[Finished] Class in the Park

[Narye Matsuya]

"Without history we are both trapped and lost. Trapped with the decisions of those who came before us, and lost without their expectations and the desire to be more than they were."

A bright sunny day in Republic City seemed like such a poor day to spend inside a classroom, even if that was where all the desks and chairs were located. Besides, the warm radiance of the all-giving sun reminded Narye of his days on the farm, and the rivers from the park reminded him of... sleepy days by the river. So with the last class of the day, Narye decided to hold it outside on the grass beside one of the sparkling streams that ran through Republic City Park. Right now, Narye was wrapping up his history lesson with, what else, a speech about how important history was to them. Even Narye could tell that kids were not exactly picking up on what he was trying to tell them.

"Look, kids, I know you're not exactly... believing what I'm saying right now, but it's all pretty much one of life's great truths. Right now it doesn't seem like it, but in a few years it'll make sense."

A few of the kids were rolling their eyes at their teacher while most of the others were starting to get up and brush themselves off. Even without a clock on the wall, they could tell what time it was, and it was just about time for them to head on home. Narye could not blame them. They were kids after all. Closing his book with one hand, Narye paused for a moment to let the kids squirm in anticipation before he let them go.

"Aaaaannnd... Might as well call it a day. Class dismissed."

He waved his students away and they all happily jumped up and started saying their goodbyes or chatting with their buddies. Seeing their bright and smiling faces in the sunlight lifted his heart and made him forgive them for nearly ignoring the last part of his lesson.

While he looked over the water to the cityscape beyond, one of the girls in his class, no more than thirteen years old, hesitantly approached him from behind. For a moment, she stopped and turned around, an anxious look on her face, begging the nearby group of girls to make her do this. But like any other group of friends, they quietly urged her to go on, seemingly for their own amusement. Slowly, the lone girl turned around and walked the rest of the way to Narye. She gently tapped him on the arm. The touch distracted him from his viewing and her turned to the girl.

"Hm? Oh, Nessa. Do you have a question?"

Looking down at the girl with a smile, he was met with a pair of sparkling, nervous eyes and blushing cheeks. She was clutching a small scroll of paper that was being crumpled by her shaking grip. He could hear her breathing raggedly and the giggling of her friends.

"Uh... Uh... Take this!"

Nessa thrust the piece of paper into his hand and then ran away at a sprint, past her friends, whom spent a second staring at Narye before chasing after their friend. Looking at the paper in his hand, Narye already knew what it was. He was not an idiot, and none of the girls were being the least bit subtle. Nessa had a crush on him, and this was some kind of confession note. With a sigh, he pushed it into his pocket for the time being. These youthful crushes were cute, but they reminded him too much of the look his missing daughter used to give him.

Now he bummed out... He slapped his face twice.

"Snap out of it! C'mon!"

[Lao Shen]

Lao was starting to enjoy the city. He was getting to know people and was slowly coming out of hsi shell. Back home, he did nothing but tend to his grandfather's fields, went to school -- where no socializing took place on his end -- and came home to work, eat and sleep. It was his scheduled routine for every day back home. He was reluctant to move to the city, but now he was glad. He wasn't stuck in the same routine and he was surprisingly glad.

Today, Lao decided to go for a jog through the park. He was always told that his stamina was important to his bending and his overall lifestyle. Back home, he would race his dragon moose to keep up with his cardio, but here in the city they seem to be a bit strict on the animals that are allowed to run free. He couldn't blame them, Lao has seen some pretty...destructive creatures. From komodo rhinos to rabid tiger dillos, Lao has seen his share of chaos from animals. So today, he was alone. Running through the park and listening to all the sounds that he could.

The firebender wore unusual attire, at least it was for him, that allowed him to move freely. He was wearing a pair of dark burgandy shorts that hung barely an inch over his knees and a sleeveless white shirt. His red tipped dreadlocks were allowed to hang free today, swishing violently as he jogged. Lao continued down his path until he saw a bunch of kids leaving one spot. He decided to take advantage of this moment and stopped, taking a quick breather. I wonder what they were all doing here. He thought to himself. Lao continued to watch the departing children and traced their previous location. He saw a man standing there and his eyes raised. Are all of them his?! No.. that can't be.. I must be really tired.

Lao walked over to the man as casually as he could. His brow was covered with sweat. All the thick hair atop his head added heat to his body and caused him to sweat more than usual. He pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped his brow as he got closer to the man. He stopped when he knew he was within earshot and decided not to invade the other's personal space too much. "Hey.. are all these kids yours?" He was still breathing heavily. He was a bit ashamed that he hadn't caught his breath completely yet. I've been slacking too much.

[Narye Matsuya]

It seemed that he was able to push back the wave of depression that had been threatening to overtake him after those few self-inflicted slaps to his own face, although it did leave his cheeks stinging a little bit. The slight redness and pain was a small price for not letting old wounds fester. All he really needed now maybe was some alone time in the sunlight and a piping-hot baked pick-me-up from a favorite snack cart he found himself frequenting now. It would seem, however, that the second option would have to wait for the time being when Narye heard a new voice talking to him.

Looking toward the source, there stood a tall young man adorned with distinctive dreadlocks with red highlights. Narye immediate reaction was to assume that the young man was a Fire Bender, judging by how much red seemed to be a part of his wardrobe. The next thought was to not assume such things, at least not in Republic City. Maybe if he was elsewhere, that assertion would be more appropriate.

The question he posed took a moment to sink in for Narye, but it clicked a moment later. The young man was treated to a smile as Narye gathered up his bag of teaching materials, and approached the man.

“They’re my students, if that’s what you’re asking.”

It was good to talk with someone, someone who was not a child, even if it was just some small talk.

“You didn’t really think that I sired all those kids, did you?”

As… "flattering" as that was, Narye could not imagine even possibly… doing that. He had seen large families with many children before, and it always boggled his mind at how the parents could manage to keep up with their many children. Not to mention that all his students were young teens, so there was another layer of difficulty to deal with. The thought made him shudder.

[Lao Shen]

Lao chuckled a bit at the answer. The thought of one man having so many children seemed like a daunting task. However, the possibility of such a thing happening did not leave his head. He heard one group of men talking about such a thing before. The main one that carried the conversation seemed as though he was pretty active when it came to the opposite sex and his friends believed that he would have a child in each nation. Lao laughed the day that he heard the conversation and everytime he thinks about it, still brings a chuckle to him. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but I wouldn't be surprised either. There are some in this world that has goals like that."

The younger man ran his hands over his hair, gathering as many of the thick strands of hair that he could. He gathered them behind his head and used a trick he learned while working to tie them back into a ponytail, using his hair to do so. He winced slightly as her felt an un extra tug on his roots. The strain wasn't enough to pull his hair out, far from it. "So they're your students.." His voice trailed off as he eyed the man's teaching supplies. He admired those who decided to teach others, it seemed like an underrated, yet noble choice of profession.

Without thinking, Lao put his hands out in front of him, his left hand into a fist and his right hand straight. He pushed his fist into the palm of his right hand and bowed slightly to the man in front of him. "Its an honor to meet you. I'm known as Lao Shen." As Lao stood up, he realized that he sounded a lot more formal than he intended to. Oh well.. too late to take it back now. He thought to himself.

As he regained his posture, Lao put his hands in his pockets. He noticed that the man's cheeks had a bit of a reddish tint to them... in the shape of a handprint. He blinked one or twice in confusion. He was trying to figure out who would have left those imprints, everyone that he had seen walk by were young and probably too timid to get their hands that close to the man's face. Not to mention that by being his students, they would respect him too much to do such a thing. The firebender dismissed such thoughts from his head and decided to try and change the subject in his mind, as well as between the two. "Do you teach a specified class, or just general education to the children?"

[Narye Matsuya]

Watching Lao mess with his hair made Narye thing about his own hair situation for a moment. There was a significant different between the length and styles the two men preferred their hair, but they both had “long” hair. He found himself wondering what it would be like to have that much hair, and in such an ostentatious style. Just watching him tie it all back with a strand (rope?) of the hair itself made the school teacher wonder if he could do that too. Fingering a length of his hair that had fallen forward on his face, Narye concluded that there was no way he could pull off such a feat without several months of hair growth. The moment passed and Narye was back in the conversation.

“Yup. My students. They’re a bit rowdy and unkempt, but I love them all the same.”

Lao’s choice of formal greeting was something Narye had encountered before, albeit not very often. Still, it was something he was not entirely used to despite the best efforts of his rich city in-laws to pound manners into him. It just always felt like the bowing person was trying to headbutt him or something. Narye was certain that he was the only one who felt like that.

“Uh… The… Honor is mine, Lao. I’m Narye Matsuya.”

He had no real idea on what he was supposed to say in return, so he just said whatever seemed the most polite. Narye could not exactly do that hand-fist thing because he was holding his bag, but he still bowed a little since it just seemed appropriate.

The next question posed by Lao perked up his spirits. It was always good to see that a young person, take interest in education and the people who teach. Maybe it was ego thing, but Narye took what he could get.

“I mostly teach history, but whenever the kids have questions, I try to answer them… Though at this age, these kids are asking really personal questions and it gets awkward sometimes. Do you know what I mean?”

[Lao Shen]

Lao could tell his formality caused a bit of unease on the other man's part. He thought to apologize for causing such an awkward moment, but he resolved not to. No shame in being who you are right? The firebender watched the older man bow back to him. It made him feel a little better when he did though. When he first came to Republic City, he would get quite a few weird looks for bowing to someone in greeting. Here, Lao was just another man on the street. Why should someone return a bow to him?

As the man spoke, Lao gave him his complete attention. Really personal questions huh? He thought to himself. Had anyone asked him personal questions since he's been here? No. Noone would keep a conversation long with him, after they found out he was a firebender. Especially people who were old enough to remember the Great War or those who were in those few awkward years after it. "No, I can't really relate. Noone has ever asked me personal questions before.. I guess that's one downside to having students with a true curious nature."

Lao returned the man's smile with a slight chuckle. He turned his head to look at some of the stragglers. It seemed like a lot of the children decided to stick around the park and play. "History is interesting. I don't know much of it though. What was the last thing you went over with your class?" Lao's grandfather taught him what little he knew about the history that plagued the conscious of the elderly fire benders. Hearing an outside source might help him realize why his people felt so guilty. A lot of the people his age weren't as concerned with it however, which also puzzled him.

[Narye Matsuya]

“Yeah. ‘Curious nature’. That’s a way to put it.”

Truth be told, most of the kids asking personal questions were indeed curious. Curious about the things they probably felt too embarrassed to talk about with anyone else, possibly including their parents. Most of the questions were fairly predictable. What’s going on with my body? What are these new feelings? Where can one purchase such and such item? While Narye found it all incredibly thorny to deal with, as a teacher and trusted authority figure, he was almost obligated to give the best answers that he could. Of course he still told the kids that they really should think about asking these questions to their parents, just to get an alternate answer at least.

Then there were the one or two students who brought up less… savory things. Boys and girls alike have come up to him asking about what this and that were, or how it was done, and Narye refused to answer most of those questions. Hell, he did not even know what some of those things were. He chalked that phenomenon up to generational differences.

All that aside, he did not feel all too surprised that no one had posed any personal questions to Lao. The young man did not seem like the type that was receptive to them, if he could answer them at all.

Following Lao’s gaze, Narye watched his students spend their time outdoors, proud of them nonetheless.

“The last thing I went over? I believe I was wrapping up the Hundred Years War. That’s why I was giving a ‘learning from history’ speech to them. Anything… specific in mind?”

Something about the tone of Lao’s voice and what he said made Narye think that the question about his history lessons carried more weight than initially thought.

[Lao Shen]

Lao's gaze went from the children back to the their teacher. He seemed like an intellectual man. The fact of learning more about the war did intrigue Lao, but he didn't want to disturb anything that the man had planned. Despite that, he couldn't help but ask. "Do you mind telling me a bit more about the causes of the war?" He asked as politely as he could. He looked over and noticed a bench as well and gestured towards it, "Would you like to sit?"

He felt awkward. Who wouldn't? Going up to some random man to ask about the war. It was ridiculous! The firebender's amber eyes looked to the man, seeking a bit more insight and wisdom. Why am I so interested in this..? He thought to himself as he kept his left hand in his pocket, his right lowering to his side after suggesting them taking a seat.

((sorry for the shorter post))

[Narye Matsuya]

Lao's request for a brief history lesson surprised Narye. Not just because the young man was asking for the lesson in the first place, but because of the sincerity he said it with: a genuine hunger for knowledge and insight into the matter. This was the kind of person Narye was always looking to teach or give advice to because there was a real chance that the knowledge would influence their lives or ways of thinking. The chance to do so made Narye glow a bit, but also made him think a little harder about the subject since he wanted to deliver a knowledgeable and thorough overview of the subject.

"The cause of the Hundred Years War is surprisingly simple, from a historical stand point at least..."

Narye took his seat next to Lao on the bench.

"All those years ago, the Fire Nation was pretty far ahead of the other nations in terms of technology and industry. A very successful and prosperous nation. At the time Fire Lord Sozin was in power, and his idea was that he should 'share' the fortunes of the Fire Nation with the rest of the world.

In theory, it sounded like a great idea. You know, share riches and resources. But the Avatar at the time, Roku, knew better, and warned against it. Well, after Avatar Roku died, nothing stopped Fire Lord Sozin from 'sharing' the fortunes of the Fire Nation.

As it turned out, 'sharing' was more like 'conquering' and imperialism. Then the comet came and gave the Fire Lord the boost he needed to really get things rolling, starting with the Air Nomads.

And that pretty much sums up how the War started."

Leaning back on the bench, Narye looked up and took a deep breath in. Now that he had said it all, the reason for the War did not seem as simple as he initially made it out to be. But it all pretty much boiled down to Fire Lord Sozin thinking that "sharing" and "empire-building" were the same thing. Not to mention the methods he used to do such a thing.

"Hmm..."

A thought came back to Narye, concerning Lao and his request for the little history lesson.

"If you don't mind me asking, Lao..."

Narye looked back down and gave Lao an inquisitive look of his own.

"Are you from the Fire Nation?"

[Lao Shen]

Lao stood there, his amber eyes boring into the ground. He listened to the teacher give the short lesson on the history of the war. Wow... so we wiped out an entire people.. He thought to himself. He knew that it happened. Always did. His grandfather spared no expense in telling him about the 'conquest.' The problem came from, being a soldier, his grandfather so no remorse during the time. That trickled down into Lao's head when he was told. Sure, his grandfather realized later in his life that it was wrong and didn't want the lesson to play to Lao as it did. A soldier follows orders... no matter what. He thought to himself.

I guess.. he thought to himself, If Lord Sozin just... felt the need to expand I would understand. Fire consumes as well.. Its a living thing. It doesn't want to be contained in a small area.. His mind was racing. The notion of 'sharing' the Nation's wealth and prosperity set with Lao a bit. Only when Narye asked Lao of his origin did he pay attention to anything other than the lesson. "Hm? Yes sir. I am from the fire nation." His voice wasn't as distant as it was before. Most of his question was answered and he looked to the man sitting on the bench, informing him of the past.

"So the Fire Nation massacred the Air Nomads. My grandfather told me why.. precaution of the new Avatar." Lao leaned back against the bench and inhaled deeply. He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. However, as he exhaled, white streams of smoke rushed from his nostrils. "You don't mind giving this extra lesson do you?" He asked, looking over to Narye.