Rika sighed, a frown marring her face as she walked through the streets. She couldn't think of a single thing to do today, and it was a special day. At least, it was special for her. A few weeks had passed since the incident with Kiara and Fang's apartment. They had yet to find a place of their own, and it wasn't as though it bothered Rika, because it didn't. If she wanted to, Kiara could stay for as long as she wanted to. Her home was open to her friend for as long as she liked, even if that meant they ended up staying together for a few years. It was nice not being alone, having someone to talk with, and occasionally, shop with. It was nice.
And that was what made today so special for Rika. It marked the first year since she met them. She wanted to do something special for her friends, but nothing extraordinary came to mind. She kept her gaze on the ground, her focus intent on her thoughts, that she did not pay attention to where she was walking. She felt something stop her in her tracks, and she blinked with mild surprise. Blue eyes stared with slight amusement, a smirk pulling up on the lips she knew so well. Her frown deepened. Of all people to walk into, it had to be him, however; staring at him, it gave her an idea. The frown was replaced by a large grin as Rika hugged Haki.
"Thank you Haki!" she stated, hugging the firebender who let out a startled short breath. "In about an hour, see if you can convince Fang to come down with you to the lake!" she stated happily as she removed herself from him, turning and leaving a surprised Haki. He blinked slowly, unsure of what had just happened, but he shrugged. Why did she want to go down to the lake? And why had she willingly invited him along? They were friends, yes, but Rika hardly did things like that, especially when it concerned him. Haki would usually just invite himself along, invitation or no invitation.
"Strange little Lotus," he spoke, shaking his head as he continued on his way to his apartment. He chuckled to himself, but he would do as she asked. It wouldn't be easy, he knew that much, however; if he had to (and he would), he'd drag Fang down with him. Besides, he had a strange little feeling he knew why she wanted to go down to the lake. He wasn't ignorant, he knew what today was. He had kept track of the days because he felt it was important, perhaps not as important as, say, a wedding anniversary or a birthday, but to him it was. Friends were something nice to have, and they had all known each other for about a year now. It had proven to be a rocky start, but after all they had endured together... Haki only smiled.
Fang, perhaps as anyone who knew him would expect, was well aware of the significance of the date. His mind was not of the sort that would fail to notice details of this kind, but he was also lacking in the sense of why he was dragged down to the lake, failing to connect the two events as they were intended to be. He hadnāt dressed any way in particular, though the heat of summer meant that his loose shirt was white rather than dark, his extraordinary length of hair tailed high on his head. He hadnāt cut it in a while, and so it descended to the level of his knees even thus contained, the ink black a sharp contrast against his ever-fair complexion.
When the two arrived, it was to find that Rika and Kiara were already present, the latter having tied her hair back in a similar fashion, the sun bringing out the rusty-red hints in the copper-brown of it. She was attired for the heat as well, shorts and a sleeveless garment of a light green, blue sash tied around her waist. She looked puzzled by the sudden appearance of the other two, though not at all upset to see the, and indeed, Fang soon found himself enveloped in a hug, to which his reaction was to blink slowly and awkwardly pat her shoulder. She didnāt seem to mind, stepping back and also hugging Haki next.
āItās good to see you guys.ā And it really was. They hadnāt had much opportunity to be all together since the explosion, as even probending practice had been called off for a couple weeks following the incident, probably to give her time to recover. Nobody had said that was the reason, but she appreciated the thought anyway. Fang had also been very busy, though with what, she had no idea. That wasnāt unusual, so she didnāt think much of it. āThoughā¦ Iām not exactly sure why weāre all here?ā She glanced back and forth between the others as though seeking the answer.
Haki returned Kiara's embrace with a small one of his own, glancing between Fang and Kiara. He could see the confusion on Kiara's face, even before she had asked the question, and he smirked. He shook his head faintly, and glanced towards Rika. She had an unusual bright smile on her face, her face morphed like a child holding a secret. He found it amusing, however; he would let her tell them why they were all here. Besides, it was her idea, and he had a feeling she wanted to be the one to tell them. Rika held her hands behind her back, though, fingers rolling around the three objects she held in her hand. They were a matching set, and she was already wearing hers.
"Because today is the day that we all became friends," she finally stated, unable to contain the excitement. Haki muffled a laugh as he raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side as she rocked on her heels. "I figured it would be nice for the four of us to celebrate our one year anniversary as friends," she continued, her smile growing brighter. She wasn't usually so jovial about things like this, but for some odd reason, it felt... right. It felt natural to be here, with the four of them. She couldn't explain it, but the feeling had grown to the point where she had adopted it as a family thing. Maybe she missed hers?
"I take it that's not all, Lotus," Haki stated, his amusement still laced upon his face as he watched her furrow her brows. He was right though, she still had one more thing to tell them. Or rather, a few things to give them. What she had was nothing special, however; they meant a great deal to her. And Haki could see that, whatever she had behind her back, they would be meaningful to her. "Do we have to close our eyes?" he jested, causing her to shake her head and roll her eyes. He chuckled as she smacked his arm, however; she brought her hands out in front of her.
"I... know it's not much," she began, fumbling nervously with her hands before opening them. There, in her palms, lay three bracelets. Each one was colored a different color, and they matched the one she was wearing. "I figured they would symbolize our friendship, and I hope it'll remain as it is," she continued, laughing nervously to herself. She didn't know how to word it properly, and she felt a little nervous about it. Haki, however, blinked and stared at the friendship bracelets. He took the red one, assuming it was meant for him, and glanced at it. The other two were black and blue, colors he assumed were coordinating to their bending element, as Rika was wearing a green one.
"My, my, my, I did not know Lotus could be so... sentimental."
"Shut up, Haki."
Was it really that day? Kiara hadnāt even realized, not because sheād forgotten what date marked the anniversary, but because she wasnāt usually sure exactly what date it was at any given time. When Rika pulled the bracelets out from behind her back, Kiara grinned broadly and made a sort of contained squeaking noise that conveyed quite effectively her enthusiasm for the idea, eagerly taking up the blue bracelet and attempting to tie it around her own wrist with only one hand. She was not very successful, but her failure did not stop her from glancing back up to Rika and beaming. āThese are perfect, Rika, thank you so much!ā She looked a bit like she wanted to hug the other girl, but as she still hadnāt quite managed to tie the thing on, it would have to wait.
Fangās face, of course, did not seem to change, but privately, he would admit that he was feeling a certain amount of guilt. These people still knew so little of who he really was, after all theyād been through, and he could admit to himself after his meeting with Amon that it was eating him. Heād felt pulled in two directions for a long time, but not nearly as much as he did now until heād met them. His promise to her had always seemed like the most important thing in his life, because he believed that, even after she was gone, and even after the two and a half years since heād lost her, she was still the most important thing in his life. His love for her was still the only feeling that could move him, anymore. Everything else was just pale necessity, the color leeched from his existence when she had died.
But nowā¦ he wasnāt so sure. He thought of her less often. He had been almost surprised when Amon mentioned her, because he hadnāt lost himself in the memories for weeks, at least, and that when he had grown used to such reminiscences every day. But when he was with themā¦ the past seemed to fade into itself a little, and he swore he could see little flickers of color in his world again, reds and blues andā¦ greens. Swallowing past a sudden lump in his throat, he gently took the black bracelet from Rikaās outstretched hand, the calluses on his fingertips ghosting over her palm. Unlike Kiara, he had little difficulty tying the object around his wristāhe was used to doing small things like this for himself. Sheād left him two and a half years ago, but heād been alone long before that.
āThank you,ā he said softly, to Rika. Though what exactly he was thanking her for was unclear. He seemed to be saying it a bit too seriously to be referring to the bracelet alone.
Haki glanced at Kiara, noticing her struggling with her bracelet, and sighed softly, though a smile ghosting on his lips. He took Kiara's bracelet and gently grabbed her wrist, turning it so that he could fasten the bracelet properly on her wrist. Once it was tied, his hand lingered just a moment longer before he allowed it to drop his side. He turned to glance at Rika, a small blush covering her face as she seemed to fidget nervously in her spot. She didn't think they would like them like that, but it was a nice feeling, and she grinned once more. She blinked, though, at Fang. He didn't have to thank her, none of them did. She did this because she wanted to. They were her friends, and she wanted to celebrate that feeling with them. She shook her head softly, smiling still and was about to say something in return, however; she felt herself being lifted from her spot.
By the time she realized something was happening, she was already being slung over Haki's shoulder. "Haki, put me down!" she stated, frowning as she struggled to get out of his grasp. He only smirked, glancing over behind his shoulder at the other two, before his smirk turned into a mischievous grin. He continued his path, and as the other two grew further away, Rika's face paled. He wasn't thinking about it... was he? She glanced over her shoulder, however; it wasn't enough time to save her, and she immediately went sailing through the air. The only question on her mind, however, was where did he get that strength from? She felt her body collide with the water, and puffed her cheeks in an attempt to be mad.
She crossed her arms over her chest, sinking further down the water and remained at the bottom for a moment, before she smirked. Two could play at that game. Haki stood on the shore, laughing as he watched Rika sink, glancing behind him at the other two. "We did come here with the intention of celebrating, did we not?" he stated, folding his arms over his chest, however; the sudden shift in movement beneath him had him blinking. "Well, it appears I'll be joining the fun in three... two," he stated, counting down before he was catapulted into the water, a piece of earth sticking out from where he once stood.
They were both soon washed over by a rather large wave, which of course was not normal for a lake of this size. āWho has a water fight without inviting the waterbender?ā Kiara demanded with mock anger. Then, of course, she dove right in, jetting through the water like sheād lived in it all her life. It was pleasantly warm, and less salty than the oceanāit was a rather simple matter to open her eyes beneath the surface and get a look at everything beneath it. The bottom was mostly sandy, with the occasional burst of green vegetation. Small fish flitted this way and that, and Kiara followed a few for a while, not surfacing for an extended period of time.
When she finally did, it was to observe Fang standing at the shore of the lake. His shoes were gone, but that seemed to be the only concession heād made to the occasion, as he stood with his arms crossed, one eyebrow slightly raised, and she thought that maybe he was amused by the fight still happening between Haki and Rika, from the fact that he was focused quite intently on what they were doing. She was hardly going to let him escape this dry, however, and she was somehow unsurprised that he stood stoically even when she utterly drenched him in a wave, plastering his shirt to his person and flattening his long tail of hair. He turned his head towards her, and the eyebrow inched higher, a challenge if ever sheād seen him make one.
He glanced between the other three, making up his mind and entering the lake properly, wading in to his waist and letting his hand skim the surface, sending a wide arc of water such as to hit Haki square in the face. She had to admit, his angling was perfect. The battle lines were drawn, now, too, and Kiara came to Hakiās defense, choosing not to use her bending for the moment and instead rolling onto her back in the water and kicking a steady stream of lakewater in Rikaās general direction.
Rika had managed to surface long enough to be drowned once more by a large wave. Haki, however, blinked in mild surprise when Kiara joined the battle and allowed a smirk to cover his face. He was about to return the favor, however; Fang entered the water as well, surprising even Haki for a moment. It was all he needed, apparently, as Fang sent a wave of water towards him, and he made to brace for the impact. He was drenched once again, his lips pursing into a fine line. He glanced towards Kiara, briefly, to notice the waterbender was attacking Rika. That meant Fang would be his opponent. He blinked slowly, glancing around him as he let his hand glide over the water. He wasn't a waterbender like Kiara, or his mother, and he didn't exactly have the technique Fang displayed. His lips rolled into a smirk though. That wasn't going to stop him.
He pushed, with as much force as he could, a large wave of water towards the other male, taking the opportunity to quickly dive away and reappear beside Kiara, doubling her wave of water towards Rika with kicks of his own. "Hey, that's not fair!" she stated between stutters of water, though the smile on her face did not fade. She tried pushing water back at her assailants, managing short bursts of little waves compared to theirs. "And it wouldn't be a fair fight if the waterbender used her bending, now would it?" she replied to Kiara's first statement. And the fact that she wasn't expecting to be thrown into the lake so soon had a lot to do with it.
"Who ever said we played fair?" Haki retorted. True, no one ever played fair, but this was friends just doing what they do. They were having fun, and by the end of the day, Rika was sure she wasn't going to be able to feel her face from all the smiling she was currently doing. Even if she was getting water in her mouth for doing so.
And that was what made today so special for Rika. It marked the first year since she met them. She wanted to do something special for her friends, but nothing extraordinary came to mind. She kept her gaze on the ground, her focus intent on her thoughts, that she did not pay attention to where she was walking. She felt something stop her in her tracks, and she blinked with mild surprise. Blue eyes stared with slight amusement, a smirk pulling up on the lips she knew so well. Her frown deepened. Of all people to walk into, it had to be him, however; staring at him, it gave her an idea. The frown was replaced by a large grin as Rika hugged Haki.
"Thank you Haki!" she stated, hugging the firebender who let out a startled short breath. "In about an hour, see if you can convince Fang to come down with you to the lake!" she stated happily as she removed herself from him, turning and leaving a surprised Haki. He blinked slowly, unsure of what had just happened, but he shrugged. Why did she want to go down to the lake? And why had she willingly invited him along? They were friends, yes, but Rika hardly did things like that, especially when it concerned him. Haki would usually just invite himself along, invitation or no invitation.
"Strange little Lotus," he spoke, shaking his head as he continued on his way to his apartment. He chuckled to himself, but he would do as she asked. It wouldn't be easy, he knew that much, however; if he had to (and he would), he'd drag Fang down with him. Besides, he had a strange little feeling he knew why she wanted to go down to the lake. He wasn't ignorant, he knew what today was. He had kept track of the days because he felt it was important, perhaps not as important as, say, a wedding anniversary or a birthday, but to him it was. Friends were something nice to have, and they had all known each other for about a year now. It had proven to be a rocky start, but after all they had endured together... Haki only smiled.
Fang, perhaps as anyone who knew him would expect, was well aware of the significance of the date. His mind was not of the sort that would fail to notice details of this kind, but he was also lacking in the sense of why he was dragged down to the lake, failing to connect the two events as they were intended to be. He hadnāt dressed any way in particular, though the heat of summer meant that his loose shirt was white rather than dark, his extraordinary length of hair tailed high on his head. He hadnāt cut it in a while, and so it descended to the level of his knees even thus contained, the ink black a sharp contrast against his ever-fair complexion.
When the two arrived, it was to find that Rika and Kiara were already present, the latter having tied her hair back in a similar fashion, the sun bringing out the rusty-red hints in the copper-brown of it. She was attired for the heat as well, shorts and a sleeveless garment of a light green, blue sash tied around her waist. She looked puzzled by the sudden appearance of the other two, though not at all upset to see the, and indeed, Fang soon found himself enveloped in a hug, to which his reaction was to blink slowly and awkwardly pat her shoulder. She didnāt seem to mind, stepping back and also hugging Haki next.
āItās good to see you guys.ā And it really was. They hadnāt had much opportunity to be all together since the explosion, as even probending practice had been called off for a couple weeks following the incident, probably to give her time to recover. Nobody had said that was the reason, but she appreciated the thought anyway. Fang had also been very busy, though with what, she had no idea. That wasnāt unusual, so she didnāt think much of it. āThoughā¦ Iām not exactly sure why weāre all here?ā She glanced back and forth between the others as though seeking the answer.
Haki returned Kiara's embrace with a small one of his own, glancing between Fang and Kiara. He could see the confusion on Kiara's face, even before she had asked the question, and he smirked. He shook his head faintly, and glanced towards Rika. She had an unusual bright smile on her face, her face morphed like a child holding a secret. He found it amusing, however; he would let her tell them why they were all here. Besides, it was her idea, and he had a feeling she wanted to be the one to tell them. Rika held her hands behind her back, though, fingers rolling around the three objects she held in her hand. They were a matching set, and she was already wearing hers.
"Because today is the day that we all became friends," she finally stated, unable to contain the excitement. Haki muffled a laugh as he raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side as she rocked on her heels. "I figured it would be nice for the four of us to celebrate our one year anniversary as friends," she continued, her smile growing brighter. She wasn't usually so jovial about things like this, but for some odd reason, it felt... right. It felt natural to be here, with the four of them. She couldn't explain it, but the feeling had grown to the point where she had adopted it as a family thing. Maybe she missed hers?
"I take it that's not all, Lotus," Haki stated, his amusement still laced upon his face as he watched her furrow her brows. He was right though, she still had one more thing to tell them. Or rather, a few things to give them. What she had was nothing special, however; they meant a great deal to her. And Haki could see that, whatever she had behind her back, they would be meaningful to her. "Do we have to close our eyes?" he jested, causing her to shake her head and roll her eyes. He chuckled as she smacked his arm, however; she brought her hands out in front of her.
"I... know it's not much," she began, fumbling nervously with her hands before opening them. There, in her palms, lay three bracelets. Each one was colored a different color, and they matched the one she was wearing. "I figured they would symbolize our friendship, and I hope it'll remain as it is," she continued, laughing nervously to herself. She didn't know how to word it properly, and she felt a little nervous about it. Haki, however, blinked and stared at the friendship bracelets. He took the red one, assuming it was meant for him, and glanced at it. The other two were black and blue, colors he assumed were coordinating to their bending element, as Rika was wearing a green one.
"My, my, my, I did not know Lotus could be so... sentimental."
"Shut up, Haki."
Was it really that day? Kiara hadnāt even realized, not because sheād forgotten what date marked the anniversary, but because she wasnāt usually sure exactly what date it was at any given time. When Rika pulled the bracelets out from behind her back, Kiara grinned broadly and made a sort of contained squeaking noise that conveyed quite effectively her enthusiasm for the idea, eagerly taking up the blue bracelet and attempting to tie it around her own wrist with only one hand. She was not very successful, but her failure did not stop her from glancing back up to Rika and beaming. āThese are perfect, Rika, thank you so much!ā She looked a bit like she wanted to hug the other girl, but as she still hadnāt quite managed to tie the thing on, it would have to wait.
Fangās face, of course, did not seem to change, but privately, he would admit that he was feeling a certain amount of guilt. These people still knew so little of who he really was, after all theyād been through, and he could admit to himself after his meeting with Amon that it was eating him. Heād felt pulled in two directions for a long time, but not nearly as much as he did now until heād met them. His promise to her had always seemed like the most important thing in his life, because he believed that, even after she was gone, and even after the two and a half years since heād lost her, she was still the most important thing in his life. His love for her was still the only feeling that could move him, anymore. Everything else was just pale necessity, the color leeched from his existence when she had died.
But nowā¦ he wasnāt so sure. He thought of her less often. He had been almost surprised when Amon mentioned her, because he hadnāt lost himself in the memories for weeks, at least, and that when he had grown used to such reminiscences every day. But when he was with themā¦ the past seemed to fade into itself a little, and he swore he could see little flickers of color in his world again, reds and blues andā¦ greens. Swallowing past a sudden lump in his throat, he gently took the black bracelet from Rikaās outstretched hand, the calluses on his fingertips ghosting over her palm. Unlike Kiara, he had little difficulty tying the object around his wristāhe was used to doing small things like this for himself. Sheād left him two and a half years ago, but heād been alone long before that.
āThank you,ā he said softly, to Rika. Though what exactly he was thanking her for was unclear. He seemed to be saying it a bit too seriously to be referring to the bracelet alone.
Haki glanced at Kiara, noticing her struggling with her bracelet, and sighed softly, though a smile ghosting on his lips. He took Kiara's bracelet and gently grabbed her wrist, turning it so that he could fasten the bracelet properly on her wrist. Once it was tied, his hand lingered just a moment longer before he allowed it to drop his side. He turned to glance at Rika, a small blush covering her face as she seemed to fidget nervously in her spot. She didn't think they would like them like that, but it was a nice feeling, and she grinned once more. She blinked, though, at Fang. He didn't have to thank her, none of them did. She did this because she wanted to. They were her friends, and she wanted to celebrate that feeling with them. She shook her head softly, smiling still and was about to say something in return, however; she felt herself being lifted from her spot.
By the time she realized something was happening, she was already being slung over Haki's shoulder. "Haki, put me down!" she stated, frowning as she struggled to get out of his grasp. He only smirked, glancing over behind his shoulder at the other two, before his smirk turned into a mischievous grin. He continued his path, and as the other two grew further away, Rika's face paled. He wasn't thinking about it... was he? She glanced over her shoulder, however; it wasn't enough time to save her, and she immediately went sailing through the air. The only question on her mind, however, was where did he get that strength from? She felt her body collide with the water, and puffed her cheeks in an attempt to be mad.
She crossed her arms over her chest, sinking further down the water and remained at the bottom for a moment, before she smirked. Two could play at that game. Haki stood on the shore, laughing as he watched Rika sink, glancing behind him at the other two. "We did come here with the intention of celebrating, did we not?" he stated, folding his arms over his chest, however; the sudden shift in movement beneath him had him blinking. "Well, it appears I'll be joining the fun in three... two," he stated, counting down before he was catapulted into the water, a piece of earth sticking out from where he once stood.
They were both soon washed over by a rather large wave, which of course was not normal for a lake of this size. āWho has a water fight without inviting the waterbender?ā Kiara demanded with mock anger. Then, of course, she dove right in, jetting through the water like sheād lived in it all her life. It was pleasantly warm, and less salty than the oceanāit was a rather simple matter to open her eyes beneath the surface and get a look at everything beneath it. The bottom was mostly sandy, with the occasional burst of green vegetation. Small fish flitted this way and that, and Kiara followed a few for a while, not surfacing for an extended period of time.
When she finally did, it was to observe Fang standing at the shore of the lake. His shoes were gone, but that seemed to be the only concession heād made to the occasion, as he stood with his arms crossed, one eyebrow slightly raised, and she thought that maybe he was amused by the fight still happening between Haki and Rika, from the fact that he was focused quite intently on what they were doing. She was hardly going to let him escape this dry, however, and she was somehow unsurprised that he stood stoically even when she utterly drenched him in a wave, plastering his shirt to his person and flattening his long tail of hair. He turned his head towards her, and the eyebrow inched higher, a challenge if ever sheād seen him make one.
He glanced between the other three, making up his mind and entering the lake properly, wading in to his waist and letting his hand skim the surface, sending a wide arc of water such as to hit Haki square in the face. She had to admit, his angling was perfect. The battle lines were drawn, now, too, and Kiara came to Hakiās defense, choosing not to use her bending for the moment and instead rolling onto her back in the water and kicking a steady stream of lakewater in Rikaās general direction.
Rika had managed to surface long enough to be drowned once more by a large wave. Haki, however, blinked in mild surprise when Kiara joined the battle and allowed a smirk to cover his face. He was about to return the favor, however; Fang entered the water as well, surprising even Haki for a moment. It was all he needed, apparently, as Fang sent a wave of water towards him, and he made to brace for the impact. He was drenched once again, his lips pursing into a fine line. He glanced towards Kiara, briefly, to notice the waterbender was attacking Rika. That meant Fang would be his opponent. He blinked slowly, glancing around him as he let his hand glide over the water. He wasn't a waterbender like Kiara, or his mother, and he didn't exactly have the technique Fang displayed. His lips rolled into a smirk though. That wasn't going to stop him.
He pushed, with as much force as he could, a large wave of water towards the other male, taking the opportunity to quickly dive away and reappear beside Kiara, doubling her wave of water towards Rika with kicks of his own. "Hey, that's not fair!" she stated between stutters of water, though the smile on her face did not fade. She tried pushing water back at her assailants, managing short bursts of little waves compared to theirs. "And it wouldn't be a fair fight if the waterbender used her bending, now would it?" she replied to Kiara's first statement. And the fact that she wasn't expecting to be thrown into the lake so soon had a lot to do with it.
"Who ever said we played fair?" Haki retorted. True, no one ever played fair, but this was friends just doing what they do. They were having fun, and by the end of the day, Rika was sure she wasn't going to be able to feel her face from all the smiling she was currently doing. Even if she was getting water in her mouth for doing so.