I'll steady us both as we go but it's good to have an extra layer of caution, you know?"
