Chit Chat. [Cher]

 
Liang sat against a tree, reading. Her student had caught the flu, so she didn't have to teach today. Feeling a strong gust of wind blow against her hair, she wanted to tie her hair up, but couldn't find anything to tie her hair up with. She sighed, giving up and taking a few steps. She wasn't aware that there were people around her, her nose was buried in her book. Liang didn't realise that she was about to walk into the tree, and walked straight into the bark, scratching her forearms. She cursed under her breath, telling herself that she needed to be more alert about her surroundings. The girl slammed the book shut and dumped it in her basket along with the fruits she had just bought at the market. 

The girl was was wearing a blue dress, the colour very similar to the symbol of the water nation's. Liang gathered her hair and brushed it down her left shoulder, so it would be out of her way. It lasted for two seconds, then she tripped and dropped her two apples. Kneeling down, she felt clumsy and low. Back home, she didn't need to pick anything up. She didn't need to buy anything, nor did she have to do anything. Then again, she had to marry that man. The guy that she would do absolutely everything to not marry. Mostly because she hadn't met him yet. She wasn't willing to give him a chance, and ran away to Republic City before her parents could do anything about it, and she regretted nothing. 

 
Laing's eyes flared for a second. How dare he show disrespect? Didn't he k- That's right. Nobody knew who she was anymore. She was just a normal waterbender. She hated being normal. She hated being middle classed. She hated blending in. She was rich and powerful, but here, nobody respected her for it. It was very frustrating for her.

"More importantly, who are you?" she asked, demanding an answer from him first. It wasn't his place to ask who she was. She caught a glimpse of his eyes, and saw that they were a fiery amber. A colour that only firebenders had. However, she wasn't scared. She knew that water extinguished fire anyday. And that she would never be scared of a mere commoner. She told herself that she needed to stop judging him and give him an actual chance to prove himself, but she didn't have patience for whatever he wanted to do.

He seemed so... normal. It almost annoyed her. She was honestly caught in one of her moods. One of those times when she felt like stabbing everything that came in her path, or to kill everything in her way. She knew she couldn't, nor was she allowed to, but it was how she felt. And she could kill everything. Just in her thoughts, where she could never be prosecuted.

 
The brunette huffed, he did have a point, but she just didn't want to admit it. "I'm YueLiang Saito. Everyone calls me Liang. Now, I returned the question. Your name?" she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest. She was acting- no, was pretentious, and she didn't care what he thought. She felt awkward, realising that she was acting pretentious, but changing was going to be like letting him win. Liang stood there and tapped her foot impatiently, "Well...?" she asked him rudely. She wasn't going to be anymore patient with this guy than she was with everyone else,

 
At least the guy thought the name was familiar. It was a start. The brunette brushed her hair to her left shoulder, "Nice to meet you, Alder." she said in a formal tone. "My parents are wealthy people. And my family is made of 100% waterbenders. You've probably heard of them for being one of the richest families right now. I'm their only daughter." she told him. "The daughter who's hand in marriage they gave away before she was even born." she said darkly, under her breath. She didn't know why she was telling him all this. He was just a stranger. Why did she even tell him? He was probably going to take her back to her stupid home so he could collect the reward that her parents had put up for anyone who brought her back safely to what used to be her home. Now she had no ties with them. 

Liang pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and out of her face. The wind blew lightly at her back, causing her dress to flow slightly with the wind.  

 
Liang sighed. "Life is a crazy thing..." she said quietly. She raised an eyebrow at his comment. "Oh, and you would know how?" she asked with a little smirk on her lips. The guy was alright, maybe she would give him a chance after all. But first impressions meant a lot to her, and they were usually right, somehow. The girl's chocolate brown eyes darted around, looking around to fill in an awkward silence. She shifted uncomfortably on one foot, not knowing what to say. When she heard his question. Would he take her back to her parent's house if she said yes? Was he one of them who were assigned to find her? Was her time of freedom over? Was his nice act... all an act? She hoped not. But she had faith in herself, and she believe that she could get away from the stranger easily. Most people underestimated her.

"Yes, they're looking for me. They've also put up a reward. But I'm going back even if you were one of the people who were assigned to find me. I've gotten away from plenty of them." she said, half a warning, and half to brag.

 
Liang almost snorted. "It's not like I'd ever go back to that place. I've been caught at least 5 times, I've gotten away each time." she said arrogantly.She thought for a bit, and realised that she had been here for two years now. Time passed very quickly. "I've been here for two years." She said, voicing her thoughts. He must pity. She could almost see it in his amber eyes. She hated pity, and she hated being looked down on. She suddenly felt quite thirsty, seeing him eat that pear. And she had a basket filled with fruits and veggies that she had just bought from the market. Along with the heat, she just felt uncomfortable. She didn't even think of actually eating an apple.

 
She smiled a bit and shrugged, "Am I?" she asked. It was rhetorical, but she didn't really care whether he answered it or not. She took out an apple and took a small bite, politely chewing on it like the way that she was groomed all her life to do. "Are you a bender?" she asked him, wondering if he was a firebender or not. She was pretty convinced that he was, because his eyes stood out. It was the colour of a firebender's, or someone who's ancestry derived from the fire nation. She covered the groceries with a cloth once again, just so bugs didn't find refuge in her basket, then eating her fruits. She had only so much money. Not everyone could afford a tutor around here.

Liang looked up at the sky for a moment. It was a light blue; not a cloud in sight. The corners of her lips curled up into a small smile, something that didn't happen everyday. She felt free, and looking up at the clear sky, with the sun shining, she felt good. She felt free and away from the control of her parents that she had done so much to get away from. She could remember all the hardships that she had gone through just to get here, and it made her smile, because honestly, who wouldn't?