The Fire Ferrets Tryouts! [semi-private]

[lavamylife]

[EDIT:  OOC:  This post is mostly private for waterbenders and firebenders as they're the only people that would actually be trying out.  However, if you want to interact with some of the others (and Bolin would be okay with you being there -- feel free to ask me if you're unsure!), feel free to pose in, either for Bolin or with the other people involved.  Sorry for the complicated rules and whatnot, but I figure it'd be worth it to be inclusive as opposed to exclusive!]

[Private-ish to firebenders and waterbenders]

"Alright, Pabu.  It's time to get the Fire Ferrets back in action!  Are you with me?"

The fire ferret squeaks in approval as he sits atop Bolin's shoulder.  Bolin nods back with the biggest grin, and he pushes open the doors into the gym where no doubt several candidates were waiting to join his elite crew.

"Welcome, everyone, to the official Fire Ferrets team tryouts.  I might not have met each of you personally, and you might have instead just found one of my many fliers instead, but my name is Bolin, team captain and previous pro-bending champion!  Also, I'm a mover star and the earthbender of the team.  I hope you've all brought your A-game to this event, because only the best of the best can be on the Fire Ferrets, and this year we're going to show all those other teams what we're made of and take back the championship!  I'm not going to go easy on you, and I definitely want to make sure we're taking on the right people.  Some of you will go away disappointed, but two of you will ride with Pabu and I to victory once again!  To each of you, I wish you all the best of luck.  Let's get started!

"So first up today, we have..."

[OOC: Bolin will be pairing up potential candidates into 1v1 or 2v2 matches.  Feel free to find a friend with the opposite element and fight some NPCs, or find a competitor of your element and have a duel with one another?  Or have a more personal "interview" with Bolin... and you can try to get to know Bolin and the rocks that he throws at people better?  Or all of the above!  While you do need to impress Bolin, feel free to have fun and show off your bending to your competitors too.]

Comments

[paishodown]

Lovely. Asami glanced sideways at the man who settled next to him. There weren't very many people she recognized from that first day, but he was one of them. Her initial reaction was to frown, stick out her lower lip in petty annoyance.

But she was also never one to let that linger. Asami mustered up a pleasant (enough) expression and cleared her throat.

"Did you need something? Water?"

[raavashing]

"No," he pouted like a child. Then a moment later lifted one hand up in acceptance while leaning his head on the other, "But I would like some. Please."

I went and made this icon just for this tag

[paishodown]

Really?

Asami's eyes threatened to roll all the way back into her head as she handed Wan a water bottle and set a towel on the bench next to him.

"Don't worry, my hypocrisy isn't contagious through touch."

[raavashing]

Wan gave her a side-eyed semi-glare as he opened the bottle and took a short drink. As he closed it and wiped his mouth, he finally spoke, "Your hypocrisy isn't what I'm worried about catching."

[paishodown]

"Mmmmhm." Asami drew it out on purpose.

"So tell me, how are you going to revolutionize Republic City with your surely philanthropic career as a probender?" It was part of the interview, of course. What, nobody told you that there would be an interview??

[raavashing]

"I'll use the money to buy food and medicine for those that can't afford it on their own," he answered immediately without any thought to it. "Like I did with what little money those care packages of yours had."

[paishodown]

"I hope that's what you did with it," Asami said in earnest.

"It's not exactly a glamorous job, but if you can figure out how to keep yourself afloat and do that, power to you."

[raavashing]

"That is what I did with it," Wan's voice took an indignant edge. "The only money I've spent on myself was for new clothes and I did that with money I earned making some deliveries. Not from the money you were giving out."

He leaned back, "I'm not worried about me. I can take care of myself."

[paishodown]

"All right, I'm not challenging your competence." So he was a survivalist. Asami managed to contain another eye roll.

"You constantly telling me about how selfless you are isn't going to change anything." She wasn't going to apologize for being smart with him. She'd offered him a drink and he'd pouted at her like a child. If he was truly taking everything she said seriously...

[raavashing]

That comment caught him off guard and he blinked at her for a few moments in confusion. He mentally reviewed their conversation and he realized she was taking his talking about what he was doing for others as some sort of... bragging maybe? He hadn't even thought about it from that angle.

"That wasn't the point," he finally grumbled. "It's not about me."

[paishodown]

"That's what they all say." Asami's tone wasn't cynical or sarcastic. She was just mildly pointing out a fact. Maybe it was different where this guy was from. The countryside, or something. But nothing was so black and white in Republic City.

[raavashing]

Her tone wasn't cynical or sarcastic, but it was hard to take the words as anything else.

"Well, I mean it," he retorted, feeling even more put upon by her. Huffing again, he stood up and crossed his arms. "I'm not here to help myself."

[paishodown]

"All right," Asami said with a shrug.

"I'm still not sure why you're getting so... childishly defensive about it."

[raavashing]

"I'm not being childish!"

He totally was.

"And you're the one trying to call me a liar anyway! I'm not a liar!"

[raavashing]

"...not about stuff like that, anyway," he mumbled loud enough to be heard, still frustrated but willing to admit he did lie about some things.

[paishodown]

"I never called you a liar, I reasonably decided that I couldn't just trust you blindly because I don't even know you."

Honestly...

[raavashing]

That! ...was actually reasonable. Wan had forgotten that. He'd gotten so used to being the Avatar, being trusted by the spirits, being trusted by the Lion Turtles, and because of the Lion Turtles, being trusted (though not necessarily liked) by other humans. He'd forgotten how hard he'd worked to gain that trust. While it was easy for him to give it, it was not so easy for others.

His arms dropped and he straightened his shoulders. When he looked back at her it was with a confident smile, "You're right. You haven't seen any proof of my words being sincere. And you probably never will. There's not a lot I can do about that unless one of goes out of our way."

[paishodown]

And suddenly he was being rational about it? Asami's skeptical look faded into confused questioning.

"You see where I'm coming from, then?"

[raavashing]

"About having no personal reason to believe me, I do, yes," he said, nodding. He still didn't think she was doing enough for those with less than her, but that wasn't worth getting into right then and there. "I forgot something important I shouldn't have and you reminded me of that."