Triads, Try-Outs, & Tours

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*The Dancing Dragons are the underdogs, which means that they get the worst hours at Toza's gym in the Arena. Ordinarily, that would mean that they would have to come in at 8 AM sharp, but oddly, someone actually wanted that spot. So that means they have the gym starting from 9 PM until closing hours, should they so choose, at 2 in the morning. This doubles as the team's first meeting, as the talent scout had negotiated their contract, with Gabriel as the Team Captain. Right now, they don't even have a sponsor.*
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*It's up to Astarte's parents if they want to stay open or not, but business is slow tonight. They had 1 customer come in around dinner time, & since he ordered a coffee 4 hours ago, he's done nothing but paperwork.*
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*Mortal & Euryale have been on patrol since 7, in an armored truck lent to them by the police department. Of course, right now, the car was parked next to Republic City Park. Mortal was looking at Euryale's helmet, discarded on the dashboard, when Euryale herself finally opened up the driver door & came back in, clutching a white paper bag. She closed the door & opened the bag, letting Mortal get a look at the donuts.*

"I got the goods."
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*Noctis was called to the Red Monsoon Headquarters (legally a Waterbender club), & led to the basement when she arrived. The basement was finished, with white walls, a pair of dark blue couches & a matching armchair around a table. A television sits opposite this area in a hollow in the wall. The space also contains a bar area, & 3 other doors, one of which Senthose emerges from.*
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*As always, Eve is allowed a modest square of space, about 8x8 to conduct research on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] observation deck, unhindered by any other visitors. Judging by her star chart, there's going to be a full moon at the end of the month. It doesn't look like there are going to be any major astrological events.*
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*Somewhere along the line, Marcus found a woman who worked with the Purists. She wears black clothes with a black scarf wrapped around her head. Coincidentally, her hair is also black, drawn back into a long ponytail. She agreed to lead him to the Purist base on the condition that he go blindfolded. When the blindfold is removed, he finds himself in a nondescript concrete room in front of a second woman. She has a stern face with piercing, blue eyes, & brown hair cut into a bob at her jaw. Though she's not particularly tall, she seems somehow imposing. Perhaps it's because of the foreign-looking chest plate, armored headband, katana at her side, & shredded dark green robes, stained dark by some rust colored liquid he doesn't want to reflect on too much.*

<So. You want to join my little group. You sure you've got the rocks for it?>
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*Monu is, of course, an assistant to a small-time earthbending instructor. His "school" is little more than a stone shack on the outskirts of the city. The pair of them are repairing the building from the day's training mishaps. The instructor, a small, stout man with a thick, black beard, gray overalls, & a squarish hat thrusts his hands out & jerks it, causing a boulder to fly out of the roof. That still leaves the crater where the boulder was, a pockmarked pillar, & a large, hairline crack running down the building's length.*

Gabriel had arrived on the dot ready to get to work and meet her teammates. When she was offered to be the team's captain she figured that her other teammates would most likely be two unproven young guns. She wasn't sure if she was alright with that, but she didn't have much of a choice at this point. Come hell or high water she was going to make it work. Gabriel looked from Syn to Tiera, running a hand through her hair. "Uh," Gabe let out a short cough to clear her throat, "Hey, I'm Gabriel. You must be Syn, and you must be Tiera." Gabriel smiled, "It is nice to meet you both."

--

Mortal grinned from ear to ear as she reached into the bag and pulled out one, taking a bite out of it, and letting out a contented sigh when she swallowed it down. She looked over at Euryale with a smile, "Stereotypes are tasty."

--

Noct looked around, then at Senthose. She smiled slightly, "Hello again, Senthose." She then motioned around the room, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

*Tirea holds her hand*

Tirea:<Ya, I'm Tirea, nice to meet you*

*Tirea's smile is quite large, showing how excited she is to meet her teammates*
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*Eve yawns and stands up to stretch her legs*

Eve:<(Nothing for a month......)>

*Eve yawns again and walks over to the railing, staring at the ground below*

Eve:[I need to start going to bed as soon as I get home.]
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*Monu sighs and walks over to the pillar, which is assumed to be made of rock*

Monu:<Want me to fix this or just make a new pillar?>

<You can't make a new one. The inside is concrete, & we don't have the ingredients for that.>

*He begins smoothing over the crack, which seems to melt together under his hand. Nonetheless, it is painstaking work, taking him about 10 minutes to fix 3 feet.*
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*From this height, the congested pedestrian & auto traffic might as well just be a colony of ants. Harmony Tower seems like the only location in the area getting any attention.*
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"I've been thinking, we as a waterbending community ought to invest ourselves in the future of Republic City's government. Unfortunately, about the same time I decided to become political, all of the boats coming in from the South have met with all manner of...dreadful accidents. With just a week until the delegates from the other nations need to be decided upon, too."

*Senthose flops on the couch.*

"You see my dilemma? We just need...someone...with some tie to the Southern Water Tribe."
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*Euryale eats a doughnut, then stretches her arms behind her head, leaving the bag in between the seats.*

"I like nights like these, where there's nobody out to arrest, & we can just sit at the park. I guess we're one of the few businesses where you don't want customers."

Eve:[Wonder if something's going to on down there. Ah well, I guess I'll find out when I head home.]

*Eve heads back to her seat then stares up at the sky*
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Monu:<Oh right, I forgot.>

*Monu starts doing the same thing*

Noct smiled, "I see where you're going with this, but my connection is shaky at best. My father hails from the Southern Water Tribe, but I've never met the man." Noct ran a hand through her hair, "Though, I guess I did go to school out there. It is where I learned to properly bend. Still, I doubt a few years qualifies me for anything."

--

"Agreed," Mortal said, going in for another doughnut, "Then again, good company helps." She let out a small chuckle, "I would hate to wait outside the park, eating doughnuts alone in a squad car."

*The sky doesn't seem like it's planning on changing any time soon.*
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"Oh, you're qualified, I've looked over all of the forms myself. You could run for either the Fire Chair or the Southern Water Chair."
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"Yeah, I guess that'd just be boring."

*Euryale grabs another doughnut.*
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<So, how you plannin' on gettin' back to into town, boy? It's only about a ten minute drive back to the city, but it'll take a lot longer, if you live further in. Plus, you don't have a car. Sure didn't see you park one out here, anyway.>

*He pauses momentarily to gesture over the empty dirt patch that marks his school's location in the fields between the mountain peaks & the city.*

*Eve groans*

Eve:[If there's no events predicted, maybe I could take off early....but if I do, something's bound to happen.]

*Eve stares down at whatever is at her work station, trying to decided what to do*
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Monu:<I'll probably walk back. I don't really see any other way.>

Astarte sat on a stool behind the counter, reading a historical fiction novel. She was content to leave the store open until her father wanted to close, as long as she was left in peace to read.

Noct crossed her arms and thought for a second, "The idea to run for Fire nation just to spite them with a water bender would be fun, but I'd imagine I'd have an easier time, as well as more established link, running for Southern Water." Noct shrugged, "Alright, I suppose. How much of a chance do you think I have, realistically. Who else am I running against?"

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Mortal nodded and reached in for another doughnut.

"If I've done my job correctly, then just the current holder of the position. I don't think anyone even knows his name."
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*The car is stopped facing the park, so that they can see if there are any suspicious characters roaming around. Through the windshield, they see a bush rustling.*

"Hmm...should we go check that out?"
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<I just hope you don't live too far in.>
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*That'd be her telescope, pens, & paper, including the papers used for calculations, & charting.*
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*The man piles his paperwork into his briefcase, gets up, & turns to leave.*

"A rustling bush in a park?" Mortal asked, "It is probably a squirrel, or something." Mortal got another doughnut, and began munching on it.

--

"So," Noct ran a hand through her hair, "Do we run against him legitimately, or take him out of the way, and run unopposed?"

Eve:[Guess I can head out. I'll stay later when it's the full moon.]

*Eve starts packing up her stuff*
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Monu:<Not really. So, how much longer do you need me today?>

<The building looks fixed. I'd say you're done here.>
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"I guess you're probably right. So, what do you want to do tomorrow? It's the weekend, right?"
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"Your only opponent gets washed out by the Red Monsoons? Not very subtle, if you ask me. No, I think it's in your best interest to win this thing...well, maybe not legitimately, but legally."
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*Now that people see she's leaving, they begin to crowd in on the railing space.*

*Eve sighs and returns to packing*

Eve:<(Hopefully I wouldn't get trampled.)>
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Monu:<Alright. Do you need me tomorrow or not?>

"Have a nice night," Astarte said, having seen the man from the corner of her eyes. She continued to read.

"Yea," Mortal said, "I don't have any plans really. I was looking forward to sleeping in, but I would actually like to do something, if you had anything in mind."

--

"I had the same idea, but it is always smart to ask," Noct thought for a second longer, "So, what is this guy's name? The firm may have represented him. I could use something like that to assassinate his character, or well, I suppose an anonymous tip to the papers can. It would look better if I kept my head above something underhanded like that."

*Syn was a little awestruck. She had no idea it would be the same Gabriel when she heard the name. She jumps up and pushes Tirea aside and excitedly shakes Gabriel's hand.*

Syn: "Gabriel it's such an honor to meet you. I watched all your matches, that I could anyways. Pro-bending was never the same when you left! And now you're back and I get to be your teammate...and I'm rambling. Sorry."

*Syn lets go of her hand and shyly sits back down.*


*Marcus looks over this woman, surprised that she could be the leader of a gang. Marcus thought for a moment, coming up with a whole speech for his passion, but decided to just smirk.*

Marcus: "Yes."

Gabe smiled a bit and rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, thanks. Well, I'm glad you think so highly of me. I was a bit nervous I'd have to prove myself to you guys. Not that I won't... It is just, well, you know..."

Gabe took in a quick breath, then let it out, quickly changing the subject, "Anyway! Now that we're all introduced, we should probably start getting to work. We have the gym all night, but that doesn't mean we can waste time. We're going to need our sleep to recover since we're working so late." She looked at the two of them, "Not that you guys don't know that... I'm just saying..."

*Tirea shoots a jokingly angry look at Syn*

Tirea:<Sounds good! Where should we start?>

*Syn stands back up and rejoins the pow-wow.*

Syn: "Well, back when I was 'street'-bending after school, we'd start with little duels. You know, to warm us up and see our strengths and weaknesses."

Gabe nodded, but was already stretching, leaning over towards one side, extending her arm that way, "Not a bad idea actually, but that isn't exactly a warm up." She then leaned the other way, and extended her other arm, "You really should limber up first." She sat down on her bum, and began to stretch her legs in a butterfly stretch. "The first thing you should do is to make sure you're loose, so you don't pull anything."

*Syn sat down and started to mimic Gabe.*

Syn: "Never pulled anything before, but I guess might as well."

"It escapes me at the moment. Don't worry, it can't be too hard to beat him. He looks like he's pushing 80, & never commits to anything."
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*She grabs his hand, pulls a knife seemingly out of nowhere, & presses it against his ring finger.*

<And what if I said part of the initiation process was to cut off a finger?>

*The other woman has her hands in her pockets.*

<I'd wager there's a lot you don't know about us. For starters, there'll be no maternal compassion from me. If I think you're a liability, I'll have you dropped off of the Avatar's statue.>

*She lets go, turning around.*

<If you think you're still up for it, Vanessa is planning an attack on a Triad squad tonight. You can prove you're not a waste of my time by helping her take them out.>
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"I don't, really. I guess we could go shopping, or watch a movie. I don't really want to see Tearbending, but Boy in the Iceberg sounds good."
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<Thank you. You too, little lady.>

*He tips his hat, then slips out of the door.*

*Marcus keeps his eye on her knife, lest she should try to test his reflexes and throw it at his head.*

Marcus: "I won't let you down."