[Chase] False Sense of Safety

[Sazra Peo]

“It’s big alright,” she commented mildly, a smile playing on her lips. Sazra thought there was no other place she’d rather live in and she had seen other places. Not that she had any clue about what small town or village life was about. When he said he was a quick learner she gave him an approving smirk. “That’s fortunate, because I’m not an especially patient teacher,” she grinned a little. If there was one thing she couldn’t do, it was teach. If she felt motivated enough, she could go through a few lessons, but there was no protocol with her and definitely no repetitive kindness, either you learned or got toast along the way. It was just natural selection if you asked her. Another thing you could fail at was wit. Sazra didn’t tolerate people she could easily outsmart, never having been the brightest person in the world herself.

“Practice, of course.” If she could focus enough to do something, practice was it. “Think you can show me some of the basics? Or are you under some sacred vow never to reveal your techniques?” With a squinting eye, she watched him. She had come across someone like that once. It had been boring and frustrating. Knowledge was meant to be shared not kept to yourself. Their interaction hadn’t lasted very long. Chase politely refused her offer and she gave him a rough nod. It was more convenient this way, she didn’t need to negotiate with her father. Somehow going through that always made her need to promise a favor, the man was so good at bargaining.

Chase indicated his bag and spurred her on. He didn’t need to finish saying “go.” She had already started walking. “It’s not very far from here but it’s still quite a walk.” There was a spring in her step, as well as a feminine hip sway. “Better fill the distance with random details about ourselves!” Her hands came behind her back innocently. “So are you here alone, or with your family? When do you plan on going back? Or are you moving here permanently?” She watched him from the corner of a lively gold eye. “Have you made many friends yet? Do you like parties? Do you have a girlfriend? Have do you think about the girls in Republic City?” It was more of a survey at this point, but Sazra was all smiles and her tone was light.

[Chase Sato]

Chase could relate to that. he wasn't a great teacher ever. His patience level was zero when it came to teaching things to others. If he had to explain himself more then once he got irritated, mostly because he himself was used to understanding things the first time he heard them. But he would also get irritated with himself when he didn't get something the first time, so maybe he was just pushing his personal expectations onto others. Which wasn't always a bad thing, in his opinion, but could turn bad if not used in moderation. "Ya, same here." it would be a useful skill to have, to be able to teach others, but he knew he just didn't have the patience. Not at this point in his life, anyways.

He let out a small laugh at her question. "No, I can teach you. Do people still actually do that?" he laughed again. "If you're willing to learn it i'll teach you." he said with a shrug. He didn't think that knowledge should be withheld, and that it should be shared to expand everyone's minds. But only if they're willing to learn, he didn't think that one should go around pushing their thoughts on others.

He followed beside her, Zala taking off into the air to fly near and around them as they walked. Wow, this girl asked a lot of questions. He was never one to talk about himself, but since she was asking. "No, I came here alone. I was just going to pass through, but kind of want to stay for a little longer just to see everything the city has to offer. I don't plan on going home for a while, but I think i'll need to go back eventually, if only for a visit..." this thought made his mind trail a little, thinking back to his family. They must be worried about him, at least a little. He left without notice, leaving behind nothing but a note. He knew his mother would be worried, but he hoped that she understood why he left. More of the girl's questions brought him away from his thoughts about family. "I guess I've made a couple of friends." dammit she asks waay too many questions. He felt like he was talking too long just responding to them. "I've never really been to a party, other then fancy ones in the fire nation, but those are full of snooty old people, they're boring as shit." They always served gross food and played boring music, he hated it when his parents dragged him to those things. He would have to fake a smile, talking to all the other people he knew were faking smiles, not wanting to be there either. It just wasn't his thing.

Her next questions were a little complicated. He had met a couple of girls since coming here, and thought he had a connection with one, but she definitely wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't even think that would ever happen, anyways. Shaking his head in response "No, no girlfriend. And the girls here, well, they're definitely different from the ones back home. But in a good way." he added, not wanting to make it sound like he was offending the republic city girls "How about you, what do you do outside of pro bending?"

[Sazra Peo]

She shrugged. “Sometimes.” Then brightened up when he presented willingness. “Always willing to learn!” At least when it came to this, since there were aspects of life where she never learned anything.

Zala took flight and the two firebenders walked. Chase graced her with answers and she nodded her head from time to time to show she was listening. She laughed a little at his impression of formal fire nation celebratory social gatherings. “I don’t envy your experience” she confessed lightly, “only parties I go to have you coming out thinking you’ve been to a survival test during a solar eclipse.” There was a grin on her lips and in her tone. If it wasn’t wild she wasn’t going to stay. Many things bored her, and sometimes she even bored herself, but she was going to walk away from whatever wasn’t actually intimately attached to her. As dropping her own company wasn’t an option, she took every advantage to cut acquaintances short when they weren’t profitable for either involved. Life was too short to be allowed to be boring.

She eyed him a little from underneath lowered lashes when he revealed availability and smirked a little on the inside at his impression of Republic City girls. When the question was turned on her, she pondered how to answer and stretched her arms into the sky briefly. “I work at the Orchid Lounge as a performer and waitress. Trying to raise the funds for a team and my father isn’t exactly supportive. He’d rather I do “something better with my life” “, she gave a great shrug. “When I’m not working I get into strange situations to meet new people. I actually live in the Orchid Lounge, since I like to socialize there when I’m off duty also. I’m a party animal, so I attend every single one that promises entertainment.” Flicking up her hand she inspected her red painted nails. “I participate in the monthly bender wars, it’s this new fad at the moment,” she gestured vaguely. “And other things…” Her gaze returned to him.

“What about you, how do you enjoy spending your free time?”

[Chase Sato]

"Now that sounds like a party." before leaving home, the firebender would have never gone to a crazy party, or do anything classified as fun, really. His parents made him study most of the time, and even if he did have free time, there were no interesting people to spend time with. Everyone is the same, all they want to do is sit around and gossip about everything. It was kind of sad, some people had no hobbies, and just sat about chatting with others. Chase preferred to just practice his bending. But since he left he'd definitely noticed a change in himself. He had become a lot less irritable, and social, which was very strange, because being the angry loner is what defined him for almost his whole life.

"Wow, you stay busy, don't you?" he would feel overwhelmed having that much going on at once all the time. He needed down time, but he wasn't lazy. He would just get irritable and just snap at everyone. He usually just practiced his bending. "What are bender wars?" this statement peeked his interest, it sounded fun. Well if it was becoming a fad it had to be at least somewhat entertaining. She turned the question back at him. "Not a lot, actually, I'm pretty boring." he put his hands in his pockets. "I just train and work, or try to find work." he chuckled "I never realized how little I actually do."

[Sazra Peo]

Sazra shot him a glance when he expressed surprise over the number of her activities. “It’s not that much really…” She had to wonder just how little someone could contain within their field of interest to find her few hobbies much. People were so different. Immediately distracted by his next question, she smiled and waved aside the thought of him being boring and gestured animatedly as she started to explain. “At the end of every month, my friend Kuzak organizes them just outside of the city. He’s a firebender also. With the help of a few skilled earthbenders, he erects a temporary labyrinth of sorts that stretches pretty far and wide. It takes them, like, a whole day to set it up for the event. People team up to enter the labyrinth in pairs.” They took a turn and started down a darker alley, leading out of the residential District.

“There are no rules about how to pair up, two earthbenders could go in, or a waterbender and a firebender, and so on. Before going in, the pairs draw tickets from a bowl and the number they draw represents the succession in which they get to go in. It’s nice to be amongst the first, if only to avoid getting eliminated quickly by competition. Once inside, the pairs have to find the way out of the labyrinth, while at the same time having the option to knock out their adversaries.” Something devious was in her eyes at a memory. “Some people thoroughly enjoy hunting the others.” Depending on who she paired up with, she sometimes got carried away in the hunt as well. “You’re not allowed to bend or blast through the labyrinth walls and it’s stressed not to be too aggressive with your fights. It’s safe enough anyway, everyone gets special suits, sort of like they have for Pro Bending. Kuzak’s sort of rich.”

They were midway down the long alley and it was getting eerily dark. “The goal is to be the first pair out of the labyrinth. Everyone pays a fee to get in and those funds are the prize money for the winning pair. Depending on how many attend, it could get really good.” Her eyes shined with hopes of winning sometime soon. “So you see, it’s really –“

“Hey there. Look what we’ve got here boys. Lost turtle-doves,” a voice cut her off, a bulky man in a fine suit emerging from the shadows, followed swiftly by three others. They had Chase and Sazra surrounded. Sazra recognized them immediately as Triple Threat Triad thugs and stopped abruptly. “Sazra honey, how have you been?” The group’s apparent leader addressed her. “Splendid, thanks for asking, now if you’ll just let us pass gentlemen, we’re growing late.” She kept her tone light, offered a smile and made a move to advance but the bulky man blocked the path along with one of the others. His grin was wide and his eyes shined of life lived on the outside of the law. “Now where’re you running off to? I was just about to give you a message from you know who. He wasn’t very pleased with your answer last time…” The gangster eyed Chase. “Who’s this guy? He looks like he escaped from the circus.” Apparently this was immensely funny that all of the thugs laughed.

Sazra’s eyes sharpened and her fists clenched on the sides of her frame. “Leave him out of this, Jagh, I just met him.” All the sweetness was gone from her tone and it held an edge. The thug grinned widely. “All the more reason just to get rid of him and be on to our business without witnesses,” he reasoned and every thug took a step closer to them. In that one moment Sazra was already spread into a battle stance, her back to Chase. Quietly she sighed. “Looks like sparring may start early.” There was something apologetic in her voice but fire burned in her eyes.

[Chase Sato]

The bender wars sounded more and more interesting as she explained them. It really seemed like something he would have fun doing, and maybe win some money while he was at it. He didn't have a good sense of direction, and would need to pick a team mate who did if they ever wanted to make it out of the labyrinth. The whole concept sounded so exciting, he wondered when the next one was going to be. He definitely wanted to participate. He wondered it Sazra had a partner already, if she didn't they would probably make a pretty good team. Plus it's not like he's met anyone else who takes their bending seriously like she does. He had gotten so wrapped up in listening to her words that he didn't notice the men until they spoke to them.

The initial feeling he got from these guys was not good, and it didn't take much dialogue between his new acquaintance and them to figure out that they meant no good. His red eyes narrowed, looking from face to face as the interaction continued. He'd had experience with the scum of the city before, but not in the form of thugs like this. Back home nothing like a gang would ever be able to form, at least not publicly. Here there were known gangs, and even known members who weren't tried for their crimes.

Chase got into his own stance as they stepped closer, not needing to be told that something was going to go down. "That's okay, we needed to warm up anyways, right?" he said to her over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips. Four on two didn't seem fair, but it didn't matter, he would be able to handle two if she could do the same. One of the thugs facing him didn't waste any time, taking a wide earthbender stance, a large chunk of earth rising up, propelling itself towards the firebender. Taking a quick inhale of breath, Chase kicked the ball of earth with a fire propelled kick, the rock exploding into dust, chunks flying everywhere. As his foot connected with the ground, he fired two fireballs at the other thug's chest with two punches, looking over his shoulder quickly to see how his friend was doing with her fight.

[Sazra Peo]

“Ho ho. Is this any way to greet old friends?” The group leader asked, his grin wild. “You used to be such a sweet little thing,” he almost lamented and Sazra smirked. “I haven’t changed, you just never knew me. Besides…” One of thugs attacked Chase and the others followed his example, a water whip pulled from a bending pouch coming Sazra’s way. “You shouldn’t flatter yourself. I’d never befriend scum.” She literally danced out of the whip’s way and it hit the ground while she sent flaming punches in the waterbender’s way.

Chase had said something but she hadn’t found the time to reply properly, still too focused on Jagh, knowing not to underestimate him and at the same time feeling horribly irritated about how he brought up their past acquaintance. “It figures that you’d be lucky enough to have a fighter on your side.” The group leader was an earthbender, when he slammed a foot onto the ground, Sazra knew to sidestep away from the spear coming straight from below. Despite keeping her cool, cracking the base of the slender shape from the ground and throwing it back at him in flames, her heart was racing with alarm. These guys could kill them and she knew it. One false step and she would have dragged a stranger to an early grave. It filled her with guilt she wasn’t ready to feel.

“Watch the ground, these guys like to impale people,” she told Chase, some of the trepidation in her voice. Sazra was no fighter. She trained to fight, but she wasn’t trained to kill or to respond to attacks aimed to kill. She wasn’t a warrior, she was just a talented pro bender and acrobat. A performing artist wasn’t that good against the real deal. Regardless, when the waterbender and Jagh pooled their resources together for a combined attack on her, she jumped onto her hands and came down kicking a wave of fire that had enough force to blast through the rock and slice the water in half and sending the waterbender flying with the debris. Just at that moment, Jagh sent a rock dagger directly towards her chest, but she was looking and already moving to dodge when her eyes widened in shock.

He hadn’t sent that for her at all, it was aimed for her to move so it would stab into Chase’s back at a moment he wasn’t looking. Reacting on impulse, she paused mid-dodge and, through the fire of a new bending attempt, took the rock knife across her forearm. Even though the flame had lessened the impact, the female of the two firebenders fell to one knee, her right arm cradled to her chest and staining her cream colored top with red. The waterbender was out, having bumped his head against a trash can, but Jagh wasn’t done at all. Sazra didn’t even know how Chase was doing. She wasn’t used to wounds and the shock of the pain ripping across the thin of her arm coupled with the smell of fresh blood left her frozen in a tremble for a moment. “Today you pay the price of crossing me, bitch!” The earthbender roared, his eyes mad with laughter.

When her golden eyes shot up to see the earthbender again, a great chunk of rock was heading directly towards her and she was rooted to the spot.

[Chase Sato]

After seeing that she was fairing alright, Chase turned his attention back to the two men he was facing, both having recovered from his previous attacks. From the other's stance, he could tell that he was a fire bender, which was an advantage, Chase was very good at fighting his own element, it was what he trained most with. Other types of benders were hard to come by in his town. Just as his fighting partner called over a warning about impaling, he could feel the vibrating under his feet, the earth changing. He was able to dodge aside just before a spear of earth burst upwards right where he had just been standing. It was like she knew he was about to do it.

At the same moment of Chase's dodge, the earth bender's partner was preparing his own attack, aiming a strike of lighting he summoned from his finger tips. Chase's red eyes widened as the energy beamed towards him. He hadn't actually fought against lightning before, the only time he had faced it was when he was taught to deflect it. A lesson he was glad he learned, for it was coming in handy now. He never thought he was going to have to use it. He tried his best to concentrate as the bolt entered his body, channeling the energy down into his stomach, aiming the bolt at his other opponent, the earth bender.

Neither of them expected him to do this, apparently, and didn't have time to react. The earth bender flew back to the ground, out for the count. As Chase's red eyes turned back to the fire bender thug, he was still in shock from the redirected attack, and hadn't prepared another attack. Taking advantage of this mistake, Chase aimed a large fireball at his chest, following it with a flaming kick. He flew backwards, hitting a wall, falling unconscious to the ground.

Now that his two men were taken care of, Chase turned to see his team mate wasn't doing as well as him. One of her opponents were down, but she was injured, badly, unable to defend herself from the on coming attack. "You bastard" the firebender muttered to himself, putting himself between Sazra and the attack. All he could do was aim a blast of fire at the rock, and hopefully just break it apart. It was fairly large, but Chase's flame was strong as well. A bulk of the rock burst apart with the contact with the flames, a couple of large chunks still keeping their trajectory, hitting Chase in the stomach and shoulder. The air got knocked out of his lungs, he fell to one knee, trying to pull in, with no avail. After a few seconds he was able to finally able to gasp in a breath, just in time to roll out of the way of a rock aimed to crush him from above.

He was close enough for this to work. With one fluid motion, Chase did a flame sweep kick, the leader lost his footing trying to avoid the flames. Standing up, the fire bender blasted his enemy back with multiple fire punches, making sure he didn't regain his footing, backing him up into a wall. Gathering up the thug's shirt in his fist, Chase lifted him off the ground, pinning him against the wall, his other hand covered with flames, ready to strike that pathetic looking face.

[Sazra Peo]

In that one instant of vulnerability Sazra screamed on the inside, pain numbing her arm. Her life was like this, bright gold eyes and own abilities the only thing between her and the rage of the world. Since her mother had folded away inside herself with the memory of her dead brother she had been left alone with her busy father. It wasn’t something she complained about, in fact, she though everyone was on their own, until it was shown to her that some people stuck together and relied on each other to have each other’s back.

She had felt no such reliance when Chase swept between her and the boulder aimed at her head. Experiencing the salivation as complete surprise she marveled at continued existence. In a series of quick movements that went by impossibly fast for her slow mind to keep up with Chase had Jagh pinned to the hard wall. The younger man hadn’t been kidding. He really was quite skilled. She felt a momentary jab at her own pride for having been downed. With a strained sigh and eyes narrowed from cutting pain she pushed up. It couldn’t have been helped.

“I give, I give!” The thug pleaded as Chase smothered the air out of his throat with that grip. “Don’t listen to him, knock him out!” Sazra said, her eyes daggers, her bleeding arm held firm against her chest. The thug was known to her and there was no honor of surrender in his dictionary, it was filled with dirty tricks and backhanded ways to gain victory even in defeat. Reacting to her words and silently cursing the meddlesome woman in his mind, the thug kicked his foot back and when and if it would impact with the wall, he aimed to send a chunk of it right up to swat Chase away.

No one could deny Jagh was a talented earthbender.

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[Chase Sato]

The cowards pleading only served to further Chase's rage, his grip tightening at his words. He couldn't stand people like this, they were disgusting. He couldn't believe the shit that went on in this city, the strong manipulating the weak, the innocent not being able to do anything about it. This isn't what Avatar Aang had in mind when he made this city. There were just too many people to keep tabs on everything, and people couldn't rely on morals, there are so many corrupt souls. This man was one of them. It was sad how far this city had strayed from it's original purpose. The fire bender heeded his friends' warning just in time to step aside, the rock flying by his face. That was a close one, he was even able to feel the air rush by as it passed.

Gripping the shirt tighter, the thug scowled at him as his airway was restricted, his vision probably starting to grow dark. Waiting until he passed out, his body going limp, Chase let go, the earth bender's body falling to the ground like a rag doll. Well, he was glad that was over, but he had a feeling this wasn't the last he was going to see of these guys. Their pride will be hurt from being defeated so easily, and they'll probably come back looking for them, with more thugs. But hopefully that didn't happen for a while. It was a big city, they will have a hard time re locating them. Turing his attention back to Sarzra, he looked at her arm. Shit, that must have hurt, it probably still did, even with the adrenaline that must be pumping through her. Taking her arm into his hands gently, he examined the wound. "Shit, it's in pretty far..." he said, letting go of her arm, taking his pack off his shoulder. He rummaged around in it for a moment, then brought out a strip of folded fabric. "Are you going to be okay? I think we're going to have to wrap it to stop the bleeding." he said, holding up the strip of fabric.