Blessings

Meelo had put off the inevitable for months now until his father argued he could avoid it no longer.

You'll be disrupting centuries of tradition if you continue to go on with this attitude. His father's words echoed in his head.

His sisters had gone through with the process years ago. And when he, himself, had finally earned the title 'Master Airbender' the first and only thing an aimless mind could wonder about was that of being permanently and painfully inked with the pale blue signature arrow tattoos. Sure when he was just an insane little boy, the thought of being painted was cool. But now that the time had finally come, it unnerved him, especially the conversations his older sisters shared with him about their unpleasant experiences.

Meelo stood awkwardly naked in front of his father as he dropped to his knees behind his son.

"These tattoos are performed as a rite of passage, if you will. What you are about to receive is a blessing, just remember that." His father's voice was tender and reassuring.

He could feel Tenzin's palm press firmly along the outside of his upper left thigh and he bowed his head heavily in anticipation, every muscle in his body tensing with fear and anxiety as his eyes shut tightly and his lips pressed into a thin hard line.

"Relax," his father instructed who waited patiently as his son took long, exaggerated breaths. Tenzin smirked to himself, "Be the leaf."

As Meelo stood above him, his lids still closed, he could feel him unwinding under his grasp as his lips curled into a tiny smile. "Be the leaf," he repeatedly whispered to himself after his father.

He winced immediately as the bone-constructed needles punctured his fair skin at the base of his bottom. Slowly, his father's hand steadily and deliberately trailed down the back of his thigh engraving pigment into the dermis layer of his skin.

Meelo could feel trickles of blood crawling down his legs pooling at the bottom of his heel as he attempted to become distracted by the constant pounding of wood against wood instead of the dull aching it caused. And then it dawned on him that he would be experiencing this sensation for the next several hours.

"Dad."

"Hmm," Tenzin acknowledged his son without breaking his eye contact or concentration.

"Now that I am officially a Master Airbender, what exactly does that entail? Am I supposed to like save people's lives or have a special duty to my community like the avatar or somethin'," Meelo asked curiously.

Tenzin chuckled at his child's inquiry. "It just means you now have to use your skill responsibly and appropriately. If it means having a 'special duty' as you call it, then so be it."

As he twiddled with his thumbs, Meelo continued to prod. "What did your mastering skills bring you?"

"The ability to healthily govern a population and look out for my family and people," he offered without hesitation while he began curving the arrow around Meelo's calf toward his shin.

The makeshift needles seemed to penetrate deeper as a sharp pain splintered throughout his entire leg. His bare teeth tore into his skin as he bit his white knuckles in relief, the pain building until he could suppress it no longer.

"Fuck," he mumbled against the back of his hand.

Tenzin slapped him in his slip-up of foul language. "Elevate your diction," he scolded as his son tilted his head from side to side, mockingly mouthing the phrase along with his father.

"You're hurting me," he stated flatly. "But how lame, I mean about the whole looking out for my people thing," Meelo sighed quite frankly as his father laughed heartily once again.

"What would you like to do with this new title?"

Meelo stroked his chin in contemplation, and as a descriptive idea popped into his head, he beamed. "Bring down all the asshole jerk faces that cause chaos and disruption to the entire universe. I'd like to knock 'em from off their feet with a single air kick or knock 'em out completely with an air blast."

Tenzin halted his movements briefly as Meelo over enthusiastically expressed his desires and visions, grimacing at his undesirable use of swearing, a habit neither him nor his wife could cause their son to break. Although it irritated him, and from time to time he made futile attempt to remind him of its revulsion, it was something he half grew to tolerate though not endear.

"Then, I would disintegrate them into millions of tiny pieces with a fatal air blade."

Meelo's movements calmed as quickly as they had begun. And rolling his eyes at his son's excessively detailed explanation, he continued with the task at hand. "Sounds like quite the plan you got there. But what if that doesn't work out?"

"Then I guess I have no choice but to proceed with boring instances like you."

The two laughed genuinely at his remark as Tenzin finished up the arrow on the front of Meelo's foot.

A couple of breaks and eleven hours later found Tenzin finishing up the final décor on his son's forehead. He helplessly frowned at the sight of Meelo's pained face as he tried to complete the most painful artwork as quickly but meticulously as possible. As he took the last tap against his tools, he blew gently against fair skin well aware of the burning sensation Meelo was now feeling, especially all over his head.

"There," he spoke quietly, "all done."

His limbs ached terribly but Meelo went urgently whisking around the dimly lit room in search of a mirror, his father smiling in accomplishment and pride.

He couldn't help but to stare into the looking-glass in awe in his newly decorated body. "Cool," he drawled, a wide grin forming from ear to ear.

Tenzin crossed his arms in satisfaction. "Now you look just like me." He watched as Meelo's face fell almost immediately in horror at the comparison as Tenzin laughed uncontrollably.

"Nope, dad," he shook his head viciously; "you just killed it. You just killed the moment." His voice portrayed disbelief. "Wow."

"Joke aside…" Tenzin waved him off.

Meelo cut his father off. "That wasn't a joke."

"Anyways," Tenzin continued, "I got you something else too."

He left the room to return shortly with a wind sword. He placed the beautifully welded metal into Meelo's hands, watching as his eyes lit in fascination.

"This is so awesome! Thanks so much, dad." He embraced his father in a warm hug before returning his gazes to his new treasure as his father enlightened him on the carefully chosen weaponry.

"If you were to ever engage in battle, this can be used to augment your powers. It can cut at a far greater distance than the blade itself, and control currents and winds."

As Tenzin left him to his business, Meelo danced artfully, and still very much in nude, around the tiny room becoming acquainted with his new attributes.