[open] Evening Stroll

[Nao Zhãng]

It was almost dark outside. The sun was slowly sinking down behind the buildings of Republic City. The streets became empty and lights inside the buildings went on. This was the perfect for Nao to have a nice walk with his dog Mai in the park. Nao did not like places that where to crowded and enjoyed the night. When almost no one was outside and Nao could do and go wherever he wanted. He left the house and walked towards the park. Mai happily ran forwards, leading the way. Nao had left his chi-block stuff at home. As he had never needed it when going to the park at night.

Arriving at the park Nao stopped walking for a bit and looked if anything weird was going on. He was actually kind of scared to see something would happen. Without the chi-blocking stuff he did not feel safe. He could protect himself but still. Weird stuff had happened in the past and Nao wanted it to go on peacefully. Mai was running around wile barking. She wanted to play. Nao singed softly saying she had to be quiet. He picked up a stick, trowing it in some direction and started walking again. Mai happily ran after the stick to bring it back to Nao.

Nao trow the stick a few more times until he got tired doing so. Mai still wanted to play but did not have success. So she started to walk around sniffing, trying to find other animals to play with. Nao looked behind him as he had heard a weird sound and knew it was not his dog. He started walking a little faster but still hearing weird noises. Getting irritated he turned around looking what the sound could be. Who could be at the park on a time like this. Maybe it was just some wanderer who was trying to catch fish in the river of the park.

[Tahrro Gao Zhai]

The shadows were dancing across the street at his every move. Tahrro knew he was being followed. The rhythm of his breathing had been on slow rise for some time as he made his way back to his temporary home. The journey required him to pass through the park and the thought sent him rushing for the watery path. Darkness, although not especially beneficial to him, would give him better chances of succeeding in a potential fight, unlike the hampering near blindness caused by the sun during the day. Every muscle in his being ached from the strain of today’s work and his stomach rang with prolonged unsatisfied hunger.

When he made it to the park, he received the distinct impression of having lost his tail. The smell of summer grasses and freeflow water filled his lungs and gave his step new spring. It was enough for him to abandon his suspicion over surroundings for but a moment for the chi blocker to leap at him from behind, poke pressure points on his body in a practiced dance, and knock him on the head when he latently swung around to face them. All the exhaustion of the day had claimed his reflexes and clarity and now he sunk, almost gratefully, into unconsciousness, his body falling limp before a score of bushes.

It didn’t take long for the chi blocker to relieve him of his meager money pouch. He wasn’t making nearly enough for his comfort and was permanently on the lookout for a better paying job, although he overexerting himself by working three already. It had been little over a month since he had arrived in Republic City and he was set on purchasing a permanent dwelling here in the foreseeable future. As he lay there, face first, a spot on his temple swelling from prior impact, his clothes a combination of blue and black, the soft breeze of evening played through his hair. The chi blocker was gone, along with his money.

Right before he had gone unconscious, he could have sworn he could hear a dog not very far away.

[OOC: He’s unconscious, so your character can do whatever applies to him, move him, kick him, try to wake him up or just ignore him etc etc. Hope this works! If you’re displeased with the scenario, let me know and I’ll think about something else. :)]

[Nao Zhãng]

Walking closer to where the sounds came from he saw someone running his way out of the park. What a weirdo he thought before he saw another person. The guy was lying on the ground and seemed unconscious. Nao thought to him self what he was gonna do. Am i gonna let him lay there or am i gonna help him. Slowly stepping closer he tried to see the persons face. "hello? are you alright?" he said but got no response. Pushing the person with his feet in hit stomach he hoped it would work to wake him. Still no response. Nao let out a small sign and sunk close to the ground, thinking of a way to wake this guy up. Since the unknown guy was facing the ground with his face Nao pushed him a little so he would be lying on his back now.

He wondered what happens and why someone was running away from here. Maybe they had a fight or something. Mai finally joined Nao as she was wondering why her friend had stopped walking. She ran close to where Nao was sitting and sniffed the guy who was lying on the ground. She licked his face for a little before she got bored and lazily lay next to the unconscious guy. Nao smiled a little at seeing his dog trying to help and sat down on the ground. He did not really know what to do to help this guy so he thought is would be best to just wait for him to wake up.

This night was becoming interesting. Even though Nao had hoped nothing strange happened this night. It did and Nao did not really mind at all. Hopefully it was not a bender or if it was it hopefully was a nice one. For now it didn't matter since it was just a person needing help.

[Tahrro Gao Zhai]

When Tahrro’s eyes cracked open the first thing he became aware of was the throbbing pain in his bruised and swollen temple. Night had fallen and the smell of dog was thick in the air, which was no wonder, seeing as one was right in front of him. There was also someone, the owner, if he had to guess. How long had he been out? “What happened?” he asked without thinking and drove an elbow into the ground to prop himself up and eventually achieve a sitting position. His mind reeled back, trying to remember the events that led up to this moment and the realization came crashing down. The shadow had deceived him successfully.

A hand reached for his pocket, where he kept his yuan pouch, and found it predictably absent. With a sigh and a pained groan, he pushed himself up from the ground and to his full height. A hand cradled the side of his head. “Who are you? Did you see anything? How long have you been standing there?” It was an avalanche of questions and Tahrro realized how impolite he sounded. Having just been knocked out and robbed, the thought didn’t press him with enough urgency. A whole month’s worth of earnings was lost, as if he didn’t have a hard time paying his expenses already.

“I’m sorry, I’m not in the best of moods,” he offered and took a few steps towards the river, his feet half dragging him along. The blow to the head really made him feel unbalanced, but he paid the sensation no heed. With a joined gesture of his arms, he scooped up a globe of water from the river, turned it to ice and pressed it to his temple, exhaling as the coolness of it helped ease the pain from the blow. Slowly, he turned back to his company. Republic city seemed to be brimful of trouble and headaches to offer him. For all he knew, the person in front of him could even be the culprit, lingering to satisfy his sick game of conversing with the victim after a successful attack.

Then he looked down at the dog. His hazy mind remembered hearing a dog before the world blackened. Tahrro really had to find a solution to protect himself better from assault.

[Nao Zhãng]

When the eyes of the unconscious guy went open Nao stood up from the ground. Watching every move he made. A lot of questions where asked and Nao did not really know where to begin. Then he apologist for being in a bad mood. "uh.. i don't know what happened... you where lying here on the ground when i came" nao answered the question en kept quiet for a bit before telling more. "but i saw someone running away from here". Mai had already stand up when the guy awoke. She was quietly watching the two.

Then Nao saw something he had hoped for not to happen. Water was bend up and changed into ice. Mai began to bark since she had learned bending was a bad thing. Nao got a feeling of not wanting to be at the pace where he was now. Why did he wait for him to wake up again? Benders always seemed so strong, they could easily take care of them self. A hint of anger mixed with fear was seen on his face. "your a water bender?...." he asked in his normal tone. Mai stopped barking but kept growling a little.

[Tahrro Gao Zhai]

Tahrro was about to ask for details concerning the person his company had seen rush past when the dog started barking at him. The waterbender drew back a couple of steps, his legs instinctively spreading in a defensive position, the shard of ice in his hand suddenly a potential weapon. “Hey. Take it easy,” he said neutrally, his eyes darting from dog to owner and back. Tahrro didn’t like the look he was receiving. It was the look of a man who accused him of something for no reason he could guess before the question was asked.

So it was like that. The other was clearly not at ease around benders, but how far did his feelings go? Tahrro had heard rumors of a potential anti-bender subculture developing in Republic City but this was the first time he encountered someone whose attitude changed so brusquely. The dog kept up a hesitant growl that Tahrro judged no less intimidating than the barking. Whatever this guy had against benders, he didn’t want any trouble.

“Yes,” he answered the question simply, although it had probably been rhetoric. “Look. I have no quarrel with you. If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I’ll gladly leave.” And he intended to do just that. Somehow his hopes of gaining more information from the person before him had evaporated completely. He had no idea what negative experiences the other had had with benders and he didn’t need to know. If he could get out of here without needing to try to slap both him and his dog across the river, he would be grateful; he had had enough headaches for one day.

Still. He was curious. His eyes were probing and tone calm. “What do you have against benders? Or is it just waterbenders?” Tahrro took some comfort in knowing there was enough water near-by, but his company didn’t exactly inspire hostility. Hopefully they could talk this out or just go their separate ways.