[Open: Yangchen Festival]

[savedtheworld]

[Today's the day of the Yangchen Festival! It's an airbender ceremony held on Air Temple Island, but the people of Republic City are likely to know of it and are welcome to join in as well. Aang is eager to invite any of his friends he's seen around as well- it's a ceremony he's missed dearly, even if he doesn't know the full story behind it. At the same time, Aang is trying to keep his true identity on the down-low.

The ceremony itself can be described on these pages. Essentially it involves everyone getting together as one group, bowing together to a large statue and then taking a walk while playing a number of musical instruments used by the air nomads. (There may or may not be a matching statue on Air Temple Island how about playing that part vague)

Finally, there's the more festival-y part. They settle in an open area of Air Temple Island. There, everyone gets to eat traditional air nomad meals (read: vegetarian food), and there's kites to fly! There's stringless kites for the airbenders, but the air acolytes have ensured that there's enough stringed kites for everyone. They'll be celebrating there all through the afternoon. So come on over and enjoy!]

Comments

Open

[streetferret]

Kites
[NOPE. Mako's not flying a kite.

The party pooper's sticking to the fringes and keeping an eye out to act as security. Even though he's not on the job, the detective's used to being like that from looking after Bolin for years. The scarfless wonder can be found making routine laps around the island. Please not to be hitting him with a kite.]

Feast
[Even an honest cop with nothing to lose has to eat.

Seated at one of the tables, Mako's got a plate of Air Nomad grub. Others are talking and having fun conversations; he's more focused on his own thoughts. No one should look that serious on a day like this, but for Mako it's a Tuesday. A Tuesday that has him more stressed than ever thanks to all the missing important figures of the city, police work, and more personal issues.

Which is why there's no one sitting around him. All work and no play make dull firebender boys.]

Wildcard
[Come across inside the temple itself? He's lived in it briefly before and knows his way around. One of the meditation pavilions? A quiet, introspective person like Mako would like it there. Did you just push him into the Yue Bay? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?]

Kites!!!!!!!!!!!

[braavado]

[Wow, don't be a party pooper, Mako. When she spies him standing off to the side instead of joining the festivities, Korra isn't exactly surprised. That doesn't keep her from rolling her eyes and sending her kite swooping down at him with a smirk.

Maybe it'll swerve and avoid him in time, maybe it won't.]

[streetferret]

[Hands in his pockets, Mako's staring out across the Yue Bay. From here he can see the pro-bending arena. It was there Toza took them off the streets, taught them pro-bending; make an honest living. There wasn't any more garbage piles to sleep on or food to swipe off unsuspecting citizens. The life he had struggled through just to keep the family of two going, survive the street life; it all changed when he walked through those doors.

A wind blows and he feels the absence of his father's scarf.

Even his grandmother isn't here to-]

Ow! What's your problem!?

[Jarred out of his melancholy, Mako rubs his head and turns around.]

[braavado]

[Korra can't help it; she bursts into laughter when Mako doesn't even try to dodge the kite. At least it had been nothing more than a gentle bump to his head.

Still grinning, Korra makes the kite circle around Mako playfully.]

What are you doing all the way over there?

[You're here to celebrate, not brood, Mako.]

[streetferret]

Oh, Korra? Hey. [His eyes follow the kite for a second before look at her. Apparently it’s less of big deal since she’s the one that did it.]

Got carried away while I was patrolling the island, making sure no one tries to take advantage of the party. [This is being carried away…

Brooding and focusing on work that he’s not even on the clock for.]

[braavado]

What? [Korra's smile turns a little incredulous, and she crosses her arms.]

You're kidding, right? You're not even on duty right now, Officer.

[streetferret]

Uh, yeah, well [She has him there and he tilts his head as he croaked out a prolonged 'uhh']

I mean someone's got to, right? [Hearing all that happens after dealing Zaheer has him a little too focused on the serious side of things.] Police are spread thin over the city, so it's my duty.

[braavado]

I think the city will be fine if you take one day off.

[Korra grabs him by the wrist, hoping Mako's not going to be awkward about needing his space again, and drags him toward the table where some extra kites are laid out.]

C'mon, Mako. Just relax and have a little fun.

[streetferret]

Hey, wait-!

[But he's dragged off. Not like he's going to really find anyone to arrest.

Even he knows that.]

I'm, not really a kite person.

[Meaning he's never flown a kite before.]

[braavado]

So, basically, you’ve never tried flying a kite before, right?

[She knows you too well, Mako.]

Now’s a good time to try, don’t you think?

[streetferret]

Never had a reason to.

[Or the money, or parents to show him how. But he’s not going to split hairs.]

That’s for airbenders anyway. [His eyes fix on a kite trailing behind an older man holding a spool of string and then back to Korra.]

Usually.

[braavado]

Yeah…tell that to the non benders who’re getting along with their kites just fine.

[She gives his wrist another insistent tug.]

C’mon, Mako. Just try it before you decide you’re not interested.

[streetferret]

[Mako closes his lips to let an exhale out his nose. If anyone can get him to do something he thinks is stupid, it's Korra.]

Yeah, okay. Just one run, or whatever it's called.

[There better be one in red.]

Feast

[raavashing]

[Wan is walking around with his hood down at this point and not so subtly taking food that would keep well and hiding it away in his second-hand shirt. And oh, hey... he sort of matches that police sketch of this airbender that stole food from a vendor at the Avatar Aang Memorial a few days ago... and the City Park later that same day.

And he's hiding food under his shirt. Which is technically not stealing right now but...]

/busts out Mako's overdramatic self

[streetferret]

[Suspicious activity is exactly what the sharp eyed cop is looking out for.

In fact, he notices the dubious figure stashing food away instead of onto a plate like everyone else and of course no one's even paying attention. It's a festival, the cop doesn't expect them to. Not when it's the policeman's job so they can enjoy themselves.

Abandoning his plate, Mako gets to his feet and takes slow steps in his direction, his brain flipping the detective rolodex in his brain.

It's like everything slows down when he makes a match.]

Hey. [His voice loud and firm, but nothing strong enough to disturb the others.]

On mobile, going to skip small text

[raavashing]

[[Wan looked over at the 'hey', mostly to see if someone was talking to him or not because the sound was so close. Despite that being a possibility, he was still just a little surprised that anyone was actually talking to him. He straightened his shoulders and smiled at the stern-faced man. Then gave a quick hello wave before returning to his task of fitting as much food in his shirt as he could.]]

Hello.

[streetferret]

[That’s hardly the reaction Mako’s expecting. He stares as he continues hoarding food.

Just what is he doing?]

There are plates and tables. [But he says it sarcastically before cutting to the chase.]

Were you at Aang’s Memorial and the park two days ago? [The question’s just to get the guy’s attention. Mako’s already set to take him in for questioning on the thefts since he fits the description.

Even though he’s out of uniform…]

[raavashing]

I see them-

[Wan cut off his answer at the oddly specific question and raised an eyebrow.]

Why do you want to know?

[streetferret]

I'm a detective with the Republic City Police department.

[And to just about everyone else, that might mean something.]

Now answer the question.

[raavashing]

[He was not particularly well versed in what a 'detective' was, but he knew what the Police were. Wan squared his shoulders and shifted his left foot into a better position for if he had to make a run for it or fight.]

I don't want to and I don't have to. I haven't done anything wrong.

[streetferret]

Yeah, you do.

[Keeping his eyes locked on his, Mako narrowed them slightly.]

Did you take food that didn't belong to you at those places?

[raavashing]

I didn't take anything that they couldn't afford to give. Other people needed it more.

[Translation: TOTALLY. AND I DON'T REGRET IT.

Wan put a hand on his hips and met Mako's eyes.]

[streetferret]

They made that food to sell and you took it. Stealing is against the law.

[This is exactly why he's been keeping an eye out. On the nigh impossible chance of catching a hobo Avatar.]

I'm going to have to ask you to come with me to the police station.

[raavashing]

You can ask all you want, I'm not going. Feeding someone that's hungry isn't wrong.

[streetferret]

I didn't say it was! I said it's against the law to steal. Even if it's food.

[A subject hew knows a little too much about, and it's frustrating on both ends. He knows that much now.]

That's no longer a request. Empty your pockets and put your hands behind your back.