[Open] A Relaxing Day

[Lao Shen]

Republic City. Some areas in the vast city could seem so confusing. All the buildings, streets, street side vendors, and zooming satomobiles. This city has come a long long way. It happened very quickly as well, almost as fast as the Fire Nation became industrialized in the days of old. Of course, the Fire Nation did have a hand in building the Republic, with a bit of incentive from the Avatar. Despite all the hustle and bustle of the city and its constantly advancing technology, there were still places that seemed to stand still in time. Places that one could go to relax, enjoy flowing streams, green trees, blue skies, and colorful flowers that are delightful to the sight and smell.

The place where most people congregated to enjoy the beauties of nature was the Republic City Park. It was a larger land set aside exactly for the observation of nature and the peaceful meeting of other citizens of the city. It had paved walk ways, sparkling stream, and the main thing that fascinated one young firebender, marble bridges over the streams to connect walk ways. Under one of the park's many large shade trees was a young man by the name of Lao Shen.

Lao is a young firebender who has only been in the city for a few months and he was slowly adjusting to the mixed ethnicities in the city. The firebender had recently went back to the Fire Nation island that he was born on and visited his mother, his last living relative. He carried out a bit of farm work for her and brought back his pet Blaze, a strong, sturdy dragon moose that he received as a gift from his deceased grandfather. Blaze laid next to Lao, its large head resting next to Lao's leg with Lao's hand on his head.

"Its a beautiful day, Blaze. Why would you sleep on an afternoon like this?" The firebender smiled down at his companion as he pet the creature slowly. Lao was in the middle of meditation, relaxing himself to the maximum point.

[Skamar Zapa]

Took only a midday reflection to realize that he knew exactly how the world felt. The innovation, reminders of the present, was beyond his assumptions of Republic City. The dramatic evolution the world underwent very much resembled his journey. His migration to the United Republic areas illustrated that change well. Before, he would have never expected the electric and steam-powered gadgets all about. The iron zeppelins up high circled an arena that broadcasted its events on radios nearby. The entirety of it was so artificial yet Skamar felt so at ease there. Human creation and technology was as much nature as the chimera’s dams and shelters. Still, the bender could respect a trip down memory lane. The park filled that niche excellently with its many attractions. Skamar could meditate there for years and still not take in the whole scene. Why? The park’s beauty aged well, that’s why! New hotspots were added to the commons every now and then. Keeping things fresh was very much the idea of technology. Skamar wasn’t complaining.

Though, the fauna of Republic City was strangely regulated. Only the smallest, most careful creatures fit the standards of pet. His bulky polar dog at home was barely pushing it. If it wasn’t so lazy, Skamar could’ve possibly registered it as a mount. Blame goes to his mother who was quite food generous. It was a surprise that he didn’t outweigh all of the city’s populace with her fatty treats. Interesting, large animals just weren’t as commonplace in Republic City as they were elsewhere. Skamar didn’t mind. The big ones scare him.

Skipping across a stone bridge, he noticed something out of place. Now, he was just humming a hip-hop groove just when he caught sight of it. It was totally old school, but it seemed so at peace in among the elements. Skamar couldn’t help but investigate, in spite of the its owner being right there and all. The water bender simply snuck up and around from behind the tree, peeking at the peaceful dragon moose. He grinned.

“Is that real, man? You don’t see plenty of those around.” He said in such a forward manner. Hopefully this guy wasn’t a drag and could handle a little small talk.

[Lao Shen]

Lao had closed his eyes, subconsciously petting his dragon moose companion. He was coming out of his slight trance, feeling like he should be doing something more productive when he heard a voice. He turned to look over his shoulder at the figure that approached Blaze. Lao looked the boy over, his golden amber eyes taking each detail of the boy's appearance in and sketching it in the back of his mind. In kind, the dragon moose raised its head, almost in complete sync with Lao. The creature rose to its hooves, standing tall and strong. The creature had a regal air about it, clearly a breed crossed with a dragon.

Lao smiled at his companion and stood as well. He turned so that he was facing Blaze, his side facing the boy who asked if the creature was real or not. He nodded to the boy lightly, his smile not fading as he pet the dragon moose. "Yes he is. He's a magnificent sight.. don't you think?" His words were directed to the boy, but his gaze never left the dragon moose.

Lao wasn't a very talkative person, but something about this subject drew his social side out. He admired his copmanion, it was true. There weren't many people that he was very close to, two approximately. One was the very beast that he used as transportation at certain times, but mostly just someone to hang out with and take walks with. Most people that didn't know Lao, which was a lot of people, found his close relationship with a 'beast of burden' weird.

[Tahlae Zou]

The city. So many memories of home, of confinement, of misery. She'd arrived in the Republic City almost a month ago, but she hadn't explored much. In fact, much of the time she'd been in the city she had been trying to figure out where everything was, and what the best route was to get what she needed and be on her way.

Today though, she just wanted a break. She wanted to relax and avoid the busy streets. Tahlae made her way to the park, wearing a black and red dress**, covered with a black hooded cape. The hood of said cape was up, covering her pale hair and her fair features with a shroud of shadow.

At her side walked Sharae, her dravine. The creature moved with the regal bearing of an exotic breed, and her golden wings were folded against her sides. She was still relatively young, not yet fully grown, but she was still a large creature. Large enough that Tahlae could call her a mount at least.

As the pair strolled through the park, Sharae's interest fell on a dragon moose who had just lifted itself off the ground at the approach of a boy. The dravine trilled softly and nudged Tahlae, forcing her owner's attention to the boys, before moving close enough to observe easily and settling her powerful body to the ground, forepaws folded over one another.

Tahlae rolled her eyes, but followed her companion, wondering what could have interested the dravine so about the two humans and the animal. This wasn't what she had in mind when she'd set out this morning for a relaxing day. She wasn't big on socialization, and if anything she shied away from new people. Yet here her faithful companion was making that very difficult... She stood beside her prone dravine and crossed her arms beneath her cloak, a flash of her pale skin showing for a moment before it was covered in dark fabric once more. "What are we doing here, Sharae?" She spoke to the dravine in a low tone, and the creature simple tilted it's head without looking away from the three, and offered a grunt in response. Yeah... Like that really solved anything. Shaking her head, Tahlae reached down and placed a slender hand on Sharae's head, and waited to see what had so interested her friend.




**Dress she's wearing in ref pics**
OOC: Did not realize I was rusty. o.o I suppose I deserve it for not really RPing through finals and the couple of weeks before. Sorry about that, I'll loosen up quickly though.

[Skamar Zapa]

Both fleet of foot and fleet of mind, Skamar gave the distinctive beast its due then switched his focus to its human escort. Even the owner was matchless in sight! Dreadlocks that go all swoosh were confined in this little ponytail arrangement. This fella’s clothing didn’t quite match up being all reserved and business casual. The bender couldn’t quite guess from which lands were this stranger’s origins. He supposed it didn’t matter. Skamar was content in knowing that another person appreciated a tranquil space. Ready to kneel and greet the moose, the Southern tribesman watched as creature rose all prideful and whatnot. He simply bent his knees and offered a hand for the creature to memorize his scent. The boy was almost taken aback at the man’s ascent. The guy simply kept rising! He was nearly a foot taller than the boy; it was amusing.

“Totally, guy. Does he have a name? Matter o’ fact, do you?” He enhanced his questions with a little finger-pointing, first to Blaze and then Lao. Skamar couldn’t help but find the whole scenario a tad endearing. People typically brought their ferrets and dogs along for nature walks. This guy brought his pack animal. There was again no complaint; nothing like seeing uniqueness on a normal day. A bit more random was headed his way, sooner than he thought. In his periphery, he caught sight of another hybrid creature perhaps even more fascinating. Skamar awhh’d at how the dravine joined in on the conversation. He was prepared to pet the chimera but noticed its owner in pursuit. The woman arrived next to her familiar, looking closer to his age than the other man. The water bender figured the way to a stranger’s heart is through their pet. This other mister was grade-A example of that.

“Looks like I’m a super unique animal magnet, eh? What’s got you two out and about?” Skamar said, keeping a steady focus on the winged beast. Something within him gave away this one’s gender. The boy couldn’t help but grin at the random insight. “What’s her name?”

[Lao Shen]

Lao looked to the younger man with a raised eyebrow. He watched as the awe and intrigue radiated from the young man. Lao couldn't help but chuckle to himself, hearing the enthusiasm in the younger man's voice. The firebender looked from the boy to his companion, removing his hand finally. He noted Blaze lower his head and push his snout into the boy's palm, taking in the boy's scent but also lifting its head in disappointment. Blaze was hoping for food as he was accustomed to Lao doing when he held his hand out in such a way.

"His name is Blaze. I am Lao Shen. You are?" His voice was low and soft at the moment. It was soothing for most ears and especially for Blaze. Lao put his left hand in his pocket and stretched his right hand out towards the boy for a friendly hand shake. It was a greeting that Lao had gotten used to in the city. Back home, he was used to bowing to people he didn't know and hugging his family members. Those greetings were often followed by awkward moments in this city, so he opted for a more accepted greeting.

Lao turned his head towards an approaching hooded figure and its companion as the boy brought attention to them. He pulled his hand back and put it in his pocket, his eyes going to the dravine that rested and watched the three. He blinked a bit in confusion, staring blankly at the creature and his gaze went to the hooded figure next to it. He eyed the figure for a moment, trying to decipher the person underneath. After a moment he stopped trying but figured that the person had either been from the fire nation or visited there. Simply from her companion. The creature didn't seem familiar to him, but had dragon-like characteristics.

Blaze turned so that he was facing the approaching two and just looked on. He was a prideful creature, despite his role as a beast of burden, Blaze had a tendency to hold itself in a regal manner. Lao chuckled as he put his hand back into the thick mane of the creature. A soft breeze blowing by, causing Lao's 'bangs' to move to one side. His red tipped dreads were mostly behind him in a ponytail, but there were a few that hung out in front of his face, intentionally. The tall firebender nodded towards the new couple, guessing that if he didn't get a response that the intrigued young man would.

[Tahlae Zou]

It seemed that Sharae had planted them close enough to draw their attention. One of the boys was addressing them, and Tahlae could feel her stomach turn. The second male, someone from the Fire Nation at least, nodded in her direction. He was handsome, but she wasn't really looking at that. She was more focused on figuring out if it was wise for her to join in conversation, or if it would be better to just walk away now.

Sharae's wing extended, bumping against Tahlae. The girl rolled her eyes in the shadows of her hood and sighed before letting her features smooth out to an even, expressionless mask. Her hand lifted from Sharae's skull to her hood and the fabric was pushed back, revealing her snowy hair, pale skin, and frosty blue eyes. As well as her young, strangely innocent, appearance. She gave a small nod in response to the Fire Nation, and her eyes turned to the other boy asked after her pet's name.

The corner of her lip twitched in the slightest hint of a smile as Sharae stretched out her neck to sniff at the boy. "Sharae. Despite what she may think, I do not know if I would call her a 'super unique' animal. Her kind is growing in popularity where we were born." Her voice was tranquil and controlled, the sort of thing one would expect out of a person who had been trained how to speak, who had been trained to do many a thing in regards to socialization and mannerisms. As much as she had hated her life and the strict control exerted on her, she still couldn't shake certain parts of it.

She brought her hands together in the style common of her home and tilted her upper body in a small bow, before she spoke again. "I am Tahlae."

[Lao Shen]

Lao watched the woman bow and his eyebrow raised in curiosity. The firebender turned towards the woman and her dravine. He put his fist into the palm of his hand and returned the bow, making sure to bow at the same height that she did. He didn't want to be disrespectable to the woman, especially since they just met. Blaze was almost on the same book as Lao, seeing as how the Dragon Moose lowered its head at the same time Lao bowed and raised its head in unison with Lao returning to his full height.

The fire bender scanned the woman's face as she put her hood down before settling on her eyes. Blue... interesting. Lao thought to himself as he looked from her eyes to the dravine. When the woman spoke about the creature and described it a bit. Lao walked a bit closer to them and he looked down at Sharae. He smiled softly at the creature as Blaze was right next to him, lowering his head as though to look at Sharae.

Lao looked back to the woman after he seemed to greet the dravine. "Its nice to meet you Tahlae. I am Lao Shen." He smiled to the woman as well and put his hands in his pockets. The fire bender's red tips hung in front of his eyes, making most of his sight being the hair from his own head. He thought about what she said about Sharae being fairly common now where she came from. He didn't remember seeing any other of the creatures before so he had to wonder, "Where are you from, Tahlae? I haven't seen a dravine before."

[Tahlae Zou]

She found a sense of relief that her bow was returned. She had met a very small number of people in this city, and when she had greeted them as she was accustomed to they often looked at her strangely and moved on. So far as she knew, she was only being polite, but apparently bowing was rude to some. That, or perhaps she was simply undesirable company. Either way it meant nothing. If people wanted to shy away, that was their right.

This boy didn't though. He responded in kind, and even his beast did the same. Peculiar, but she felt oddly honored by this. A smile curled her lips upwards, and she found herself immediately intrigued by the pair.

However, asking where they came from shut down that moment of curiosity and threw up a wall of caution. She was, in all rights, a fugitive. She'd run away from home and given no word of where she was going, or if she was safe. "We... We come from the Fire Nation. On the outskirts of a little island that no one really cares about." A lie, but she couldn't very well divulge her life story to a stranger.

Sharae did not seem to share the same hesitation about the two males. She instead curiously sniffed at the other animal, her tail lightly shifting over the ground. It was interesting to see a creature which shared some of her heritage, and which wasn't one of her own kind. She had never seen one of these beasts before.

Tahlae fought the urge to chew her lower lip in thought, and maintained her composure as she let her frosty eyes skim him over m ore closely now. He was attractive, though not in the same way she had become familiar with. She had seen her fair share of sons from wealthy families paraded before her. Most of them were well-groomed. Their hair was pulled back into severe buns, their faces stoic and empty, their clothing immaculate, tailored to fit them perfectly down to the very last thread. She had never been particularly fond of them. That, of course, was neither here nor there.

More important was the now, and what she was going to do if he pried any further for details. She was pretty sure already her lie was painfully transparent, and if he called her out on it... Well frankly she had no idea what she would do.

[Lao Shen]

There was a slight hesitation to her answer. Lao picked up on it, being accustomed to give people his undivided attention. He tried not to show it, but his left eyebrow raised, showing his intrigue a bit. Normally someone would question the hesitation, thinking it was either a lie or there was something deeper to what the other person said. Lao, however, tried to ignore it. He knew that each person has his or her own secrets and he didn't see the need to pry into her's. After all, they had only just met. If they continued to speak and perhaps met again, then maybe he would ask.

In the meantime, Lao gave the woman a smile, choosing to believe that the two were from the Fire Nation. It made him feel as though he was in good company. He had yet to meet someone from the Fire Nation who was close to his age. If he did, they were only visiting and were going to head back to their homeland before he could really establish a connection with them. He hoped that this wouldn't be the case here and figured that he might as well get to know Tahlae and Sharae while he could. "Oh really? That's great to hear. I'm from the Fire Nation as well, a small rural area. It's nice to meet someone else from home, you know?" He gave the woman a smile as his attention went back to the dravine.

Lao would occasionally glance at the woman, noting each detail of her appearance. "How long have you two been together?" He asked as he lowered himself into a squating position. He rested his forearms on his legs as he kept his balance mostly on the balls of his feet. He debated whether to pet the creature, not sure how Sharae would react to a foreign human's touch. He was amused at how she interacted with Blaze however.

The dragon moose looked as though he was making a close connection. The "beast of burden" from the Fire Nation nudged the dravine slightly with its snout. He lowered his body completely and laid on the ground in front of the creature. Lao couldn't help but chuckle at how close Blaze was getting. Blaze was usually more conserved than Lao was when it came to meeting new people. I guess the rules don't apply to other animals. He thought to himself.