Accidental Avatar 3: Totally Lit

Lessons in being awesome

A/N: And so here we have a ridiculously long chapter.  We're not sorry.  Also, don't forget that there are the new Q&A type things over on AmayaDisapproves's page where you can ask your own questions or something like that.  Also, what are some popular Mogui ships? Maybe Muteki or Jin ships?  How is Mangetsu doing in all this?  Enjoy the chapter!

Mangetsu and Sokka were seated before a table inside the building. Before them was calligraphy stationery set out neatly.

"The warrior practices a variety of arts to keep his mind sharp and fluid," Piandao flattened out the paper on the table before them both. "The first you will learn is calligraphy. Write your name."

Mangetsu's eyes widened with mild panic, but he took the brush handed to him and stared down at the page thoughtfully.

Sokka took his brush and accidentally crushed the bristles with his thumb.

"Writing my name will make me a better swordsman?" Sokka asked sceptically.

Piandao took the brush from Sokka and repositioned it correctly for him. "When you write your name, you stamp the paper with your identity. You must learn to use your sword to stamp your identity on a battlefield."

Sokka grabbed his sleeve and dipped the brush into the ink, preparing to write his name, while Mangetsu twirled the brush in his fingers, still thoughtfully looking at the page.

"Remember," Piandao said as Sokka hovered over the page. "You cannot take back a stroke of the brush or a stroke of the sword."

Sokka became anxious and scratched his head, pressing the brush to his chin in thought.

"You are getting ink on your face," Piandao pointed out.

"I am?" Sokka glanced at the brush. "I am. So this is about putting my identity on the page, right?"

Piandao nodded and looked over to see what Mangetsu was doing.

While Sokka painted ink over his face then pressed it to the page to imprint his face on it, Mangetsu had painted the Fire Nation symbol with strange symbols over it.

One looked distinctly like the symbol for "fire", while around it was four lines shaped kind of like waves. It was odd, though not as strange as Sokka's, and it certainly gave Piandao an idea as to their individual personalities.

♈

Piandao then took them outside, both boys dressed in training gear. Sokka faced off against the butler first, both holding wooden swords, while Piandao sat atop the steps leading to the building, watching. Sokka lunged at the butler, who effortlessly parried the attack and knocked the sword from Sokka's hands. Sokka panicked and ran away while the butler gave chase and whacked him in the rear end with the wooden sword.

Mangetsu facepalmed as Sokka approached while rubbing his butt.

"Are you that afraid of getting cut?"

"Um, yeah," Sokka responded, looking slightly weirded out. "What weirdo enjoys getting cut up?"

Mangetsu took the wooden sword from him and shrugged. "Yeah, getting cut hurts, but unless you're prepared for your flesh to be cut, you will never severe the bone."

Sokka and Piandao watched as Mangetsu stood opposite the butler, his sword held ready. Both watched the other, not moving, gauging each other's weaknesses. Finally, Mangetsu shifted his foot forward, and the butler lunged forward. Mangetsu blocked the strike, and the butler stepped back, swinging his stave around, which was blocked again.