cyclicality | [OPEN] Intro

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[OPEN] Intro

I.
After eventually finding his way to Dragonflats and managing to secure a place to stay, Jackie put away his few belongings and decided to go out and see more of this massive new city that was now his home. He made sure to make note of his address in case he got lost finding his way back and had to ask directions.

As he moved through some of the nicer areas of the city, buildings used by government officials and other impressive feats of architecture and ingenuity, Jackie had the wide eyed, gawking stare of a tourist. Before coming to Republic City, he mostly saw buildings that were two stories tall. He even saw the occasional one with three stories but nothing as grand or as breathtaking as what he saw now.

With his preoccupation with his sightseeing, he's far more likely to run into someone or stop dead in the middle of a busy sidewalk. In either case, he'll respond by apologizing profusely.

II.
"Excuse me! Oops! Sorry! Oh, sorry again!"

Jackie's running along the sidewalk as quickly as he can all while dipping, ducking, jumping and otherwise trying to avoid running into people and things as much as possible. When he'd seen the message appearing in the newspaper about jobs, he knew he had to get to the city council office as soon as possible. The message hadn't really had a lot of information but that much was clear. Hopefully, all the good jobs wouldn't be gone before he arrived out of breath.

[He'll be arriving before the actual start of the event.]

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Wow, this person's actually really nice! After some of the other people he'd met, it was nice to see that there were other nice people in the city.

Jackie smiles as Bolin places that hand on his shoulder before introducing himself.

"It's very nice to meet you! My name is Jackie! So you've lived in the city a long time?"

Hey, Bolin can't help but be nice generally. It really takes a lot to make Bolin upset at someone ~~unless that person is Mako~~. But hey, this person seems not too bad, so Bolin can't help but smile.

"Jackie, huh?" Bolin says as he commits the memory. "I'm guessing you must be somewhat new around here then?" It's a wild guess given that he practically opened with how long Bolin's been here. "But yeah, this is practically my town, really. Born here, grew up here, finally found a steady job here." He actually seems rather proud of the fact, to be honest. "In fact, it's only been in the past year really that I've even left Republic City and seen the rest of the world. Honestly, I have to say that this city is the best place in the whole world so far."

That wild guess was right on the money as Jackie gives a nod at his assumption.

"Yes, I've only been here for a few weeks. I used to live in a little village in the Earth Kingdom but I came here because I'd heard the same thing. That it's the best place in the world.

I'm liking it so far."

Bolin grins. "Well yeah, especially because the Earth Queen was a little bit, you know, crazy and all, I can imagine that living in the Earth Kingdom wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Though granted, I'm not sure things are better now that she's been killed. All I can say is that I'm glad I managed to get my family out of there amidst all the chaos. Man, Ba Sing Se really started going to the polar bear dogs."

"I heard about that. Our part of the kingdom was far enough from the capital and small enough that I doubt she even knew we existed. It's good you were able to keep your family safe though. I can't imagine what I would do if something were to happen to mine."

"Oh, well, whew!" Bolin says, finally breathing a sigh of relief. "At least you were spared most of that insanity! But yeah, Republic City is certainly alright. Not that it hasn't had its own share of... things, recently, but more or less, the people are alright.

"So, uh, if you're used to being in a small town, what brought you to the city?"

"Oh that? My parents thought that maybe I'd be able to make a better life for myself if I could find a job in Republic City. So...here I am!"

It hadn't exactly been a smooth transition, but he was starting to get settled in.

"You must have a really good job if you can travel around out of the city."

"Er... well..." Bolin stammers at the insinuation that Bolin's got a good job. He touches his two forefingers together before him and gives him a bit of a grimace. "You know, I'm... not exactly all that rich just yet. Even if the last two years have kind of taken a big turn for the better, I'm still... sometimes just scraping by, y'know. I guess it just helps that I've been travelling with the Avatar and all when she wants to go places."

And the benevolence of strangers. Asami's deep pocketbooks and Tenzin's free housing has been nice too.

He's with you right until the Avatar is mentioned, at which point everything else pretty much just flies right on past him.

"You got to travel with the Avatar?!" Yeah, he definitely didn't just scream that loud enough for the whole street to hear.

Well, if he's really honest about it, that isn't exactly a state secret or anything. He's been pictured with the Avatar quite a few times, though it might not be the most forefront thing in people's minds as they're going about their day or if they should happen to meet Bolin on the street.

Bolin takes a step or two back after Jackie just goes into megaphone mode and let the entire town know about it. But that said, he's not completely embarrassed about it, though he might be grinning a little awkwardly. "Well, yeah. In fact, she was on our pro-bending team a few years ago after our waterbender ended up getting sick, and we were the fastest friends ever since then!" Well, thereabouts; they had to go through a few hoops, but Bolin won't bring that up. Their past is generally shiny to his mind. "But yeah, after that, we got to see the South Pole with her and meet her family, and then there was the Earth Kingdom just a few months ago. She's pretty great; you should meet her one of these days!"

"Me?! Meet with the Avatar?! That would be amazing! My parents would be so proud! What is the Avatar like? I think I heard it was a woman. Is she very nice? Would I have to get new clothes before having an audience with her?"

All kinds of thoughts are running through Jackie's head at even the possibility of meeting someone so important as the Avatar. It's hard to even think of them as a person. As a child, the Avatar was like a supernatural being that he could never hope to see. Oh how far he'd come since arriving in the city.

Okay, that's... kind of funny, and Bolin will definitely try his best to stifle a good amount of chuckling at the reaction. Because he understands. "I know, right? That's how I felt about her when I first met her!" Actually he felt a little more than just that when he first met her, but that's besides the point. "And yeah, Korra's a woman... one of the sweetest, most charming, most helpful, and most greatest women I happen to know, no matter what the papers might say." He waits a second before adding, "Though she does know how to pack a good punch though..."

As for the last question Bolin just waves it off. "Nah, you're find as you are. Hey, I mean, I kind of met her right before I was about to go and have a pro-bending match. Not exactly the nicest clothes I've ever worn."

"Wooooow...she sounds amazing."

Yep, Bolin had definitely made a fan out of Jackie. If a nice guy like him could say such good things about the Avatar, then she must be as good as he says, if not better.

The mention of the pro-bending brings something to mind.

"Were you on your way to a match now?"

"She really, really is," says Bolin, grinning widely. It's not a lovey-dovey grin, though it's not like it's hugely far off from it. "She's a really great friend."

Bolin shakes his head, though, at the mention of pro-bending. "Not right at the moment, but I think there might be one tonight if you want to go. They usually still have a few tickets open to get at the last minute..."

"Wow, I'd really like to go and watch but...," he reached down and patted his sides to confirm the fact that he doesn't have any money, "I can't really afford to get a ticket right now."

Bolin winces just a little bit at that. He knows that problem all too well. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't have tons and tons of disposable income either at the moment," Bolin says with a slight grimace. "Thankfully, being in the tournament gets me in for free or else I might not ever see a match again."

Well... at least without accounting for the fact that he's got a few rich friends. Or at least one good rich friend.

"It's alright. Perhaps I'll be able to catch one of your later matches." At least Jackie isn't one to let things keep him down. Always trying to be the optimist.

"That's great!" Bolin says enthusiastically. "Just let me know if you end up coming; I might be able to show you the parts of the arena that the public doesn't get to see!" Yes, he is just offering this to a complete stranger that he just met.

"I will! Um, how should I try to reach you?"

Well, Bolin hadn't thought quite the far ahead. Whoops. "Well, just visit me or leave me a note at my door. Here, let me write down my address for you." And so he jots that down on a piece of paper.

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[OPEN] Intro

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