#yes buzzer goals but there is a reason the goals are so tiny in both hockey and lacrosse

[ordophilosophicus]

It's funny how so many are "I wish exy was real". Honey, just go get yourself a box lacrosse team and forget the umpire at home.

[emberbent]

Book 1: Fire | Chapter 1: The End

In the heart of Republic City, it was a smoggy, humid afternoon. Through the streets trudged languid couriers with their empty rickshaws behind them; capuchin cats sought shade beneath the parked Satomobiles that lined the curbs; vendors called out their wares - mostly cold treats to combat the oppressive summer heat. 

The General’s Tea House, the high street’s most popular tea joint during on-season, was scarcely populated today. The place smelled of wilted jasmine and salty sweat. Two old men sat at the bar, ignoring each other, wasting the afternoon away. A handful of university students studied at one of the tables in the sunken main area in front of the stage.

“Nobody wants hot tea on a hot day,” Shinza complained behind the sheer curtain that partitioned the stage from the back of the house. “Let’s just bail and get some ice cream.”

Behind her, Nero had already uncased her flute. “We need the money,” she reasoned. “Let’s just get it over with, and then I’ll buy you a birthday drink.” She passed Shinza on the way to the stage, bumping hips with her friend for a little confidence. The two had been friends since their days as students at Republic City University; it seemed like they had graduated so recently, but when Shinza stopped to think about how long it had been since that day, and how the two of them, like many others their age, hadn’t ever really found their careers, a black cloud seemed to grow over her head. Expelling a deep breath, Shinza followed Nero out onto the stage, slipping the strap of her guitar over her head. If nothing else, at least she could get lost in the song for a moment.

“Thank you,” Shinza said as she stepped in front of the microphone, in response to the solitary student sitting in the corner table who’d whistled at them. “Thanks. This one’s an old favorite - we hope you like it.”

What Shinza loved about performing with Nero is that the two of them seemed to be two gears in the same mechanism, turning effortlessly together toward the same goal. Nero brought her flute to her lips, and Shinza strummed the first note. Together, they produced an airy, dreamy rendition of Secret Tunnel, one which caught the attention of the two old men at the bar, who by anyone’s assessment might not have been impressed by much at all. By the end of the song, the men and the lone student cheered, with the others applauding on autopilot, not daring to break away from the books in front of them. 

Shinza and Nero bowed to their audience, slipping backstage to rest their instruments and take a quick interlude at the bar. “So, birthday girl,” Nero purred, sidling up and climbing into a bar stool. “What’ll it be?”

Shinza, much taller than her friend, perched on the stool beside her and pretended to scan the menu, although they both knew what she would order. “Mmm… pear sake.”

“What a surprise,” Nero teased. Then to the bartender, she said, “Make that two, please.”

Shinza settled, taking in the atmosphere of the place - the shuffling of pages turning; the idle sounds of the students clearing their throats or tapping their pens. Beside her, Nero shifted in her seat. “You’re going quiet on me,” she noted. “What’s up?”

“I don’t know,” Shinza shrugged. “I mean… That’s a lie. I do know. I’m twenty-seven, and this is what I have to show for it? This is what I’ve been doing with my life?”

She’d known her art degree wouldn’t amount to much, unless by some stroke of luck she could manage to become a famous artist, or maybe end up teaching at the university she’d graduated from. But those odds were long, and the competition too strong for those odds to play out in her favor. It had been a risk that hadn’t paid off. Her parents would have happily paid for her tuition, if she’d chosen to be a doctor like her mother had done. But she hadn’t, and now she was saddled with debt from a degree she didn’t use. Feeling aimless was what had brought her and Nero together in the first place, and it was a continuing feeling that they lacked any real value in society that had created such a strong bond between them.

“Hey,” Nero sounded in that famous mom-friend tone of hers. “Look, just because some people are lucky enough to have a passion for something that makes them money in life doesn’t mean we have it so bad. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Besides - we may not be rolling in cash, but I love performing with you. That has to count for something.”

“I do too,” Shinza replied. “I really do. I hope you know that. It’s just… I feel like I’m doing this in the meantime, you know? Whatever that means. I don’t even know what I’m waiting for.”

Behind them, a man and a woman entered the teahouse; neither Shinza nor Nero paid them any mind as the bartender slid them a jar of hot sake and two tiny cups, until the two approached the bar. “Shinza Kwon?” said the woman. “We need you to come with us.”

As Shinza swiveled to face them, it was immediately clear that they weren’t from around here. They wore the garments of Fire Nation officials - which she only happened to know from the Contemporary Fire Nation Studies class she’d taken, and from pictures her father’s family had sent from Fire Fountain City. 

“Uh…” Shinza squinted at them. How did they know her name?” “I’m sorry - why?”

The woman and her partner, in unison, placed their knuckles into their palms and bowed to her. “Ms. Kwon, it’s recently come to light that you’re the Avatar. You need to come with us immediately; a lot of time has been wasted already.” Was this a joke? Had Nero set up an elaborate prank on her to cheer her up?

“Hilarious,” Shinza noted. She wasn’t laughing. “I’m not even a bender. You’ve got the wrong person.”

“You’re Shinza Kwon,” the man recited. “Graduate of Republic City University? Daughter of Li Kwon, a retired United Forces captain, and Desa Kwon, a doctor? You live at Eighteen Dichi Street, apartment–”

“Yes,” Shinza stopped him. She felt as if she were melting into her seat. Around her, not a single patron was looking anywhere but at her and the Fire Nation officials. Most of them were slack-jawed; two of them bowed reverently. “That’s me. But I don’t understand. How can I–”

“Time is of the essence,” the man pressed. “Please, we need to get you to your destination.”

Shinza stared them down, as if maybe by sheer force of will, she could find the answer between the two of them. “Can I see some ID?”

The woman rolled her eyes and groaned, unfurling the official scroll - which, by scanning, Shinza came to learn was the official documentation summoning her to the Island of the Sun Warriors - complete with the Fire Lord’s seal.

“Good enough for me,” she said weakly, slipping down off her bar stool, leaving Nero with their untouched sake. Her friend’s dark eyes were wide and round, as if Shinza were a ghost. The officials took Shinza by the arms and gently but swiftly led her to the door. The two patrons who had bowed to her hadn’t lifted their heads yet; one patron who stood by the door made a point of rudely bumping into the three of them as they exited the establishment. The two tucked Shinza into their Sato, parked along the curb; the engine was still running as the woman slipped into the driver’s seat.

“So, hang on,” Shinza sounded. “Where exactly are we going? I don’t understand how you could possibly think I’m the Avatar.”

“We have intel,” the man reported, as if that answered everything. “We’re taking you to the Island of the Sun Warriors so you can start your training immediately. You’re… very behind.”

“When? Like, now?”

“Yes. Right now.”

“But wait, what about my apartment? What about my capuchin cat?”

“We’ll make arrangements for you. Don’t worry.”

Panic began to swell in her chest as the Sato pulled out into traffic, going notably above the speed limit as they dodged other Satos, rickshaws, and people alike. “Can I at least say goodbye to my parents? So they know where I’m going? Please, they just live two blocks from here.”

The two officials looked at each other. “Fine,” said the woman.

They reached her parents’ apartment building, stopping along the curb. “Just hang back here. I’ll only be a second.”

“No. We’re coming with you,” said the man.

Shinza blinked at him for a second and then sighed as she opened the door and slid out of the vehicle and onto the sidewalk. Whoever these people were, their job seemed strictly never to let her out of their sight. Before they entered the building, Shinza pressed the buzzer mounted on the bricks. “Mom? Dad? It’s me. Can you let me in?”

“Hi, baby,” said her mother’s voice. “Everything okay? Come on up.”

Was everything okay? Shinza felt dizzy as the officials led her through the door and into the elevator car. The confinement of the space seemed both to clear her head and make her even dizzier. At last, the bell sounded and the doors slid open, revealing her parents’ floor. Shinza led the officials to the correct door, and she rang the doorbell.

It seemed like days passed between when she heard the sound of the bell and when her mother finally answered the door. But when she did, as soon as she saw her Shinza framed by two Fire Nation officials, she grew pale, understanding in an instant what was happening. 

“Mrs. Kwon,” said the man flanking Shinza. “Your daughter is the Avatar. She requested we come visit you on our way to the Fire Nation.”

The door slowly swung open wider; behind her mother, her father caught sight of the three in the doorway. Despite his bad leg, using his cane, he found his way onto one knee, bowing reverently the way they did in his homeland. “Mama,” Shinza said evenly, despite finding herself suddenly blinded by her own tears. “I don’t understand.”

“Go with them, child,” said her father as he painstakingly made his way back to his feet. 

“But what about Bao? I’m going to lose my apartment.”

“Don’t worry,” said her mother, placid as the moon, as she wiped away tears with her long sleeve. “We’ll go get Bao. He can live with us.”

The man nudged Shinza. “We have to go.”

“I’ll be in touch,” Shinza called to both of her parents, although she wasn’t sure whether that was strictly accurate. Her parents gazed down the hall at the three of them from the open doorway, her mother blowing a kiss. “We love you, Shinza,” she said. “No matter what.”

Back in the Sato, Shinza wiped tears off her face, embarrassed at having let her emotions gain control of her, especially in front of two people she didn’t even know. As they pulled away from the curb, the city passed them by in a blur. Shinza felt somehow, despite having grown up here and being as familiar with the streets and the shops and apartments along them as the veins on the backs of her hands, she was suddenly a stranger here. The ride was silent for a long time as they left downtown and headed for the port, just on the outskirts.

The man turned around in the passenger seat to face Shinza. “I’m sorry this all happened so quickly. But you should know that you’re doing the right thing. You’ve lost a lot of time, but it’s not your fault. I’m Zhang, by the way, and that’s Mai.”

“Hey,” said Mai, chancing a glance at Shina in the rearview mirror.

“We’re taking you to a boat bound for the island,” said Zhang, “Once we’re there, you’ll start your training.”

“Nice to, uh… meet you, I guess,” said Shinza. She still didn’t know how they could possibly have her, a non-bender, confused for the Avatar. But she had a feeling Zhang and Mai didn’t know, either. For how quickly the trip to her parents’ place seemed to go by, the journey to the port seemed to take an eternity.

“You want some music?” asked Mai, her hand hovering over the radio dial in the dash.

“No,” Shinza replied. “Thanks.”

After what seemed like an eternity in a car with two strangers, the coast finally crept in from the horizon. The air smelled salty as they pulled into a lot that housed the Satos of people boarding the boats that lined the docks. Mai and Zhang came around to collect Shinza, who had already slid out from the back seat.

“I know it’s annoying,” said Mai as she and Zhang took their positions on either side of her. “But surely you’ve heard of everything happening with The Org. We can’t risk anything happening to you. Especially now, when you’re not trained yet.”

The three of them made their way to a dock, at which a sizable travel vessel with the Fire Nation flag waving proudly from its mast sat waiting for them to board. Ahead of them, several families, single adults, and a few unaccompanied children queued along the wooden ramp, each with their tickets ready. She and her escorts didn’t have tickets; the scroll with the Fire Lord’s seal was more than enough to grant them passage.

Shinza had heard of The Org, and had seen the flyers that littered the streets after their periodic demonstrations. She’d even heard whispers that what went on inside the group was much more dangerous than what most people knew about. But the truth was that she’d never concerned herself with the Avatar or whatever The Org had against them. What business was it of hers? Apparently, now, it was very much her business. As Mai flashed the scroll at the person permitting entry, Shinza wished she’d bothered to give a damn when she’d had the chance.

With one last look behind her at the view of Republic City, Shinza boarded the boat, feeling that somehow this marked the end of her life as she had always known it.

[whimsicalwhespir]

Chaosworld: chapter 1- Red leaders

It was a rainy October day, the sky was a light gray and it was slightly chilly outdoors. This was a particularly lazy Wednesday for the Red army. Tord was in a board meeting, zoning in and out of reality as the board discussed costs of ammo and weaponry for soldiers. It was only about 3 months since the incident with his friends and Tord was already mostly healed up from the injuries caused by the crash of his giant robot but there were still scars on his shoulder and face. Since that day, he couldn’t stop thinking about Tom, Edd and Matt.

Had it really been 3 months since he’d seen them? It felt like an eternity. Even more so with the monotone voice of the head from the board rambling on about guns and other unimportant stuff. Tord was bored out of his mind when the head of the board suddenly went “Would that be alright with you, Red leader?” Tord was caught off guard but then stammered “Uh, yeah .That’s fine with me.”

Due to him not listening whatsoever, Tord had no clue what he was agreeing to.

…

Tord later went to his office and walked towards his desk. The room was colored mostly red, with accents of gold. One of the walls was a large window that went from the top to the bottom of the wall that perfectly displayed the entire army base along with the gloomy day it was. Displayed along the walls were pictures of Tord, Paul, Patryk and past soldiers from the army. He sat at his wooden, velvet lined desk at the end of the room by the window and sat in his large comfy chair. Tord exhaled and glanced at one of his drawers. He carefully pulled it out and reached for a tiny wooden box in the back of the drawer.

Tord opened the small box and inside there were photos, souvenirs and small objects all from the times he had spent living with his friends. He selected a photo from the box and it on it was Edd, Matt, Tom and himself on front of their house. The picture was taken right after they had all pitched in to buying a house a year before they finished college. Tord didn’t remember who took the picture but it didn’t really matter now. Tord looked at everyone in the photo. They were all happy. If only that time had lasted longer. Wait, what if…

Tord pressed a buzzer on his table and called upon Paul and Patryk, two of his strongest and most loyal soldiers and friends in the Red army. Both of them arrived together and were very confused. “Sir, is there something wrong?” asked Patryk, “Are there any enemies heading towards us or any threats on the way that you would like us to warn the solders about?” Tord chuckled and swiftly told them that there were no incoming dangers that he knew of. “Then what’s going on Red leader?” questioned Paul, “There must be a reasonable explanation as to why you called us here.”

“Indeed there is Paul.” said Tord turning around to face the army base. “As it has become clear to me through many years leading the Red army, you two have been the most effective in leading the soldiers in the right direction during battles, have been the most loyal to me and the army and have been successful role models to everyone here. Including me.”

Paul and Patryk smiled and Patryk started to speak, “Why, Red leader it is a great honor to know we have earned your respect but we owe it to you for pushing us towards this goal of helping the army. As much as I am grateful, I have to ask why it necessary to inform us of this information now?”

“Well recently I’ve decided that this life is just not right for me. Leading an army, not being able to go out and explore like I used to. The life I’m living right now is taking a toll on my physical and mental state.” Tord explained. Paul suddenly piped in, “Sir what are you saying?” Tord turns and faces the two soldiers before him. “I’m saying that although this life is not cut out for me, it is for you two. I miss my old friends and my old life. So I’m resigning from my position and handing my rank over to you two and going to move in with my old roommates.”

Paul and Patryk were completely speechless. They could not believe the words that had just come out of the Red leader’s mouth. “But Red leader, we don’t know how to control your empire! We can’t lead without you, we can’t-“, “You focus on the things that you think you are unable to achieve but I have faith in you both, Red leaders. I know you’ll be able to command just as I did.”

…

Tord had already packed his things when Patryk walked into the room. “Red leader-“, “Tord.” “Oh, um yes. Tord, I know you may trust us to lead the army but I’m not sure we’ll be able to do it.” Patryk said unsurely. Tord sighed and took out an old phone that was in his bag. “Here, take this.” Tord said to Patryk then tossed the small flip phone over to him. “If you ever need help running the Red army or with anything else just call me. I’ll always be there to help you if you need something” said Tord as he picked up his luggage. “I’m sure if I ever need help I can count on you as well.” Patryk then smiled, “Of course sir- uh, Tord.” Tord smirked, said his goodbyes to the army and headed out of the army base to a helicopter ready for his departure.

“Time to go home.”