action;

[bookbending]

[This weekend, Jinora is an adult. The airbender has the distinctive blue arrow tattoos given to those who master the art and she's at least a decade older than she normally is. Regardless, most who know her would be able to recognize her. It's peculiar; she aged physically and mentally overnight, but her memory hasn't changed at all.

That mystery isn't the one she's concerned with. Sunday afternoon finds her on the beach, contemplating the relationships between the various bending arts. Jinora's brain seems to have aged along with her body. She feels more insightful, more capable of drawing her own conclusions rather than repeating what her father has taught her. She has every intention of using this greater insight to the fullest. As a ten year-old, she had been struggling with what she had been taught about bending, suspecting that she was missing something significant. Now her thoughts seem freer and clearer.

Jinora may also be avoiding a four year-old Korra. Getting her thoughts straight with a little Avatar present was all but impossible. She hasn't wandered far, though.

Occupied as she is, Jinora's paying little attention to her surroundings, eyes focused on the rhythmic movement of the ocean waves.]


[ooc: Action only, please! (Look, she doesn't get the network.)]

Comments

[riceballfruit]

[Tohru, of course, is the type that would never want to bother anyone, but she's not always up to date on the happenings of others, either. She has noticed Jinora grew up other night, but simply accepts her as Jinora. However, she isn't aware when Jinora is so still and focused, she might be meditating, and it might be a bad time to ask:]

Jinora! Would you like a snack? I made some rice balls, and tea.

[She even came all the way out here just to let Jinora know that, too.]

[bookbending]

[Jinora pulls herself from her thoughts and stands to address Tohru. She can't be mad at her for interrupting; Tohru's intentions are always good.]

Not right now, but thank you for coming out to tell me.

[riceballfruit]

[Not right now.... Was she preoccupied? Tohru looks around for anything that could indicate Jinora had been interrupted. Seeing nothing, she still wonders.]

Oh, I'm sorry. Were you busy?

[bookbending]

I was just thinking. It's okay.

[She gives Tohru a smile just in case she's still intent on fretting.]

Tea might be nice.

action

[anatural]

[Wee babbu Korra doesn't like being ignored. (Meditation? What's meditation?) When dancing around in front of Jinora doesn't get the older girl's attention, she goes out into the water and tries a new trick.]

RAAAAAWR!

action

[bookbending]

[The airbender sighs and opens one eye to assess the situation.]

Korra. What do you know about airbending?

action

[anatural]

My name is not Korra! My name is OCTOPANTS!

action

[bookbending]

Octopants.

[It's a shame Meelo isn't here. He and Korra would get along beautifully.]

So, Octopants. What do you know about airbending?

[lawbender]

[ It took quite a while for Korra to wear herself out. Thanks for bailing, Jinora. >( (Okay, it wasn't too bad. Nothing exploded, anyway.) Lin has slipped out onto the beach for a quiet moment. ]

Needed a break too, I see.

[ Lin can't really blame her for that. ]

[bookbending]

[When Lin shows up, Jinora does have the good graces to feel mildly guilty for leaving. At least she can say that she's been productive?]

I had something on my mind. Besides, I know you're great with kids.

[lawbender]

Meelo just responds well to threats. [ She sighs. ] Still, it's better than last month's, I think.

[bookbending]

Threats never worked that well for me.

It is. [She doesn't have much else to say besides that. Jinora can understand how difficult the curse and its aftereffects must have been, but she's still uncomfortable with Korra's displays of anger.]

action;

[greatcherubim]

[Relieved at the being able to wear clothes properly again, Gabriel is also at the beach. By the water, she feels at home and in tune with her surroundings. The presence of it is calming, and makes her feel anchored in this strange place.

The presence of someone near by is hard not to notice. Gabriel isn't usually a playful person, but right now, she could use a distraction. She coaxes the waves forward until they overtake their usual low tide resting point, splashing Jinora - just a little bit, up to her knees.]

action;

[bookbending]

[The airbender sighs and looks around for Korra. It doesn't occur to her that someone who isn't the troublesome toddler Avatar would be able to manipulate water--or want to splash her.

It doesn't take long, however, for Jinora to notice the blue-haired girl on the beach. If she hadn't been so focused, she would have sensed her sooner; there's a strange energy about her. Jinora smiles at the stranger.]

Was that you?

action;

[greatcherubim]

[Gabriel smiles back.]

I'm afraid so. I owe you a bit of an apology.

action;

[bookbending]

That's not necessary. A little water never hurt anyone.

We haven't met before, have we? I'm Jinora.

[mortemscintilla]

[ Returning from work, Hei still has kilojoules of energy to burn. Instead of heading home, he's resolved to run laps around the beach, until the restlessness fades. In motion, it's easy to let his mind stop wrangling ideas he's better off without anyway. Now, two hours later, he lies sprawled in the sand, not tired, but, for the moment, overwarm and played out. His stomach grumbles a little, but he'll eat as soon as he goes home, so he ignores it. The rest of his muscles are singing, a high-pitched song of time well-wasted. ]

[ Cracking his eyelids half-open, he spots -- cursed -- Jinora a few feet off. Uh oh. If the rest of her crew, especially half-pint Korra, are nearby, it's a good idea to make himself scarce. ]

[bookbending]

[Nope, he isn't sneaking away that easily. Even somewhat distracted as she is, she's not completely oblivious to her environment (this is not a talent that she has when she's ten). Jinora is quite alone for the moment and extends a warm welcome.]

Hello, Li.

[mortemscintilla]

[ He pretend-blinks at the greeting, before his face alights in a shy grin. ] Hello... [ with a touch of uncertainly ] Jinora? [ He sits up against the knapsack he was using for a headrest, leaning back on his hands as his shoulders curve in on themselves. ] Wow. You're all grown up.

action;

[fields_of_hope]

[Still engaging in her newcomer's explorations, Lacus finds herself at the sea. It's as comforting a place as she can find in an unknown place, even the air feels lighter, a whisper of familiarity. The ocean is nearly the same everywhere.]

[She notices a pensive woman standing nearby and can't resist saying hello.]

What beautiful markings. [She's never seen an arrow-shaped mark before.]

action;

[bookbending]

[Jinora offers the stranger a smile. That's the first time she's ever been complimented on her tattoos. Then again, she has only had them for a handful of hours.]

Thank you, but I haven't earned them yet.

action;

[fields_of_hope]

Oh? Well then, I suppose you're all ready for when you do. They look quite at home where they are.

[Curiosity isn't something Lacus avoids when it strikes. She has a deep interest in learning about people.] How would you earn them?

[pratful]

[ Arthur's training takes him to many places and the beach is no exception as he comes across Jinora meditating in the sand. Plopping down next to her, he'll point to the beach with a towel, a little out of breath and sweating from practice. ]

So... you come here often?

[ once he cools down, his brain might start working a bit better. As it is... well, he'll apologize later. ]

[bookbending]

[Jinora looks over at him, one eyebrow raised in a curious expression. The extra years seem to have endowed her with some immunity to Arthur's charm... or at least awful lines.]

I live here, Sir Arthur Pendragon, knight of the realm and crowned prince of Camelot.

[pratful]

[ That doesn't sound half as charming coming from the mature Jinora as it did the child. It sounded rather pompous... in fact.

Arthur should have his head examined. ]

Here? On the beach?

[ he frowned ]

I wasn't aware of this. [ but then again, he so rarely attempted to stalk any of his students. It seemed a little pointless. ]