roc_on: (bù hǎo)
Author: roc_on
Beila has been volunteering at the hospital for a week now. About four percent of the population can waterbend, and all benders have to be trained some just to control their powers instead of being plagued by constant accident, but most don't acquire significant skill, and most don't specialize in healing. There is always more demand for waterbenders than there are waterbenders to be had, so Beila's working alongside nonbending and other-element doctors and nurses and techs. They start her in the burn ward, because burns are easiest and Avatar or no she's a novice, and she washes away hurts and refuses to sign autographs and takes her legally required twenty-minute breaks at regular intervals and then heals more.

The school term ends. Beila withdraws from classes. She writes an open letter about that, thanking the teachers and so on for their time and attention, explaining her decision, and she puts it up on the public-facing official Avatar screenserver that the nuns set up for her. She divides her time between classes with Shifu Hayaka, volunteer work at the hospital, intensive meditation, reading, and Dao.

She's with Dao when the earthquake hits, sitting on her roof while he does homework and she reads.

The ground shakes like gelatin, and Beila's been airbending to keep from falling over too long to react with anything other than an instinctive shove of air; but the air is sluggish, reluctant, something is wrong.

The roof has a view of the sea, and the sea is bubbling - no steam, it's not boiling, it's just angry -

And the air is too warm.

Something has the elements spectacularly agitated.

And Beila doesn't know what.
thinklikethis: (⑫ you make me nervous)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao yelps.
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
The earthquake doesn't last forever. And Beila's house is structurally equipped to withstand it, although there is some ominous ongoing rumbling and trembling from distant parts of the city. The sea settles.

The air is still hot. And Beila experimentally blows a puff at her hand. It obeys, but not eagerly.

"Something's wrong," she murmurs.
thinklikethis: (⑭ these ain't my hands)
Author: thinklikethis
"I can tell that much by myself," says Dao.
roc_on: (bù hǎo)
Author: roc_on
Beila chews her lip. "The earthquake is the most immediately dangerous part - if earthbenders weren't able to calm it, it must've - DAD," Beila calls, making with wobbly inadequately-supported steps for the stairs down. "Dad - that quake - did it feel normal? - you've been in quakes before, haven't you -"

"Wasn't touching the earth, little bird, and you know I mostly work in metal," says Chali, troubled. "...Bigger than most though. Didn't feel becalmed at all."

Beila tries another puff of air. She turns the faucet - nothing, apparently the pipes were disturbed in the quake - she spits into the sink and tries to bend that, and it'll go, but - not readily.

"Not just an earthquake - something else - has somebody been annoying a spirit, a big spirit - or several spirits -" she mutters.
thinklikethis: (⑪ i am just a new boy)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao trails around after her, looking worried and confused.
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
Chali's pager goes off. He's supposed to go downtown and help with crowd control and rescue efforts.

"Little bird," he says as he picks up his armor from where the quake knocked it, "should you be at the hospital?"

Beila shakes her head, looking at her clenched hands. "I'm one more half-trained healer, there, they'll be triaging like mad and I'm not qualified to help with the worst of it - and my bending's not working right anyway -"

Chali nods. "Stay safe," he mutters, and he's out the door.

"I need to try to go into the spirit world and find out what's wrong," Beila tells Dao.
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"Um... okay," says Dao.
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
"I need you to be - present, and sort of - look after me, because if this works I'm not going to be in my body and something could fall on me if there's another quake and I could die."
thinklikethis: (⑦ who's gonna show)
Author: thinklikethis
"...okay," he repeats. "I guess I'll try not to let anything fall on you, then."
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
Beila gives him a quick kiss, and assumes the lotus position on a cushion, and closes her eyes.

Breathe. (Though the air comes too slow, too hot, she's sweating now.)

Feel her heartbeat. (It slows as she calms herself, steadies.)

Reach for spirits.

There's a spirit!

She's never done this before. She doesn't recognize it till she's already reached out and touched it, and then she opens her eyes and this is not her house that she's in.

That they're in.

"...Oops."
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
"Yeah," says Dao. "Oops is right. Well, I hope the roof doesn't collapse on us."
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
"It shouldn't," says Beila uncertainly. "Earthquakes aren't uncommon exactly, just that was an unusually bad one, and the house survived that - I'm sorry. Figuring out how to put you back in your body could take a while, I know how to go back myself, at least in theory, but I don't even know quite how I brought you along for the ride. The spirit could start throwing around more power any moment and I need to find it now."
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
"So what do I do? Follow you around and try not to get in the way?"
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Or stay here by our bodies, up to you, but we could run into any number of things I have a better shot at defending against than you do so you might want to stick with me," Beila says uncertainly.
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"...I think I'll stick with you," he decides.
roc_on: (huǒ)
Author: roc_on
Beila nods once, takes a step, and immediately falls on her face.

"...She told me, she warned me," Beila mutters, picking herself up with difficulty, "no bending in the spirit world, bending doesn't work in the spirit world, I did not think this through -" She gets on her feet, takes three more steps, and trips again and catches herself on a spirit tree only with great difficulty. "I've been using airbending to get around since before I could walk. Cinders, cinders and dust -" She tries again, gets a little farther, trips again. "I am apparently unable to walk without airbending. Do you suppose you can carry me or do I need to go get us out of here and find a way to bring Liqing in?"
thinklikethis: (⑧ to this wreck)
Author: thinklikethis
"I can probably carry you," says Dao.

He picks her up.
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Thank you," says Beila. And she looks around, and thinks, and concentrates, and points in a direction.
thinklikethis: (⑪ i am just a new boy)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao goes that way.
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
Beila is alert, and thoughtful, and tense in his arms. She redirects him a few times, following clues that are not obvious to anyone but the Avatar.

It's a long walk, and on their way, the world shakes - only visually; there is no instability under Dao's feet - and Beila winces.
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
He has to put her down and rest once or twice, but mostly, he just carries her.
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
Eventually, they come to a sort of... pit. While the spirit world looks like wilderness through and through, they are presently in the part of town that corresponds to a neighborhood of refineries.

From the bottom of the pit is a low-pitched rumbling moan that starts up when they approach and dies down a moment later.

"Put me down," Beila murmurs.
thinklikethis: (⑦ who's gonna show)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao puts her down.
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
Beila gets down on the ground and creeps forward - sensible of her, given that she can't walk very well and it's a long way down - and peeps into the pit.

"Hello!" she calls.

The moaning starts up again.
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao hangs back worriedly.
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
"I'm the Avatar," Beila calls into the pit. "Are you upset? I want to help."

"Avatar," rumbles the thing in the pit.
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao worries some more!
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
"Yes," says Beila. "I've come to find out what's wrong."

"Tell them to stop," rumbles the spirit.

"I will carry messages for you, but I must know who to carry them to," Beila says.

"They who promised me."

"You've been promised that someone would stop something and they haven't?"

"Yes," growls the voice.

"Who is it? What do they need to stop?"

"Pouring."

"Someone is pouring something somewhere and promised to stop and didn't."

"Yes."

"Is this happening - here? In this corresponding place in the physical world?"

"Yes."
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
...Where are they? Dao looks around, although he isn't sure that's going to help.
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
It's really not. They didn't walk far enough to be out of Republic City, and this is clearly a giant sinkhole in a forest with ludicrously enormous trees.

"What are you?" Beila asks the spirit.

"The pocket," says the spirit.

"A pocket of - something under the ground? Magma, water, air -"

"Yes."

Beila gulps.

"Who promised you?"

"Humans," says the voice. "Lying humans."

"Names. A company, an individual, a group -"

"Humans," repeats the spirit.
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
Maybe he'll pay attention on the walk back. If direction and distance even mean the same thing here that they do in the material world.
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
"Do you manifest?" Beila asks.

"Yes."

"What are you, when you do?"

"I am myself."

"Has anyone named your manifestation?" Beila tries.

"No."

"Do you look like an animal? A human?"

"No."

"I will carry your message. Please calm down while I do it. It is harder to travel in the physical world while a powerful spirit is upset."

"Lying humans."

"I'm the Avatar," Beila reminds it.

"Avatar," it muses. "Yes."

"Will you be calm for - three days?" offers Beila. "And I will spend those days looking for the humans who lied to you so I can pass on your message."

"If you lie I will listen to no more promises," rumbles the spirit.

Beila swallows again.
thinklikethis: (⑧ to this wreck)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao hangs back and frets.
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Is there anything else you want to say?" Beila asks the spirit.

"No," it rumbles. "Make them stop."

"I will carry your message," Beila says.

It rumbles without words and falls silent, and Beila creeps back from the edge of the pit and manages to stand up and position herself near Dao for picking-up. "I'm going to try to count your steps while we go. I'm pretty sure we traveled north and a little east; help me out and mind the sun when we can see it. It'll be a start at finding what place matches the pit."
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
"Yeah, I was thinking that," says Dao. "Will do."
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
Beila counts steps, and peers at the sun when it's visible, as they go back the way they came.
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao does likewise.
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
When they get back to the spirit-shadows of their bodies, which appear to have fallen on their sides in the second quake but aren't obviously injured, Beila says, "Okay, um, I have a set of instructions for how to get back into my body. Which I really, really hope apply to you. You have to line up with it, and then - we aren't actually breathing, here, it's just easy to feel like we are because breathing feels like normal to us, but there's no air to breathe and no real bodies to need it even though we're sort of pretending on both counts. You focus on breathing, which you are doing in your body and are not doing here, and this should, on top of being lined up with yourself, put you back in your body. Try it, I'll wait for you."
thinklikethis: (⑦ who's gonna show)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao tries it.

It takes him some trying, but then - poof. He's back in himself.
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
Beila follows, and sits up. The air feels normal again.

"Okay," she says, "now we - walk thataway, I guess," and she rummages around under fallen objects for her screen so she'll be able to do some simple geometry on the way to compensate for not being able to walk in as straight a line as the forest permitted. (The trees in the spirit world are huge; they are none of them the size of city blocks.)
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"Yep," says Dao.

Off they go.
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"I didn't know bringing you into the spirit world with me was even possible," Beila muses, counting steps, pausing to account for an office building in the way, counting more steps.
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
"Me neither," he says wryly.
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
"I guess I'll ask the nuns about it. You're okay, right? You feel normal?"
thinklikethis: (Default)
Author: thinklikethis
"Yep! As far as I can tell, anyway."
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Okay, well, tell me if that proves to be - temporary or anything. I would be upset but not surprised if I'd managed to accidentally kill you, doing that, I would've taken precautions falling-over or no falling-over if I'd known it was a remote possibility."
thinklikethis: (⑭ these ain't my hands)
Author: thinklikethis
"I'm so reassured," Dao mutters.
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
"I'm sorry!" exclaims Beila. "To the very best of my knowledge it's never happened before!"
thinklikethis: (⑤ hit me with your best shot)
Author: thinklikethis
He smiles and shakes his head. "Okay."
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
Eventually she's coming up on the right number of steps, and she slows down. "Tell me if you see a sinkhole, anyone looking shifty, or - anything weird," she says.
thinklikethis: (⑦ who's gonna show)
Author: thinklikethis
"Will do!"
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
Beila switches to something of a grid search pattern here. There's a fair amount of earthquake damage, and she has to waft them over some rubble, but it's not unnavigable.

There's not exactly a sinkhole over there, but there are some long boards latticed over an area in an empty lot.
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
"...That looks like a thing," says Dao.
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Yes," says Beila. "Yes it does."

She heads for the thing.

She peers at the lattice of wood, then nudges aside one board with her foot. It moves readily. Under it is a deep, dark pit.

"Okay," she says, "my guess is whoever owns this lot met the spirit's manifestation and agreed to cover it up but didn't do it well enough and people are dumping things in here and the spirit of the underground river slash cave slash magma pocket is pissed off."
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"So... solutions?" says Dao. "Cover it up better? Put up a sign? 'Do Not Dump Here, May Cause Earthquakes'?"
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
"Sign draws attention to it. I think it just needs to be thoroughly covered up. And also I explicitly agreed to pass on the spirit's message so I need to find who owns this lot. I'll call Shifu Hayaka, failing that the nuns, I'm sure one of them knows an earthbender who can handle it. I don't know how to handle it myself yet. Here, you borrow my screen, look up the address in the recordhall files." She hands over her screen and chordpress and pulls out her phone.
thinklikethis: (⑧ to this wreck)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao looks up the address.
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
It belongs to some dude! His home address is on file. It's about a twenty minute walk from here.

"Hi, Shifu Hayaka. Yeah, it was, I figured it out. I need an earthbender - no, I don't have to do earthbending myself, just a specific job that needs doing. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes once whoever it is gets here. No, my father mostly works with metal, I need structural integrity. Do you know someone who - Shifu Hayaka, I've told you that it really bothers me to be interrupted. It's fine. Okay. We're at -" Beila rattles off the address. "We can wait."
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
He gives her the address.
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"That's where the owner lives? Okay, he gets a visit after this place is shored up, then." Beila sits at the edge of the sinkhole to stand guard and wait. "Well, this has been an unreasonably exciting day."
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"Yep," says Dao.
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
"I'm going to call the nuns."

She calls the nuns.

"Hello, Master Dechen! Yes, I heard. Yes, I'm solving the problem. Yes, I'll tell you all about it, but first, I have a question. I went into the spirit world, and I had my boyfriend nearby, to watch my body. I accidentally pulled him in after me. No, Master Dechen, I didn't know that was possible, that's why I'm asking you. He got back in just fine, yeah. He seems all right. Yeah. No, just like normal, like me. Okay. You're sure? Okay."

Beila hangs up. "Master Dechen doesn't have a clue what happened either, sees no reason to expect you to suddenly keel over, and will look up some references to double-check."
thinklikethis: (④ no promises no demands)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao snorts.
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
"Please don't suddenly keel over, I'd be sad."
thinklikethis: (② the pleasure's all)
Author: thinklikethis
"I would be sad too," says Dao. "Well, no, I'd be dead. But I'd be sad about being dead, if that was an option."
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
"Just don't be too sad about being dead or you'll be a mischievous kinda ghost. Shoot for a gentle melancholy."
thinklikethis: (① hysteria)
Author: thinklikethis
He giggles.
roc_on: (kě yí)
Author: roc_on
"And whatever you do, don't be angry about being dead! Especially not at me."
thinklikethis: (③ no one can tell us we're wrong)
Author: thinklikethis
"Why, would I haunt you?"
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
"You might! It would be really inconvenient. I could not at all miss you properly if you were haunting me, being obnoxious."
thinklikethis: (⑦ who's gonna show)
Author: thinklikethis
He snorts.
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
"Better yet, be alive," Beila says, reaching up from her sitting position for a hug.
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao sits down beside her and hugs her.
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
Snuggles!

"I wonder how long it'll take to repair all the damage those quakes must've done," Beila muses.
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"A while, I bet."
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
"Yeah. I hope they get the plumbing mostly handled promptly or it will be harder for waterbenders to help with disaster relief. I wonder how far those shocks spread, if it got the suburbs much..."
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
"I hope my place still has water."
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
"If it doesn't you can crash with me for a few days, if nothing else I can ask Shifu Hayaka to teach me to separate salt from seawater, it doesn't look too hard."
thinklikethis: (② the pleasure's all)
Author: thinklikethis
...He hugs her.
roc_on: (xiào)
Author: roc_on
Hugs!
thinklikethis: (⑤ hit me with your best shot)
Author: thinklikethis
Hugs.
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
Eventually Hayaka's earthbender friend shows up. Beila explains the problem to him, and together they carefully remove all the wooden boards, and the earthbender sinks the entire lot to provide a good, thick covering for the sinkhole that should stand up to casual weight.

"I'll have to tell the guy not to build on this lot, at least not anything heavy," says Beila. "Or it'll just re-open."

"You could sit a house on this," says the earthbender. "Not an office building, I'd have to sink it deeper to give it that."

"Thank you very much for your help," Beila tells him.

"No thanks necessary, that earthquake was the spookiest thing I ever felt," says the earthbender, shaking his head. "If you say this'll stop it, I'm satisfied."

"It should," says Beila. She wafts up to a standing position. "Dao, d'you want to come along to talk to the owner?"
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
"Sure," shrugs Dao.
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
Thataway they go.

"You are very supportive," says Beila. "It's nice."
thinklikethis: (④ no promises no demands)
Author: thinklikethis
"Aww," he says, smiling.
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
"Have you ever - interacted at all with spirits in any way, shape, or form? I'm trying to come up with a hypothesis about why you could've been dragged along with me," Beila wonders aloud as they walk.
thinklikethis: (⑧ to this wreck)
Author: thinklikethis
"Um... not that I recall? Maybe something knew you'd need me to carry you," Dao suggests.
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Maybe," muses Beila. "I don't think Avatar transitions into the spirit world are mediated by anything that knows stuff, though."
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
"Some dead Avatar watching over you?"
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
"...Possible. Maybe I should work a little harder at learning to get into the Avatar State and ask them."
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao shrugs.
roc_on: (kě yí)
Author: roc_on
"If you had past lives you could talk to what would you say to them?"
thinklikethis: (⑬ what shall we use)
Author: thinklikethis
"I... have no idea," says Dao.
roc_on: (kuài)
Author: roc_on
She laughs. "What would you say to somebody a hundred years from now who was using your soul?"
thinklikethis: (④ no promises no demands)
Author: thinklikethis
"Probably 'good job, you're making better use of it than I ever did'."
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
"I don't think you're doing badly. Do you?"
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
He shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe. I guess."
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
"But - how so?"
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
"I don't know," he sighs.
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
Beila takes his hand and squeezes it. "You live a pretty ordinary life, plus, you just helped prevent an angry supervolcano spirit from going unappeased," she points out. "I don't think that adds up bad."
thinklikethis: (⑬ what shall we use)
Author: thinklikethis
"...okay, yeah."
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"You don't look completely convinced."
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"I'm not not convinced."
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
"You sound kinda not-convinced."
thinklikethis: (⑧ to this wreck)
Author: thinklikethis
"You're very convincing. I think maybe I just... don't know what being convinced would be like."
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Hmm."
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
He shrugs.
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
"What is it like to - feel like whoever has your soul next will automatically be doing a better job with it? I mean, I would instantly press a button that made me immortal, stopped the entire Avatar Cycle right here, I would not feel a moment's conflict over it, if I talk to Random Waterbender Boy assuming I fail at producing such a button in my lifetime I'm probably going to mostly want to say 'give me my soul back, jerk'. I don't know what the other way of thinking is like at all."
thinklikethis: (⑧ to this wreck)
Author: thinklikethis
"...I don't know what your way of thinking is like at all," says Dao. "Well, it's not hard to imagine you thinking like that. But it's hard to imagine me thinking like that. I just - I've been like this for a long time."
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
Beila squeezes his hand. "It's like you don't even like yourself. If there were two of you would you just sort of stare resentfully at each other wondering why they were taking up space?"
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"...If there were two of me we'd probably make out," he says, and then blushes.
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
"Ooh."
thinklikethis: (③ no one can tell us we're wrong)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao laughs.

"Storing that one for later?"
roc_on: (kě yí)
Author: roc_on
"Maybe. If there were two of me we wouldn't make out. We'd probably plot."
thinklikethis: (④ no promises no demands)
Author: thinklikethis
"I think you'd definitely plot."
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
"There would be so much plotting! It'd be great. But if you'd get along with another one of you - so to speak - why don't you get along so great with just the one?"
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
He shakes his head. "I don't think it works that way."
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
"Why not?"
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
"Because it doesn't?"
roc_on: (méi)
Author: roc_on
"I am enlightened."
thinklikethis: (④ no promises no demands)
Author: thinklikethis
He snorts.
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Not liking yourself sounds really uncomfortable."
thinklikethis: (Default)
Author: thinklikethis
"It is."
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
Beila squeezes his hand again. "I like you," she offers.
thinklikethis: (② the pleasure's all)
Author: thinklikethis
"I like you too!"
roc_on: (Default)
Author: roc_on
"Oh good! It would be kind of awkward if we were dating and didn't like each other."
thinklikethis: (① hysteria)
Author: thinklikethis
He giggles.
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
Eventually they reach the address at which the owner of the lot is supposed to live. Beila rings the doorbell. There's no immediate answer; she taps her foot.
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
"Maybe he's out."
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
"I sure hope not, because in that case I pretty much have to sit here all day," says Beila. "If he's on vacation we're in trouble, especially if there's any work already scheduled on the lot to take place while he's gone."
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"You could try to find his number and call him...?"
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
"Was there anything like that in the directory you found?"
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
"No-o. But maybe there's another directory?"
roc_on: (juéde)
Author: roc_on
"Maybe." She pulls out her screen and starts hunting.
thinklikethis: (⑧ to this wreck)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao waits.
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
"Nothing," Beila sighs. "At least nothing easily accessible. I suppose it's probably on file somewhere less public and I could storm into city hall and demand it. But I'll give him another hour to come home first, I think."
thinklikethis: (⑦ who's gonna show)
Author: thinklikethis
"Okay," says Dao.
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
Beila plops down on the owner's front steps and carries on poking around for a phone number. "As long as we're waiting," she says, "tell me something. A story," she suggests. "Fiction or non, whatever, fill the silence." She waves a hand imperiously, but she's smiling.
thinklikethis: (③ no one can tell us we're wrong)
Author: thinklikethis
"Sorry, I'm all out of facts about panda carp," he laughs.
roc_on: (kuài)
Author: roc_on
"Fact about panda carp aren't stories, anyway," Beila giggles. "I dunno. How did you spend the year you were eight years old?"
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"I don't remember. Probably I went to school and stuff."
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
"I bet you'd remember if you'd spent the entire year truant, yeah."
thinklikethis: (① hysteria)
Author: thinklikethis
He giggles. "Yeah, that'd be a story. Not that I have any idea what I would've been doing if I had."
roc_on: (xiào)
Author: roc_on
"Petty theft, long days at the beach, buying a little scooter and zipping around unsafely?"
thinklikethis: (④ no promises no demands)
Author: thinklikethis
"That sounds way more fun than the year I actually had, which was apparently so boring I don't even remember it."
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
"What's your first memory?"
thinklikethis: (⑥ guilty parts)
Author: thinklikethis
"I'm not sure," he says. "You know how people tell you things about when you were young and then you don't remember if you remember them or just remember the stories?"
roc_on: (kàn)
Author: roc_on
"Yeah, I wasn't really serious about writing stuff down till I was seven and halfway competent with a chordpress, and even then there's still the question of whether I naturally remember what I wrote or if I'm reconstructing it from notes, just like if I'm remembering something because I do or because Ranyi told me about it later."
thinklikethis: (⑨ nobody loves me)
Author: thinklikethis
"Yeah."
roc_on: (tiān)
Author: roc_on
"But what is your earliest plausible memory?"
thinklikethis: (⑬ what shall we use)
Author: thinklikethis
"I wish it was my mom, but it's probably not."
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
...Beila decides to wait for a silent moment to see if elaboration is forthcoming.
thinklikethis: (⑩ how should i)
Author: thinklikethis
"I feel llike I remember her, but I don't know any details, I just know she must've existed once because babies don't fall out of thin air."
roc_on: (shuǐ)
Author: roc_on
"They don't," agrees Beila. "Do you know anything about her?"
thinklikethis: (⑧ to this wreck)
Author: thinklikethis
"Not really."
roc_on: (méiyǒu)
Author: roc_on
"I'm sorry."
thinklikethis: (⑦ who's gonna show)
Author: thinklikethis
He shrugs.
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
A man approaches the house.

He doesn't seem to recognize Beila.

"You, this is private property, shoo," he says.
thinklikethis: (⑪ i am just a new boy)
Author: thinklikethis
"Do you live here?" wonders Dao. "'Cause if so, we're here to talk to you about that spirit you pissed off."
roc_on: (tǔ)
Author: roc_on
...Now he recognizes Beila, who wafts herself to her feet and stares him down.

"I - I covered the sinkhole," he says.

"With boards that could be easily nudged aside if someone didn't feel like finding somewhere else to pour their refuse," says Beila conversationally. "Instead of hiring an earthbender for a - how long was it, ten minutes?" She glances at Dao. "Maybe not even that."
thinklikethis: (④ no promises no demands)
Author: thinklikethis
"More like five," says Dao.
roc_on: (huǒ)
Author: roc_on
"Instead of hiring an earthbender for a five-minute job you put down boards that did not work, and you annoyed a supervolcano. The earthquakes were the least of what would've happened if it hadn't been willing to calm down on my say-so. I took the liberty of having the sinkhole properly covered for you," says Beila, "and now I require your guarantee that you aren't going to do anything to reopen it. Like build anything heavy on that lot, or anything with a basement - or sell it without explaining this little drawback of the property."

"Of - of course, Avatar Beila," stammers the lot owner.

"Wonderful," says Beila. "I'm glad we had this talk. You'll take spirits more seriously in the future, I imagine."

He nods mutely.
thinklikethis: (② the pleasure's all)
Author: thinklikethis
Dao grins a little.
roc_on: (shuō huà)
Author: roc_on
"I'll check on that lot in the future," Beila adds. "Without warning. I do hope it will be intact at that time."

"Of course," exclaims the man.