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[abitofawildman]

The weather is beautiful today. The sun is shining, the clouds are bright puffy white, and the waters of Yue Bay are nearly still. A beautiful day.

A great day for flying, his father would say.
Then, as if on cue, his mother would retort, You think everyday is a great day for flying.
Everyday IS a great day for flying, ... but especially today.

"Especially today," Bumi murmurs to himself as the memory of his father's laughter replays in his mind. The sound of the ceremonial horns bring him back to the here and now. Back to the assembled crowd that's come to bear witness and pay respect on this the fourth anniversary of the Avatar's passing. Back to watching his little brother hold court over the culture their father left in his care.

Comments

[spiralmovements]

Tenzin did not want to do this. Actively campaigned against doing this. Lin suggested that it would be good for the City to see the only remaining Airbending Master to speak on the occasion. His mother was the one to convince him - You will do great, son. Your father loves you no matter what you say up there.

Always present tense.

"Avatar Aang served his duty to the world with grace, compassion, and was never without his humor," Tenzin starts with nothing in the way of salutation. "He wanted to be a symbol for the world but more importantly, he wanted the world to create its own symbol in order to be proud of what the combined efforts of so many could accomplish."

[abitofawildman]

Bumi hears his brothers words and can't help but smirk.

For all his practiced stoicism, Tenzin will always be incapable of hiding his emotions from those that know him best. There's a crispness to Tenzin's voice that Bumi knows for a fact can can only mean one thing: He's doing this under duress.

Poor bastard.

He locks eyes with his brother, trying with all his non-bending might to will him to make eye contact. For if he does, he'll be greeting with the most manic of smiles from the crowd.

[spiralmovements]

It gets easier - slightly - to pretend once Tenzin gets going on a practiced monologue about the man immortalized by the enormous statue that he could see from his bedroom window as a boy.

Tenzin looks up and sees his brother. His beard twitches like he's adjusting his jaw (to hide a smile) and he continues, seemingly not affected.

"Avatar Aang missed out on so much at a young age."

And a spike of bitterness at that, directed at no one in particular. That statue doesn't do his father justice; it's all wrong.

"But he served the Spirits, and the people - bender and non-bender alike. So today, we honor one of the founders of our Republic City - Avatar Aang."

There is a suitable amount of applause, and Tenzin slowly descends from the dais.

Throughout the speech, he never once calls Aang 'my father'.

[abitofawildman]

And now comes the fun part. The part where everyone in the crowd vollys for position to bow to, or reach out for, Tenzin as he passes.

It sets Bumi's teeth on edge to see his brother objectified like this. Tenzin is more than just the Last Airbending stand-in for their father. Under his breath he curses the White Lotus for not having found Aang's reincarnation yet. Surely this circus will refocus its attention when that pesky waterbender is found, right?

When he can stand it no more he elbows his way through the crowd. Oh sure he could just as easily have peacefully passed through the throngs of well wishers, but the time for peace is at an end.

[spiralmovements]

"Hey!" Someone protests, and Tenzin looks up to see mussed brown hair in a United Forces uniform heading his way at impressive velocity given the density of the crowd.

(Tenzin finally smiles. A little.)

"Commander." Wry.

[abitofawildman]

He takes a deep breath, and on the exhale his face becomes a mask of calm, collected, and most importantly cool. It's hard not to be cool, what with how spiffy and gleaming United Republic dress uniforms are.

"Junior Councilman," he says in a voice that is a near pitch perfect impression of Tenzin's. If there's just a touch more emphasis on the Junior well then so much the better.

Bumi stands up just a little bit straighter, a mockery of attention really. "I'm afraid that I have pressing matters to discuss with you. Would you please come with me."

[spiralmovements]

Sure there is.

"Of course. Excuse me, everyone. Thank you, excuse me -- " Tenzin apologizes as the brothers cut their way through the throng.

"Where are we heading, brother?"

[abitofawildman]

Bumi continues to placidly smile as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

"Out of earshot, line of sight, and arms-reach or so help me I will swordbend them all within an inch of their lives."

It's as if the smile is the only prison that'll keep his frustration from escaping.

[spiralmovements]

Tenzin loves you too, Bumi, and his smile is far more genuine now that he is (momentarily) away from hangers-on.

"Lin is on-duty for the rest of the day and I need to be back at the temple by sundown. But...I would appreciate spending the day elsewhere."

Code: Get me out of here.

[abitofawildman]

The further away from the crowd they get more relaxed, and less clenched, Bumi becomes.

"You're in luck then, I happen to be well versed in the customs and culture of elsewhere, and know for a fact that it is positively delightful this time of year."

Time of year.
Bumi does his best to keep his eyes looking forward, to what's ahead of them, and not back towards the looming mass of statue.

"i hate irony."

[spiralmovements]

Tenzin prefers to cling to the first statement rather than the second.

"You're not going to whisk me away to your ship, are you?"

[abitofawildman]

"Of course not, what kind of a crazy man do you take me for?" he asks with mock indignation.

"Bringing a ship this close to this island, that'd be madness. Pure madness."

What's that off in the distance? Where the memorial reaches the rocky outcropping it sits on? Is that...a grappling hook?

"I'm whisking you away on a boat. That is, of course...unless you'd rather swim."

He doesn't even mention the option of taking the ferry back to the mainland with the crowd. Bumi would rather attempt walk along the bottom of Yue Bay than choose that.

[spiralmovements]

He'd rather fly, but not today.

"Always an escape route."

Tenzin watches Bumi pull the boat in so that the brothers can quietly, strategically, retreat far away from the celebrations.

They can celebrate the Avatar that founded the City; Bumi and Tenzin have their own way.

[abitofawildman]

"I never leave my bunk without one." It's sagely advice that he might just one day commission one of his lady friends to embroider on a pillow.

When the boat is close enough, Bumi scrambles down the the rocks and leaps into the two man dingy. Tenzin can presumably make his own way down.

"I have a present for you."

[spiralmovements]

Tenzin most assuredly makes his way down, and with far gentler repercussions on the boat.

"Oh?" And after a second, "It isn't another stuffed flying bison toy, is it?"

[abitofawildman]

He laughs as he rummages in one of the lock boxes. "You couldn't truly expect me to say no to that, could you? It squeaks when you squeeze it." Bumi is king of the impulse buy.

Ah HAH
A package efficiently wrapped in canvas is retrieved.
"For you," he says before he unceremoniously tosses the parcel his brother's way.

[spiralmovements]

The knots untie seemingly of their own accord when Tenzin reaches over them, and he pulls the canvas open to reveal plain brown slacks and a linen shirt.

"A disguise?" Even as Tenzin questions it, he is removing his boots to change his pants. "I hope you have a -- "

A hat is under the shirt.

"How long were you planning this? Did someone tell you?"

[abitofawildman]

"A gentleman does not reveal his secrets," he says primly. Or...as primly as Bumi is capable of being.

There's a second parcel next to him, but he hasn't opened it yet. From the look of it it's probably an equally inconspicuous change of clothing for him as well. It...almost appears as though he's considering whether to change.

[spiralmovements]

Tenzin takes off his cloak and tunic next, kissing the back of the cloak's collar before folding up his clothing neatly and setting it behind him. In the light reflecting off the water, the long stripe of tattooed blue on Tenzin's back gives its own (less powerful by far) glowing effect.

He's pulled on his shirt and the hat (which annoys, but is sensible) before Tenzin notices Bumi's not changed. "You won't have a problem staying in your uniform?"

[abitofawildman]

"The kind of attention I get is never a problem," he says with a positively wicked grin. In all the ways that Tenzin stands out, Bumi blends in. With limited exception, most people know Bumi by name and reputation than by sight.

He looks at his brother, really looks at him, and smiles. Today isn't about impressing ladies. It's about taking his brother away from his world for a day. And besides...it's not like Bumi needs a uniform to impress a woman.

"Pema was right, you look good brother."

[spiralmovements]

"What? Pema? How did Pema - why was she talking to you?"

Tenzin has to shut this down right away. Or at least try.

"Do you two...speak often?"

[abitofawildman]

"Often enough." He winks. It's a trustworthy wink though, so it's okay.

Bumi's boots come off, as does his jacket, shirt and tie.

"It's your own fault, really."

[spiralmovements]

"What exactly is my fault now?"

Tenzin has been far too busy to do anything that he could be blamed for.

[abitofawildman]

"Your letters read like a Council meeting minutes," he says dropping trou.

[spiralmovements]

"I bore you then. So you ... what. Gossip?"

Tenzin rolls his eyes even though a smile still hasn't totally disappeared from his face.

Until: "Not about me though."