[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

[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.

[raavashing]

No.

[Wan took a step back.]

I was feeding people who had no money. And I'm going to do the same with this food. It's free anyway, so you don't have any right to take it from me.

[streetferret]

Yes, I do. By order of the Republic City Police, I'm placing you under arrest for suspicion of theft.

[He took a step forward, fully set to give chase if need bed.]

And if you don't do what I said, then you can count resisting arrest on top of that.

[raavashing]

This food is going to the people who need it.

[Wan hopped backward, a cloud forming under his feet to catch and hold him]

You can arrest me for feeding the poor and hungry when I'm done.

[streetferret]

[He's never seen any airbender do that, his mouth goes slack. But he gets back on task and Mako doesn't bother keeping his volume in check.]

This is crazy! Get down here, you're just making it worse if you don't.

children pls

[braavado]

[When things get heated, and their voices start escalating, the two of them start drawing the attention of the people around them--including Korra's.

She hurries over before things can get even worse.]

Wait! Both of you just--stop.

[Korra gets between them, mindful of the curious onlookers.]

Let's just find some place to talk this out, privately.

You're not the boss of- OW OW OW Okay! I'm coming

[raavashing]

[Wan was ready to just jet away and be damned the consequences of it. But Korra's arrival and request was enough for him to release the cloud and fall the foot or so he'd been hovering back to the ground. He kept his glare at Mako up as he carefully shifted so Korra was no longer between the two of them. If Mako wanted to lash out, he wasn't goint to let Korra take any of it for his sake.

He didn't say anything, but it was clear he was willing to do as Korra had asked.]

HE STARTED IT!

[streetferret]

[Korra showing up shouldn't surprise him, but Mako was expecting to be able to handle this single-handedly.

Until the whole cloud thing. But he's glad she got him down. If he doesn't respect authority, at least he respects the Avatar.]

Yeah. Like interrogation at HQ.

[He glares back, arms crossing over his chest.]

[braavado]

Or we could just go inside the Air Temple.

[Korra glances between the two with some concern. Seriously, how did things even get this bad?]

He's not going to run, are you, W-- [She cuts herself off, pursing her lips.] W...ei... Right. Wei.

[Sorry, Wan, that's your name until they get this cleared up.]

[raavashing]

[Okay, that? That got a very HDU look from Wan directed at Korra.

Yeah, no. He's not letting that stand. Not when he's already riled up.]

The name is Wan. And you know that.

[But he starts heading for the temple after he says that.]

It's not like there aren't a thousand Wan's anyway. You don't need to change my name when no one remembers me.

[streetferret]

[Mako narrows his eyes the instant he sees the look Wan gives her. Uncrossing his arms, he goes to follow after, looking back at Korra.

A surefire way to get on Mako bad...er side.]

What the heck is he on about?

[There were a thousand Wan's. Mako's gone through the books enough times to know that.]

[braavado]

[Korra just throws up her hands, already feeling frustrated--both from having to jump in between a friend and her past self, and also that she'd somehow managed to offend said past life, all within the span of minutes.

There's just some days where he feels like she can't get anything right.]

Let's just go inside, okay?

[Korra squares her shoulders and walks toward the temple after them, checking around until she finds an empty room where they can talk without being disturbed.

Then she looks at Wan.]

Look, I'm sorry if what I said hurt you somehow, but there's already another Avatar running around, and I didn't know what you wanted me to do.

[raavashing]

You don't have to do anything!

[Wan said back, throwing his own hands up in exacerbation.]

I'm only using the power of air in public. Everyone thinks I'm just one of the new airbenders. You and whoever you've told are the only ones that know who and what I am. Even Aang doesn't know anything more than me being an Avatar.

[And that was when he realized Mako was still there. Mouth snapping shut and his eyes going wide, his gaze flicked between the two several times before he spoke very quietly.]

Is it okay if he hears this?

[streetferret]

[Mako looks from Korra to Wan, the 'another Avatar' statement making him raise a brow.

So he's that Wan. Korra's mentioned him once and it never crossed Mako's mind this might be him.]

Yes, of course it's okay if I hear this! Why do you think Korra asked me to come in here?

[Avatar or not, Mako's still giving him a hard lined face.]

He can't keep stealing food.

[braavado]

Mako's a friend--I trust him. [Just like she would any member of Team Avatar.] Besides, he's one of the best detectives around. If he knows all the details, maybe he'll notice something that the rest of us don't.

[Korra's smile fades and she rubs at the back of her neck while she considers the two of them again.]

Okay. I'm sorry. No more fake names, I promise. [She says to Wan, before she looks back at Mako.] What were you saying about stealing food?

[raavashing]

[He put a hand on his hip and nodded at Korra. He would accept her judgement in this.]

Okay.

[But Wan's glare returned full strength when he responded to Mako.]

I'm not stealing any today. It's free.

[streetferret]

You [Mako points at Wan.] are the food thief that's been reported multiple times.

[Twice, but multiple means more than one. He moves his mouth to one side of his face at it being free.

Were he in his shoes, Mako'd be doing the same. And he has been in his shoes before.]

I should take him in or else he'll keep doing it. [Mako glances at Korra. If he can free up a nuisance from all the RCPD's dealing with right now, all the better.]

[raavashing]

I already told you you can arrest me after I get this food to the people that need it.

[He totally would keep doing it, though. But he also didn't expect to be kept very long over petty food theft. A couple days at most. They didn't really have anything on him other than that.]

[braavado]

[Multiple times? Korra frowns. Well, she can see where that might be a problem, but at the same time... ]

Mako, he’s new to the city. Can’t we just work something out first? [She props a hand on her hips.] And technically, he’s right. The food at the festival’s free. He’s not doing anything wrong …this time.

[Korra turns her attention back to Wan now.] Who are you taking the food to?

[streetferret]

[A no forms firmly in his throat and then she puts her hand on her hips, diminishing it into a sigh as he tightens his crossed arms.]

Yeah, it’s free. This time.

[Mako shifts his attention back to Wan, not sure if he wants to hear the answer.]

[raavashing]

[Wan's hand was back on one hip as he looked away from both of them, feeling put out that Korra was questioning him about that.]

I told you. It's going to those that need it. There are a lot more poor and homeless people who don't get enough to eat living in this city than there were in the one I grew up in. None of them should have to go a day without food. I know this won't feed them all, but it'll feed some of them.

[braavado]

[She sends Mako a look, completely with bottom lip sticking out. She’s trying to reason with her past life here, don’t make it worse!]

It’s…really that bad, isn’t it. [This isn’t the first time poverty’s been brought to her attention, except this time she feels like she should be doing something about it. Talking with some of the normal cityfolk since the whole mess started has made her realize she hasn’t done enough mingling with the normal people at all. And some of those people had helped her when she needed it, back when the Equalists had taken over the city.

Korra looks at Wan seriously.]

I’ll help you take the food to them. The air nation helps people, no matter where they’re from, right? [And so should the Avatar.] We can talk to Jinora and Aang again, see if we can think of a way to help them regularly. But you have to promise you won’t steal food from the city vendors if we can make a plan for this, okay? [Korra’s eyes flicker to Mako briefly.] Even if you’re just doing it to help other people, you’re still stealing from people who’re working for their living, too.

[raavashing]

[Wan's frown deepened at the request. But then an idea came to him and he smiled sweetly, innocently. smugly He was clearly planning something.]

Alright. You get the Air Nation to help feed those that need it and I promise I won't steal from street vendors anymore.