Rebecca Hb. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beckyh2112) wrote2010-09-14 11:48 pm
beckyh2112) wrote2010-09-14 11:48 pm
Entry tags:
Random "Politics by Other Means" excerpt
Daimyo Akio stood at the other end of the courtyard, his Fire Sage at his side. His son stood nearby, a girl just old enough to braid her own hair clutching his belt and staring at her grandfather in awe. The daimyo wore no tunic, merely a pair of thick red arm-bands and a small red vest. His boots stood empty nearby while the daimyo ran through a series of slow katas to stretch his muscles. As the sun rose, faded scars were revealed in the changing light.
At the other end of the courtyard, Long Feng looked annoyed as Joo Dee held a similar pair of arm-bands and vest out to him. In-Su couldn't hear her from here, but she was Joo Dee. It was her job to the know the protocol when no one else did, and the protocol for an Agni Kai obviously called for ritual clothes. As she was no doubt explaining to the minister.
As he watched, Long Feng reached up and undid the clasps of his robe. It fell, and Joo Dee dove to sweep it up before it could hit the ground.
Mazaru wolf-whistled as the robe came off. "Ash and spark, they grow them fine out there in the Earth Kingdom!"
In-Su sighed and swung his elbow as hard as possible into the firebender's ribs. "Pervert."
Long Feng pulled the arm-bands up over his biceps. He flexed, obviously testing if the bands impaired his movement at all. From what In-Su could tell, they did not.
He'd never realized the minister had plague scars. From the looks of Kyung and Myung-Dae, neither had they.
Joo Dee held out the vest, and Long Feng put it on irritably. With a gesture that was pure Thanh, he flipped his braid out from underneath it, then stepped forward to the line marking his edge of the battlefield.
Daimyo Akio stepped up to his line.
"So," In-Su said in a low voice, "how exactly do one of these duels work?"
"They fight until one yields," Mazaru said, eyes flicking towards him. "You worried about your man?"
In-Su shook his head. He wasn't worried about Long Feng at all.
The minister and the daimyo knelt facing away from each other, Long Feng with one hand on the ground. Three breaths, then both stood nearly together. A murmur ran through the Firefolk; In-Su tilted his head slightly. Hands could feel more than feet, he recalled from long-ago anatomy lessons. It seemed to hold true with earthsight as well.
Knowing Long Feng, he would never even allude to his earthbending if someone brought up their near-synchronicity.
Both men shrugged off their vests and took one step forward. They eyed each other across the expanse of the courtyard, then at the signal, both slid into a ready-stance. In-Su blinked; he had never seen such an obvious example of how different firebending and earthbending truly were.
At the other end of the courtyard, Long Feng looked annoyed as Joo Dee held a similar pair of arm-bands and vest out to him. In-Su couldn't hear her from here, but she was Joo Dee. It was her job to the know the protocol when no one else did, and the protocol for an Agni Kai obviously called for ritual clothes. As she was no doubt explaining to the minister.
As he watched, Long Feng reached up and undid the clasps of his robe. It fell, and Joo Dee dove to sweep it up before it could hit the ground.
Mazaru wolf-whistled as the robe came off. "Ash and spark, they grow them fine out there in the Earth Kingdom!"
In-Su sighed and swung his elbow as hard as possible into the firebender's ribs. "Pervert."
Long Feng pulled the arm-bands up over his biceps. He flexed, obviously testing if the bands impaired his movement at all. From what In-Su could tell, they did not.
He'd never realized the minister had plague scars. From the looks of Kyung and Myung-Dae, neither had they.
Joo Dee held out the vest, and Long Feng put it on irritably. With a gesture that was pure Thanh, he flipped his braid out from underneath it, then stepped forward to the line marking his edge of the battlefield.
Daimyo Akio stepped up to his line.
"So," In-Su said in a low voice, "how exactly do one of these duels work?"
"They fight until one yields," Mazaru said, eyes flicking towards him. "You worried about your man?"
In-Su shook his head. He wasn't worried about Long Feng at all.
The minister and the daimyo knelt facing away from each other, Long Feng with one hand on the ground. Three breaths, then both stood nearly together. A murmur ran through the Firefolk; In-Su tilted his head slightly. Hands could feel more than feet, he recalled from long-ago anatomy lessons. It seemed to hold true with earthsight as well.
Knowing Long Feng, he would never even allude to his earthbending if someone brought up their near-synchronicity.
Both men shrugged off their vests and took one step forward. They eyed each other across the expanse of the courtyard, then at the signal, both slid into a ready-stance. In-Su blinked; he had never seen such an obvious example of how different firebending and earthbending truly were.
no subject
Don't mind me, I have nothing coherent to contribute at this point. I'm just happy this story is coming along and somehow Long Feng will be dragged into an Agni Kai at some point.
Also, plague scars. Have no idea why they're significant, but the idea of a multi-continent spanning plague interests me.
no subject
...and must read more of this. *nods*
no subject
no subject
I'm looking forward to reading this when it's done.
no subject