Wandering Firebender

Four: Labor

Elio looked over the building, resting his hands on his hips. He'd never been in this sort of position before; needing to work a job in order to pay for his things. Any jobs he'd worked had been superficial at best, only for spending money.

Perhaps this would be a nice learning opportunity for him; a chance to see what it's like to live a normal life and work for his own bread. His Fire Nation money was beginning to run out, and he didn't want to allow it to clue anyone in to his origins again.

With that mentality, he entered into the facility.

"Hello there, young man. What can I do for you today?" The man behind the information counter greeted Elio with a smile as he approached.

"Hi there, sir. Uh, I was told this was the place to go if I needed to find work?"

"That's right! We offer pay to anyone willing to do the work; gotta warn you though, the work isn't glamorous, and the pay depends on the job you're given." The man explained.

"That's alright. I'll take whatever I can get. Where is it that I need to sign up?"

After signing up to work, he sat down in the general seating area and waited for his assignment to be given to him. He watched more people, various men and women, enter in after him and sign up for the same thing.

"Hey there," A lady greeted him. She had her brown hair tied back in a messy bun. Her face had freckles, and her eyes were a bright shade of green. "You here to work today too?"

"Yeah. It's my first time here." Elio answered with a nod.

"Haha, yeah, I figured when I didn't recognize ya. Most of us here are regulars; we come here every day." She said with a chuckle.

"Really? Why?" Elio asked curiously.

"Guaranteed work," A larger man answered his question, walking over to join them. "Plus, you never know what the next day will bring."

"I see. My name is Elio." He introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Elio! I'm Autumn." The girl introduced herself.

"The name's Tay, kid," The larger man introduced himself. "And this here is Sen, my lil bro." He gestured to a skinnier young man with wild hair.

"Who's the new guy?" Sen asked.

"The name's Elio. I guess I'll be working with you guys today." Elio assumed, standing up respectfully. Sen looked him up and down with an odd sideways smile and scoffed.

"Tch, yeah? Alright then." He shrugged and waved it off.

A few more men and two more women came in and joined the work force of the day, but none of them seemed as interested in conversation as these three. Once everyone had settled in, the man behind the counter stepped out.

"Alright everyone, the assignments are in. Firstly, does anyone have any experience with gardening and landscaping?" The man asked.

Elio glanced at the card the man was holding; the material of the card itself was nice. That likely meant a better pay for a nicer job. So he raised his hand up and stepped forward. Autumn, Tay, Sen, and the other women stepped forward too.

"Excellent. The rest of you I know are good at woodwork and construction. You're being assigned to building a bridge on the south side of town. Report there and your overseer will join you." He instructed. The remaining men left.

"What's our task today, boss?" Tay asked with a smile.

"The rest of you are to report to the Beifong residence. It seems Mr. Beifong would like a team to overhaul and spruce up his courtyard. He will explain to you everything that he wants and provide you with all the tools and materials you need.