So, how has my story been coming along?

Is it worth it's time?

Maximus: Non-bender, hand-to-hand specialist, sharpshooter.

Esther: Waterbender.

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"Get up you oaf!"

Esther opened the curtains and the light illuminated the room.

"How long have I been out?", asked Maximus. He covered his eyes with his forearm and groaned.

"Three days buddy! I think you took too much medicine!"

"Since when did you become so bossy? You're eight!"

"Eight years is long enough to tell the difference between sleeping for two days out of exhaustion and sleeping two days out of overdosing on medicine."

Maximus sat up and rubbed his eyes. The blur slowly dissipated as his eye sight became clearer. He got out of bed and took a quick stretch. Maximus dropped down and started to do some push ups to get his day started with a quick warm up. Esther looked at his back and noticed a bunch of bruises.
"If those are the first set of injuries after one night, you might as well as find a suitable excuse. Martial Arts, for instance.", suggested Esther. "Random injuries during a non-existent social life, these things beg the question as to what exactly does Maximus H?? do with his time and his money."
"And what does someone like me do?", he inquired.
"Drive party boats, date council mens' daughters, buy things that are not for sale... who knows, Maxy? When you start pretending to have fun, you might even have a little by accident."

Maximus got up and put on a button up shirt that Esther had laid on a chair near his bed.

"You're like a personal maid.", said Maximus.

"I'm just taking care of things that you can't take care of yourself."

Maximus walked out of the room and then stepped outside for a quick breather. He looked around and then remembered he had to do something. He ran back in and quickly changed into much more suitable clothing.

"I need to go down to the shops today. Need to pick up a few things.", shouted Maximus.

Esther didn't say a word and Maximus started to make his way to a shop that looked similar to the one on Kāi T??u. As soon as he was at the front entrance, he made his way in and then walked up to the counter to ring the bell. Ding, ding, ding. Rios stepped out of the back and walked up to the counter.

"Ah! Maximus. What do you need today?", asked Rios.

"I need a new suit."

"Yes, three buttons is a little 'Foggy Swamp Tribe', Maximus.", said Rios. "I'm not talking fashion, so much as function."
Maximus handed him a rolled parchment and Rios unraveled it. It was a diagram of the new suit he wanted.
"You want to be able to turn your upper-body.", said Rios.
"Sure would make backing out of the harbor easier.", replied Maximus.

Maximus bowed and Rios bowed in return. He left the store with a satisfied look and returned home to retire to his bed. A few hours passed and it was once again time to take up the mask. He left through the utmost window in his house and climbed up to his roof. He noticed that the night was silent and decided to work on his acrobatics a bit. He ran across rooftops, ran along walls, and made leaps of fate down into large stacks of hay. Before the sun rose, Maximus made his way back home and went to bed.

The next day, he awoke before Esther did and decided to go check up on the progress of his new suit. He put on some fresh new clothes and then slowly made his way to the shop. Along the way, he heard people talking about another person running around like the Blue Spirit. As soon as he reached the shop, he entered it and found Rios waiting for him at the counter.

"Here's the tunic you ordered.", said Rios as he handed it to him. "That tunic there is tear resistant."

"Tear resistant?"

"This sucker will stop a knife.", Rios explained.

"Is it arrow proof?", asked Maximus.

"Anything but a straight shot.", answered Rios.

"Why didn't the Fire Nation put it into production?", pondered Maximus.

"Bean counters didn't think a soldier's life was worth 300,000 gold pieces. So what's your interest in it, Maximus?
"I wanna borrow it. For, uh, spelunking.", replied Maximus.
"Spelunking?", repeated Rios questionably.
"Yeah, you know, cave diving."
"You expecting to run into much arrows and knives in these caves?", asked Rios.

"Well, you know, never can be too safe."

"Right...Well, here you go.", said Rios as he handed him the tunic.
"Will it hold up against animals?", asked Maximus.

"We talking platypus bears or baby saber tooth moose lion cubs?", asked Rios. "Should do fine against mice."

"Charming...I need some new cloth-like fibers for some BASE-jumping."

"BASE-jumping. That like parachuting?", asked Rios.

"Kind of. Do you have any light-weight fabrics?"

"You know...I think I have just the thing..." Rios walked to the back of his shop and came back out a few minutes later with a roll of cloth.
"I think this was what you were looking for. Am I correct?"

"Depends...What's it do?"

"Well...It is woven in a complex way, so it breaks your fall, almost like a parachute."

"Can it filter out the air?"

"You planning to jump into a polluted field of air, Maximus?"

"Does it?"

"Yes...It filters out anything from basic air pollution to the most chemically enhanced poisons."

"Why wasn' this set into production? Let me guess...Too expensive for the Army?"

"I don't think they tried to market it to the billionaire, spelunking, BASE-jumping crowd."

"Look, Rios."

"Yes?"

"If you're uncomfortable..."

"Maximus, if you don't want to tell me exactly what you're doing, when I'm asked, I don't have to lie. But don't think of me as an idiot."
"Fair enough."

He grabbed the roll of cloth and took the new suit in hand and walked out of the shop. Maximus quickly made his way home and as soon as he got inside, he got to work on fixing his new gear to his liking. He cut the cloth into a long scarf-like shape and put on the new suit to get used to the feel.

"Say hello to the new you, Maximus.", said Maximus.

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Lot's of dialogue. As soon as I get to where I need to, I'll get some more action going.

r3173mpt10n omg once again i absoulutly love your dialogue! so clever!

when esther is talking to Maximus when he wakes up, that whole thing about "buying things that aren't for sale" was so well written!

I also liked the dialgou in the store.

soooo good!

xD