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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 30, 2020 23:42:46 GMT -5
the slow lip of fire.
DIRECTORY.
i. introduction
ii. the world & main plot
iii. history
iv. members & news
v. team find-the-avatar
vi. other characters
vii. character relationships
vi. rules
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 31, 2020 0:58:59 GMT -5
  { introduction. } __________________
the rapacious flames of change are dancing through republic city. the capital is burning. the wide commercial streets are ablaze. embers catch in the narrow throats of south side alleys. sparks float through the bending arenas, billowing in the breeze, carried out into the open air and into the surrounding forests. it has been seventeen years since Avatar Korra was killed. Like Aang, she died before her time; in a freak accident while trying to keep peace in a destabilized Earth Kingdom. Unlike Aang, her death drove tensions between the Fire Nation and the Republic to a fever pitch and then - they vanished. The crux of political intrigue had moved from squabbling’s about how to deal with an unstable Democratic Republic of Earth (DRE), which was pulling towards civil war between the north and south, to finding the new Avatar. Eighteen years passed. The North Earth Kingdom, which unofficially seceded and reinstated a monarchy, is convinced that the DRE is hiding the Avatar as a political weapon. The DRE believes he is being held by Earth Kingdom traitors. The Southern Water tribe’s official stance is that the Earth Avatar died as a child, and that the new avatar is a fire bender. Though privately many Fire Nation elites believe this to be true, they remain neutral. The Fire Nation is facing its own inner turmoil; though less explosive than the Earth Kingdom’s rupture, a Fire Nation nationalist organization, which desires to restore the Fire Nation to its imperial dominance, has been mounting attacks on prominent political figures and causing general public havoc.
In Republic City, though, the eye of the storm seems to linger. There are storm clouds on the horizon; there is fire in the streets. Most people turn a blind eye to it. They go about their daily lives. The absence of the Avatar, and the tensions culminating in the three major bending nations, do not seem to directly impact them. As must happen in all good stories, this peace will not last.
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 31, 2020 1:51:43 GMT -5
{ and then the slow lip of fire moves across the prairie with precision }
{ the world. } __________________
credit: a lot of this text was copied or adapted from the ATLA wiki.
{ nations. }
The United Republic of Nations. Represented by President Meelo, son of Tenzin. The United Republic of Nations, more commonly known as the United Republic, is a sovereign state created by Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko after the end of the Hundred Year War. It was formed from the oldest Fire Nation colonies established in the western Earth Kingdom and was created to serve as a society where benders and nonbenders from all four nations could live and thrive together in peace and harmony. The United Republic is known for having a unique culture, which was shaped by immigration and a technological revolution. The capital of the United Republic is Republic City, a large, modern metropolis located on the shores of Yue Bay.
The Democratic Earth Republic (DER). Represented by Xi Lin. Created by former Emperor Wu, the Democratic Earth Republic occupies the southern territories of the former Earth Kingdom. Each state in the Republic elects a representative to the High Council, from which a Prime Minister is selected by the other representatives to oversee and moderate activities. The DER is currently at war with the Northern Earth Kingdom, which seceded 30 years after the creation of the DER. The capital of the DER is Omashu.
The Northern Earth Kingdom. Represented by Queen Mudan Hou. A young nation, the Northern Earth Kingdom occupies the northern territories of the former Earth Kingdom. The Northern Earth Kingdom is ruled similarly to the historical Earth Kingdom, and has a monarchical government. They split from the DER during the Civil War during which Avatar Korra was killed (?). They are recognized by all the other nations, sans the DER and the Southern Water Tribe. The capital of the Northern Earth Kingdom is at Ba Sing Se.
The Fire Nation. Represented by Fire Lord Siva. The Fire Nation is an absolute monarchy led by the Fire Lord and home to most firebenders. Geographically, the nation is located along the planet's equator in the western hemisphere and is composed of several islands, named the Fire Islands. Its capital is simply known as the Fire Nation Capital. The Fire Nation is the second-largest nation in terms of area, following the Earth Kingdom, while its economy is the most powerful in the world; its strong industrial sector and extensive technological developments not only enabled the Fire Nation to create an extremely powerful military, but also initiated worldwide modernization and globalization. Before the foundation of the United Republic and the following global technological revolution, it was also the strongest and most advanced country in the world.
The Northern Water Tribe. Represented by Cheif Eska. The Northern Water Tribe is an independent state located within the realms of the North Pole,ruled by a hereditary monarchic chiefdom. As the oldest division of the Water Tribes, the Northern Water Tribe dominated both the North Pole as well as the South Pole for centuries. Its capital city, Agna Qel'a, is notable for being made almost entirely out of ice. Even though much of its territory encompasses largely inhospitable tundra terrain, the Northern Water Tribe always thrived in its isolation, and grew into a major political and economical power after the Hundred Year War. The people of the Northern Water Tribe are traditionally conservative and very spiritual, but still open to change and reform. The Northern waterbending style is the most widespread form, practiced by waterbenders at both poles and in the United Republic of Nations.
The Southern Water Tribe. Represented by Chief Kaniq. The Southern Water Tribe is an independent state located at the South Pole and is the southern division of the Water Tribes. A federation of several smaller tribes, the South is ruled by a Council of Elders, who also elect the tribe's chief. Following the Hundred Year War and the re-involvement of both Water Tribes in international affairs, the South became a major economic power: The people of the Southern Water Tribe are modern, progressive, and focused on commerce and trade, but in contemporary times lack the spirituality that had long defined their culture.
The Air Nomads. Politically represented by Elder Tyagi Basal. Air Nomads is the collective term for the monastic order of men and women who practice the discipline of airbending and their seclusive, theocratic society. They were the most spiritual of all the cultures and lived in harmony with nature. They had a small economy, based entirely on limited agriculture. In 0 AG, the Air Nomads were the victims of genocide at the hands of the Fire Nation.
After the Hundred Year War, a group named the Air Acolytes was formed to carry on the teachings, culture, and traditions of the Air Nomads. Having restored the buildings to their former glory, they occupy the air temples, along with the newfound flying bison and ring-tailed winged lemurs. In 171 AG, after the Harmonic Convergence, nonbending individuals across the world began manifesting newly acquired airbending abilities. Tenzin began to train a group of airbender volunteers into a new generation of Air Nomads, in order to fortify a still-recovering Air Nation and to perpetuate the bending traditions of its culture. After the insurrection of the Red Lotus, Tenzin decided that the Air Nation would roam the world, helping people of all nations to stop corruption and disorder. In 174 AG, the new Air Nation continued to prosper, as more and more people who gained airbending abilities were trained in the art on Air Temple Island.
{ cities. }
{ important locations. }
this rp largely takes place in Republic City, though the main cast of characters will be sent to the Earth Kingdom early on in the rp. you have free reign to make up whatever locations you want in Republic city, I don't care, as long as they follow the very vague landscape suggested by canon.
{ Republic City }
i. the pro-bending arena. the big, shiny arena where pro-bending tournaments are held.
ii. the flying lemur. the bar that many pro-benders frequent after matches. they serve a mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and a selection of cheap bar food.
iii. the market. the town green market, populated by produce (e.g., cabbage) stands, flower stands, and pretty much any other kind of stand you can think of.
{ The Divided Earth Kingdom }
coming soon to a front page near you
{ pro bending. }
although historically the air nomads are a peaceful people, the harmonic converge bestowed air-bending on a variety of individuals, many of whom had an appetite for sports and competition. due to pressure from air bending pro-bending fans, and discrimination charges, the Pro-Bending league has allowed air-benders to join pro-bending teams. Several amendments to the rules of pro-bending followed this:
1. All three individuals on the field must control different elements, however, any mix of the four elements is allowed.
2. A team may have three or four members, and one dueler may be rotated out for the one on the side-lines between rounds.
3. Similar to the limits on fire-bending, air blasts must not exceed one second in duration, meaning that airbenders may not use constant streams of air against their opponents. No direct strikes toward an opponent's head are permitted. Airbenders are not allowed to levitate to remain on the platform, nor can they use any lethal techniques (such as trapping an opponent in a vortex and removing all the air to create a vacuum) during matches.
{ while, somewhere, with your pliers and glue, you make your first incision }
{ the plot. } __________________
world plot. there is an ongoing civil war between the DER and the NEK, though it has largely fizzled into border skirmishes due to threats from the other nations. the avatar has been missing for almost 20 years. a council meeting has been called in Republic City to discuss both of these topics, with representatives from all 7 nations attending.
city plot. the pink lotus protests are peaceful but block traffic. the society of the fire lilies, the Fire Nation nationalist group spreading across the nations, are far more threatening but are still silent in Republic City. the mafia organization, the tiger cranes, moves around goods for republic city tech executives under the overly-optimistic nose of president meelo.
character plots. the characters initially center around the pro-bending tournaments. some of them are spectators, some healers, some have money invested in the tournament, some are friends of the players, and some are players themselves. something will happen, though, which turns this array of sports fans into a dysfunctional family on a mission. note: the characters will be leaving republic city to travel to a lot of the old haunts from the original avatar series fairly early on. I plan on scene 3 being on the road to Ba Sing Se. So, this is going to be a travel RP... haha
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 31, 2020 15:29:22 GMT -5
{ history. }
__________________
0 AG demarcates when Fire Lord Sozin used the power from Sozin's Comet to begin the Hundred Year War with the Air Nomad Genocide, and serves as an epoch for the dating system.
0 AG --
氵Fire Lord Sozin begins what would be the Hundred Year War by attacking the other nations. He uses the power of a comet, later renamed Sozin's Comet in his honor, to launch a genocidal attack on the Air Nomads in an attempt to kill the Avatar. All of the Air Nomads are killed except for Aang.
氵The Fire Nation launches a massive coordinated invasion of the Earth Kingdom, slowly but surely advancing across the continent over the course of the next hundred years. 99 AG - 100 AG --
氵Avatar Aang is awakened from one hundred years of suspended animation by Katara and Sokka.
氵The Southern Reconstruction Project begins
氵Avatar Aang defeats Ozai through the use of the Avatar State and uses energybending to strip him of his firebending. Phoenix King Ozai is imprisoned for various war crimes. Prince Zuko ascends to the throne as Fire Lord, vowing to the nations that he will dedicate his rule to rebuilding the world with the help of the Avatar. 101 AG - 153 AG --
氵The Harmony Restoration Movement begins and fails, prompting Avatar Aang, Earth King Yu Dao, and Fire Lord Zuko to convert the former Fire Nation colonies into the United Republic of Nations. The capital is built on Yue Bay, and is un-creatively called Repubic City. The sport of pro-bending is created.
氵The New Ozai Society, a Fire Nation nationalist group, is formed and swiftly defeated by Team Avatar. The remnants of the NOS eventually reforms as the The Society of the Fire Lily; a direct play on both the Red and White Lotus.
氵The Beifong Metalbending Academy, Pakku's Waterbending school, and the Air Acolytes are formed.
氵Future Industries and it's competitor, Cabbage Corp., usher in a technological revolution.
氵In 153 AG, Avatar Aang dies at the human age of 66 and Avatar Korra is born. 153 - 173 AG -- 氵Fire Lord Zuko passes the title of Fire Lord to his daughter, Izumi, and becomes an ambassador for peace.
氵The United Republic Council is dissolved and instead the United Republic of Nations is led by a democratically elected president.
氵The Water Tribe civil war occurs and the North and South water tribes become separate entities again.
氵The Third Harmonic Convergence occurs; spirit portals are opened all over Republic city and the world; Korra begins the avatar cycle anew and loses her connection to the past avatars and the spirit world. Random non-benders all over the world spontaneously find themselves able to air bend.
174 A.G. --
氵Earth Queen Hou-Ting is assassinated by the Red Lotus, once again destabilizing the Earth Kingdom. Wu is crowned the fifty-fourth ruler of the Earth Kingdom. Kuvira instantiates the Earth Empire, with goal of re-annexing the former Earth Kingdom colonies. Kuvira eventually surrenders to Avatar Korra. Wu abolishes the Earth Kingdom monarchy in favor of independent states.
氵Zhu Li Moon is elected the second President of the United Republic. 175 A.G. - 296 A.G. --
氵 Republic University is formed in Republic City.
氵The Democratic Earth Republic is formed, and the metal-bender Xi Lin becomes the Prime Minister of the High Council. Elite individuals in the North, particular nobles living in Ba Sing Se, loudly oppose this new form of government and still recognize Wu as emperor, despite him having abdicated the throne. The already unstable DER is further destabilized by splinter Red Lotus groups and new revolutionary organizations, which vie for authorities in the states.
氵Former emperor Wu is assassinated by a Red Lotus sleeper cell. Popular news speculates that they were funded by Qi Lin. This pushes sentiment in the Northern DER, within which many still recognized Wu as Emperor although he had relinquished the title, towards war.
氵In Republic City, a new government agency, the Jing Shen, are formed under the guidance of Avatar Korra to maintain peace between the spirits and the citizens of Republic City.
氵The tensions between the North and South DER reach a fever pitch. Korra leaves Republic City to try and amend the strife between nations by focusing on squashing the organizations sowing distrust. This does not work, tensions grow, both sides begin to militarize. The Northern DER includes many seats of wealth and natural resources, so they are in a better position. The North threatens to secede. Korra moves to the border to try and stop fighting from breaking out.
氵Avatar Korra is 'killed'. Unfortunately, a border squabble and some irresponsible earth bending triggers an avalanche to tremendous that it wipes out both the Avatar and the border. Many people were confused after it happened, as a fully realized avatar should have been able to save herself. 296 A.G. - 215 A.G.
氵After the death of the Avatar, the Northern DER officially secedes, renames itself the Northern Earth Kingdom, and reinstates a monarchy. Former military general Mudan Hou is named the Queen of the Earth Kingdom. Both Earth Kingdoms independently launch searches for the new Avatar, to the chagrin of the White Lotus.
氵Because Korra's body was never recovered, and because the next Avatar has not been located, it is a popular conspiracy that Korra is still alive.
氵The air-bender Meelo, son of Tenzin, is elected the sixth President of the United Republic of Nations; the first bender to hold the seat. He holds fast to the family tradition of maintaining peace and harmony between the elements.
氵The Northern Earth Kingdom is officially recognized by the United Republic of Nations, the Fire Kingdom, and the Northern Water Tribe. The Southern Water Tribe refuses to recognize it. The Air Nomads take no stance.
氵The Society of the Fire Lily invades the fire nation capital, Capital City, and kills Fire Lord Izumi. They attempt to put name of their own, Haruji Ka, as the next Fire Lord, but are defeated by Fire Nation troops and assisted by the Southern Water tribe and Cheif Kaniq. General Iroh II, next in line, is offered the position but declines it to remain General of the United Forces military. Instead, a young politician and friend of Meelo, named Siva, is instated as Fire Lord. This decision was controversial given that Siva is only distantly related to Sozin's line. Present (225 A.G.)
氵The Northern Earth Kingdom and the DER are still fighting, with the NEK financially supported by the people of Ba Sing Se and politically supported by the Northern Water Tribe, and the DER supported on all fronts by the Southern Water Tribe.
氵After many threatened lawsuits, the Pro-Bending leadership has agreed to let air-benders compete. Given that the goal is to push people off platforms, many fans and pro-benders argued that this was cheating. The league has not backed down, though many benders are overtly hostile to their air-bending peers.
氵The Society of the Fire Lily sleeper cells within Republic city have begun to cause problems, including public riots.
氵The Pink Lotus, an anarchist group which calls for a dismantling of all the nations to create a single utopic socialist state, is gaining traction within the URN and the Fire Nation.
氵A council has been called in Republic City bringing together representatives from all seven main states to discuss a peace treaty and the status of the Avatar. |
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 31, 2020 16:22:16 GMT -5
{ members. }
mods have ★★ before their name, members have ★,
pls post i dont want to delete you have ☆
__________________
★★ { 𝓑riar } - ivette laterza, na-ra choi, jade azoulai, cypress malavé-viray
★★ { shades } - main character, side povs, background characters
★ { high prince } - main character, side povs, background characters
★ { ℊℓоω } - main character, side povs, background characters
★ { inky } - main character, side povs, background characters
★ { ʀᴀɪɴʟᴇᴀғ 🍁 } - main character, side povs, background characters -
{ and in a moment of almost-unbearable vision, doubled over with the hunger of lions }
{ the news. } __________________
im not gonna update this lmaoooo
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 31, 2020 17:27:07 GMT -5
{ hold me close, cooed the dove, who was stuffed, now, with sawdust and diamonds }
{ team find-the-avatar! } __________________
when you join, you can claim 1 character in the main team (to streamline the plot) and then create up to 3 side-characters at first. you can add more characters as the rp goes on.
THE CROW HOUNDS.
a pro-bending team.
the chevalier. 土 . republic city resident. { early 20's }
the de facto leader of the crow hounds. the chevalier is a skilled pro-bender with years of league experience. they know both everyone and how to finesse the system.
[ held for intransigent ]
denahi taslak
the jester . 氵. republic city resident . { early 20's }
token comic relief for the crow hounds, the jester is a friend of everyone whose flamboyant personality distracts from their keen intelligence, self-awareness, and perceptive ability. born in the northern water tribe.
ℊℓоω
ivette "babylon" laterza.
the firebrand. 火 . republic city resident. { 22 }
look, fire! it's out of your hands now. it's burning down your house. the firebrand is a brilliant fire-bender but, like the element they represent, are difficult to know, predict, or control.
𝓑riar
ezra nazario
the tactician . 气 . republic city resident. {early 20's).
The tactician idolized pro bending as a kid, but was not allowed to join the league because he was an airbender. Instead, he relentlessly studied bending techniques and is the go-to strategist for the Crow Hounds; identifying what sort of style their teams use, how to best them.
[ held for shades ]
THE GARDEN IS ON FIRE.
republic city residents.
taro ito-maoro
the scholar . any . republic city resident . { at least 18 }
practically raised in a library, the pupil is a trusted source of knowledge for all those which surround them.
high prince
the ginseng peddler . 氵 . republic city resident . { at least 18 }
a trained nurse and water-bender who works on the side for the pro-bending league, taking care of injured benders and standing by at the ring so no one gets sued.
[held for R A I N Y]
the bootstrapper . 土 . republic city resident . { any age }
a former DER resident who ran away to republic city to start a new life. the bootstrapper works as an assistant at the pro-bending arena. fueled with ambition, they are clawing towards a better life earned by their own hand.
[ saved for inky ]
the renegade . any . republic city resident . { any age }
an out-spoken member of the pink lotus who aggressively cares about social reform, perhaps a little too over-enthusiastic but their heart is in the right place.
the high priestess . any . republic city resident . { at least 18 }
a member of the jing shen (the spirit world mediators trained by Korra) living in republic city. can be any kind of bender, you are free to do anything with their backstory.
the heir . any . republic city resident . { young adult }
wealthy heir to a tech industry company; they have a sketchy morality and mafia ties
THE VISITORS.
in republic city for the council meeting.
the dogsbody . 土 . NEK resident . { 18-24 }
political intern to a member of queen moran's court who was brought with her to Republic City. before becoming an intern they trained with the beifong school of metalbending.
the solider . 火 . fire nation resident . { young adult }
a worn fire nation soldier who was present at the assassination of fire lord izumi and participated in the ensuing battle.
the monk . 气 . air nomad . { teen to late 20's }
a young air-bender who lives at one of the air temples; the spiritual guide for the rest of the group. has a sky bison.
the daughter . 氵. southern water tribe . { 16-24 }
the daughter of chief kaniq who traveled with him to republic city because she has never left the south pole before, and is here to take in the URN experience! must be female; this is the only position with a stipulated gender.
[reserved for rainleaf]
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 31, 2020 20:31:12 GMT -5
{ npc characters. }
__________________
the world leaders
{ fire lord siva } . fire bender . fire nation . 29
tall and straight-backed young man with long dark hair, often pulled back into an ornate bun, dark monolid eyes, and sharp features. despite his harsh appearance, fire lord siva has a very easy-going personality and had a tendency to go on wild non-sober escapades when he was younger, which is how he made acquaintance with president meelo.
{ cheif kaniq } . water bender . southern water tribe . 52
kaniq shoots from the hip. he is barrel-chested with long dark brown hair, pale blue eyes, and deep tan skin. his features are rectangular, and would generally be regarded as "strong". he has a serious and calculating disposition, and is stubborn, loyal to a fault, and moralistic. he is known across the world for his proclivity towards using ice in his bending.
{ cheif eska } . water bender . northern water tribe . 60
a tall and slender woman with graying dark brown hair, usually kept lose, bright blue eyes, and tan skin. never seen without her makeup done. Stoic and characteristically quiet, aside from the occasional sarcastic remark, but prone to passionate outbursts. she previously ruled with her brother, desna, but last year gave up his seat to act as an ambassador to the NRK.
{ prime minister xi lin } . earth bender . DER . 61
a short, soft-bodied woman known for her striking wit and ability to charm. lin has long gray hair, dark eyes, and light-hued skin. her prowess lies in her people skills more than her bending ability, but it is rumored that she is a skilled metalbender as she trained at the beifong metalbending academy in her youth.
{ queen mudan hou } . earth bender . NEK . 36
mudan hou exudes the aura of someone who walked face-first into hell, killed the devil, and crowned itself it's new queen. that is not far from the truth. an accomplished war general, hou is tall, athletic, and battle-scarred. she has tan skin, close-cropped brown hair, and green eyes. she is serious and calculating while being down to earth, and an eloquent but unpretentious speaker. her rugged charm earned her the support of her soldiers in battle, and eventually the people as well and her accession to the throne was largely supported.
{ elder tyagi basal } . air bender . southern air temple . 69
one of the first New air benders to join tenzin's movement, tyagi is tall and thin, with warm-tan skin, brown eyes, a bald head but gray facial hair, and air-bending master tattoo's. he is kind, reserved, and spiritual; an exemplar of the air nomad ways he was trained in. he does have a bite of anger that emerges when he senses injustice or a very bad pun. he's a play off a background character, third from the left in this screenshot.
{ president meelo } . air bender . the united republic . 50
a relentless optimist, meelo has retained much of the energy and humor of his youth into his adulthood. prone to spontaneous capers and crowd-pleasing, meelo believes that the best way to maintain peace is by keeping people entertained and happy. he takes after his father, with a tall thin frame and dark hair, kept close-cropped, but with his mothers gray-blue eyes. -
{ and though it may be madness, I will take to the grave your precious longface }
{ other characters. } __________________
{ name } . bending type . nationality . age
short description
tag
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 31, 2020 20:34:52 GMT -5
{ character relationships. }
__________________
familial.
brad and the abstract concept of a cabbage are brothers.
romantic.
jeff goldbum and briar and shades are married
platonic.
your mom and briar are enemies |
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Jul 31, 2020 23:28:17 GMT -5
{ rules. }
__________________
my other 1/3 in our thruple with imaginary jeff goldblum, shades , gave me her permission to steal these rules from one of her past rps bc i am too lazy to write my own. so, without further adieu:
i. forum rules. follow all forum and proboard rules.
ii. literacy. literate/lazy lit. At least have proper spelling, grammar, and post structure; quality over quantity. briar (i) tends to write a lot. if you don't write as much as briar, that is ok. if you write more than briar: a. hot damn, b. are you ok, and c. im excited to read it. just try and give your partners something to work with
iii. post content. please keep it PG/PG-13. Skip is your friend. No godmodding, powerplaying, yadda yadda.
iv. courtesy. fighting outside of roleplay will not be tolerated.
v. characters. this may be the type of roleplay that lends itself to making "perfect" characters, but please refrain from doing so. Please only claim one main role right now; you have freedom with side-characters, but i am also limiting that to 3 side-characters (4 total characters) right now. More positions may be opened. If you have an idea for a new main character, I am all ears. When joining, go to the link in the first post and make your characters in a post to be linked to the main page. |
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Aug 1, 2020 2:03:12 GMT -5
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Post by 𝓑𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 ♥ on Aug 3, 2020 19:35:39 GMT -5
IVETTE "BABYLON" LATERZA
WITH EZRA NAVARIO, DANAHI AND GEMA ARE MENTIONED
__________________________________________________________________
It is a Friday night, and the Republic City streets are bustling with nightlife.
News about the whereabouts of the World Council members, who had trickled into the city last night and throughout the day, metastasized throughout the city's many social groups. Scantily clad women rushed down the main road, chasing a rumor that the young Fire Lord Siva was at The Painted Lady; a popular club off Kyoshi Lane. Queen Hou and her betrothed were spotted eating at a middle-class diner on the South side of town. However, if you set aside the paparazzi and expected noise, the activity seemed to center itself around the pro-bending arena.
It was the Friday Night Lightshow. A night of fantastical bending and showmanship, where championship contenders went head-to-head in front of a live audience. Prime Minister Xi Lin, of the Democratic Earth Republic was rumored to be in attendance, joined by Chief Kaniq of the Southern Water Tribe and his daughter (yes, the tabloid princess herself!).
The appearance of royalty, if you stretch the word, was mostly an annoyance to Ivette Laterza.
She was currently caught in the madhouse that was the entryway to the pro-bending arena; hating the pressure of people more and more with every movement of the crowd. She was trapped in the claustrophobic cacophony of capitalism.
With each passing moment, or movement, Ivette rethought her decision to go pro at this dumb, stupid, over-marketed sport.
A warm neon sign greets patrons of the pro-bending arena with a friendly, “Ticket booth! ⇒”. It is a tasteful proposition. The addition of the “!” imbues the exchange with enthusiasm; purchase our overpriced seats, please! Look how excited we are to have you! We even appended a please to the demand! We, us, the collective consciousness of each member of the support staff, each bender, each fat-cat executive; united into the opulent and shining face of a cooperation.
Ivette is being smothered in smiling faces. A garish painted emoticon hangs over the public entryway, directing traffic. It is a proverbial star of Bethlehem shepherding hundreds of smiling fans, laughing the hungry laugh of hyenas, towards their seats. People swarmed the entrance to the arena like fire ants on the foot of some poor soul who stepped into their hill. The din of the crowd was just as painful, and Ivette swore she was getting welts from them. Gremlinesque children darted past, screaming, waving action figures of famous pro-bending stars. A man who was wearing what looked like an Old Earth Kingdom Guard cosplay shoved past her.
Ivette yelled something that him that cannot be transcribed here. (Given the sensors, and given that I, your omnipotent narrator, do not want to go to forum jail.)
The bending arena needed a back-door; or a back-door policy that stayed open later. It also needed a bar. Perhaps a sauna. Perhaps one of those spas that had the little feet that eat away dead skin from under your fingernails. Ivette would settle for the bar; she would demand another entrance. There are too many people here, and she is afraid most of them know her name. It is too bright in here, and Ivette is afraid that the lightbulbs will reveal her to everyone. She is marked in notable ways; in tattoo’s and scars and white-blonde hair. Skin darker than typical fire nation skin, but lined with symbols honoring her heritage. They were distinct. Ivette did not want to be noticed.
She rarely entered the arena this way.
As part of the pedestrians. The vagrants. They were dirty, sweaty, and throwing her off her game.
It just so happened that this night, this glorious and horrific night, Ivette Laterza was late to her own show. Or, match. This wasn’t staged-wrestling, after all. She shoves towards the side of the crowd, to a hallway crossed with a red-velvet rope and a marked security guard.
“Hey”, he shouts at her as she approaches, charging forward with the stubborn gait of a bull. “Staff members past this point only.”
Ivette, who was cloaked in a black hoodie and loose gray pants, tilted her face towards him so that he could see the three-ringed tattoo lining her temple.
“It’s me, moron”
For someone who did not want to be known, Ivette Laterza made herself distinctly identifiable.
“Oh! Babylon. Sorry, ma’am. You usually don’t come in this way. Right on back!”
He unclipped the rope and the woman, all five-foot-four of her, dark and brooding and curled into her sweater as if it could shield her from the outside, stalked past him without another word and into the comfortable silence off the long-hall weaving into the training area of the arena. Through three sets of doors. Down a staircase. Up a staircase. Down another. Past artificially-lit and humming offices and white-gray practice rooms. Finally, and to Ivette’s solemn chagrin, the light began to grow warmer and the eager chatter of voices echoed down the hall.
Ivette Laterza enters the double doors of the main training room, or the waiting room for matches, same thing, and, in that instant, changes form. Nothing about her changes. Nothing about her personality, or how she holds herself; but there is a subtle if almost imperceptible different in her identity. Out there she is Ivette – who rents an apartment in the cheap part of the city, and who spends far too much money on noodles and far too little time outside. Here, she is Bablylon, member of the Crowhounds; one of the most formidable pro-bending teams of the past few years and hot in pursuit of this year’s championship. It’s a title. It’s an honor, maybe, if one that Babylon does not often think about.
The girl unties her hoodie as she enters, pulling it off as she heads towards the only person in the room she cares to see right now. “Ezra, do you know who I need to fight to make sure the back door stays open after eight? I’m like, totally serious. I’m about to throw hands. I was late by ten – ten! – minutes and it was locked.”
Babylon throws her coat by the pile of other things the Crowhounds have brought with them. “I had to come in the normal entrance. It was like fighting through a herd of cattle. I hate children.”
Behind her, one of the show-runners, Glasses Guy, Bablyon doesn’t know his name, the one who is usually trailed by his cute if some-what doggish ginger assistant, enters the room and begins explaining to the benders that there are important people in the audience tonight, how they should be on their best behavior, no cheating, no tricks, no playing dirty, those are all synonyms but he doesn’t seem to care.
Through the small window at the top of the training room, which looked up on the arena, Babylon thinks she can see a short older woman dressed in ornate green-and-gold sitting next to a tall study Water Nation man. There is no girl next to them, though. No princess. Or daughter. Whatever she was. Where was she? Behind them a few rows is that horrid Earth-Nation cosplayer. Screw him. Babylon looks away.
“Hey, Ez? Is Danahi here yet? I’ve got something for him?”
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ℊℓоω
ɴᴏ ᴀᴅᴍɪᴛᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ʙᴜsɪɴᴇss
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Post by ℊℓоω on Aug 5, 2020 14:50:46 GMT -5
DENAHI TASLAK
WITH EZRA NAVARIO AND IVETTE LATERZA__________________________________________________________________
Thank the spirits for pro-bending. The lights, screaming fans, late nights spent training, sponsorships, celebrities, free food, the pressure to perform. Denahi lived for all of these things, and he would have none of them without that dumb, made-up game with arbitrary rules. He would probably have been a waiter somewhere. Or a landscaper. Not that those weren’t noble professions.
The point is that Denahi had very few profitable skills. He was a terrible student. Important subjects like history, geography, arithmetic, comprised a vague, amorphous blob in his brain. He always politely excused himself when the conversation veered toward politics. He never professed to be punctual either. Nor was he particularly hard-working, at least in the traditional sense. In other words, he was never cut out to be a “good worker.” Not smart enough to be a doctor. Not dedicated enough to be a lawyer.
Bending was the one thing he was always good at. Rather, pro-bending was the one thing he was good at. Bending itself had so much history and technique that he never had the patience to understand. But the sport was entirely different. It was based on instinct and physical intelligence. When a rock came flying at his face a million miles an hour, he had less than a second to decide which way to dodge. It sounds easy, but even some of the most practiced benders would never have a knack for the sport. For Denahi, it came as naturally as breathing. The game ebbed and flowed like a tide, and he fell into rhythm with it as if the same tide ebbed naturally within his veins.
Without it he would be nowhere. Or worse, he would be back home, thousands of miles away. Far from the bustle of the city which he loved.
“Denahi, we’re up in fifteen.” The stage manager’s voice popped his daydream like a bubble.
He looked up from the autograph he was signing, gaze skimming past the face of the grinning boy standing in front of him, and cast over his shoulder. “Yeah,” he assured her. In one motion, he gave the pen in his hand a practiced twirl and then tossed it to the young boy. He smiled absent-mindedly as the kid held up the glossy program like a trophy and charged back to his parents who looked on from the other side of the lobby.
A huddle of fans was beginning to form around him, and Denahi excused himself with an apologetic wave. “Catch ya next time, guys!” he announced before making a move for the side-door to backstage. He was ushered into the dimly-lit hall by the stage manager, who gave him a pointed look as he stepped through. No words were exchanged, but he knew what the look meant.
“I know, I know. No autographs until after the game.” He lowered his shoulders, pretending to be sufficiently scolded, but he could never erase the sharp white smile from his face. The stage manager made some comment under her breath about not getting paid enough for this, then they parted ways down one of the labyrinth-like halls. Denahi strode through the backstage of the arena, following the twists and turns until he arrived at that familiar door on which an insert read in bold letters: CROWHOUNDS. It was cracked open. Before he stepped inside, he could hear the familiar tones of their show-runner. He nearly collided with the man as he stepped in and the frowning, small man threw open the door.
“Is Danahi here yet? I’ve got something for him?” Babylon’s voice spoke up from inside the room. Denahi side-stepped the show runner and made his entrance a touch more dramatic by gesturing flamboyantly with his arms.
“You summoned me,” he announced to his fire-bending teammate as he plopped down on one of the benches. His seemingly perpetual smile had its own shades of variety, and in this moment it was curved into a cocky smirk as he untied the laces of his street-shoes. His electric blue eyes sought Babylon’s as he inquired, “What is it?”
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inky
I'm a free woman again! At least until the semester starts up :D
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Post by inky on Aug 6, 2020 5:20:46 GMT -5
Gema Kyan
Probending Arena doing work things
Today had been a long day, too long if you asked Gema. Her day had started before the sun was up. Cleaning up the gym after everything was left a mess from the night before was checklist item number one. Who ever was in there last left it a huge mess. She'd been too tired the night before to do any kind of practicing after hours. That seemed to be a huge mistake. She always cleaned up after throwing disks for a few hours. The ginger had pretty much done most of the heavy lifting, not that it had been too hard for her. Earthbending made it easy to shove things around as needed.
As night came the crowds started coming, and that meant it was time for the real work to happen. The teams needed their uniforms in their lockers cleaned and drinks and snacks. At least that was how Gema saw it. She didn't have to give snacks but she'd want snacks if it was her bending up there. Honestly if anyone knew anything they knew she did more than the manager did, she was the only reason he had his little notebook all neat and told him the order of everything.
Currently the two of them were standing in the training area with the Crowhounds. Now, not that Gema had favorites or anything, the Crowhounds had been the team she'd spent the most time around. Though most of it was just basic conversation and thank yous for the snacks. She'd been caught once or twice bending on her breaks. Setting the snacks she'd brought down on a small table that she'd also brought a while back, she handed her boss his notebook. He been rambling long enough, the team didn't have time to listen to him list every way he could list fowl play. Fifteen minutes went by like an Eelhound running from an angry Boar-q-pine.
"Good luck out there you guys." she waved to the three as she followed the manager out of the room, she'd had plenty of other stuff to do before the match started. They had some big names here tonight. Of course that meant it was her job to make sure everything went smoothly. So far everything was fine, the crowd was having fun and judging by the sound of it they were ready for the benders to come into the ring. What was next on the list?
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