[Lijuan] Dancing in the Sunset

[Chiru Miki]

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[atrb=style,text-align: justify; padding-bottom: 20px][style=background: #8a96a4; margin-top: 50px; color: e9dbc8; font: 11px Tahoma;]I AM NOT A PRETTY GIRL, THAT IS NOT WHAT I DO[/style][style=background: #b2a0aa; color: e9dbc8; font: 9px Tahoma; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]I AM NOT A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS AND I DON'T NEED TO BE RESCUED[/style][style=background: #a5b2c2; color: e9dbc8; font: 9px Tahoma; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]ISN'T THERE A KITTEN STUCK UP A TREE SOMEWHERE?[/style][style=padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px; font: 11px/15px Tahoma; border-left: 3px solid #8a96a4; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4; border-bottom: 1px solid #8a96a4; background: url(http://i52.tinypic.com/2m2w3t1.png); color: 697886;]Chiru was sitting on a bench in the middle of Central City Station. Although the transportation services had diminished significantly with the invention of the Satomobile, there was still a small amount of public transportation available for cheap prices. Rather than hitch a ride or take an expensive taxi, she had taken a bus to and from the City Hall. The Station was closer to where she lived, and the earthbender found it much more convenient than walking all over the city. She was waiting for Lijuan. It was nearly twilight, and they would walk to work together. Even though the male dancer was her best friend, Chiru still hadn't told him why she was visiting City Hall. She had been looking up records on her father, Narye Miki. At least, that's what she thought his name was. She knew it was Nayre, but something about the name Miki was a little off. But whatever that other name had been, she couldn't remember what it was to save her life. Her father should technically have the same name as her, but she was never referred to by her last name until she had reached the Huan Zhi. There were two or the Nayres, with all different last names. She considered tracking them all down. She wanted to hear what her father had to say about abandoning her and her mother. The pretty girl took a compact mirror out of her purse, vainly fluffing her hair and reapplying her bright red lipstick. A few boys, a few years older but much less mature, ogled at her. She was self-conscious about her lack of breasts, but the her overall appearance made up for her flat chest. The earthbender glared heatedly at the boys, who would grin, shake their heads, and laugh with their friends. Sometimes, she wanted to kill them all. Lijuan, not greatly interested in girls in a sexual way and incredibly respectful to her, had earned Chiru's trust almost immediately - a real feat, as far as she was concerned. He was kind and charming, and she really felt like their personalities reflected, at some level. They had both had a loss close to their hearts, and they both loved to perform. It was a friendship destined to be. She placed her small mirror back in her bag and flipped her hair, gazing around impatiently.[/style][style=background: #8a96a4; color: e9dbc8; font: 11px Tahoma; border-left: 3px solid #8a96a4; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]♣ tagged Lijuan ♣ word count 395 ♣ notes Haha, half asleep. Whatever. ♣ ♣ credits template by jawn of AA, OTE, DMB and TC ♣[/style]

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[Lijuan Qi]

Although Lijuan had the option to be a diva and arrive late to his little rendezvous with his friend, he steered away from that. It just wasn't his style. Chiru knew better than anyone that he was never too early and never too late. He somehow always managed to arrive just minutes before the time they met nearly every night. While he wasn't extremely fond of buses, he agreed they were more efficient than walking around all over Republic City. Can't arrive to /their/ job looking like they had signed themselves up for a triathlon. They had to look stunning for everyone, and their managers were very strict about that.

So, it was only natural that Lijuan arrive in one of his best kimonos. It was a traditional deep purple kimono with various floral prints, worn with a white obi. Although sometimes he would forget, the kimono didn’t belong to him. Only little more than a year ago, a beautiful woman danced in the same clothes, opening and closing her fans. Now it was some sort of ironic charade, as the same dance was performed by her brother. Lijuan sighed softly as he reminisced, his eyes almost seeming to become much colder than he would ever show normally in public. He had to catch himself all of a sudden as he realized that his eyes were cast to the ground and not the path ahead of him. He had run into someone, slowed the perfect heartbeat of Republic City pedestrian traffic. People scowled. Somewhere he could hear, “’Ey, lady! Watch where you’re going, yea?!” An ironic charade. He wondered briefly what the next act in his life would be. He wiggled his nose in distaste at a wry thought… Maybe it would be a comedy and not a tragedy this time around.

But a performer must be all smiles. When Lijuan finally caught up to where Chiru was sitting, he approached her with his typical grace and charm. “I made you wait again, didn’t I, princess? I’m so sorry. I hope you will forgive me this time around.” He giggled, overly feminine and sweet. The laugh he used with patrons. Chiru knew this charade. It was their inside joke...just like their shared pasts. She knew Lijuan better than anyone. And if there was anything that was true…

Neither of them were exactly sunshine and flowers, now were they?

[Chiru Miki]

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[atrb=style,text-align: justify; padding-bottom: 20px][style=background: #8a96a4; margin-top: 50px; color: e9dbc8; font: 11px Tahoma;]I AM NOT A PRETTY GIRL, THAT IS NOT WHAT I DO[/style][style=background: #b2a0aa; color: e9dbc8; font: 9px Tahoma; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]I AM NOT A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS AND I DON'T NEED TO BE RESCUED[/style][style=background: #a5b2c2; color: e9dbc8; font: 9px Tahoma; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]ISN'T THERE A KITTEN STUCK UP A TREE SOMEWHERE?[/style][style=padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px; font: 11px/15px Tahoma; border-left: 3px solid #8a96a4; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4; border-bottom: 1px solid #8a96a4; background: url(http://i52.tinypic.com/2m2w3t1.png); color: 697886;] I made you wait again, didn’t I, princess? I’m so sorry. I hope you will forgive me this time around. Lijuan approached her with his typical grace and charm, giggling that feminine laugh, even though he had that unmistakable trace of man in his voice. She instantly caught on to him, and stood, her pink kimono whirling around her. The two of them matched, the colors of the purple and pink completely complementary, and the flower patterns nearly identical. The white obis only made them look more alike, and if someone might have passed by, they might have looked like sisters. While neither of them were in full makeup yet, it was better than sweating off the thick face paint, particularly in this warm summer weather. At least at work, they had fans and ventilation and the nighttime to cool them off. Chiru gave her best friend a light kiss on the cheek. "Of course I can always forgive you, darling," she said in her sappiest, most sexy voice, taking his hand and entwining her fingers in his. She gave him a wink, her bright green eyes sparkling. The girl loved to confused people, and certainly there were heads turning at the two females who seemed to be much closer, much longer than normal or necessary. As always, Lijuan smelled nice, almost feminine. She smiled a bit, as the scent was familiar. The earthbender knew that her dearest friend almost always put on a front for others. He was four years senior to her, but she understood him implicitly. All those lessons she had sat through, learning how to listen to others, how to be mature around men - they had paid off in a different way than the teachers had intended. Lijuan had caught her attention only a few days after she had arrived in Republic City. The streets were hauntingly familiar, the atmosphere homelike - but three years underground did some things to you, and she had never felt more alone. Chiru had become afraid of large, open spaces - agoraphobia. She had seen Lijuan, and sensed a kindred spirit in him. After approaching him and speaking about their interests for a bit, the two had taken to each other, and before she knew it, she had landed a dancing job with her new best friend. The boy was a lot nicer than any girl in the Huan Zhi, and with their similar pasts it was no surprise that they were soon inseparable. They knew nearly everything about each other - a surprising aspect, considering how much there was to know. Finally stepping away from him, the pretty girl still held her friend's hand. "Shall we take the bus, or walk today?" Chiru asked casually, making big showy movements with her skinny arms. [/style][style=background: #8a96a4; color: e9dbc8; font: 11px Tahoma; border-left: 3px solid #8a96a4; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]♣ tagged Lijuan ♣ word count 463 ♣ notes Oh my gosh ♣ ♣ credits template by jawn of AA, OTE, DMB and TC ♣[/style]

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[Lijuan Qi]

It was typical. They might as well be telepathic. Neither of them had contacted the other in terms of what they were wearing, and somehow, here they were in complementary colors… This was the kind of relationship they had since Day One. When Chiru reached up to kiss him, Lijuan could not help but blush at the little symbol of affection. He replied in a mixed tone of joking and serious, just above a whisper, “What would I do without you? I am so blessed to know you." Li immediately chuckled afterwards, both in response to Chiru’s own acting and perhaps to erase any chance of the mood becoming too dour. He realized he was slipping too much today already, but he would not break just yet. It was too early for seriousness, anyway, as far as he was concerned.

That’s why the dancer was grateful for Chiru when she connected their hands. It turned his focus entirely away from his own thoughts. Together they stood, flowery scents intermingling, creating that perfect purple and pink contrast... Two perfect subjects of that wanted, “ideal” concept of feminine crafted by society. Though for all it mattered, it was a trick, their biggest inside joke yet. And then came the trolling. Lijuan indulged in one rich glance about the crowd as he closed the distance between them, and his eyes just twinkled with mischief. He was grinning from ear to ear by the time he got a good look at the people around them. In fact, he had to stop himself from guffawing all over the place and ruining his elegant image right there. Chiru shared Lijuan’s humor style too it seemed, and the both of them knew there was nothing better than playing pranks on a whole gaggle of benders and non-benders. Indeed, “an implicit understanding” was closer to the truth than any other description.

To Lijuan, Chiru was many things. Not being an exceptionally spiritual person originally, Chiru proved to him that people do meet for a reason, and that maybe, just maybe, there is such a thing as Fate. When he had met Chiru, just as he had chosen to restructure the identity that used to be “Lijuan,” his life was a mess, and she had just become part of the most unique, international city ever. Fortunately, the place where they both worked at had a vacancy at the time, and from then on, they became probably the most popular duo there. Numerous anonymous admirer letters, often addressed to both, were a bit confusing and awkward to deal with, along with those days that patrons figure out that some secrets are best left untouched. And in many ways, Chiru was both friend and surrogate little sister. It was clear to anyone who knew them that she had a very special place in his heart, and she came at just the right time in his life.

Lijuan, however, couldn’t help but raise a brow at his darling friend. His reached forward to teasingly pinch her shoulder. "You are being such a tease. Look at how you got the crowd all riled up. Now, you're saying that you brought me here ALL the way to the bus station, and you’re suggesting a walk? Come on, Chiru! We’re taking the bus, and you know it. And if you argue, seniority rules." He ahems, before adding, "We might be late if we walk. " After this little spiel, he snorted, crossing his arms to add to his pretenses of dramatic indignation. [/size]

[Chiru Miki]

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[atrb=style,text-align: justify; padding-bottom: 20px][style=background: #8a96a4; margin-top: 50px; color: e9dbc8; font: 11px Tahoma;]I AM NOT A PRETTY GIRL, THAT IS NOT WHAT I DO[/style][style=background: #b2a0aa; color: e9dbc8; font: 9px Tahoma; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]I AM NOT A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS AND I DON'T NEED TO BE RESCUED[/style][style=background: #a5b2c2; color: e9dbc8; font: 9px Tahoma; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]ISN'T THERE A KITTEN STUCK UP A TREE SOMEWHERE?[/style][style=padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px; font: 11px/15px Tahoma; border-left: 3px solid #8a96a4; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4; border-bottom: 1px solid #8a96a4; background: url(http://i52.tinypic.com/2m2w3t1.png); color: 697886;] Lijuan seemed to be a little more nostalgic and upset than normal, and as always Chiru was more than happy than to give her best friend a little bit of a boost. It was always nice seeing him laugh. It was hard to get a smile out of him at first, but as they became closer she could make him smile almost effortlessly. And he was likewise with her - hardened by ways of the Huan Zhi, she often didn't care for or about men. Lijuan, however, was the one exception. She understood that his femininity likely contributed to her trust of him. They were the perfect duo, like yin and yang, and they were often referred to as sisters. The earthbender understood her companion's reasons for dancing, anyway - and she agreed with it. She only danced because she loved to entertain, and she thought that Lijuan's nostalgic, if bittersweet, reasons had a touch of romanticism to them. You are being such a tease. Look at how you got the crowd all riled up. Now, you're saying that you brought me here ALL the way to the bus station, and you’re suggesting a walk? Come on, Chiru! We’re taking the bus, and you know it. And if you argue, seniority rules. He made a short ahem as she opened her mouth to speak. We might be late if we walk. Chiru scowled a little. After sitting on a bus for an unnecessary amount of time all day, she didn't want to continue anymore. However, at this time of the evening it was well-known that many buses led straight to the area where they worked, rather than stopping here, there, and everywhere before arriving at City Hall. A bus would be simple, quick, and painless, and they wouldn't break a sweat getting on it, either. The young woman smiled ever so slightly, shaking her head, her dark hair bouncing a bit. "Whatever you say, oh great Lijuan," she said with a slight bow and incline of her head to mimic royal respect. Chiru giggled, turning her head and looking for the bus that would take them to their destination. [/style][style=background: #8a96a4; color: e9dbc8; font: 11px Tahoma; border-left: 3px solid #8a96a4; border-right: 1px solid #8a96a4;]♣ tagged Lijuan ;D ♣ word count 360 ♣ notes asdfasdf ♣ ♣ credits template by jawn of AA, OTE, DMB and TC ♣[/style]

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