The Metal Children

01 The New Bender

"What's the difference between women and benders?"

"What?"

"Both needs to discharge once in a moon cycle."

Claire threw a crumpled up tissue without aiming, towards her friend, Haru, who dodged it fairly well despite erupting into a soundless chuckle. The crumpled tissue fell on the parquet floor of the neat coffee shop, which made the slightly plump woman behind the bar top - who had an apron on, and had glasses which had slipped a little down the bridge of her nose - fold her arms over her chest with a sharp "hey".

"Sorry, Bea!" Haru said, still in amusement, and simply lifted her right hand up towards the crumpled tissue. With a flick of her finger, the wooden tile underneath the tissue bent diagonally, suddenly, causing the crumpled tissue to spring into Claire's lap. She waved her fingers again to dismiss the wood, which fell back into it's original place.

Bea gasped. "Haruka, no bending in my coffee shop!"

Haru waved her hands towards Bea, who paused her glass-polishing duty to nag on her careless customer - or friend, when not being a nagy owner of Refill Coffee Shop, or leader, when her bronze mask and bronze robes are on. "Relax, Bea, no one saw. Plus, your workers are all Benders."

"Ooh, coming from one of The Red Diamond herself," bespectacled Claire said, as if it was something to pride on, although it wasn't. She leaned back into her chair scruffily, and her shoulder-length, jet black straight hair fell from her shoulders. She was a little plump - not fat, but plump - but it was because of her arms being somewhat muscular, although they were only evident when she flexed them. Her sufficiently built body were covered in a messy t-shirt and a pair of old blue jeans - a tomboyish persona she had always preferred. Everyone would tell her she looked scruffy and boyish, if it weren't for her stunning brown eyes, often hidden under the frame of her glasses.

"The Red Diamond? Is that what they call me these days?" Haru seemed proud and sipped the last of her iced chocolate. Unlike Claire, Haru is slender and tall, with pixie-cut hair, sharp shoulder blades and wide jawline. Over her slightly flat chest and sufficiently built arms, as well, is a loose tank top and an oversized - and obviously unironed - red-and-black flannel shirt, paired with her favourite black jeggings that she had always claimed to be 'so comfortable to fight with in'.

"Yeah, haven't you heard? You guys have cool names, now. The Red Diamond, The Black Spade, The Red Heart, The Black Club. They named you after cards in a deck. I'd say they sound pretty cool."

"I'd say don't causally discuss those kind of things in my coffee shop," Bea interrupted. "What if one of them overheard you two? What if one of the Blocked overheard you two?"

Haru and Claire both turned around, scanning the entire coffee shop. There were no one else in the shop, except for a pair of hipster couple at a corner, whom they already knew pretty well - the guy had shoulder-length, wavy hair with roots tucked into a straw fedora, narrow eyes, and chubby cheeks which lifted as he laughed contagious laughter echoing throughout the coffee shop, and the girl who was slightly slimmer than him had her long brunette hair tucked into a high bun. She had beautiful cheekbones and the tidiest pair of eyebrows Haru had ever seen, arching over a pair of hazel brown eyes. The other living presence were three of Bea's waiter and waitresses, who were also like them. It was nearly eleven at night, and it the coffee shop was almost nearing it's closing time. Incoming customers would be ridiculous, Blocked or Benders.

"Bea, we're the only ones in here," Haru reminded her. "And it's almost closing time."

"Actually, you'd get more customers if you close a little late." Claire said, taking a deep exhale of the cold night breeze that came from a large opening, facing the coffee shop's garden. The entire coffee shop resembled an isolated, two-storey cottage, although it was built in the middle of South City of Sarcurs. After Bea had purchased the place years ago, she renovated the downstairs into a coffee shop - which also had served heavier meals instead of only caffeinated beverages and healthy juices - and the upstairs was turned into several bedrooms, which were occupied by her and her workers. The backyard, which was beautiful at night as it was during daytime, were planted with various flowers. A well kept garden was a gem in a big, busy city, and for that reason, Bea had always had a full house.