Steam

[Surain]

A roleplay between ShalRavenne and I

​

A backwater tavern in a backwater town in a backwater nation. Nothing you've never seen before. Why should this time be different? A waterbender and a firebender, both looking for whispers of rumours that might lead them where they need to go. Both rejected from their homeland. Both searching for a people. Both failing miserably. Opposites, yet the same. A Contradiction. How quaint.


In any case, they're both in the same tavern, listening to the same noise that passed for music, drinking the same slosh that passed for water, and breathing the same dust that passed for air. This town has been a disappointment for both of them—it seems that every town is, these days, but that won't stop them. What choice do they have but to continue grasping for the slightest hint, the smallest clue to where they should go? Give up? A combination of pride, arrogance, fear, and anger from the both of them made that impossible.


Their plight was so miserable that is seemed like the patrons around them reflected it; everyone was either drunk or trying to become so. The nonsensical chatter caused by this fluctuated between obnoxiously loud to insufferably loud as the resident men in the tavern discussed all sorts of things. The situation in this room was generally unpleasant. In fact, the atmosphere, mood, and general ambiance of the place could be best described in the word damp. It was boring. Sweaty. Stinky. Both of them were, by one degree or another, eager to leave. The only thing of note seemed to be a particularly rowdy group of drunks positioned between the two pivotal benders, but in a tavern, that didn't amount to much.

 

[Surain]

This town had stunk, both literally and figuratively. Hiro had spent the better of three weeks here offering his skills as a healer in exchange for pay and information. He has healed broken bones, cuts, infections, and sickness for over twenty people, all for a handful of silver and copper pieces, and a whisper of a rumour that might be in the next town over. Now, healing was not the problem; the waterbender would often do it for free if his patient couldn’t afford him, and he enjoyed his work. No, the problem lay in the sheer frustration of spending almost a month just to take a step towards a goal that was a mile away. He needed a teacher. He needed one yesterday, and this town has gotten him closer to nowhere!


The water here even tastes like disappointment, he thought, swirling the cloudy liquid in his half-full cup. He had considered using his bending to cleanse the water, but with rumours of Fire Nation troops rounding up benders towards the south, he decided against it. It seemed that the relatively young healer was thinking ahead, for once. Maybe he could stay out of trouble and remain low-key?


Hiro could hear himself mentally snort. Right, he thought, Now that I’ve made that a goal… I wonder how long it will be until I’m running for my life. Again. That last village wasn’t boring—although, he didn’t know if he’d prefer dodging throwing knives to sitting on this stool. It was good exercise. Better than sitting on my behind drinking this slush, he thought idly, before returning his attention to his surroundings.


The people around him seemed nice enough... if “too drunk to effectively stab me” counted as “nice enough”. Hiro was among a handful of people who were somewhat sober aside from the bartender. There was a girl near him, of course, who seemed too attentive to not be sober. It was for this reason that Hiro kept glancing at her. It had nothing to do with her looks. Nothing at all. You can’t prove anything.


In all seriousness, something seemed… off about her, but he couldn’t quite place it. Was it the way she was sitting? The look she had on? He didn’t know why, but she seemed tense, like she was expecting someone to attack her. Or, remarked Hiro silently, like she is annoyed at the person who keeps looking at her. He mentally chastised himself, stopping his head from turning to her direction again. Am I secretly trying to get attacked just to liven up the atmosphere? She might not even be tense… that might just be me being paranoid, he thought, glancing again at the cup in his hands.


Why was he still here? He should move on as soon as possible. Where, I ask? Oh, just pick a direction and hope for the best, he thought dryly. This journey was going nowhere fast, but what choice did he have? Giving up was not at option. Then why am I still here? Tonight is the last night I’m staying in this village… I’ll leave early tomorrow, He decided abruptly. He knew himself well enough that if he decided on something vague, or decided to decide later, he would be in this same stool next week. No, it’s better for him to set a time already: tomorrow morning, probably before sunrise. No, definitely before sunrise. Hiro supposed that he’d have to go and say goodbye to some of the village folk later today, and make sure that he had enough supplies to last him…


Hiro shook his head. Drink first, prepare later. Even as he sipped the dirty water and tried not to blanch at the taste, he reconsidered this. Alright. Try not to vomit first, prepare later seemed much more accurate, in his opinion. Either way, tomorrow would hopefully be the last time he saw this village for a while. One could hope, anyway.

 

[ShalRavenne]

Ran grimaced as she took a sip of her cooled tea. She looked around calmly before channeling heat into her hands and slightly warming the cup up. This was the only control she had... warming a cup of tea unnoticed. The reason why she had no real control of her element she couldn't seem to understand. It was wild, unpredictable and often went out of her intended control or failed her completely.


She was frustrated, there was no more news about the Sun Warriors than the last town, even venturing into the hidey holes of the more unsavory information brokers yielded nothing but a few more bruises and no results.


She was wearing a mix of clothing colors, today she had mostly Earth nation coloring mixed with Fire nation accents, but that wasn't unusual. Not with the Fire nation's trying to force everything under it's rule. What has the Fire nation come down to, the one thing she hated... a bully.


She closed her eyes for a few moments, there was a boy nearby who kept staring at her. However it was unlike the leering glances she had been receiving from the drunkards in this hole of a tavern. The night was wearing on and she had all but turned this town upside down looking for clues. She would never find a home, never be seen as anything but a disappointment to her family. She gritted her teeth with the thought that it still mattered to her deep down. Why should she care if she wasn't seen as anything by anyone. She didn't need anyone but herself.


She sighed, getting up to leave, her warm tea forgotten. Pulling her hood up she made to start her first step to the door when a foul smelling brute of a man caught her arm. He was totally drunk, the alcohol coming off him in waves and putrefied his breath as he spoke. "Where's a little pretty thing like you going? We wanted you to come sit on my lap for a while. Keep us real men some company." She tensed, her entire body shook, but what may seem as fear to others looking at her was in fact something else. She was trying to keep control, to not lash out, not to cause a big scene that would have her running. No matter where the true fault was, these buffoons were part of this town, she was a stranger. She knew how it would go down, with her being put in a cell. She had to figure out what to do... and yet that boy was still staring.


Does he somehow know who I am?

 

[Surain]

@ShalRavenne


Hiro, although he genuinely tried to avoid staring at the girl, inevitably failed to stop shooting glances at her. She, admittedly, did seem out of place... As much as Hiro hated to admit it, a lone girl in a tavern like this was a sight to behold; not only was it unorthodox in the social sense, but it was dangerous. Unless, of course, she knew how to fight, which is entirely possible. And, he noted silently, another excellent reason to avoid looking at her.


The screeching of wood against wood reined his attention to the girl yet again, who seemed to be leaving. I wonder if it was my silent, seductive looks. Maybe she was intimidated, he thought sarcastically, eyes trained on her as she attempted to make her way to the door, but was stopped by a drunk that had been sitting between the two. Uh-oh. he thought unhelpfully, nose crinkling in disgust to what the man was saying. This isn’t… he began, glancing at the now hooded face of the girl who so managed who so managed to elegantly steal his attention. Oh… oh no. She was shaking. Either she was terrified, or enraged, and neither option was good in this situation. Have to do something. Distraction? He made eye contact with her for the briefest of moments, seeing the subtleties of a suppressed glare. Oh shit he swore silently, getting out of his own seat as quickly and as gracefully as he could. Either she would kick ass or get her ass kicked… best to avoid either outcome, really.


“Hey,” he called, trying to get the drunk’s attention, and praying to the moon that he wasn’t violent. This may have not been the best of plans, as the drunk seemed to ignore him. “Hey,” he tried again, slightly louder this time, before continuing, “C’mon, let her go.” he commanded, in a tone that wasn’t in any way intimidating. Something! Words! Distract him! he thought in a panic. “Let me buy you a drink, just let the lady go.” he added again, this time scrambling to seem as amiable and charismatic as physically possible. To the average person, he would be hard to resist. To a drunk... well we would have to see.


Hiro took the next moment to mentally curse his father for refusing to allow him to find a fighting teacher. Him—a scrawny healer with only instinctive waterbending for combat—versus the drunk who grabbed Ran—a big, burly man who may or may not be a bender—and the rest of the drunk’s table, who were so incorrigibly drunk that they only now noticed what was happening, was not likely to end in his favour. He could only hope that the drunk wasn’t violent, or the lady knew how to fight (and wouldn’t abandon him… why did he do this again?).

 

[ShalRavenne]

Ran growled, actually growled. "Let. Me. Go. Save yourself the beating. Save me the trouble of having to explain to the guards why you were harassing a woman like myself who was simply trying to leave after finishing a cup of tea. You have three seconds to reconsider your actions..." She grinned, completely angry now.


"Three... oh hell screw it." She snapped his wrist back, the bones crunching barely heard amongst his scream of pain. She pushed him away, "I warned you. Do you boys want to try your luck next?" She crouched down and her eyes went dark and flames seemed to dance in her eyes. They all got up and rushed to their friend's defense. She took a punch but delivered a strong uppercut that snapped his jaw closed and his head sharply back. Her side throbbed as one man stabbed her side with a crude looking knife and she didn't slow an ounce, she was fueled by her anger.


She lashed out, grabbing his wrist and the man screamed as she burned his wrist and threw him over her shoulder into the table as he bent over in pain. One down, unconscious. The others were a bit more wary now, she wasn't some petite thing looking for a little thrill in a bad tavern. She could meet them head on, but she was bleeding on her side. There was their chance, and they took it, moving to try and flank her. She picked up a chair and threw it at the one furthest from her before falling into a stance that had been drilled into her. The aggressive fire stance, she was livid.


I may not be able to fire bend, but I need to end this quickly. I am loosing blood and I need to cauterize the wound and stop the blood flow. There are a lot though, should I run? Just as she was about to turn for the door her retreat was blocked off by another drunk burly man. I guess I should have expected that. This is their home... no matter the scum.

 

[Surain]

Hiro’s first reaction to what followed his attempt at helping was a very astute blink; apparently his words fell on deaf ears.


His next reaction was a wince, followed almost immediately by a duck. What- he thought, backpedaling towards the bar as the drunk who had come up behind him swung again. The man was taller, wider, and stronger than him—Hiro stood no chance at winning a fist fight.


“Ah!” He shouted, grabbing his forlorn cup of mud water and throwing it at the man, bending the liquid to try and hit the guy in the face. So much, he began, taking a grazing shot on the shoulder as the man flailed back, for not bending. He haphazardly bent the water off of the man, the drunk’s surprise recovering, and immediately shot it back, freezing it as he did so. Hiro then had to dive out of the way, the man with now frozen water covering half of his face charging forward, before glancing back; he was immediately punched in the face for his trouble.


Darkness. Stars. Ohhh, pretty.


His nose smelled like iron. And vomit. Where was he? On the floor of a filthy tavern. Ew.


The world came back into focus a dozen seconds later. The girl he had taken two punches for had managed to get herself stabbed, but not before taking down what seemed like two… or three men. He tore his attention away from her, trying to get his bearings. Es...cape Hiro thought muddily, noticing the exit for both of them was blocked by his assailant, who was standing over him and had evidently managed to get the mud-ice off. Apparently the drunk—that is, the burly man blocking the girl and his escape—hadn’t noticed that Hiro had come to. This was his chance, even as the disoriented waterbender would later beg forgiveness for what he was about to do, but, as he had no choice—he kicked the man standing over him swiftly between the legs with one incredibly jagged motion.


The resulting scream and thud as the man fell down in agony would be satisfying for some, and horrifying for others; for Hiro, it was a call of freedom. He drunkenly stood up, grabbing his messenger bag-esc pack from the table where he had been sitting and immediately stole a glance at the girl again, his vision rapidly clearing. “Come on!” he called, turning toward the exit. His thoughts may have been muddled, but running for his life was too base of an instinct to not follow. The situation in there was hopeless, unless the bleeding girl could take on the entire tavern, because he could barely take on one of them if he was lucky.


And today had started out so well too.

 

[ShalRavenne]

She laughed at the staring boy, "You took that punch like a champ!" She gave a feral grin and smashed a bottle upside one of her attacker's head. "Nicely done with the kick, he'll be feeling that tomorrow. HA!"


She kicked a table in the way and bolted for the door, still laughing. If one didn't know better, they may have thought she wasn't in any pain and was enjoying the fight. Well she kind of did like the fight... it did relieve some pent up frustration and anger.


As they flew out the door she grabbed the young man's sleeve and tugged him in an opposite direction that he was heading. "Not that way, come on. I know where we can go to escape those morons. I don't even know why I'm saving your ass, you got yourself into that mess. You could have just ignored the fight, instead you'll get a pretty shiner to go along with that bloody nose." They rounded a few corners and came to a ladder to which she climbed and beckoned her would be rescuer to follow.


At the top of the ladder there was a small lean-to tent and a few supplies set up. "We'll.. uhh rest here for now." She sat gingerly down and took her hand off her side, slick with blood. "Just a scratch. Heh." She raised the shirt up off the wound and pulled out a bottle of strong smelling alcohol, "Such a waste." She put it on the wound, hissing through gritted teeth. "Thank you for trying to step in and prevent that. I am just so used to it that I don't even bother trying to stop it. It only makes it worse because their pride gets injured." She tried to look at the wound, assessing the damage. She had a few scars here and there with what little she had raised the shirt. Her knuckles were scarred though, along with a few burn scars.


"Lets see, where did I put that bandage kit..."

 

[Surain]

Hiro followed the insane woman out of the tavern, being dragged in what seemed like a random direction. He stumbled slightly as they turned a few corners, but by the time they had reached the ladder, his senses were almost as sharp as they had been. Hiro had, for the most part, ignored what she had said to him as they ran—he was, after all, running for his life and didn’t have the breath to spare for a reply anyway.


The healer climbed the ladder after her, politely staring to the left to check if they had been followed. Of course they hadn’t; the amount of twists and turns they had taken would have given a master tracker pause, and they were dealing with a bunch of drunks. Then again, it’s dangerous to underestimate the power of an angry drunk…


“Nice place. Very Cozy.” He commented lightly between pants as he settled down in her little lean-to. It was… homely. Quaint.


Not really. It was bare save for the essentials, and some supplies in a neat corner. Is there anyone that’s likely to kill me in here? he asked rhetorically, settling down in a corner. No? Well, okay, I’ll count her as half. She did almost get me killed. Well, I almost got me killed, but it was for her. Technically she tried to murder me. And I technically helped her almost murder me. Huh. So that makes two people.


After a quick self-analysis, Hiro determined that he had a broken nose and a bruised shoulder: Those could wait, the girl—who he should really learn the name of—had been stabbed for spirits’ sake. At her mention of bandages, he reached into his pack and groped for some of his and a pouch of water. “Wait, I have bandages… and I’m a healer. Let me take a look at that.” He said, in the most non-intimiated voice he could muster.


He pulled out what he needed and scootched closer to Ran, warily waiting to see if she would object. If looks could kill… well, she didn’t seem like she was going to stop him at least, so he uncapped the pouch, bent the water over his hands, and focused his attention on healing the wound.


Thats… odd he thought, frowning as the water faintly flickered. The chi he was trying to redirect to the wound to heal… it was like it was resisting him. Or wasn’t there entirely, which was impossible. It’s almost like someone has… blocked her chi? That can't be it… only if one of the drunks did it, but that’s not likely… his frowned deepened as he failed to understand what was wrong.


“Something’s not right.” he commented to her, not taking his eyes off the wound, which was healing much slower than it really should. “It’s like…” he trailed off, his brow furrowing even more. “It’s like you’re chi has been blocked. But, unless someone in the bar did it, it should’ve worn off by now.” he added, running through the possibilities in his mind. It could be poison. Or a birth defect, but that was extremely unlikely. Those almost never happened, and even then, only in benders.


Only in benders. Hiro glanced up at Ran, looking for her reaction.

 

[ShalRavenne]

Ran blinked a few times, "Blocked?" She tilted her head to the side, "I'd have felt something like that right? All I felt was warm iron in my side, no other bender was there besides us. That was a rotten hole of a place, only normal drunks were there. Thankfully." She thought back to her childhood, something nagging in the back of her head. Of all the times she tried to prove herself to her father, he looked on with a bored expression. Never once did he expect anything great in her, she had failed miserably until he threw her out in order to find the Sun Warriors. They were her only hope in living a worthy life, maybe even a step toward happiness. An end to the endless journey. A home. A family. A future.


She started to mumble to herself, "You'll never be the heir, you will never be able to surpass your brother and sister. I am certain of that. I made certain." She growled and kicked an empty pot away from herself. "I have no doubt it was my father who did this to me. Would this kind of block be possible if done on an infant or young child? Would it make it harder to control bending?"

 

[Surain]

Hiro continued his healing throughout her reaction, only jumping as she kicked the pot.


"Well," he began, trying to process what had just been said. "...You would've felt something, yes, if someone at the bar did it." he started, thinking quickly. Birth defect. Rare. More often than not, because of parent intervention. Possibly reversible. His training kicked in as information brought itself to the forefront of his mind. Surely not? What parent would go through such extreme measures to do something like that? It'd probably be a wealthy family... one that could afford a specialized bender to do that... Noble family? 'Noble' family. Preserve the family's good name or some shit. Possible, but...


...this girl infront of him would have to be a noble.


What she began mumbling sounded familiar, in a cutting, bitter sort of way. "Would your father... would he really be willing to do this?" He asked, returning her interrogative stare with his inquisitive one. That lasted all of two seconds, before he decided that answering her questions before her stare burned through his eyes would be beneficial. "And, er, yes. Unless the master bender involved is extremely powerful, it would only be possible on an infant. Maybe a small child." He paused, glancing back at the wound. Still healing, still pulsing faintly. "It wouldn't just make bending difficult to control, it would make it harder to bend at all. Bending would be unstable and weak at best.... non-existent at worse." he replied softly, giving her a worried look. If she is a bender, and someone did this to her... and I thought my father was bad.





If she asks if it can be fixed, what do I do? Tell her the truth? That would be awkward, and she may think I'm lying. What do I do?

 

[ShalRavenne]

Oh, how he is a damn monster. No wonder my mother always seemed to pity me. No... I can't accept that. Mother loved me, I don't think she'd forgive my father is she knew what he had done to me. Heavens please let there be a reversal...


"Uh.." She winced once and looked away. For a moment the tough look vanished into uncertainty and shyness. It disappeared just as quickly as it came. "Could you reverse it? I mean with your bending? I have control with the small things, like heating a cup of water up or starting up a fire. Easy. Yet when I try to attack I can't summon the fire, and if I do." She trailed off with a look of hesitance, "It is out of control and it can hurt allies and foes alike. It isn't easy for me to say this.... but I'm afraid to use my bending. I don't exactly WANT to hurt people, well most of the time I don't."


She looked extremely uncomfortable, shifting and wringing a bandage tightly in her one hand, the other gripped her knee equally tight.

 

[Surain]

Inwardly, Hiro was screaming. A FIREBENDER! OHHHH NO. NOPE. NONONO. I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE.


Outwardly, he gave her another intense look of concern. He genuinely felt sorry for her, despite her being part of a nation of elitists. Was that a look of hesitation? Spirits help him... she didn't seem evil. She was afraid of hurting people... afraid of using her bending. She doesn't want to hurt people... most of the time. At least, she says. She could be lying...


He blinked at her before returning to stare at the wound. There was some definitive progress now—at least it didn't look as bad as before. Should he do it? Help a firebender? What would the healers say? His father...


The healers would tell him to help anyone who needed. His father would be furious. Both of those reasons were more than enough by themselves.


"First of all... I'm sorry. No one deserves this," he paused, holding the unspoken 'not even a firebender' from leaving his mouth. "And, can I reverse it? Well... probably, but I'd need time. It depends on the extent of the... blockage, how your body has adapted to it, where exactly the chi is being blocked..." He trailed off, removing the water from the wound; it wasn't going to heal much further with her chi blocked as it was, and he was wasting energy trying to make it. "It would take weeks, maybe even months." he continued, separating the blood from the water before bending the latter back into the pouch. Should he mention how dangerous it could be? Probably not. First, because is she was a patient, anxiety would only make things difficult. Second, because it won't be dangerous as long as he pays attention and is careful. "...And, I'd have to have direct contact with the areas involved. That might end up being... awkward." He admitted, not meeting her eyes. For him? No. He's seen the insides and outs of people, so it wouldn't bother him. It might bother her, though. Then again, this could be a life-changing treatment. If she took it, if he could fix it, he doubted she'd be intimidated by awkwardness.


Hiro gingerly began to bandage her wound, noticing how tense she was. He paused as her last words clicked with him, causing him to glance up at her again. Not wanting to hurt people? He could understand that. Perhaps they had more in common that was obvious.

 

[ShalRavenne]

Ran gave a pathetic and weak smile, but it was all she could muster without grimacing. "Umm, where are you headed? I..." She stumbled, not knowing how much she was willing to divulge. Then again, he may actually know something. He is a healer... they hear rumors and stories.


"Have you heard of the Sun Warriors? I'm trying to find them. To learn their way and culture. Essentially to find a home, learn and become something more than I am. As it is, well you know my secret now." She frowned at that, displeasure and what could be translated as fear crossing her features before she schooled them back into a neutral expression mixed with slight pain. "Thank you by the way, for trying to heal me. I can work with this kind of wound easily. As for awkwardness, as long as you aren't staring at places you shouldn't I don't think that will be an issue. I could always wrap my chest if it comes to it. If you are willing to help me, we uh. We could travel together. I could even teach you some self defense so something like this," She lightly poked his darkening eye and smiled an almost normal smile to his reaction, not of his pain but comradeship after a fight. "doesn't happen again. Or at least, be less likely too.


She cleared her throat and stood, putting a kettle on for some tea. She poured water into the opening, and then heated the kettle with her bending. As soon as the water was hot enough, she put what looked to be a lotus flower into the pot and closed the lid to let the flavors come alive.

 

[Surain]

Hiro stared at her with wide eyes thoughout her talking, letting her finish before forming a reply. In the meantime, he bent the water out of his pouch and started to heal his nose, carefully making sure it was straight as he did so. He likely looked silly, what with covering the centre of his face with a glowing blob, but he didn't take too long; by the time she was finished talking, he had done enough.


Hiro had just returned the water to his pouch when she lightly poked his eye, earning her an faux-glare for her trouble before he let a small grin show. "Where am I heading? Oh, around..." he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. Would she know something about the swamp tribe? Not much, likely. How much could he actually tell her without telling her his history? No one in this country—as far as he knew—knew who he was. Hiro could not be happier with this arrangement.


"The Sun Warriors? Only what I've heard in legends, dear, sorry." he paused, before blinking. "Sorry, did I just call you 'dear'? Force of habit. The ladies who trained me... er, nevermind." He added, trying to get back on topic. "No, sorry, but I probably know less about them than you do." Hiro paused again, hesitating as he stowed the leftover bandages in his pack. "Actually, I..." he gathered his thoughts for a moment, "I've been looking for a group myself, although they're much less legendary. A swamp tribe of waterbenders—I'm looking for kind of similar reasons? I need a teacher. It's... a long story, but I need a master to teach me how to fight." He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "No, but your secret's safe with me. We're sharing secrets, yeah? It's like a trade." A trade between a disabled, kind-hearted psychopath and a boneless, kind-hearted healer, but a trade none-the-less.


Hiro fought down the grin that tried to show itself at the mention of him staring. "I'm confident that me staring won't be an issue, trust me." He said, restraining himself from saying more. His time at the healing academy had been very frank if nothing else; since they had no rooms set apart for boys, he ended up, once he was deemed 'trustworthy', sleeping in the girl's healer-in-training dorms. In those dorms, he'd seen naked people and has changed in front of those same people. It just got old after a while. That, coupled with the fact that he was dealing with the human body in all of it's unabashed glory almost every day in classes, led to him being very apathetic to naked people. Then of course, there was the fact that the girls eventually began treating him as one of their own, leading to some... interesting conversations he'd rather not recount.


So, no, staring would indeed not be a problem.


Travel together? His brain instantly filled with objections, which were countered by objections to those objections. We don't know her...she seems trustworthy...we have to stay focused...on wandering aimlessly? Good idea...She's a firebender!...and we're a waterbender! I fail to see my point... the boy sighed and pursed his lips. It would solve a few things, admittedly. "I wouldn't mind us traveling together," he began slowly, thinking it over, "I could... treat you. In the meantime, we'd both keep an ear out for any stories or rumours..." he trailed off, beginning to smell the delicious tea. The, 'You could stop people with knives trying to kill me' went unspoken.


"On one condition, though." he said, pulling a serious face. "You absolutely must teach me how you flipped that guy over." he finished, showing her a smile as he fiddled with the small amulet he was wearing. He had a good feeling about this.

 

[ShalRavenne]

Ran listened and relaxed a little, she may not know this strange young man but maybe, just maybe they could help each other out. "Ha, strange isn't? A waterbender and a firebender working together, now if only my nation would stop being a big ass bully and co-exist." She gave a strained laugh.


At the mention of fighting she beamed. "Oh yeah, I could totally teach you. You'll hurt for it tho." Her smile became a little on the sheepish side. "I teach by doing, so you'll be learning by that method. You seem like a good enough fellow, I may not trust you, but we can work on that." She was matter-of-fact about it, honesty was a strange thing.


She poured a cup for him and one for herself. "It is a good calming tea, also has some good restorative properties. My mom... she used to have so many flowers. That is pretty much all I know about healing through herbs though. I can do basic rustic healing though. Splints and whatnot, but I prefer giving the need for those rather than using them myself."

 

[Surain]

Hiro snorted at her first comment. "It is a bit strange isn't it? I can only imagine how my father would react—I think his head might explode if he find out." He replied, taking note of her view of the Fire Nation. Interesting.


He paled ever the slightest at what she said next. "It's a good thing I'm a healer, then." he paused, tilting his head. "By doing? Hmm, I can understand that. Talking about how to do something without actually trying it is risky at best, fatal at worst." He stopped fiddling with his amulet and instead shifted to a more comfortable sitting position. "And you don't seem like you're going to stab me at the first chance, which is a good thing." He gave her a hesitant smile. "Although, I don't blame you—we have just met, after all. I'd be suspicious if you did trust me now, to be honest..." he trailed off, coughing once to clear his throat. I talk too much, honesty.





He took the cup of tea graciously, and with a small 'thank you', nodding along to what she was saying. Hiro noticed the hesitation when she talked about her mother, and made a note; it's good to know what topics to avoid, yeah? He took a sip of the familiar smelling tea before his eyes widened in recognition. "Is this lotus? Good for the body, helps clear the skin..." He trailed off, stopping himself. "I can show you a thing or two about herbal medicine, assuming we come across any. Rustic healing is a good to know in any case, although I understand the sentiment." he finished, sipping his tea again. Now, if only I had some honey...


He let the silence last all of thirty seconds before he decided to break it. "So, where were you planning on going next? I was thinking about heading to a town to the east... the name escapes me." He paused, furrowing his brow before shrugging. "That's not too important, anyway. I was planning on going to Chin village after that—funny name, right? Apparently they had some great leader named Chin... his parents must've hated him—anyway, that village is a trading center for the region, I think. Perfect place to hear rumours, right? It's too far to reasonably travel to without stopping at another village for supplies, though..." he trailed off, thinking about it. He might've been able to make it by himself, if he was excessively frugal and managed to hunt and gather enough. With the two of them together? They might be able to make it directly, but it would probably be better to stop somewhere... hmm.

 

[ShalRavenne]

She shrugged, "I normally just wander to random places and follow any hint of information I get. I didn't get any useful information here so we may as well go to Chin." She chuckled inwardly, he was pretty funny when he rambled.


"We may have to get a few more food and water but I suggest we wait until early morning then make a break away from here while the drunks sleep it off or go to their daily tasks." She set her cup down and stood up. "You are welcome to stay here the night if you want, otherwise we can meet up just after the sun rises at the West entrance to town. You still have your stuff where you were planning to spend the night, right?"


She rubbed her arm and winced as her bandages tugged at her sore flesh. She bent over to grab her bedroll, straightened it out and tidied up her cooking wares. She would have to take this all down just before dawn and she found she was glad to be on her way.

 

[Surain]

Hiro nodded. "Alright, we'll meet there tomorrow—" he cut himself, blinking owlishly. Had they really..? Well, that was... interesting. Ridiculous. Understandable, but ridiculous.


"You can call me Hiro, by the way," he offered, having realised that they didn't even know each other's names. Well, personas, but same difference; they had planned on traveling together before being properly introduced, and he couldn't tell whether that was more pathetic or hilarious. "And... er, yes. I have most of what I need with me, I just have to pick up my other bag from my room in the inn," He added, moving his bag to a corner. The drunks might still be stalking through the night... it would be better to wait for morning, probably.


It's not like I've never slept with a girl before... no, I mean sleep sleep, not 'sleep'... am I trying to convince myself? I know what I meant Hiro shook his head, clearing it, before saying something. "I, uh, I'll take you up on that offer. I can fetch my things in the morning." He said, looking around for a place to settle down. The tent was... cozy, and he didn't trust the girl at all. If anything, tonight would be a little sleepless, but if he was going to travel with her, he would need to get used to sleeping around her. He could only hope she didn't try to kill him in his sleep.

 

[ShalRavenne]

Noticing his glances around and taking it for being skiddish she tossed a few blankets at him, landing on his lap with a light thump.


"Take the tent, I'll sleep out here on my bedroll. I'm not going to kill you in the middle of the night, it would be poor etiquette after you healed me and let me know more about my own limitations." She scoffed as she was slightly offended and slipped into her bedroll and wrapped a blanket around her to insulate herself.


She turned her back on him and snuggled in, raised her body temperature and made herself nice and warm. She yawned and listened to the night, no loud noises close by, the animals were undisturbed for the most part, the air didn't feel wrong. "By the way, the name... is Ran... Ran Sengemo." She winced as she expected to hear the usual responses. Either taunting of her fate or the reaction of fear or disgust that other nations seemed to have toward the Fire nation nobility. She thought to head him off with any unpleasantness. "Goodnight, Hiro."


Curse it. Why did my voice waver like that... I hate being dishonest. Maybe I should have lied about my name, I was so stupid. What was I thinking just handing out my name like that. I shouldn't have to be ashamed of who I am... but... he'll hate me now for sure. If nothing but for my family.

 

[Surain]

Hiro snorted at her comment and decided not to argue; she offered the tent to him, and arguing with someone who was letting him stay for the night was hardly wise. "Thank you." he replied, grasping at the blankets in his lap. He wouldn't get much sleep anyway, but it was a nice sentiment.


Mindlessly setting up a small section of the floor for him to sleep on, he heard Ran mumble something to him from the outside. "By the way, the name... is Ran... Ran Sengemo." Sengemo... Somehow, in the dark recesses of his mind, that name rung a bell. What was it? Perhaps a famous person? A noble family? There are so many of them... it would have to be a Fire Nation one. He tried desperately to remember his history lessons, and what little they covered about the rest of the world.


...Okami Sengemo, decedent of the Sengemo line, one of the most politically and financially influential noble houses in the Fire Nation, was among the first to suggest a trade contract with the outer Earth Kingdom islands, many of which held immeasurably valuable resources...





That was it. A very powerful, very rich Fire Nation house. Hiro couldn't resist giving her a confused look. She mentioned something about her father being... less than fatherly. I don't know why she left, and it's hardly my place to judge. She seemed to feel his gaze through the tent, and returned it with a curt "Goodnight, Hiro".


He shrugged and snuggled into his own blankets. He would think about it tomorrow. "Goodnight, Ran." He replied pleasantly, laying flat on his back. It took four hours for sleep to take him, and it brought with it a dream of penguin riding with a polar bear-dog he wouldn't remember in the morning.

 

[ShalRavenne]

Ran woke the next morning, she slept as well as she normally did. Light and always with her weapons nearby, she had forgotten what it was like to be able to fall into a deep, dreaming sleep.


She stretched inside her bedroll and blanket for a minute before standing to pack things away. The sky was a lighter shade of the black blue of night, at most only an hour before it would turn red, orange, yellow and then blue as the sun rose. She put everything she had in it's place, put her bedroll on top of her hiking pack and strapped it down. She next went up to the tent and crouched beside it. "Hey, are you awake? It is nearly dawn."

 

[Surain]

On the blankets that had been laid up for him to sleep on was a note in extremely neat handwriting. "Gone to get my things. Meet you by the gate."


——---——


"...Now, I don't think you're a bad lad. You done good for us. It's just that, well, some of the men are sayin' that you started a fight in the bar last night, and..." The old man trailed off, trying to seem apologetic to Hiro, who was nodding along. "I understand, sir, don't worry. I'll be out of town by dawn. I'm just here to get my things." The waterbender replied to the innkeeper, keeping a small smile on his face.


The man bobbed his head up and down several times before reaching under the table that separated them. Hiro gave him a curious look as the extra bag he had been there to pick up was handed to him. The man looked embarrassed. "It... well, since you were leaving..." he trailed off again, expecting some sort of backlash.


"It's no issue; thank you for my things." replied the boy, looking in the bag. Scrolls? Check. Spirit water? Check. Blanket, other camping supplies? he glanced at the outside of the bag. Check. Herbs, medicines? Check. That was everything he had been missing—bulk items that were too big to carry around in his messenger bag.


"I'll be off, thanks again." he said to the man, turning as he nodded.


He made his way with his backpack and bag quickly towards the Western Gate, passing by the marketplace on his way. Only one of the vendors were open, and she yawned as he went up to her. "Do you have any apples?" he asked, eyeing up her selection of fruits. She sleepily nodded, rubbed her eyes, and pointed to them. He chose the two best from what was there and paid, storing them both before waving goodbye and getting back on track.


Several minutes later, he arrived. It was almost dawn now, the sun peaking over the horizon, and the town had just begun to grow busy with its normal hustle and bustle as people began to go about their morning schedules. Hiro was anxious; he couldn't see Ran from where he was standing, leaning on the gate, and they were supposed to be off soon.

 

[ShalRavenne]

Ran shrugged as she saw the note, a little impressed with his promptness. I hope he doesn't have any trouble. She thought to herself as she packed up the tent and other blankets. The blankets went into the spaces she had left in her hiking pack and her tent she strapped to the side of it. Good thing she was used to heavy lifting and carrying.


She looked around, making sure she had forgotten nothing, turned and did a perimeter up top to make sure no one was lingering about. Good, I should be in the clear now. Lets get to that gate.


She climbed down the ladder and put it back against the side of the wall around the corner where she had first found it. It had been useful, for sure. She went toward the gate using the side alleys, she was just about on top of the open road before the city gate when she heard a familiar voice, the one that had tried to take her for his own amusement the night before. "She was a firebender I tell you! Look at my arm! She attacked me out of nowhere I was just trying to be nice and escort her home! The ungrateful she-dragon." It sounded as if the person he was talking to was bored, like he had heard his lies before but had to be concerned about a firebender hurting the citizens of his town.


"I will look into it alright? I have your description, I'll keep an eye out. Now go home. You have to work later on tonight."


She heard grumbling and sighed. Luckily she had a hooded cloak on, so she put it up before walking out into the street. She sighed and started walking to the gate, but she knew it would happen. A lone figure, alone with traveling equipment. "Stop there for a moment." She did as he said and turned to talk to him, he saw who she was and let out a sigh. "You are smart to leave town, little lady. I saw the burns, I know those were in self defense, but not many would be so kind against a firebender. Many are harboring grievances with the Fire nation, I know however that not all fire benders are evil conquerors. I would like to see you far from here and don't return."


He handed her a few minor coins. "Good luck, I know you are the one asking about the Sun Warriors, I hope you find them. I know that they aren't a myth." He nodded to her, he turned to leave, she saw a flash of white, what looked like a lotus flower. She wondered what that meant for a brief moment before she stashed the coins in her pocket, turned and started a quick walk toward the gate, and she saw Hiro was waiting for her.


"Sorry, I had a delay. The dumb brute was about, I had to wait for it to be clear." She didn't tell him about the guard, no point in worrying him unnecessarily. "Lets go."

 

[Surain]

Hiro blinked as Ran walked up to him, seemingly resisting the urge to run. "Sorry, I had a delay. The dumb brute was about, I had to wait for it to be clear." she said, receiving a nod from the waterbender.





"Let's go."





And so they set off, silently at first, but eventually being driven by boredom to speak. "So, we're traveling together. It's a good idea for us to get to know each other, right?" he suggested lightly, glancing at her. "Question for question?" he asked. He admitted to wanting to know more about Ran, and he thought that she would like to know more about him. It was simple, really. What would be a better time than as they walked?


-


Later, as they settled camp for the night, Hiro decided to breach the subject that needed to be talked about. "So, Ran..." he trailed off, getting her attention as they settled down. There was a river nearby, which is why the waterbender recommended here for the night; treating Ran would be easier if she was submerged in water, at least for the first time, just so he could see what he needed to fix first, and with that much water nearby, he'd be slightly less useless if someone attacked them.


"I can begin treating you here, if you want to start. You'll need to get in the river first, though." he told her, placing his things down in a neat pile and reaching into one of his bags for his ink and parchment. Those he got when he healed a crafter's daughter, who didn't have money with him to pay Hiro. Knowing that such a thing could be useful, he asked for writing material in payment. Currently, he needed them to mark off where the chi was blocked in Ran's body, so that he could know what to treat first. I can't believe this is actually happening. Healing someone? Normal. Restoring the chi flow of an estranged-from-her-nation firebender? Both of the injury and the patient are rare.





I only know how to heal her because it uses the basic principles of healing. I was taught this once, possibly. But I know how to manipulate chi—that's what healing is—and I know how it's supposed to flow. I know what to heal first, so that there isn't a backlash... but I need to be careful. Fixing the wrong block before another could be... fatal at worst, painful at best. But I shouldn't get this wrong; it's basic, the order.





He looked up at Ran expectantly, going through his thoughts as he did so.

 

[ShalRavenne]

Ran looked away for a moment, pondering how much she could force herself to let others know about her misery ridden life without the sympathy and pity that would come along with it. She decided to be blunt. "I guess, on two conditions. Anything you hear is private, if it is too private I won't tell you. Second is that I don't want any of your pity or looking down on me. You're preconceptions are not my concern." She didn't mean to sound like a pretentious bitch, but she was uncomfortable and extremely reluctant to open up to anyone. Especially a young man she just recently met, yet he may decide not to heal her should she not play at least a little nice.


"I'll start. Where were you born?"


~~~~~


She breathed deeply and started to take off her clothes until she was down to her chest wrap and shorts. Her clothes were thrown in a messy pile on top of her pack and then she looked at his neatly arranged things. They sure were opposites. She walked into the cool water and shivered, "Oh it is colder than I thought it would be."


She laid back in the water, floating there gently. She was cold, uncomfortable and though she'd never admit it, she was scared. She didn't know what would happen next, and she hope it wouldn't hurt too much. She closed her eyes tightly, her breath barely coming in rough drafts. "I'm ready."