OoC: This is a private RP between Sem, Carmen and myself.
BiC:
The legends speak of a time of great peace across the Four Nations of the world. Great peace that came with the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai by Avatar Aang. That was many years ago, hundreds.
The peace had lasted, relatively, for the centuries that followed. Every so often there would be an act of violence, but each time it had been quelled easily and peace would reign again. There would never be another great war, no more senseless killing that spanned across the years.
Eventually even the Four Nations: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire, had joined together under the banner of peace and prosperity. In the years that followed, technology continued to evolve and advance. Great cities rose high into the sky and covered the surface of the world. Democracy rose where once Monarchy had been, and under the banner of a unified world, the Nations came under one unified government.
It started small, as most ideas do, but eventually hushed whispers grew to strong shouts: Anti-Bender ideals began to arise and take form within the cities. They were dangerous as far as an average, non-bender was concerned; how were they to protect themselves against people with control of the elements?
Eventually the people began to cry out for protection; a solution to the bending problem. And the Anti-Bender Unionist Party took advantage of their outrage and their cries, and they made themselves the solution. The election was still months away when it appeared that their victory was assured; far outweighing the votes of benders and their support were the votes of frightened parents out to protect their families and average men who were angry for being born without abilities.
That's when the protests began. Benders began to fear for their rights, for their futures, and most importantly, for their lives. They lined up outside of the capitol building in the Republic City, the central hub for the United Nations, and showed the government their fear and their desperation. Unfortunately the ABU weren't listening.
The military was called in to ensure the protests didn't turn to riots. Benders serving in the armed forces were forced to choose a side, as were police officers and public servants. After weeks of protests that never escalated further, someone made a move that changed it all.
A riot broke out, benders began to get violent as their pleas for help went ignored. The military tried to resolve the conflict and soon the shots rang out. Twelve benders ended up dead, and the military suffered five deaths and two injuries. The fear of benders escalated, and any doubt that the ABU would seize power were erased.
Soon after taking office, the ABU began to issue the laws. Bending in any form became illegal. If one was caught using bending abilities they would be placed under arrest immediately. Children would be tested at the time of birth, and would continue to be tested yearly until the age of fifteen, to determine whether or not they were benders. All benders were registered, so the government knew who to watch.
If a bender was registered they were given two choices: either they would serve the military, under direct control of the government; or they would live in controlled areas of the city, where they would be under government watch at all times.
In the event that an unregistered bender is found, they are immediately placed under arrest and taken to a prison. Whether they serve a sentence or not is unknown as they are hardly ever seen again.
Over time benders began to adjust to their new ways of life, constantly under the eye of the ABU. Until recently; now rumors tell of benders disappearing in the dead of night, and they are never seen again.
------------------------------------------
Fifteen Years Later...
Jun walked endlessly down the winding streets of Ba Sing Se, the city's name was the only thing that had lasted over the centuries; nothing else of its original glory remained. He mused silently to himself whether or not the Earth Kings of legend would turn over in their graves at the sight of the once glorious city.
Where once the earth benders had formed the buildings, now the skyscrapers were built by hand. Tall and made of steel and glass. Cars roared down the streets and the hustle and bustle of city life was a constant hum in the air.
Of course, being the capitol of the Earth Kingdom in the days of legend, there weren't many differences between the amount of people thriving within the city. No, the biggest change was the lack of the walls. Jun had read about them in countless books; massive walls that had kept the Fire Nation out during the time of the Great War. Under the banner of the United Nations, they were ordered destroyed.
The twenty-four year old stopped at a cross-road in the heart of the city. His eyes were a forest green and his black hair grew long and he sported a black goatee. The top of his head was hidden under a green and beige bandanna that matched the rest of his outfit: a sleeveless, green tee-shirt underneath a darker green long-sleeved shirt that he wore unbuttoned that fit his figure snugly, and beige corduroy pants that fit nicely to his legs. He wore simple, black shoes.
To his right was a street that would lead him directly to a "bender-zone" where registered benders were forced to live. To his left was a street that would take him to the grocery store where he did his normal shopping. It was a path that he followed often, and every time he did the question played across his mind: what would happen if I went there?
Jun Xu had been a military man, and a decorated member of the Earth Bending Division within the army. His family had been proud, he had ancestors he could trace back to the Terra Team during the Great War. Then the ABU came into power and everything changed. During the protests, he had chosen his role and it was that of a protester.
When the Party won control of the government, he had disappeared. He knew he was registered, he had been trained to use his powers fully in the military, but they didn't know where to look for him. He refused to serve under them in the military, refused to take lives of innocent benders who were just looking for a way to survive.
He looked down the street toward the bender-zone; he wanted nothing more than to go and tear down the walls. It wouldn't do any good, they'd just round up the people again and place him in custody. He sighed and walked the opposite direction, resigned to buy his groceries and return home.
He entered the store and began to sort through different recipes in his mind, heading for the ingredients he would need.
------------------------
Kiki woke up the way she usually did; uncomfortably damp and cold in an alleyway beneath some rubbish in Ba Sing Se. She stretched, her brown hair ruffled and unkempt. It was unevenly cut, meaning that she had kept it trimmed herself; it was primarily at shoulder length, but it wasn't the most becoming of styles. She wore a torn, gray sweater and blue arm warmers that were full of holes. She had dark blue jeans and dirty blue shoes. Of course, all of her clothing was dirty; she lived on the streets.
Her parents had been taken away when she was still very young, so young that she didn't remember the night it happened, only the feeling: fear. She was an orphan and had raised herself, living off of generosity and stealing; where one faded into another was a matter of opinion, really.
Her manners were nonexistent and she was content with that; not that she knew any better, she had taught herself all that she knew. That included what she knew of Water Bending. She wasn't sure how they didn't know of her abilities, she hadn't ever taken one of those tests since she lived on the streets practically her whole life.
She stood up and walked to a backdoor of the grocery store, the one she had slept behind last night. Now today she planned to steal a meal or two from inside. She looked at a puddle that had formed not far away from the morning dew. "Gross, but handy." She said happily as she bent the water and cut the door off its hinges.
She walked inside like she had every right to be there and started to pick through the various foods that would require little to no cooking to prepare. She started biting into an apple when a shop assistant caught her.
"Stop thief!" He shouted, "Police, a shoplifter!" Kiki had been through the situation enough times to know that it was time to run, and fast.
She bolted toward the door and collided with Jun, the pair tumbling over each other. "Watch where you're going, dumbass!" She yelled as outside two police men had already arrived on scene. "Just my luck that they'd be within earshot." She growled.
She turned toward a row of bottled water and waved her arm, following through and making the bottles explode; the water jet shooting at one of the two police officers.
"She's a bender!" The other cried as he drew his gun.
Kiki hadn't seen him yet, but Jun had. In an instant his instincts took over and he drew his arms toward him, the cement behind the police officer made a wave that tripped him over. Jun changed his direction and the earth carried the man away into a wall across the street.
"They're both benders!" The shop attendant shouted and already people were panicking.
"It's time to disappear," Jun sighed as he started toward the back door; only to trip over the girl running in the same direction. They sprawled out on the ground and slid to a halt in the middle of an aisle, people still panicking around them.
BiC:
The legends speak of a time of great peace across the Four Nations of the world. Great peace that came with the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai by Avatar Aang. That was many years ago, hundreds.
The peace had lasted, relatively, for the centuries that followed. Every so often there would be an act of violence, but each time it had been quelled easily and peace would reign again. There would never be another great war, no more senseless killing that spanned across the years.
Eventually even the Four Nations: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire, had joined together under the banner of peace and prosperity. In the years that followed, technology continued to evolve and advance. Great cities rose high into the sky and covered the surface of the world. Democracy rose where once Monarchy had been, and under the banner of a unified world, the Nations came under one unified government.
It started small, as most ideas do, but eventually hushed whispers grew to strong shouts: Anti-Bender ideals began to arise and take form within the cities. They were dangerous as far as an average, non-bender was concerned; how were they to protect themselves against people with control of the elements?
Eventually the people began to cry out for protection; a solution to the bending problem. And the Anti-Bender Unionist Party took advantage of their outrage and their cries, and they made themselves the solution. The election was still months away when it appeared that their victory was assured; far outweighing the votes of benders and their support were the votes of frightened parents out to protect their families and average men who were angry for being born without abilities.
That's when the protests began. Benders began to fear for their rights, for their futures, and most importantly, for their lives. They lined up outside of the capitol building in the Republic City, the central hub for the United Nations, and showed the government their fear and their desperation. Unfortunately the ABU weren't listening.
The military was called in to ensure the protests didn't turn to riots. Benders serving in the armed forces were forced to choose a side, as were police officers and public servants. After weeks of protests that never escalated further, someone made a move that changed it all.
A riot broke out, benders began to get violent as their pleas for help went ignored. The military tried to resolve the conflict and soon the shots rang out. Twelve benders ended up dead, and the military suffered five deaths and two injuries. The fear of benders escalated, and any doubt that the ABU would seize power were erased.
Soon after taking office, the ABU began to issue the laws. Bending in any form became illegal. If one was caught using bending abilities they would be placed under arrest immediately. Children would be tested at the time of birth, and would continue to be tested yearly until the age of fifteen, to determine whether or not they were benders. All benders were registered, so the government knew who to watch.
If a bender was registered they were given two choices: either they would serve the military, under direct control of the government; or they would live in controlled areas of the city, where they would be under government watch at all times.
In the event that an unregistered bender is found, they are immediately placed under arrest and taken to a prison. Whether they serve a sentence or not is unknown as they are hardly ever seen again.
Over time benders began to adjust to their new ways of life, constantly under the eye of the ABU. Until recently; now rumors tell of benders disappearing in the dead of night, and they are never seen again.
------------------------------------------
Fifteen Years Later...
Jun walked endlessly down the winding streets of Ba Sing Se, the city's name was the only thing that had lasted over the centuries; nothing else of its original glory remained. He mused silently to himself whether or not the Earth Kings of legend would turn over in their graves at the sight of the once glorious city.
Where once the earth benders had formed the buildings, now the skyscrapers were built by hand. Tall and made of steel and glass. Cars roared down the streets and the hustle and bustle of city life was a constant hum in the air.
Of course, being the capitol of the Earth Kingdom in the days of legend, there weren't many differences between the amount of people thriving within the city. No, the biggest change was the lack of the walls. Jun had read about them in countless books; massive walls that had kept the Fire Nation out during the time of the Great War. Under the banner of the United Nations, they were ordered destroyed.
The twenty-four year old stopped at a cross-road in the heart of the city. His eyes were a forest green and his black hair grew long and he sported a black goatee. The top of his head was hidden under a green and beige bandanna that matched the rest of his outfit: a sleeveless, green tee-shirt underneath a darker green long-sleeved shirt that he wore unbuttoned that fit his figure snugly, and beige corduroy pants that fit nicely to his legs. He wore simple, black shoes.
To his right was a street that would lead him directly to a "bender-zone" where registered benders were forced to live. To his left was a street that would take him to the grocery store where he did his normal shopping. It was a path that he followed often, and every time he did the question played across his mind: what would happen if I went there?
Jun Xu had been a military man, and a decorated member of the Earth Bending Division within the army. His family had been proud, he had ancestors he could trace back to the Terra Team during the Great War. Then the ABU came into power and everything changed. During the protests, he had chosen his role and it was that of a protester.
When the Party won control of the government, he had disappeared. He knew he was registered, he had been trained to use his powers fully in the military, but they didn't know where to look for him. He refused to serve under them in the military, refused to take lives of innocent benders who were just looking for a way to survive.
He looked down the street toward the bender-zone; he wanted nothing more than to go and tear down the walls. It wouldn't do any good, they'd just round up the people again and place him in custody. He sighed and walked the opposite direction, resigned to buy his groceries and return home.
He entered the store and began to sort through different recipes in his mind, heading for the ingredients he would need.
------------------------
Kiki woke up the way she usually did; uncomfortably damp and cold in an alleyway beneath some rubbish in Ba Sing Se. She stretched, her brown hair ruffled and unkempt. It was unevenly cut, meaning that she had kept it trimmed herself; it was primarily at shoulder length, but it wasn't the most becoming of styles. She wore a torn, gray sweater and blue arm warmers that were full of holes. She had dark blue jeans and dirty blue shoes. Of course, all of her clothing was dirty; she lived on the streets.
Her parents had been taken away when she was still very young, so young that she didn't remember the night it happened, only the feeling: fear. She was an orphan and had raised herself, living off of generosity and stealing; where one faded into another was a matter of opinion, really.
Her manners were nonexistent and she was content with that; not that she knew any better, she had taught herself all that she knew. That included what she knew of Water Bending. She wasn't sure how they didn't know of her abilities, she hadn't ever taken one of those tests since she lived on the streets practically her whole life.
She stood up and walked to a backdoor of the grocery store, the one she had slept behind last night. Now today she planned to steal a meal or two from inside. She looked at a puddle that had formed not far away from the morning dew. "Gross, but handy." She said happily as she bent the water and cut the door off its hinges.
She walked inside like she had every right to be there and started to pick through the various foods that would require little to no cooking to prepare. She started biting into an apple when a shop assistant caught her.
"Stop thief!" He shouted, "Police, a shoplifter!" Kiki had been through the situation enough times to know that it was time to run, and fast.
She bolted toward the door and collided with Jun, the pair tumbling over each other. "Watch where you're going, dumbass!" She yelled as outside two police men had already arrived on scene. "Just my luck that they'd be within earshot." She growled.
She turned toward a row of bottled water and waved her arm, following through and making the bottles explode; the water jet shooting at one of the two police officers.
"She's a bender!" The other cried as he drew his gun.
Kiki hadn't seen him yet, but Jun had. In an instant his instincts took over and he drew his arms toward him, the cement behind the police officer made a wave that tripped him over. Jun changed his direction and the earth carried the man away into a wall across the street.
"They're both benders!" The shop attendant shouted and already people were panicking.
"It's time to disappear," Jun sighed as he started toward the back door; only to trip over the girl running in the same direction. They sprawled out on the ground and slid to a halt in the middle of an aisle, people still panicking around them.
