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Fandom Avatar: The Exiled Chronicles

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ARC 1: Ep 2 - Republic City / Si Wong Rock
  • Index
    • AVATAR: THE EXILED CHRONICLES - ARC 1

    Episode 2 - Republic City / Si Wong Rock
    ​


    ~Time Skip~

    Date: 17, of the seventh month.

    Time period: An hour after Noon.

    Weather: Signs of potential rain clouds peering over certain parts of the Earth Empire.​


    The Empire found itself busier than normal within the civilians, tension rising everywhere around the Sand Kingdom portion stressing itself to the break. Many people have lost their homes, struggling just to keep warm within the two nights of no shelter. All caused by the pure devastation left behind from the *tantrum* over one’s father that came from the very person destined to keep the peace between all. The civilians were left confused by this outbreak clearly having no idea of why the avatar would've attacked Queen Rasha’s land, seeing as they were on good terms with the Earth Empire until now. Leaving up to the banishment of the Avatar herself, writing a new log of what may be the worst avatar the world has come to know. News continued to spread out and about like raging wildfire, from the Sand Kingdom to the neighboring prosperities. All in anguish over this news of the devastation leading to wanted posters to begin spreading about the provinces. Small riots begin to form wanting justice against the Avatar.

    Except for the town of Me Mu Cun, which willingly stood for all things after being saved from raiders multiple times. Though they’ve always been a bit off and disconnected in their own way seeing as everyone thought the people of Me Mu Cun were pathetic weaklings to the point the thieves would actually return and repair windows then overcharge them for their duties. Yet the town’s people never put one or the other together.

    Republic city, having heard the news finally within the two days life span, seemed questionable on which side they stood by. While many still stood against the Avatar, many still seemed for her within the city, people bickered back and forth. Bringing an increase of security all around the streets of the city. From the piers, where the newest boat pulled up to the dock, to downtown.

    (P.S: Screw you mountain internet crash for stealing away a large portion of this post)
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
  • Index
    • Maizen Tosuda
    Location: walking down the pier
    Interactions:     ​

    As the ship lurched and halted in the water, Maizen was already gearing up to leave early. Folding his tarp away and putting it into a separate bag, Maizen quicky checked over his bags and grabbed his motorcycle by the handlebars. This was much too cramped a space; he'd have to walk it out to the street before taking off. Idly his hand found the card in his coat pocket, designating him as a resident of the luxury hotel his father was providing him for his time here. He'd best not lose it.

    Showing his paperwork to a staff member at the bay door, he wheeled his bike out to the port of the grand city. Maizen looked up at the sights to be found as he slowly mad his way down the dock, finding suppressed excitement at being in the new environment. He was finally here in Republic City, without any supervision at that! While his face and body showed no indication of glee, his mind indulged in a fair bit of it. "So this is it. I suppose I'll go find my hotel first and drop my bags off, then ride around the city for a spell. It should be good to familiarize myself with the area." Maizen mused to no one in particular, briefly looking at the skyscrapers to see if he could spy his destination. Finding no luck he stretched in place and got onto his motorcycle.

    Well at least, he would have gotten on, if not for his ears picking up a conversation between two rather disgruntled dock workers seemingly on break. Pretending to look over his motorcycle, Maizen listened in curiously, wondering what had gotten them so tuned up.

    "That Avatar is serious trouble, man. I hope she never comes to our city."

    "Likewise, her Sand Kingdom attack was scary. My cousin was there, sent me a letter all about it."

    "Really? What'd it say?"

    "Nothing new, the same as the papers. Wild and unjustified rampage against the Queen and her people. Lotta people's livelihoods got wiped."

    "That's honestly scary by think about. I say we put her in a titanium cell and be done with her."

    Maizen listened with measured surprise; was all that about the Avatar really true? "Guess my assumption of the Avatar being the paragon of good was wrong after all. But I can't imagine the Avatar would just attack a city like that. I wonder what set them off?" Taking up the slow pace of walking his white motorcycle down the pier again instead of riding, Maizen took a much more discreet yet attentive look at his surroundings. He was here to learn, so he might as well start with any recent happenings.
     
    Welcome to Republic City
    A collaboration between Xanto Xanto , Flutterby Flutterby , and . D O V E . D O V E ​


    The sun has long set by the time Nightwing soared above the skies of Republic City. Amidst the dark canvas of the night and below the twinkles of the stars, Avatar Xiurong and her companion, Yara, shared a generally silent ride as the cool breeze caressed their skins. The two of them made a few stops every now and then, in courtesy of Nightwing getting tired and the call of their basic necessities, but they’ve finally arrived in the bustling metropolis. Even from hundreds of meters above, the bright lights of the towering skyscrapers and zooming vehicles down below illuminated the two travelers, and the astir noises of the city life faintly permeated their hearings.

    A groan escaped the Avatar’s lips as she peeked from the edge of the saddle, her hands grabbing onto its elevated leather handles. “I forgot how annoying Republic City can be.” She commented. It has been three months since the last time she visited along with the Grand Lotus- Spirits know that old man rarely let her go somewhere alone. “I think you were here with me last time, too. Remember how I obliterated the Bone Crusher gang? Bunch of idiots.” She snickered to herself at the recollection. Xiurong spent three days investigating the slums in search of the nefarious group and stalking potential members until she was finally led to their secret hideout. Suffice to say, the Bone Crusher gang regretted choosing their name and Xiurong returned with a smug smirk and a bunch of ugly bruises.

    From very nearly the opposite side of the saddle, Yara gave a soft grunt.
    "Of course I remember that. The Grand Lotus had me up all night healing them so they could actually go to prison." Yara had the back of her neck resting against the edge of the saddle, eyes closed. She hadn't slept enough, between being so high up she might puke again even without another incident, and the semi-frequent stops. "He said, 'We need to put to rest any rumors of excessive force, Yara. It's vital to the Avatar's destiny.' I hadn't been with you long enough to tell him you wouldn't give a tiger seal's ass about rumors like that."
    It had been maybe her second trip with Xiurong, and the first one with any action. The first had been... something diplomatic, maybe to the Fire Nation. It felt like a lifetime ago.
    With a scowl, Yara sat herself up and forced a peak over the edge of the saddle. Republic City was a welcome sight, even from up there.

    Xiurong rolled her eyes. “The old man is such a worrywart. It would’ve been better if you didn’t heal those buffoons. They would have served as a warning not to mess with me. Maybe then the crime rate in this stinkhole would’ve been much lower.” She finished with a scoff. Excessive force? Please. Those criminals deserved everything she gave them. If she could go back in time she’d repeat everything she did exactly as it was.

    “Oh look, it’s the docks.” The Avatar pointed out as she gestured to the harbor on their left. The place was still busy even though it was already late in the evening. There were plenty of boats and ships docked, patiently waiting for passengers as they bobbed on the peaceful waters. She then moved her index finger and pointed a block down from the harbor where rows of apartments sat. “His house is somewhere over there. C’mon Nightwing!”

    And with that, the griffin sped up and headed towards the area, slowing down when they reached the aisle of houses. Xiurong scrutinized each building even when in the dark, eagerly looking for the tell-tale sign that she found Xian’s apartment. When her eyes landed on a seemingly common yet modernly tweaked apartment, she commanded Nightwing to land on its front yard before hopping off.

    “Yara, stop being a slowpoke and hurry up.” She called out as she made her way to the apartment’s front door.

    The waterbender decided against telling Xiurong that it had been one of the most exhausting nights of extensive, difficult healing she had ever done. Looking back, it was the perfect introduction to her current situation.
    Yara scanned the houses, not sure what they were looking for. She didn't know what signaled the proper place to Xiurong, but she did seem very sure. Yara descended from Nightwing a little more slowly, and when her feet touched the ground, she had to take a moment with her hands on her knees. It was like getting off a boat after a long journey, but so so much worse.
    As Xiurong called back to her, she straightened up and glanced over her shoulder toward the docks. There was nothing she wanted more than to head in that direction.. but she desperately needed sleep and proper food before a long trip. One night with this 'friend' would have to do.

    "You seem very sure this person is going to welcome you with open arms," She grumbled as she followed Xiurong up to the door. She wasn't as convinced.

    “Were you deaf? I told you he’s stupidly kind.” Xiurong responded in her usual mean manner. “Even if I wasn’t the Avatar or the princess of Ba Sing Se, he would still be willing to house me. He likes to help everyone and other cheesy things like that. I’m not surprised though. He’s the descendant of Avatar Aang after all.” She rolled her shoulders to a shrug as they continued walking forward.

    Yara stifled a sigh after Xiurong’s first few sentences. So, it was less that this person had significant personal loyalty to Xiurong, and more that she just viewed him as Republic City’s biggest sucker. Yara plodded behind her, and her surprise at the last statement was betrayed only by a slight pause in her footsteps. Okay, personal loyalty is back on the table I guess. Poor guy.

    “Xian, open up!” Xiurong immediately barked upon stepping a foot in front of the door. It quickly became apparent that she had no intention of knocking as her hand made its way to the doorknob and gave it a twist.

    The door gradually shifted open, revealing an awoken young man merely rubbing the back of his slight bedhead. He seemed indifferent upon seeing the Avatar, merely pressing an eye shut just trying to readjust to the city lights surrounding her.

    Thud. The entryway for food and shelter suddenly closed in front of the visitors’ faces. It was a casual shut, playfully unpredictable at best.

    “Xian, I will decimate your door.” His esteemed guest warned.

    The tone . . the voice . . . the words. One breath from the woman, and he could easily place who she was. The guy knew Xiurong despite previously being all the way on the other side of the room behind the closed door.

    Within a few moments, his door partially opened again. This time, Xian coolly smirked at Xiurong before glancing at her acquaintance, “Please, come in.” The airbender stepped to the side as he fully opened his door for them to enter.

    The facade was deceiving. Though humble and built with seemingly the most common materials, his apartment was more roomy than expected. To make matters a bit better, the space was clean despite a few scattered blueprints across his desk.

    The Avatar wasted no time and headed inside, gesturing for Yara to follow with a flick of her wrist. “See, told you. Stupidly kind.” She told the waterbender as she brushed past their host and made herself comfortable on his couch. She appeared to know the interior well, as though she has been here plenty of times before.

    Stupidly kind? Xian raised a brow as he glanced at Yara in confusion. The guy quickly dismissed his curiosity though, not wanting to delve into their prior conversations.

    “Anyways, Xian, I need a place to stay for a while. Don’t let your head get so big, but I chose yours.” She informed the airbender as she tried to seem busy by checking her fingernails.

    Internally, Yara was groaning. There just weren't words for how annoyed and embarrassed she was by Xiurong's lack of boundaries, manners, and common sense. Their host didn't seem to mind, casually shutting the door but returning a moment later- she imagined he tossed some more personal items in a drawer or something like that. Maybe hid his favorite snack food.
    As Yara stepped across the threshold, past the man holding open the door, she met his eyes with a guarded sideways glance and softly said, "Thank you. It's been a long day."

    Xian didn’t have time to respond when Xiurong invited her party to stay at his place. Not that it would’ve been a negative reaction. Yet, he was kind of taken back when the avatar’s friend softly thanked him. “No problem,” The guy nodded in return as he shifted his attention to securely shut the door.

    The waterbender stared at Xiurong on the couch for a moment, and felt the weight of her exhaustion all at once, but didn't move closer to the Avatar to sit.
    "I'd be very grateful if you allowed us to stay here." It occurred to her then that she was a stranger, so she quickly added, "I'm Yara, the assigned healer."

    Yara’s voice prompted Xian to glance over his shoulder after snapping the lock close. She was overly polite . . for an acquaintance of Xiu. “Yara,” The airbender repeated as he made his way over to them. “Xian, the assigned bed and breakfast,” He replied just glancing at Xiu, who merely rolled her eyes, as the last words of his sentence landed.

    The guy held his hand out to Yara before smiling a bit, “You’re both welcome to stay.”

    Yara took the offered hand, gripping it with a practiced light touch. This man seemed nice, and far more patient than herself. She couldn't help but wonder how he had become friends with the Avatar, willingly, it seemed.

    Xiurong watched the interaction indifferently, allowing the two a moment to get acquainted before eventually piping in. “Yara and I had a very long day. Mostly me, but you get the point.” She allowed her back to fall deeper into the soft couch, feeling the tenseness of her muscles alleviating somewhat.

    “I just had the pleasure of speaking with the world's best regent. At the presence of the crown prince, no less.” Sarcasm dripped like venom in the Avatar’s every word. Xian and Xiu had been friends for quite some time now, and the latter’s disdain for the two mentioned individuals was far from secret.

    “How’d it go?” Xian asked with a hint of mild concern on his face. It wasn’t the first time she ranted about Xu and his royal pal. The three of them had rather interesting chemistry to say the least.

    Xiurong hummed in thought. “Imagine having a profound conversation with a bunch of rocks- that’s how.” She answered with a roll of her shoulders. Meanwhile, Xian moved to station himself by the counter of his open kitchen, ready for her heated monologue.

    “As you know, my father got abducted by some sorry excuses of life forms, and until now he’s nowhere to be found. Everyone in the Empire is being everything but productive about the matter, so I took it upon myself to do something. Somehow, I actually thought my brother would finally be able to prove his worth and invited him to join me. Of course he accepted and brought his Dai Li slipper with him. I, on the other hand, brought Yara over there.” She jabbed a thumb to the waterbender’s direction. “I discovered leads which point towards the Sand Kingdom, and so I seized the opportunity and had my team venture there. But alas!” She dramatically raised her hands to the ceiling. “My clever brother thought it’d be wise to do things diplomatically, as if a kidnapper would simply admit to a crime. As expected, Queen Rasha vehemently denied accusations and demanded us to leave the palace. So, in response to this absolutely shady behavior, I opted to infiltrate the palace and look for more evidence. Unfortunately, we got caught in the process because Xu was being his usual pansy ‘we shouldn’t do this or that, this is wrong’ self.” Perhaps Xu’s reluctance wasn’t exactly what led them to get caught, but Xiurong still found comfort in placing the blame on him.

    “Mhm,” Xian nodded, casually walking to the fridge and swinging the door open. His gaze never left her though as she continued to narrate on.

    “And so, the Sand Kingdom soldiers raised their weapons against us, hoping they’d get to capture and throw us into their deepest dungeon to rot! Obviously, I can’t have that. We’re innocents, they’re the ones who took my father. I won’t let the same happen to me.” She proudly huffed. “Suffice to say, I saved everyone, and we all made our way back to Ba Sing Se aboard Xu’s airship.”

    That somewhat called for a celebration, right? Yet Xiu was here in his living room, radiating negative vibes all the way to the southern water tribe. There was a catch. Xian pulled a container from his fridge, and placed it onto his counter.

    “Unsurprisingly, Queen Rasha contacted Bao and fabricated the incident to make it sound like she was the victim. Halfway through, we encountered the regent’s airship and he requested an audience with me. You won’t believe what happened next.” Xiurong furrowed her brow, leaned forward, and let her eyes bore into Xian’s.

    Xian had glanced away for a mere second, only to be greeted by Xiurong’s intense stare when he turned back. The guy in response innocently attempted to replicate her expression. He started with a furrowed brow, then leaned forward letting his eyes burn into her’s, “What happened-”

    “The regent had the freaking audacity to exile me!” She threw her hands up in the air once more and fell back to the couch. “Like, by the spirits! Who do you think you are!? Who do you think I am!?” As per tradition, she waited for Xian to say something that would appeal to her pride and alleviate her frustration.

    Xian paused in his tracks. . . the regent what? His glance momentarily rested on Yara for input. He’d been paying attention the entire time despite moving around. Perhaps he missed something during the half second he looked at the container.

    Yara had been watching the two talk silently, not bothering to hide her interest in the way they interacted. Not that either noticed- Xiurong was too involved in her tale, and Xian too devoted to listening to it. Xiurong did leave out a few details, though, so when Xian looked at her, she filled in a few as quickly and as calmly as she could. "The regent would have required us to return to the Sand Kingdom and appease Queen Rasha for the sake of diplomatic relations. I don't believe he had intentions to ensure our freedom afterward."

    “Do you- what do you . . ,” He stuttered trying to find the right words to say. How did anyone reply to this? For once, it seemed like the man was at a loss for words. Still, his movement was smooth as he held out the chilled mango pudding to the newly exiled avatar.

    Xiurong took the offered snack without any hesitation. The airbender might be stammering like an idiot right now, but at least he was doing something worthy of her appreciation. “I got exiled. As in banished. Expelled. Ousted. Stripped of my Imperial title. Banned from my own empire.” Xiurong repeated as she forcefully stabbed the pudding with the spoon.

    Xian took a seat by the foot of the couch as his hand moved to his chin. Normally he’d tease Xiu after another one of her crazily adventurous stories. Lay down a few comments here and there for her ego to get boosted, but for now there really were no words for him to- “How are you?” He blurted before shifting his ultimately concerned gaze to her.

    The Avatar nipped her gaze away from the airbender and settled it onto the pudding in her hands. For the briefest of moments, her almighty armor of composure showed cracks of vulnerability. She appeared to be genuinely sad and affected by the outcome of events. “Tired.” She muttered before shoving a spoonful of the creamy dessert into her mouth.

    “You can elaborate,” Xian shrugged, suggesting she rant it all out before their night carried on. Afterall, good rest or meditation never followed a tense mind. The tired airbender leaned his body back onto the couch as his arm stretched across the top of its backrest. She didn’t have to confess anything in front of him and Yara, but they were there to listen nonetheless.

    “I’m just tired, okay?” Xiurong responded as she scooped another portion. “My father’s gone, and I feel like I’m the only one who’s doing something about it. And regardless of my efforts, everyone just seems to see me as some sort of a-” she abruptly cut her own sentence. Xiurong felt stupid; she shouldn’t be spouting such nonsense in front of others. She didn’t want to appear weak in front of anyone. She was better than them.

    “Xian, your pudding is bland.” She unpromptedly complained. Of course the pudding was DELICIOUS, but Xiurong felt the need to steer the conversation away from her flaw. The best way she knew how was to point out other people’s own- even though she had to make them up.

    That’s when he suddenly placed a hand over her’s, maneuvering his gaze to meet Xiu’s, “ . . I don’t see you the same way they do.” Not that it probably mattered. One person out of the whole world. Xian paused for a moment before removing his hand then glancing at Yara, “She’s the Avatar. There’s a reason why the spirits moved heaven and earth to pick her.”

    Yara watched Xiurong begin to open up, to allow Xian to pick at what she was actually feeling.. and then clamp up again. Xian didn't seem offended- instead he seemed to comfort Xiurong for being unable to let herself feel. When he broke the tender moment to look at her again, Yara pressed her lips together, and murmured, "And I hope to one day see it."

    “Now,” Xian stood up from his seat, stepping a bit closer to Xiu. He knew diving deep into sensitivity wasn’t usually her thing. So, why not pull her back out of it. “I know you think my pudding is bland, but I’ll leave it here,” He shrugged, raising a brow at Xiurong knowing very well she could scarf down any pudding, “Maybe the taste will set in.”

    “Ms. Yara,”     The host stated, finally turning his full attention onto the newcomer, “Would you like a cup of water . . anything?”

    Yara was feeling something that didn't disappear with the somber moment.. guilt. She shouldn't abandon Xiurong now, and she knew it. But she also knew that she couldn't live in fear of what Xiurong might do to her next, and that it wouldn't stop any time soon. The waterbender swallowed softly, and blinked quickly a few times.
    "I wouldn't mind a cup of tea, but a glass of water would do just as well. I'll need some time to get my land legs back, I think."
    As much as the mango pudding looked delicious, she didn't think her stomach would hold it. And she didn't want to lose an arm by putting it between Xiurong and the food.

    And just as expected, Xiurong noshed the proclaimed bland pudding the moment Xian pried his eyes off her. She appeared to be deep in thought as she munched through its softness. Meanwhile, her eyes were darting everywhere but the direction of the two other occupants, as though she was afraid of meeting either of their gazes. It was almost as if for the first time in years, the proud Avatar was rendered speechless.

    Xian lightly chuckled before making his way into the kitchen once again, “Guess you’re not used to flying.” Tea wasn’t too much of an ask since a heated pot was already on the stove. “So,” He uttered, while reaching for a cup, “How’d you two meet?”

    And just like that, the rest of the night passed, and the unlikely duo finally had their well-deserved rest thanks to the Xian's hospitality. Come the morrow, a choice awaits Yara, while chaos continues looming over Xiurong.
     
    Last edited:
    Taka
    Mentions/Interactions:     ​
    As the ship made port Taka began to stir in his chamber, slowly rolling until he eventually fell face-first into the floor with a resonating thud. "Ngghh...." He groaned as his body slowly rose from the floor, a small trickle of blood coming from his now sore nose. Reaching a hand up, he pressed against his nose in hopes of ceasing the bleeding and stood to his feet. "Bit of a rough awakening... but for what it's worth, was nice to sleep in a bed again-" He cut himself off with a yawn as he began to get ready for the day ahead. During his basic morning necessities, he slung his ruan back across his shoulder and carefully strapped his sword to his waist. Then came a little freshening up, mainly fixing his hair back into a tight ponytail with the red ribbon he's had since... as long as he could remember.

    After checking behind himself three times Taka departed from his cabin, he made his way down to the hold of the ship and over to the Izumobile. Pulling the key from his pocket, he made his way into the car and slowly began to back it up. Now that he could see the fullness of the hull, he could tell that everyone parking was held a bit... snugly. Getting out proved to be far more frustrating than getting in, and so he sat there drumming his fingers against the steering wheel in a slow pattern. After a few cars, and motorcycles made their way through he was allowed to exit the ship. Granted, he did have to flash his identification and a few papers to represent his allowance upon the ship. The entire time, all he could think about was an itching desire to get out and walk around for a bit. Being at sea for a day, while a beautiful sight, did prove to be rather restraining for his desire to look around and take in the sights.

    Slowly but surely he managed to make his way out to the road and looked out at the pier, the way that the sun was sparkling off the sea was quite beautiful. As he drove he began to notice some other faces he'd spotted while within the boat, each appeared just as eager to get going as he had. After a moment he had managed to find a spot to park facing out to the sea. With a sigh, he once again turned off the phoenix and stepped out. It was only just afternoon, but the shimmering of the water was something to behold. "I'm sure Xian wouldn't mind if I took a little bit before dropping by." He glanced up at the sky for a moment "Though I should probably grab lunch before heading over there... don't want to be mooching off my old friend." A small smile crept to his face as he pulled the ruan back around his body, he took a moment to ensure it was tuned before beginning to play around with the strings- trying to find something he liked.

    Honestly, he just wanted to stand for a few minutes, and playing a little music would help to keep him calm in this new area. After all, this was his first step towards learning of the other nations- his first step away from the Fire Nation and into uncertain waters.
     
    She didn't know what time it was when she woke up. For a moment, she didn't even know where she was- where was the hum of machinery, the feeling of being just too far from any body of water? And then she remembered- the banishment, the kidnapping, the flight to Republic City.

    Yara drew herself up, now knowing she was inside Xian's apartment, just a short walk from the port. The apartment was quiet, for the moment. Without breaking the peace, Yara got up, washed her face, made her hair look half-way presentable, and grabbed an apple and what looked like a fruit pie from the kitchen to eat. On her way to the front door, she glanced at Xian's desk. For just a fraction of a second, she considered leaving a note to explain herself. She even got a piece of scrap paper ready to do so, and then... knowing where she was headed would leave the door open for Xiurong to argue, wouldn't it?

    So instead, she left the supplies there and quietly left the apartment. She tossed the apple to Nightwing as she passed, and then turned toward the docks confidently.
    -------------------------
    By just after noon, she still hadn't found a boat headed south. She was perched atop a couple of abandoned crates, out of the way but in the middle of everything. A ship had just rolled in, and the laborers unloading it had already told her it wouldn't be of help to her. The chatter on the docks had certainly been helpful though- it was clear that nobody else wanted anything to do with Xiurong either.

    Except for.. that guy. Someone's voice near her caught her ear. She turned to look, and found a white-haired man with a motorcycle, about her own age, just a few feet away and musing about her now abandoned charge. As he started to wander away, Yara scoffed softly. To hear someone so unaware of Xiurong's entire way of being felt like emotional whiplash. Without really meaning to, she said aloud, "You've obviously never met her, then."

    Yara's eyes wandered away from him almost as quickly as they had found him, and came to rest on a half-familiar face further down, standing next to a vehicle and staring out at the water. She cocked her head, and that's when the red ribbon came into view.
    "No way," She whispered, and then she couldn't help herself. Yara hopped down from the crates and was already walking when she called out the name she remembered, in a clear voice that floated over the done of the port, "Taka!"
    Interactions: The Prophet The Prophet Entity.Eclypse Entity.Eclypse
     
    XIURONG BEIFONG
    07 / 16 / 264AG​

    Xiurong awoke from a dreamless night that day.

    She drew herself into a sitting position, breath even as she brought her hands up to rub her eyes. The fabric beneath her felt so soft, almost foreign from all the sleeping she underwent on Nightwing's saddle and Xu's airship. She palmed the mattress at the thought, the events of yesterday swamping her mind like streaming water from a broken dam. She wordlessly wondered if her brother and the Empire even cared that they lost her. She wondered if they were drowning in regret as they realized they've committed a huge mistake. She wondered if they were all scrambling to find her now, as it occurred to them that they were lesser without her. Xiurong was relevant, and the Empire along with its people needed her.

    The Avatar furrowed her brow at the thought. There was no use in thinking about those maggots beneath her. They'll come to their senses eventually. Besides, she had a bigger problem at hand. Her father was still missing. She might be exiled, but there was no damn way she was staying out of the Empire's borders. Her father was waiting for her somewhere in there, and there was no way she was letting him down. She wasn't Xu, after all.

    With those thoughts, Xiurong pulled herself from the bed and made her way out of the bedroom. Her eyes briefly landed on the clock by the wall, and she noticed it was already early in the afternoon. She must've overslept from all the stress and exhaustion. No matter, she needed to round Xian and Yara up then tell them she was planning on returning to the Earth territory.

    But first, she was hungry.

    "Xian?" She called out although she was already making her way to his bathroom. Once she was done with her business and washing herself, she exited the comfort room and looked around the house for her companions. "Xian? Yara? Where in the world are you two?" She groaned in frustration as she walked to the kitchen and grabbed an apple.

    Xanto Xanto
     


    NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE QUEEN

    There was no grandiose welcome. Not that Bao particularly liked them, but the lackluster greeting presented by the aloof service staff made it clear it was their titles alone that allowed them to stay at all. From what Bao saw on the way from the airship, their anger was justified. Even the Sand Queen didn't pay respect by visiting before the negotiation, leaving the duty to a rather weary if not respectful seneschal. "The Queen's schedule is full, but she'll see you tomorrow, during her lunch," was the only response that the Regent was able to get from him, aside from an offer of a tour of the guest wing that was currently under renovations.

    Only when he slept, a scant four hours did the Regent leave Xu unattended. The last thing he needed was the Prince to go missing. Fortunately, nothing happened, aside from the uneasy feeling of being watched. The morning light proved that they were. At least half a dozen hooded figures from a distance. Never close enough to warrant action, and made no attempts to hide themselves. Bao wasn’t sure if The Wind Scorpions were there as a show of strength, or they hadn’t realized that the Avatar was not among them yet. Even though he doubted they actually would, Bao played out possible attack scenarios in his head as he enjoyed his morning coffee.

    The wind picked up late in the morning, causing a short scramble to secure the two airships in case of a possible dust storm, although their watchers continued to do so unmovingly. It was still continuing to gust when it came time to meet the Sand Queen. The seneschal began to lead them from where they landed and into the demolished city. The hooded figures did not follow.

    The wind whistled through the still inhabited city, the broken sandstone buildings still alive with people trying to refurbish their lives. A few stopped what they were doing to stare while they passed, their eyes pained and angry. Bao had a feeling that the Queen Rasha was going to make their day extremely unpleasant.

    “I hope your apology is a heartfelt one, because you might be needing it soon, Your Highness.” Bao said coolly as he leaned towards the Prince, his eyes scanning for fools as they continued towards what seemed to be the center of the town.

    "I've been trying to formulate one since we escaped." Xu admitted back in a low whisper as he scanned the area. He didn't get to see much of the destruction that they had caused when they were running away from the chaos, dragging an unconscious Xiurong with them. He had assumed that the damages were already grave, but seeing it himself made his stomach twist. If this had happened to his kingdom, he would have accepted nothing less than jail time for the suspect - no matter who it was.

    "I wonder how they'll react to the Avatar not being here to give her apology." He mused. Xu could see that the citizens of the Sand Kingdom weren't very welcoming of their presence and he couldn't blame them. He didn't want to be here either but Queen Rasha would not hold an audience with them otherwise.

    Jia followed the two political figures as she was meant to do, walking behind Xu and gave an unbothered gaze towards their surroundings. She remembered the day, the second time that Xiurong went into the Avatar State and decided to solve her problems through brute force once again. It gave her shivers and it made her frustrated that she can’t do anything about it. Even without personally knowing the Queen, the Dai Li could guess that news about the former crowned princess not being with them would further upset the highest figure of the Sand Kingdom.

    Truth to be told she barely had any sleep, as most of the time. It didn't stop her from doing her job. Xu's safety was her top priority.

    “I doubt it’d just be an apology her Majesty would demand. She’s likely to be more upset to find out that your sister is no longer a part of the Empire,” Bao said.

    Looking around, it seemed that the overall height of the surrounding broken buildings had started shrinking as they progressed. A large tent could be seen blocking the sandy street the seneschal was leading them down, and a den of chatter grew. The bald area around the tent was lined with tables, with patchwork shades over them, and most were fully occupied by a person or two, and all stacked with crates of miscellaneous homeware and clothing. The seneschal didn’t pause, and bade them towards the closest entrance to the tent.

    “You’re late.”

    Those were the words that greeted them before their eyes could adjust to the darker inside. The Queen sat at the head of a smaller dining table, like the ones that Bao would recognize on his walks through the lower levels of Ba Sing Se. She herself was dressed plainly, the materials closer to that of those outside than to his own suit. Bao made no retort but instead stood to the side for the Prince and his Retainer to enter.

    Xu examined the area they were in and his nerves began to act up even more than the last time he and Queen Rasha spoke. That time, he had political advantage and there was little repercussion. This time he would be the one under fire.

    "My sincerest apologies, your majesty." Xu responded with a bow. He straightened his posture once more, his eyes flickering once to Bao and Jia. He knew that the regent would step up if needed but for now, he was woefully alone. And the catch was that he wasn't even the one they were looking for.

    The Dai Li was just a few steps behind the Prince when they faced Queen Rasha. She bowed in front of the woman just as Xu did and returned back to her former position. When Xu’s gaze landed on them, she gave the Prince a curt nod in the hopes of encouraging him.

    "For both our lateness and for the actions of the exiled princess." He continued, managing to push down what he was feeling to continue on with the apology. "It was not in our intention to commit such atrocities and I am aware that an apology is not enough for what we have done." And if he were to be honest, what he was going to offer would not be enough for him either if he was in her position. "As such, the Earth Empire is willing to provide both financial aid and manpower to help with the rebuilding of your city."

    The woman remained seated as she waved the words away. “Empty words from those without honor. Save your platitudes for my people, and hope they accept the hollow gesture,” the last few syllables hissing from her mouth, “Where is the Avatar? Where is Xiurong Beifong?” Queen Rasha said as her eyes narrowed on the Prince.

    "She was recently exiled, your majesty." Xu turned to Bao so that he could explain his side of the story for why he had decided to exile the Avatar. "She had run off shortly after." He decided to add.

    Bao cleared his throat before starting, “As Regent, I had Avatar Xiurong Beifong exiled for her errant behavior and transgressions here. She’s been stripped of her titles and is no longer considered a citizen of the Empire.”

    After leaning back from the table, an ugly twitch rippled across her stoic face before turning silent for a moment. Her eyes would sweep the room a number of times before it settled back on the Regent.

    Her words became sickly sweet as she greeted him,” Bao Rongye.The Obsidian Tiger of my Si Wong Desert. Please, sit down,” she said, gesturing at the multiple seats surrounding the table, “By the way, your mother is quite proud of how far you’ve come in so few years.”

    The mention of his mother caused Bao to skip a beat. He’d readied himself for just about anything that could be brought up, but his mother wasn’t one of them. Bao physically recovered and took a seat, but his mind was afire with curiosity.

    The Sand Queen then turned on the young woman, her voice lowering slightly, “Jia Xiaodan, a born Dai Li Agent through and through. Always following orders, a shame really. I don’t really blame you for what’s happened.” She said before turning on Xu. “The Crown Prince. Your soon-to-be his Imperial Majesty. Care to explain why you felt the need to invade my palace after making obscene accusations, then damage nearly the entire city’s infrastructure when you get caught. Furthermore, you have the audacity to come back after running away. So what do you want besides paying your dues?”

    The Dai Li looked to the Queen of the Sand Kingdom with a placid expression as her name was called. Jia didn't like a lot of things, but for some reason she found Rasha's word to be as infuriating as Xiurong's insults when she would normally just let it slide. Needless to say, she held her tongue as always. When the Queen shifted her attention to the crown prince, she let her mind focus on the vibrations of the earth. A clear image of their surroundings and the people within their vicinity.

    "It was… unwise on my part to agree to a plan to sneak into your palace to find evidence that doesn't exist. I only seek to prevent further animosity between our kingdoms." Xu responded. He wasn't expecting that he'd get out of this with anything more than a tense peace, which was unfortunate. They always had good relations with the Sand Kingdom. It only took two foolish decisions to break that all down. He knew his father would be disappointed and upset. He could imagine it now and the thought sent a shiver down his spine.

    It took a few seconds for Bao to pull his scattered thoughts together, but that was more than enough for Queen Rasha to put Xu on the defensive. Now was not the time for Bao to ponder on his absent mother, as he needed to step in before she pressured the Prince into something. “No. The Prince has misspoken. We also want a guarantee that those involved in the incident will not face judgement once the Earth Empire has taken responsibility for the matter. We also want all the information you have pertaining to the Beifong Royal Family, particularly of His Majesty and the late Empress.”

    The Queen’s lips only grew tighter as Prince Xu continued to deflate under her gaze. She had opened her mouth to continue, but was interrupted by the Regent. His bluntness did not cause her to waver, merely change targets.

    “Excuse me?” The two words held so much venom that even Bao reflexively swallowed, “Do you have any idea of the value of what you ask for? And you dare make requests when you didn’t even bring the Avatar as I demanded?”

    Bao forced a smug smile on to his face, “Of course, Your Majesty. The Prince has made his apology. How about you stop playing with us before we walk and leave you here to play in the rubble? You may not need us, but we both know that our nations will benefit if we help each other. You know what we want; Now what’s your price?”

    The silence that reigned after Bao’s words allowed for the soft murmurs of life outside to waft in. Although there was another twitch on the Queen’s, albeit smaller than the first, she would take a moment to close her eyes and collect her thoughts. Without opening her eyes, she asked a single question, “What’s the excuse for the waterbender girl not being here?”

    "When Avatar Xiurong left, she had taken the waterbender with her…" Xu decided to respond, remembering how Xiu quite literally picked up the girl like she was a sack of potatoes and left. For someone who thinks she can do everything alone, she seems to like the idea of taking along a, in her words, useless girl. "By force. Lifted her up and took off on her griffin." In any other time, he imagined the mental image of the Avatar forcefully taking her own companion would have been hilarious. Unfortunately, this was not such a scenario.

    “And no one stopped her?” The Queen’s oily mockery clearly not looking for an answer.

    “No, Your Majesty. For the same reason you and your people experienced.” Bao answered shortly.

    Her eyes snapped open to narrow on Bao, and a devious smile crept onto the Queen’s face. “Is that so, Lord Regent? I hadn’t thought you, the Tiger of Si Wong, to be as cowardly as spoiled children.”

    It was that moment that the curiosity that Bao had earlier was brushed aside, and he started to dislike the Sand Queen. He’d already warned the woman to cut the act and do business, so Bao was ready to walk out. Annoyed, his response was shorter than the last, “What do you want?”

    The woman’s smile only grew more insidious, “I want a new city, Lord Regent. And I want it on Si Wong Rock. Along with the necessary aid and compensation for damages suffered. That’s my price.”

    "Si Wong Rock…" Xu muttered to himself, looking down at the ground. No one had dared lay claim on it due to the buzzard wasp infestation. It wasn't worth the men anymore and everyone just learned to leave it alone. This would take a massive toll on their forces. Not to mention, he still had a missing father and a rogue sister. It would have been nice to have the Avatar with them to clear the damn place. "That's… fair. We will provide aid to clear the area." Xu responded, looking over to Bao. "We should have enough forces, yes?"

    “What?” Bao was again taken off guard, this time by himself. It took barely a breath to start thinking about it, whether conquering it was possible, and he hungered for answers. Reminded to think by the Prince’s question, “It might not be just a question of manpower, in truth, we wouldn’t know how much and of what it’ll cost us until we take a look at it first. But a cursory estimate would make it an extremely costly venture, and nothing to reap,” He sighed heavily before facing the Prince directly, “Even after exile, your sister’s actions will cost the Empire much.”

    “You bring the Avatar to face real justice for her actions as well,” Rasha said sweetly, as if it would hide the fiery intent that burned in her eyes, “Especially if there’s anything you want to know about the Rongye family…”

    "Right. Let's check it out first." Xu responded. He wondered if he could be of more help had he known how to bend. Then again, if worse comes to worse, they could just detonate a couple of bombs into the hive. He shook his head lightly at Bao's latter statement. "What's done is done. We can only move forward from here." Still, he was already seeing the migraine that would come along with computing how much they would have to spend on this expedition.

    His head snapped back to the Sand Queen, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly before turning back to Bao with a questioning gaze. "Then we must find the Avatar again…"

    “No. Xiurong Beifong isn’t the Earth Empire’s responsibility anymore. We won’t be hunting her down for you as well.” Bao's voice was steeled, but his distaste for the Queen was continuing to grow from her trying to bait him again, “We’ll help you rebuild, but Si Wong Rock is a hard ask.”

    “What you request is hard to stomach as well, Lord Regent. I’ll pardon the Prince and Dai Li girl, since they had little to actually do with the devastation. Maybe even the waterbender, if she puts on a good show, but not the bitch. You’ll get your information when I get Si Wong Rock,” She said standing up from her seat and made it clear that she intended to conclude the meeting, “We’ll have a draft delivered to you by this evening.”

    Jia listened intently to the conversation between the three political figures. The Queen of the Sand Kingdom, ever so intent of getting the Avatar. It made her stomach queasy, she doesn’t like the idea of it. Even more that they had to go to Si Wong Rock and exhaust their forces in claiming it for the Sand Kingdom. The Dai Li gritted her teeth, nothing was going well for any of them, although her face remained as placid as ever.

    She gave the queen a quick bow before she exited the premises, her gaze moved to Bao for a quick second. A question forming in her mind, why did the queen offer information about the Rongye family?

    Xu watched as the queen exited before urging Bao and Jia to go as well. Once they were out of the tent, he quickly turned to Bao again. "Any information would be invaluable right now. And avoiding a war would be nice." He continued, tapping the side of his leg. "We can scout the area and plan out an attack to clear it." He brought a hand to the back of his neck, looking away as he absentmindedly said, "Would be easier if she was here though I doubt she'd agree to any of the given requests."

    "Let's go, Lord Regent. The faster we get this done, the sooner we can have that information in our hands."

    mention: Xiurong Beifong . D O V E . D O V E Yara Flutterby Flutterby || interaction: Xu Beifong AI10100 AI10100 Bao Rongye Fletchawk Fletchawk

     
    Xian Zhao​

    Somewhere amongst the sky's many layered clouds was a man coolly leaning onto a pair of folded hands behind his head. Perhaps in another more mundane world would the sight be awesome to see. It was pretty casual in this one . . or at least where Xian was mainly raised. The people beyond Air Temple Island still weren't exactly used to his occasional mode of transportation.

    Xian slightly bent one of his knees upward with little to no effort. The ultimate relaxed position. Nothing but chill vibes flooded his surroundings, while soaring through the sky on his- "Igoo!" The flying bison roared in return, dipping in time for them to swerve past Avatar Aang's statue. Yet another seemingly random occurrence within the past hour. Yes, how could anyone ignore almost crashing into their cousin trying to fly the other way.

    Both Xian and his flying bison glided down into Republic City after tackling yet another offsite work trip for his step-mother's Cabbage Corp business. A tricky operation having to do with negotiating at the other side of the city. Safe to say, he was able to convince the engineer for the most part to upgrade their materials for a lower price.

    "Close call, sport," Xian remarked, launching himself off the bison's back. The duo had been together ever since he could remember. Dodging statues and other flying bison were the least of their obstacles. Igoo huffed a massive breath of wind in a sigh of relief, while Xian casually tossed a treat up to his friend and moved an arm across the flying bison's fur. Fortunately, the airbender had a yard large enough for at least a flying bison or two.

    "Huh," He uttered, slightly tilting his head to the side as his gaze landed on Yara. She didn't seem to notice him on her way to the docks.

    Thus went his busy morning. Add in steaming a few dumplings then following up with some meat buns. The counter was filled before-

    "Xian? Yara? Where in the world are you two?" A voice rang out nearly half an hour later. Xian glanced up from his desk, chewing on his third-to-last dumpling, "Over here." His office space wasn't too out of sight from the kitchen line for them to see one another. All it took was a quick turn around for Xiu to notice him. In the meantime, Xian's gaze returned to the sheet at hand as he sketched a measurement down. Only metal frameworks, and a machine's capacity for speed seemed to fill his mind . . at least on the outside. The young man momentarily furrowed a brow, checking a detail before casually fixing it with another stroke.

    "Yara on the other hand . .," His voice trailed off prior to tossing another dumpling up into his mouth.

    . D O V E . D O V E
     
    XIURONG BEIFONG
    07 / 17 / 264AG​

    Xiurong was glad to hear Xian's voice.

    "There you are." The Avatar rolled her eyes after she let out a huff which sounded awfully irritated. She made her way to the sink and washed the apple as she listened to Xian's musing about Yara. His tone indicated that the waterbender went someplace else. Nevertheless, the exiled princess simply rolled her shoulders into a shrug and made her way towards her host's workplace. "What about Yara?" She inquired before taking a bite from her apple, relishing in its sweet flavor before swallowing. "Oh, did she go for a walk? To clear her mind or something? Classic Yara. It's been a while since we've been here, so she must've wanted to take a look around Republic City." She shook her head.

    However, she was quickly reminded of the time when her eyes landed on a clock. "But that's strange. She should be back by now. Did she tell you anything?" She knitted her brows in thought. It would be uncharacteristic of her if she didn't. "Don't tell me she got lost on her way back." She clicked her tongue before taking a gander at what she could only assume as Xian's blueprint. She has been frequently seeing him draw a bunch of contraptions ever since he took a position in his stepmom's company, the Cabbage Corp. Honestly, couldn't they think of a better name? What a bunch of losers.

    "Are you done scribbling now?" Xiurong crossed her arms and arched a brow at Xian. "You should come with me. Yara can be such an idiot sometimes- most of the times- so she will need all the help she can get."

    Xanto Xanto
     
    Taka
    Mentions/Interactions: Flutterby Flutterby     ​
    The waves continued to lap at the shore, playing as though the two were children in a game of tag. Taka's fingers continued strumming until he eventually found a cheerful tune to take on, mirroring that of the ocean's own melody. The sea was surprisingly clear along the shores of republic city, he had expected them to be more polluted given how much innovation took place in these parts. His shock was more emphasized as a gaggle of vehicles drove by a short ways behind him, the drivers looking a bit more thuggish than he had expected. With a little caution, he made a move to ensure that the Izumobile was locked uptight.

    "I wonder what I'll get up to in this city" He muttered as he slowly turned his gaze back out to the sea, beginning to hum a soft tune beneath the crashing waves. It was almost like the water had been responding to the energy he was putting off, a stray thought crossed his mind at that. 'Is this what it's like to bend?' It came to him with a hint of jealousy, but as he had time and time again he dashed the thought from his mind and shifted his focus to what was before him.

    As he came out of the jealous fog, he was met with a rather peculiar sound. His name was being shouted from somewhere behind him, by a voice he didn't quite recognize. A sharp twang rang out as he plucked one cord in an ill-sounding fashion, rendering itself as the last note to his solo performance. With that he turned towards the voice, only to be met by the visage of a younger-looking lady striding towards him. He wasn't sure he knew this person, but they seemed familiar with him, so he slowly raised a hand and waved. "Uh... Hello there." Perhaps Republic City had psychics, or fortunetellers, who knew your name as soon as you left the ships. He wasn't entirely sure of what was going on, so he carefully pushed his ruan back behind him and watched as they approached.

    "Uhm, I apologize if this comes off as rude. But I seem to have a lapse in memory, do I know you from somewhere?" He took a few steps forward as he slowly began to cock his eyebrow inquisitively.
     
    He was strumming at an instrument, staring out at the waves. For a moment, as she looked at his profile, she felt unsure, and her steps slowed. But then he turned to find her voice, and the red ribbon caught in the breeze, and she was certain.
    Yara slowed as she approached him and he spoke, resisting the urge to reach out and touch his arm. She clasped her hands in front of her instead. He was confused, and rightfully so. The tops of her cheeks burned a little, and she gave him a pained smile.

    "I'm so sorry.. it didn't occur to me that you might not remember. It really should have, you weren't.. quite conscious when we met." Yara's eyes ran over him. He stood confidently, solid and even. Could it be possible that he had no lasting disability? He was clearly traveling alone, and able to drive a car and play a ruan, so.. he was entirely recovered, it would seem.

    "It's been years and you look so different. I never expected to see you, let alone see you looking so healthy. But I'd recognize that ribbon anywhere, you were so fickle about it. " Yara looked up at it fondly, and then realized that she probably sounded completely insane. The small smile disappeared from her face and was replaced by her best impression of a sane human as she clarified.

    "You were fourteen when your parents brought you to the hospital I was training in. It was insanely busy that day, there was some kind of accident at a factory. That's why, when you came in, I was the most experienced one left, even though I was so young. So I took your case. I was only with you for a couple of days, and then you went to long-term recovery, but you were my first....
    Healers just don't forget their first real patient.    "

    Yara's brows tented as she tried to find the proper words to express why, even with all of that, she had shouted his name from across the dock.
    "I never got to find out what happened to you, after you left my care. I've always wondered. So when I thought I saw you.. I had to see if it was really actually you, ya know? Even though it totally makes me look like a crazy stalker lady, who found you the minute you got off a ship, in a city across the world, years later." Yara let out a weak laugh, and was finally able to stop the flood of words coming out of her mouth. The burn of a blush spread to the tips of her ears, and all she could do was hope that he didn't think she really was a crazy stalker lady, even though the rest of the statement was completely true.
    Interactions: Entity.Eclypse Entity.Eclypse
     
    Taka
    Mentions/Interactions: Flutterby Flutterby     ​
    He watched her carefully as she approached, trying his damndest to recall where she may know him from. Up until the moment she was right in front of him the sight of her hair kept drawing him in, that color... he knew it from somewhere. That image nagged at him from the back of his mind, the image of raven-black hair. As he met her gaze, he noticed the coloration of her eyes along with the expression on her face. She was blushing, perhaps from embarrassment, but her expression held something else to it.

    He didn't want to seem like a creep, but, his eyes once again wandered her as he tried to find anything to pin her identity. The waterskin on her side immediately clued him into one fact, she was either a waterbender or a jogger. Her first words to him immediately struck a chord, his eyes beginning to widen by just a bit as thoughts rushed back to him. At the mention of his ribbon, his eyes slowly darted upwards as if to look at it, granted they were unable to catch a glimpse of it. His expression continued to shift, the inquisitive glances changing to a stare of awe.

    Another stray thought crossed his mind as she spoke 'Y'know... she's kinda cute-' The thought came accompanied with a streak of hot pink blush, but he listened intently regardless of that. By the time she finished explaining herself his expression had changed once again. He sported a similar appearance to her, the searing sensation of a blush having raced to his cheeks. Slowly he brought a hand up and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, despite this he couldn't help the small smile that found it's way to his face. "That explains... allot" He stifled a small laugh as he brought the hand down from his neck and held it against the collar of his shirt. Hesitating for a moment, he held his hand still and looked to her for a moment more. "I suppose if the ribbon didn't tip you off, this might" He spoke as he tilted his neck away and pulled at the collar of his shirt, allowing a small portion of the scar to be seen before covering it once more.

    Pulling his hand away from his shirt he just stared for a moment, not quite sure what to say. "I... Thank you... I uhm- I never had the chance to tell you that back then. Since I was unconscious for most of it." Once against he chuckled nervously before continuing. "But, I'm glad that I've had the chance to at least do that now. Ever since that day I've always wondered who it was that had helped me back then... So I'm glad to finally meet you under less- dire circumstances." The blush on his face faded a little as he made an effort to steady his slowly increasing heart-rate. "If... If there's anything I could do to repay you, anything at all, I'd be more than happy to do so. Oh, and for what it's worth... I don't see you like some 'crazy stalker lady'. I probably would've done the same if I had seen you and my memory of the time was a little clearer."

    "To be honest... I would hug you if it weren't for the fact this is the first time we're meeting as people rather than patient and healer." With that his body dipped downwards in a respectful ninety-degree bow before standing upright again. His expression seemed to stiffen somewhat after the bow as he stood to attention. "If I may be so bold, allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Taka of the Fire Nation. Son of Captain Shozom, and Grandson of General Uzun. It's an honor to make your acquaintance miss." He spoke with heavy formal inflection as he held his hand out to her. He seemed to loosen up a little after the introduction before going red in the face once more... it was clear that the fire-nation citizen in him had yet to pale away from the occasion. "Uh... That was a bit too formal... wasn't it?" His voice had lost all sense of proper etiquette as embarrassment weaseled its way into his tone.
     
    Maizen Tosuda
    Location: Docks
    Interactions: Taka and Yara​

    Eventually Maizen had his fill of the sights at the docks ,and made to hop into his bike and ride off to enjoy the rest of the city. That was, until his musings caught the ear of someone else. Someone from behind him scoffed, remarking on how he hadn't met 'her' in reference to the avatar. He stopped in his tracks and turned his head around, pale eyes focusing on a shorter woman who looked to be a waterbender from a trademark hip pouch in her side. It seemed like she wasn't even paying him much mind; she'd already begun to focus on something else. Likely it was subconscious, but that passing statement had left Maizen admittedly curious. Her sentence implied she had some sort of connection to this avatar, and with him knowing no one in this city this was a great opportunity to get some info about life her.

    "In fact I haven't, I ju-....she left." He started monotonously, trailing off as he watched the fleeing form of this woman leaving in approach of some fire nation-looking man playing an instrument on the side of the pier. He stood there for a moment, understandably being confused as to have someone say something to you and then run off. Feeling for his hotel card in his pocket he made sure it was there yet again. He had time, right? No harm in talking to two people, especially if they were potentially knowledgeable in Republic City affairs. Silently Maizenn turned his white motorcycle around and rolled it along towards the duo. They looked a tad awkward as they talked, so he took the opportunity stoically raising his voice in greeting after clearing his throat ever so slightly.

    "I'm sorry to interrupt, but just earlier you said something to me, yes? What was that about me not having met 'her'?"
     
    Xian Zhao​

    Xian glanced at Xiurong as she entered his full line of sight. His jaw simply biting the dumpling, while the avatar lengthened her inquiry about Yara. Something about going on a walk, clearing her mind . . Naturally, all he could do was nod before Xiurong pressed on with more words. But that's when the faint scene of the main character making her way to the docks flashed through his mind. It wasn't the most exciting place, but surely one of the more somewhat natural sights the city had to offer.

    "Didn't get a chance," Xian shook his head on the subject of Yara telling him anything. She was after all further away by the time he caught a glimpse of his other house guest. Alas, Yara was a grown woman who didn't need to be tracked. Just let her roam free . . he would've said. Then, Xiu blurted out another remark. What if she was lost? The young man in turn curiously moved a hand through his hair at the suggestion. That meant they'd go find her-42 meters, longer arch. Xian thought once his eye caught "42" on the script. His hand accordingly jotted down the note, and lengthened the archway of his drawn framework until-

    "Are you done scribbling now?"

    He innocently shifted his gaze up to the avatar, crossing her arms and expecting his full focus. Right, she was Xiu after all. A being that demanded all his attention regardless of the setting. Xian smirked as Xiu tried persuading him to find Yara. Hey, the guy himself was about to offer his assistance prior to the invite, despite only knowing the waterbender for less than a week. "I'll come with you," He stretched, standing up from his seat by Xiurong. Yara was probably fine regardless. Yet, the airbender was also prepared for the worst.

    Xian tilted his head down slightly till his gaze met Xiu's. And for a moment, it looked serious. Like something deep, spiritual was about to be established, " . . You didn't even have a single dumpling." He casually broke contact, tilting his body past her's and reaching for his jacket before smoothly swinging it on. "Ya know how hard it is to make the little folds?" His hands mimicked the movement until he playfully shook his head, "And you just waltz past a bowl."

    . D O V E . D O V E
     
    "Oh wow..." She whispered, when he pulled the collar away. Her hands came unclasped, as she had the impulse to lay a hand on his skin and examine it closer. But she was able to control herself and only crane her neck slightly to see better. The scar looked.. almost beautiful. Like the lightning itself. Her eyes lingering on the collar of his shirt until he spoke again. The edge of his scar looked better than she had ever hoped, and she couldn't help but wonder how the rest had healed. And if someone more experienced would have left him with less of a reminder.

    Yara watched him stutter and ramble a bit, and chided herself for feeling relieved that he seemed as embarrassed and unsure as she was. She wanted to interrupt and deny his gratitude, but she had learned that it didn't help patients at all to do so. Just soothed her own insecurities, and she wouldn't do that to patients. Or former patients, even years later. After his formal introduction, she gave a soft, short laugh.
    "Perhaps, but I don't think there's an official etiquette for this situation." She reached out and slipped her hand into his. His was warm, strong, made her hand feel small and spindly inside it.

    "Hanna-Kiyara of the Southern Water Tribe, but I find Yara suits me better." Yara's blush had faded, and her eyebrows relaxed to their normal position. "It's an honor to officially meet you, Taka, and to see who you've become."

    She parted her lips to say something more, when someone appeared at the edge of her vision. Or rather, reappeared. The white-haired man who had caught her attention earlier, the reason she had turned and caught sight of Taka. She met his gaze with a guarded interest, eyes narrowing slightly, and she shifted just a little closer to Taka.

    "I just meant that the Avatar doesn't tend to foster goodwill with people... that if you had ever met her, you would understand why public opinion is so quick to turn against her."
    There was something about the man's demeanor.. maybe it was just that he had gone so far as to approach her after such a passing comment. The amount of curiosity that act required just.. didn't match the lack of actual engagement his presence seemed to convey. For a heartbeat, she considered wrapping her arm under Taka's, bidding him to accompany her to lunch, to escape the somehow-apathetic interest of the stranger. But Taka wasn't much more than a stranger either, really, and she didn't want to embarrass him further.

    So instead, she gave a half-shrug and added, in a tone that was pretending to be amused, "But maybe I spoke too hastily. Apparently people do exist who have relatively positive relationships with her. Perhaps you could one day be one of the lucky few."
    Interactions: Entity.Eclypse Entity.Eclypse The Prophet The Prophet
     
    Bao Rongye
    Seventeenth Night of The Seventh Month
    A Few Dozen Miles From Si Wong Rock    ​

    The sun was setting when the seneschal came by to deliver the first draft of the deal that had been 'negotiated' earlier in the day. The ink on the table of contents was still fresh enough to smell, although some of the segments seemed to have some wear and tear. A cursory scan of the stack of papers showed Bao that all the main points were there though.

    "Will there be anything else before you depart, Lord Regent?"

    "A desert compass. Apparently in the rush here, we loaded a sand sailer with a dysfunctional one," Bao said after a moment's thought, casually gesturing to the Royal airship.

    The statement wasn't particularly true, but Bao felt like he needed to see what level of cooperation the Sand Queen allowed. He'd expected the man to leave and then return, or to politely refuse with an underhanded jab, but instead the man merely rose his fingers to his mouth and let loose a shrill sound. Within seconds, a man appeared, wrapped in cloth from head to toe in the same shade as the sand he climbed from.

    "Give the Lord Regent your Pathfinder." Said the seneschal, his tone unchanged as he gestured to Bao.

    There was an uncomfortable pause before the Wind Scorpion slowly dug into his garbs to fish a flat palm sized stone out. The man seemed to stare at it for a few moments before passing it to Bao. The stone was almost slick with how smooth it was, with only a tiny tailless scorpion painted in the center. In the short time that it took Bao to examine the stone, the original owner was gone.

    "A Wind Scorpion Pathfinder. The very best. Although be sure to bring it back when you return," the seneschal said, his tone becoming serious for the first time since their arrival, "If that is all, I wish you success in your ventures, Lord Regent." With the farewell said, the seneschal turned away and strode back towards the broken city. In turn, Bao turned back towards the Royal airship he stood in front of, fiddling his new toy as his mind returned to the current task at hand, a rather sudden expedition to Si Wong Rock.

    Later that evening
    The ocean of glistening moonlit dunes seemed to stretch on forever. Bao was never one for art, music, or anything related, but the majesty of the view was something behold standing on the observation deck, the wind cooling what little of his sweet coffee remained. Once the sun went down, Bao quite enjoyed the desert. Partly because of how quiet it was, even if the airships currently made it difficult to experience.

    Looking over at the smaller vessel flying in tandem with the Royal airship, he could see a small figure at the helm, but he didn't know if it was the Crown Prince or his retainer. Since the meeting with the Sand Queen was over, and he delivered his apology, Xu remained focused on the current objective despite being free to search for his father. Swallowing the last of his coffee, and his grogginess relieved by the night air, Bao took a minute to watch the slowly growing dark shape on the horizon before making his way to the inside of the ship to make final last minute preparations.

    "Awake now, Lord Regent?" The weary eyed captain asked, a knowing grin on his face.

    "Aye, Captain."

    "Every morning, even when grounded, nothing like a brew and a view to get the ol' gears turning, eh?"

    "It definitely works, and I could make out the silhouette of Si Wong Rock on the horizon. Get ahold of His Highness and tell him that we'll be stopping soon and approaching on the sand sailer. Don't want to chance waking the hive up. I'll brief the men, and prepare the sand sailer."


    AI10100 AI10100 [His Princely Self]
    Colorless Spectrum Colorless Spectrum [The Great Wall of Jia]
     

    B E I F O N G , X U
    Interacting with: Fletchawk Fletchawk Colorless Spectrum Colorless Spectrum
    Location: Xu's Airship     ​

    Xu idly wondered to himself why he had the unfortunate position of having to do any of this. Had Xiurong not been Avatar, he could have been staying in the palace, creating his gadgets for the empire but at least he didn't have to deal with the Sand Queen and her anger. In fact, if Xiurong wasn't the Avatar, maybe they wouldn't be in the position to deal with any of these anyway. Oh, the possibilities.

    But alas, that's not how the world went. The universe looked upon them and decided to throw their entire family a curveball. He became Crown Prince. She became the Avatar. Their mother died. Their father kidnapped. It was unfortunate for them, but he was sure that if they had enemy kingdoms, they'd already be having a field day with them. Good thing they were in a time of peace where war wasn't commonplace anymore. Though, with recent events, it might just spark an underlying want for war in the Sand Queen.

    Bao had taken the reins of leading them. Xu was only there to confirm what was happening before going about his own plans. He at least wanted to know what was in store for his own people when he sends them to clear out Si Wong Rock.

    Nevertheless, Xu still decided to take his own airship instead of using the royal one. Too many people in there, and he didn't have control over his own path. With this arrangement, it was only Jia who would be with him. It made the trip much more comfortable, even when it was filled with the void of silence. It's been like this for a few years now. He appreciated the silence, even when it left him to his thoughts.

    The radio crackled to life as he was alerted that they'll be using a sand sailer to get closer. Understandably so. Xu let out a sigh as he made preparations to stop and anchor the ship, rubbing his eyes. The trip wasn't as long as their little great escape, and he had plenty of rest before they had left. But it seems that the events of the past few days were still catching up to him. He just hoped that it would be over quickly and he could continue his search for his father... and his sister.

    "Ready Jia?" He questioned idly as he reached for his bow and quiver and put it on him. Just in case something would happen.
     


    Jia Xiaodan

    Always following orders, a shame really. I don’t really blame you for what’s happened.

    The Sand Queen's words echoed in her head, it never left and brought her nothing but a sour mood. The older woman made it sound like she was a mere puppet. She hated it. Jia swallowed with clenched teeth as she bore at the image of herself with infuriated eyes. "I'm not a puppet." She convinced herself but it only left her feeling more hopeless.

    She could see herself by the mirror, wearing her Dai Li uniform in full. She hated it. She used to adore it as a child with the excitement of being part of such a group, but now all she could feel was disgust. All the things that happened the moment she wore these very garments. It felt like a curse that she could never be cured. Barnaby cooed at her, grabbing her attention. She gave her pet a soft yet dismal smile.

    "At least I have you, Barnaby." The Dai Li said to her pet, giving it a gentle caress. Jia felt the movement of the aircraft shift. It was time to go, she reminded herself and quietly stepped out of her room and promised her owlcat that she would be back, leaving behind a few treats to eat while she was away.

    She found the crowned prince readying his bow and quiver, questioning her if she was ready. "I am," She started before giving her sire an observing look. "You on the other hand, seem exhausted. I implore that you teach me how to steer the ship so you can have more rest while we search for your father and Avatar Xiurong after this." Her body was poised, words with a hint of worry. The rare show of emotion towards others.

    She stepped down to the sandy grains of the Desert of the Dead. Jia gave a robotic bow at the sight of the Lord Regent. The wind was cool against her bare skin while her gaze flitted to the horizon.

    mention: || interaction: Xu Beifong AI10100 AI10100 Bao Rongye Fletchawk Fletchawk

     
    Last edited:
    Taka
    Mentions/Interactions: The Prophet The Prophet Flutterby Flutterby     ​
    Slowly but surely the excess red from his face began to drain from his face, returning him to a semblance of normality. Despite the slight awkwardness that he assumed the two of them had felt, it was a pleasant experience to meet the person who had saved him all those years ago. He gave a small smile in response to her introduction before committing her name, and face, to memory. 'Lets hope I don't forget again' the thought was almost palpably bitter, to the point that he felt his tongue's desire to recoil and find refuge in his throat. An inkling of that self-deprecation crept into his mind, though he made sure to keep it out of his overall presentation. It looked like she was about to carry on the conversation when she began to turn away, following her gaze he noticed another individual approaching them.

    The newcomer's appearance was something of a shock to Taka, the striking white hair caused the individual to stick out from the darker haired individuals he usually ran into. Perhaps he was from a friend of Yara's, or even an individual from one of the other kingdoms? The clearing of his throat and the somewhat distant tone was admittedly a tad strange. Proven more-so with the context he seemed to be speaking of. A quick glance towards Yara seemed to show that she may have gained a similar impression of this gentleman, given the fact she had moved a little closer to him while keeping her eyes on the individual.

    "The avatar?" He uttered under his breath as he listened curiously to their discussion. He'd heard on the radio that there was some sort of distress involving the avatar within the last week- though he hadn't paid it much mind. From what little he'd gathered now... it sounded almost as though Yara had met the avatar herself. Then again, the way she spoke of the 'protector' of man and spirit seemed to harbor some sort of frustration? He took a step forward, shifting in a similar pattern to Yara despite the face he moved a tad closer to the newcomer. "I don't mean to interject. But, I'm sure that there was no foul intention aimed towards you in her... earlier statement. Personally, I've not met the avatar. But, I believe it's possible for anyone to act somewhat... irrational if the right boxes are ticked, the recent event proves evidence of that."

    Glancing over the shoulder, he looked towards the Izumobile a hint of paranoia striking him about whether or not he'd locked the vehicle up. He couldn't quite tell but put an iota of trust in himself as he turned back to the conversation. "At the same time, it's probably challenging to be the avatar... I couldn't even imagine the stress of it. But more than that, if one was to be an ally of the avatar. It's honestly awe-inspiring... to have someone who is there to help shoulder those burdens. As I said though, I'm not familiar with the avatar or those associated with them. So I'm just spouting my opinion on the matter"

    Though he had felt the need to impose himself into the conversation, whether that be for his own comfort or to help his newest acquaintance, he couldn't help but have a cold sensation creeping up his spine. Perhaps he had said too much and should've kept quiet. But in his mind... there was no way that the avatar, a being who was supposed to usher peace and protection within the world, would just harm completely innocent people... right?
     
    XIURONG BEIFONG & XIAN ZHAO FT. IGOO
    07 / 16 / 264AG
    Written with Xanto Xanto​

    Okay, perhaps this was Xiurong’s excuse to spend some time with Xian outside his humble abode and try to forget about all the mishaps which have been happening so far.

    The Avatar flashed a triumphant smirk when the airbender complied to her demand. Once they confirm Yara didn’t actually need their help, she could drag Xian into another race- although Igoo versus Nightwing wasn’t really a fair fight since the former was a chunky Flying Bison. Maybe they could fly to Air Temple Island instead and play Airball- she always liked it whenever she’d score or accidentally hit an opponent. They’d always make the funniest of faces.

    However, her excitement began to dwindle when she saw the new look on Xian’s face. “Dumplings?” Xiurong echoed, arching one of her strong brows as a single bead of sweat rolled down her temple. She shifted when he maneuvered for his jacket, her eyes never leaving his as her mind grinded its gears. He seemed upset? She wasn’t entirely foreign to this side of Xian, and she couldn’t really tell whether he was actually serious or simply pulling her leg. Anycase, it would be bad if he was. The last thing she needed was a Xian pouting at her throughout the whole ride.

    “Are you suggesting I ignored your dumplings? How dare you.” She huffed before taking bites of her apple in quick successions until only its core was left. She then faced the kitchen’s trashcan and shot it there with perfect accuracy. “I simply thought it’d be better to eat dumplings while on air.” Now, Xiurong was a decent liar, but the airbender was most likely a better Xiurong-reader.

    “Hm,” A smirk cracked Xian’s serious features as a drop of sweat ran down the side of Xiu’s face. She was tense, no doubt. “On air, huh?” He repeated, calmly tilting his head to the side while observing her sequential expressions. Interesting how much she seemed to react after his playful prod . . over dumplings. Yet something felt off. Whether it was her tone, or the general vibe. He didn’t know. All the guy sensed was this girl’s nerves gradually creeping up-

    “Hey,” He coolly interjected, smiling a bit this time, “It was a joke. If you don’t want dumplings, that’s okay.”

    Xiurong regarded Xian with an incredulous look before rolling her eyes. “Oh shut up.” She brushed past the man, and moved her arms upwards into a fluid motion. A puff of air then went for the bowl of dumplings on the kitchen’s counter and picked it up upon the cue of Xiurong’s graceful movements. She then carefully pulled it towards her hands and pivoted to look at Xian, her face showing her usual unamused expression.

    “I think we should use Igoo. I think Nightwing’s still tired from yesterday’s activities.” Xiurong said before popping one of the dumplings into her mouth and letting its flavors set in.

    “Or we can walk?” Xian suggested, nodding his head to the west, “Saw her heading for the docks earlier this morning.” Luckily for them, the port was just a few steps away. That, and the airbender didn’t have to worry about flying bison parking.

    “No, we’re using Igoo.” Xiurong adamantly said. She was, after all, secretly plotting to drag Xian into Air Temple Island so they could play Airball together with the rest of the nomads. “Now come along.” With her free hand, she gestured for Xian to follow suit as she led them out like the apartment was hers.

    “Huh-,” The man paused in his tracks, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes merely tracing Xiu as she walked out his house. To tell the truth, he wasn’t surprised at all. So, Xian simply shrugged his shoulders before following the avatar out and locking his door.

    The two of them then rounded to the backyard where Xian’s trusty mount peacefully resided. Xiurong let out a small snicker as soon as her eyes landed on the giant. “Igoo, you massive oaf, it’s been so long!” She enthusiastically called out as she drew near and rubbed the pristine fur on its forehead. Usually, she'd be careful on showing affection to the furry meatball thanks to Nightwing's jealousy. Fortunately for Igoo, the griffin was off someplace else. Xiurong thought her mount how to hunt food independently when she's away. "How are you buddy?"

    The flying bison in turn let out a massive breath of air, and bowed its head closer to Xiurong. Igoo was always a sucker for head rubs. “All right, c’mon Avatar,” Xian gestured with a hand prior to launching himself up onto the riders’ pad with ease. “Shouldn’t be too far away, sport,” He confirmed, briefly leaning off to the side and giving Igoo and nice head pat, “Royalty here just doesn’t want to get her shoes dirty.”

    Xiurong narrowed her eyes at Xian from below before sending herself beside him with a puff of air. “How dare you. I’m an earthbender.” She said, as though it was the most obvious correlation in the world. “Whatever. Do the yip-yip and let’s go.”

    “Yip. Yip?” Xian confusingly glanced at Xiu with a raised brow. Such a saying hadn’t been used in years . . or at least for Igoo. “This bison doesn’t do the yip-yip,” He chuckled after momentarily placing the dots together. No, his go-to flying animal wouldn’t launch at something so unoriginal. Instead- “Ka-chow!” Xian exclaimed, lightly raising the reins as Igoo lifted off.

    Xiurong merely crossed her arms grumpily. She was fairly certain she could remember a flying bison using the aged cue word ‘yip-yip.’ “Whatever.” Xiurong repeated as she shrugged and silently blamed Avatar Korra for the memory. She then let her eyes wander the horizon as Igoo flew with a speed normally unobserved from his fellow bisons.

    “Igoo is such a speedster.” She told Xian.

    “Trained him well,” He smirked, glancing in time to see her still a bit grumpy from the yip-yip. Xiurong. The same hotheaded girl who always wanted to race Nightwing and Igoo against one another. “Hey,” Xian broke the silence as his arm slightly nudged against her’s, “Missed flying with ya.”

    For a moment, Xiurong’s face couldn’t seem to decide which emotion to show. Eventually, it settled for one- a scorn. “Ugh, why are you always so sappy?” She did her best to seem casual as she threw her gaze to the sky, away from Xian. If a person missed someone, it meant they liked their presence. People rarely missed Xiurong. “I missed Igoo.” She dryly responded before eating the rest of her dumplings.

    “ . . Sappy, huh?” Xian muttered before shifting his gaze back to the horizon ahead. “Is that what you think of me?” For a moment, his eyes seemed to get lost in the clouds above, analyzing their slight drift with the wind. All before Xian finally caught sight of a familiar set of faces causing a ruckus in the street below, “Bone Crushers.”

    “Huh?” Xiurong quickly snapped her head to the similar direction and caught sight of the said thugs. “What the heck? They’re supposed to be in jail.” She said with pure contempt. The news of the Bone Crusher’s defeat by the hands of the Avatar circled Republic City three months ago. “Their sentences run for years!” And with that, the Avatar threw herself overboard and dove straight for the ground.

    “Flank left,” Xian casually mentioned to his trusty bison. Even if they didn’t attack, it was always good to have an extra guard somewhere in the clouds. The airbender calmly stood from his seat, pacing his way to the pad’s edge, “We already know how this will go down.” And with that, Xian stepped off then . D O V E after Xiu.

    As Xiurong descended, her eyes locked onto the merry band of misfits with nothing but pure rage. These damn bastards didn’t even learn their lessons! There were five of them in total, and as usual they seemed to be harassing the street shops for money while wearing their signature black leather jackets.

    The Avatar softened her landing with her airbending, although the graceful movement was quickly contrasted by the shrill sound of a bowl breaking by a thug's feet. “You idiots just don’t know when to stop, huh?”

    “And who the hell are you?” One of them spoke up, his skin was as pale as snow and his hair even whiter.

    “I’m actually offended you’ve forgotten. Perhaps this will remind you.” Xiurong cockily answered before stomping onto the ground and raising the earth beneath the thug’s feet, hurling him against a wall like a ragdoll.

    “Why you little-” A member with long, brown hair threw his fists forward in quick succession and shot fireballs towards the princess. The action was proven to be all for vain as the Avatar simply swung her arms and redirected it harmlessly to her sides. Once the flames had been completely snuffed, Xiurong tilted her chin upwards and flashed a triumphant smirk at her adversary.

    “My turn!” She exclaimed with a short and gleeful laugh. She then began jabbing her fists with the same speed, each strike followed by one firm step forward and her own fireball. Unlike the poor gangmate, hers was much larger and angrier, and the man barely had time to recover from realizing he was against the Avatar herself. He tried to diffuse the barrage with his defensive strikes yet he ultimately got blasted to a nearby tomato stall, landing with a loud crash and a splat.

    “My tomatoes!” A blonde woman cried as she looked at her ruined stall.

    “Look on the bright side, maam,” Xian responded, casually stepping into the scene and handing her a business card, “Cabbage Corp. just might sponsor you.” His walk carried on in the midst of the interaction though, not even pausing to see the aftermath.

    “What’s the deal, man?” He questioned, finally stopping in front of the guy struggling to rise from the tomato stall, “Someone bailed you out?”

    The man weakly craned his neck to look at Xian. In the background, he could see his gangmates getting absolutely annihilated by the Avatar. “Y-Yeah… but I swear I don’t know the specifics.” He groaned as he pushed himself off the stall and wiped the tomato juices on his face. “The boss only told us we can continue operation.”

    “Boss,” Xian repeated, shifting his eyes slightly upward as if trying to recall inside information. The downed gang member remaned in his peripheral vision though. “ . . Chang, right? Tall, kind of skinny guy with a beard. Or did the boys switch it to . . ah what’s his name?” His eyes moved to wander the floor in all seriousness before landing on the stranger once again.

    “...Uh, I don’t know?” The brown-haired man said, doing his best to sneakily slip away. “We just call him Skullboss. Cool stuff, yeah?” He let out a nervous chuckle before quickly pivoting and running for his life. “GET THE BIKES!”

    The audacity. Xian sighed merely swiping out the air from beneath the runner’s feet, and tripping the man in motion. Fweet! The airbender then whistled, summoning Igoo from the skies. “Xiu!” He called out in a sprint prior to smoothly launching himself onto the precisely angled flying bison.

    “What!? Can’t you see I’m busy?” Xiurong called out, two unconscious bodies littering the ground around her while her hands were on the collar of some poor guy inching onto a similar fate. However, her attention was quickly snatched when she picked up the robust sound of a motorcycle.

    As expected, the vehicle zoomed out of a corner and towards the brown-haired man. The driver appeared to be the first member whom Xiurong projected to a wall and completely forgot about. He then proceeded to pick up his tomato-drenched teammate before driving out of the strip.

    Meanwhile, Xiurong tried to stop their escape with earth projectiles but the man appeared to be a decent, dodgy driver. “Damn it!” She angrily cursed before propelling herself off guard using bursts of fire. “They’re going for the dark alleys! Keep an eye from the sky!” She told Xian as she rocketed after the riding-in-tandem into the narrow passage, leaving charred pavements in her wake.

    Xian peered down at the maze below, watching the criminal duo race through the darkest alleyways possible. Something he could still catch with his line of sight though. The airbender slightly tugged his reins downward, letting Igoo descend close enough to the pair without being too obvious. Then, Xian jumped. His movements were quick, more aggressive than peaceful. He unleashed a strong gust of wind as he kicked the passenger off the vehicle, and landed in a crouch right behind the driver. “Heh?!” The gang member glanced back, feeling a strong grip roughly grab his shoulder. Immediately, two punches slugged the man square in the face till Xian practically stepped over the guy’s shoulder and snapped his arm. “GAH!” A loud scream echoed through the alleyway, as the motorcycle glided directly for a wall. Another easy gust of air was all it took for the driver to ultimately release his control over the vehicle then fall off as well.

    Finally, Xian had the ride all to himself. He simply sat in his seat gripping the handles, intentionally continuing its inevitable drive toward the wall. But at the very last minute, he popped a wheelie. The frequent rider lifted his front wheel off the ground just as it came into contact with the wall. As a result, its first wheel simply rolled up the barrier till Xian masterfully tilted his body turning the motorcycle on its rear wheel back safely onto the ground.

    Then suddenly, a large shadow cast itself over Xian and brisked past. It was Igoo, and he seemed to be heading someplace else.

    The Avatar’s form slowly came into view in the Eastern part of the fateful docks. There were a few people in place, a portion of which seemed to have their attention on the feisty royalty. It was most likely that Xiurong unceremoniously emerged from one of the alleyways, rocket-boosted by those flames of hers, and caused a commotion in pursuit of the gang members.

    She was still suspended on air thanks to the stream of flames erupting from her hands and feet. Her eyes began darting around the confused populace, scanning each face for her target. Suddenly, she found herself staring at her assigned healer, Yara, who appeared to have this look of… horror on her face? Xiurong couldn’t really tell, but it ruffled her feathers. When she directed her gaze to the two men who seemed to be cornering her, everything just clicked.

    The bike, the man with a dangerously white palette, and the man with long, brown hair! It all made sense. The Bone Crusher bastards were harassing Yara, probably abducting her to get back at Xiurong. Furthermore, they probably know the waterbender’s face since Yara informed her the Grand Lotus had her heal them. The loss of their leather jackets could easily be chalked up to them discarding it so they could blend with innocent civilians.

    “GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!” She screamed out of blind rage, and the jets of fire stopped before she landed on both feet safely.

    Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the two unsuspecting men with Yara as the Avatar immediately stomped on the ground, raised an earth protrusion a step below the white-haired man, jabbed her right fist upward, and sent the jut straight for Maizen’s gut.

    Wham! Igoo suddenly made his own unsuspecting entrance, slapping his tail straight into a man Xiu seemed to be targeting. Such finesse from a flying bison. He was indeed a hero of his own time.

    “Igoo!” A voice called out, followed by the sound of a racing engine hurtling toward the group’s direction. Xian had finally made his own way out the busier end of the city, skidding his breaks at an angle to see Xiu and Igoo wrongly attacking- “ . . Taka?”

    Wha- slow down! . . . Ah yes, look at that familiar face twisting with utter shock as it flew for the sea. No mistake the guy sailing through the air in slow motion was Xian’s buddy from the Fire Nation. He had been anticipating the arrival of his friend for the past few days. Too bad their reunion involved almost getting dunked into the ocean.

    Back to speed~ The airbender swiftly motioned his hand out, sending a surge of wind to curve his friend back onto the dock, “Xiurong, these aren’t the right people. The two were detained in the alley.”

    “Wait, what…?”

    Flutterby Flutterby Entity.Eclypse Entity.Eclypse The Prophet The Prophet
     
    The waterbender glanced between the two men, an eyebrow raised. They seemed perfectly content with the idea that the Avatar was blameless, only doing that which was for the greater good (even if she lacked tact), or else too consumed by stress to be truly accountable. She was reminded, then, that before the father had gone missing, that wasn't an inaccurate view of Xiurong Beifong. A pebble of guilt settled in her gut.

    There was a twitch at the corner of Yara's nose as Taka spoke about being a companion of the Avatar. A flash of disgust and annoyance, only present for a fraction of a second, and then it dissipated as the pebble in her stomach grew to a rock.
    You fancy yourself supportive and patient, on the road to being the ideal healer. But you didn't adapt to Xiurong, did you? And you certainly didn't support her when she really needed it.
    An image flashed in her mind's eye- of Xian speaking with the Avatar, and just barely chipping away at her abrasive exterior. The moment of half-vulnerability between them at the apartment last night.

    Yara drew in air through her nose, and tried to roll the tension out of her shoulders before she spoke. She didn't get a chance to, though. An all too familiar voice bellowed from somewhere behind her. She half-turned, and watched Xiurong earthbend for only a moment before she started to move. From the sea next to them, water rose with the motion of Yara's arms. With a decisive move, she pushed a wave of water at Maizen, pushing him backwards, trying to help him avoid the blow from Xiurong. In the same motion, Yara redirected the wave, and sent it toward the infuriated Avatar. It might've been a little too late, since Xian had appeared and clarified the situation, but it made Yara feel better.

    Yara kept herself from marching up to Xiurong, but her face tinged red and her nostrils flared a little. Her usual verbal restraint was.. well, out of service.
    "Xiurong. Stop attacking civilians. It makes you look like a nitwit and a criminal." The waterbender shook her head, baffled and annoyed, but anger was quickly dissipating. She turned to check on the white-haired man, grimacing at his now soaked appearance. "What are you even doing here?"
    To the man, she softly added, "Sorry about the water, I didn't realize she'd stop so quickly."
    She half-turned again and called, "Taka, are you good?"
    Interactions: The Prophet The Prophet Entity.Eclypse Entity.Eclypse . D O V E . D O V E
     
    Taka
    Mentions/Interactions: Flutterby Flutterby The Prophet The Prophet . D O V E . D O V E Xanto Xanto     ​
    Taka continued to look towards the white-haired male, unsure whether he had said something that was contradictory to his opinion or if the man was just processing what he'd said. Either way, it seemed as though he wouldn't get an answer to the question as he heard a voice shout out above their conversing. They were yelling for someone to get their hands off another, all while they stared in his direction. They seemed to be a firebending judging from the way they had used the signature 'flight' method. In his head he began to draw a diagram of the scene, this woman was yelling at them... but even with Taka being the closest they were still a good arms-length away from Yara at this point. So why would they have been yelling at him for that? The question caught his attention as he saw a spring of earth upsurge from beneath the white-haired fellow and begin to fly towards his body. Taka's reflexes kicking in as he reached for his blade, pulling it no more than a few inches from the sheath before the feeling of another presence came from his side.

    As his vision turned to see what it was, he was immediately met by the enormous paddle-like tail of a flying bison!? A look of amazement crossed his face for a millisecond before it drew closer. Horror and shock soon took it's place as it drew nearer It felt like time stopped for him in that moment, his body felt stiff as he slowly watched this massive form swing up towards him. At first, he didn't feel a thing, and before he knew it his body had left the ground. He turned to his side, splinters of wood shot forwards from behind him as he felt another bump in his flight-path. He glanced back as he looked to where his sword had once been, the end of the scabbard had a sizable chunk cut out of it- but there was no blade there. As he looked to his hand, he immediately noticed that the blade was no longer there- nor was the hilt. The shock on his face only became more so as he glanced down to see the void beneath him. The scabbard of his blade clattered down the edge of the cliff-like dock, smashing into the wall of the dock before it too erupted into a shower of shrapnel and fell back to the sea below.

    His brain had only just begun to regain thought as a single phrase came to his mind. 'Eh?' It all came to him now, every instance of pain bombarded him like thousands of rocks being dropped at once. His chest felt crushed, devoid of air, he couldn't remember how long it had been since he breathed now. Opening his mouth, he tried to force air down to his lungs only to be met by another shockwave of pain. A spray of ichor spilled across his lips, joining him as an ally in the airspace. He could feel his head threatening to explode, this much stimulation was threatening to shut his brain off. Turning back to his side, he noticed the gash now. A glancing blow, thankfully, it seemed that whatever swordman cut him had terrible form. It started at his left hip, cutting upwards as though a blade had slashed into him from there. At the very least he could take solace in the fact that the swordsman who attacked him was bad.

    His head lulled back, the momentum of his body causing him to twist back and look out towards the sea. There he saw a glimmer, he narrowed his eyes and could've sworn it was his sword. Perhaps he was just hallucinating it, the heights may have made him woozy or something after all the glint was a good mile into the sea. He tried to force breath back into his body and barely managed to choke it down. As the breath entered his body the world seemed to accelerate rapidly, a sudden onslaught of color took over while a rush of crimson fell from just above his eyebrow and forced his eye shut. But just as time saw fit to come back to him, so too did the pain. It felt like his back was burning- a horrendous sensation that almost reminded him of his very being catching aflame.

    Everything was throbbing, pulsing in a horrifically cacophonous rhythm, as he watched more of his own life-blood spill to the air before splattering down into the sea. It was at this point his body suddenly stopped, he felt himself curve around and begin to move back towards the shoreline. He felt like a lizard hounds chew toy as he fell limp there in the air. With each shake of his body, he felt another crack from somewhere in his torso. His face grimaced into something terrible, though his cries of anguish were drowned out by the sound of waves colliding against the shoreline.

    It was at this point his face was turned back towards the docks, the feeling of vertebrate in his neck popping rang out,, sounding off to make each of themselves known. It was at this point he saw the image of an old friend... Xian. He looked well, that was nice.

    As he floated back towards the dock a memory flooded back to him, a memory of his uncle.

    ~~
    "Taka... are you feeling any better today?" Izuo smiled down to him as Taka lay there in his bed. His chest was bandaged up, hints of dried crimson had found their place upon the wrappings as he turned his head and smiled up to his uncle. "Kind of..." He quietly muttered as he slowly began to sit up, Izuo immediately moved to aid him and put a hand under his back to ease the tension. "Uncle..." Taka spoke as he glanced down to wrappings on his body. "Hmm?" Izuo responded as his expression slowly wilted to a worried frown. "Do you think girls will still like me after... after this?" He spoke solemnly as he continued to stare down to the bandages.

    The deep gravelly chuckle of his uncle rang out into the room, causing Taka to turn his head towards him with an expression that ran somewhere between embarrassed and angered. "What!? I can't see any girl finding this kind of thing attractive!" Taka shouted before doubling over in pain, his breath becoming ragged. Izuo once more made to help him, easing him back until he was resting on the bed once more. "I guarantee they will. You know... back in my prime the ladies used to call me the 'Bender Hot enough to Contest Dragons'." Taka looked to him before beginning to chuckle himself, Izuo chuckled with him as a satisfied smile presented itself on his face.

    "You know what they say... there's no better wingman than a kick-ass scar" Izuo would say before his deep bellow of a laugh rang out.
    ~~    ​

    Slowly Taka's mind returned from that image, his eyes beginning to pool with tears to match the blood. The mind made haste in removing it once more as the tender thought was ripped away by the tenderness of his own body.

    He tried to smile, but his face failed to relinquish the same pain-ridden expression as he saw himself slowly being dragged back towards the shore. Mentally he battled with more of the pain, managing to move his arms just the tiniest amount as his left leg began to pull upwards. He felt his head spinning, his body felt like he had just been in a tug-of-war match between two badger moles and neither felt like giving up. Not that he could blame them, badger moles did love music. Slowly he saw the ground approach him, and very meticulously moved his legs so that he would stand next to the izumobile. His feet touched the earth, and for a moment he felt as though he was fine. But the very moment that the airbender's power left him his body fell backward. His back, once more collided with the izumobile's hood, slowly sliding down the side until he rested against the wheel. A stifled grunt was all that escaped his lips as Taka bit into his bottom lip, another spring of ichor spilled back into his mouth as he lay there.

    He watched as Yara somewhat turned towards him, though he doubted she could see him given how much shorter he was right now. Slowly he sucked down another breath and once more coughed. His fire nation clothing was, ironically, ruined by even more red as he coughed out yet another spray onto himself. His form had landed in a surprisingly useful pose, he had fallen to his rear rather than his back. His legs were outstretched, though they did appear corpselike in his position. One hand was pressed hard against the wound on his torso as the other slowly lifted up.

    The tiniest of smiles came to his face, granted he looked more psychopathic than happy given his current condition. "All- good... here" He strained to get the words out, but they did manage to escape his lungs.

    Slowly, he allowed his head to lull over and look towards Xian. The smile widened my no more than two millimeters as he sucked down another choked breath and spoke again. "For what it's- worth... Good to.. see you- Xian. Ig- oo... got bigger- I see." He panted out as his previously held aloft arm slumped back to the ground and Taka's head rolled back, staring up towards the clouds.

    As his other eyes opened he noticed something peculiar, 'I don't remember the clouds being red' he thought to himself as the stinging sensation flooded his eye. Slowly he closed his eyes and tried to focus on breathing. His breaths came in, ragged as they were, and he managed to choke them down once again.
     
    Maizen Tosuda
    Location: Docks
    Interactions: Xiurong, Xian, Taka, Yara, and Igoo​

    Maizen thought over the brown haired man and the shorter woman's input, glancing between the two ever so briefly. "I see. Im sorry if i interjected something important, I've only just arrived via that boat over there..." Maizen pointed to the still docked ship that transported him to the city, and continued. "From the Fire Nation, and I know very little about the Avatar if anything about here in general. I just overheard some people grumble about something relating to the Sand kingdom, and then you saying I haven't met her got my curious. My apologies." Maizen closed his eyes and lowered his head slightly,but did not bow. Just then, he realized something. He should watch his tone; they were clearly uncomfortable. Putting on his figurative acting cap, he opened his eyes with a faint smile and a warm demeanor, striking silver regarding their expressions for how to act accordingly. "Is this Avatar bad? Oh, I should introduce myself. My name is Maizen Tosuda, only son and heir of Tosuda International. It's a pleasure to mee-?"

    Maizen cut off as a feminine voice pierced the crowds, heading in their direction rather quickly. He turned to regard the disturbance of the calm just as a small boulder slammed into his stomach. Dazed and unfocused he just barely regarded the assailant as he gathered his senses. He'd managed to stay standing and only slid back about a foot back, and as his eyes refocused his eyes darted about the pier with a dangerous look on his eye. Pale silver irises fell onto a sole earthbender, still in her bending stance. His sight locked on to her and sharpened in highly restrained fury. To attack him and others in broad daylight, in front of so many people; this criminal was either dumb, or stupid. He already noticed the populace taking pictures, or pointing at the woman and running away.

    Then a wave hit and pulled him from behind, as well as an animal landing and battering the man he just talked to badly. Luckily the wave also hit the criminal leaving them both soaked, and Maizen took the moment to gather himself. This was self defense in this city, right? He let out a heavy exhale, traces of smoke leaving his mouth as his body heated up. Infact, so did some of the water on him, steam rising from his body when suddenly Maizen took a small albeit sharp breath in and his muscles tensed in anticipation. He'd have to be careful not to blow anyone else away or harm too much of the dock, or he'd lose his case in court all too quickly. Still, low-power would be more than enough to deal with this whelp.

    Another man, likely aligned with the attacker arrived and recognized the man behind him. What was going on? Still holding his breath silently, Maizen held off. So the man behind him was Taka, and the attacker Xiurong? And he was Xian? And that was Igoo? Was Igoo a flying bison!? Was this all just a serious mistake on this woman's part? What is going on? Swallowing the breath and wincing slightly from the backlash, Maizen brought a hand to his forehead, dropping the prior act and returning to near expressionless. Allowing himself a moment to snap his fingers twice to calm himself, he answered the woman's question. "....I'm alright. Are you two oka- oh dear. Taka, was it? You look….. terrible. Absolutely terrible. You need a healer, as soon as possible." Did that flying bison do that? How strong was that single attack? Uncommon confusion entered his mind as he looked back to Xiurong and then the parties involved. some of these people knew each other, he sure didn't. And as someone in an entirely foreign Nation, it was probably best to have someone who could deal with all of this, and arrange the lawsuit coming that madwoman's way. And so, as he looked down at his now ruined clothing and to the dreadful state of Taka, he made up his mind.

    "I should contact the authorities. We've just been the victim of a mad earthbender and a flying bison."
     
    XIURONG BEIFONG
    07 / 16 / 264AG
    ​
    "Wait, what...?"

    If Xiurong wasn't convinced before, she was definitely convinced now: the universe was conspiring against her. Besides the fact her father remained missing, the Avatar might have just became a fugitive of the Sand Kingdom, an exile of her own empire, and a terrorist in Republic City within the span of two days. All because she was trying to do her damn duty. With wide eyes, the exiled princess ricocheted her gaze between all the individuals directly involved in the blunder. The white-haired man was drilling a hole through her skull with his eyes, the brown-haired one was sent flying off the docks by Igoo, Xian seemed to be confused and acquainted with him, while Yara was fuming with raw anger.

    Overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events, the Avatar barely had any time to react when a billow of water surged towards her direction. She swiftly swung her arms upward and conjured an air shield, sending the wave to the sky until they sprinkled like rain on the radius around her.

    "What the heck is wrong with you, Yara!? I was trying to save you!" She snapped back, clearly taking great offense at the waterbender's words and action.

    To make the matters worse, there was now a thick crowd forming around them and the pale man appeared to be calling for the authorities. The cherry on top was the brown-haired man now lying on the ground, bleeding. A small gasp escaped her lips. If what Xian said was true and she did get the wrong people then this mishap spelled prison. Of course it wasn't Xiurong's fault, but her past experiences has taught her authorities were highly vulnerable to blaming the Avatar. Take for example the stupid Sand Queen and Regent Bao.

    Regardless, Xiurong ignored the flashes of cameras and rushed towards Taka, crouching down to his level. "Oi. Stop being overdramatic and get up, you weakling." She said as she glared at him, masking the alarm she was feeling with her typical hubris. With a click of her tongue, she reached out for her sleeve and ripped it from her regal green robe, exposing a scarred arm toned from years of fighting. It probably wasn't the most suitable fabric for bandage out there, but the man was pumping blood like there was no tomorrow. Besides, it was fresh from Xian's washing machine and Xiurong was nothing but protective when it came to her royal outfits. What a waste. "Ugh, disgusting..." She muttered under her breathe as she carefully pried Taka's bloodied hand off his wound and pressed the clothe onto it, trying to stop the bleeding.

    The action made her silently wish she could heal like Yara, however, the thought only reminded the Avatar of her mediocre waterbending. Xiurong knew it was why the Grand Lotus kept Yara with her. Yara was there to fill her 'incompetence.' Having a constant reminder of your failure honestly sucked. Alas, the Grand Lotus was right. Xiurong acknowledged she wasn't on par with waterbending masters just yet. Nonetheless, it was of little issue. She was the Avatar. She would master the element soon. And when she finally did, she would no longer need Yara, the Grand Lotus, or anybody else because she'd be so much stronger than anyone.

    "She really is the world's worst Avatar..." A voice mumbled from the crowd.

    Xiurong's eyes widened almost instantaneously, her scowl deepening with clear disbelief. Who the heck had the guts to say that!? However, before she could even say anything, more murmurs followed.

    "Yeah. When I read the news from the Sand Kingdom I thought it was all just a misunderstanding, but now... I honestly don't know anymore."

    "Oh spirits... to think an Avatar would turn this way..."

    At that point, Xiurong could no longer comprehend any of the chatters. Whether it was because they were starting to overlap or because her mind stopped working, she could not know. Only one thing was on her mind: these hurtful words were coming from the very people she has been slaving for. Time and time again she would risk her life for them and expect no reward. The people from Republic City, Sand Kingdom, Earth Empire... Regardless, they all seemed to have forgotten that. All of her efforts were going down the drain, and there was nothing she could do but listen. They were doing exactly what Yara did a few minutes ago, and it hurt just the same.

    You ungrateful bastards.

    The Avatar's features seemingly darkened with each passing second. Consumed by her spite, Xiurong has lost sense of the pressure she was exerting onto Taka's wound. It was almost as if her world has narrowed down to just her and the cumbering weight on her shoulders, pushing down hard.

    Entity.Eclypse Entity.Eclypse The Prophet The Prophet Flutterby Flutterby Xanto Xanto
     
    Last edited:
    With Maizen confirming he was not hurt, Yara felt a small amount of relief. But her face contorted quickly into fear when he mentioned the authorities. Before she left him, she said softly, "Please don't call the police. She-she didn't mean it. And I can fix it, I swear."

    She only noticed the crowd as she turned to look for where Taka had fallen. There were cameras flashing. This was going to make the news. Yara's heart was in her throat as she raised her voice above the murmurs to call out, "Everyone please give us some room. We'll have this misunderstanding handled soon."
    Her face was going to be on the news, as the girl the Avatar killed someone trying to 'protect'. The rock of guilt was quickly turning into a boulder.

    Focus. Taka is bleeding. You want him to die after all that effort the first time?
    It was her mother's voice, or at least her tone, that sounded inside her head. It made her scowl, but it also set her feet in motion again. She already had the water skin open as she reached Xiurong and Taka. Xiurong was holding pressure, but steadily pushing too hard. If Taka hadn't been in overwhelming pain before, he would be now.

    "Oh spirits.." Yara muttered, as she made a quick assessment of his condition. Yara crouched next to Taka, and laid a hand softly on his cheek. "Taka, dear, just breathe and I'll have you fixed up soon."
    Her expression was hard when she addressed Xiurong, and her voice had an authority to it that she had only used once or twice before in front of the Avatar, and never directly to her before.
    "Move, Xiurong. I got it." She drew the water over her hands, and placed them on Taka's torso, tactfully avoiding Xiurong's hands. It began to glow softly almost instantly. To Xiurong, again, she said, "I can stop the bleeding now but I can't work here. The crowd..."
    Yara glanced up, a flash of fear over her face again. The crowd was calm now, but crowds were unpredictable, the docks were a dirty and loud and people were staring and..
    "Please, I can't work here. Either call an ambulance or get Xian and Igoo."
    Interactions: The Prophet The Prophet Entity.Eclypse Entity.Eclypse . D O V E . D O V E // Mentioned: Xanto Xanto
     
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