savedtheworld | Book 4: Winds from Tomorrow [Action: May 30th-June 1]

[Action: Days 5-7]

[It's odd for Aang, waking up in House 56. What is this, some sort of bunked bed? He can't remember whatever led him to sleep there. Doesn't this violate his decision to maintain some distance from his younger friends? He slips out of the house early in the morning, or tries to. It's possible that anyone else in the household could have caught him before he was able to leave.

Aang spends the rest of the day and the next two days going back to his daily routine. He meditates in the forest near Avatar House. He goes through town, either casually strolling or zipping through on his Air Scooter, to stay social. On Day 5, he also has to set up his tent near his meditation spot again. Where could his old tent have gone?]

[ooc: Aang is aged up (kinda)-canonically to around his 40s. He also remembers Luceti in an alternate way where he was brought here at this age. The shift has also caused some memory fluctuations (who's that Yakone fellow again?), although the possibility always remains that he's actually from a somewhat alternate version of canon (aka my handwave if my few assumptions get jossed)

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[And that fills his need for Katara praise that he had missed from the time he remembered being here. He gets back up to his feet with a sheepish grin, still remembering the importance of the phrasing "powerful bender".]

Thanks, Katara. I'm glad you liked it. I figured it wouldn't hurt for you to know that I'm gonna get even better at bending over the years.

Yeah, it was really impressive!

[There is the barest pause.]

What about me? Does my bending change?

Of course. It's only going to develop into something even more awesome as you grow older, and you'll become even more of a Waterbending master. Once you work with something every day of your life, new moves and styles can develop very organically.

["Even more awesome."

Katara is giddily gratified with this.]

That's good to hear.

And it'll be even greater to live through! You might have even started some improvements here in Luceti, with how long you've been here.

[There's some itch at the back of his mind involving Waterbending, now that he's thinking about it. Something he has a feeling Katara should be warned about. But he knows that whatever it is, it's connected to those closed-off memories that he hasn't wanted to remember.]

I've got some moves that Sokka said were from the Southern Style.

[Her most precious secret that she wishes she could remember.]

Really! Anything you can show off now? [He sits back in his seat.]

[She blinked, surprised at this.]

Really?

Sure! I wouldn't mind seeing what you've been learning.

Okay... a lot of the differences are really subtle.

[She stood up and streamed some water out of the waterskin.]

Many of the basic moves are the same, and all the basic principles hold true - it's only when you get to the more advanced forms that you can see a difference.

[Aang leans forward curiously with his chin in his hands.]

I'm interested already.

[If it was anything other than Waterbending and Katara, he'd be a lot more bored.]

They seem to have more moves designed for closer combat--

[She raised one arm in a circular motion and the water coated it with a small, continuous shield, while simultaneously the other arm moved forward and out in a harsh jet of water.]

[He gives an attentive nod as he silently follows the movements. He appreciates it as a good show, but at the same time he thinks over her movements on a more technical level, comparing them to his own knowledge from over the years.]

[She shrugs.]

There are a few modifications on the other moves, but some of it just comes down to different response time and slightly different results. The Northern Style water whip is a little bit better at precision, and the Southern Style is a little better for a wide spread.

[He lightly applauds.]

That's really intriguing. It's great that you're still picking up new tricks even here, Sifu Katara.

[She smiles a little at the name 'Sifu Katara' - it sounds so strange coming from someone so much older.]

Well, I had an advantage. I got to meet someone who grew up in the Southern Style.

Really? This was someone from our world? [He was definitely at a loss to think of someone who would match - unless it was someone from the past, or her future.]

Sort of. [She shrugged.] It was Sokka, but he wasn't our Sokka.

[Assuming you are her Aang.]

This version of him came from a world where the Fire Nation never attacked... and he was the Avatar.

[And a Class-A jerk.]

[He's gonna need a minute to process this.]

Sokka. Avatar... Sokka?

Yup.

[She's met the guy twice, and no, it doesn't really get any less weird. Less strange, maybe, but not less weird.]

As in Sokka, your brother. Sokka, who never stops talking about his boomerang. There's a world where he is the Avatar? [Pause. Blink.] And... you say the war never happened?

[Heh.]

Yes, Sokka my brother who never stops talking about his boomerang.

[She shook her head.]

And not that work. In his world, Roku stopped Sozin, and you grew up and fulfilled your time as the Avatar in a time of peace.

[He goes still as he imagines this world, focusing on a particular detail.]

That means... my people were alive.

[Ah... she should have guessed he'd think of that.

Katara nodded slowly.]

Yes, they were.

[He looks on nostalgically, this time to life before the iceberg.]

That me must have lived a great life. Without war. With... Monk Gyatso and all of my old friends. It sounds perfect. [He wouldn't have to run away, he wouldn't be frozen in an iceberg... but this halts his vision. Images of three children appear in his head, and he closes his eyes for a moment.]

Almost perfect. [He remembers all that time ago, being comforted by Katara in the ruins of the Fire Nation ship, as a lost 12 year old. He opens his eyes and looks at Katara with a frown.] I wouldn't get to meet you.

Day 6

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