My Idea Box

FANFICTION IDEA: Riza (for Avatar: Tales of Mushi)

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra belong to Nickelodeon, Michael DeMartino, and Bryan Konietzko.

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Throughout his life, Rohan found the Society of the White Lotus to be full of surprises. As a child, he read how it quietly recruited members from all walks of life through a simple game of Pai Sho. Until they revealed themselves to help Avatar Aang end Hundred-Years' War, that is. Working for them as an adult took him all over the world, sent on a mission to resolve several questions.

Rohan's answer walked beside him, looking through Chin City's marketplace. His curiosity mixed with a tinge of annoyance and impatience. All three were focused on the note in Rohan's hand with the written words: 'I know your secret. Come to the market's center, or I'll tell everyone.'

"Welp, I don't see him anywhere," Mushi said after wolfing down a piece of bread. "Could you use your Airbending for a higher view?"

"Not around here. After last night, we shouldn't have too many eyes on us," Rohan reasoned, and Mushi seemed resigned to it, despite his clear reservations.

Rohan's cloak hid his own emotions, and his robes, better. White Lotus members were even a rarity. Airbending members were the rarest. In a small place like Chin City, he would attract unwanted attention. Whomever sent that note, they had some idea of what they were doing. Following that thought and the narrowed streets, Rohan went to the center with Mushi. Shopkeepers and buyers stood around a statue of the city's leader from Avatar Aang's time.

Rohan found a petite woman hiding among them. A long brown braid draped over one side of her red blouse, and two long straps over the other. The woman pushed her spectacles over brown eyes that met Rohan's. "Ah! I was wondering when you'd show up!" she exclaimed and ran over to the two.

Rohan studied her. She may have been shorter and older than Mushi–perhaps, twenty–but she had a childish mischief akin to his older brother. Mushi never noticed and asked Rohan, "Who's she?"

One hand on her hip, the woman frowned. "You don't know? Didn't you get my message?"

"We did," Rohan answered, holding up the paper.

Mushi pointed at the young woman. "Wait, you?"

"Let me guess, you were expecting someone more intimidating?" she deadpanned and rolled her eyes after Mushi confirmed as much.

"Is there something you want from us?" Rohan asked after seeing Mushi's annoyed look. "We don't have much money on us."

"Oh, no. Nothing like that. Just a little photoshoot." The woman pulled her box-shaped camera from one shoulder. "It shouldn't take too much of your time. Hope you don't mind."

Seeing Mushi's confusion, Rohan gestured to say "go with it." The former said, "Fine. Is that all?"

"Well, there's something else. I got a couple things about last night. A friend of mine–"

Rohan cut her off gently. "I believe you're mistaken, miss...?"

"Riza." She pulled out a business card from her bag. "Photographer for the Chin City Chronicle."

Rohan didn't take the card. "Miss Riza, we don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you sure?"

Mushi stepped in. "Uh look, I don't know what your friend heard, but we only arrived yesterday. You'd have to be pretty stupid to cause trouble after arriving at in a place you don't know."

Rohan held back an ironic smile. Riza's own was too akin to the hounding horde of flashy cameras and pens, also known as Republic City's printing press. "No, you're right. It is pretty stupid," she agreed. "No one would ever want to do that, let alone get caught."

Alarms rang in Rohan's mind seeing Riza reach into her bag. Mushi, unaware of how much he doomed them both, asked, "So, is there a reason you want us to model for you?"

"No reason. I just need a better photo of you," Riza said and unveiled the photo from her bag.

Mushi's surprise was tenfold of Rohan's. After all, he did see himself in a picture neither knew of. Said picture showed Rohan standing over an unconscious Mushi in the pale moonlight. The noon sun fell on Mushi, who turned to Riza. "You were there? How...?"

Riza nodded. "Sure was. I couldn't get the white eyes here, but I think I could make do with–"

Mushi lunged. Rohan–cursing himself for not seeing it first–yanked on the teenager's jacket. "Not in front of so many," he whispered. The additional crowd kept Mushi still, albeit bristling.

Pulling the photo back, Riza held it like a dangled treat. "Nuh-uh-uh. I'm not going to make it that easy. There's more where that came from. They have the eyes and all–hey!"

Twirling his wrist for a rush of air, Rohan sent the photo spiraling into his hand. He briefly caught Riza's resigned pout–which could've been another ploy–and asked, "Where are the others?"

Riza's smiled returned. "I've left them at my office for my boss to pick it up. If I don't call him, he'll just up and print 'em. I won't have a story, but the secret will be out, and I don't think your friend would like that," she explained with a nod at a fuming Mushi. "So, what's it going to be?"

Sharing a glance, Rohan released Mushi him after a moment of softresignation. Rohan felt the same when the grinning Riza snatched her prize fromhis grasp.

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AN: Welp, another preview after not posting anything for February (really don't know how I didn't notice that until now). This particular one is for my ATLA/TLOK fanfiction sequel, Avatar: Tales of Mushi, where I would introduce the third of the main characters for it. It might not be much, but I do hope it take peak your interest a little. Until next time, take care.

-W.S.