Test Drive Meme

[cyclicalitymods]

	♥ 1. Where did you come from? You may not know anyone else on the boat, but you've all got one thing in common; you're headed to Republic City. ♥ 2. It's your first day in Republic City. You might wanna get a job lined up or you'll be living on the streets. ♥ 3. You're the new person in the city. You gotta make some friends, right? Go find someone and strike up a conversation.
	♦ 4. Feeling a little crafty? Maybe you could make a quick yuan. Sell information for money or do a little threatening. ♦ 5. Vines. Vines everywhere! They're like the heads of a hydra. What are you going to do about the vines that just invaded your apartment? ♦ 6. Triads, Equalists... thugs in general. Welcome to the aftermath of losing a fight. Are you gonna go find a healer or are you gonna tough it out?
	♣ 7. You've got a job. What is it? How are you going to get customers? You better get some soon. More customers equals more money. ♣ 8. You're a bender, right? Then you better practice it. What's that? Oh, a non-bender? You can still find a partner to spar with, right? ♣ 9. It's late. Have a drink at the pub! Get to know one another. Let it all flow freely!
	♠ 10. Yeah! You've got a driver's license! Everyone else better watch out... ♠ 11. Entertainment's just rolled on into the city! Watch the ostrich-horses race or the acrobats perform. Or maybe you're one of them! ♠ 12. It's a long line at whatever vendor you're at. Make small talk with nearby civilians or try and haggle the vendor down to a better price.
	• Make up your own scenario!

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Yinhu | OC | Triads, Equalists, and More

[yinhu]

Sometimes, Yinhu bit off a little bit more than he could chew.

The Equalist training that he'd benefited from had certainly made him strong, dangerous, capable in a fight. There was no denying that. But it also hadn't made him invincible. Sometimes he still forgot that part of the Equalists' strength had been their strength of numbers, and surprise. No one had seen them coming, no one had foreseen half a dozen masked faces leaping out of the shadows and striking before they could act. That had definitely been enough to bring down groups of Triads, the police force, even the Avatar on occasion. It had been about coming in with the correct back up, picking your battles, knowing exactly when to strike.

Now, though, now he didn't have the advantage of Amon - his jaw clenched bitterly just at the memory - and his strategic mind. He didn't have the advantage of soldiers, brothers-in-arms at his side. All he had was himself. His own skills, the few bits of Equalist technology he'd managed to pilfer as the organization crumbled around him. He wasn't an Equalist anymore. He was just Yinhu, just the Fox, just an agent of justice and atonement.

And sometimes, justice hurt.

Attempting to break-up a Triad meeting on his lonesome had been stupid. Especially when he rushed into it. He'd been doing fine, he was confident in saying, up until the Earthbender that he'd missed had caught him from behind with a nice sized chunk of rock and nearly knocked him out. That had let the Firebender get in a few good licks, singe his mostly-fireproof uniform, and he'd only just managed to hightail his way out before they got in any more solid hits on him. It took him what felt like forever to lose them in the maze of Republic City streets, but finally he'd dashed into an alleyway and simply collapsed behind a stack of boxes, left with his ringing head, swimming vision, and the taste of blood on his lips.

Slowly, painfully, he removed his mask, stashed it away in a bag strapped to the small of his back, and did the same with his gloves. Then he pulled out a light changshan he had folded up in the same pack and draped it across his upper body, obscuring his uniform from view. The Fox was gone for another night. Perhaps another few nights. Still rubbing his aching head, he knew that he couldn't suffer any more impacts like that.

It took a great and, admittedly, noisy effort to get to his feet in the alleyway. If anyone caught him in their vision, what would they see? Someone who had been beaten. Someone who had been bloodied. Perhaps a drunk.

That was fine. He was Yinhu, now, Yinhu once again. Not the Fox. And the best thing for Yinhu, was not to be thought of. Not to be noticed.

Unfortunately, it was hard to go unnoticed when you could barely walk home, but he would do his best.

[innermonologues]

Squall happened to be on duty that night when Yinhu was struggling to get out of the alleyway. A flashlight shone into the alley and hovered over Yinhu. With a frown on his face, his first thought was this guy was out a little late and could barely move without needing the walls for help. When he got a closer look at him, he could see a bloody mess all over him. That definitely didn't spell out good news.

His instincts kicked in and he swiftly moved into the alley to move his arm around his shoulder.

"We need to get you somewhere other than here. C'mon," was all Squall said to Yinhu.

He didn't bother asking what happened, or why he seemed to be hiding out there. As a member of the police force he couldn't just leave him there to struggle.

[yinhu]

Getting the beam of a flashlight in his face was hardly what Yinhu needed right now. He winced at the brightness of the beam, the sudden light making his head throb anew. What he needed right now was a dark room and a pillow, he was quite sure, but instead he simply let himself be hauled onto properly onto his feet by the strength of another body. Strength. That was something he was sorely lacking right now.

"I'll be alright," he tried to say, but the words lacked conviction. He knew they did. With a split lip, a bloody nose, and a ringing migraine, he wasn't going to be going anywhere too fast.

So, honestly, the support was welcome. He leaned against the man as he was helped out of the allyway, and when they stepped properly into the slightly brighter lights of the street, he couldn't help noticing something.

The man was a police officer. Wonderful. Just what an ex-Equalist vigilante wanted to see.

"Thank you, officer."

[innermonologues]

"You don't have to thank me."

He knew it would be a pretty shitty thing to do to just let this man try to find his way home on his own. With how bad of shape he was in, he might not even make it anywhere safe.

"I'll try keeping to the darker streets. I'm sure your head must be killing you."

He knows from experience how badly it must be feel, not only physically, but on the pride as well. It was pretty much a daily thing when ever he meets up with someone that he knew. Not to mention, it was also his job to keep citizens safe from harm as well.

He wouldn't bother asking him what happened or what kind of trouble he was getting himself into. Instead he was planning to just get him somewhere out of harms way. Yinhu seemed like he already had enough to deal with for one day, so maybe he would drop him off at his home instead of making him deal with more people.

[yinhu]

"Safe" was a questionable adjective at best in Yinhu's experience. Growing up surrounded by poverty and crime, only to get thrown into a revolutionary-cum-terrorist army tended to do that to a person. It had been a long time since he'd actually felt anything resembling safe. Since he'd even remembered what the word really meant.

"Kind of you."

Yes, avoiding the light, that's a good thing. Part of his life, in fact. He was a man used to hiding in the shadows, so what was one more reason? One more reason to keep his head down. Maybe that was what he should be doing more often. But the pull of the Fox, aah, that was always too strong.

"You won't have to take me far," he said after a brief pause. Conversation didn't come easily to him, either, but he had to say something, didn't he? "I'll just crawl into bed and sleep it off."

[innermonologues]

He snorted at his reply. Seems like he was also fellow stubborn person. He wouldn't argue with the citizen's wishes, and he wouldn't press it further. If he was fine enough to somewhat walk, then he would probably be alright to be home instead of a hospital.

"Sounds like a plan."

Okay so maybe he wasn't the most talkative cop around, but hey maybe some people liked that better right?

[yinhu]

Going to a hospital was certainly the last thing on Yinhu's mind. Too many questions needing answers, too much paperwork, too many people. He just wanted to convalesce in quiet. Was it the most sensible decision? Probably not. But it was the only one that worked for him.

Of course, he hadn't expected a cop of all people to go along with it so eagerly. He couldn't help turning to stare at the officer, trying to hide the disbelief, even suspicion from his gaze.

But then, he seemed honest enough. Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Well, it's much appreciated."

No. Best to just give him directions and get home safely.

[innermonologues]

"If you're as stubborn as me, you'd probably just walk right out of the hospital right after I left. I'm just making it easier for you to get to your final destination point," Squall spoke with an awkward tone in his voice.

He really wasn't the best at conversations, but he figured he should attempt it a little. Maybe practicing on someone just as talkative as he was might make things a little easier, right? It was a fair statement.

[yinhu]

Yinhu just couldn't help but let out a short laugh. It sounded more like a cough, and it hurt his nose, but what was life without a little humor once in a while?

Oh right. His.

"You're probably right." Or climb out the window. That was more likely. "Well, again, thank you. There aren't enough charitable souls in this city these days."

[innermonologues]

"You could say that again. I'm just saving you the trouble of having to put up with me longer when someone inevitably sends me to go find the runaway patient."

He snorts again, keeping his hold on Yinhu very secure so he didn't fall or anything.

Slade | Teen Titans | AU (mercenary criminal, metalbender, chi-blocker)

[whoneedsdepthperception]

As Yinhu recovers, a man crouches at the dark end of the alley, hidden in the shadows. He stands up and claps his hands slowly, speaking in a patronizing tone. He is still only illuminated enough to show his silhouette.

"You have a lot of talent, young man."

[imprayingnow]

[Out of sight on a ledge attached to one of the buildings, Jet sat and watched the guy in the alley. He'd seen the whole thing from his perch and while he certainly wished the guy had succeeded, he was the furthest thing from surprised that he hadn't.]

That was kinda stupid.

[He was just going to let the guy sit in silence, but watching him run into the Triads' shit like either meant he was really strong or a really big idiot. From what he saw, he wanted to go with the first...but the second was what made him need to ask.]

Those guys've got numbers on their side, plus some really good skills, what were you thinking?