I decided to make an application for the Avatar instead. Note I left the bio open-ended to be able to easily fit into the story.
**Name:** Toku
**Age:** 17
**Gender:** Male
**Element:** Fire (Earth/Air/Water)
**Appearance:**
**Abilities:**
All his life, Toku has lived in ignorance of the fact that he is the Avatar. Fire is the only element he is currently capable of bending. He has never thought about, or attempted, to bend any of the other elements. With that said, he is quite a good Firebender. However, he barely ever uses offensive techniques. Instead he uses Firebending as distractions, often to lure away the gaze of a shopkeeper about to be one loaf of bread poorer, or when escaping having been caught breaking the law in some way or another. A trick he often uses it to quickly vaporize water with hot fire to create a smoke screen of vapor.
**Personality:**
Toku is an immature boy, often acting rashly or simply childish. There aren't a lot of things he takes seriously, the laws of society included, but that's not to say he doesn't understand right from wrong. For all his apparant misdeeds, he's goodhearted. When he can help someone, he doesn't hesitate. Far from greedy, he shares what is his with others who needs it. He's also very curious about everything and tends to ask a lot of questions. He's easily excited, and chases exploration and fun wherever he goes. However, he does have problems with commitments, and duty. He doesn't handle big responsibilities well.
**Short Bio:**
All his life, Toku has lived in ignorance of the fact that he is the Avatar. Fire is the only element he is currently capable of bending. He has never thought about, or attempted, to bend any of the other elements.
The first breath he took was of the polluted air in the slums of Capitol City. Once among the greatest cities in the world, it now had expansive slums stretching out as far as the eye could see. Just around the corner was the furnace of the Fire Nation, where tall chimneys were constantly spewing out smoke. Growing up, Toku rarely glimpsed the sun, as the smoke lay as a carpet in the skies. The air was thick to breathe, and the water in the bay was dark and rotten.
The fond childhood memories he had from this place were few and far apart. His parents were very conservative people. They were firm believers in strict rules and harsh discipline to raise their children properly. This perception was shared by the public school system, which Toku developed a hatred for. On the opposite end of their philosophy, he would prove to be a rebellious soul. Even from an early age, he showed a disregard for the rules. He always seemed more anxious to break them than to follow them, but his intent was usually just to have fun. Having fun, even as children, was largely considered to be a waste of time. It didn't produce anything of value, and it disrupted the bleak harmony they sought to uphold. Everyone regarded Toku as a troublemaker. No matter how much discipline was handed to him, his attitude didn't change. He was a free spirit, and each punishment he took only furthered his need to break loose of the rules.
When he was around ten, he was discovered to be a Firebender when he had accidentally started a fire in the school cafeteria. Whether it was completely accidental or not was the subject of some debate. This discovery though, would end up steering his life in a new direction. Five years later, when he had finished his elementary public schooling, his father sent him far north to a private Firebending academy. The academy was very expensive, but being the only Firebender among their children, his father seemed inclined to try and give Toku the best education there was. It was also a convenient way of getting rid of Toku.
The school was an ancient dojo lying near the peak of dead volcano. Apart from a small village nearby, there was only nature to see. The sky was blue, only parted by white clouds. These were all new experiences for Toku, who relished every minute spent there. The school was strict, like he was used to, but it was still the best time he can remember from his youth. Master Suenzei, the head of the school, was kind and wise, but he was also stern. Any infraction of his rules could result in permanent expulsion. Yet for two whole years, Toku managed to follow all the rules. It was difficult, but it was a small price to pay for being in such a place. From Suenzei he learned not just Firebending, but of philosophy. Not just the ideas of the Fire Nation, but of all the cultures that existed. It opened up a whole new world for Toku. The things he learned about the other nations were actually more interested to him than Firebending. It was what made him leave the school after those two years. He wanted to venture across the sea, to visit all these exciting places. Yet as it would turn out, he would receive more excitement than he bargained for.
A few weeks and a long sea voyage later, he was standing in the middle of Republic City. It was the most impressive city he had ever seen. Everywhere, there were huge skyscrapers, each more daunting than the next. Some were so tall, they looked like gateways to the clouds. Despite the grand architectural designs, it was the people who caught most of his attention. Seemingly, there were faces and clothes from every corner of the world. And everyone seemed incredibly busy, rushing this way and that, ignoring Toku and everyone else around them. Although large and home to many cultures, it wasn't a place he felt immediately at home at. The people seemed distant, and the city seemed cold and uninviting. At home, he was used to all the neighbors knowing each other, and took the time to greet each other in the street. It didn't seem like that was the case here. Yet he explored with glee, and talked with as many people as he could. Although they didn't seem very inclined to talk to strangers, Toku thought it was fun all the same.
After a day of walking and talking, he sought for a place to rest for the night. The first night he spent in this city, he spent in the park. Lacking money, he was sleeping on the bare grass until he was abruptly woken by a two men in uniform. They said he couldn't sleep there, and told him to get out of the park. He left, feeling cast out. At home, such treatment would have been considered rude. So he wandered the streets, looking for somewhere else to lay his head. He was shuffling down an empty alley, thinking of just lying down then and there, when shapes of men appeared all around him. As if they had spawned from the shadows, hooded and masked, they came at him. Tired and taken by surprise, Toku didn't have time to react before he felt the hard pavement rise up and greet him. The next thing he knew, the ground broke up and curled around him, dragging him underground, the darkness swallowing him. Later, he wouldn't remember when he had lost consciousness.