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Post by Upa on Oct 8, 2024 9:41:20 GMT -5
Living in perfect harmony with nature, letting the world be as it were while enjoying all it had to offer, the people of Karinga were judged to be as primitive as be. Though their customs and rituals did point to a certain culture having developed, fact is that these people were probably the only bunch in the world to still benefit from the different elements of the world as naturally as possible.
City life is easily alienating one from those concepts. Having grown accustomed to living in the city, Upa would find himself occasionally pondering -- longing for the simple life he used to have. Nowadays, it was worrying about bills, about the job, about responsibilities over others. Looking to expand, help people, oppose some. Coming in contact with so many more than he'd ever imagined, living in a biome ten-thousand times denser than his home village. To top it all off, he couldn't just return home.
With the ban on his presence in the villages, the boy had to re-establish his persona, to fit the modern way of life. This caused a lot of stress to the native-lander, much as he would love to claim it didn't. In the end, life in the city for long enough would swallow even the most ignorant. His solace came solely from training in solitude, most of the times coming to the Senbyou of Korin Tower.
Other times - as was today - he found his way to any random wastelands the world offered. In these open areas, only surrounded by beasts and animals, Upa could be truly alone with his power. He could take in the closest look he could, to practicing harmony with the elements of the world again. Seated on the ground, feeling the sun's powerful heat affecting his skin during this high noon, the boy moved not an inch. The occasional calm breeze blowing at his form, lightly swaying his long braid off his back.
If only he could stay irresponsible for long.
WC: 331
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Post by Korra on Oct 11, 2024 9:40:02 GMT -5
Korra had ventured from the Earth's Lookout to the mountain wasteland nearby. She wanted a place to practice honing her earthbending, and high above the Earth just wasn't the place for that.
She was a great earthbender, even for an Avatar. While she had more amor a firey nature dispute her water tribe affiliation, she rathered enjoyed the earth being a defensive and offensive element, often at the same time.
She had been running through her typical drills, everything from the beginning moves all the way up to master level, when she felt a power nearby her. Earth was home to a hand full of individuals whole could have such a power level, and she didn't recognize this one.
She decided to move in and investigate. She didn't have any fear of a crazy fight breaking out, but she nevertheless kept her guard up. What kind of Avatar would she be if she went of to train and got Merced out in the wasteland for being careless.
167
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Post by Upa on Oct 11, 2024 10:19:36 GMT -5
Breathe in. And out. Repeat. The action was awfully simple, and despite not having been too well-versed in its mechanics, practicing it occasionally made Upa a proper practitioner of the art. Meditation went a long way in soothing one's mind, and whether it was on a whim; as an attempt to connect with nature; or simply to give his own mind some room to breathe, fact is it held a good effect on the boy.
Despite being focused on his breath and the general sensation of all around him, truly becoming in tune with his surroundings - his spatial awareness was still highly developed, courtesy of having grown up in the wild. His ability to sense whatever was around him too, putting him to high alert.
Right as the foreign Ki signature came to be perceived, the native-lander broke his stance, eyes snapped open as he leapt to his feet. Any Ki signature he couldn't recognize could have been yet another threat, much like it could be a favorable surprising ally. Yet, old habits die hard; and the boy, coming from a distrustful tribe, couldn't help but pull his guard up at the entrance of the foreigner.
He... Definitely couldn't say he's felt something quite like that, before. Something about the signature he's picked up spoke to some degree of purity, not unlike Master Korin or Kami. This was, a new experience.
When the girl showed herself to his vicinity, Upa had already assumed a fighting stance. His body tense, feet wide apart and knees slightly bent, back hunkered forward with both arms at the ready to strike. But by contrast, his face showed clear confusion; eyebrows furrowed, expression perplexed. What exactly was she?
"..." Not a word was uttered. He opted to be careful in the face of one holding a similar air to his Masters. The boy would let the other make the first move.
WC: 315 / 646
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Post by Korra on Oct 13, 2024 8:19:54 GMT -5
Korra watched this boy drop into a fighting stance. Years ago that would have initiated a fight between them, but Korra realized in a dark forest world, it was best to be defensive when meeting someone with extraordinary power. She smiled inwardly to herself and thought, Well it beats attacking first and asking questions.
“Hi, my name is Korra. I was just out here practicing some of my techniques and noticed your ki signature. I wanted to say hi. I'm not looking to hurt you or anything. I'm pretty friendly. I'd be down for training with you if you want and have the time. I'm pretty much free all day.”
110 / 277
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Post by Upa on Oct 13, 2024 9:39:52 GMT -5
Truth is, in assuming a defensive approach, Upa wasn't too sure what to expect. Fact that this questionable entity held a lot of power was alarming enough on its own, but its attitude could be anything. So, imagine how confused the boy was to see a human figure. A woman, appearing human in every way, assuming a friendly disposition.
To be fair, that wasn't quite what he saw coming. His guard dropped, tension in his shoulder and legs loosened some as he found the lady pleasant. Despite that, caution was still due. "Oh. Hello, Miss Korra," He started; tone reflecting his degree of wariness; "I would, like that, yes," Upa admitted.
Despite agreeing, his stance didn't change. "Then, feel free to practice your techniques against me," He allowed; deepening the width between his feet just a little bit. "...You can have the first move." All throughout his speech, the boy's tone didn't change much. He hadn't smiled, though his confusion subsided somewhat. Caution was the name of the game with the tribal man -- especially when faced with someone he couldn't understand yet.
It was usually against his style to let the opposition have the first move. But on the off-chance he was facing a God, he wouldn't have dared take the initiative. That, would be rude to the Gods, after all.
WC: 221 / 867
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Post by Korra on Oct 15, 2024 8:39:21 GMT -5
Korra said, “Alright, let's see what you got, kid!”
With a burst of energy, Korra exploded forward, her movements blurring as she seemed to vanish from sight. In an instant, she reappeared in front of her opponent, her eyes locked on his, a confident smirk on her face. With lightning speed, she launched two quick punches aimed directly at his face, each strike sharp and precise. Her fists were a blur, her punches carrying the force of her years of training.
Without pausing, Korra pivoted smoothly, sidestepping to his left. As she moved, she twisted her body and delivered a fierce right hook, aiming for the same spot she had targeted before. The impact of the punch sent a small shockwave through the air, her muscles rippling with the strength of the strike.
Korra wasn’t finished yet. As the momentum from the hook carried her forward, she dropped low, sweeping her leg out in a wide arc to catch her opponent off balance. The leg sweep was clean, precise, and fast—designed to force him to the ground if he wasn’t quick enough to evade.
With practiced grace, Korra flipped backward, putting distance between them, her body light and fluid in the air. As she landed, she stood ready, her fists clenched, her stance solid. Her breathing was controlled, though she could feel the burn in her muscles from her earlier training session. The rush of adrenaline was starting to push past the fatigue, and she tapped into the well of her ki, letting it flow through her body, heightening her senses.
“How was that?” she called, her tone challenging, but playful.
Korra kept her eyes on her opponent, the excitement of the fight stirring within her. She could feel her body gearing up, her energy surging in preparation for whatever counterattack might come next. Every muscle was taut, ready to react. She knew the fight was far from over, and her mind raced with the possibilities of what her opponent might do in response.
334 / 611
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Post by Upa on Oct 15, 2024 9:31:44 GMT -5
Tense from start, tense to the end; in complete, confused caution of the other, Upa's eyes remained locked on the girl's body as her energy flared up -- alarming his inner senses. Her flickering from place and reappearing in-front of him did manage to catch him off-guard, though by sheer virtue of his starting stance already being at the ready and his absolute readiness to react to anything that would come, his eyes captured the opponent as she made her move.
Both arms raised only slightly to offset the targeted area, blocking the one-two with both forearms raised in proper sync, his weight shifting between his legs to each corresponding punch. Acutely aware of his opponent's position, the boy's torso closed in somewhat, watching her own weight shift to one leg as a wide-arc kick came to his temple as well - neatly ducked under as the tribesman dropped his knees; squatting and balancing himself on all fours before taking a leap back, at the same time the other made her backflip. Narrowly landing on his footing in the river before her, only noticing the sting in his wrists as he landed.
Turns out she did manage to squeeze a good hit in.
He was quick to analyze these actions. Three consecutive strikes, all shot at the head - she was thoroughly trying to dismantle him before the fight has even begun. "I see," He mused silently, expression still the exact same as before. Despite the woman's aggressive attempt and clear free-spirited approach, Upa remained hesitant and calm (so to speak). Still curiously, intrinsically studying the girl. "Your technique is precise," He analyzed out loud, "And I'd be inclined to do the same."
What's with him today? Completely out of it, so much so that even his manner of speech sounded erratic to him. Staying completely still for a good moment, the dark-skinned gave his opponent a good three seconds to adjust herself before he realized he's been too much up in his own head. Shaking his head violently for a moment, his focus reeled in further as his eyebrows furrowed, his animal-like stance deepened as his crouch decreased further; chin now bordering a thin line above the running water. "...Then,"
With a mighty swing of both his arms upwards, Upa made a violent screen of water to mask his visage from the other, hoping to catch her off-guard -- before jetting straight through it, using his legs' ready position to propel himself forward; aiming just a single strike, a headbutt threatening to ram straight into the woman's center of mass.
Usually, a followup would be guaranteed; but the boy was far too unsure to attempt another strike, considering his opponent might just be a God. As such, just the singular, direct, rocket-like headbutt was coming her way.
WC: 464 / 1,331
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Post by Korra on Oct 17, 2024 17:58:39 GMT -5
At first, Korra thought he was trying to waterbend, and instinctively began to counter the move—only to be caught off guard when the guy suddenly launched himself at her. The kid came barreling toward her, and she barely had time to react. Her dodge was too slow, and she took the full force of his headbutt right on her forehead. She was sure she could have dodged it if she hadn’t spent the entire morning moving rocks. But what could have happened didn’t matter now.
Korra used the momentum from the impact to her advantage, letting it propel her into a spin, which allowed her to twist away from him. It gave her a moment to regain her bearings and assess her position. Her head throbbed from the attack, but she was grateful she’d been earthbending all morning—it had toughened her up, making her more resilient to the hit.
“Not bad, dude. For a second there, I thought you were a waterbender,” she said, breaking her usual rule of not mentioning her past life as the Avatar. Normally, she avoided bringing it up, since most people here had no idea what she was talking about, and it always led to more questions than she wanted to answer.
Seeing the puzzled look on his face, she couldn’t help but smirk. “Oh, in case you don’t know what I mean,” she added playfully, “this is waterbending!”
Resisting the urge to tap into the Avatar State and unleash a massive wave of water, she opted for something less lethal. With a swift motion, she drew moisture from the air around her, shaping it into several sharp bolts of water. [Energy Dan] They shot toward her opponent, fast and precise. Without missing a beat, she followed up by freezing the droplets mid-air, turning them into icy projectiles, and sent them hurtling his way. [Ice Blast]
Korra kept her stance light and ready, watching to see how he would respond, her smirk never leaving her face.
wc 330 / 941
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