savedtheworld | Book 14: Autumn Breeze

[Action]

[The day is off to a normal start for Aang, starting with airbending practice. He also spends some of the morning using airbending to play around with the leaves on the front lawn of House 56.

After school, he then spends some time cooking at the bakery. He puts together a mix of cookies, cupcakes and some fruit pies of different flavors, and anyone can pop in while he's working on that. He leaves some at the bakery and takes the rest to the Welcome Center, where he sets them up as treats for visiting New Feathers. He spends some time lingering there to do what Welcome Center-ing work there is to be done. And before heading home for dinner, he takes Appa out for a ride flying in the air over Luceti.]

[Video]

[While Aang's at the Welcome Center, he sets up a video. The treats he prepared are visible on a table in the background. Those who met him during the last experiment can probably pick up over the video that he now looks 15-ish rather than 12, although it's easier to tell the difference in person.]

Hello. How is everyone? It's Aang here, and I've got a few things I wanted to say. First of all, isn't it great that it's autumn now? That's like the best time of the year! Does anyone know any fun things you like to do in autumn? I'd like to try out all kinds of new things.

I... also wanted to say something about the way I was a few weeks ago. When I was littler again. I lied and told some of you I wasn't the Avatar, but I really am. I'm sorry about that. [He pauses for a moment.] Other than that... I left some treats out in the Welcome Center to help greet any New Feathers! If you have any questions about this place, one of us there will do our best to help you. I know lots of things can be confusing and unfamiliar in this place. Come to think of it... Is it just me, or is this New Feather cycle going on longer than usual?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's right! I guess we're kind of alike like that, Emil.

I guess we are. But if you ask me, I think that's a pretty good way to be alike.

It is! It'd probably be neat if I had hair that was alike yours too, but that's okay! I can't grow my hair out.

... you can't? Why not?

It's part of my culture. I can't grow hair so that my arrow can show. [He says as he points to the tattoo going to his forehead.]

That's kind of a weird rule to have about a birthmark... I mean, I have one too, but I usually keep it covered up.

[And he tugs the collar of his shirt down to reveal a small star-shaped mark on the left side of his collarbone.]

[Aang's about to correct Emil when the sleeve is rolled up. Aang leans over to get a good look at it.]

Whoa! That's really neat. But, my arrows aren't birthmarks! They're tattoos I got for mastering airbending!

Wait, you got a tattoo on the top of your head? Don't people usually get those on their arms or on their back?

[Not that Emil really knows that much about tattoos, but the pictures he's seen in books with pirates and stuff tend to have them on the bicep.]

Didn't that hurt?

Well I got it on my arms and my back, too! And on my legs! [He raises his hands to show the arrows pointing towards his knuckles.

And then he makes his face at the question.]

Yeah... You could definitely say that! I mean, there's a bunch of techniques like meditation to help it not feel as bad, but I can still remember the sting!

It looks like it would really hurt a lot to get that many tattoos done. Were those all because of tradition, or were any of them because you wanted them?

[He peers at the tattoos on Aang's hands, noting that the other boy really does seem to be covered with tattoos.]

They were all tradition. It's all part of my culture, for when we master airbending. But I guess I did want them at the same time! Monk Gyatso was... very proud of me. [He says with a nostalgic smile.]

What's 'airbending'?

[Emil's mind is supplying him with all sorts of strange and interesting mental images based on that name.]

In my world, lots of us can bend the elements around us. And airbending... that's controlling the air! [He makes some motions with his hands, moving a few muffins through the air to land in a different plate through a light breeze of air.]

[WHOA okay that's... a lot like Kipinn's magic, actually. Emil looks startled for approximately two seconds before he laughs, delighted.]

Oh, I get it! It's kind of like what you can do with the Filial magic, is that it? But I'm guessing it takes a lot more training to be able to use than that does.

That's right. Bending can do a lot more than the filial magic, but it takes lots and lots of training! Of course, some people are born really good at a bending style. [For Aang, airbending is as natural as breathing itself.

He then propels spoon forward so it can plop gently right onto Emil's nose.]

So it sounds just like any other skill-- h-hey!

[This last part comes as the spoon makes contact with his nose; he flails for a moment, then attempts to swat it away.]

[Aang just giggles at it. Maybe the spoon will dangle from his nose a bit if the trick worked right, but it will be knocked off easily.]

[All right, so that was pretty funny, Emil will admit to that. And he might be laughing a little once he gets the spoon off his nose.]

I'm pretty sure I can't do anything like that with Kipinn's magic.

Probably not. I mean, Kipinn's really great and nice. But he's just not the same as airbending.

I can understand why, if airbending is that much harder to learn. It only makes sense that it would be a lot more powerful.

That's right. There's whole different levels and kinds of techniques in airbending. But with Kipinn... There's not a lot to it. At least that we know of. [The possession version of Kipinn was a lot more like high-grade airbending.]

Yeah, I've had a pact with Kipinn for a long time, but there's still only so much that I can do with his magic.

... unless there are things he isn't teaching me, that is. Who knows with him.

I know! He is silly, isn't he?

I think he's kind of fun, except when he blows your hat off or something like that.