The Royal Palace, even now, stands as huge and imposing as it once did. Even considering the current occupation, and defeat and absorbtion of the Dai Lee, the Palace remains a massive fortress housing the Red Lotus leadership while they search extensively for Avatar Shee La. The palace grounds extend for about a mile in every direction around. The actual palace is surrounded by a wall made of platinum, making it very sturdy and impossible to simply bend. The rather large palace opens into a sort of atrium, where any number of hallways and open rooms exist, and one down the middle leads to the throne room.
Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 9:01 pm
Chen Wan the Bold had not, at any point, made any sort of reservations to his peers about his place among things. A burly man, standing ridiculously tall and just as imposing as the very earth he bent, he'd been the one to propose that his former ruler be removed from power and locked away. His had been a bloody coup out of necessity: never again would Ba Sing Se fall, they had claimed. Never again would the city come under the reign of tyrants. They erected greater walls, the rare metal bender helping tirelessly to reinforce every single one of them to the point of meticulousness. Chen Wan had been one of those men, with already graying hairs no reason for him to worry. He was instrumental in fact. And now, as he stood atop the stairs that led into his palace in the center of the Upper ring, his eyes were hard as he stared at the more or less motley crew approaching. The metal of the walls had been a great achievement for his work crew, and little as they knew of him he was already regarded as a master of earthbending before he'd started his work.
It made it easy when he needed to get the Red Lotus behind and below those great, powerful walls. Now, as he looked out over the couple dozen benders, he recognized some of them. The girl, Ban Shi Dan, whom would have been the closest thing to him in terms of skill, stared him down from so far away it was a struggle for him to see her. She was grace, poise and attitude. All the makings of a master with only a need for experience. Experience... that he might have to deny her. On that day, he'd heard from a little bird to expect something. An attack from the rebellion that would have otherwise called themselves the White Lotus... or what was left of them. Master Chen Wan was hardly surprised or caught unawares. The metal greaves and gauntlets shined under a harsh sun, and his words were even harsher.
"Master Jiyoo," he spoke, and the woman standing behind him stepped forward with a smile playing across her lips. "Why do they stand against us. Why can't they see?" he asked her, reliving memories of the Cataclysm playing in his mind.
"I must urge you, as I have always done, to retire and leave the rest to us, Master Chen. I was a little girl when Avatar Kuraka destroyed the balance between our worlds. Your generation did it's part. Let mine take it from here," she replied. Though encouraging, the words sounded so cold and lacking in life. Her smile and the narrow gaze of her eyes up at him were familiar to him. She'd been there with the other Red Lotus leadership when he approached. He had looked fondly on her, as a young but incredibly precise woman. He knew she spoke only to further the goals of the group. Even if she honestly did seek to make him feel confident that they didn't need him he shook his head and she stepped forward as he responded, going to meet the enemy head on, as it would seem.
"No, as long as there is someone who would call for justice and balance, I will answer. Always."
Jiyoo had heard it all before, and as she measured the distance from her to the various benders and non benders before her she tied her long, ice blue hair up behind her. This place was nothing like the southern water tribe, and she was nothing like her predecessors. Where some sought to drown, she was far more direct. Her part in all of this, her destiny, was preordained, and she would never be one of the people who didn't play her part. From pouches that fell from her hips, water rose at the slightest call of her mind, circling her body. "And we will thank you for it. Always. I know this violence weighs heavily on you. It may behoove you not to watch what comes next."
The water flowed in a slow but deliberate ring around her body, and she, unlike her massive companion, was far from averse to causing harm to get what was needed. She had seen the violence at the Northern Water tribe as a little girl, visiting the schools to learn waterbending under the greatest masters of the generation before hers. It had left a mark, to say the least. She learned the necessity of being decisive. Of being precise and focused at all times. She hadn't stopped learning, practicing, sharpening her mind and skills. As she decided on the proper approach, she was reminded of the bodies, the gore, the pain wrought by the corrupted spirits and it steeled her resolve as it always did. "The Dai Li will arrive soon," another woman spoke loudly from behind her.
Hers was a far more sad tale, one she kept close to her heart. She ran a hand through the beard of Chen Wan, empathetic to his heavy heart but identifying more with Jiyoo's position.
Her face was anger, raw and unbridled. She lacked the focus of Jiyoo. Her heart was far too full of anger to hold it behind a facade. She'd lost too much. Her fathers and uncles had been members of the White Lotus from the heart of the Fire Nation, men whom had lived their lives by a code familiar to any good soldier. They'd deserved more. Better. Warriors deserve a proper funeral and burial. Instead their remains were lost to the ocean as sea monster spirits attacked boats ferrying away the wounded. Strong men, who had fought the Red Lotus, who had held them at bay and knew nothing of the truth of the matter had died in the line of duty and she, her brothers and sisters, and her mothers and aunts lost their men. Her only refuge from the hate and pain was her firebending. Years passed and her flame only grew in power and precision.
And then Master Raan Xen of the Flame had struck out to hunt any remenants of the Red Lotus. Only a chance encounter with a man whom had survived the Cataclysm had refocused her, molded that anger with the proper blowing of the winds. With truth came purpose in her case. She exhaled deeply, dropping the headband from her head to reveal the third eye she'd awakened in only recent years... and sacrificed much to master. "Once they've arrived, we crush them and resume our search."
From above, a harsh wind whipped up, and at the front of the three the last Master, Si Yun Wong of the Breeze, flicked his glider closed and tossed it aside. Of all present, his was the most enigmatic of all. Functioning as the voice of reason between two hot heads and the indomitable, Si had always been living asphyxiation and a gentle nudge where needed. He didn't speak often. In fact, Master Raan had been one of three people he'd deigned to explain, in full, why he had to restart the order. What he'd seen. With his presence alone, all of the Red Lotus leadership had arrived. His robes were lighter than usual today. Pain and acceptance in his face in equal measure.
"So. Neutrality it is. We wait. When they make their moves, we will answer them and hope they see reason." Raan and Jiyoo scoffed, and even Si Yun looked over her shoulder at him. "They may attempt to resist. It is their right," the master admitted.
After putting out to sea, Marama had tried to sail southwest to the Fire Nation mainland. However between her inexperience with celestial navigation and a strong current she missed her mark. For days she languished in the hot sun with no respite and the constant temptation of simply drinking the salty water of the sea to keep her company. Slowly her supplies of food and fresh water dwindled. Eventually she sighted land, and with what strength was left within her she headed straight for the unknown shore. It wasn't long after making landfall that she had found herself setting eyes upon a giant walled city. The towering stone walls of which were visible for miles. As she neared the gates her vision blurred and her head was pounding. The last thing she remembered was a voice calling out.
The memory was from nearly two years ago. Fortune had favored Marama at the very end of her journey as an elderly couple had been present when she collapsed and with a mix of pity and curiosity had taken her in. They were kind enough to nurse her back to health almost if she were a surrogate daughter. In the end she went her separate way from them after they helped her to get a job serving tea in the upper ring. However things had been dicey since the Red Lotus had arrived. As the city was sealed off she became trapped and unable to return to her apartment in the lower ring, leaving her in a difficult situation. Thankfully her boss had let her sleep in a backroom in the tea house but now it seemed things were coming to a head. With the city on a fuller lock down than usual today the tea house was closed and that had left Marama with idle time. Time that was soon filled when she noticed several people walking in the streets towards the palace. Not typically one to get involved in the business of others she had a mind to ignore them. However she felt this pull, it was hard to explain really. Just a feeling, a tingling of sorts emanating from her birth mark. Against her better judgement she quietly left the tea shop behind and followed the trickle of people that soon turned into a loose crowd.
Standing off to the side by her lonesome, she was rather unassuming, clothed in more traditional Earth Kingdom garb common to the lower classes which hid her tattoos. She could have been mistaken for a random civilian.. or perhaps one of the resistance members. Her dark brown eyes surveyed those gathered, settling on the bunch who stood upon the palace steps. If only she could hear what they were saying. Maybe if she got closer? No, that would be foolish. Her eyes looked to the exit, I should just go... she thought to herself. But something caused her to stay, her feet refusing to move. Perhaps fate was about to begin a new chapter?
Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 11:52 am
Nails bitten down to the quick gripped at a sandstone like wall as a young woman stood with her back pressed up to it. Jaw set, shoulders squared, eyes shut tight. Kytrnn took in a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She was maybe three buildings away from the amassing group of freedom fighters, but couldn't bring herself to go much farther. Was it worth it? The threat of death or imprisonment to find one person, especially as unexperienced as she was. Kyy slowly opened her eyes, looking skyward just in time to see an airbender on a glider fly overhead. Damn it...
'If you don't stand for yourself, no one will,' is what her mother would have barked at her were she here and whole. A lecture on pushing aside her cowardice for the good of all would probably follow directly afterwards, making her shrink under that hard brown glare. But her mother wasn't here, and her urge to run was only increasing with every moment.
The waterbender cast her eyes back downwards as she attempted once more to steel herself. Her fingers scraped across stone as her hands balled in to fists; could she even live with herself if she didn't try? Could she look at herself in the mirror if she ran away? The answer was no, but even though she resolved herself to join the group her feet wouldn't move. She couldn't move.
What if she only got in the way? What if someone died trying to protect her? What if she got captured? What if she caused them to lose? Kytrnn slammed her fists back against the wall in frustration; she was so damn scared. She might never see her mother again, or Zhang... She might never lay in her favorite spot in the cliffs back at home, or run her fingers through the sand of that black sand beach in the fire nation again... One more deep breath, and then she pushed off the wall on put on her bravest face despite the pure ice in her veins, and the erratic beating of her heart.
It took maybe 30 seconds to walk from where she was to where everyone else had gathered. It felt like several days, though. Towards the back of the small crowd, she stood out. Her expression was calm despite the sweat soaking her palms, and her long dark hair was let down freely. She never stepped foot in any of the water tribes, so none of their hair decoration techniques were passed to her. Her clothing resembled the clothing often worn by water tribe members but it was lighter and not traditionally made. She, by all means, carried the look of the southern water tribe in her face-- however her upbringing cause her to look not like them at all either.
✘✘ The Tiger of Ba Sing Se, The Scholar Ye Xiu ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ This last year had been terrible. Trapped in a city rife with conflict. Chen Wan had usurped the king and then proceeded to lock the city down with an iron fist. Fighting had broken up soon after. From Red Lotus searching for the Avatar, White Lotus seeking to free Ba Sing Se and everyone caught in the middle. Opportunists seeking to use the chaos for their own gain. Fighting had become constant in the lower and middle rings. Something that Ye Xiu had not enjoyed. He was busybody, unable to stand idly by as the citizens of Ba Sing Se became the victims of morons with too much self importance.
Rumors flew wildly without rhyme or reason. The Avatar was enslaved, she's long escaped Ba Sing, she's dead. Ye Xiu couldn't discern what was true. But he hadn't paid it too much mind. He had simply done his best to protect the people. The innocents who were at the mercy of fools with too much self-importance. Red Lotus were most often his opponents, or the opportunists but Ye Xiu fought any who sought to abuse their strength. The citizens who recognized him had greeted him warmly throughout the year, knowing that where Ye Xiu prowled they would be protected. What few offers had been made to recruit him had been summarily rejected, sometimes vehemently. Not that many had come, Ye Xiu did not think he was all that important in the eyes of those causing the conflict on either side.
Which had led him to his current predicament, Ye Xiu had just roughed up two Red Lotus members who had been tearing a house apart looking for Avatar Shee when four soldiers had grabbed him, saying they needed him elsewhere. In fact, Ye Xiu was still confused why he had been gathered by those soldiers... Fairly certain they were White Lotus, they must have thought him one of their own. Or perhaps they had simply seen his size and thought that another body would do. He looked over at all the benders gathered as they made their way to the palace. Nervousness and fear palpable in their stances, shining in their eyes. They all felt outmatched before a single punch had been thrown. This boded ill for the chances at victory for these men.
The only one who was different was the woman who had called herself Ban Shi Dan. Young, inexperienced just by how she carried herself. She looked oddly familiar but Ye Xiu couldn't be sure. He typically remembered notable combatants, benders or non-benders alike. Skilled artisans of course, such as fantastic chef in Omashu. The way he weaved vegetables with his protein, such as his cabbage duck liver platter: sublime. This girl? Ye had no clue who she was. Though apparently she was in charge.
Ye Xiu wouldn't say he was particularly sharp when it came to picking out skill but only a handful of the benders present seemed to ping in his consciousness. Would they be fine? Why had they been gathered? In all likelihood to attempt to wrest the palace from Red Lotus control. Though... if so, they would likely be outmatched if the skill of those Red Lotus leaders were true.
He strode up to Ban Shi, taking a swig of his flask as he approached,"So tell me commander? What exactly did I get volunteered to? The boys who rounded me up felt less than charitable when I tried to ask."He chuckled, not expecting an answer, as his gaze swept over the army assembled. "Regardless, you might want to think about who you have following. If you don't know yourself, victory will always escape you."
It was then that they seemed to arrive at their destination, Ye then saw the biggest man he had seen in a long time. He let out a whistle as a grin appeared on his face, his voice unintentionally carried across the field to be heard by all,"I thought I was big! There's a man who never said no to thirds."
Besides him was a woman with long ice-blue hair, with the water surrounding her, she must be a water-bender (stating the obvious), but her posture and gaze reminded him more of ice. On the other side was woman who radiated anger, pain, and fury. Ye Xiu would have bet a serving of wine that she was a fire-bender. Or at the very least a very troubled woman.
And then an airbender of all things landed besides them. Ye Xiu smiled at the thought of all the elements represented. It was good, even if it looked like that they would be the enemies of the ones who had gathered himself and these benders. What was worse, was that all four of them carried themselves like masters. If it became a fight, it would be brutal. And that's not to say that the leaders weren't even more skilled.
Now Ye Xiu called out to them,"Isn't it curious? Chen Wan declares no more tyrants will rule, but his iron fist would be one even Chin or Ozai would find hard to match. How else do you explain the stranglehold he has on the city, and the suffering that has resulted of his ineptitude. Or even... the unnecessary destruction of Omashu? These are not the decisions of a man filled with wisdom."
Ye Xiu had probably disrupted the proper procedure of events, but he just couldn't find himself to care. It seemed he had gotten wrapped up in something dangerous. The individuals in front of him all radiated strength and power, albeit in different ways. It was very likely that he was being dragged into this approaching conflict. He shifted his stance, loosely prepared to move if necessary. ▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃ ✘✘ Earthbender || Theme: The King's Avatar
Posted: Thu May 28, 2020 2:46 am
Today, like any other day, Kateru had woken up and washed his face then rubbed in different creams and oils to moisturize and protect his skin. He'd meticulously brushed his hair and adorned it with the same accessories he had worn when he sneaked into Ba Sing Se with the White Lotus. With the same delicate touch, he had painted white lines underneath his cerulean blue eyes.
He had joined the White Lotus to find his parents, his heart pounding in his ears for every moment during that infiltration. He stopped being able to tell if it was because of the adrenaline rush from doing something so dangerous or the fear of the kind of state he might find his parents in, trapped as they were under the thumb of the notorious Red Lotus.
However, it was nothing of that sort. They had been safe and sound when he found them. In fact, aside from the aftermath of scuffles between the Red Lotus and the White Lotus resistance, the city was intact. However, it was also emptier. The people that Kateru did see appeared gaunter and more fearful than what he remembered of the lively, prosperous streets of Ba Sing Se. Ba Sing Se wasn't in imminent danger, but it was also no longer the place it once was. Seeing the change left a bitter feeling in his heart, and though he scowled through everything he did, he did whatever he could to help the White Lotus reclaim the city from the hands of the terrorists.
Hopefully, today would be the final battle. It would, also, be the most dangerous battle for the medic who usually hung out in the hideouts of the White Lotus, aiding the injured brought to him. However, all hands were needed for this fight, and Teru was no coward. His father, in particular, had tried to convince him otherwise as his mother tried to convince him to take her along if he was going, but Teru was immovable, both on going alone and returning his favors alone. He had a favor to return, at the very least, and though his fears of the Red Lotus wasn't absolutely ravaging this city, he still remembered clearly the day they had attacked the Swamp of Dreams and then left without giving any motive whatsoever. He believed there had to be some truth to their reputation. He just hadn't seen enough of them yet. Yes, that had to be it, and no matter what, the bottom line was that that they had taken an entire city and put it under lockdown so they could kill the avatar. Killing the avatar was, also, something objectively bad. That was why he marched: because he owed a favor to the good guys.
Although, that's not to say he was completely impersonal. In this short time he spent with the White Lotus, among fresh faces and grizzled veterans alike, Kateru had found people he liked. For instance, his fellow water bender healer, Kytrnn. Joining the group even later than Kytrnn due to a short stop at a food stand, Kateru strode up to one of the shortest heads in the crowd and as revenge rested his arm atop her head and called out her name, "Kytrnn." When Kytrnn would turn to respond, Kateru's fellow water bender would find a giant, warm, and white bun shoved into her mouth by yours truly. "That's for skipping breakfast," the moderately taller healer would explain, his face in its natural state of a perpetual glare.
Then he was off before Kytrnn could pull the giant bao out of her mouth and waste time that could be spent eating. She might remember Kateru mentioning this steamed bun that one time they talked about all the different types of food sold in Ba Sing Se. The enclosed bun, big enough to hold in two hands was moderately famous for its size and also its use of chicken instead of pork. Instead of a roasted pork filling, it used chicken seasoned and cooked in the same way. Even before Kytrnn would eat through the thick, fluffy shell, the delicious smell of the sweet and salty chicken wafted through the air.
Kateru had eaten already and wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but since he was forcing Kytrnn to eat, he had in hand his own, smaller bun. If Kytrnn was gonna get in trouble, then the least he could do was get in trouble with her. Though, that didn't mean he would be willing to share. Hell no was he gonna share the deliciously bittersweet matcha cream filled bao that he had been craving for months.
Walking forward, chomping, chewing, and all of that nonsense eventually brought Kateru to the front of the group. He looked upon the gathered four masters, staring down at the dozens before them without the slightest hint of hesitation in their distance faces, yet he could also swear that he almost saw something like reluctance in the faces of the men. Kateru shook his head. No, he was just making mistakes because they were so far away. The older were merely being stoic. After all, look at how clearly the frustration and rage could be seen on the face of the woman with the third eye, even from this great distance.
That was when, some ways to the side, he heard a voice he hadn't heard in years. Head turning cooly to see the speaker of the booming shout, Teru's scowl deepened as he recognized his father's friend. Facing forward again, the teen swallowed the food he was currently chewing and tapped a pouch at his hip to corece Bozu out of his napping place so that the reinsnake could be fed what remained of the matcha bao.
The young boy, no doubt a child in the eyes of most present, looked up at the four masters assembled. He did not know many things. His father would no doubt remind him of that now. He honestly had more questions than answers. The avatar, the spirit realm, the great cataclysm, and secret motives. He had heard of such things and tried his best to understand them, but they were all too much, beyond the grasp of a mere country boy from the swamps. However, emboldened after recognizing someone the first to speak up, he suddenly felt like he wanted answers to his question, so in all the glory of teenage impulse control (or lack thereof) he blurted aloud, "The Red Lotus have taken Ba Sing Se for a year now. For a year, you've separated families. For a year, you've halted trade and ruined livelihoods. For a year, you've ruled with force and fear, and that is only speaking of Ba Sing Se. Outside of the city walls, you search madly, using whatever means necessary. All in the name of finding the avatar? Two decades ago, you used the avatar to bring forth disaster. I heard from my mother about those dark times. Did you not learn since then?". His voice did not exclaim, but the indignation was apparent on the scowl that only deepened as Kateru spoke because for each word said, the situation made less and less sense to him.
What was it Teru once happened to hear a soldier say? It was a phrase he did not know the context behind, but it had stuck with him nonetheless. "We're soldiers. We have to fight for what we believe in... right?" In that case, what could the Red Lotus possibly believe in that would make them want to ruin so many lives simply to force a redo that caused so many deaths?
Heights of characters Ye Xiu 6'4" Kosuke 6' Asla 5'10" Kateru 5'8" Marama 5'6" Kai 5'5" Kyy 5'4"
Ages of characters Ye Xiu - 27 (147 AG) Asla - 22 (152 AG) Kosuke - 21 (153 AG) Marama - 19 (155 AG) Kai Leng - 18 (156 AG) Kytrnn - 18 (156 AG) Kateru - 17 (157 AG)
What little boy doesn't want to be a hero growing up; soldiers, firemen -- the world is ripe with heroic influences just waiting to imprint on the minds of the young. The thing is, most little boys outgrow that desire and settle into a more practical role; usually this meant taking over the family farm or enrolling in an apprenticeship. For our sweet Xiao, this meant becoming a courier. His role, before all this Red Lotus nonsense started up, was to transport mail between the the capitol and the nearby outlying towns; it wasn't exactly the most glorious job in the world, but it kept food on the table. However, the dull day-to-day of the mail grind wasn't enough to extinguish that dream of being a hero. As fate would have it, it was starting to look like that dream was to become a reality.
Xiao was in town for the week, holding up in a relatively nice inn in the middle ring. In all honesty it was closer to a cheap holiday inn, a complete rip-off by middle-ringer standards. But when you live in a farm house, even an ratty, old mattress feels like heaven; it also helped that many of his stops were near by... but man, that bed.
The day started out pretty normally, a small bowl of rice and and egg for breakfast washed down with what could be described as tea all scarfed down in the blink of an eye and partially finished as the boy was leaving the inn. Once on the street, Xiao would check his itinerary for any relevant stops; it was the first day in town, so his list wasn't exactly priority. It looked like he had seven days to hit a few dozen stops? A light load meant he had maybe a day or two too hit up some stops and get some personal shopping done. Unfortunately, depending on how you look at the events that would unfold, Xiao had been raised with a sense of responsibility. Extra time would be taken only after his deliveries were picked up.
The hours of the day casually passed without notice. Stop after stop, package after package, it seemed like just another day... at least until the street filled with the clattering of fallen stall beams and shouts. "Hey, stop him!" An older gentlemen was lying on hid behind, tripping over his robes as he struggled to get up. In front of him, or running away from him, was a younger man clutching a satchel with a broken strap -- It wasn't a hard puzzle to solve.
Instinct took over and Xiao dropped his satchel. Throwing a quick stomp foward and a one-two punch, the boy produced and launched two fist sized stones and sent them flying towards the assailant. The thief raised a quick wall, blocking the two stones and shattering upon impact. This ruble would be sent back at our would-be-hero in a shocking counter. Even shocking-er[?] was what happened next. Xiao shifted on his feet, loosening his stance and spun around, following the motion of the new projectiles. His arms became like water as he transferred control of the stones, slinging them back around for a collision course with their sender. The rattle of rocks and oof of a dude hitting the floor were shortly followed by the rattling of change and the random knick-knacks within the stolen satchel.
"Oh, thank you, lad. Good work catching that scoundrel!" The old man said, slowly approaching the scene. Xiao scratched the back of his head and grinned, lost for what exactly he should say at a time like this -- all he could do was give that stupid grin. "I mean it, lad. You've got some pretty fancy moves. Not many earthbenders I've seen that move like that." Now this was something he could go on. "Oh, yeah, haha. My mom is actually from the Water Tribes. She taught me a thing or two about waterbending, even though... well, rocks and all. You know, it's actually not as tricky as it looks. The trick is to just be loose, you know what I mean?"
Real life hit the boy like the ton of bricks he had just so effortlessly moved. There he went, talking up a storm again. A bright red flushed Xiao's cheeks as he awkwardly set to collecting his things. "Well, I better be off now. Sorry!" The old man let out a hearty laugh and clapped Xiao on the back, almost sending the boy sprawling. "No need to apologize, lad, you've done me a great service. Say, what if I bought you lunch. I have something I'd like to talk to you about." Xiao, ever dutiful, could only decline. "I'm sorry, sir. But I have my deliveries to make. I'll be back in town next week, however. Maybe I could meet you then!" He honestly had no intention of meeting up with the man. Like many of his meet ups in the city, Xiao expected this to be another empty promise. "Ah, and a good head on your shoulders to boot. I respect that. Here, take this and present it to the inn keeper who runs the inn just a block over. He'll let you know where to find me." As he spoke, the man produced a small wooden token and placed it in Xiao's hand. "It was nice to meet you... uh..." Xiao stopped examining the wooden chip and gave the old man another smile. "I'm Xiao. Xiao Bao" The man nodded. "I look forward to our next meeting, Xiao Bao. Much to discuss!" And with that, he was off.
And with that, his day was back to normal, save for his new wooden token. Upon a second glance, Xiao would come to immediately recognize it as a lotus tile from the game Pai Sho. What an odd man.
But that was that, and the rest is history. A week later, Xiao, upon begging his older brother to take up his deliveries this week, returned to the city and presented the token. From there, it was a short hop, skip, and a jump to where he was now... face to face with some of the most powerful benders in the world on a secret liberation mission. His hero fantasy was becoming a reality; only time would tell if it would be as he dreamed... or if it would be a nightmare.
Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 6:49 am
A uniformed Sergeant of the Fire Nation Army walked alongside subordinates, his focus settled, and his demeanor obviously frustrated. He turned his eyes from two lower-ranked benders at his side, to a young combustion-bender who bore a striking similarity to him. The third eye tattoo clear upon her forehead, unlike her elder brother. It was truth that Asla did not quite understand why they had chosen to be here, it had been Kai Leng that had convinced him to bring a unit in support of the White Lotus.
Still, it was a source of contentment. He was none-the-easier for their involvement and felt theirs was not the duty to protect the Avatar. But, they were soldiers. It was their job to ensure the stability of their nation. Which in this case would mean they would safeguard the sanctity of the world by acting alongside the White Lotus. The more Asla thought about this, the more it drained him mentally. This was not a crux he wanted to be at. While he hated his position, forever spent to defend nobles and keep them from scraping their rich knees on foreign deployments, but it was at least a sure day.
"Kai, a moment." He intoned as he passed by his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Once the Huang siblings had made a distance enough from the rest of their unit, Asla stopped and looked into the eyes of his sister, attempting not to look at the emblem marked upon her forehead.
"I know the importance of protecting the Avatar, but this White Lotus. I don't know at all what we're crawling into bed with here. Are you sure we're right to trust them?" He asked, his camber unstead as he awaited an answer.
tab tab Kosuke had broken away from the main group some time ago, his destination? A small hovel of people doing their best to survive the lockdown, sharing what food they had. Those broken souls that were huddled inside were just as shabby as the building's exterior, although that was common around here nowadays. Kosuke smiled before pulling open the door and slipping inside, all conversation stopping as he did so. It seemed that even here his reputation preceded him. "Good morning, everyone." The Airbender said, resting both his pack as well as himself against the door. "How was your day?" Kosuke's words broke the silence and the woman returned to cooking their gruel in the meekly burning firepit. From across from them, a group of men sitting at a crude earthen table continued to regard the Airbender with scowling expressions. One of them in particular, one who couldn't have been but scarcely into his forties, but whom also seemed keen on taking leadership of the group, addressed Kouske with an unyielding gaze.
"Spare me your glib tongue. I know why you're here, who you run with. We'll have none of that here, you understand? We're just trying to make it through the war, and I won't have troublemakers coming in to eat our food and dazzle our youth into joining another bloody cause." Kosuke smiled. "Now now my goodman, " He said. "Your worries are completely unfounded, why I have no intention of eating your food. I brought my own." Airbending his sack up into his hand, Kosuke threw the loose bag to the fool by the cauldron. Slumping to the side, an array of food spilled across the floor. Fine loaves of bread, cured sausages, a few fruits even. Dozens of hungry eyes all regarded the splendor at once. If their leader held any reservations about accepting the bribe, he didn't make them quickly enough, and the food was swiftly distributed among their populace. The bubbling gruel left forgotten in the fireplace.
Meanwhile, Kosuke settled his way into as comfy a chair as any could find in the earth kingdom and looked happily over his good work. It wasn't much at all, just whatever food he could gather from his stealth flight trips over the wall. Kosuke just wished that it felt less like dropping a thimble of water to quench a desert.
"I can't help but notice, that you didn't dispute his troublemaker claim."
Kosuke turned to regard who had addressed him, an elderly man, hobbling over to sit beside him. The Airbender paused briefly to get a better look at him. The man must have been ancient, his leathered skin and bald scalp only served to make him appear frail, though Kosuke guessed that he must have held a secret strength about him, considering that his age placed him to at least be a survivor of the time of Avatar Aang. "That's because I'd wager it's the smartest thing to ever come out of his mouth. I'm a born troublemaker, but there will be time enough for that as soon as these people have had a proper meal. Speaking of which, don't you want any of it?"
"No, I think I should pass. I've spent too many years living off of scraps now. New foods are like new ideas, the older you get, the harder it is to stomach them."
Kosuke paused, looking in closer detail to the man's face. There was something odd about the elder that he couldn't quite place. "Pardon me, but what was your name again?"
"Bo."
"So tell me, Bo. Why don't you sit with your friend over there." Kosuke gestured towards the younger man whom he had spoken with earlier. "You seem a knowledgable enough man."
Bo shrugged. "When you get to be my age you start to learn to be careful what you spend your energy on. Sometimes it's better to weather through a battle than fight it." Kosuke caught the glimmer of his true meaning behind the man's words. He was referring to the rebellion the white lotus had marching down the street. "You're satisfied with all this then? Living life locked away here in the city?"
"At least it's a life. Many could attest that there are other things far worse than sitting amongst ourselves here as we are. Men like you lotus types have been fighting for years now, preaching change. But I wonder, Is this a battle we can really fight?"
Kosuke's smile deepened. "You're already fighting it my good man. You're just losing terribly."
"How do you do that?" Bo asked, frowning.
"What?"
"Smile so much."
"Oh, I'm just a happy person. That and I suppose I like to think of it as my own personal war on those who think they can break joy. A battle that, thankfully, doesn't take much strength to fight."
Bo continued to stare are Kosuke, so long in fact, that the Airbender thought that he might return the gesture. However, in the end, the man simply let his head fall once more. "I don't know..."
"Don't worry too much about it, I suspect a lot of people don't know anymore. But who knows? The world keeps on moving, stick around long enough Bo, and you just might see change hit this world." The realization was slow to dawn on Bo's face, but before he could say anymore, Kosuke was gone. Leaping from his seat in a graceful rush that only an Airbender could muster. Before his face fully disappeared by the door, one last smile could be seen fading from view.
Kosuke wasn't the first to reach the royal palace, as a matter of fact, his little side quest and placed the man far behind his fellow soldiers were already neatly gathered in the square. That didn't stop Kosuke from sneaking his way through the crowd, however. His steps were just light enough to wisp through with minimal resistance. All the while, he could see the looks of dread in many of the fighter's faces. There were apprehension and fear in the air, and why shouldn't they be scared? Win or lose, it was all going to come to an end today. Let's just hops that they were on the right side of history.
By the time he had reached the front most of this had lessened, however. Two souls stepping forward to confront those red lotus masters who had gathered to no doubt 'snuff out' this rebellion. Kosuke joined alongside the, though no accusations spilled from his mouth. The Airbender simply rooted himself in place as if he had just so casually belonged there. A smile formed on his lips as his curious eyes drunk in the form of Si Yun Wong, with hardly any effort made to disguise the leering. Kosuke has heard there was an Airbender among the group, but this was his first chance to be able to meet the man. It would be interesting, he thought, to hear his response to the accusations the others made.
Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 4:35 pm
The damnable uniform had never fit her the way she liked it, and it always bothered the girl to squeeze her way into it and be restricted. Today might be their last, and in her mind that rationalized her decision not to wear it. A simple sleeveless red shirt, tan pants and a hair tie bearing the Insignia of the Fire Nation would set her apart enough. If that didn't, the third eye tattoo and mask she wore over it would do well enough. It was during the wrappings of her arms that word reached her room that it was time to depart. Along with the rest of her squad, she departed the inn secretly harboring a cabal of firebenders here to aid the White Lotus. It didn't take a lot for them to realize how out of place they were, especially in uniform and wearing the mask she was.
She opted to take it off to seem more human to the innocents. The people she had come to liberate, to do some good in the world with her curse.
Asla led, as Asla tended to, even if he only meant to be one among the group. She stuck to his side as a sibling tended to, but shrunk away whenever he spoke. She'd harmed him mighty good once upon a time, and the wrapping on her arms hid her own scars. He thought she didn't notice how hard he tried to ignore the brand upon her forehead, how he held his chest around her.
She noticed.
And when he called her aside she followed out of duty moreso than anything else. Naturally, he had concerns. It would be too weird if he didn't have some reservations or concerns about their presence there. Even still, Kai Leng didn't immediately have an answer for him, because she didn't know. She searched for an answer on her brother's face, and found only her own staring back at her in his tired eyes. "I'm sure of one thing, and its that these people need to be free, and those four are keeping them from achieving true freedom. The Avatar is important, but so is every person being oppressed by the Red Lotus, and they won't stop until she's dead."
One problem fed by the other.
She walked forward towards Ban Shi, and the loud man whom had spoken of Chen Wan's size. All through the crowd there were nervous chuckles. It was, in some ways, refreshing, but they Red Lotus spoke amongst themselves before delivering their reply...
Close to the back, Kai Leng did notus a girl who didn't look like she belonged, and out of curiosity and a desire to be away from Asla she approached Kytryn. "Hey. I'm Kai Leng, one of the members from the White Lotus. I don't know if you came here with anyone, but it seems like most of the people gathered came in groups or... at least belong to one. I don't know where you're from but you don't look like you belong to any of the groups. Stay near us, we can watch each other's backs. When you're done with that bread... if you want I mean," she stumbled a little trying to carry on Ye's humor a little bit.
___youwillknownihilism Captain
Offline
___youwillknownihilism Captain
Offline
Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 5:48 pm
Raan Xen rubbed her hands together, heat rising between them as her eyes scanned over the entire crowd. Long before Ye had spoken, she had picked him out of the crowd. Older, larger but not anywhere near her Chen Wan... he'd make for the prime target for an opening salvo. To put them on the back foot. A little girl from the Sun warrior tribe off to the side could prove troublesome... but so long as they held them in this prisoner dilemna long enough for reinforcements to arrive, the Red Lotus were in a position of power here. Raan was far from worried about the possibility of an actual fight breaking out regardless. Between her and the 3 bending masters at her side, she was confident in their ability to force a retreat. The very second her eyes landed on Asla and Kai Leng, however, the anger in her face twisted into a sick kind of anticipation. "I know the fire nation squad they sent here. Well, I know two of them. The girl with the tattoo, and the one that could be her brother... I want them myself," she spoke.
Ban Shi had been aware of the last straggling arrivals, and through her arms were crossed and her face was even more hard than her stance, she did turn her head to Ye when he addressed her with a softer smile. If it weren't before, it was entirely clear now that Ban Shi Dan was completely and entirely blind. "Ah, sorry sometimes the boys can be entirely overzealous. I assume, since you're here, you know the city was taken and locked down. We are here to liberate and take those four terrorists down," Ban replied as if it were something that should have, by this point, been obvious. When he addressed them, she turned sightless eyes back on the gathered group, fully expecting his voice to be what set everything off. She was aware of light steps, the air bender had arrived. Only one of his kin to join up thus far, he was welcome. A girl she didn't recognize far to the side, one who didn't walk like the rest. She would regard her if she could. Get her to integrate a bit. Oh, and then the firebenders finally showed up. The best artillery she could get into the city on a whim, Asla had been a welcome sight even if he stepped like a buffalo-ram.
She wasn't the only one who wanted to roar to her opposition, clearly.
Jiyoo was about to respond when Ye's booming voice washed through their ears. Chen was left less than amused and merely sighed. Jiyoo, despite herself, chuckled which made Si and Raan, in turn, stifle their own shows of amusement. "Hey, leave our Chen Wan alone!" Jiyoo screamed back at them. More water, collected in the gutters and between the cracks in the ground leading up the stairs from a very rare rain in the days prior rose around her. The same water was present for any crafty water bender who looked for it. Her tongue washed over her teeth, and Ye had all of their attention as he continued to speak. Si Yun walked forward, and reached the bottom of the stairs, prompting the rest of his group to start moving. The whole group, in fact, lost any semblance of humor gained.
Teru spoke next, and the masters made a rough line, Si, then Jiyoo, then Chen, then Raan. A close knit line, one that could almost be a battle formation. Menacing. Only 100 or so feet away. "You balk and buck with your tongues like you know ANYTHING." Chen's voice was far louder, farther reaching and even more imposing. "I don't give a ******** about your tyrants. I don't care about ruling, or an iron fist. I only care, goddammit I have ONLY EVER CARED about making sure people survive. When I brought down the mountain city, I did so with a heavy heart. When I took this city, I did so while grieving for what had to happen." The ground, quite literally, rumbled as he replied to all of them. Ban was unbothered by the seismic bending, but knew better than not to be prepared for what comes next.
"You would do well to NOT position yourselves like you know what happened then, or like you know what WILL happen if we don't find Avatar Shee La. There will, again, be a repeat of the Convergence if we don't act to stop it. If the Avatar is allowed to live, then you will wish you listened to us, and we don't have the time to convince you." was Raan Xen's response. "We tried diplomacy in OmaShuu. We were peaceful, we tried to teach butt he fact is you people don't listen and you don't learn." Raan grew more angry by the second, and the second Chen finished speaking, she inhaled, and when her breath freed itself a lame washed across the ground ahead of them, stopping halfway to the group. "Against my better judgement, I am willing to give you all a single chance to leave, as we always do. Unabate our search, and we will let you leave her unharmed. If you choose to stand against us, which Chen Wan has informed me is supposed to be your right, then it will be ours to cull you. I don't care what you choose, just be quick."
"Conversely, Ban Shi, you could hand over the Avatar. I have a sneaky little suspicion that you know where she is, and I'm more than willing to extract the information out of you." Jiyoo spoke. Ban entered a horse stance, and her hands opened, palms open and facing herself. The army took her cue. So did the Red Lotus.
Long tendrils made of water extended from the back of the blue-haired bending master from the Northern Water tribe. "It isn't happening Jiyoo. And none of us is going to back down!"
Escalation was being reached as all of the masters slowly but surely readied themselves for combat.
Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 7:34 pm
Dark brown eyes watched as others filtered in to join the larger group. Though she had not been privy to the initial banter of those gathered upon the palace steps she heard the words of the larger man among the crowd quite clearly. First his jest which caused her normally placid face to raise a brow; then she heard him talk of tyrants and though she knew not the name of Chin, she knew of Ozai. Among her people his name was rather infamous despite their limited contact with the outside world. Something stirred within her heart, a pulse of emotion pulling at her heartstrings. It was like a small ember smoldering within chest.
Another voice spoke out, his words further illuminating the growing conflict before her. The four who stood atop the steps belonged to the Red Lotus. Though insulated as she was, she did not recognize the four for who they truly were as of yet. Marama's eyes remained transfixed upon the two groups, taking in every late comer and in particular the man who bore the insignia of the Fire Nation upon his uniform. However there was little time to actually think about him and what he represented when the four gathered on the steps drew closer and more words were exchanged. Hearing both sides in full now it became apparent that she was staring down the big four.
With one nervous step forward she moved towards those who had gathered. Then another and another until she was standing much closer to the gathered resistance fighters and the opposing Red Lotus members. Something had inspired her to action even as she felt her throat choke with fear. Though still apart from either group she was near enough now that she could hear all of them without them resorting to shouting. Upon taking a deep breath to try and clear her mind she struggled to muster the courage to speak. "You talk of a lack of time, yet as they have pointed out people have suffered through the year of your hold upon this city without convincing. If you truly believe yourself to be right there must be another way? There has to be another way..." Her voiced wavered at points, but she said what she felt she needed to say.
Marama knew little about the events of nineteen years ago. Word of the war between the White and Red Lotus had reached her people but it hadn't touched their home. Growing up she had learned little of the outside world, and what she had learned of it inside of Bing Sing Se was mostly rumor or the mundane bullshit surrounding the lives of those who lived in the upper ring and frequented her place of work. That was until the reality of the Red Lotus had trapped her and interrupted her life. Now she stood facing the two sides of the conflict, and due to the circumstances found herself quickly coming to side with the White Lotus. Her body took up a loose stance placing her feet shoulder width apart, her hands came together to nearly touch fingertips as she took a deep breath. They then descended down in front of her chest as she exhaled, before they moved to alter her stance into one that might have resembled a water bender's. As she did so her long green sleeves fell down her arms slightly, revealing the tattoos about her wrists. Her eyes glanced back to the resistance fighters one last time before they settled upon the four Red Lotus masters, the ember within sparked into a small flame. She had survived the mighty ocean, and she could survive this. With new determination she steeled herself for what seemed to be the inevitability of a fight against four masters.
More people gathered, more voices, more chatter. The red lotus seemed more annoyed than anything, and that made her even more anxious. Just as she was about to take a step back, one foot already sliding back so that she could spin around and walk off, a familiar arm settled itself on top of her head. Though she wasn't sure if it had been Kateru's intention, the anxiety in her shoulders deflated to make room for maxiumum annoyance. Kytrnn glared up through her bangs, bao still in her mouth. Was this really any time to eat?! She ripped the bun out of her mouth to say exactly that, but the white haired male was making his way through the crowd to avoid her, so she just glared after him.
She sat there for some time, begrudgingly devouring the bao, by herself at the back. It was actually fairly good, and had lived up to the waterbender's expectations. It was nice that it was sweet, too. About halfway through another person stopped, a pretty firebender if her name and clothing were any indication. Kytrnn listened to her, and held back a soft snort at the mention of her coming with any group. She swallowed, then answered, her voice thick with an unknown accent-- some bastardization of the southern water tribe intonation.
"No, I'm not one for groups. I didn't know how obvious that was, though. I'm not... good with people. But I'd be stupid to not have someone protect me, considering I know next to nothing. So... I guess you've got yourself a partner, Kai Leng. I'm Kytrnn." The young woman finished just as the line of the red lotus moved closer, and conversation began to start. Instantly Kyy's attention was drawn to them, her head snapping in the direction of the conversation. Her wary eyes scanned them as she listened to the two groups converse. Finally breaking her calm facade, Kytrnn frowned.
"War breeds fear, fear breeds a need for simplicity... but things are never that black and white. This is going to get very dangerous before it gets better..." The words were mumbled, barely loud enough for Kai to hear let alone anyone else.
Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:24 am
All it took was a spark, small words to ignite a confrontation, and the battle had come to its opening. There was to be no peace between the Lotuses and though Asla had no intentions of being brought into this conflict originally, insistence had brought him here, and now the larger picture had begun to dawn upon him. Eyes alight with flame he stared to those whose argument rung out over the others, then turned to his squadron.
"Prepare for conflict, it's coming. We're not leaving this place unless the Masters do so." His eyes met with the one who had focused intently on him and Kai Leng.
"We're marked, Kai. We take that one down, first." He whispered to his sister, his stance shifting as he prepared for the fight.
The Fire soldiers behind them spread out and remained at ease, but their forms belied a preparedness for combat honed in years of rigorous training.
Excuses but no answers. Teru couldn't understand how the red lotus could possibly think that people would so blindly believe in what they did. He didn't understand how anyone could be expected to simply hand over the avatar with such vague threats. While Teru gradually grew more frustrated with the circles his mind was running around the Red Lotus's purported reason but their refusal to give an explanation, a lady in tropical wear stepped forwards, the one who glanced to the White Lotus right before giving her two cents on the matter. She stood bravely at the forefront of it all, but in that one glance, Teru caught the glimmer of fear and hesitation. The young waterbender did not who she was, but he admired her courage nonetheless and found himself agreeing with what she had to say. The Red Lotus had a whole year to convince those of Ba Sing Se. Even if they couldn't convince everyone, then at least more people than the secret police with its sketchy reputation. Whatever their reason, it was either just a lie or not as absolute as they made it out to be.
The Red Lotus had given their ultimatum and Teru still believed that Ba Sing Se needed to be free. The time for diplomatic words, he supposed, was over. Though they spoke pretty words of saving the people, Teru could not blindly believe them. To turn around now would be cowardice. As those around him and opposing him took their stances, Teru shifted his body into a stance of his own and moved his arms in simple, fluid motions to gather the water to himself. He aimed, specifically, for the water in the cracks and crevices of the floor on the Red Lotus's side of what would soon become a battlefield. If he could, he would like to see this fight end with no deaths, and a part of him believed that maybe, just maybe, it would be possible to force an earlier retreat if he was able to surreptitiously take water away from the water bender master.
Heights of characters Ye Xiu 6'4" Kosuke 6' Asla 5'10" Kateru 5'8" Marama 5'6" Kai 5'5" Kyy 5'4"
Ages of characters Ye Xiu - 27 (147 AG) Asla - 22 (152 AG) Kosuke - 21 (153 AG) Marama - 19 (155 AG) Kai Leng - 18 (156 AG) Kytrnn - 18 (156 AG) Kateru - 17 (157 AG)
