you're in a whole mess of trouble, kid.

Lin Beifong - Affiliated with Città Alveare 

[stonefacedchief-blog]

blowyourhousedown:

She sure is blunt, isn’t she? Honestly, he can appreciate that - and maybe it’s what contributes to his decision to be truthful. That, and the fact that lying to this particular woman is likely to come back to bite him in the ass eventually.

“I’m a wolf. Know I don’t look like it, usually - know the name’s not exactly a creative one, either.” He shrugs. “It’s complicated.” (No kidding.)

Oof. The right side of the law, huh…. He supposes he is now, for a given value of ‘law’, and if you think about it there weren’t exactly any laws that applied to him back in the day - but that’s just dodging the problem. He hopes that his reaction doesn’t show on his face, and goes for a change of subject.

“Never heard of any place called Republic City, or anything called an earthbender, so I’m guessing you’re from some universe that isn’t mine. You should probably be prepared for that - hell, in my experience you’re less likely to meet people from your own place here than any other one.”

     ⇀ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ʟɪɴ’s sᴛʀᴏɴɢ sᴜɪᴛ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ. But she smirks a little anyway. Bigby Wolf, huh. He didn’t look particularly wolfish, though she can imagine how his hair tossed about in an unkempt way might make him look a little rougher. Complicated was to say the least about most things these days, anyway. Lin couldn’t picture how someone without talking animal spirits and bending in their world would be coping in this city. 

“I can imagine.” She doesn’t press the point. He was a talking wolf who happened to look human. That was fine.

Something dashes across Bigby’s face but Lin isn’t quite sure which part of her comment he was reacting to. It passes too quickly for her to dwell on it. 

Universes, of course. How else could such an array of people be here all at once. It’s such a nebulous concept when she isn’t comparing it to the rather binary spirit versus mortal world situation back home. Was everyone a nonbender in his universe, then? 

“That - ” makes sense? It doesn’t, not entirely. “Seems inefficient. The technology to tear so many people from several universes to another must use an exorbitant amount of energy.” She recalls Kuvira’s immense mecha suit tearing open just the one portal with its destruction. “But, have you met anyone from yours yet?”

[stonefacedchief-blog]

snixt:

➟ ; @stonefacedchief

“ you look like a pretty strong gal. wanna give me a hand with somethin’? ”

with how slender a lot of the people here looked, logan figured there wasn’t a ton of people that would be able to help him fix up the little shack he called home. after all, there was a lot of heavy lifting involved, and even the chopping of wood - which explained the woodcutter’s axe in his hand. 

though after all he’d been through, getting back to basics and spending a day chopping some wood for some hard labour was nothing. not that he’d tell her that, of course.

“ ‘m just doing a little maintenance on my house, and i could use a hand. you wanna make a few bucks? ”

     ⇀ ғᴏʀ ᴏɴᴄᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜɪᴇғ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ᴘʟᴀɴs sᴇᴛ ɪɴ sᴛᴏɴᴇ. This would have to be a first, though. It wasn’t often the police chief was asked for assistance with construction, an easy task for a proficient earthbender, but the challenge is a welcomed one. And the money. Well, it usually wasn’t high on the list of things Lin valued most. Hard-work was its own reward in many ways, although her new life here was quickly proving how important finding a stable source of income could be. A tiny bonus from working little, helpful jobs could be nice if this man had the cash to spare.

“What do you need? I could do with some heavy work.”

Noting the axe in his grip, she’s internally grateful she probably won’t have to admit she can’t lift and twist boulders into bricks anymore. Lifting planks of wood on the other hand was something Lin was perfectly capable of.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

tolditslant:

He nods, gaze raking over her to make sure she doesn’t appear to be hurt anyway. No time for stubbornness if she really was hurt or anything.

“Chi?” Okay there’s a basis to what he knows is behind that…the energy thing, ninjas, that stuff. 

“So you can’t…use your energy properly?”

    ⇀ ᴛᴏ sᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ. “Exactly.” Seeing the flicker of confusion in his eyes with a tiny sliver of recognition, she thinks there’s a little more explanation required.

Holding her hand with her palm facing upwards, she wills a metal coin from her pouch to hover a good few inches above it. It’s no grand feat of what earthbending could look like, not by a long shot, but it works and that’s all she wants for now. The fact that it actually takes some concentration is bothersome, though. “I control earth with my chi.” The coin drops to rest in her palm. “Without it, I can’t.” It’s simple, she thinks.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

favillautcinis:

“Well if trouble finds me then so be it.” It’s not as if Azula would be afraid of such people. Not when the girl’s faced so much more in her lifetime. A small giggle was given in response to her warning as she prodded the older woman’s armored jacket.

“Though from where I stand your warning sounded more like a threat.” 

The giggling did not cease as a ball of flames erupted from her palm. She took a step back her head inclined as if in greeting before she once more raised herself to stare into the police chief’s eyes. “But I just don’t see how you’ll ever be able to follow through with it.”

     ⇀ ʟɪɴ’s ᴇʏᴇs ɢʀᴏᴡ ᴡɪᴅᴇ. A firebender, here? Her mind runs through a torrent of scenarios, accepting that fighting would most definitely leave her with a nasty burn. She’d been through worse, but there’s still a matter of pride in the mix. Stupid pride. She squares her stance, shoulders stiff from being prodded. Lin was confident that she was more than just her bending, but cautious. A ball of flames was one thing, but if it had only been a warning of worse to come - Lin would have to put things right before it got that far.

Lin meets her gaze evenly, “Careful. These people could get hurt if you start playing with that.” The fearful stare from the shopkeeper Lin stands in front of echoes her words, yet the chief doesn’t take a step towards the taunting firebender. “I don’t have time to mess around as it is.”

Half of Lin wanted to though. The other half berated her for being so easily riled up by a mere child.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

Switcheroo?

meme: closed!

The path to redemption is a road beaten out of shape by each tread of a guilty mind’s step, stumbling lost in all directions or confident, as if they know precisely how to regain lost honour and undo past deeds. Mountains, unscalable, can still be dodged, but running headfirst into one with no time for patience nor calculation leaves Bigby Wolf in a cell.

Born to a Water Tribe mother, Bigby’s father - a warrior of high repute in the Earth Kingdom - left all too soon and never knew of the raiders that attacked the small Northern town Bigby had grown to call home. Unable to shape the earth as he wanted, Bigby was powerless against the skillful icebenders that took his mother. They left him to wander the mountains and forest as he fled, expecting the boy to fade into the cold dark and never make it to the nearest encampment. What he finds isn’t the friendly reception of his old village but a pack of wolves that chases him back into the trees. His bending techniques grew rough and instinctual, every movement made solely to survive. Quick reflexes and earth shattering blows were Bigby’s assets, a style of earthbending without its defensive potential that he shaped moving from wilds to settlement and back again. The world had been hard on him and the only way he saw forward was to return the sentiment, but being young and powerful with his unique style, Bigby had no one tell him otherwise.

Earthbending is never its best without balance, the offensive and the defensive combined as a bender waits for their opportune moment. Unaware of this, being confined once captured forces him to think - on how to escape. There was no chance to right his wrongs rotting behind bars and so the earthbender pauses. The South was his best bet. Just a little merchant town, one he could do good by. The escape is no hassle, especially when the guards cower from a brief display of aggression, and Bigby is off. The town he finds is by no means perfect, plagued by spirits of all sorts, yet it’s filled with runaways and misfits, an unlikely family he swears to protect.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

Switcheroo!

meme: closed!

Hanataro’s kind nature goes hand in hand with the waterbending the Northern Water Tribe discouraged him from pursuing, and instead he was pressed to take an offensive stance on the training grounds. In failing that, he discovered and honed the art of healing privately, catching glimpses of young female waterbenders casting glowing pools of water over injured tribesmen when he wasn’t trying his hand at flailing about with a feeble water whip. If only the healer had spoken up, he may not have joined the navy of which his brother was lieutenant. He may not have had to partake in a civil war, quietly “fighting” from the back lines as he healed the friends who had laughed and jeered when he lost during sparring, but they could say little more about how cowardly he might have once been. Displaying a sudden streak of bravery when his captain falls prone to what would have their finishing blow, the gentle water at his fingertips hardens as Hanataro lashes out in a fearful moment of instinct. Even he can appreciate how difficult it would be to heal the wound split open from the jagged chunk of ice he had hurled at the enemy.

Upon return, there is no reward for his valiant act. Any soldier or friend would have done the same, he believes. Still, being tasked with repairing underground tunnels isn’t his idea of what a proficient healer - although less proficient warrior - ought to be doing. Plenty fighters were still no doubt writhing in pain from the battle, the few he hadn’t reached out there in the chaos and snow. There was a job he’d be good at. But no. He had to fix collapsed tunnels.

Lifting snow up and out of the way, Hanataro rediscovered memories he had thought buried with his childhood. Old passages became known to him once more; a small hole in the wall was his infamous hide’n’seek location, and that tunnel was barely wide enough for even he to crawl under into a secret hideaway his friends had made for themselves. It puts a smile on his face as he works the job of men building paths to hold their city high, healing a different sort of wound left on their tribe.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

[[ I’m afraid I’ll have to post the last 2 switcheroos and the funny starters tomorrow, can’t keep you waiting another whole week for them !! Replies will follow swiftly too ^^” ]]

[komorebichii-blog-deactivated20]

stonefacedchief replied to your post: switcheroo! (if ya dont mind!)

[[ !!! Ahhh it’s my pleasure ^^ I’m glad you like it! ]]

[[ YEAH!!!! i never expected firebender yamaguchi???? i love this ?????

[stonefacedchief-blog]

[[ I thought I’d give something different a shot ! He might be more confident as any other sort of bender, but then he’d probably not need kuai ball to build up his strength and self confidence aaand we can’t have no volleyball for the pinch server so firebender it was ^^ thanks though!!! ]]

[stonefacedchief-blog]

switcheroo! ;3c

meme: closed!

Mortals have a right to be wary of what spirits wander into their world, but their cautions are often too easily forgotten when they’re the ones strutting through the newly opened portals into the darker realms of the spirit world. Quick as a whip, Krueger’s gloved hands would have their face in his palm and their soul drifting endlessly on the wrong side of a portal. It’s a pain to not steal their face as gracefully as Koh himself, but Freddy Krueger finds that he can still take a great deal more by delving into dreams so deep they transcend the mortal plane. People would lie with eyes staring vacantly at blank ceiling for days on end before their last breath of air slipped from dry lips, pupils mere pinprinks that had shrunk in fear of some unknown entity. For a while, it was believed they had somehow strayed too deep into the Fog of Lost Souls. An external influence wasn’t expected. Krueger wasn’t expected.

Unsure of where and how he began, the dark spirit suspects he might have once been mortal but doesn’t dwell on the thought. Why bother considering this was surely a much more enjoyable form of existence - for the sadistic Krueger, anyway. Nobody could come along and throw fire at his face, robbing him of a decent pair of eyes and nose. Nobody could spark memories he had thought were more fiction than fact. He’d just have to steal theirs instead.

Originally unable to enter the mortal world, Krueger finds that his face burns when he steps out of that blinding light into a bustling city filled with clueless citizens. He can masquerade as a fire nation refugee, the victim of a duel that didn’t work in his favour, hat tugged low and others keeping their glances brief out of respect. But spending too long away from the portal tugs at his wrist, and his usually unwavering strength begins to wax and wane like the strange moon of this other land. Krueger misses the power offered by the other world, and firebenders showing off in the streets here don’t leave him at ease by any means.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

switcheroo! (if ya dont mind!)

meme: closed!

Hailing from a small town in the outer islands of the fire nation, it’s always been the dream of Yamaguchi’s small kuai ball team to compete in Republic City. Pro-bending might be the most popular sport over there, but not only was Yamaguchi less than confident with his meager firebending, the students at his school playing around with clay disks and sharp swashes of water were far too intimidating. He didn’t have the foundation most firebenders from the Capital City gained through their studies and so often even the nonbenders on the team had quicker footwork than Yamaguchi. Sticking with it so that it might help him grow stronger, and perhaps improve his firebending too, the Torono Crows of Karasuno gradually grew in strength as a team.

Yamaguchi’s meek personality doesn’t lend itself easily to typical firebending, though losing to a team from a neighbouring school - Seijoh - sparks a surprising amount of frustration in the young bender. He works hard to improve at both bending and kuai ball, often finding the lines between the two blur but thankfully he’s not the first to scorch the ball with an unexpected burst of fire from his palm while serving. Trying his best not to burn the net down to the sand, Yamaguchi slowly but surely develops his own way of handling the ball that frustrates the opposing team to no end. His agility is still surpassed by acrobats and adept firebenders on the team, though he imagines scoring a service ace is just as good a feeling as scoring with a spike that looks as though it should be accompanied by an arcing flame.

Finally making it to Republic City after a string of games in the fire nation, the games are put on hold as the general public are advised to stay clear of the various dangers that seem to follow the Avatar everywhere. Yamaguchi is more than glad to wait things out in favour of staying safe, though some of his team are anxious to get back on court. Complications arise when the team’s shrimpy decoy suddenly learns how to airbend, but after fighting their way through the tournament and handling the most unexpected of plays, Yamaguchi can hardly believe their matches are being broadcasted via radio all throughout the capital.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

(i can't remember if i've sent it before or not so rry if i did BUT) "Switcheroo"

meme: closed!

Shimada, now that’s a name everybody’s heard of. One of the most renowned fire nation noble families with a long history in training some of the most fearsome soldiers, the Agni Kai between brothers was a spectacle to behold. Honour is no small matter in the fire nation, to lose it would mean to lose one’s standing in society, and to question your obligation to uphold it - well, that might as well be the same as shedding it entirely. Hanzo doesn’t question his elders’ orders when he finds himself stood opposite Genji, he can’t. Both of them are painfully aware of the duel’s one possible outcome and while it restores honour to the name Shimada, Hanzo wrestles with what comes after the death of his younger brother.

He keeps it inside as long as he can bear, as he knows he should, but the weight of his act wears an aching mind down more and more with each passing day. Hanzo flees the fire nation, believing he doesn’t deserve to be called a Shimada any longer, but in doing so spends years dodging troops of fire nation soldiers chasing his path across the nations. Each technique he had spent hours honing to perfection were turned on his old family and Hanzo continued evading the death that would - by their definition - restore his honour.

At first, an encounter with another firebender assassin isn’t much of a surprise for Hanzo, but as he sends an arc of lightning that would surely draw this battle to a close, it’s redirected with a stance that he hasn’t seen in years. The assassin speaks of a more important fight to the North in a broken voice that rings distantly familiar and is gone before Hanzo can reply. Left with stories of a war machine, ludicrous notions of spirits and another ghost from his past, Hanzo chooses the pursuit of his brother’s aims over finding honour in a world he hasn’t called home for an age.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

Switcheroo!

meme: closed!

The Water Tribe’s history with war saddens Yellow to no end, but it has only spurred her on with mastering the arts of healing through her waterbending. Although grateful that she’s been able to learn and practice the skill, Yellow simply wasn’t content to remain stood still and left the Southern Water Tribe with hopes of exploring all there was to the world, providing help when and where it may be needed. She didn’t leave alone, however. The Water Tribe was known to have quirky traditions such as penguin sledding and its people were no strangers to interacting with creatures of all sorts - though the idea of tricking an otter penguin into being sat upon as a makeshift sled seemed a little mean. After hearing the Avatar herself sat astride a polar bear dog in a land where the bright sun beat down to drive back the snow, Yellow was happy to have her polar dog as a companion overseas.

Traveling never grew lonely in the company of her dog, and even if it had been, the sudden influx of friendly spirits wandering the land was an enormous source of joy for the waterbender. She felt a strange connection with them, almost as if she could share thoughts with the foreign creatures. While visiting the Eastern Air Temple - a difficult journey to attempt without some help from a flying bison - Yellow was lucky to have some of the spirits reveal themselves and befriended a two-headed bird spirit whom she named Dody.

Not all her adventures were without strife. Spirits were not yet universally accepted, and in some cases were even feared. Although a staunch believer that these new emerging spirits should be given a chance, Yellow can’t blame the citizens of Republic City for being a little skeptical after witnessing Vaatu. Still, it doesn’t stop her from defending the restored balance between the spirit and mortal world.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

"Switcheroo!"

meme: closed!

Ava’s life in Ba Sing Se was heavily dictated by the city’s social hierarchy until the Queen Hou-Ting smiled down in favour upon her father. It might have been a blessing if it weren’t the Dai Li he had to join. Not exactly illegal yet certainly more than morally grey, Ava and her sister had no idea that the money their father brought home was earned by assisting the Dai Li with enslaving innocent airbenders. And then came the Red Lotus. Ava’s was just one of many families caught in the crossfire, and each of them lost their way in the chaos.

Republic City was the shiny new home refugees were promised, yet its numerous turf wars marked it perhaps even more criminally active than the sweeping city of Ba Sing Se. One of the Triple Threat Triad recruiters hired Ava for her innocent appearance and she learnt how to fight from her peers well enough, though without any bending never became truly part of the group. It allowed her one more new start, even if she felt as though she lacked the energy to take full advantage of it.

Having left Ba Sing Se for the same reasons as she, her grandparents had filed reports for their missing family members and as insignificant as a flyer among many might seem pinned to the missing person’s wall of the police station, Ava couldn’t believe her eyes when her own portrait sat squarely in the center. One inquiry for an address later and they were reunited. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best things had been for quite some time.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

"Switcheroo!"

meme: closed!

The hustle and bustle of Republic City never truly suited Napstablook’s introverted lifestyle, a non-bender with a passion for music that has yet to be shared with the world. Before their time in terms of style and skill when handling various instruments, the guzheng offers them plenty potential for independent composition where some others might require a large music ensemble to become greater than themselves. That being said, Napstablook could write the score for an entire orchestra if only they didn’t doubt themselves to the point where someone else might claim ownership of the piece. Thankfully, music thieves were quickly discredited and the citizens of Republic City found the notion of mystery composer rather novel.

Avoiding conflict out in the street and in the world of music both, Napstablook would rather invite a potential adversary in for some tea and quiet conversation in the hopes that things will turn out alright. They don’t hold onto those hopes for very long, even if their company proves pleasant enough, Napstablook might assume such a productive member of society has better places to be than an undiscovered musician’s humble dwelling.

Something about Harmonic Convergence inspires the young composer, but traveling to a whole new world is such an absurdly daring idea that Napstablook at first doesn’t fancy they’ll end up on the other side anytime soon. Everything comes as a bit of a rush when entrepreneur Varrick takes notice of the potential new business venture - musicals, but with spirits. No doubt a result of one of his brainstorming sessions, Napstablook has trouble saying no, especially after being reassured that the spirit world’s waterfalls provide enough privacy and solace for all the peace and quiet they could dream of.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

Switcheroo!

meme: closed!

Waterbenders had been earned something of an unwanted reputation in Republic City despite their long history of fighting some great evil and healing the good. A skilled bender could manipulate whomever they so pleased, and draw energy from the life around them rather than give it back. Rize finds she doesn’t need her abilities to manipulate the unwary citizen, her looks are quite enough to achieve that, but isn’t it fun taking things further with a little blood muddying the waters?

Valuing her freedom and happiness, Rize had little trouble evading the law. Non-benders and benders alike were no match for her bloodbending, but when that wasn’t an option, she would strike out hard and fast with long stretches of water often drawn from the lush natural surroundings that Republic City boasted after Harmonic Convergence. Her lack of motive made her an even more elusive target for the police, but her unchanging habits are frequently what leaves her almost within their grasp. Reading, for one, drew her to Republic City in the first place. If she were to leave, a smart place to look might be Wan Shi Tong’s Library, fully stocked with her favourite author’s books, though its neglected rooms would render her visit cut woefully short.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

blowyourhousedown:

Whoops. Definitely human, if she’s the kind to get annoyed over being asked about it. New, too, if the questions about the sector hadn’t already been a hint.

“It’s nothing about you or how you look,” he answers, mostly honestly (that smell is still bothering him). “Plenty of people look human around here and aren’t. Might even be a couple that’re the other way around, although I haven’t run into any of those yet.”

Another police officer? That’s a surprise, and a little unnerving, because she’s likely to be a hell of a lot more legitimate than he is. He’s not sure what ‘metalbending’ or ‘earthbender’ mean, though from the names he’s guessing they explain the smell, and don’t necessarily disqualify her from being human.

First things first, though; he takes her hand and shakes it once, firmly. “Police chief, huh? Guess we got something in common - I’m Sheriff Bigby Wolf.”

     ⇀ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ, sᴘɪʀɪᴛ - ᴀᴜᴛᴏᴍᴀᴛᴏɴ? Lin wasn’t throwing any option out the window at this point. “Fair enough, though considering that’s the case, what’re you?” Given her brief stay in Hive City, she had learned not to make assumptions which would ultimately leave her in shock. Better to be prepared for anything these days.

The title ‘Sheriff’ suggests he took care of a relatively smaller settlement, probably not something as grandiose as Republic City, though the job might have been a lot more personal because of it. Lin wonders if she would have been good at the personal element behind protecting a city but decides she prefers the all-business-no-nonsense attitude of her old police force. It’s another facet she thinks might prove more challenge than advantage, though maybe that’s just her personality factoring in.

“It’s nice meeting someone on the right side of the law, I respect that.” Naturally, being sheriff and chief respectively, both of them probably had questions. His were probably less concerned with the ins and outs of the city, though.

[stonefacedchief-blog]

solomonsavatar:

He watches her carefully, making note of his advice succeeding. It brings a smile to his face to see her grab the fruit, and makes for excellent conversation…had it not been for her questions. 

Royalty, was something Aladdin had always found strange. Though he was considered the prince of Alma Torran, one couldn’t be royalty to a lost world, now could they? Being a Magi wasn’t considered royalty, at least what he thought, but it was more akin to it than just normal ranking in society. In any given case, Aladdin never cared for titles. As long as he could protect the world he loved and the people he cared about, then he could be given any title that society deemed fit. 

“Not exactly,” He takes another bite of the watermelon, taking the time to enjoy the sweetness as it passed his taste buds. “I’m a Magi. We’re not royalty, but in my world, we’re important I suppose.. Important enough to get free food at least!” 

He takes a look at the shopkeeper, noting the irritated features that ran across his face. It’s clear they’re not welcome to mingle for too much longer, but just where would they go? Aladdin didn’t know, but if this woman was new, perhaps he could show her what he knew of the city. 

“Though it wasn’t always free to me, I just got lucky when I first arrived to meet someone nice enough to let me eat all their food.” Others would tell that tale a bit differently, but what this lady didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt her. “Miss, I think we should go. Would you like to take a walk with me?”

     ⇀ ᴡᴀs ʜᴇ ʙʟᴜғғɪɴɢ? “Lucky, huh.” Lin had given him the benefit of the doubt once, to do so again would make any of her old colleagues mutter behind her back rumours of the inexorable chief of police having gone soft. They would still be too terrified to tell that to her face, though. Knowing her mother could have felt those give-away tremors betraying the lie through the earth beneath her feet, Lin has to let this one go. 

The term Magi is new, though it makes enough sense to the chief. Officials, ambassadors, the Avatar; all were considered “important”, yet food was never free for any of them. Was the status of Magi more significant, or just from a different culture? Either way, Lin rules it out as irrelevant for the time being. What was important now was society as it was here. Strange and crooked, but real lest she cease to care.

It wasn’t that she needed a map to make head or tail of this place, it was just that she - 

She needed a map. Not about to admit that to this Magi, however, Lin agrees to his proposition but not without one last glance at the scowling shopkeeper. “Generosity won’t make you a profit,” commenting idly, she flicks one more gold piece from her pouch onto the table without needing to touch it once. The joys of being a metalbender, Lin thinks dryly.

“Alright, let’s walk. You got a name, Magi?”

Somehow, she forgets she is no longer the Chief of Police here. Others had the audacity to call her a nobody, but unemployed and foreign, Lin would have been an arrogant fool to not see some sliver of truth to that. Perhaps introductions were in order at last.