Nine To Go - [Voice]

[avaricious]

[Well, someone is getting married. Here, of all places! Ling thinks it's a bit reckless, but there's no harm in a little fun. So he devises a filter and doesn't even bother disguising his voice.]

[Filtered To Males Only]

Hello! My name is Ling Yao. I'm sure most of you heard about the recent wedding about to happen. I've been thinking about marriage myself. After all, I do have to eventually pick out fifty wives when I return home. But it wouldn't hurt to find someone here as well. I could be here for a very long time and Luceti does happen to have an exceptionally stunning population of women. So, what do you say that some of you suggest your top five most beautiful women for consideration. Feel free to elaborate on what makes them an excellent candidate for marriage.

And please, let's not get into the matters of Xingese politics. It's really just the way things are, so I'd rather not talk about it much.

[It would ruin the fun!]

(ooc: Please, please, please go all out with the thread jacking! I'm not even kidding. I want to see shit hijacked all over the place up in here. Hell, Ling himself might not even reply to some of these threads unless they interest him personally. Go wild, please! It'll be fun, honest.)

Comments

[savedtheworld]

[Awkward pauseMarriageable]

Well... uh...

[generalflirt]

My compatriot, Aang-kun, certainly agrees! Right, squirt?

[savedtheworld]

I... I... guess so?

[generalflirt]

See, see?! It's not just me!

[savedtheworld]

Yeah, it's... not just you. It spuns like she's gonna be... great.

[generalflirt]

Gonna be? [A light tut] I'd go with present tense, myself.

[savedtheworld]

That's definitely more appropriate. It's not like she'll be married anytime soon, here.

[generalflirt]

Soon? Nah, not anytime soon aaaand, frankly, not ever. Not here.

[savedtheworld]

[A longer pause.]

Yeah. N-not here.

[generalflirt]

After all, I'm getting older. If I knew she wouldn't be hurt by the idea... Acha, I'd hold onto a hope of mine, right?

[savedtheworld]

It's... [A slight pause, internal struggle.] ...not wrong to hope.

[generalflirt]

[...Pfft. He snickers at that] Aang-kun, my hopes are directly contrary to you. Even if they are the sort which can co-exist with the "Katara" you'll have waiting for you back home. You're a right saint if you agree I should have my hopes.

[savedtheworld]

I don't think I'm a "saint". But... there has to be some way we can all be happy.

[generalflirt]

[...Keh keh keh]

What do you think my "hope," is, Aang-kun?

[savedtheworld]

That you... want to be with.... someone you l-l... really want to be with?

[generalflirt]

[...Heh] My "hope" only came to be recently.

You see, my feelings are much stronger than hers, they probably scare her. No, actually, I know they do. But you know? Slowly, that gap would be bridged - She'd fall further and further into Like with me. Liking me more and more for every little thing. And in turn, I would love her more and more. She wouldn't just outright love me right out - that's silly. Rather, we'd start out with a casual date. Then a second a week or two later. Then a third. And a fourth. The fourth, I expect, would be a date in a recreation of Sunshine City I made in the Dome, my gift to her in remembrance of a day that to the memory of everyone but me and her never happened. Maybe, by then, she would consent to holding my hand without being abashed.

[He laughs a bit] Of course, I'd hope I would get along better with Sokka by then. You too, of course, Aang-kun. You're her best friend whatever's gone down, and I'll never matter to her as much as you matter to her. Never ever ever. I'd be on good terms with Zuko too! Not that I want or need your permission - but such is the way of hope, you want more than you need. No, two or three more dates would pass. It would be on the sixth or seventh that finally, hesitantly, we'd share a kiss. Hmmm, considering her... probably a kiss at the end of the date so she could flee my reaction in good faith.

Around that time, things would change. She'd like me enough that we'd become a solid couple. We'd be "going out" at that point, dating and committed. My love for her would be stronger than ever, and her like for me - well, it might start to evolve towards love by then. I could only hope! I could only hope it's before Valentines too - if it was we would be making some preparations, some promises. Maybe she'd ever wear those earrings I gave her all that time ago for that February, to keep me in mind.

[A light hum] But a "book of love," is pretty long, isn't it? I should have made this into a poem. But of course, a hope's just a ramble made into a dream. Once the love was mutual, then we might enjoy ourselves. Pleasant days to last until the day she goes home. [...] And you know what, Aang-kun? Here's the secret - I'm eighteen. Come December, nineteen. If I wanted to - and by then, I so would - I would have asked that woman to marry me. But I wouldn't, of course. Because...

Well, because she never would. In fact, even if she wanted to, she never would. Home is what she wants - needs - more than anything. So my "hope" would be the pleasant days we could experience before she achieves it. A hope realized as such I could see her off with no regrets.

1/2

[savedtheworld]

[There's a long silence. Why does this have to be so complicated?]

I... Masaomi, you... you gave her those...? But...

[savedtheworld]

That's... really noble of you. Her happiness is more important than... either of us. I... I... [You really would have asked her?] I think she's scared of my feelings, too.

[generalflirt]

More important? Eeeeh, I don't think I agree with that. Or at least, she wouldn't. You're smack in the center of her heart, Aang-kun. Damage to you's something she won't get over.

[savedtheworld]

[He remembers that brief look, like a dream, of her face brightening when he returned from the dead.]

That... yeah, it's [STOP - TRYING - TO - SET - MY - BOYFRIEND - ON - FIRE!] I guess I did find my way near there. She just doesn't feel that way about me, here.

[generalflirt]

[...Pfffthahahaa He actually laughs]

Wrong, wrong, so wrong. You're thee already. You never left there - frankly, I doubt you ever will leave there. I've never seen her look the way she does at you at anyone else. I've never heard her talk the way she does about you about anyone else. Does she want to kiss you? Hell, I can't answer that - but are you the smack center of her heart?

Yes, yes you are.

[savedtheworld]

[He takes a moment to breatne, remembering when Katzra had i initially told him she didn't feel the same way. He compared her feelings for him to a plant that didn't receive water for years. But everything, all of this...made it so hard to tell. He was afraid if being so important. Because he knew he could be gone any day, here.]

I can't be that wrong if I thought I was close, at least? [A nervous laugh] It's... I still... thanks. But... you were right, that knowing the future only makes things harder for her. [Even if Korra's words made him feel so much more hopeful for their future, assured him their love was so true... he was still afraid of what could happen in their present here.]

[Private]

[generalflirt]

[Before he privates he makes some noise of agreement and confirmation. After he does though, well]

So how do you feel about me and her going on a date?

[Private] [1/2]

[savedtheworld]

I... I... you ca-

[markofthewise]

[Hearing all that, so frank and so honest. Sokka is torn between thinking Masaomi is self deluded and maybe, just maybe, being a decent guy. But there's so much there. And it's so out there. How could Katara ever love a guy like this?

But then, he'd never imagine Jack and Buffy together either. And Jack could be just as crazy.

Either way it makes him uncomfortable and he doesn't say anything about it. It's certainly weird, seeing Aang and Masaomi's feelings laid out open like this though.]